Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Mommy Lesson #7: Science

The moral of this lesson is: clean it up the first time.

This morning, while I was preparing lunch, Crackers got quiet.  I know, ALWAYS a sign that I should see what's going on... I was pretty quick on the draw.  He had discovered that there was a roll of toilet paper sitting on the edge of the bathroom sink.  Being a curious 19 month old, he thought it would be a good idea to find out what happens when you run water over the roll.

The result: When water is run on a full roll of toilet paper, it creates a dent in the toilet paper... oh, and the paper gets VERY wet.

Mama was in a hurry to get lunch on the table and boys off to bed for naps - I left the TP in the sink, not wanting to deal with the soaking mess, I figured I would clean it up during nap.

Fast forward to nap time.
Monkey needed to potty - he REALLY had to go.  Mama sat in the other room and ignored him, after several minutes, he was instructed that it was time to be done.  "Okay" was his response, followed by an incomplete flush.  "Ugh," thought mama, "I plugged it up when I went earlier, I hate it when that happens".  Sent Monkey upstairs and discovered his science experiment.

When a 3 year old finds a wet roll of TP in the bathroom sink, he feels like it's a good idea to shred it all into the potty and see what happens.

The result: A full roll of wet toilet paper plugs up the potty, therefore the plunger must be used to "unclog" the mess.  Somehow the floor gets rather wet in the process of shredding toilet paper as well.

Next time, I clean up after the FIRST mess, even if it means delaying lunch and nap!


Wordless Wednesday: Date with Daddy







The thing I dread

I think the thing I dread the most is making phone calls - especially phone calls related to doctors and bills.  I won't tell you where the dread of phone calls started, in case someone who is reading is or knows the situation... let's suffice it to say that this problem started when I was in high school.

I do talk to my sister on the phone plenty, but very seldom talk to others.  Sorry if you've tried to call me and I've ignored you - I dread talking on the phone, I'd much rather talk to you for real, or by email, or on Facebook...

Today I've got to make some doctors and bills calls.. ugh.. dreading it.. I've avoided these calls for a week.. HAVE to do it!

That's all, just thought I'd share.. and delay the calling!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

NOW OPEN

The Stroller Blanket giveaway from Baby's Breath Designs is now open.  Don't forget to enter to win a fantastic blanket for your sweet pea.

Ugh

I think we may have a toddler with chicken pox.  Let's hope he just had some crazy attack of bugs that for some reason didn't get to anyone else in the family... might make for an interesting week!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Heelys: Review

BOY PARTY
Post 13
(Final Post)

Heelys is throwing a Labor Day/Back-to-School special!! Between Sept 2-Sept 5, Buy one pair of Heelys, get the second pair for only $30!

I don't care if your boy is 3 or 33.. he'd love some Heelys!  At least, I'm pretty sure he would.  Heelys are shoes with removable wheels that can be inserted into the heel of the sole.  They are great for getting boys active, or giving active boys an outlet for their need to move!  I recently got to try a pair of adult sized Heelys for myself.
My happy feet
BEFORE
Let me tell you the truth about Heelys.  I have seen them before.  They're not new.  If I remember correctly, the original style had a button on the side that popped the wheels out so the user could skate with them.  I thought they were dumb.  (Don't tell my kids I used that word).  I thought Heelys were a dangerous waste of money, a ploy to get kids to buy a new pair of shoes.  I thought they were a nuisance to the public and should be, in general, avoided.


MY TRIAL
I am pregnant.  I have flat feet and when you add in pregnancy, I have FAT flat feet.  Tennis shoes are NOT comfortable.  During my last 2 pregnancies I have worn sandals for 90% of the time.  You know what I've discovered about Heelys?  Because they are a skater-style shoes, they are comfortable on fat, flat feet!  I have worn them on a couple of adventures, including a 2 hour trip to the zoo with my boys.
Not a recommended use!

MY THOUGHTS
1) Heelys are not overpriced.  When compared with other name brand shoes, they stack up nicely.  They make a great quality shoe that I believe will last me at least a couple of years.  
2) Heelys offer a great variety of styles.  I really wanted some cute purple shoes, but they weren't an option for me at this point.  They offer some "girly" options, and some that are much more boyish.  I chose a neutral shoe for my adventures and I think they're great with shorts or jeans.
3) Safety - Heelys are just as safe as any other skate when used correctly.  (Heelys does recommend that the wheel not be inserted into the shoe if you are pregnant).
4) Heelys are not a nuisance, but some people who wear them are.  Children should be given instructions about appropriate places to wear the wheels, wheels should be removed in crowded areas.
5) Newer construction - I like the removable wheel in the shoes.  It is easy to insert and to remove with the tool provided by Heelys.  


HEELYS LINKS



***Disclosure: I have received a product free for the purpose of this review.***

Wholesale Halloween Costumes: Review

BOY PARTY
Post 12

Do your boys love playing dress up as much as mine do?  Hrm, maybe it's not masculine to call it "playing dress up".  Monkey especially loves to pretend.  He's frequently Diego, saving trapped animals.  He loves animals too.  

With Halloween just over a month away, it's time to start thinking about costumes, and Wholesale Halloween Costumes offers excellent costumes at fantastic prices!
Crackers will not be a veterinarian any time soon if he keeps biting the animals.
We had the opportunity to try out Wholesale Halloween Costumes.  I was really impressed by the speed of their service, their vast selection of costumes, and the quality of the product we chose.  Monkey loved looking through the great toddler costumes with me and daydreaming about different characters, animals, and heroes that he could become.  
The hammer is not part of this costume and I'm afraid to know what my son is going to do with it.
We finally settled on the "Make a Wish Veterinarian" costume.  When it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the contents.  I had read the description, but did not remember how many things came with this.  Monkey was super excited to try it on.  He loved the animals and stethoscope the best.  We tried it out at dinner with some friends as well, their children loved the jacket and animal x-rays.  The "doctors" in our house give this costume a thumbs up for fun, as parents, we approve of the quality as well as the educational opportunities that come with playing the role of a veterinarian!  (Best of all, it is machine washable).

BUY IT
You can buy a Make a Wish Veterinarian costume for your child too.  At $19.30, it's a steal!  Make sure to check out the Wholesale Halloween Costumes website for your upcoming costume needs!  

Halloween is just over a month away!!!



Baby's Breath Designs: Review & Giveaway

BOY PARTY 
Post 11

I have to admit something.  I love blankets.  I always have, at least for as long as I remember.  My boys love blankets too.  In fact, Monkey and Crackers each have a special "magic" blanket that they sleep with every night.  I especially love blankets in the fall and winter.  I like to bundle up, and I love to bundle my boys and snuggle them.

Baby Crum is expected to arrive this fall.  It gets pretty stinkin' chilly in northern Indiana in the fall.  As I began preparing our home for baby, I went in search of the perfect stroller/carseat blanket to keep his little (or not so little) body warm on cool days.  

I found exactly what I was looking for in the Baby's Breath Designs shop! The sturdy cotton top will keep baby's heat inside, and the soft fuzzy underside will feel good against his tender baby skin.  I can't wait to bundle baby 3 in this sweet package!  

About the blanket
Baby's Breath Designs stroller blanket is a generous 29x41.  It will cover Baby well for a long time.  It has a very sturdy construction and washes well.  The bottom side is soft and fluffy, perfect for baby.  The stitching on the simple design is fantastic and makes me feel confident that we will be able to use this blanket for a long time.  They offer a generous number of fabric choices so you can customize your blanket (and other products) to suit your own tastes.  

About Baby's Breath Designs
The name "Baby's Breath Designs" comes from the owner's middle child, who has Cystic Fibrosis, a life shortening disease that effects the lungs.  She started by making things for her own children and has been able to turn that hobby into a small business, offering a wide variety of great quality products at affordable prices!

Check out some of Baby's Breath Designs other great customizable products right now!

Baby's Breath Designs has offered to give one of my readers a stroller blanket of their own!  Make sure to enter as many times as you can for your chance to win!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

What am I?

"Large" might be the best answer to this question.
I am only 29 weeks.. OI!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a dilemma.  I cannot figure out what I am.  
Am I a WAHM? (Work at home mom)
or a SAHM? (Stay at home mom)
or.. something else that there certainly must be a name for, but I don't know...

Here's the reason for my dilemma - I work 2 part time jobs - 1 is babysitting, 1 is in children's ministry.  (The babysitting will be ending soon, but that still leaves me working).  BUT - I'm not a "traditional" worker, in that my children are in daycare while I work.  Obviously, when I babysit they are also at home.  When I do work at/for the church I either have the boys with me, or Mr. Crum keeps them if he's not working.  My boys are my main "job".  I don't make and sell things like many WAHMs, but unlike a SAHM, I do work for pay.

Why is this important to me?  Mostly because when I write a letter to a company that I would like to partner with on my blog, I just am not sure about how to word things.  It was easy a few months ago, I knew I was a SAHM then.  I'm still a full time mom, I just have a different focus during certain parts of my day.

So what am I?  Is there a name for me?  Am I just a MOM?




This week's winners

Rubbermaid Winner
#26
Jennifer

(in)courage Winner
#55
Kari

Congratulations to you both!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Enter now

1 day left to enter the Rubbermaid giveaway

1 day left to enter the Dayspring $35 Gift Code giveaway

1 week left to enter the Tropical Traditions All-Purpose Cleaner giveaway

Click the Giveaway's tab at the top of the page to find links to all of those!

Good luck.

Mommy Lesson #6: Move quickly

Moral: Move quickly when they say "oh no".


Today it was hot outside.  REALLY hot.  Monkey brought me the juice from the fridge while the other boys were playing outside - and I felt obliged to let them all have a drink.

They were thirsty.  Maybe because they VERY VERY rarely get juice... but they each drank several servings of juice.  Crackers is always thirsty - so I didn't think much about it.

Until....
Mr. Crum got home at about 4 (we'd been inside for half an hour already).  Crackers was stinky, and Mr. Crum (my hero) was getting ready to change him.  We saw that Crackers was getting ready to fill his pants some more.  Soon, he was sitting down, poking at his diaper and saying "oh no"!

I was so stunned at what was happening that I froze.  What a dork.  I couldn't think of what to do when I saw that "oh no" was the best sentiment possible - his dipe had leaked and was spilling onto the floor... and he was poking at it... and then.. THEN... he rubbed it in his hair.

Aghast, I was incredibly thankful for Mr. Crum, who had much more sense than I did and quickly moved for a towel, clean diapers, some wipes, and a bag... he took care of cleaning Crackers while I started the bathtub.

Note to self: limit the juice... and get up quickly when that little boy says "oh no".

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Mommy Lesson #5: It really might be that bad


Moral of the story: Sometimes they're right.

Today was a rough day for my boys.  First thing this morning, Monkey slammed his fingers in the door.  He cried and screamed, and grabbed his fingers and curled up on my lap... and cried and screamed and....
You get the point?  He was miserable.  I kissed his fingers, loved on him, soothed him, rocked him, hugged him, did all those things that mommys do when their little guys get hurt.

Then - he asked for a bandaid.  He's mostly gotten over that NEED when he gets hurt.. he insisted he needed one, and well, to be frank: I had other things that needed to get done.  Besides - bandaids don't help squashed fingers.

But he was right.  He opened up his little hand again and suddenly there was a pool of blood on one of his fingers - seriously, I had looked at his hand several times and there had been no blood.  I don't know what that's about.  Anyway, he got a bandaid.

It really was as bad as he made it seem.

***
Step forward in time several hours.  We were back outside, I was on the phone with my sister, picking up a toy from one side of the yard.  Crackers started screaming.  I turned and he was laying on the sidewalk, entangled in his Elmo airplane.  In his 19 month old wisdom, he decided to try out one of Monkey's favorite games - the one where he rolls on a "bike" down a hill.

I quickly scooped him up and loved on him, kissing his ouchies, comforting him, snuggling him.  He recovered very quickly and went off to play.

A couple hours later, I discovered he had a large knot on his head and had scraped it up pretty well.  His hair was covering it, so I had missed the real ouch.

It really was as bad as he made it sound.  He was right.

Wordless Wednesday: Celebrating Family







Bible Verse of the Month

August marked the beginning of new curriculum for the nursery and preschool Sunday school classes in our church.  Each month the classes will focus on a similar theme and share a Bible verse - the same verse and story all month long.

The story this month is Creation.  The verse is "God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1

This afternoon I asked Monkey if he knew his Bible verse for Sunday school.

"Yesh".  He said with a grin.

"What is it?"

"Pray and Jesus say, "No Scared"."

Ah so we need to work on that a bit.  At least he's learning something about fear and prayer!

3 open contests...

I have 3 open contests right now, 2 will be closed on FRIDAY!
The Tropical Traditions Cleaner is NOW OPEN... and it's my first giveaway using Rafflecopter.  Help me test out this giveaway system.. I think it looks cool and easy!

More giveaways to come - hopefully before the weekend is over!

Naptime Noodling

I've been trying to figure out how to solve my naptime problem.

See - my boys are ready for lunch by 10:30 every day and they lay down for nap right after lunch, so most days they nap by 11am.  That seems SUPER early and it makes it hard to get things done in the mornings (at least it's tricky on mornings I don't babysit).

I've been trying to push lunch time back a bit in order to teach them to nap a little later in the day.  The problem is that by 10am Crackers is already starting to get cranky.  By 11am Monkey is so tired that he "can't" walk up the stairs by himself to get into his bed.  (On those days, for some reason, mama's bed just won't do either).

So I'm left wondering how to change their naptime without too much fuss.  Anyone have suggestions?  I feel stuck with a 10:30 lunch and 11am nap!  Crazy kids.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner: Review & Giveaway

BOY PARTY
POST 10

Boys are messy.  Have you noticed?  I sure have.  I love my messy boys, but NOT my messy house.
It is important to me to keep my boys safe while making my messy house a little more "mommy friendly.  I try to avoid harsh chemicals that could potentially harm my young children.  Oh and also - if you didn't know it - I'm pregnant, so I need to avoid a lot of those things anyway.  

Tropical Traditions offers a fantastic line of food products, health and beauty products, and EVEN home cleaning products.  I completely trust Tropical Traditions to produce safe cleaners for my family.  Recently I have had the opportunity to try their All Purpose Cleaner.  It claims to be safe for household appliances, windows, bathrooms, washing clothes, and EVEN dishes.  

TEST 1
The Microwave
I would show you before and after pictures of my microwave, but I would be completely embarrassed.  Let me put it this way: my microwave sits on a low shelf, so I don't see inside very often.  When I opened it up and looked around inside I was horrified to think that I had been cooking food for my boys in it!  I thought it would be an amazing first test for Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner.  After I pulled out and sprayed the glass tray, it wiped clean easily.  Next, I sprayed the inside of the microwave and let the cleaner sit for a couple of minutes (seriously, this was gross).  I came back to it and wiped it down really well.  The cleaner easily removed most of the mess.  
My biggest problem - figuring out whether to use a wet or dry rag while cleaning the  microwave.  The instructions on the bottle don't tell me.  I chose a wet rag, I think I should have gone with dry.

TEST 2
Dishes
I was already in the kitchen, and the bottle says it's safe to use on dishes.  I figured, why not give it a try.  I filled up my sink with hot water and some All Purpose Cleaner and washed a sink full of dishes.  My dishes did get clean and looked nice.  I just wish it would put them away next time as well.
My biggest problem - I couldn't get the cleaner to make suds in my water.  I like suds when I'm washing dishes, it makes me feel good about my soap.

TEST 3
The Bathroom
Again, I have 2 boys.  Monkey is 3 and potty trained.  He has figured out that some boys can potty standing up.  He hasn't figured out how that works, so when he tried, he generally stands on TOP of the toilet and lets loose.  This does not have pretty results.  Our toilet regularly needs cleaned - so does the floor - and the wall...  You get the picture.
My boys also have hands.  They like to put their hands in the dirt.  I am so glad that my boys like to be outside and get dirty - we spend almost every morning playing outside in the yard right now and they love it.  Unfortunately, dirt comes off on white walls, doors, cabinets, the sink, and the bath tub.  I actually found a ring in my tub for the first time this week - YUCK!
I sent daddy to the store with the boys for a little while and took some time to clean the bathroom.  I pulled out the Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner and went to town.  The bathtub ring was gone within moments, the walls and cabinets wiped clean with no problem.  The sink was a little bit harder because there's a tough spot in it that needed to soak in the cleaner a bit longer.  The toilet was simple to clean.
My biggest problem - The bathroom sink needed some extra time for the deep groove around the stopper.  Not a big deal, just took longer for that part than I expected.

TEST 4
The Mirror
While I was in the bathroom I thought I would try glass, I had not attempted to clean any glass yet and thought this seemed like a logical next step with the cleaner.  I sprayed down the mirror and wiped it.  The result?  I could see myself and there wasn't nastiness all over me!  I looked much better (although tired and pregnant).
My biggest problem - I used a rag to wipe the mirror off.  I should have grabbed a newspaper.  The rag left a few fuzzies on the mirror.

OVERALL IMPRESSION
I really like Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner.  I trust it around my boys (it's even sitting on the dining room table right now, within their reach).  I will use it again and again.  I am impressed by the true versatility of this cleaner.  My next challenge?  Laundry stains - I want to see what this stuff can do to some of Monkey's shirts.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Kissy Face

BOY PARTY
Post 9

Crackers figured out last night how to make a "kissy face".  Monkey is trying too, but just doesn't quite have the muscles built up for it (I think he might scare the girls).



Saturday, August 20, 2011

College Prep

BOY PARTY
POST 8

Well, Monkey is 3 now and Crackers is 19 months.  I figure it's time that we start some college prep.  Here are a few photos of our recent college prep activities.

Music Appreciation
Organization
Physical Fitness
Okay - I have add a note in here... I have NO idea what he was trying to do.. I *think* he was trying to pull himself into the cube feet first, while balancing on the yellow car... this boy is seriously strong.

Healthy eating
Reproduction
Engineering
Coffee Consumption
Flirting
Shaving & hygiene
Art Appreciation
Stupid Human Tricks

GoGreen Winner

Congratulations Cupcake Mama!

Friday, August 19, 2011

My brilliant son

Okay, so everyone thinks their kid is bright.  I know, I know... mine's just like all the others.  It's probably entirely true.  

Still - it doesn't stop me from being proud when my young 3 year old gets excited about pulling into the parking lot of Hobby Lobby.  He wasn't excited about Hobby Lobby - he was actually kind of mad because he wanted to go to "the store".  I guess that was Walmart today.

Monkey was excited because, "I see letter B!"

"That's right," I answered.  "How many letter B's are there?"

Without a pause, he said "Four, I see four letter B".

Maybe not brilliant, but heck, my kid counted to 4 in his head in just a moment.

Great math today, Monkey!

$10 Cloth Diapers with Microfiber inserts!

You HAVE to check out Woogie Monster Cloth Diapers (if you haven't already).  Their super cute pocket diapers are on sale for the next 36 hours - only $10 each!!!  Don't miss out.  What a great excuse to buy a new diaper AND support a growing company!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Extra GoGreen Entry

Help me help Woogie Monster Cloth Diapers make it to their first 100 fans.  "Like" them on Facebook.  Tell them I sent you.  Then leave a comment on my GoGreen Post for an extra entry.

GoGreen Diaper: 1 more day to enter

If you haven't entered yet, don't forget to enter to win your choice of a GoGreen Champ diaper!

Wordless Wednesday: Our House Needs Help

2 of the3 MAJOR projects that NEED to get done right away -
but we really can't afford to do them...
(yes, I know, I'm a day late, I forgot it was Wednesday)




Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Sneaky Reader

Boy Party 
Post 7

I told myself I was done for the night.  Then I discovered that Monkey was not in his bed asleep (as I had previously assumed).  He was laying in my bed.  I turned the corner into my room and he quickly pulled a book out from under the covers and stuck it on daddy's dresser - like I wouldn't notice he had been reading it.

He made me laugh - this is the book he was reading:

Now, how can you be annoyed with a 3 year old that wants to read in bed?  Especially when he's reading such advanced books!

Names

BOY PARTY
Post 6

Each of our boys has a special name.  At least, we think they're special.  I always loved very traditional names: Matthew, Benjamin, Andrew, Zachary (maybe because I have cousins with all of those names).  I was never extremely fond of unusual names.  Mr. Crum, however - has all sorts of wild ideas for boy names.  Most of these names were ruled out before he could finish saying them.  Our boys have uncommon names, but names with history.

Monkey:  His first name is a biblical name meaning "to forget".  The father  that named his son with the same name said it was because "God made me forget all of my troubles."  We love that story.  We also love the name because his namesake was the leader of a biblical tribe that got part of their inheritance before crossing the Jordan River.  (If you're good on biblical trivia you can figure out his name fairly easily at this point).  
His middle name is Mr. Crum's first name.  It has been a tradition for a few generations in Mr. Crum's family to give the first son his dad's first name as a middle name.  Thus, Mr. Crum's middle name is Grandpa Crum's first name.

Crackers:  His name was kind of a surprise to us.  We had a couple of "favorites" when he was born and honestly thought we were going to give him the name of Monkey's biblical brother.  When Cracker's was born, however - we looked at him and immediately chose the other name.  The name we chose was the name of my Grandmother's Grandfather.  So - his great, great, great grandfather.  It means "empty" - Mr. Crum says that is because he will be an "empty vessel" for God to fill.
His middle name is the same as Mr. Crum's grandfather's middle name.  We like it and it flows nicely.

BABY 3:  Well, we really like the name Azariah, "God helps".  Azariah was the Hebrew name for the character Abednego in the story of the Fiery Furnace.  We like the sound and the meaning.  It's fairly well stuck in our minds.  
Here's the problem - we can't come up with a middle name that sounds just right with Azariah.  We have a few ideas, and I'm looking at people's favorite names on my Boy Party post.  Does anyone have a great idea for a middle name?

Azariah sounds like Az - uh - ry - uh

Where did this day go wrong?

Boy Party
Post 5

Okay, so maybe it has nothing to do with boys, maybe it does.  Monkey is very consistently awake between 6 and 7am.  I hate that - I am NOT a morning person.  Since his surgery last week things have been different - I'm not sure that he's fully recovered.  

This morning was beautiful, peaceful, quiet...
I woke up with Monkey snuggled next to me (don't tell Mr. Crum, but I like that).  I snuck out of bed - somehow he stayed asleep.  I had a quiet breakfast, sat on the front porch in the cool air - yep, mid-August and it's decently cool outside in the morning - LOVING that.  I finished a review and giveaway post that I had intended to finish last night.  Sold a few items on the local virtual garage sale page.

Roamer came right after that - 9:30 and my boys were both still asleep.  I took the little guy inside and gave him some toys.  I went into my room to wake Monkey up... and then it happened.

There was a MONSTER in my bedroom.  Now, my boys are generally very good spirited and obedient.  We honestly have very few problems with throwing fits... but this morning... oh wow.  Monkey wanted milk in the blue cup that he found in my bedroom.  The problem - that cup is filled with beads.  He doesn't want beads in his blue cup... and he doesn't want the shiny blue cup - he wants the little tiny blue cup. After a LOT of crying, screaming, and general tantrum throwing, he conceded to use the shiny blue cup instead.

Then he wanted juice.  No problem, I just have to go to the basement - accept, that is a problem because he doesn't understand that while he's upset.  Then he was finally ready for breakfast - he requested a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I didn't care, as long as he would eat something.  BUT - I gave him half of a sandwich that was stashed in the fridge... not the right sandwich, I guess.  

We got the right sandwich, finally.  Then when he was done, my very active little boy climbed into my lap and snuggled for about 15 minutes.  He NEVER does that.  

I don't know what went wrong this morning.. Crackers woke up in a weird mood too.  Maybe a rough morning, maybe some sickness.  It seems like we're on an upswing now.

(in)courage School Supplies: Review & Gift Code Giveaway

BOY PARTY
Post 4

My boys love paper, they love coloring and painting.  Monkey loves numbers, letters, and shapes - but he does not draw them yet.

This mama is getting ready to start preschool at home.  We'll be working on some of those pre-writing skills, as well as recognizing letters and numbers a little better.  (He knows a few).  I needed some place to organize my thoughts on what activities we will be doing throughout the year to work on these skills, as well as to feed his curious mind with other things that interest him.  He's 3, the world is a great place to explore.

As we are preparing to go "back to school" - I am blessed to be able to use the "God Recycles" & "Going Green" assortment from Dayspring.  Let me tell you why I am in love with this set.


1) There are two 3 ring binders for organizing our school materials.  We have some workbooks that Monkey will use, his pages will go into 1 binder.  My plans will go into the other binder.
2) The price is fantastic - currently $13.09 for the 6 piece set!  (2 binders, 2 folders, and 2 spiral notebooks)
3) Dayspring uses quality material.  My proof?  Before I got these put up, the 2 year old I babysit stood on one of the binders for a few minutes - it did not bend the binder and leave an ugly crease.
4) I love the simple reminders about God's love.

Why do these fit into my boy party?  First of all, the colors and simple designs are perfect for sending any boy back to school.  The reminder that he was created and the reminder to take care of the earth are fantastic things to send with your boy to school!
Another reason - paper.  My boys love to make all kinds of crazy projects with paper.  They love having a special place for coloring.  What mom doesn't want her boys to have the chance for creativity?

The Giveaway
The generous folks at Dayspring/(in)courage want to offer one of my reader (that could be you) a $35 gift code to be used toward any of their products.  With a minimum purchase of $35.  Shipping is not included.  The winner will be randomly selected on August 26.  

How to Enter
You may enter using any or all of the following methods.  Leave a comment below for each entry you complete.  Make sure to include your email address in each entry.
1) Visit the (in)courage page, tell me something you learned.
2) Window shop on Dayspring.  Tell me what you'd buy with your $35 gift code.
3) "Like" (in)courage on Facebook.
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***Disclosure: I received a product or products free for the purpose of review to share with my readers on this post.***