The Season of Gift Giving Start Now! On the 1st day of Christmas, My True Love gave to me....

The Season of Gift Giving Starts Now! I'm still amazed that this year has flown by so quickly. Can you believe that Thanksgiving is about a week away...

So much to do and so little time left. By next week, everyone will be busy preparing food or traveling to spend some much needed quality time over Thanksgiving meal with their loved ones.
It's a great time to eat, drink and be merry with family and friends. Where will you be on Thanksgiving day?

And after eating probably way too much, what do people do after Thanksgiving?? (drum roll please.....)

~~~BLACK FRIDAY!!!~~~~

Black Friday marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season. It's a time to find great deals for everyone on your shopping list.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or the Winter Solstice – over the next 12 Days, I would like to share 12 days of "gifts" from Kadohearts.com.

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... a Mouse Pad on my work desk :-)
Check out these great looking Mouse Pads.
A great way to add a personal touch to your office or home desk.
It comes in three different shapes - Heart, Round and Rectangle.
* Add your photo, logo or message to create a fun gift
* A Large surface area -- Works with any standard mouse
* High-quality, nonslip rubber backing

Happy Shopping!!!

~~Words of Encouragement~~
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Acts 20:35 (NLT)

In Sandy's Aftermath, there is love and compassion...

The last few days has been a world wind for those in the NJ/NY/CT/PA/MD area.  Some luckily are just dealing with loss of power and down trees while others are devastated and have lost everything they own.  It's going to take a while for areas to be functional again but the outpouring of compassion and support has been overwhelming. In the mists of all that is happening here, one thing is apparent, people are helping each other and lifting each other up to get through the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  

Hurricane Sandy (a.k.a Frankenstorm) hit landfall in the United States about 8 p.m. EDT Oct. 29, striking near Atlantic City, N.J., with winds of 80 mph. At one point, Sandy's hurricane-force winds (at least 74 mph) extended up to 175 miles (280 kilometers) from its center.

Now in it's wake, it was estimated that 8.4 million people were down without power and impacted $30 billion in damages.  NJ has sustained major damage in the shoreline beach areas and NY is dealing with major flooding from the storm serge and a crippled mass transit system that New York City relies upon to function.  "The New York City subway system is 108 years old, but it has never faced a disaster as devastating as last night,” said Joe Lhota, chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority on Oct 31,2012.


In the mist of all this, people are rising up to the call to help where they can.  The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and Red Cross are partnering up in setting up shelters, feeding stations and mobile kitchens to provide food to the thousands of people who are still dealing with the aftermath. A single feeding station is capable of serving tens of thousands of meals a day. 

The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is one of the three largest mobilizers of trained disaster relief volunteers in the United States, along with the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.  They have mobilized more than 450 volunteers from nine Baptist state conventions working in at least six states affected by the storm.  They are also working with Red Cross to setup 8 additional feeding stations in the next few days in NJ and NY areas to provide food, aid and comfort to people in various areas. There is a lot of help needed to keep these feeding stations going so if anyone has capacity to help please become a volunteer.

Every little bit helps.  If you would like to help, here are some options:
1. Become a Volunteer:  Many of us have a lot of time on our hands right now with the lack of power and volunteering is a great way to get your mind off our worries and be a blessing to others who really need help.

•  If you are close enough to the Piscataway, NJ or Edison, NJ areas, there are feeding stations that need help. Got to the NCMissions website to signup to volunteer or show up at 777 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ and sign in at the main tent.
• If you are in the NY area, look at this site to help with volunteering sites or dropping off food and clothing.  (Occupy Wall Street, 350.org, recovers.org and interoccupy.net. are dedicated to implementing aid and establishing hubs for neighborhood resource distribution)

2. Donate Funds: If you cannot help with volunteering but would like to donate to the disaster relief operations can contribute to NAMB’s disaster relief fund via namb.net/disaster-relief-donations. Other ways to donate are to call 1-866-407-NAMB (6262) or mail checks to NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Designate checks for “Disaster Relief.” 

3. Donate Food or Supplies to local shelters and soup kitchens:  

• If you are in the Somerville, NJ area, there is a local organization that provides food to the homeless and near homeless families called SHIP - the Samaritan Homeless Interim Program.  With the power outages, they have lost a significant amount of food in their pantries and are in dire need to replenish their food  and clothing supplies.  They are also looking for some warm clothes especially hoodies and coats for Men, Women and children.

The response to the call for donations, funds and volunteers has been overwhelming.  Neighbors are helping neighbors and business are helping customers with charging their laptops/cellphones or providing warm meals.  Overall, the impact of Hurricane Sandy was desasterous for a lot of people but the outpouring of love and compassion of people to help each other has made this ordieal bearable and full of hope. 
Be safe and stay warm to all.  

~~Words of Encouragement~~

I look up to the mountains, does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.

The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

(Psalms 121 NTL)

Transform into the new you..

So the journey begins, it's Day 2 of the 21 day detox program with Ultimate Reset.  It's still too early to make any kind of opinion but so far so good. The kit came with this bracelet made of natural fibers as a reminder to the commitment to reset your body.
Dedication to transforming your life starts today.

I've been drinking a lot more water than my normal amount but I'm not complaining.  Water is the source of life and health.  So the more water you drink daily, the better your body will function. 
The plan has been easy to follow and provides a lot of nutritional information. I take the supplements a half hour before any meal.  I have 3 full meals and a snack.  The guide book has the schedule laid out so you know which supplements to eat before each meal.
The program is broken up into three phases:
Week 1. Reclaim your body with balancing the inner chemistry and preparing it for change.
Week 2. Release the toxic and reset your digestive system.
Week 3. Restore your metabolism and rejuvenate your health.

For this first week, I'm working on getting into the eating schedule and taking the supplements 30 mins before each meal.  The key is to remove meat this week.  That's easy for me to do since I already cut back on meat in general.  Fish is what I eat now a days so this week's meals won't be drastically different than my normal meals.
So 2 days down, 19 more days to go.  Ohh and I lost 1 lb already.

~~Words of Encouragement~~
"Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." John 4:13 (NLT)

Tired? Does your body need a tune-up?

It's the first day of October and the weather is getting cold so quickly now.   Where did the summer go? The leaves on the tress are starting to change colors and they are falling already.  So just like the trees shedding their leaves this season, I'm going to work on shedding some pounds.
I decided it's time for a change and try to take control of the things I can control. 
I'm been feeling tired lately with all the stress at work and the stress has been adding on to my digestive issues and gaining weight.  So my body is in dire need of a tune-up and a reset.

I discovered a new cleanse program called Ultimate Reset from Beachbody that recently came out to help get your body back functioning the way it used to and it will help me some lose weight!!!  It will also help increase my energy level and lower my cholesterol levels in only 21 days..  I repeat only 21 days.. not too much of a commitment.. Now who wouldn't want that.

I bought it online last week after reading up on the benefits of the program and it just arrived in the mail today..   So here is what came in the mail. 
I'm trying to read through the brochures and DVDs that explains what all these things will do to reset my body so stay tune as I start on my 21 day journey.

Are you tired too? Have you been feeling sick lately? Feeling run-down? Having trouble with your digestion? Do you have hard time losing weight? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, join me my October Fit Fest Challenge to reset your life with a 21-day cleanse using Ultimate Reset....

Check out the Ultimate Reset Video Introduction

~~Words of Encouragement~~
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalm 51:10-11 (NLT)

Back to School Deals for your Craft Room

I can't believe it's September already... where did the year go..
It's the start of a new school year and lots of families are busy getting their kids off to school..  I love this time of the year because it's the best time to shop for your craft room.. The back-to-school supplies section has lots of cool things for kids but I take advantage to check out sales for my craft room.  :-)

This year, I found a few great items. Staples and Walmart had $2 and $3 deals for back to school.
For $2, I got these great pen holders that you can stick anywhere.  I can put these where I need a pen.  It's flexible to fit different size pens.  I also put one to hold my laptop charger cable off the side of my desk so it's I can reach of the charger easily. 

For $2, I also got these great Lock-Ups twist stackable containers in 4 different sizes to meet all your crafting needs.  :-)  These are designed so that multiples can be connected to create a "tower" of storage. The lids twist and lock each one in place.

For $3, I got a set of mini ClosetMaid Cubeicals.  They are usually $7 or more so when I saw these for $3, I had to get one.  These mini sizes are great to put near your sewing machine to dump your thread and fabric pieces.  I was debating on making my own thread catcher after reading a blog entry from This Mama Makes Stuff but when I saw these mini Cubeicals, I decided, these would be a perfect alternative.   I used a potato chip clip to hang it off one of my drawers next to my sewing table. Voila..my very own thread catcher..

 Next week will be time for a little Fall cleaning and reorganization of my craft room.  Off to planning my room.

Happy Crafting..

~~Words of Encouragement~~
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. 
You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours
      Psalm 128:1-2 (NLT)

No Sun at the Beach day...??

The forecast called for rain and thunderstorms today (Sunday) starting at 4pm.  So for those beach lovers or weekend vacationers who didn't want to give up their last beach opportunity, off they went to the beach and ignored the weather report.  I was one of them :-).   Rain or Shine, beach here we come.

Our destination today was  Rehoboth Beach, DE. It has a walking Main St, boardwalk, Tanger Outlets and Crab.. What more could I ask for in one place. 

To my surprise, the roads to the beach was still crowded when we started getting closer to the roads that lead to Rehoboth beach but it wasn't really bad.  I thought I was going to be one of the few crazy people to head to the beach on such a cloud covered day.. But as you can see from the pictures, the beach and the boardwalk was still filled with loads of people.  It wasn't super crowded, just the right amount of people.  

We found parking easily and went straight to the beach to find a good spot.  As you can see from the pictures, people was still trying to sunbathe.  The sun made an appearance once in a while behind the clouds so some folks got some tanning done.   It was surprisingly still a great beach day.  We got to relax out in the open and enjoy all the comforts of the beach and ocean even without the hot sun. 

We stayed on the beach for 3 to 4 hours and made our way to the boardwalk and main street on Rehoboth Ave.  By that time, the clouds was getting darker but it still hasn't rained yet.  The boardwalk had lots of carnival games, arcades and food to enjoy.  Rehoboth Ave had lots of shops and restaurants to explore.  The feel of the town and the way it's setup is very inviting and tourist friendly.   We're definitely adding this place to our future vacation spots to return to.
I especially liked how they had street parking spots clearly marked.  Each car had it's own box to park and parking meter next to it so there is less confusion when finding parking.  As compared to other beach towns where parking was such a headache to find and you worry about other people bumping into your car trying to squeeze in to any opening they could find. We didn't have to worry here, the boxes were wide enough and gave everyone equal spacing to park.. They even sectioned out parking spots for bikes and motorcycles (how considerate of them). 

The lighthouse was at the entrance of the Rohoboth Ave as you are entering/leaving the beach area.  This was about 5pm and it still hasn't started to rain yet.. Lucky me.. so off we went to check out the Tanger outlets to check out the labor day sales.  The outlets was more crowded than the broadwalk so we didn't stay long.  The sales were not that appealing and my stomach was calling for dinner about now.


So Day 2 of hunting for steam crab landed us at Crabby Dicks Restaurant
As soon as you walk in, you were welcomed with Crabby Dicks merchandise as the waiting area.  This place reminded me of Joe's Crab Shack but way better.  The crab theme was taken to extremes in their designs and merchandise options. This place gets packed quickly so you have nothing better to do but enjoy their waiting area.  They also had a claw crane game to grab your own lobster.  You pick the lobster you want from the Lobster Zone and they will cook it for you..  It was interesting to see but not for me.  I don't need to see my food still alive, thank you very much..  

We ordered half a dozen steam crabs, of course.  The crabs they had was about 5-6 inches.  As compared to yesterday's crabs at Kathy's, these were a bit smaller.  It was still good and it still took us about 2 hours to eat 6 crabs.  (I did mention before we were slow crab eaters).

This concludes the hunt for crabs on Labor Day weekend.  Hope the clouds and rain didn't spoil too much of your labor day plans.
This weekend marks the end of summer and the beginning of a new Fall season.  I can't wait to see what God has in store..
Until next time, Happy Crabbing..

~~Words of Encouragement~~
There is no one like the God of Israel.  
He rides across the heavens to help you, 
   and on the clouds in his majestic splendor.  
The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.  
He drives out the enemy before you, saying 'Destroy them!'
      Deuteronomy 33:26-27 (NLT)

Hunting for blue crabs on Labor day weekend...

Labor day is a holiday that was created to celebrate the strength and determination of the trade and labor organizations in 1882 also known was "Working man's holiday".  But today, it's a day of rest, BBQ, pool parties, beach day, shopping day or first day of NFL football season.  For most kids, it represents the last day of the summer.  Labor Day seems to affect everyone in a different way.
So how are you celebrating this weekend holiday?

As for me and mine, we are hunting for a beach day and some steamed blue crabs.. :-)
Why beach and crabs you might ask?  Well, summer has past me by so quickly that I haven't had time to really enjoy the sun, beach and crabs.  I'm not much of a beach person but love to look at the ocean and the waves. It reminds me of the awesomeness of our God and his handy work.

So today, we drove down to Dover, DE to start our hunt for crab shacks.  We typically go to Atlantic City, NJ or Baltimore, MD for blue crabs but this time, we wanted to find a less touristy area to find local hidden gems for steamed crabs..

We were debating on where to stop for lunch.  We could stop before Dover or wait until we get to Dover to grab lunch.  We decided to stop for lunch before Dover and took a slight detour to Delaware City, DE to try blue crabs at Kathy's Crab House.  We're glad we did..

We got there at 11:30 and of course we were the first ones there.  We had indoor or screen patio seating areas to choose from.  Since it was such a nice day, we decided to sit in the screened patio.  It was nicely decorated and had a nice breeze coming from the outside.

The menu had lots of selection which we did not get deterred.  We stuck to our original plans and ordered half a dozen large blue crabs for $25 and some claim strips.  The price at Kathy's was much more reasonable as compared to Baltimore prices.  The crabs were so fresh, juicy and meaty.. Yummm.  It took us 2 hours to eat the 6 crabs..(yes I know, we are slow crab eaters).  We took our time and enjoyed every single ounce of the crab meat.

That's the beginning of our Labor day weekend...  Off to do more crab hunting for Day 2.

~~Words of Encouragement~~
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)