Flock Together Blog Hop 2/28

Originally published in 2012 as part of a weekly blog hop — a kind of online meet-and-greet where everyone shared a post and wandered from blog to blog.

Welcome to my "no rules" button blog hop! To participate, simply...

1. Link up: Click on "Click here to enter" at the bottom of this post and follow the Linky Tools directions. In step 4, I recommend selecting "Auto Crop" and "From Web."
2. Find new friends: Click through the blogs and follow the ones you love (Linky Followers, Google+, RSS, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc.). Kindly pass by the ones you don't.

I try my best to follow EVERYONE who joins the hop, but it helps if you leave a comment letting me know you're new here. Also, please, please, please sign up for Linky Followers! It's turning out to be my favorite way to follow your blogs!!!

This week's "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest host is Ms. Posh at

The goal of Posh on a Budget is to inspire anyone to live the “Posh” lifestyle on whatever their budget may be. We post deals, coupons, fashion finds, couponing school and tips, savings tips, consumer information and lots of giveaways. Join us on Tuesdays and Fridays for Friend and Follow! Join us on Thursdays for the Thursday Comment Club! Tons of Giveaways, Coupons, Match-ups, And More!

This blog is constantly updated with tons of deals most of us can use and enjoy. There are also great giveaways and coupon match-ups. The site is very well organized, and it's easy to peruse all the latest posts with minimal clicking. No wonder this site has over 20,000 FB fans and over 4000 G+ followers! I hope you'll stop by, link up to their Friend and Follow blog hop, and consider following them, too.


Want to be next week's Fine Feathered Friend? Click here to find out how. It's free and easy.

Need a little help?

• If this is all new to you, click here.
• If your goal is to find friends and gain followers, may I recommend that you also set a goal to find and follow a minimum number of blogs that interest you. Check back throughout the day to visit late entries that might be just your cup of tea! Leave a comment if you follow, and consider following back those who follow you.
• If you see empty boxes with red x's instead of pictures in the linky, try clearing your cache (Go to Tools > Internet Options > Under the General tab and Browsing History section, click "Delete"> check Temporary Internet Files > Delete > then refresh or reload Mom's Best Nest).

Dr. Seuss Classroom Ideas: Parades, costumes, and resources

From the Blogging Archives (2012): Do Your Followers Know When You Post?

This post is a revision of one originally written in 2012. Back then, many bloggers were working within a changing landscape as Google and social platforms found their footing, and we began to notice that our posts were no longer being placed reliably in front of our readers. Sound familiar?

Then, as now, the question felt practical and solvable. Were readers subscribed? Were feeds updating correctly? Was timing the problem? Visibility still felt connected to habits and tools we could manage.

Over the years since, that assumption has been steadily challenged. As algorithms, recommendation systems, and user behavior have evolved, visibility has become less directly tied to individual effort. Even faithful followers don’t always see new posts in the way they once did.

This isn’t a failure of creators or consistency. It’s a reflection of how publishing systems have changed since this post was first written. What once felt manageable has become harder to predict, even when the work itself remains steady.

This post now stands as both a snapshot of an earlier era of blogging and a reminder that if reaching your audience feels harder than it did in the early days, that shift didn’t happen overnight — and it isn’t imagined.

Easy DIY Dr. Seuss Costume Ideas for Read Across America Day

There’s a good chance your grandchild—or even your grown child who works in a school—will be celebrating Read Across America Day on March 2. And there’s an even better chance a Dr. Seuss character costume will be required. And if that happens, it’s almost certain someone you love will be scrambling at the last minute to pull it together.

Unless, of course, you step in as the scissor-wielding hero who helps them get ready well in advance. With a few simple ideas and supplies, you can make this fun day stress-free for everyone.

Flock Together Blog Hop 2/21

Originally published in 2012 as part of a weekly blog hop — a kind of online meet-and-greet where everyone shared a post and wandered from blog to blog.

Welcome to my "no rules" button blog hop! To participate, simply...

1. Link up: Click on "Click here to enter" at the bottom of this post and follow the Linky Tools directions. In step 4, I recommend selecting "Auto Crop" and "From Web."
2. Find new friends: Click through the blogs and follow the ones you love (Linky Followers, Google+, RSS, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc.). Kindly pass by the ones you don't.

I try my best to follow EVERYONE who joins the hop, but it helps if you leave a comment letting me know you're new here. Also, please, please, please sign up for Linky Followers! It's turning out to be my favorite way to follow your blogs!!!

This week's "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest host is Carrie Ann at

My name is Carrie Ann and I'm a busy momma to five children.  I am a graduate of Florida Career College with a license to practice Esthetics. However, I am doing the stay-at-home-mom thing for now while my youngest is catching up to school age.  My hobbies include scrap-booking, reading, collecting books, crocheting, blogging, and spending quiet time with my family.  My husband, Chris, is a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army.  It is my hope with this blog to keep our families and friends who are extended all over this great nation of ours, up to date and feel a little bit closer to us while we are on our military journey.

Carrie Ann's blog is FULL of great ideas, and her posts are always seasoned with humor. There you'll find posts about recipes, crafts, and her family. I enjoy reading about how she, as a military wife and mom to five children, keeps it all together while having fun! I hope you'll drop in and follow her this week!

UPDATE: I've adjusted the way I find my Fine Feathered Friends.  Click here to find out how you can be next week's FFF! It's free and easy.

Need a little help?

• If this is all new to you, click here.
• If your goal is to find friends and gain followers, may I recommend that you also set a goal to find and follow a minimum number of blogs that interest you. Check back throughout the day to visit late entries that might be just your cup of tea! Leave a comment if you follow, and consider following back those who follow you.
• If you see empty boxes with red x's instead of pictures in the linky, try clearing your cache (Go to Tools > Internet Options > Under the General tab and Browsing History section, click "Delete"> check Temporary Internet Files > Delete > then refresh or reload Mom's Best Nest).

Nicole's Method: Weight Update #4

Beginning Weight/Date: 201 lbs on November 26, 2011

Current weight: 193.2

Current amount lost: 7.8 pounds

Last week's challenge: Commitment

Well, if you want to lose 50 pounds in a month 3 months (whoa Nellie!!! Sorry about that!) you better stick to Nicole's method. If you'd rather lose a pound a week, try Mikki's method. Let's review:


Nicole's method... 

• PORTION CONTROL: She serves herself her meals on her daughter's toddler's plates in order to control the portion sizes.
• WATER, WATER, and more WATER: She tries to drink a glass of water before each meal. She also fights head hunger by drinking water, and she sips between each bite.
• FRUITS & VEGGIES: She allows herself to eat unlimited fruits and vegetables. 
• CUT IT OFF AT 6 PM: She stops eating around 6 PM.
• INDULGE ON LIMITED OCCASIONS: She allows herself to eat a small portion of her favorite indulgences on occasion.
• NO EXERCISE: She isn't adamant about this, but did mention that her weight loss occurred without additional exercise.

Mikki's method (NOT recommended):

• PORTION CONTROL: I've slacked off and begun serving myself "normal portions" as packaged, instead of reducing them.
• WATER: I've successfully switched to drinking water with lemon at meals, with the exception of an occasional o.j. or milk. BUT, I've completely dropped off drinking water before meals, and I've not been sipping between bites.
• FRUITS & VEGGIES: I certainly eat more of these, but I don't place an emphasis on it like I did before. 
• CUT IT OFF AT 6 PM: I'm pretty good at this, but not as committed as I used to be. 
• INDULGE: I don't go nuts like I've done in the past, and it's amazing how you lose food preferences and gain others as you go down this road! But again, I am not as committed as I used to be.
• NO EXERCISE: No problem here, I am right on track ; 

Losing a pound a week has been nice and has required very little effort. However, I'd really like to do it a little faster. It's been helpful to revisit her plan, and I hope to be more committed this week.


Last week's success: My clothes fit differently.

I'm definitely noticing my clothes fitting differently. I haven't had to pull my pants to button them in a long time, and I'm eagerly anticipating wearing things I've had in the back of my closet for years.


What I'm learning:

This week I actually craved raw broccoli (with ranch dressing, of course), which is VERY weird for me. Is my body craving healthier food? Maybe it's because I don't really feel like I'm dieting, so I don't equate fruits/veggies with self-denial. They're just becoming normal.


By the way, if you can, I highly recommend getting in on a produce coop. I'm part of one and receive a bag full of produce every couple of weeks for $16. It blesses us by stocking my home with more produce than I normally would and by leading me to feel obligated to serve everything I receive in the bag.


Hope you have a great week!

YAY!!! I just found Linky Followers (and a blog hop)

Originally published in 2012 as part of a weekly blog hop — a kind of online meet-and-greet where everyone shared a post and wandered from blog to blog.

I've been more than a little sad over the loss of GFC. Google Plus just isn't intuitve enough for me. Plus, there aren't any pictures of my followers in the widget, and I rarely go to the Google Plus page to read the feeds. Blessedly, it would appear that there may be a better  alternative that's more like GFC.




at Saving More Than Me

 You may have noticed that I'm a fan of Linky Tools and use it every week for the Flock Together Blog Hop. So I was elated when I happened to run across a widget for Linky Followers on The Taylor House blog. I went to  Linky Followers and signed up for free. It required only a few steps, and the directions were easy to follow.  The one hiccup I experienced was that I had to switch from Internet Explorer to Foxfire in order to successfully upload my thumbnail photograph.

In order to see how we like it, we have to get some followers. Best way to get new followers? A Blog Hop, of course! I found one at Saving More Than Me. How about linking up and test driving the new Linky Followers? We may be in for a pleasant surprise!

♥ My Valentine & Our Story ♥

When I was a teenager, I formulated a plan for myself: Marry by age 20, have all my children by age 25. God had another plan.

I was 23 when my first husband died from colon cancer at the age of 25. He was my first love, a strong, handsome and Godly man, and I was heartbroken. But God was with me through his illness and continued to be with me as I mourned his passing, serving as my provider and comforter.

At 25, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and was certain that I would be single forever, since I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to take on that responsibility. As my health improved, I began dating again, but I didn't enjoy it. After going through a distressing break-up (well, only one of us was distressed, which was part of the reason it was so distressing), I began to embrace the idea of remaining single for the rest of my life. Okay, embrace is not the right word...it was more like "choke down" the idea. 

Seven years after I became a widow, things began to change quickly! My friend's mom played matchmaker with her friend who had a single son in seminary. Phone numbers were exchanged and a game of phone tag commenced between Philip and me. One day, while visiting my brother, we found him on AOL Instant Messenger. I'll always remember his first word to me. He typed, "Finally!" :) It's the most romantic word I think I shall ever hear!

He felt compelled to share his testimony right then and there...in front of my protective brother and within earshot (we were reading the text aloud) of my mother. In a nutshell: alcohol... marijuana... cocaine... crack... jail... SEMINARY! Well, that was enough to make my brother wary and my mother hysterical! But I sensed that this was worth pursuing.

We spent many hours on the phone before our first date, and I was impressed by his wit and confidence. I was falling in love with him before we even met! In an effort to impress him, I tidied everything I could. I used household scissors to cut weeds from cracks in the driveway. I even polished the brass on a wicker chest in my living room. I had no idea that Brasso turned your fingers BLACK for a week! It was embarrassing for me then, but what an object lesson! To this day, if he catches me obsessing on non essentials, he'll tell me that I'm brass polishing!

When I finally met him at my front door, I let him in and excused myself to finish getting ready. I vividly recall looking in my bathroom mirror and mouthing, "I could marry this one!" He was so handsome and funny and charming and confident and...(sigh)

As his seminary campus was over six hours away from me, our courtship was limited to weekend dates and many hours on the phone. We knew we wanted to get married within weeks of meeting, and he insists that I proposed to him, while I recall him forcing me to by bringing up the subject, then dodging it. We dated 9 months before marrying.

I'm so glad God brought us together! He knew what I desired and needed in a mate, and He really delivered! I love Philip's wit, wisdom, strength, confidence, and how He truly seeks to honor God as a husband and father in our home. He has made me such a better person, and I am brought to tears when I think about where God brought us from and the dreams we're now realizing together. My best friend, my love, my valentine!

Flock Together Blog Hop 2/14

Originally published in 2012 as part of a weekly blog hop — a kind of online meet-and-greet where everyone shared a post and wandered from blog to blog.

Welcome to my "no rules" button blog hop! To participate, simply...

1. Link up: Click on "Click here to enter" at the bottom of this post and follow the Linky Tools directions. In step 4, I recommend selecting "Auto Crop" and "From Web."
2. Find new friends: Click through the blogs and follow the ones you love (Google+, RSS, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc.). Kindly pass by the ones you don't.

This week's "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest host is Jessie from

I'm Jessie! I'm a 25 y/o mommy and wife. My blog has plenty of cute baby pictures and stuff about our life as a family. Thank you for stopping by! I hope you'll come back to visit often!

Jessie's blog hosts giveaways and recounts the adventures of her cutie pie little boy! It exudes a real sense of family warmth and love, as her loved ones are often found in her photos and stories. Please drop in and consider following it!

Would you like to be a "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest host? Click here to find out how! It's free and easy.

Need a little help?

• If this is all new to you, click here.
• If your goal is to find friends and gain followers, may I recommend that you also set a goal to find and follow a minimum number of blogs that interest you. Check back throughout the day to visit late entries that might be just your cup of tea! Leave a comment if you follow, and consider following back those who follow you.
• If you see empty boxes with red x's instead of pictures in the linky, try clearing your cache (Go to Tools > Internet Options > Under the General tab and Browsing History section, click "Delete"> check Temporary Internet Files > Delete > then refresh or reload Mom's Best Nest).

Homeschool High School Program 80% Off!

Allow me to introduce you to the Carrier family:

We're Marc and Cindy Carrier, Kingdom Christians who are currently transitioning our homeschooling family of ten to the mission field in East Africa. This site reflects our desire to equip and encourage Christian parents as you strive to "make the most of every opportunity," for God's glory!

I ran across their site a while back and have kept informed about their lives and ministry through email subscription. As they've transitioned to the mission field, they've been clearing out some of the products in their store. Today I received an email offering 80% off this product. While I've purchased and enjoyed reading some of their other materials, I'm neither a homeschool mom, nor do I have any children in high school! So, I thought I'd support them by letting you all know about the offer:

We need to sell off ALL of our remaining inventory of Project Management Essentials--and (unlike our other resources), once it's gone, it's gone for good! Because we cannot reasonably outsource publication for PME, we are going to discontinue this product once our inventory sells out. We've gotten a lot of interest in this item at homeschool conventions,but many have held out because of the $124.99 price tag (though it is a value for the information that is included). If you are interested in purchasing this course for your high school student (or yourself), pick it up now, for only $25 while supplies last! You will not regret this investment in essential life skills and vocational preparation.

You can read more about it and order it by visiting www.valuesdrivenfamily.com/pmessentials.

Flock Together Blog Hop 2/7

Originally published in 2012 as part of a weekly blog hop — a kind of online meet-and-greet where everyone shared a post and wandered from blog to blog.

Welcome to my "no rules" button blog hop! To participate, simply...

1. Link up: Click on "Click here to enter" at the bottom of this post and follow the Linky Tools directions. In step 4, I recommend selecting "Auto Crop" and "From Web."
2. Find new friends: Click through the blogs and follow the ones you love (Google+, RSS, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc.). Kindly pass by the ones you don't.

This week's "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest hosts are

Linda, Melinda & Stefanie from

This blog started because of a lost recipe box during a move. The girls were always calling me for recipes and then they started giving their friends this blog site. It was suppose to be only for the 3 of us but it endend up much more, so here is a collection of our family favorite recipes. We will be adding recipes all the time. Feel free to indulge.

 

Although I can't recall the first post I read on this site, I vividly remember thinking, "I can hardly wait to try these recipes!" The recipes are usually for some form of comfort food, with simple instructions and made with everyday ingredients. I can't imagine anyone not using and enjoying these posts. Please drop in and follow these ladies! READ MORE>>

"Nicole's Method" Weight Update #3

Beginning Weight/Date: 201 lbs on November 26, 2011

Current weight: 194 (same, same)

Current amount lost: 7 pounds (same, same)


Last week's challenge: Emotional Eating/Drinking (same, same)

What a week! Nearly consumed by a challenging work project due and a couple of scheduling inconveniences, I simply failed to drink my water and pay attention to what I ate. I noticed feeling a couple of times that I was entitled to a certain food because I had "suffered" through so much. The whine of the inner brat!

Last week's success: Not gaining

Let's be honest. This was not so much a result of what I did or didn't do so much as it was the result of God's mercy! While I didn't go wild, I fully expected to have gained this week.

What I'm learning:

I find only mild satisfaction in the fact that I didn't gain weight. I'm bothered by how my lack of results works to discredit what I've said in earlier posts regarding Nicole's method and God's ability to help me. I still believe in both!

Ok, so let's give it another try. Hope you have a great week too!