Movin' On

I'm full of surprises this week - I've moved! I'm having a little housewarming at my new home myhomesweethomeonline.net. I know it all runs together; what it says is MyHomeSweetHomeOnline.NET

Do you know how difficult it is to find an available URL with "home sweet home" in the title that isn't already taken by a real estate company? Next to impossible. That's actually why I changed the name from Home Sweet Home to My Home Sweet Home a few months ago, looking toward making the change.

The new site is super boring now until I import my template to WordPress, but I want to start using it since I've already imported my posts and comments.

Please stop by the new My Home Sweet Home and say hello!

My Big Announcement!

Except for some very minor tweaks, the website that I've been working on forever is up and running!

I'm pleased to introduce you to Love-Me-Knots boutique hair accessories. One of my dearest friends, Melissa, has been making gorgeous hairbows and accessories for upscale children's boutiques for a three years. She wanted to take her business to the next level through on online store, and I wanted to learn the computer skills and programs needed to create websites. We made a perfect pair: two SAHMs with big dreams and little time or resources for making them happen.

The first week of September last year I ordered two computer books to learn the programs I needed to know, and thus began the long process of building the website. Along the way I started designing blog templates, which I really enjoy have learned so much from doing. Those of you who read my blog with any regularity will have noticed that I have been referring to the website I'm working on for eight months now. I feel like I've just given birth to my ninth child!

The website has taken so much of my time lately that I'm way behind on laundry and my bloglines, my house is a disaster, and my kids are fed up with frozen burritos. I'm looking forward to a little rest and normalcy of routine - however normal our routine may be - but what I would be really excited about is selling some bows! Visit us at Love-Me-Knots and you'll be amazed at the huge selection of top-quality hair accessories.

Thank you for sharing in my joy and my "surprise"!

Be a winner!

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting a series of Mother's Day giveaways, starting with an Apple iPod Nano that comes inside a box of chocolates!!!!!!! You can get it in silver or pink (which would be my second choice behind the apple green).

Head over to 5 Minutes for Mom for the scoop!

It's easy to assume that you'll never actually win anything, but I just found out I won the April Blog Book Tour prize from SheilaWrayGregoire.com! Three books, people! I won three books! Also, in my mailbox today was Visualize World Geography in 7 Minutes a Day: Let Pictography Take you from Clueless to Knowing the World from Tender Heart Press, a prize from the Homeschool Blog Awards. This has to be one of the most amazingly cool things I've ever seen. Just look at this:

Outline of the United Kingdom (UK)

UK's pictography: Union Jack Rabbit (actual size in book is 8" x 10")

Mnemonic for United Kingdom:

The United Kingdom is depicted as the Union Jack Rabbit, which carries a green Easter egg (Northern Ireland, part of the U.K.) in a basket, and passes them out all around the land in order to unite the kingdom. The United Kingdom's flag is referred to as the Union Jack.

I certainly wasn't that innovative when I taught a co-op geography class, and seven minutes a day is music to my ears. Wait, there's more! In my inbox today was an invitation to choose a free ebook as a prize from Simply Charlotte Mason. Five books in one day! Truly, my cup runneth over. I hope you'll visit these nice people that I've linked to, so I can share the love with those who've been so kind.

Very soon I'll be announcing the biggest thing I've ever announced here. Can you guess? Amber and Barb are already in on it!

My sincere thanks...

to everyone who voted for My Home Sweet Home for Best Blog Design in the Homeschool Blog Awards. The results were released today, and this site won! The prize awarders are listed on the site, and it looks like a great bunch of companies. Many thanks to them and the ladies whose hard work put together these awards.

As many of you may have heard, one of the organizers, Heather at Especially Heather, was diagnosed with a brain tumor this week. Please keep her in your prayers and stop by BooMama's site on Wednesday to help raise funds for Heather's trip to the Mayo Clinic later this month. Donations are through PayPal and start at $1.

Presto!

Susan and Janice at 5 Minutes for Mom are at it again! This time they're giving away a Presto. What's a Presto?

– a cool new service that delivers emails, photos and other content to people who don’t use a computer. So you can send emails and photos to Grandma and they just automatically print out on her HP Presto printer – the HP Printing Mailbox (there's a monthly service fee of $10).

Sign their Mr. Linky by 1 p.m. Monday for your chance to win!

I think, therefore I blog

I discovered that Randi at "i have to say..." gave me a "thinking blogger" award. I would love to say something clever and thought-provoking, but nothing comes to mind, so let me just say "Thank you, Randi. I'm touched."

I looked up the history of this award, originally called "5 Blogs That Make Me Think." The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

There are two buttons, gold or silver:




I award:

Queen Shenaynay at The Beehive. She is my long-distance (Texas) cousin, from my mother's father's side of the family, many of whom are known as great characters thinkers. Her posts range from silly to sublime, but they always make me think. The Beehive is a family blog effort, including Queen Shenaynay's husband and two daughters.

Elle at A Complete Thought. Elle is one of the most thought-provoking bloggers I know. I usually have Bible Gateway pulled up on another tab while leaving comments on her posts. Our initial bond was our shared love appreciation for Jack Bauer.

Melanie at This Ain't New York. Melanie is an observer and commentator on all, from the mundane to the eccentric. You've never seen a prouder mama. She's also completely. certifiably. insane, which makes her a whole lot of fun.

Amber at Life with the Ferrells. Amber makes me think of what life would be like as a wickedly funny, 20-something mommy with a camera in one hand and a toddler in the other. Her digital scrapbooking layouts and photos of her kids are amazing.

Antique Mommy. If you've never read Antique Mommy, you're missing some of the best mommy blogging around. She has the ability to examine the unique facets of motherhood in a profound and insightful way. She makes me think about what it means to be a mommy.

Happenings in the blogosphere:

Does your vacuum cleaner suck? Or more importantly does it not suck? (Carol, I'm doing this for you, and since I'm discussing vacuum cleaners, I think I can get away with it.) The gals at at 5 Minutes for Mom are having a contest to give away a Dyson vacuum cleaner. Woo hoo! Hurry over and sign-up to win. Entries are due by 1:00 p.m. Wednesday.

Also, 5 Minutes for Mom is hosting a new series called "About Blogging" on the first Mondays of the month and are they looking for guest contributors. Topics will include:

• What is Page Rank and How Do I Get It?
• All About Carnivals and Memes
• How To Embed Video, Music and Slideshows
• SEO – The Basics
• The HTML You Need to Know

---

Here are a couple of reminders (just click the buttons):

(Y'all please don't leave me with a lonely Mr. Linky, hint, hint!)

Full Circle

I set up a blog on homeschoolblogger.com in the fall of 2005, but I just didn't "get it"--blogging I mean. I wrote a couple of self-conscious posts, didn't go out and meet anyone, didn't get any comments.

A few months later an issue of The Old Schoolhouse magazine arrived in my mailbox. It featured an article about the Homeschool Blog Awards. Blog awards? I'd never imagined such a thing! I promptly sat down with my magazine in hand and began checking out the award winners--fantastic stuff! I got it this time--blogging that is--and I set up a blogger blog after finding out some friends had just started blogs here. That article about the Homeschool Blog Award winners was what ultimately lured me into starting this blog last May. I was tickled pink yesterday when I saw I had a nomination for Best Blog Design on this year's awards.

Nominations are going on until Friday (April 6) at midnight. Go make a homeschool mommy blogger happy and submit a nomination!

And the winners are...

{this and that} won the copy of Norton Antivirus 2007 that I donated through the Ultimate Blog Party, and Melissa Mae won the recipe journal/organizer from the drawing I posted on my own blog party post. Melissa is actually one of my real-life friends, but I promise the drawing wasn't rigged. It was nice from a shipping aspect--I hand-delivered her organizer today!

Melissa has been patiently waiting for me to finish designing her website for selling girls hair bows. Most people don't have to wait for their web designer to read two books and learn two high-tech programs while their site is being created. I guess Melissa is just lucky that way--NOT! At least I did manage to give her blog a makeover. Love you, girl--be patient!

History Revised

Go here to read a fascinating article about the "10 Commandments" being changed to the "10 Amendments" at the U.S. Supreme Court. Click on "READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE." It's also very interesting to read the ongoing dialogue between the author and Snopes. I've always just assumed that Snopes was the infallible word on most subjects, but maybe not.
It's really sad what revisionists are doing to the history of our country.

Joining CAPPA

Today I officially joined CAPPA - Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association. I have been doing the required reading for certification as a childbirth educator. Now I need to observe a childbirth education class, newborn care class, and breastfeeding class; attend two births (ten hours total labor) and a certification workshop; complete and submit a pre-workshop study guide; teach a 15 minute childbirth topic assigned to me at the workshop; and pass an open book test on childbirth education topics.

Now I need to find two births to attend. I can attend the birth of a friend who lives close to me, however her last child was born on route to the hospital. I probably should line up three births since hers could be very quick - good for her!

I pray the certification process goes smoothly and I can find employment. I'm hoping to be able to teach one evening a week. We are way too busy for much more than that. There is a new hospital opening after the first of the year in this area, so hopefully opportunities will be available.