Keychains Winners

I have been meaning to post this earlier, but with the holidays and all I've just been so busy with everything. Sorry :(

The winner of the digital picture frame keychain is comment #2 Amy.

The winner of the Super Soaker keychain is comment #1 Mama to 3 boys.

And finally the reader's choice winner is comment #3 Debby.

Congratulations ladies!!! I'm sending you an email now. :)

Homeschool Resource of the Day: Holiday Videos Treasure Chest

Holiday Videos Treasure Chest! (all sorts of streaming videos)

Pop some popcorn, warm up the cider, gather round the computer and join in the fun as we again present our annual collection of classic holiday video clips, cartoons and other goodies for your whole family! Don't miss these - one of our most popular (and fun) resources of the year!

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Homeschool Resource of the Day: The True Story of Silent Night

"The True Story of Silent Night" (MP3 audio)

Great audio dramatization depicting the REAL story behind the much beloved hymn, "Silent Night". Excellent family listening for this holiday season!

Plus:

"Why the Chimes Rang" by Raymond MacDonald Alden (MP3 Audio + PDF ebook)

This is the simple, moving story of a little boy who wanted to honor the Lord's birthday, and how an unexpected diversion caused his to be the greatest gift of all. Accompanying this delightful book is an episode of The Great Gildersleeve, in which Gildersleeve reads this book to a crowd of children spending their holidays in the hospital. It is a moving reading and a great story that your whole family will love.

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Send a Warm Fuzzy!

1-800-FLOWERS and Toys for Tots have partnered up this Christmas in the cutest way. They have a really neat free application on Facebook that you can use to send your family and friends a warm fuzzy ~ Secret Santa style. :) If 10,000 warm fuzzies are sent by December 21st 1-800-FLOWERS will donate $5000 to Toys for Tots! So head on over there NOW and check it out. Let's help them reach their mark of 10,000 fuzzies and get that donation to Toys for Tots.

Homeschool Resource of the Day: Family Holiday Memories

Family Holiday Memories (PDF ebook)

A fun & idea-packed guide to making memories with your kids during the holiday season, whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. Includes unique get-together & meal ideas, giving to others, family traditions, budget tips, and more.

Plus:

Yummy Christmas Candy & Fudge Recipes ebook!

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Review & Giveaway: WholesaleKeychain.com (3 Winners)

I was recently contacted by WholesaleKeychain.com and asked to do a review and giveaway of their products. I was excited because keychains are always fun. They can express who you are. :) I remember as a kid when family would go on vacation and they'd bring you back a trinket and it was always a KEYCHAIN! I still have a few from Myrtle Beach.

I was told that I could pick any 3 keychains from their wide selection to review. Boy, did I have a hard time choosing! Always the thrifty one, I picked some that I thought might be a good gift. :) I chose the digital photo keychain, the NCAA bottle opener keychain (GO WVU!!) and a knife keychain. They were so AWESOME!! My mom is going to get the digital photo keychain for Christmas. It holds up to 72 pictures! She'll love having pictures of her grandbabies right on hand. :) The prices are reasonable and there is such a selection you'll find one for everybody on your shopping list!

Do you or someone you know love keychains? Perhaps have a collection? ;) Well, I'm going to giveaway THREE different keychains to three SEPARATE winners!

I'll be giving away one (1) each of the following:
PINK 1.5 in. Digital Photo Key Chain
Super Soaker Keychain - seriously, this could be ALOT of fun ;)
and READER'S CHOICE (up to 8.99) in the Other Keychains category

All you have to do is go to WholesaleKeychain.com and tell me which is your favorite and leave a comment below. :) For an additional entry tweet about this giveaway @lesleypeck and then leave me another comment.

Giveaway ends on December 20th @ 11:59PM EST. I'll pick a winner using Random.org.

*Disclaimer: I was provided the keychains free for review. The opinions listed above are my own.*

Homeschool Resource of the Day: The Cinnamon Bear- The Final Episodes

The Cinnamon Bear- The Final Episodes! (MP3 audios)

THE all-time classic children's holiday radio program, originally broadcast back in 1938. Find out why hundreds of families make listening to the adventures of the Cinnamon Bear an annual family holiday tradition! This is a delightful fantasy adventure for listeners of all ages, with great music, fun characters, and an engrossing (you-can't-listen-to-just-one)storyline. This week we've got the final 8 episodes for you, so make sure your kids hear them all in plenty of time for Christmas!

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Homeschool Resource of the Day: Surviving the Holiday Season

Surviving the Holiday Season: TIPS FOR MANAGING STRESS SUCCESSFULLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS (PDF ebook)

Feeling a bit "stressed out" over the upcoming holiday season? Everybody experiences events and times in their lives that cause different types of stress. No one is immune to this intense feeling. But, when the holiday season pops up, so does the level of stress that many experience. In this special report, we've got 16 helpful tips to help you cope with holiday season-related stress.

PLUS...

A neat bonus specifically for homeschoolers which some of you may have missed earlier. Check it out and see!

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving

It's holiday party season - time to celebrate all of the exciting winter holidays with our friends and loved ones. Our mailboxes are flooded with invitations to parties and dinners and other holiday get-togethers. With these parties come food, fellowship, gifts, and in many cases, festive alcoholic drinks.

In 2008, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes - and during the periods around Christmas and New Year's, this number was particularly high, with 316 people killed in alchol-impaired driving crashes. In 2007, 162,493 women were arrested for a DUI, an increase of almost 29% since 1998. You can't help but wonder if lives could have been saved if people thought twice before getting behind the wheel. With the holidays approaching, it's important that drivers be reminded about the dangers of buzzed driving. Who knows...it could save a life.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad Council are asking everyone to drive smart this holiday season and to pledge not to drive buzzed. Help spread this message during the holiday season by posting about the dangers of buzzed driving, sharing a story or experience you might have had with buzzed driving and encouraging readers to follow Buzzed Driving on Twitter (@buzzeddriving) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/buzzeddrivingisdrunkdriving) to get the latest updates and news. You can also visit the Buzzed Driving website (http://buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org/) where readers can sign a pledge to not drive buzzed, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between buzzed and drunk, and hear personal stories from people who have driven buzzed.

While at holiday events, it's easy to lose track of a drink here or there - but this can be fatal. This holiday season, keep you and your family safe by spreading this message.

Have a safe and happy holiday and remember that buzzed driving IS drunk driving.

*Disclaimer: This information was provided to me from Global Influence.*

Announcement: 3 Winners

Again I'm late with announcing winners. You can string me up if you want...but if I were you I wouldn't quite yet. I do have to tell you who won AND I have a few giveaways to post in the next few days. Your choice. :)

I usually post pictures with my winner announcements but I'm not doing that tonight just because I want to get this out there and done. ;)

The winner of the book Touched by a Vampire: Discovering Hidden Messages in the Twilight Saga is comment #1 Mommy4Him.

The winner of the book Kiss Me Again is comment #1 (only comment :() is Tara.

And finally the winner of the 1-yr. membership to Relish! is comment #2 MrsMomma.

Congratulations to you all! I'm going be emailing you shortly, if you don't receive it please contact me!

*UPDATE* I just emailed Tara & MrsMomma, however, Mommy4Him you have no email listed on your profile...please contact me through the email on the sidebar. Thanks!

LATCH Campaign

With the holiday season moving into full swing, families across the country are in the car and on the go. Whether you're driving across the country to visit family or across town to holiday shop, it is important that your child passengers are riding safely and that child safety seats are used correctly.

AAA estimated that 30 million people traveled this Thanksgiving holiday alone, and for many this is just the beginning of the holiday hustle and bustle. Now is the time to utilize the Child Car Safety tools provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation?s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council to learn more about proper car seat use and installation. You will find informative resources that include instructional videos.

Have child passenger safety questions that you need answered before you travel over the river and through the woods to Grandma's? NHTSA is always available to answer your questions online through Facebook and Twitter.

Letting ya'll know...

I haven't forgotten about the contests. I'm waiting for the last one to end tonight and then tomorrow I'll be posting winners for all of them.

I've been so busy lately. I feel so bad because I'm behind on reviews and contests....but as much as I love all ya'll, I've got two little monsters that have been keeping me on my toes lately. That and the holidays are kicking my butt. :)

Last week, I had Matthew to the doctor THREE times. He has had a cough ever since he was sick earlier in November. It turned into a horrible wheeze and they FINALLY diagnosed him with bronchitis and RAD (reactive airway disease) - they gave antibiotics to clear up an ear infection and a nebulizer for breathing treatments...along with some steroids and cough syrup. He's been my little doped up baby - but don't think that got him down. As soon as he started feeling better (which was the very next day after diagnosis) he was into EVERYTHING!!! As much as I'd like to say that's been an irritation, it was so nice to see him feeling better.

Can you see the ornery in him? Yea, I thought so. :) Notice how big that shirt is...that's because it's Sissy's shirt. He loves to get in Gracie's dresser.

Gracie seems to be totally over the flu and getting back to her normal self. During the time she was sick we figured out she has developed an allergy to peanut butter. Surprisingly, this hasn't been too hard on her - I say surprisingly because this child LOVES peanut butter. Reeses and Nutty Bars are two of her favorite junk foods. And for awhile it seemed like she survived on peanut butter sandwiches. I'm just glad we found out before she had any major problems. But she's feeling good and enjoying school and eagerly anticipating Santa Claus. She asks daily if she's on the Nice of Naughty List. <:o)

Look at this girl. Ain't she a beauty? I can't believe my baby girl is 6 years old...

Homeschool Resource of the Day: A House NOT Divided

A House NOT Divided: Promoting Unity in the Homeschool Family (MP3 audio)

You’ve heard the verses and caught the vision, but what can you do to get your children on your team? Hal and Melanie Young, the authors of “Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys” have eight children, six of them sons. They know all about bickering and fighting and don’t like it! Stop the squabbling and sibling rivalry and begin making memories! In this live-recorded, idea-packed conference workshop, the Youngs share how to tear down obstacles and build up family unity in fun, memorable ways, especially during the holidays!

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Review: Treasured and God Gave Us

In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides readers in discovering evidence in their own lives of his attentive love.

“The idea for the book came from a cigar box filled with odds and ends of my grandfather’s life that arrived a few months after his death. Sifting through the objects in the box, I experienced him in a fresh new way. This made me wonder what treasures might be tucked away in Scripture that could frame God for me in an equally intimate, tangible way. This process also helped me uncover my own “treasures” of my walk with the Lord: objects that remind me of my history with him and his faithfulness to me,” says McLeroy.

Drawn from the pages of Scripture, the author considers twelve such treasures and personalizes their meaning for readers, such as a green olive branch that offers proof of God’s “new every morning” mercy and a scarlet cord that demonstrates his willingness to adopt “strays” of every sort.

Weaving these treasures together with scenes from her personal history, Leigh McLeroy invites readers to discover God’s heart for them and embrace their unique role in his redemptive story. Treasured offers readers a guided experience of God’s love and character and invites them to consider their own treasures that point to their part in God’s ongoing story.

This is such a heartwarming book. It makes you realize what is truly important and how important you are to God. If you are just now coming to Christ or if you are wanting to strengthen you relationship with the Lord, this is a wonderful book to do so. To find out where you can purchase a copy, click here.

In God Gave Us Love, Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, and the young polar bear begins to ask questions like why must we love others . . . even the seemingly unlovable? Why is it easier to love those we like? Where does love come from? And why does God love her so much?

Grampa Bear patiently addresses each one of Little Cub’s curiosities by explaining the different kinds of love we can share: the love between friends, the love between families, the love between moms and dads, and the love for God.

He also assured Little Cub that because of the love God has given her through his Son, there’s nothing she can do to make God love her any more or any less. Through Grampa Bear’s encouraging Little Cub to love others with a “God-sized love,” children will be inspired to love others and to be patient, gentle and kind, so that in every way, they too can demonstrate God’s love.

In God Gave Us Christmas, as Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear has something on her mind: “Who invented Christmas?” she asks. “Is God more important than Santa?”

Her questions reflect the confusion of so many children during the holiday season. And this heartwarming story takes them on a wonderful journey of discovery—right to the heart of Christmas.

Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns that God loves her and everyone— polar bear, moose, or human—so much that he gave us Jesus, the very best gift of all.

I love the God Gave Us series! These are just the sweetest books for kids. With delightful stories and beautiful artwork ~ you can share God's love in a way that children will learn and enjoy. I am planning on giving these to my kids for Christmas. So I can't tell you how they felt about these particular books...but I read them and I LOVED them both. :) To purchase God Gave Us Love, click here and for God Gave Us Christmas, here.

*Disclaimer: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. The above opinion is my own.*

Homeschool Resouce of the Day: Christmas Every Day

Christmas Every Day (MP3 audio)

This is definitely one of the funniest, laugh out loud, classic short stories you'll ever hear. We guarantee the kids will love it. While this story is about Christmas, it is not exactly a Christmas story... it is more about unintended consequences and what might happen if wishes really did come true. A sheer delight for the whole family - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Homeschool Resouce of the Day: Common Cents When You're Sick

Common Cents When You're Sick by Jill Cooper (PDF ebook)

Practical, real-life help and suggestions for getting things done when you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and other debilitating illnesses.

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Homeschool Resouce of the Day: Fifty Famous People

Fifty Famous People by James Baldwin (PDF ebook)

GREAT collection of easy to read, true stories about famous people - some funny, some sad, but all fascinating! Included are stories of presidents, kings, commoners, authors, inventors and more. Loads of fun and great "living history"!

You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.

Homeschool Resouce of the Day: The Cinnamon Bear

The Cinnamon Bear- The First 8 Episodes! (MP3 audios)

THE all-time classic children's holiday radio program, originally broadcast back in 1938. Find out why hundreds of families make listening to the adventures of the Cinnamon Bear an annual family holiday tradition! This is a delightful fantasy adventure for listeners of all ages, with great music, fun characters, and an engrossing (you-can't-listen-to-just-one) storyline. We've got the first EIGHT episodes for you this week, with all the rest coming in the next couple of weeks in plenty of time for Christmas!


You can get it today only at www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com.