Church Bullies and Mean Christians ... Why I, as a Christian, do not attend Church.

Church Bullies, yes, there is such a thing. Remember The Church Lady from 'Saturday Night Live'? Well, here in the South she does exist. She's alive and well in most churches and in many cases there are packs of them where there is one. They are critical of what you wear, how you wear your hair, what your bible looks like, if you know the words of their church songs and Lord knows they are going to gossip and pick apart each and every part of your family and social life and this is all JUST IF YOU VIST their church to try to find a good church home. Now someone please tell me why I would want to attend that church and subject my child to that? 

I have sat on a friends front porch and listened to one of these church ladies go on and on ... All while keeping my mouth shut. I keep my mouth shut because normally I'm her target and she has no problem firing off at me - that's an entirely different post. She and her fellow sisters will talk about anyone who wasn't raised in their church ... However, you can be the biggest sinner in town and have family that was raised in that church and she will think you are good as gold. So are outsiders really not allowed? I know at that church it seems to be the case. 

I worked with another Church Lady, although she was my age, she was a HUGE hypocrite and Church Bully! She was also the office bully. There were 4 of us that worked in one open room - no dividers - so there was no hiding her actions. She played Christian music as she was in control of the radio, scripture was all around her desk pointed outward. She was constantly doing bible study at lunch or breaks. She was at church every time the doors were open, was a youth class coordinator, I could go on. She was an alpha female and very loud, corse and intimidating. People were nice to her because they were scared of her. She was one of those people at work that you HAD to be nice to or she would make your life a living hell! Each and every employee had some dealings with her and trust me she would FIND and make up ways to make people's lives rough if she wanted to - I saw it. She even made a girl cry because they complimented the color she was wearing one day. She didn't respond, they thought she didn't hear her and repeated it.  She then blew up at them asking them why they felt that she had to address them each time they spoke to her! It appalled me... Actually it was me that she made cry that time.  She was just outright MEAN! Our boss saw it all happen, they wouldn't let HR doing anything about it. Know how I know that? I was HR. Yep ol Church Lady snapped off to HR and because she was a Church Lady I was told to let it go. No, I don't work there any more. 

These are just two examples, I could give so many more, but it actually hurts my heart to do so. 

Why do people feel the need to do such things when they call themselves such devout Christians?  Do they not see what they are doing? Do they not care? Do they really think that their actions are going to make them look better in the eyes of God? Why does it matter what I wear, where I'm from, why do you have to gossip about someone wanting to go to church? Your keeping other Christians OUT of Church! No, I shouldn't let it, but the anxiety takes over and DO NOT tell me that's the devil keeping me out of church. I've heard it all. I congregate with my friends and have our bible study anytime and anyplace that we want and any place that does that is and can be the house of the Lord.  

I am a Christian. I will not deny the Lord. We pray and I read the Bible to my daughter, I send her to vacation Bible school and I will continue to try to find us a fitting church, but as of right now Our Heavenly Father knows what is going on. 

Birthday Party Goody Bags

I know this is a hot topic and it is not that I am against them. Actually we love them in our household. Giving them and receiving them. We have a blast making them. At our #DisneySide party, we had goodie bags for both the kids and adults! We have some of the most imaginative friends who never cease to amaze me with what they can find for their goodie bags.

However something happened recently that just got my goose, so now I choose to vent about it.

My daughters birthday is coming up and she has decided to go on a trip and take a friend instead of having a birthday party. Good and bad to that. We will have an amazing time, I know, but she will not be able to celebrate with other friends. 

Problem solved, an at school celebration! Oh! Oh! Let's do goodie bags! Of course we aren't the lets just send cupcakes kinda family we gotta do it up right so she wanted to do a picnic. Interesting right? Little ham sandwiches, chips and a fancy donuts instead of cupcakes. How cute! Right? We got very specific for the goodie bags . For the girls ..... Shopkins and for the boys ... Minecraft blind bags. However she was concerned that one boy in her class was not allowed Minecraft and insisted that I ask his mom. We had a school function the next day after this conversation so I assured her I would and I did, no problem and no big deal ... 

BUT here is where I have a problem. Another boy's mother heard the conversation and shot me a dirty look which caught me off guard. So I turned to her and quickly said "Oh, I'm sorry, do you guys not approve of Minecraft in your home?" She quickly replied that she didn't even know what Minecraft was but yadda yadda yadda her son preferred and would be happier with Legos. Oh okay, anybody else wanna put your order in on what you would like me to purchase, for your child, to put into a goodie bag you are getting to celebrate MY child's birthday? 

This is a school celebration so my little will not be receiving any gifts and that is not the point here BUT ... Didn't it use to be that the birthday boy or girl was the one who got the gifts, not the kids in attendance? Now it seems like it is expected to walk away from a birthday party with an elaborate goodie bag. Are we putting this on ourselves? Has it gone from something fun to do to something people have come to expect? AND NOW I am expected to individualize each and every bag. Like I said we have always LOVED preparing and giving the goodie bags because we had never felt that we had to ask if it was okay to give a certain item, but then again we have never done a birthday celebration at school before.

So now after learning this lesson from a greedy mom what will we do in the future for at school celebrations? Be the let's send cupcakes family? Do nothing family? I'm not sure, but I promise you I will never be THAT mom. 

Goodie bag or no goodie bag, as long as you teach your kids to have respect and be grateful for what they have, they will always have items to put in their own goodie bag of life.

Being Chosen to Show off our #DisneySide

We were lucky enough to be chosen to host an #DisneySide @HomeCelebration Preschooler Princess Celebration! I received free products in order to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Disney sent us a box full of goodies to use, share and give away at this party. We were and still are amazed at the amount of items we had to use for this #DisneySide celebration.

We started off with the decorations, my husband was in charge of that. He did a wonderful job of turning our dining room into a ball room fit for any princess using nothing but dollar store table cloths and removable tape.

Next we set a menu. We had; Pocahontas' Magic Maize, Seven Dwarf's Buffet (All finger food), Tangeled Tower of Cupcakes, Jasmine's Chocolate Jewels, Belle's Strawberry Rose Shortcake, Sleeping Beauty's Cotton Candy Dream Puffs, Tiana's Place Punch, Melted Snow and more.

As the royalty arrived, they were given a mommy and me project to complete. It was an Arendelle Magical Blanket. This blanket would accompany them throughout the afternoon's festivities. It was a no sew lap blanket that they were to tie tassels on. We had pre-cut the blankets to size as well as the tassels and holes for the tassels. The note cards attached said: Keeps you warm if Elsa's around; makes a great picnic blanket for you and Anna to share.

After everyone arrived we began our first royal activity. It was an introduction game where we gathered in a circle and each princess/prince introduced them self and then showed off their best courtesy or knightly bow. After each introduction the royal audience would say "Welcome Princess/Prince ....". Then my daughter would present them with a wrapped puzzle and thank them for coming.

Next we ate and the princes and princesses had picnics on their blankets.

While the parents ate, we showed them the #DisneySide fun stations we had set up for them. They included; "What's Your Disney Side Name?" Where you looked up the first initial of each of your names and it corresponded to a Disney name on a chart.  We also had a print out telling them about BuildYourDisneySide.com so they could make their own stick figure family to show off their #DisneySide. This time gave us an opportunity to discuss the many ways that there were to show off your #DisneySide each and every day.  We took this opportunity to give the parents a goodie bag which was a Disney reusable tote and included the Disney luggage tags, fingernail file, and Twinings tea packs that came in the #DisneySide package and I also included a Frozen cupcake kit that I found at our local Sam's club for less than a $1! Go me! The parents we very happy!

As the kids were finishing up and the parents were getting into their activities the design your own hair barrette station opened up and boy was there a line for that! We should have started that as soon as they walked in the door, it was a big hit! 

Our final activity for the evening was a huge success as well. It received so many giggles some of the girls were rolling on the floor! It was a punch board. We had cups that contained a child's name, when that child's name was "punched" they would come up and select a wrapped prize, then they would get to "punch" for the next name. I am not sure which they enjoyed more getting the gift or doing the punching. We used the prizes that came in our #DisneySide package as well as purchasing a few more to make sure each child left with a gift.

A thing that we noticed and it really gave us goose bumps. The children really didn't know how to react when they were the ones receiving the gifts. They were use to going to birthday parties where they gave the gifts and this was a party that each and every person there was being showered with gifts and attention. That to us was something amazing to be able to do and was a wonderful way that we got to show people our true #DisneySide.

Monthly Subscription Boxes - Have you seen these?

Let me take you back .... I remember when I was very young seeing commercials about these books that your parent could order you a subscription to and this really neat green van full of characters would come to your house and deliver your book to you every month.  It was called Sweet Pickles. (I needed help remembering the name so enlisted a friend of mine search until she found it. She is a wonder at googling things, but it is my understanding even the google queen herself needed help from a friend.)

I remember begging my mom for that subscription service. I was absolutely convinced that I was going to get a visit from that green van full of characters if she ordered it for me. She finally had to help me understand that the books would be delivered via the postal service NOT the cool green van in the commercials. That only made me want it more. I would be getting mail! I loved mail, I still love mail, just not the junk or bill type of mail.

I recently ran across this sensation while watching a YouTube video about our recently acquired SodaStream. I discovered grav3yardgirl on YouTube. She is a vblogger who blogs about those as see on TV Items in a series of "Does This Thing Really Work?" videos. I had subscribed to her channel and ran across a vblog of her opening one of her many subscription boxes.

All I could think about was MAIL! How I miss mail! Unfortunately I have passed this trait onto my daughter as well.  She doesn't know the difference between mail for her and junk mail, so she "gets" LOTS of mail.  I know this will not last much longer as she is learning where to look on the envelope for her name. So I started looking into these subscription box services.

WOW, I can honestly say that I am over whelmed with all of the types of subscription boxes that are out there and the TYPES! Did you know you can have anything from baking supplies to full fresh ingredients mailed to you monthly?  What about undergarments, toothbrushes and socks? There are toys, beauty products, books, household items, gadgets, soap, hand made assortments, candy, snacks, spices, home decor... I could go on and on and on.

Now I haven't pulled the trigger to subscribe yet, not because I haven't found one that I like TRUST ME I have found ones that I like. To be honest it's more because I haven't found the right coupons to move forward. However I found a couple today that just may .... But they are the type that you have to sign up for auto delivery then cancel before the next auto shipment annnnd I just really don't like those. Probably because I am one of those that will forget to stop the auto shipment and end up with lots of full price auto subscription boxes and a HUGE explanation owed to my darling husband... But it is not just the coupon I am looking for, it is the bang for your buck that will make it happen. More than likely it will be a food box as I am a foodie at heart especially since I have yet to find a Disney themed box.

So wihile I ponder which subscription box subscription I am going to fall for first - let me suggest a few websites for you to browse in order to jump start YOUR addiction:

2LittleRoseBuds.com

SubscriptionBoxMom.com

MySubscriptionAddiction.com

I have literally spent DAYS just looking over the information on these websites and yet still haven't pulled the trigger.

Now as for my friend, the google queen, she is going for the Tyler Florance Fancy Box .... Or maybe the Taste Trunk's BBQ box. Guess this is something google can't even help her with.

Cheers!

OB

Recipe Alert: Easy cream sauce

1 chicken bullion cube

1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook on medium low heat until desired thickness

THAT IS ALL!

So I invited this new game ...

I invented a new game with a friend of mine yesterday. She didn't know it and it was quite amusing. 

I have been sick for about a month and a half now with migraine clusters and a sever inner ear imbalance that has left me incompassitated for 90% of that time.  That alone is enough to make anyone go bonkers but lets just add to it that I have now had to also miss our annual vacation with some of our closest friends because of this crap .... Well, that does not make for a saine time around our house this weekend.

Just change the dates of the vacation you say? We can't do that, you see we have been going to these festivities for what would have been 10 years in a row and 6 or 7 of them have been with these friends. I am speaking of the Sprint Unlimited formerly known as the Budweiser Shootout in Daytona Beach, Florida at the Daytona International Speedaway. It is like a mini all-star race before the NASCAR racing season starts and right before the "Super Bowl" of racing, the Daytona 500.

The physical stuff is already taking its emotional toll on me, add that and now the fact that I am missing something that I look forward to each and every year, I can promise you i am a total ball of hot emotional mess right now. If I didn't have concerns about my husbands sanity while dealing with me through the migraines I DO worry about him trying to help me get through this weekend AND THEN through to NEXT YEAR! I swear, I have started crying over any and every thing. It is like all of those years that I never had the crying issue associated with PMS have decided to rear their ugly head all at one time.

As examples, here are some of the text between my friend and I yesterday as well as my reactions. Please remember that I am a 40 ish year old (or suppose to be) ...

Me: I expect hourly updates! ... Please ... Actually crying as I say that cause I really wish we were there My Reaction: (OMG Was I squalling when I wrote that)

Her: :( can't believe y'all aren't here!!

Her: 

picture of their camping spot which happens to be our most favorite camping spot of all time 

My Reaction: (I literally threw myself on the bed in a fit of emotional turmoil and hysterical crying as if I myself were my three year old)

So they go on like this, she gets her favorite drivers (Carl Edwards) autograph,

 I get upset because I am not there to share the experience with her and so on and so forth. I mean this is really getting ridiculous, my husband is trying to console me, but I swear I think he started laughing at one point.

So back to the game ... Several weeks ago she sent me this obscure text of a sconce on a wall.  Within a split second I recognized the sconce as being from a resort at Walt Disney World. Not just any resort but the resort that holds my favorite restaurant on Walt Disney World Property ... Cape May Cafe At Disney's Beach Club. Her reply was you really are a Disney addict! (Yes, yes I am thank you very much but I digress.) That reminded me of this game we use to play where if one person was at Disney you took a picture of the ground/floor of where you were and sent it to your other disney addict friends and see who was the first to correctly identify it. Just a fun way for them to be there with you. 

My theory is that if that worked for Disney, it should work for this annual weekend right? WRONG! First, you need someone to play who is going to play correctly! I mean, it's a PICTURE GAME.  Here is how it started ....

Me: Send me a picture of what is directly behind you at this EXACT moment.

Her: (no picture) Lots of families with kids here. Campground still not full.

Me: I was trying to play a game ...

Her: ?

Second, okay my bad I guess I should have started with hey you wanna play a game, but normally she isn't that type of friend she is more of the jump right in kinda gal .... So my bad I will take the fall for that one.

Me: I was trying to play a game ... Take a picture and send to me, what is directly (behind, to your left, right, front, above, below, at your 11 o'clock, 2 o'clock, etc) at this EXACT moment. You are suppose to do that and then send me the pic that way I am there too.  Guess it works better at Disney ... Sigh ... Been a very emotional day.

Her: oh sorry! Well, that's what was behind me when I saw your text.

Her: Random pic

Her: Random pic

Me: You are not very good at this game ... You are suppose to wait on me to send you a text on what type of picture you are suppose to send ...

Her: Ok

Me: But I still like what you sent :-)

Her: Random pic

So, today I wake up ready to start the game ...

Me: 3 o'clock

Her: picture of her husband's backside

Me: GAME OVER

Guess games like this really are best played at Disney ....

Looks like she is having a great time, one of the best in all the years we have been going ... I sure do wish I was there ... Excuse me I feel an emotion coming over me ... ;-)

Extra Income/Rewards Sites: Swagbucks.com - Part 1

Ok, Swagbucks.com. 

As are most of these reward sites Swagbucks.com relies heavily on referrals. Don't let anyone fool you - a pyramid scheme is a pyramid scheme no matter what. However, all pyramid schemes are not scams. If you have to put money upfront, must make referrals AND all this without actually selling a product ... RUN LIKE THE WIND BULLSEYE! (Disney Reference). 

What I am looking to do here is find out if there really is a way to put forth only a little effort and earn extra income, not start a home business like 31, Amway, Beauticontol or anything like that.

Swagbucks.com currency equivalent is about 1SB = $0.01.

The maximum earnings per day is 150SB

So it turns out I had previously signed up for swagbucks.com and just didn't remember doing so. After several attempts to reset my password ... Don't ask me how I did it as it was a little confusing and I ended up just guessing until I got it right, I got in.  Now it would have been better if I would have registered into swagbucks.com through a referral from a friend in order to help them out; because the best way to make these types of sites work, at their best earnings potential, is to make referrals, referrals, referrals! (Shameless plug for referrals here ... Swagbucks.com/refer/SweetTea33 ... Copy & paste in your browser if you don't mind.)

So I jump right in. I started off with 49 swagbucks, if I would have been able to sign up under a friend I believe I would have started with more, but I digress.  I downloaded an app SBTV.  This thing is like crack for movie lovers! You earn swagbucks for watching movie trailers! I am a sucker for movie trailers. I very rarely get to go to the movies let alone actually think I am going to see a movie with a rating over G these days. So this part REALLY intrigued me.

Just on day 1 of watching these trailers of the movies coming out in 2014 ... I can't wait to be able not to see:

Labor Day

Barefoot

Someone Marry Barry

Veronica Mars

God's Not Dead

Better Living Through Chemistry (I love Olivia Wilde!)

Bad Words

In Secret (is she related to the Olsen twins?)

Noah

Draft Day (love me some Kevin Costner)

The Right Kind of Wrong

Fading Gigolo

a New York Winter's Tale

And Heaven Is for Real

There are a few remakes, lots of zombie, prequels, and several Christian based films in there. Also someone please tell me when did superheroes get so young? They are all still in high school or college in these movies! It just made me feel so old.

After 4 1/2 hours I have earned 23 more swagbucks which is = to $0.23. Not even 8 cents an hour, seems to be starting off slow, but hey this is with no referrals and all I have done so far is watch movie trailers off and on while I do other things around the house.

Other earning opportunities include swagbucks for searching via their site, looking for swagbuck secret codes, taking polls, signing up for offers (which happens to be the quickens way to get swag bucks but also the riskiest and you can pretty much guarantee a bunch of spam from those sign ups. And I seriously doubt I will sign up for any of the offers.)

I do plan on continuing watching the movie trailers, heck in am even excited about watching more - I have watched some of the trailers more than once. The next swagbucks earnings opportunity I will be checking out are their codes.

Cheers,

OB