Search Results for: blog not so great expectations

Virtue Lessons Made Easy

  Product:  Virtue Flash Cards, Handbook, Butterfly Award, Coloring Pages, and Character Assessment Company:  We Choose Virtues Use:  To teach character development from a biblical or secular point of view. Grade Recommendation:  3rd-5th (older children can help teach and younger children will enjoy the lessons as well) Homeschool Method: Any Rating:  5 out of 5 golden apples Highlights Simple program with minimal prep and maximum results Can be used with to enhance current character or biblical lessons or as a stand alone Takes minutes a day Adaptable to large families with multi-aged children Great for Sunday school or co-ops Affordable What is … Continue reading →

Not So Great Expectations

Sometimes, parents get upset with their children for acting in a way that they think is inappropriate. I know I do. Today I had an experience that made me think that perhaps at least some of the time, the problem is not my child’s behavior but my own unrealistic expectations. It started out innocently enough. I was running errands and it was almost lunch time, so I mentioned a few places where we could go to eat and asked Dylan to choose one. He chose a little place called “The Chef’s Market”. At the time, it seemed like a great … Continue reading →

Another Tip for Attracting Customers to Your Ecommerce Business

The other day I mentioned that one of the best ways to attract more customers to your home – based ecommerce business is to do things that challenge customers’ perceptions and assumptions about purchasing things online instead of in the store. One way that you can do that is, as I mentioned the other day, challenging the assumption that shopping online means paying a lot in shipping fees in exchange for the convenience. Today, I would like to talk about another way that you can set yourself apart from your online and brick and mortar competitors – customer service. While … Continue reading →

Setting Expectations for Dog Training

Do we expect too much from our dogs? Sometimes we think that dogs should jump to obey our orders, and many dog owners soon find out that perhaps we’re not viewing dogs and how we train them in the right way. Pet website ZooToo has an overview of how the dog training process works, explaining why many of us might be going about training in the wrong way. What’s always important to remember, especially when bringing a new dog home, is that there will be a honeymoon period but that period will end. New dogs, especially ones from shelters, brought … Continue reading →

And So It Begins…

You know those moms doing a happy dance in the parking lot on the first day of school, then caravanning together to the nearest Starbucks to toast their freedom with Venti Java Chip Frappuccinos? I’m not one of them. I’m the mom rushing off to get as much work done before I have to navigate the car line for pick-up. I’m also the mom who feels like an amputee walking out of school after three straight months of summer vacation. Three straight months operating as my child’s social activities coordinator and she as my third arm. So, no, I’m won’t … Continue reading →

The Expectations of Valentine’s Day

I don’t know if my husband and I are the only ones but despite being married nearly 20 years we don’t really go all out and celebrate Valentine’s Day. It’s not that we don’t acknowledge the day because we do. After all, I did buy my husband a card and a box of chocolates that are in the shape of a heart but look like a baseball, one of his favorite sports. I received from my husband a poem he wrote all on his own and although it was beautiful, we don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day in the sense that we … Continue reading →

Tips For Great Family Photos

The holidays are a wonderful time for taking pictures of your family. Groups of relatives gather for dinners, parties, caroling, cookie baking, and many other fun activities. Photographs provide depth and feeling to any family history archive, whether they are simply placed in albums or elaborately scrapbooked. Here are some tips for capturing your family’s magical holiday moments without devoting your entire holiday to taking pictures. After all, there are so many fun things going on that you do not want to be on the sidelines with a camera the whole time. Unless, of course, you get an amazing new … Continue reading →

Someone Always Knows

There are times when in our own lives we don’t we really know what to pray for. There are times in the lives of others and when we hear about situations and really don’t know how or what to pray. Thankfully, when we don’t know what to pray, there is someone who does. Paul reminds us in reminds us in Romans 8:26 that when we don’t know how or what to pray the Holy Spirit does and ‘He intercedes for the saints.’ The saints are not just a special group of select people but are all of us who are … Continue reading →

Adoption Books with Great Art: You Are Special, You Were Chosen

You Are Special; You Were Chosen is a sweet little book which grew out of the bedtime story that the author’s father read to her each night. Its soft, detailed colored pencil/pastel illustrations definitely qualify it for my Adoption Books with Great Art series. The lovely pictures show diverse children and families, including siblings of different races, which I really appreciate, as that is something I have a hard time finding. Books featuring a multiracial classroom are becoming common, as are books featuring families of color—but multiracial families are still difficult to find. I almost bought a book the other … Continue reading →

Aimee’s Health Resolutions for 2009

Looking back at 2008, I did manage to keep a few of my resolutions (and failed on some others). I haven’t been using the free gym at my complex, but I did discover that the hot tub is open all year. I have been walking more (with and without the dogs), and even got out on my bike a few times. I have lost twelve pounds over the last year, thanks to my work at the cats-only boarding facility. All that bending, lifting, and general running around has whittled me down a little without it seeming like “exercise” or “hard … Continue reading →