My Wish For You

This week has been such a busy week. I was so prepared for the holidays. I had all my shopping done weeks ago, the house decorated, the presents all wrapped and under the tree, but then just days before Christmas I got a cold and that got me all off track.

I had alot of baking to do and last minute errands, but being sick left me with no energy. Finally feeling a bit better on Monday, I forced myself to cram everything I needed to do in two days.

And now...Christmas has come and gone. All this preparing and rushing...visiting with family and friends. It feels like in a blink...it's over. Do you feel that way too?

I felt bad that I didn't even have time to get online and wish you all a Happy Holiday...

So now My Wish For You is that the warmth of Christmas stays with you long into the New Year and in the words of Rascal Flatts:

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

Send a FREE Card To a Solider

Learn how you can send a FREE card to a solider by going over to my blog...The Many Pieces of Life and reading my post.

Xerox is doing something very special and it truly is FREE. This is a wonderful way to show our appreciation and say "Thank You". It will only take a few seconds of your time, but will mean so much.

Have you ever wondered what you can do while our military is fighting the war for us? Here's your chance...a small gesture to show you care. Brighten someone's day...

During this time of year, show your holiday spirit by letting our soliders know we are behind them, we support them and that they are not alone.

The Day After Thanksgiving

I don’t know what it is about the day after Thanksgiving, but you can feel the excitement in the air. The official start of the holiday season, I suppose. Black Friday, the holiday shopping lists, cleaning up the house, decorating, planning for the cooking and baking that will need to be done, the holiday parties and get togethers etc etc.

I myself have never done shopping on Black Friday. I guess it’s because I didn’t want to be involved with the lines, the traffic, the craziness of people trying to buy the most wanted sale items. This year turned out to be different. My guy needed to purchase an extremely popular video system for his kids. Being a full time Dad, he couldn’t just wake his kids up in the wee hours of the morning and let them watch what he was buying, soooooo…I offered to get up early and drive to the store.

Wow…it might have only been 5:45 am on the clock, but when I entered the store, it seemed like it was 5:45 pm instead. I always heard about the crowds, the sales etc, but I actually witnessed it for myself. I couldn’t believe how many people were shopping at the mall at that hour. I was in and out of the store within 15 minutes though. Now what? I was already awake and dressed. Do I go home and sleep for a few more hours or do I continue shopping since all the stores were opened already. Um…I decided to continue shopping.

I have to admit that I did get some pretty good deals on several items AND I was done with all my Christmas shopping by 10:30am! I couldn’t believe it. I was prepared by keeping a list of all the gifts I wanted for each person. That saved me time and in the end, money.

I did find some stores lured customers in with ads of special deals, but upon arriving, the deals weren't all that special.

Did you go shopping on Black Friday this year? How was your experience...positive or negative?

Help The Children of Payatas

I recently saw a TV commercial showing what it is like for the children living near a landfill in Payatas. It truly tugs at your heart. The conditions in which these children and families live in are horrendous. Just to survive they must pick through this landfill for any item they can sell to get money. All they want to do is feed themselves. Could you imagine if your own children had to pick through garbage to survive? There is a youtube video entitled Christmas For Payatas and the url is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUBVKLZXK3E. Please watch for yourself what these children and families must go through on a daily basis just to survive for one day!

If during the Holiday season you volunteer your services or donate to a charity, please consider Christmas for Payatas. Join the many celebrities and other organizations in their efforts to raise money this Christmas season.

The landfill in Payatas, The Philippines, is notoriously known the world over as Smokey Mountain. For over 35 years, the smoking dump site has grown to become a stark and heart-tugging reminder of the desperate conditions of humanity.

On a daily basis, children pick through newly arrived garbage to
collect material to sell. The earnings made by one child are not enough to even buy food for the day. Hence, entire families are forced to climb the mountain each day, hoping to earn enough to feed everyone. Children as young as four years old are forced to work in this daily struggle for survival.

In response to the plight of these children, Totedaddy.com is working with Lighthouse Center For Children Foundation to bring a little cheer to the children this Christmas.

Totedaddy.com has kicked off with a cash sponsorship of USD 10,000 to enable the children to celebrate Christmas. FusionExcel International has also pitched in a USD 5,000 in cash sponsorship. The money raised will help fund the projects already in place, and help fund additional projects aimed at providing better housing, and a means of livelihood for the Payatas community.

It is hoped that by creating better awareness to the plight of these children, more support can be gathered towards their betterment. Together we can bury poverty!

Will the Current Economy Affect Your Holidays?

Well, I started my Christmas shopping this month and I am almost done. Stuck on a few ideas for Mom and my brother. They are always the hardest to buy for. They have everything!

I noticed I am paying attention to the sales more than usual and taking advantage of specials buys. Money is tighter now, not only due to the economic situation we are facing, but also because I've been home recovering from my back surgery.

I'm not just buying gifts because they cost less. I'm looking for the best deal on an item I want.I'm proud of myself for spending half the amount I spent last year (so far) and to be honest, my selections this year are even better.

I also don't buy online until I look for those online coupon codes I have posted about before. Believe me, don't pay for anything until you check out if there are coupons for the store you are buying from. There are coupons for just about every store, so don't think there aren't offers out there. There ARE! I have saved SO much money this way. If you are looking at an item from Amazon, or Best Buy or even JC Penneys...just enter store name + Coupons in your browser and you will see a list of codes available. Do this with every store you intend to purchase from. THe savings will add up.

There are also sites showcasing Black Friday deals expected. The deals are crazy good, so don't do any shopping until you check out the best deal for the item you are looking for. Why spend more, right? Get the best value for your money.

I had a poll on this site in October. My question was: Will the Current Economy Affect Your Holidays? According to my readers responses, most of us are feeling the affects and will spend less.

71.4 % said they WILL spend less this holiday season
28.6 % responded they haven't thought about the holidays yet

I am thinking that when the 28.6 % of the people start thinking about the holidays, they will indeed spend less.

Have you started your Holiday shopping and if so, do you find you are spending less?

Merry Christmas!

Today Christmas Eve day, I am finally done with all my baking. I think I gained a few pounds just from sampling the cookies I made, but I tell you...it was worth it! ha...You have to taste what you're baking, right!?!

I just posted on my other blog something you might find inspiring.
Teach The Children the Symbols of Christmas. In case some of us forget the 'true' meaning of Christmas.
Do you know what the Symbols of Christmas mean?

I hope all of you have a peaceful holiday, filled with Love, Happiness, Faith and Hope.

The Sky Angel Cowboy

Logan is a 13 year-old boy who lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. Logan listens to Christian Radio station 89.3FM KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX. Logan called the radio station distraught because he had to take down a calf. His words have wisdom beyond his years.

Out of the mouths of babes we are reminded...out of the mouths of babes we are inspired.
Thank you Logan for sharing this with us and giving us a very special message.

I know what you had to do was extremely hard, but you did what had to be done.
Many Blessings to you and your family.




MERRY CHRISTMAS

Adults Like To Play Games Too!

Simone at Outfit Inspirations has been extremely busy working on the Great Christmas Scavenger Hunt. This idea of hers enables the blogger community to join in some fun.

The Christmas Scavenger Hunt has officially begun!



Children can’t have all the fun! We adults like to play games too!

Now here’s your chance to put your intuitive, investigative nature to work and have a chance to win an IPOD.

Simone is definitely feeling the Christmas Spirit and wants to bring cheer to others.

To take part in the Christmas Scavenger Hunt, you must download the official entry form. You can click here

The objective of this online scavenger hunt is to collect a bunch of hidden Christmas Letters using the clues on the Entry Form. The catch? These Christmas letters are scattered throughout different sites on the web. When you find the answer to the clues, you will also see a clickable button. When you click on it, it will bring you to the next site.

That's it! Have fun and meet some friends along the way. If you are the lucky winner, you will receive an IPOD to enjoy and always remember you received it through the Great Christmas Scavenger Hunt made possible by Simone.

Thank you Simone for all your hard work!

Free eCards To Help Toys For Tots

Have you ever heard of the Marines Toys for Tots? This has been an ongoing tradition in the United States Marine Corp. Reserves for 60 years now! Toys for Tots delivered an amazing 19.2 million toys to over 7.6 million children.

But, there are literally over 13 million children living in poverty and Toys for Tots is asking in the name of the Holiday Spirit in each of us to help out this year.

If you are sending eCards this holiday season, here is a great way to raise money for Toys for Tots by simply sending free eCards to your friends and family. Here’s the scoop: Month2Month.com is a totally free, high quality eCard web site that has joined with Toys for Tots and will make a contribution for every holiday card that is received. Their site has no advertising, doesn’t require subscriptions, sign-ups or downloading toolbars. And the cards are great…better than what you’d find on those other sites that charge for subscriptions. This is what the holiday spirit is all about... giving. So let’s all take advantage of this and PLEASE!!!! Pass this along to everyone you know.
Here's where to find Toys for Tots free eCards

Gifts For Him

It's that time of year when we begin searching for that perfect holiday gift for the people in our lives.

I, myself take time to really find something suitable for everyone on my list. I usually find myself spending a little extra time trying to find the best gifts for him, the special guy who I've been spending time with.

Although I don't want to go over the top with something too personal, I think my best bet would be getting something he can use around the house. What guy doesn't like power tools or something he can use in the 'sacred garage'.

He's always complaining that he doesn't have enough storage for his tools, so maybe a 3 drawer tool box he can keep in the garage would be a hit. And because he's such a fanatic about water spots on his car and motorcycle, I found this compact car and motorcycle dryer that might bring a smile to his face.

What kind of gifts do you buy the man in your life?

The Spirit of Christmas

I found this waiting for me one night upon arriving home.
Santa's Community Blog presented me with the Spirit of Christmas award. Truly a great present. Thank you SO much!

What is the Spirit of Christmas you ask?

Quite simply it is those that have a generous and giving nature. Those who care about others. Those who have a kind word to say or a broad shoulder to lean on in the times that others need that. Those who display the "Spirit of Christmas".

The true holiday spirit is about love, kindness, peace and goodwill to all. Although I am a summer person, Christmas is my favorite time of year. I absolutely love the feeling as the season approaches. I get nostalgic thinking about my childhood and when my son was young. I feel more love for everyone and everything. I think my heart actually glows.

I think everyone should have the spirit of christmas. Wouldn't that be amazing?! I do try to keep my Christmas spirit alive all year long.

I want to present the Spirit of Christmas to:

and to think
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