Here is a list of gifts for high school graduates....
Besides money that is...

These are the things our Cate thought would make good gifts....

I hope this helps with shopping for your graduating loved ones this spring...

(Please note, this is not a hint for friends and family.)

1. Tassel Frame....

This one is from Red Envelope  but you can find them all over.  We saw really cute ones at a Hallmark store and even saw one at Wal-Mart...

2. Luggage...

We like this extra large rolling duffel from LL Bean... It holds more the a foot locker, comes in 14 fun colors and can be personalized... But unlike a foot locker or traditional luggage it stores pretty flat... We have two of these we bought about eight years ago and they still look like new... But that doesn't matter LL Bean has a life time, unconditional guarantee, so no matter what they dish out, this bag will survive or they will replace it for free.

3. Bible

Cate has her eye on this one... But I think now would be a great gift for any grad...A lot of teens have Bibles geared towards teens, so now would be a good time for an upgrade...

4. A Cute Tote Bag...

This may just be a gift idea for girls, but Cate (like her mom) loves a cute bag and thought now would be a good time to look into some new ones.... She particularly liked this one from Amazon, but there are a ton of cute ones out there, in all price ranges...

5. DVD Full Series Sets...

What show did you guys watch as a family?  The girlies and I love Gilmore Girls... We watch tons of it, and can quote a lot of lines from the series... When our sweet Cate is out there in the world feeling a little homesick, having these familiar friends she can take out and visit may bring her a moment of comfort...

Don't want to invest in the whole series? Just a season of your graduates favorite show can usually be purchased for under $40.

She had lots of other good suggestions, so I may do part two of this next week...

I hope this helps you guys some...

Thanks for listening,

Swaps & Stuff...

With everything else going on I have also been participating in a couple of swaps...

The sweet women I have been swapping with were so kind as to let me send things a little late and in two parts...One goodies from Maine and the second part, crafts and stuff I made here in TN. 

 I got the last of their stuff in the mail just this morning, so I felt like it was time to show you all the goodies they spoiled me with.

My first swap was a Spring Swap hosted by Little Miss Heirlooms.

My swap partner and new friend is Stephanie from 320 Days of Sunshine.

She spoiled me with lots of fun stuff...

1) There was a cute purse that I love...

(I am calling this a purse, and not a tote... for personal reasons...)

2) Some home made laundry detergent...

(Stephanie, I make mine too, but I use ZOTE soap...

yours smells so much better...

What soap do you use?)

3) Lots of cute scrapbook/card making supplies... I love the felt!!

4) Some Stampin' Up stamps

Did I ever mention I used to sell Stampin' Up like a million (or like 13) years ago?

5) Four super cute Heidi Swapp Stamps

6) A little bag full of breath mints... (I think I'll not comment further on that...lol)

7) A sweet bracelet that Cate snagged in minutes after it's photo op....

8) The softest, most beautiful scarf...

 

I couldn't get a good shot of it, so I swiped this from her site...

I wish you could touch this...

If it weren't 80 degrees out, I'd have it on....

9) And then there is this...

I am in love with this necklace...

I have it on right now...

Stephanie has a ESTY store you can buy these from...

For only $12 would these not make the cutest Mother's Day gift?

Thank you Stephanie for all of these fun gifts!

I will be back tomorrow to show you the goodies Joyce sent me in the other swap I participated in....

PS. I had to enable comment moderation.

For the last few days I have been getting spam in my comments.

Today I had to delete four spam comments.

I am hoping to break the cycle of this.

Thanks for listening,

 

Post-It Tuesday... Welcome to my life...

Pop on over to Adventures of a Wannabe Suppah Mommy for more Post-it Tuesday!

Thanks for listening,
 

Easy Peasy...

Saturday I asked you to ask me anything...

Y'all let me off the hook way too easy...

Here goes...

Mom of the Perpetually Grounded (who has a beautiful new blog design!) asked:

Why do you think our husbands love teasing us about our blogs so much?

First, I decided to do this scientifically and ask him... This resulted in no useful information what-so-ever... I was going to just say, it is either because they don't get it or they are jealous of the time we spend on here... I don't think either is true though... The Axeman reads a lot of blogs, so her gets it and I know he is much relieved that I use up so many of my daily allotment of words on y'all. You know... instead of spilling them all over him when her gets home everyday like so much "maple flavored syrup"... lol.

My new (working) theories are that they tease us about our blogs, because:

1. They are happy for us, that our blogs make us so happy, so they feel free to tease us about them since they know they make us happy and we won't be sensitive to their teasing... and/or

2. Although they like that our blogs make us so happy... we spend a lot of time on them and they can't understand working so hard on something they won't get paid for (or paid much for)...

But I could be wrong...

Jackie from My Perfect Little World asked two questions:

1. What is your favorite movie?

2. You say you move a lot so out of all the places you've lived at, which place have you enjoyed the most so far?

Jackie, there is no easy answer to question #1... I love movies... Lots & Lots of movies...  Current favorites would be The Blind Side.. so touching, &  Hochi... beautifully sad... it made me sob.

 When I need a chick flick I still love Pretty Woman, While You Were Sleeping, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Sabrina...

When I need an action movie I love the Will Smith blockbusters... (I'm a sucker for Will Smith!) Independence Day, Men In Black, I Robot, you name it... I loves it... If I am not in the mood for Will... bite my tongue, but it happens... Then I reach for the Jason Bourne movies.. My favorite is still the first one, The Bourne Identity... but they are all great.

When I am feeling geeky (which if you ask the girlies, is always) I reach first for Serenity... The recent Star Trek movie blew my skirt up, but to tell you the truth... I loves me some Sci-Fi, but I tend to prefer Sci-Fi TV shows to movies...

Speaking of TV shows... when I watch DVDs my favorite obsession these days is watching TV series on DVD... I could while away a whole week watching the new Battlestar Galactica, or Firefly, or Gilmore Girls, or even Deadliest Catch... because nothing lifts me out of a funk like hours on end of crab fishing... go figure...

When all else fails... Sparky and I are into the Twilight Series... We are not obsessed, but we read the books together and so we love to curl up on a rainy day and watch the first two movies... (Sorry you asked yet?)

Now, for question #2... That is an easy one... Bozeman, Montana, hands down. We have lived a lot of places and have made a lot of friends everywhere we have been, so please people, don't feel slighted. (The question was about location... so that is what I based it on.)  Bozeman was the place that made my heart sing... I love the Rocky Mountains... Coastal Maine was a close second, but there is something about the mountains that make my heart sing.

Chelle from The Winey Mommy committed question gluttony... but since I love her, I'll answer them all!

She asked: (I will answer these as we go)

I having been dying to ask you what made you decide on homeschooling? When Cate was in first grade they discovered she had dyslexia... they didn't seem to be able to help her, so I reluctantly gave it a go. I soon realized that I love homeschooling, and when Sparky was old enough we decided to homeschool her too... Have you homeschooled your girls their entire time through school? As I just said I started when Cate was in first grade, we took a year off when she was in sixth grade and Sparky was in third. They went to a small private school. We moved the next summer and homeschooled for a year, but it was a hard year and the girlies really, really wanted to try public school. We had a really good experience with public school and had we stayed there they would probably have stayed in public school. Alas, my husbands job moved us out of state. Cate wanted to go back to homeschooling, but Sparky went to one semester of public school. She ran into a lot of bullying issues so after one semester she too decided to homeschool. We have homeschooled ever since...

And I am wanting to know if it's really hard to homeschool? Yes and no... does that clear it right up? Not quite? Ok... What I mean is that we have had easy years and hard years (easy days and hard days...) But overall, is it hard? No, you are the teacher, you get the answer book and there are TONS of resources out there these days to help out. I personally think it is harder to turn over my sweet girlies to be educated by strangers... after all, they get their best hours out of everyday... Homeschooling high school was really scary to me at first, but so far they have been a joy overall...   I mean you being their teacher...is it difficult? I may have just answered this one, but no, it is fun. It is a job... "teacher" but I have loved being their teacher. There are as many styles of homeschooling as there are people doing it... I am a really active homeschooler who has over the years filled our days with lots of activities, educational co-ops, support groups, social groups, field trips (Oooohhhh the field trips... I have loved the field trips... when they were younger we would do one a month...) and sports... I will miss it when I am done... I have been truly blessed to have this opportunity...  I've wanted to homeschool my girls, but get a little scared that it's really hard to do. I guess i just want to know all about it :) (Chelle, I hope that helps... and I am always open to any questions you may have... so feel free to ask anytime!)

That's it... Easy Peasy... Y'all let me off too easy!

Thanks for listening,

Participation Required...

Hey there... It's Saturday, and I know Sparky has a bunch of entries for "Spark Notes" but she is sound asleep and search as I can, I can not find her file of them on here.... I would wake her up, but am hesitating for two reasons...

1. Tomorrow is her Birthday, but since we have church in the morning she wouldn't be able to sleep in.

2. Any mom of teens will tell you, the hardest and most hazardous time of our day is poking the sleeping bears... I mean waking our teens up....

That being said, I missed you guys so much during the past two weeks I didn't want to miss a day of chatting with you. Yesterday I was catching up on some of my blog reading and doing that follow a link.. to a link... to a link thing... Discovering some really fun blogs and having a blast... One blog I landed on did this thing where she asked her readers to ask her anything and she would answer it... What a fun idea... So that is what I will be doing today...

Yes, you read that right...

Ask me anything! 

I promise I will try to answer... If there is a reason I can't answer I'll tell you that, otherwise, ask away...

Not that I lead an exciting life of mystery, but I just thought this sounded like fun.

(I really hope at least one of you asks a question or this will be really embarrassing...)

PS. I just mentioned what I was typing to the Axeman and laughed... and asked "You mean there is something you haven't told them" and walked off chuckling... Silly man... In that case feel free to ask questions about him too! LOL

Thanks for listening (and asking!),

Five Favorites Friday.... Coffee Edition...

I have missed doing my Five Favorites Friday for a couple weeks now....

I have been wondering what I'd do...

I have had tons of ideas...

What should  I focus on...

Then it came to me yesterday....

Cate was having a bad day yesterday...

She misses Maine, misses her grandparents, and was more then a little hormonal, so while Sparky was at P.E. I surprised her with a trip to our favorite coffee shop...

We drink a lot of coffee around the house, but to our family a true treat is to head out to a little coffee shop and order those often expensive coffee drinks...

It got me to thinking about our favorite coffee spots... I am a bit ashamed to admit I do love a certain national chain with a round green logo... and we do buy their drinks through their handy drive up windows, but everywhere we have lived we eventually find a little locally owned coffee house that roasts their own beans and provides just that right feeling of community...

So here it is... our nation wide tour of our favorite coffee spots...

Our current favorite here in Clarksville, TN is...

1. Lasaters Coffee & Tea

They are locally owned and you always feel welcome.... They now have four locations here, so we are never far from a coffee drink...

(Also... they are now selling franchises, so if you are looking for a Christian owned business opportunity... look them up!)

When we lived in Mid-Coast Maine we always went to...

2. Rock City Coffee Roasters

In Rockland, Maine...

Their coffee shop there is also a new and second hand bookstore...

It is truly a little piece of heaven...

If you are visiting Rockland, Maine and want to meet a few locals head down Main Street and before your coffee head across the street to the my cousin Carol's bakery... The Pastry Garden... grab a treat and head over for an amazing cup of coffee...

(Ok... I know that was a shameless plug... but what can I say... she may be family, but she is an amazing baker too... worth the stop!!)

When we lived in Bozeman, Montana our favorite was...

3. Rocky Mountain Roasting Co.

There coffee shop is attached to a bread shop... I would stop in daily for a cup of coffee and fresh bread for our family... It was a tiny bit of bliss in our crazy early years...

I haven't been there in years but I am willing to put my reputation on the line that they are still worth the stop...

That being said... (shameless plug time) since we left Montana some dear friends of ours have opened a coffee shop and deli... Opus Deli and Coffee on Oak St. in Bozeman... I may be biased, but I'd stop there first, but since the theme of this post is places I've been and with all honesty I couldn't give them one of my Five Favorites spots...

When we lived in Vermont our favorite was...

4. Uncommon Grounds

We were in Vermont for my husband's job and his company was putting us up in a hotel suite... it was kinda cool, living in such a lovely hotel, but there were times that the walls would start to close in on us and the girlies and I needed to escape...

We would catch a bus into Burlington and head to Church Street...

Church street is in the middle of downtown and is closed to traffic...

It is lined with fun shops and restaurants almost all of them with outdoor bistro tables...

Street performers wander up and down and it is a wonderful place to spend a lazy afternoon...

Right across from the bus station is Uncommon Grounds... a very busy... very good coffee shop...

We were only in Vermont for about seven months, so it never really felt like home, but the friendly people who work in this shop always made us feel welcome...

Everywhere we have lived is one constant...

A coffee shop that doesn't need my humble plug...

5. Starbucks

No, they are not locally owned... Yes, they are a huge coffee chain... the "big box" store of coffee houses if you will, but there is something to be said for being able to get the exact same "Peppermint Mocha... skim with whip cream..." (one cancels out the other...) any place I am... and their current "Dark Cherry Mocha" helped me survive my recent airport experiences... Plus, even though they are a national chain, each shop has it's own personality... When we were living in Waterville, ME there was no local shop, but soon after we moved there they opened a Starbucks... It felt like a little local shop... they knew me by name, knew what I ordered, and were always happy to see me... I still frequent this chain, so I had to add them to the list...

I know you understand...

Well, there it is... my opus to my drug of choice...

I know I got wordy today... It must be all those weeks of not posting.... I seem to be bursting with words I am longing to spill all over you, my dear Bloggy friends...

Thanks for listening,

Greetings from Maine....

The Girlies and I stole away a few moments on our recent trip to Maine to do a little sight seeing and a few strolls down memory lane...

My diabolical plans were to subject you my dear bloggy friends to all of the 398 photos I took on this trip... 

Then I thought better of it... you sweet, sweet friends have stood by me during the last two weeks and it seemed wrong... so I will just show you a few trip highlights now... and maybe more later...

Our first night there my mom was exhausted upon her arrival from the hospital, as were we from traveling, so we tucked my mom in and stole my dad away to the diner around the corner...

This is what I ordered...

Fried Maine Shrimp... Fried Maine Scallops... Fried Haddock...

and yes, French Fries...

A happy heart attack on a plate...

YUM...

Here is Sparky happy to eat he giant plate of fried Maine shrimp...

Maine shrimp are different then others... they are tiny... often referred to as "popcorn shrimp" and sweet... I highly recommend you jump on a plane to Maine... head right to the Rockport Diner on Rte. 90 in Rockport and order a Shrimp plate right away!

Cate thought her Chicken Broccoli Alfredo was photo worthy too...

(Poor girl doesn't like seafood... notice her unhappy demeanor... poor, sad, seafood hater....)

LOL

Sparky wanted to introduce you to the Penobscot Bay...

There is this little park down at the Rockland Public landing that has a bunch of anchors and buoys for you to check out up close and personal... they have loved this spot since they were little...

Bell Buoy

While we were there we also go to catch up with their former teacher... They went to a small private school there for a year and had this awesome teacher... We got a chance to see him and meet his two adorable kiddos...

We met up at the Cedarworks Factory Store in Rockport...

If you have kiddos look them up...

They cost a lot more then those kits at Lowes & Home Depot, but their play sets are totally worth the money and will still be in great shape for your grand kids to use!

(No, I wasn't compensated in any way for that plug... I just really love their play sets!)

Next stop Camden Public Landing...

 a few days later...

We went downtown for some overpriced seafood (making us miss the Rockport Diner) and in search of sweatshirts... because we were cold... really, really cold....

See.. cold... 45 degrees by the water is cold.... brrrrr...

Free Maine travel tip...

Do not eat at any restaurant that over looks the harbor and does not have any cars in the parking lot with Maine license plates... I knew this, but the 45 degree day temporally froze my brain... If you want to see the harbor there are free spots everywhere and your lunch will be mediocre and cost $65 for three people... No appetizers... no desserts... (no lobsters) just 3 lunches (including a cheeseburger) and 3 soft drinks... ouch...

This sign cracked us up for some reason...

I won't bore you with our hours of mindless prattle, but it was really amusing.... at that moment...

(to us...)

Later in the trip we drove up the coast to see some friends and drive by our old house...

We had a blast... The new owners have done a lot of work to it... It looks great and makes us feel good that they love it as least as much as we did!

There is this little beach down the street from our old house where we practically lived in the summer... Some of the girlies favorite memories were on this little beach so we had to spend part of an afternoon there...

(note the new "Camden, Maine" sweatshirts... ahhh warm at last!)

Tide was high so we spent most of our time skipping stones, but it was definitely a highlight of the trip...

Hopefully, that wasn't too painful...

Thanks for listening,