Monday, October 25, 2010

How Important is Education to you?



This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ashworth College. All opinions are 100% mine.


 


I am a full time mother of 2, a wife of 1 and I have a full time job outside the home.  My schedule is very busy, especially when you throw in all the other activities such as church and programs for the kids.  I try hard to teach my children the importance of getting a good education but I have learned in my years that the best way to teach is through example.  I have a great job that pays well considering I got it without a college education. I need to be the example to my children and finish my education, I have plenty of credits I just never was able to finish and get a degree. But if you were paying attention at all you can see that my life is full and I don't have time to go back to school.


But a college education no longer has to be extreme time consuming. It is easy to "go to college" by staying home and taking online courses. You can take as many or as little as you can fit into your schedule. Say you always wanted to go back to school but the course you need is not offered at a time that is convenient for you....with online classes you can do the work early in the morning while everyone else sleeps in, or in the evening when everyone else goes to bed, or any time in between that is convenient.  Today there are almost 4,000,000 students taking at least one course online.


There are more than 100+ nationally accredited career diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree and Certificate programs for today;s hottest and most popular careers, including: Medical Billing, Web  Design, Bridal Consulting, interior Decorating, Human Resources, Marketing, Early Childhood Education and more. At these online schools, tuition is about 88% less than traditional brick and mortar institutions. And since there are no student loans, you can graduate without school debt!


For more information, and to see how you can get the education you have been putting off, I recommend you check out Ashworth College Online College.  You can also check out the Ashworth Video Gallery.


Don't keep putting off getting your education. With the economy the way it is today, and with unemployment still on the rise, it is very important for us to be prepared. Plus if your children are like mine and don't like to sit down and do homework they would probably do better if you offered to all of you do your homework together! That makes for more family time and study time together.


Ashworth College Featured by National Education Report




Visit Sponsor's Site



Thursday, October 21, 2010

Breast cancer awareness

October is breast cancer awareness month....have you seen all the pink around?? My son's favorite color is pink...yes he is in touch with his feminine side! But it is very important for women to "check themselves" often. That is why I wanted to share this video with my readers. Watch and even share this video with women that you care about as well!

Watch live streaming video from treasureyourchest at livestream.com

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Family Movie Night with Bringing Up Bobby

I really enjoy family movie nights at my house. I received a new movie through Provident Films, called Bringing Up Bobby. With my hubby's crazy work schedule, we could not get a night that we could all get together, so the kids and I sat down one night and watched this Christian comedy together. Did you catch that part of it being a Christian comedy?? Yes that's right...Christian comedy!! When I watched the preview for this movie I have to say I had my doubts. I thought it was going to be "cheezy" and stupid; but when we watched it we laughed so hard! Let me share with you about this fun family movie!



SYNOPSIS: A Different Kind of Comedy About Being Kind of Different
When 20-something filmmaking brothers Chris and Nick Staron were
told it's impossible to make a Christian comedy, they laughed ... and then got to work. Bringing Up Bobby is the result, and the madcap antics of the entire Wyler family will convince you that the Staron Bros. have created comedic dynamite!

Destined to be a favorite of families and youth groups, Bringing Up Bobby is a quirky exploration of what it means to live out your faith ... and to find humor in whatever comes your way!

This is a story about a family that lost their parents at an early age. The oldest of the 4 took over as the "parent" and he took care of his siblings. Now 14 years later, the 16th birthday of the youngest boy, the family finally will find out what is in the will. Unfortunately, when there is a will and assets involved, families can get greedy and go against each other. This story is no different. What is amazing is how God works things out in the end!! I will not spoil that for you, you will just have to watch the movie.

One thing I really loved about this movie, is the "war table". This is where each member of the house dresses up in silly costumes and tells each other what is on their mind. I may start this tradition in my family....each of us dress up and talk without being judged or ridiculed. Another family favorite was the blow up boxing gloves. I need some of those as well in my house...we could take our frustrations out on each other without actually hurting each other.

I recommend this movie for your next family movie night. You will laugh while learning a valuable family lesson in priorities. You can get your copy by clicking here. Also you can find them on facebook http://www.facebook.com/bringingupbobby.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thursday, October 7, 2010

UPSIDE~~Movie Review



I am sure you have heard the saying that if you walk a mile in someone elses shoes you will find out a lot about that person. But have you ever thought about how you might view things if you could look through someone elses eyes? In the movie UPSIDE that is exactly what happens. This is a remarkable story about a high school athlete that takes a hard fall and blow to the head that causes his vision to be upside down. He has every reason to be mad and angry because he may now lose his scholarship to the college of his dreams, until he meets Wren. She is totally blind yet she has so much faith in God that she "sees" the true beauty of life. This is a movie for families and even church groups to watch together! When you feel like things are bad and not getting any better, just remember there is an upside!

SYNOPSIS: It's all how you look at it From the looks of things, Solomon White
has a well-mapped future. Finish his senior year of high school, select an elite
university, continue his lacrosse career, and reap the rewards of success on
whichever road life takes him.

But a devastating hit on the lacrosse field leaves his world literally turned
upside down. Will he be able to gain the perspective needed to face his new reality?

UPSIDE provides a fresh look at life through the eyes of Soli (Randall Bentley,
"Heroes"), a young athlete struggling to discover where he's headed, both
figuratively and literally. Viewing the world upside down is a challenge few
will ever face, but that hardly is the extent of Soli's pressing concerns.

He has trouble at home with his mom, he's trying to end his relationship with his
girlfriend, and he has to come to grips with a teacher that thinks he can be much
more than he wants to be. Suddenly, Soli's senior year looking nothing like he
imagined it would be.

Add in Wren (Leah Sims), an unlikely love interest with a strong faith in God, and
Soli must take a new look at everything he believes in. Can Soli win the heart of Wren,
who happens to be blind? Can he believe in something he can't see? Will he find a new
direction for his life, even if his eyesight never returns to normal?

When you can't trust your eyes, you still have your voice. This unique story is an inspiring
reminder that when life gets you down, there's always an UPSIDE.

Follow UPSIDE on facebook:
www.facebook.com/upsidemovie


Click on the widget above to see the trailer for this movie and to purchase your copy too! I promise you will not be disappointed with this movie.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Shrinkvivor - weigh-in #3


Well this week has been a true challenge for me with Shrinkvivor. For our second week we were challenged to exercise and keep up with our "minutes". The girls from Tribe Navy Seals ROCK!! I almost believe that some of them are robots with the amount of minutes they put in this week. For my minutes I was only able to get in 160 minutes (and trust me that was A LOT for me!!) I can only hope that it was enough. I am happy to say the scales were nice again this week!!

Beginning weight: 174.8
Week 1 weigh-in: 172.4 (-2.4)
Week 2 weigh-in: 171.2 (-1.2) Grand total loss: 3.6 lbs!! WOO HOO
The non-physical challenges were to continue with our water and no fast food. Well I have not kept up with the ounces on my water intake but I do drink more water than anything else these days where I used to do good to get in one glass of water a day!
The fast food challenge was just that...a challenge!! But I did it!!! I went to Subway twice (cause it was allowed) but that was it! I even went to CFA to get some chicken minis for the kids and did not eat even 1!! And those things are the bomb!! I wouldn't even go and get a salad. I cannot wait for the next challenge...I am more pumped and excited than ever before!
GO TEAM NAVY SEALS!!!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Winner of The Mysterious Islands

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 13
Result: 6
Powered by RANDOM.ORG
katychick said... 6
http://twitter.com/katychick123/status/24666733298

i tweeted
tcogbill at live dot com


I don't know how to copy the picture of the random.org number generator, but I did copy what I could get....and I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS to katychick for winning the DVD The Mysterious Islands


Oh My Goodness I GOOFED!!! I am so sorry but thank you to Jennifer57 for bringing it to my attention that I drew a winner a day early~ I had a blonde moment but because of MY mistake I did draw another winner as well....I am giving away my copy of The Mysterious Islands to lucky comment #9

Victoria said...
CommentsCounter=CommentsCounter+1;document.write(CommentsCounter)
9

Following via google friend as Victoriavschilke at gmail dot com
September 20, 2010 10:01 PM

Please don't think that this will be a continuous thing....I accept that I made a mistake and I hope that you all will accept my biggest apologies!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Playstation Move - get moving



This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PlayStation(R) Move. All opinions are 100% mine.



How well do you enjoy exercising? If you are like me, it takes some motivation. I used to be a member of a gym but found out it was a waste because I was spending all that money to work out for 30-45 minutes on one machine. But at home I cannot get into motivation to do anything active. When I was younger I did not have that problem...my sister and I stayed outside all the time. We also stayed very small!!


But this generation does not believe in getting outside and doing much of anything. They would rather stay sitting in front of the TV or a video game. There are too many of our young people that are facing obesity these days.


Is there a solution?? YES! It is called Playstation Move. With the Playstation Move all, you can get the whole family involved in exercising AND playing video games. This system will bring the generations together in a great way!  I would totally love it if I could find that magical genie would leave one of these on my door steps. Some of the things that would change my family would be how we spend our family nights together. Instead of sitting in front of the TV watching movies, we would have family game night. I can see competitions between husband & wife, and brother & sister. Or maybe we could go girls against the boys!


I would love to play the Get Fit with Mel B. In my experiences, I have always done better at ALL things with support and help. With this "game" you will work out beside the world-famous Spice girl Mel B herself! There are different levels for you to accomplish, which I truly love, so it benefits everyone no matter what level you may be. I would also like to play Sports Champions...this will be a fun family game where we can compete against each other with different sports.


 You can bring motion gaming exclusively to your existing PlayStation®3 for only $99 with the MOVE bundle to your existing PlayStation 3 for only $99 with the MOVE bundle package. This is way less than a gym membership and you are sure to have way more fun!!  


PlayStation®Move has something for everyone. Whether you’re experienced, casual, or somewhere in between, PlayStation®Move has a wide variety of games including sports, action, party, family, and shooters. The games are addictively fun and the outcome of every move is all under your control.


Visit PlayStation(R)MOVE and learn about the new PlayStation®Move!




Visit Sponsor's Site



Shrinkvivor weigh-in #2

Week one is complete for the shrinkvivor challenge. The first week had 2 challenges for us all. One was physical which was miles. We were to walk, run or jog to get miles. On our weigh-in today we had to put in our total miles for the week. I wish I could have done more, but I am happy to say I was able to get in 9 miles! That is a huge accomplishment for me!


The second challenge was water. I have always heard to make sure you get in 64 oz. of water, but with the challenge this week we were encouraged to take our weight, divide it in half and that was the number of ounces we should drink. For me that was 175/2=87.5 oz. WOW..that is a lot of water. Especially for someone that does not normally drink much water! But I was able to get in between 60-80 oz a day.


So what are my results?? Let me show you....... This is my weigh in from week 1...174.8. This is my weight this week...172.4. That is a weight loss of 2.4 lbs.!!!!
I could not have done it without my girls in tribe "Navy Seals"...those girls ROCK!!! They are wonderful encouragement and inspiration for me on this journey!!


I bought some new shoes...those that say they will help tone your legs and butt while you walk. My first day of walking I took the kids to the park so I could walk on the track there. I wore my new shoes and did not feel any different AT ALL. I thought surely I wasted my money...BUT LET ME TELL YOU...Saturday night I started to feel it in my legs. By Sunday morning I was sore from the lower part of my legs to the lower part of my back! Have you ever known anyone to be excited about being sore?? Well I am!! I know the shoes are doing what they promised to do!! I wish I would have measured my body prior to this challenge so I could see how many inches I may have lost compared to weight loss as well...I feel like I "toned up" some this week and gained muscle and unfortunately the scale alone does not show that...but the smaller jeans will!!

Are you on a weight loss journey?? If so, how have you done?

Share your success in a comment. Also, it is too late to sign up for the challenge but you can still participate with us on this journey. Check out The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Shrinkvivor - The sisterhood of the shrinking jeans


I have joined an online weight loss group called Shrinkvivor ~~ taken from Survivor. We were put into "tribes" (I am part of Navy, which we changed to Navy Seals). I am really excited!!

First weigh-in was yesterday and my starting weight is 174.8
We have weekly challenges, each tribe is there to support each other and I am really EXCITED!! I have been doing a weigh-in each week with a co-worker and we have been on a journey to lose some weight, but we seem to have gotten into a "funk". I needed some other type of motivation and I know this is what I needed!
So over the next 7 weeks I will keep my readers updated on my journey. By the way if anyone has any good recipes for healthy meals PLEASE share them with me!! I need to lose about 20 lbs and I will be happy!

Monday, September 13, 2010

The Mysterious Islands DVD review and giveaway



Have you ever heard of the Galapagos Islands? If you are anything like me, you may have heard of them but do not remember. We first learned of the Galapagos Islands through Charles Darwin and his theories of evolution. I have been raised in church and from as far back as I can remember we were taught that if you can't believe the first four words of the Bible then you cannot believe any part of it. The first four words are "In the beginning God". That is all that I needed to know is that God was the beginning and He is the creator. But I do know that there are other people out there that have to see proof of things. That is where this DVD comes in handy.

Like I said, we first learned of the Galapagos Islands when we learned of Darwin's evolution theory. Charles Darwin went to these islands and this is where he studied the animals and came up with his theory. The Mysterious Islands is a documentary of a group of men that wanted to find proof and also truth in the dispute of evolution vs. creation.

SYNOPSIS:

"A Surprising Journey to Darwin's Eden"

At the far end of the world, there exists a strange and unusual chain of islands, resting above vast tectonic plates in the ocean below.

This is the world of the Galapagos Archipelago, home to salt-spitting marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and giant tortoises that can live to be more than 150 years of age. It is also the birthplace of Darwinism. For here in 1835, a young Charles Darwin began to formulate a theory which would turn the world upside down. More than a century and a half later, these mysterious islands remain at the center of a controversy that has shaped the way modern men perceive science, religion, culture, and life itself. While Christians look to Jerusalem, and Muslims to Mecca, evolutionists look to the Galapagos as the spiritual center of their scientific faith. And the unique ingredients found on the Galapagos Islands have led many of Darwin's most devoted followers to describe it as Darwin's Eden, and a "laboratory for evolution."

Now, for the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th of his magnum opus, On the Origin of Species, Doug Phillips leads a Christian team of scientists and investigators to this "ground zero" in the war of the worldviews. Seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Joshua Phillips, who joins his father and noted researchers like Dr. John Morris of the Institute for Creation Research, The Mysterious Islands is the story of one boy's search for answers to the greatest controversy of the modern world. It is a refreshing father and son adventure that combines cinematically breathtaking footage with high adventure. The Mysterious Islands is a fast-paced film that tracks their journey of discovery as this unusual team walks where Darwin walked and engages with the amazing creatures that he chronicled in his research. Their quest: To determine whether the Galapagos Islands are a laboratory for evolution, as Darwinists claim, or a showcase for the biblical account of creation.

This beautiful ninety-minute documentary takes viewers deep beneath the ocean waves among hundreds of white-tip sharks, into volcanic craters with giant lizards, and to the unusual habitat of the blue-footed booby. Featuring a Christian team of scientists and investigators to shoot a documentary on the Galapagos in 2009—Darwin's anniversary year—The Mysterious Islands brings a fresh perspective on the Theory of Evolution and presents sweeping cinematography of one of the most remote, desolate, and fascinating locations in the world.

MY THOUGHTS:

I truly enjoyed watching this DVD. I watched it with my parents and I know my dad enjoyed it and went to work talking about it to others. I feel like I learned something by watching this DVD because like I said in the beginning I never paid much attention to Darwin when I was in school. I paid just enough attention to pass, but I believe the Bible to be truth so I did not get too deep into any other theories. I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone that has a question about evolution vs. creation. I feel like this group of researchers did a wonderful job in showing us how these animals have adapted to their environment rather than evolve as Darwin suggested. Darwin made his theory based on the fact that the animals have changed since they have migrated to these islands; but, in this documentary these researchers show us how the animals are changing but only because they are adapting to the environment. They are not evolving because they are staying the same kind of animal. Just as humans change and adapt to their environment, so will the animals. When we finished watching this DVD I made this comparison to my parents~~my husband is originally from Indiana and I am from North Carolina. The weather is so different that when my husband first moved here he wore shorts almost year round. As he stayed here longer his body adapted more to the weather here and he is not able to wear shorts year round anymore. He adapted and changed by wearing more clothes, but he has not evolved into anything different than the man he was.

For more information on the DVD, the crew, and the islands please visit the site here.

Now for the giveaway....YAY!! I have a copy of The Mysterious Islands to offer to one of my readers. If you would like to win a copy of this DVD you can do the following:

Mandatory: Go to The Mysterious Islands site and tell me something that you learned.
Easy right?!? But you can also get extra entries after you do the mandatory one:

1 extra entry ~~ follow me on twitter
Leave your twitter name

1 entry daily ~~ Tweet about this giveaway & leave the link to your tweet. You can copy this:

Evolution vs. Creation #win The Mysterious Islands DVD @shaeffermom http://bit.ly/bwCmfc Ends 9/25 Pls RT


1 extra entry ~~ follow me with google friends

1 extra entry ~~ email a friend about this giveaway, cc me @ gerrie(dot)shaeffer(at)yahoo(dot)com

1 extra entry each ~~ use any of the share options at the bottom of this post and leave me a comment with which ones you did.

Make sure to leave your email address in your comment, or another way I can contact you. Giveaway ends 9/25 @ 12 CST.

Giveaway is open to US residents.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Friday, September 10, 2010

Bull's Eye BBQ sauce WINNERS

Congratulations to the winners of my very first giveaway. Random.org picked the following numbers:
#2 Katychick

#13 Cakeblast

#7 Frugal Mom

#5 Samantha

I have emailed all of the winners and they 48 hours to respond so I can get the certificates out to them.

I will be having another giveaway very soon for a DVD "The Mysterious Islands". It is a christian documentary about the islands that Darwin went to when he made his theory on evolution.