Family visits and how parents treat kids differently.

This past weekend my brother brought my father here. As my brother was wanting to shop for Tax Free Weekend. So I was hopping my dad would help with some thing for Charlie, But he didn't do that. Now I could have asked him and he might have but I did not want to do that. So this made me miss my mom more than ever as she would have helped me with Charlie without me even asking.

But my sister has been working on her home the past couple weeks and so my dad has been giving her money to help pay the gentleman working on it. Now it would not bother me so much if she didn't work close to 99 hours in one week and make over $15 a hour.

Where David only makes $10.50 a hour and hasn't been getting overtime so we are struggling and my dad knows this. Plus he was in our home and we had mentioned we needed to finish painting and needed 2 gallons of paint to be able to finish and we haven't been able to even afford that.

Did my dad offer to get it for us? No, of course not. All he did was take us out to dinner which was nice and paid for it. But I would have rather had more time with him. As he was not feeling well so he slept most of the day on Saturday at my sisters house. So my brother stayed over there and we didn't get to visit with him much either.

Then on Sunday they spent the morning with my sister and came by my house for about 20 minutes before they went out to my Nephews as they was leaving from there. So all I can say is I thank God my brother did bring my dad as he is going down hill fast. But it would have been nice to be able to spend some real time with him.

So it seems like it may be time for Charlie and I to take a Road Trip to Oklahoma to see my dad as well as my Aunt and Uncle. Because as we all know no one lives forever and Charlie needs to see his family and to spend time with them. Even though my dad is not always the nicest and doesn't treat us all the same he is still my dad.

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates 

Wordless Wednesday: Build a Refurbished Garden Out of Tires.

Look at the Garden! What do you think of it? What would you put in it??





David and I have been talking about making me a Garden in the yard but with the kids and dogs that play in it he is afraid they will mess up my plants. So he has decided to get some tires from his dad and plant my flowers inside them. Which I think will be awesome. So Charlie and I have been thinking of what color to paint them. I was thinking of just using red, white and blue as Charlie loves red and white.

But I like purple and Suzzane liked pink and my sister likes green. So I decided to search online and went to Pinterest where I found the tires above and they are all different colors and they look so cute that I think Charlie and I will just do this. As we can have a beautiful Rainbow in the year.

As for David I am not sure what he will say about it. But he will just have to leave us alone as he has said the yard is mine and Charlies and we can do what we want to. So I can not wait for his dad to drop the tires off and for us to be able to start painting them. Because besides painting them a color we can even draw designs on them to make them stand out even more.

\Once we are done if they turn out OK I may give one or two to my sister and mother n law for Christmas. As we would not have to spend money on Gifts other than the paint. Plus it would be something Charlie and I made together. So if something ever happens to use they would have something we made them.

What do you think of the tires? Would you use them in your Garden? If not why not? If you did what color or colors would you pain them and why did you decide on those colors?

Plus I also found this cute Frog and as much as Charlie loves Frogs I thought it would be cute to make to put along side our Garden. Only I am sure Charlie will want a boy Frog not a Girl grog so we might end up with a whole frog family. Which could be fun and a whole lot of fun to make.



Found on refurbished-ideals.com

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates

Beautiful Affliction A Memoir Lene Fogelberg

As much as I love to read I do not normally read women's memoirs but this one caught my attention for several reasons and I am so glad I took the time to ask to review it. As I was sent a copy of the book as well as given one for a review. 

As I sat down to read it I thought to myself you better grab some tissues as you may need it. Well I did not do it. So I had to get up and grab some. As soon as David saw me he said  he knew it would be a book I loved as I am a sentiment fool. Which I must admit I am.

So as I read it I could see this mom dealing with her fears and struggles as she dealt with the possibility of dyeing. So as I read the book I could see myself in her place and I was scared to death. I did not know what to do. Or what she should do. 

In the story you hear her cry's for help and they just break your heart. As well as the love for the man in her life and her two daughters. So as I came to the end of the book and saw how it ended I could not stop asking myself what will happen next. Will there be a sequel and if not why not? As I am sure there are individuals out there like me that wants to know what she is doing now and why.

If you would like to check Beautiful Afflictions for yourself you can purchase it on Amazon at: 

http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Affliction-Memoir-Lene-Fogelberg/dp/1631529854/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438189675&sr=8-2&keywords=beautiful+affliction&pebp=1438189680402&perid=1P0EXY47MXKDZT7BKR5M

As well as learn more about Lena Fogelberg on her Amazon page at: http://www.amazon.com/Lene-Fogelberg/e/B00UODQN6I/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

As I finished this book I also noticed she is writing a new Novel and I can not wait to check it out as I want to see if it is as good as this one. 

#‎BeautifulAffliction‬ coming soon to US bookstores!

Available now for pre-order:https://www.amazon.com/author/lenefogelberg

https://www.facebook.com/LeneFogelbergAuthor?fref=ts

Women’s Memoir

About Beautiful Affliction: Lene Fogelberg is dying and she is sure of it, but no doctor in her home country of Sweden believes her. While Lene is battling with the unnerving feeling of death, a love story enfolds her with the man who will become her husband, enchanting surroundings, and later, her two beautiful daughters. Although Lene is overwhelmed with happiness she can’t help but think—Will I die young?—a question that she has carried in her heart since childhood that threatens her sanity and everything she holds close to her.

However, when her young family moves to the United States, her relentless question is finally answered, a diagnosis. Lene is in the last stages of a fatal congenital heart disease that has gone undetected. But is it too late? 

Courageously honest and often harrowing, Beautiful Affliction delves into the inspiring account of growing up and living on the verge of death while finding bravery, love and beauty along the way. 

Author, expat in Indonesia, double open-heart surgery survivor. 
Upcoming memoir: BEAUTIFUL AFFLICTION, Sep 2015.

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates 

Dawn Escapes Thai Dragon Fruit

David is the one who usually does the dishes as I am always working on the blog. Because he works at night and it free's me up to take care of Charlie making dinner and doing homework. So he loves Dawn Dish Washing soap and will just walk into the store and grab one. David does not care what color it is or how it smells. Now I am sure this is how men are. But it drives me BATTY!!!

As I am one who walks into the store and up to the aisle and I walk up and down looking for new products we have not tried. Or for a certain color that appeals to me. Or a certain scent I would like to try out.

Once I find something I open it and smell it. Because if it has no scent at all or has a soap scent I put it back and keep looking until I find one that I like. So know I have Charlie doing the same thing. Which drives David up the wall as it takes us twice as long to shop. But to me it is fun.

So the other day when we was in Kroger's David said we needed more dish washing soap so off Charlie and I go to find one we wanted to try out. David asked for something from Dawn. So Charlie and I looked and found a pretty purple/pink one called Thai Dragon. Which Charlie wanted to try as it is the color I like and it has the name dragon in the title.

So then I opened it to smell it and I liked the way it smelled. I had Charlie do the same thing as I want him to start helping with the dishes. Charlie says it smells nice. That it is not overpowering or a girly scent which is what he calls flower names and scents.

Once we got home David made a sink full of water for him and Charlie to clean the dishes in. It did not take much of the Dawn at all to fill the sink full of bubbles that smelled nice. Not overpowering and the scent did not bother any of us. We all liked it a lot.

I liked knowing it last 2x longer that other dish soaps. Plus it gets the pans squeaky clean and your hands are not greasy nor the dishes. I have even used it to clean the Stove with and it did a wonderful job on it. I caught Charlie washing his hair in it and once he was done it was soft and smelled so good.

All in all Dawn Escapes Thai Dragon Fruit makes me feel like I am escaping when I wash the dishes. This product from Dawn is something we will purchase again as we all liked it. It worked wonderfully and it helped us save money.

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates

Minted make taking care of family photos so easy

Look what I was able to make on Minted and it only took me a couple minutes to make it. I can not wait until I have enough money to order it as I would like to have it to go over my Fireplace. I just wish they had more designs as I would like to get a couple more of them for the kitchen and also one for Suzzanes wall.




Which for Suzzane's wall I would like a Butterfly and for the Kitchen I would like a heart as the kitchen is the heart of the home. Inside it I would put the people who are in Heaven that I miss each and every day. Like my mom, Suzzane and my grandmother.

Plus if they had a car shape I would put together a collage for Charlies room with his grandparents, sisters, and brothers inside it. So he would always have them with him. Plus if anything happened to them he would be able to hand the photo down to his kids once he gets married.

If you would like to order one for your home you will find these on Minted which is at http://www.Minted.com
Once you check out the site I hope you will take the time to check them out at these Gifts would make wonderful gifts for you as well as for your friends and family.

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates  

Charlie has been begging to review Kidz Gear Headset

So before I begin my work today I wanted to surprise Charlie and write my review for Kidz Gear Headset as it will make my life easier and more pleasent. So before I share my thoughts with you I would like to let you know I was sent Kidz Gear Headset to try out for free, In exchange for this review. But the thoughts in the review are all mine and mine alone.

Once they arrived Charlie opened the box and took them out. I asked him what he thought of the box they arrived in and Charlie says he like the logo on the box as it pops. Plus the blue is  a pretty color. The little boy is cute and someone he would like to know.


I then sat down with Charlie and we read the front of the box. He asked me what "Ideal for Education" meant and once I explained it to Charlie. He said that is great. May I take them to school to show my new teacher so I knew it was a huge hit with him. I told him once school started and we meet his teacher we would ask. Which satisfied him.

Then we turned the box around and discussed the different ways he could use the headphones. Which he liked knowing. Charlies favorite way is in the car and with the TV. Although Charlie did ask me if he could use them with his Stereo and I assured him he could.

I asked Charlie if he thought his friends would like the Headset and he said yes, they would. As well as it would make a nice present for them. Plus he said they would be nice to give to his dad to use at work.

http://www.gearforkidz.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=KG&Category_Code=GEAR



Boy oh Boy I take beautiful pictures. But it is hard to catch Charlie and keep him still to take them at all. So at least you can see a little bit of him. Plus the picture below is better. You can at least see his face. Now if he would smile I would be all set.




So all in all Charlie gives his HeadSet from Kidz Gear 2 Thumbs up which is the best in Charlies book. Once he tried them on I asked how they fit and he said perfectly. I also asked if they was comfortable and he said yes. I liked how well made they are. As did David. Plus David liked how easy they are to use as Charlie will be able to do it by himself.

So all in all the HeadSet from Kidz Gear is a huge success and something I plan on purchasing more of. As I love all the different colors they come in. Plus there is other items I would like to see about getting Charlie.

So if you have not heard of Kidz Gear check them out at: http://www.gearforkidz.com/shop2.html If you have used them let me know what you think of them. Or if you have not and you visit the site let me know what you found you would like to try out. If it is the HeadSet which color would you get and why?

Charlie was sent the Blue set and I would like the pink or purple set and my sister would like the green set she says. As for David he says if they would work for him he would like to have a pair of black ones. Which did not surprise me as everything he has he wants it in black. But not me as I am not a black person. Except in the clothes I wear. As I only wear black paints or shorts.

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates

Movie Tavern is now showing these films in July

Movie Tavern is one of my favorite places to watch movies. Not that I watch them like I used to. But this Summer there has been a lot of new movies coming out that either Charlie or David want to see. But even me. So today I thought I would share these that will be coming out in July. Is there any on this list that you or someone you know would like to see? If so which Theater do you go to and why? What is it you like about it or that sets it apart from other Theaters? On this list I would like to see Paper Towns and Charlie has asked to see Fantastic 4, Ant Man and Mission Impossible. As for me I would not mind seeing Mission Impossible as it has Tom Cruise in it I think. Let me tell you that is one "SEXY MAN"!! David has said that he would like to see all the ones Charlie picks and that it does not matter which one he sees first as long as it is with Charlie and I. I know a "aww" moment as I have such a sweet man. And no you can not have him. TICKETS & SHOWTIMES  |  MENU

JULY 17 GET TICKETS JULY 17 GET TICKETS JULY 31 GET TICKETS

Copyright © 2015 Movie Tavern, All rights reserved. Glenda, Charlie and David Cates

Please Pray as today is Court day.

David has to go to Court this morning on a couple tickets he got last month. I am so afraid they are going to take his license away as this is the second set of tickets he has gotten in two months. If they take his license away David will not be able to work. As he has to drive to different lots for work. So Please Pray for him and the Judge to have compassion and not put him in jail or take his license away. Because if they do either Charlie and I will not be able to survive. If this happens I do not know what we will do as there is no one to help us out. So I know God is in control and knows our needs. But I am still afraid and scared and so is Charlie. As he knows we have to go to Court today.

While there Charlie will be staying at his grannies which is OK as he loves to play the game. But I know he will be worrying which is not good for him. Plus Davids mom and dad are worried. So Please Pray for them as well. As Stress affects there health and I do not want them to get sick over this.

In Gods name Please take care of my friends and family today. As I know you know our needs.
May everyone be safe and feel your love in there time of need.

Glenda, Charlie and David 

My Coupon Keeper Giveaway

 

 Its time to get organized with your coupons and save some cash this summer! At to that end, Stay a Stay at Home Mom has teamed up with blogger cohosts Coupons in Motion, CouponCodesLady, Capris Coupons, Mom to Bed by 8, and Udemy discount coupons and a lot of other really great bloggers, to put together a fantastic set of resources. The sponsor of our giveaway event is MyCouponKeeper, makers of a fabulous coupon organizing system. This coupon file box is the perfect size to fit in the front seat of your grocery cart, is durable enough to last you for years, and comes with an organization system that can't be beat! You can read the full review on the MyCouponKeeper coupon box here. This coupon organizer is so popular, they are on backorder right now! But, I've worked out a special deal with my followers, and if you preorder the MyCouponKeeper system with the code BACKORDER, you'll get a whopping 20% off! You must preorder during this giveaway event to use the code. Anticipated ship date is August 1st. And don't worry; if you preorder and you end up being the grand prize winner, you will be given a refund on your purchase. Visit MyCouponKeeper and preorder your system NOW! In addition, the grand prize winner will receive:

1. A copy of Couponing: The Extreme Video Course
2. A $50 Walmart Gift Card

Giveaway Details

• Giveaway runs July 10 - July 30
• Winner must be in the United States
• Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter to win
• This blog was not compensated for this post, and is not responsible for prize shipment
• Questions? Want to sponsor a Giveaway? Contact Stay a Stay at Home Mom

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

How To Make A Pizza Bar GET THE FAMILY TO PITCH IN FOR DINNER

Summer days stretch out long and lazy, and often I don’t really feel bothered to cook. Some of that could be attributed to the fact that my kitchen is hot and I don’t want to stand by a stove heating it up even more, but mostly I’m just feeling lazy.  The other day I remembered I had homemade pita breads in my freezer, and whipped them up into personal sized pizzas for dinner-which allowed each of us to choose our own toppings.

This can be done with your kids and pitas from the market.  We choose Greek pitas, which are thicker and softer than the pocketed kind, which are drier and more for stuffing things into. An advantage with a dinner like this is that you can set up your own “make-a-pizza” bar with all the toppings you want to offer, and the kids can make their own. Some suggestions:

• Greek pita breads (allow 1 or 2 per person, depending on size and appetites)
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella, plus other cheeses to your liking: some suggestions are feta, blue cheese, Cheddar, and fresh parmesan
• Thinly sliced sweet peppers, mushrooms, green onions, red onions
• Seeded and thinly sliced tomatoes
• Garlic cloves (one per pita pizza), peeled and thinly sliced
• Black olives
• Sundried tomatoes
• Favorite meats; sliced ham, pepperoni, or cooked and crumbled bacon

  Pre-heat oven to 450 F.

http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/easy-family-recipes/how-to-make-a-pizza-bar?s=Newsletter_Dec_23_2012&utm_source=YummyMummyClub.ca+List&utm_campaign=3c12469f00-YMC_Food_Dec_23_20122_1_2012&utm_medium=email

Glee Make Your Own Chocolate Kit www.gleegum.com

Did you know that there is company called Glee you can see it at http://www.gleegum.com and it offers "Make Your Own Chocolate kits as well as make your own Chewing Gum kits. Plus they also have a "Make Your Own Gummies". The Gunmmy one is the one that Charlie and David want to try out and so I am thinking I will purchase it for David to go into his stocking for Christmas. I also think I would purchase the gum kit for my sister and myself as we both love out gum and I think it would be fun to make our own gum. When I contacted the company and asked them if they would allow me to host a review and a giveaway for them they said I would be able to chose which kit I could try and so I let them chose what to send and they sent the chocolate one. I was so glad they did as I love anything that has to do with chocolate. So does Charlie. Once it arrived I sat down to open the box as I wanted to see how hard it would be to make it as it says for 8 and above. With either mine or Davids help though Charlie can do it. We just would let him stir the candy and we would make sure to always be next to him. So I had David and Charlie sit down and I pulled up the site and we went over what came in the kit which is the following items: Inside each Make Your Own Chocolate Kits you'll find: organic cocoa butter, cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, starter crystals, a temperature indicator, paper candy liners, instructions, and the story of chocolate. All you have to do is melt the cocoa butter, add the cocoa powder and sugar. Stir, stir, stir until it cools to the right temperature; add the starter crystals so that the chocolate "tempers," and enjoy delicious home-made chocolate from scratch! By the way, you also get some cacao beans - we thought you might like to taste a few. Each Chocolate Kit makes 8 oz. of dark chocolate! Then we opened the box together and we went into the kitchen and we started to make the chocolate. I think we had more fun making it than we did eating it. It makes 8 ounces of Dark Chocolate which made Charlie so happy as he loves Dark Chocolate. I wish they had Milk Chocolate. I like knowing that they have the story of chocolate as it helps me teach children and so I can use the kits in school. Since I live in a apartment and there is a Boys and Girls Club here and the kit tells us how to use these in a classroom I am going to take to the lady over the class and see if she would purchase these for the children to make to give them to there parents in school. Story The Legend Of Chocolate Chocolate comes from cacao beans which were originally found only in Central and South America. Cacao was so special to the ancient Aztecs that they told this legend: Their god, Quetzalcoatl, brought the cacao tree from Paradise to earth, traveling on a beam of the Morning Star. He gave the tree as an offering to the people, and they learned how to roast and grind its beans into a paste. They added spices and mixed it with water calling it "xocolatl" or "bitterwater". They believed that it brought wisdom and knowledge to those who drank it. Today, cacao is an important part of agriculture in the tropics all around the world. The legend of chocolate lives on! The nice thing was in the box they sent me was a bunch of samples of the Gum that they carry and I was so excited to try them out as there was so many different flavors. Glee Gum Tangerine This is one that I allowed my friend Allegria to try as she likes Tangerine and she enjoyed it and said she would buy it again. With there being two pieces of gum David also tried it and he enjoyed it as well. Glee Lemon Lime Sugar Free knowing that this one was sugar free is nice as it is something I would not mind Charlie having as he likes to chew gum. I let him try it thinking he would not like it and that it would be sour but he says it is not and that he would like to get it again. Glee Gum Peppermint is one that I let David and I try together. The flavor is good. It is not over powering. Peppermint is not one of my favorite flavors but it is something that I might try again. I even let Charlie taste it and he liked it alot. This reminded me of the Chiclets I used to get at the bank when I was a child and went with my parents. re-fresh Mint was one I let David and Charlie have and they both enjoyed it a lot. They said that they would not mind buying it again. I can tell you I would not mind Charlie having it again as it is also sugar free. Spearment everyone knew this one was mine as it is my favorite flavor of gum and mints. I was nice and I did let David and Charlie try it and they both enjoyed it as much as I did. I can tell you that I am so happy to know I can buy these at Whole Foods as I am going to go and get me some to keep in my desk. Cinnamon this is one I wanted to try as I like Big red Gum and I wondered if it would taste like it. To me and David it tasted better than Bog Red Gum and it is something I would purchase for my dad and my nephew as they both would enjoy it. It would be something that I would put in there stockings. The last one we tried was the Bubble Gum Flavor and it reminded me of the bubble gum I would buy as a child and I really enjoyed it. I think my son and I would like to buy it again. I also think that David would like to have it again as well. If you have not tried all these wonderful gums from Glee Gum Please check them out at http://www.GleeGum.com and let me know which flavors you would like to try. Glenda

Family!!

My Sons First Sleepover, Not Sure How I Feel

                               Today as I sit her in front of the computer working, I keep looking at the door.

 You see I took Charlie 

over to my sister's.

                Charlie  wanted to spend the night and go to Church in the morning. 

                      Only Charlie  has been gone less than a hour and I want to run right over 

                                       there and grab him and say no you can not spend the night but that is not fair to them. 

                                         They need to spend time together as my daughter and my sister where inseparable.

 I would like 

this to be the way it is between my sister and my son.

 Only  I hate to be away from him for even a minute. 

Is this way know how I am going to feel  with him going to school?

                                  You would think I would be happy as I have the whole house to myself.

                                  I can take a nice long bath and read with out stopping every 5
                                  seconds to answer a question.

                                  Plus I can work.

                                  Only  I would rather he
                                  be here driving me up the wall.

                                 Do your children have sleepovers and do you feel this way when they are gone?

Thanks Glenda, Charlie and David

Rainforest Café’s national “Where in the World is Cha! Cha!?” photo contest. Cha! Cha!

Cha! Cha!, the loveable red-eyed tree frog and Rainforest Café mascot, loves to travel – especially with friends.

Houstonians are encouraged to bring him along on summer vacation, snap a photo, upload it onto http://www.rainforestcafe.com/  or Rainforest Café’s Official Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/officialrainforestcafe , for a chance to win a free trip to Disney World and other exciting prizes.

Participants have through August 14, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST, to enter Rainforest Café’s national “Where in the World is Cha! Cha!?” photo contest. Cha! Cha!

Cha!Cha! may be incorporated into the participant’s photo entry by purchasing a plush toy, figurine, t-shirt, etc. at participating sponsor locations, or by visiting http://www.rainforestcafe.com/  or Rainforest Café’s Official Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/officialrainforestcafe  and downloading an image for FREE.

Visit  YouTubeand our video  video announcing the “Where in the World is Cha! Cha!?” photo contest - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktA6gTZMEI8&feature=channel_video_title.

 Thank you!

Glenda, Charlie and David