Family Movie Night Ideas

(affiliate links included)

It is so difficult to find quality family friendly films today.  Here are some that I found that you and your family would enjoy (and you would feel safe having your family view together).  I have seen each one of these films with my family and wholeheartedlly recommend them.

Letters to God is a beautiful, inspiring and true story about a young boy with cancer who writes letters to God.  His letter carrier tends to the letters the best he can.  So uplifting and faith-filled.  I highly recommend it!  And it is only $4.50 right now! :-)

My teenaged sons have watched Facing the Giants so many times I have lost count!  :-)  It is wonderful that we can watch a movie with nothing objectionable and everything that I want my children to see- love, faith, courage, determination and family.  (and lots of football!)  A coach who is facing being fired and who has never had a winning season teaches his team to rely on and trust in God.  I just LOVE this movie.  And it is only $7.99.

Gifted Hands, the Dr. Ben Carson story is the story of the renowned pediatric surgeon and how he overcame so much adversity to achieve.  It is a story of faith and never giving up.  I admire Dr. Carson greatly.  I read the book "Gifted Hands" for children to my kids and we enjoyed watching the film together.  He is an inspiration in more ways than one.  It is only $9.73.  :-)

My husband and I went to see this Last Ounce of Courage in the theatre.  There was so much applause at the end!  As a soldier's wife and more importantly, as an American, it touched my heart and soul.  Last Ounce of Courage is a story of love, forgiveness, sacrifice and standing up for what we believe in.   We have watched this with our teenagers and they enjoyed it very much. Again, it is wonderful to be able to watch a quality film with them that has nothing at all offensive and so much to appreciate and learn.  It is only $8.33.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!


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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- May 27

I hope all of you in the U.S. had a wonderful Memorial Day yesterday.  If you have a moment, click here to read a touching poem about a soldier meeting the Lord.  You will need your tissues, but it will definitely warm your heart and soul and helps us all remember what Memorial Day is all about.

The most viewed post from last week's hop was:

Skinny Chocolate Fudge THM Friendly from Our Abundant Blessings

An InLinkz Link-up

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Happy Memorial Day 2014

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  It is incredibly meaningful that so many made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free.  Only 2 have ever voluntarily stepped up to die for us-- the American soldier to give us freedom here on Earth and Jesus Christ to give us eternal freedom in Heaven.  It doesn't get much more meaningful than that.

I am reposting my Memorial Day message from last year.  It definitely is worth repeating.  I hope you enjoy reading it.

As we all celebrate this weekend, let us remember the sacrifices of so many that have made our celebrating possible. It is not about sunbathing and barbecues. It is about death and sacrifice and ultimate love for a nation, the principles upon which it was founded and freedom. Freedom isn't free. God Bless America!

THE FINAL INSPECTION - AUTHOR UNKNOWN 

The Soldier stood and faced God, 

Which must always come to pass. 

He hoped his shoes were shining, 

Just as brightly as his brass.. 

Step forward now, Soldier, 

How shall I deal with you? 

Have you always turned the other cheek? 

To My Church have you been true?' 

The soldier squared his shoulders and said, 

No, Lord, I guess I ain't. 

Because those of us who carry guns, 

Can't always be a saint. 

I've had to work most Sundays, 

And at times my talk was tough. 

And sometimes I've been violent, 

Because the world is awfully rough. 

But, I never took a penny, 

That wasn't mine to keep... 

Though I worked a lot of overtime, 

When the bills got just too steep. 

And I never passed a cry for help, 

Though at times I shook with fear.. 

And sometimes, God, forgive me, 

I've wept unmanly tears. 

I know I don't deserve a place, 

Among the people here. 

They never wanted me around, 

Except to calm their fears 

If you've a place for me here, Lord, 

It needn't be so grand. 

I never expected or had too much, 

But if you don't, I'll understand. 

There was a silence all around the throne, 

Where the saints had often trod. 

As the Soldier waited quietly, 

For the judgment of his God. 

Step forward now, you Soldier, 

You've borne your burdens well. 

Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, 

You've done your time in Hell.' 

Linking up with the Gathering Spot, Raising Mighty Arrows, Homemaking Wednesdays,  Modest Mom.  Titus 2sday,  Mom's Monday Mingle, Monday Mingle,, ,Create with Joy,  Clever Chicks Blog Hop andAll My Bloggy Friends and Hearts for Home Blog Hop

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Happy 16th Birthday Kiddo #1

Tuesday was our Kiddo's 16th birthday.  I am not quite sure where 16 years have gone.  Our preemie has grown into an almost 6'3" young man.  More importantly, he is a good and generous kid, one who is always volunteering and giving of himself.  He never thinks twice about helping-- whether that is doing yardwork or in so many capacities at church.  Everyone always seems to call on him because they know he is dependable and hard-working.

That is why I wanted to pull off his surprise party.  He is a special young man and deserved to have a day where many gathered to celebrate him and tell him just how much he means to them.  It was difficult to plan the party under his nose for the past few months, but we did it!  He was SO surprised. Phew, what a relief.  :-)

Many family and friends came to enjoy good food and good company and to celebrate Kiddo.  They played basketball and football, too.

On his actual birthday (Tuesday), we went for a tour of the Philadelphia Airport.  We went through the various terminals and then went on the best part of the tour-- THE RUNWAY!  Yes, you read that correctly.  We got a security escort onto the runway.  I have never experienced anything like that in my life.  And, for my aviation living and breathing kid, I know it was a dream come true.  We actually had to stop and let jets go right in front of us!!!!  It was really awesome.

this was inside the international terminal-- Kiddo with his siblings and friends

we are entering the runway areas with our security escort right in front

look at the jet crossing RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!  So cool!  

or the one coming right at us! (until he turned into his terminal)

Kiddo had a bit of a basketball injury back at home while playing with his friends.  We ended up at Urgent Care and he is wrapped up and on crutches with a sprained ankle.  He was in good spirits, and just grateful that it happened AFTER the airport, lol.  :-)  Thus, in the photos below, he is making his birthday pizzas (his birthday dinner of choice) sitting down.

Happy Birthday Kiddo #1!  You are a great kid and we love you!  :-)

Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, Show-Off Friday, Learn and Link and It's a Wrap, Friendship Friday and Friday Connection and Family Fun Friday and T.G.I.F. Linky Party and Let's Homeschool High School and This Week


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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- May 20

Sorry the post is late (again).  Kiddo #1's surprise 16th birthday party was Sunday (it was a HUGE success) and his birthday was Tuesday.  We had a great day UNTIL he hurt his ankle and we ended up in Urgent Care and now he is on crutches.  So, needless to say, the last few days have not been blogging ones.

Thanks for your understanding.  :-)  Spread the word about our little recipe share!  :-)

There was a tie for the most viewed post from last week's hop.  Here they are:

Stuffed Pork Chops from Kingdom Academy Homeschool

Super Simple Compnay Chicken from Thrifty T's Treasures

An InLinkz Link-up

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TOS Review: Kraken Case for Kindle Fire 8.9 HDX

Today I am reviewing the Kraken A.M.S. Case for Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 from Trident Case.

I love my Kindle.  I was late on the Kindle bandwagon because I thought by liking it, it would mean that I didn't love my books.  There is truly nothing like holding a REAL book in your hands (and I have a stack to be read on my nightstand), but I LOVE the convenience of my Kindle.  I can read while waiting at a doctor's or dentist's office or even at the kitchen table. We can listen to music at any time, do a quick internet search or even play a game.  I use it A LOT.  And, when something is used a lot, there is a great risk of it getting damaged.

I have always worried about the Kindle getting dropped or broken.  When I received it as a gift, I picked out a leather cover/holder for it, but it wasn't really durable and didn't protect the screen.

When I was offered the opportunity to review the Kraken case, I was thrilled.  The case is military tested for durability and strength.  It is a hardened, bio-enhanced, polycarbonate shell with a built-in screen protector. And for those of us (and our children!) that enjoy listening to music on our Kindles, it has enhanced audio! The sound was clear and we could hear it from the next room.  The buttons are easy to reach and are not obstructed in any way by the case.

I also liked that it is lightweight and protects the screen without a lot of glare.  I am impressed how much testing went into the production of the case-- under testing, it withstood rain, vibration, wind and more.

Here are all of the features of this attractive and durable case:

• Hardened Bio-Enhanced Polycarbonate Shell
• Shock-Absorbing Silicone
• Built-In Screen Protector
• Device Controls and Ports Protected
• Shoulder Strap Compatible
• Enhanced Audio
• Military Standards (meets or exceeds MIL-STD 810F
• Vibration (18 hours at 20-2000 Hz)
• Dust Filters (3 hours at 29 feet/sec and sand at 3 hours at 59 feet/sec)
• Rain/Wind (7.9 inches/hour of rain at 40 mph winds for 1 hour)
• Green Protection (degradable, compostable and recyclable) 
• Accessorize with Kraken A.M.S. attachments

I received a black case, but they are available in SO many different colors including black, white, blue, gray, pink, brown and more. They also offer cases for iPhones, Samsung, iPads and 7" Kindles.  The cases are for all ages.

The Kindle 8.9" HDX case retails for $69.95.

If you have a device that you value and want to protect, I highly recommend a Kraken AM.S. case from Trident. 

Check out this video about the cases!  :-)

You can also find them on the internet at the following places:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tridentcase

Instagram: http://instagram.com/tridentcase#

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tridentcase

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+tridentcase

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/tridentcase

Vine: https://vine.co/Trident.Case

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TridentCase

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TOS Review: Micro Business for Teens

Today I am reviewing Micro Business for Teens.  The books were titled Starting a Micro Business, Running a Micro Business and Micro Business for Teens Workbook.

Kiddo #1 has expressed a great deal of interest the last year or so at someday operating his own business.  When the opportunity arose for this review, I thought it would be perfect for him to be able to determine and decide if business ownership/operation would be something that he would seriously like to pursue.  I think it is so important to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in our children.


I grew up in a small business.  My parents owned and operated a mom and pop store for most of my life.  We sold children's clothing.  This was, of course, during a time where personal service meant something and shopping in a neighborhood store was cherished.  This was before shopping malls, Walmarts, etc.  We provided a welcoming and personal shopping experience.  A child was measured, if necessary to determine size and we even offered free alterations.  I grew up knowing how to be polite, greet customers and even how to sweep up, straighten shelves, manage and purchase inventory.  I worked there after school and every summer (that was our busy time since we sold school uniforms) and even nights and weekends. We did it as a family.  My parents worked together and I joined them.  It gave them the flexibility to always attend a school play or church function, yet the hours were long and the work difficult.  But, I think it was an amazing experience to have for almost 30 years of my life.  I learned many important lessons.  Although they sold the store and moved into the private sector for work, part of me always missed them having their own business and how much it blessed our family in our relationship together.  Oh, I digress.  ;-)


But, do I really digress?  That spark of being a part of my family's business was re-ignited when my son expressed an interest in starting a business.  I couldn't help but smile.  Yes, it is hard work, but the rewards are many, and every.single.day is take your child to work day and that time together is precious.  :-)


Since my son didn't grow up in a business like I did, he really benefitted from this program.  By the time I was his age, I was assisting in inventory and able to make purchases from sales representatives.  I knew how to cash out the register at the end of the evening.  All of this is new to my son and this program was such a big help to him.  It gives the teens ideas as to what areas of business might suit their interests and abilities.  It even mentions which may be more successful in different areas of the country.

The creator of the program, Carol Topp, a CPA, wrote this program just for teens.  It guides them through starting a small business while still having homework, family responsibilities, church and friends.

Kiddo #1 worked independently reading a chapter and then doing the assigned page(s) in his workbook. He said the books were engaging and easy to read and follow.  He did about 2 chapters a week.

He was guided by the materials in the writing of his own marketing and financial plan.  He also learned about customer service, record keeping and time management.

"What is a Micro Business?" you may ask.  It is a very small business, usually home-based and run solely by its owner.  This is perfect for a teen and they could do a myriad of things including dog-sitting, baking, mowing lawns and more.

"Starting a Micro Business" is the first book my son read.  The chapters were as follows:

1. What is a Micro Business?
2. Getting an Idea: A Collection of Micro Business Ideas Best for Teenagers
3. Problems and Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
4. Planning a Micro Business and Writing a Business Plan
5. Financing your Micro Business without Breaking the Bank
6. Taking Care of Business: Extra Information to get you Started
7. Encouragement: Final Words to Motivate You

Once these ideas are had and fleshed out, the student moves on to the second book, "Running a Micro Business."  this helps the teen bring their ideas into reality.  The chapters are:

1. Sales
2. Marketing
3. Customer Service
4. Record Keeping
5. Bookkeeping Basics
6. Using Software
7. Legal Names and Numbers
8. Reducing Risk
9. Time Management

The workbook is where Kiddo wrote down everything he had brainstormed in the first two books.

So far, he has several business ideas-- one is a joint baking venture with his sister and I.  He has thought about making and selling cookie trays for special occasions and holidays.  Another idea he has is mowing lawns this summer.  He still is working on hashing out ideas regarding his real passion which is airplanes.  He isn't sure how to translate that into a small-business for teens, but he is definitely talking about it and writing down ideas.  He thought about having a small hobby shop, but he was warned by advice in the book, to be careful about investing in a large amount of inventory.  It is definitely something to think about for his future, though!  :-)

Kiddo especially liked that the books seemed like they were written to him, not condescending at all, and not to the younger child's "lemonade stand" business ideas.  Carol really hit the mark here, writing a book to teens (that would certainly be helpful to their moms, as well!) that doesn't treat them like children. 

The program has a suggested age range of 10-18 and is available in PDF form (this is what we received) for only $4.95 for each book and $9.95 for the workbook.  It is also available in print form for only $9.95 for each book and $14.95 for the workbook.

If your teen thinks he/she may want to go into business as a career or even just as a teenager mowing lawns, this is a great program to get them really thinking and doing what is necessary to be successful.

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