GrandtFamily.com

Ok, so remember how I was telling all of you about Mixbook the other day? And about how easy to use and awesome it is? Of course, you do.

Well, I just received notice that they’re having a sale on their custom cards.

Just like their photobook service, you can do cards and calendars on their site, too. And it’s the same editing interface as the photobooks, so you have the same flexibility, same everything.  Seriously – these are well done.  Their cards also have the option for you to print double-sided.   We received these from two different people this year and – let me tell you – these are high quality cards. The cardstock is of a heavier weight and they look professionally done.  My friends who sent them say they have received a ton of compliments on them.  We didn’t send Christmas cards this year (planning on Valentine’s cards instead), but Mixbook is definitely where I am planning to spend my money.

But what’s the sale? Save 30% off cards at Mixbook!  Ok, here are the details:  Between now and January 1st, 2012, you can save 30% off New Year’s and Thank You cards with coupon code CARDSAVE30  (code valid from December 29, 2011 04:00am PST until January 1, 2012 11:59pm PST. Cannot be combined with other coupons, vouchers, Groupons or applied after an order has been placed. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. No adjustments on previous purchases).

Enjoy! These would make GREAT cards for Thank You cards throughout the year or if you want to maybe make a gift for next year. (I used scenic photos I had taken to make a pack of thank you cards for my husband’s grandmother one year. She loved them!).

DISCLOSURE: Some links in the above post are affiliate links.

Just finished another photobook on Mixbook.  This is by far the easiest site to use for digital scrapbooking. It does not require that you download any software, there are a ton of embellishments waiting for you to use. Or you can upload things you have purchased online (.png format) and use those.  Seriously. It can’t get any easier.  If you are so inclined, you can use an outside program and upload finished pages, but… it’s just not necessary.

And then the final product: awesome.  I now have an 11×8 hardcover book, stitch-bound (my criteria!) that will keep for years. My only critique is that I prefer a matte cover, instead of glossy. And you can’t combine coupon codes on your order.

My latest project: a family history book for dummies. And those dummies would be my family. I wanted to create a book just about Our Direct Line. No residual descendants, etc. While I may want to know the names and dates of every generation, my brother does not. And I wanted to combine the genealogy research with the pictures I’ve gathered. Enter: a photobook.  And where do I go? My trusted Mixbook. Enjoy!

| Learn About Mixbook Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

When Jason and I made our “rules” for our Challenge, we forgot about our cat, Fiona. While we do have plenty of food and litter, I’m not sure how long it will last, so I believe that will need to be added to our “essentials” list.

Silly cat.

This is actually going to be quite fun.

Jason and I have decided to take on a No Spending Challenge for the month of June. Now, obviously, we do have to spend some money, so there are some rules (or exceptions, if you want to call them that).

Only essential spending is allowed. This includes:

• Gas
• Regular bills (mortgage, utilities, etc.)
• Essential groceries (Dairy, Eggs, Fresh Fruits & Vegetables & our regular organic meat order)
• AND anything purchased with gift cards we already have does not count

Yep. That’s it.  This starts June 1st and I’ve decided to catalog it here, since some might want to see if we can do it.

Well, lets just say DON”T let grandma into Babies R Us with a credit card !!!!!!

Love Maggie

Trailer:

Synopsis:
A Christian school football coach is in danger of losing his job because his team has had 6 consecutive losing seasons, not to mention his personal life is a shambles. But he finds comfort in the scriptures and uses it to teach his team that every aspect of your life is to be done for the glory of God. Along the way they learn that God has a hand in everything, even football.

My OPINION:
OK, first off – really BAD acting. Almost turned the movie off it was so bad. But as the film went off, I was able to see past it.

Once you got past the bad acting, it was a really good movie.

This is a very family-friendly movie. It is great for church groups to show. If you are not into “church-y” films or stories, this is not the film for you. But then, if you’re not, you probably wouldn’t have picked it up, or even heard of it to start with.

That being said, this film has a great message. A message that brought me to tears before the film was over. Nothing is impossible with God.

While the acting is mediocre (you’ll feel like you’re watching a high school production), and some of the scenes corny (I have never imagined a football coach quoting scripture on the practice field), the idea was heartfelt and moving. The planting of spiritual seeds. This movie is a great tool of ministry.

The title references the final game of the movie vs. the Richland Giants, a much bigger, much more talented team.  But the metaphor is greater: Facing the Giants. We all have giants and so does every person in this film, especially the coach.  He is having difficulty with his team players transferring to other schools; school with winning teams. He is facing possibly being fired.  His house is falling apart. His car needs jumper cables just to start every time he needs to go somewhere.  He is told by his doctor he will never father children with his wife.

But as he prays and begins to find his purpose, he sees God in every minute of his day.  And sees where prayers are being answered, even if the answer is “No.” Nothing is Impossible with God.

If you enjoyed family films like The Ultimate Gift, The Last Season, Fireproof or any of the Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly saga, you’ll really enjoy this. If feel-good movies make you run, or you are expecting high-action sports scenes with heart-racing music, don’t bother. Varsity Blues, The Replacements, or The Longest Yard are more to your taste.

An uneventful weekend, as Iowa weekends have gone lately.

Christmas Eve: Grandpa’s.  I forgot how crazy and loud and chaotic it is with the entire family there.  You have to shout to be heard by the person sitting next to you.  You need to guard your gifts to make sure that they don’t get caught up in someone else’s trash, b/c the wrapping paper is knee-deep.  But it’s family. And I do love being with family.  It was funny watching Maggie’s reaction, even though she’s only 3-months old. It was the first time she’d been with the Family and her eyes were so wide and she was trying to watch everything and take everything in. I think it was sensory overload for her!

Christmas: Mom & Dad’s.  Us kids bought Mom a new stove and surprised her fairly well with the gift. She had no idea and was just dumbfounded.  The little boys got new tipis from us and just adored them.  It was a toss up between those and their new Hot Wheels tracks as their favorite gifts.  Dinner was wonderful and it was nice to spend time with our immediate family.

Friday- day after: We did nothing! It was great. Sat in our pajamas all day watching movies (I had to work to finish another present though).

Saturday: Grandma’s.  Had a wonderful lunch with ham and potatoes and veggies et al.  No cottage cheese, though. Bad Grandma!   The family has grown and there are now 6 little great-grandchildren.  But it makes it so fun.  We had good conversation and just a warm, welcoming afternoon and evening.

Sunday: The Bears game and movies.  Watching FAcing the Giants (see next entry for review) and part of 27 Dresses.  I need to finish the 2nd one so I know how it ends.  Another lazy afternoon as we tried to consolidate our presents so they would fit in the car – didn’t make it! Some had to be left behind for another trip!  Or maybe Mom & Dad come visit us??  Got a late start home and had to stop a couple of times for Maggie.  Long trip, got in really late.

The “Holiday Season” isn’t technically over yet and I’ve still made some grave mistakes. As I look back over this last week, I wonder what I could’ve done differently. I found an article on Weight Watchers calling “Have a Holiday Game Plan” that lent me a lot of insight and I want to comment on where I went wrong and what I did right. (Any italicized portions are quotes from the WW article.)

1. Plan Each Day: “Face the season in a highly organized manner,” says New York Weight Watchers leader Liz Josefsberg. “There shouldn’t be a day where you don’t mentally and physically plan the way that you’re going to attack that day.” Have an overall goal for your holiday season weight loss, and remember to weigh yourself weekly. Understand that a weight gain one week does not mean failure.

Ok. Isn’t the saying, “Failure to plan is planning to fail”? Well, that would be me this last week. I attended 3 separate holiday dinners without any plan in place. I did not prepare myself daily by eating correctly during the day prior to said meal. And I did not have anything in place for when those yummy treats were set out to LIVE on the counter or table.

2. Offer to cook: “I will know exactly what goes into 95 percent of the holiday dishes I serve,” says WeightWatchers.com Community user JULES1012.

OK, as I was traveling this week, this was hard also. But I have one more celebration to attend that I can offer to bring something. Email has been sent to the host (you know who you are!) to see if there is a course/side/entree that she is missing that I can bring.

3. Keep track: Write down what you’re eating, even if you overdo it, no matter what goes into your mouth!

Tracking is very hard for me to do, because I find it tedious. I found mention in a magazine article this weekend about taking pictures of every single thing you eat to create a visual food journal. NOTE TO SELF: Look for more information on this idea.

4. Plan for treats: Allot POINTS® values for the cookies at the office and for the food gifts that people bring you. “The holidays are a preparation battle,” says Josefsberg, “because there are so many surprises. You have to constantly be on top of your game.”

I recognize that my main problem is my addiction. By allowing POINTS for treats, I set myself to fail, because my brain says, “Well, there are still 8 on that plate. If you eat them, you won’t have to worry about eating them tomorrow and messing the day up.” Of course, once I’ve eaten them, that messes everything up anyway, so then I eat the next plate and the next and the next, until there’s nothing left to eat. I don’t know if I would be able to plan for these treats without worrying about losing control. But if I don’t plan for them, I lose control anyway. I don’t understand why this is, why do I have this problem when millions in the world do not?

5. Add activity: By exercising you can earn extra POINTS values for the things you want to eat. Plus, it helps to get some fresh air. And, “any time I exercise, I feel that urge to continue eating well because I don’t want to ruin what good I’ve done,” offers JULES1012.

This past week: F. This coming week: goal = A. If I move a little each day this week, I am doing better than I did last week.

6. Bring food with you when shopping: If you find yourself hungry at the mall or in a department store, it can throw you off to not be able to find anything other than chocolate and fast food.

Now this is an interesting tip. I try to always bring some kind of snack with me, because inevitably, I will get hungry if I’m out too long.

7. Don’t go starving to parties: And follow the advice of WeightWatchers.com Community user CSUSUNSHINE: Fill up on fresh veggies (watch out for the dip); drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have; take tiny portions; and if you crave something, eat it. Otherwise you will splurge.

As being part of an enabling family, there are not a lot of veggies in the first place. And eating beforehand doesn’t work, because I’ll keep eating even if I’m full. So, my task then is to bring the things that I can snack/graze on.

8. Give kudos to you! : “Applaud yourself for deciding this year will be different,” says Dianne Siegelbaum, another New York-based Weight Watchers leader. “When it comes time to make that New Year’s resolution, you will already be on your way to a healthier and happier springtime.” And reward yourself too! Find non-food-related rewards that you can treat yourself to for every pound lost.

This I can do. I do feel more confident, just by putting myself out there online, trying to document my struggles. But it makes me feel very vulnerable. But I am proud of myself at the same time.

OK, this was filled with more excuses than there should be.  New resolution: No Excuses.

The weekend before Christmas, Maggie rolled from her back to her front! (She’s being rolling from her tummy to her back since she was about 3 weeks old.)  We’re excited b/c she’s only 3 months old!  So, she’s a genius, obviously.

She also has started giggling and laughing now. Not a lot, but once in a while she’ll let one slip.  She “talks” so much more now with her squealing and noises.

We’re getting anywhere from 6-10 inches today (it’s been snowing all night). Left home at 5:45 this morning to make sure I got here by 8.  I really hate driving in snow.