Blog Awards!

My FIRST award!

I recently received the Best Blog Award from Anitra at The Mama Zone. Please go check her out. She is a wonderful and thoughtful person and not to mention a wonderful blogger!

The Best Blog Award rules are:

1.          To accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.

2.    Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have recently discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my 15 in no particular order:

If Mama Ain’t

3 Kids and Us

Ahappyhippy mom

Dot mill mom

EcoMeg

Faith On Fire

Guessing All The Way

Mama Latina Tips

Mama of 3 Munchkins

Shabby Blogs

The Attic Girl

Ladybugs and Tonka Trucks

Living Just Like Grandma

Blog Makeovers by Tara

Frugal Racing Fan Mommy

Redefining Beautiful ~ Book Review

This book was so amazingly wonderful.  The book was written for ‘tweens’ and teenagers.  I think that even a woman my age or any woman or girl should read this book.  I was in shock when I realized that to make yourself a beautiful, confident woman is through God.  The book teaches you what life accessories are and breaks them down bit by bit.  Females that have a tough life would benefit from this book as well as girls who think things are going well.  Another thing I found interesting was that she added questions and answer lines to make the book your own.  By asking question the book seems to be written just for you.  I was able to finish the book within two days of receiving it, which should tell ya something about how good the book is.

The FluMist Expierence

I took my children to get their flu shot this week.  I was unexpectantly surprised how easy and painless this so called shot was.  I was told it was going to be the shot, but when I arrived in the room, the nurse brought in the FluMist shot.  I was so thrilled!  No tears or screaming!  It took only 2 minutes to do all 3 of my children.  All the nurse did was stick the vial up their noses and bam was over with!  I highly, highly recommend trying to substitute the painful flu shot with the FluMist, especially for the younger children.  The only downfall is that I have to wait until my 3 month old is 6 months to get it.

250 Business Card Giveaway!

I have the pleasure to anounce that Uprinting.com is giving me the chance to post my very first giveaway.  What you are able to win are 250 Business cards directly from Uprinting.com.  You can customize the cards anyway you like!  You can use these cards anyway you like too!  Maybe to promote your blog or your charity, anything will do!

So how do you enter to win this fabulous prize, you may be asking?

Tell me how you would plan on using the business cards? (required)

Extra Entries (Please leave a comment for each entry you make)

• Blog about this giveaway ~ Leave your URL to the entry (also make a point to have uprinting.com in the post as well as mine!)
• Tweet about this giveaway ~ Leave your twitter name
• Follow me on twitter
• Follow me using Google Connect~ Leave your name
• Follow me using Networkedblogs on FB
• Share this giveaway on Facebook
• Subscribe to my blog
• Fan me on Facebook

Make sure you leave your email address and name so I can notify who the winner is.  Last day to enter will be on October 20th, Winners will be announced October 22, all Business Card Prizes will be awarded by coupon code on October 23, 2009.  Winners will be chosen randomly at random.org.

Small print:  I am also receiving 250 business cards as well for posting this giveaway.

My Story Info

In my stories that I am writing I just want to make some things clear.  I own up to my faults and I have forgave myself for some stupid things I have done while with my soon to be ex husband.  It doesn't make it right for a man nor a woman to tell you that your crazy.  You get to a point to where you can't take it anymore and start fighting back!  Luckily, I finally got out of the relationship and I go to therapy to help me see these "red" flags, that women like my kind seem not to see.  I've been there, done that, and don't want it again!  These men or women that think they are your boss, tell them to shove it and walk away before it's too late!  In an abusive relationship women should start seeing signs with on the first month, but yes some don't see it until they are married or it's too late.  WOMEN KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!  Men who are abusers look for woman who are already down, make yourself pretty and show some confidence!  Don't hide any longer!  Any body who needs a friend I am here, female or male...ksumner29@gmail.com

Be Blessed
♥Kristin

My Story Par t4

So now I am pregnant with twins.  The bull crap goes on and on.  We're together, we're not together.  He's constetanly accusing me of cheating.  If I didn't get to the phone fast enough. I was blamed for cheating or other sorts of crap.  I cried more than a human being should cry.
     I was 6 months pregant with the twins and I flipped.  I drove to his house in a mad craze, because he wasn't answering my calls and he was accusing me of things again.  We talked for awhile and then this hit the ceiling.  I was getting scared so I decided to hurry to my car.  I jumped in my car as he was comming after me and took off, I turned around and got out and throw all of the baby shoes his mom got me all over the street (I was one pissed off mama).  So I drove away and I was almost to the highway when he called and he told that we should talk again.  He gets in the car and tells me to drive.  Half way up the street, I was getting scared again.  The look in his eyes were death, rage and just an I don't care look.  I turned around and told him to forget it.  I told him more than once to get out of my car. He got so mad he kicked my radio on my dash and broke it.  I swear he was aiming for my stomach but he missed, THANK GOD!  He finally got out my car, he picked up my NEW, maybe one drink out of it and through it all over me.  I called the police, but I did not do anything about it.  The twins will be here soon enough for another story...

♥Kristin

    

My Story Part 3

So the months go on.  He breaks up with me, he takes me back.  He accuses me of cheating, I cry all night,  every night.  He calls me a liar, I cry all of the time.  The month of August I get pregnant.  I was 6 or 7 weeks along, I haven't gone to the doctor yet.  I knew something was wrong, because I wasn't very sick.  For 2-3 days he was really putting his crap on me, I was shaking like a leaf, couldn't eat and always crying.  I miscarried.  It was the saddest I have ever felt.  He took very good care of me while I was miscarrying.  He took care of the kids for me and made sure I had a heating pad and pain meds.  It didn't last long.  I got better.  I buried the embryo on the side of my house and I prayed.  I didn't tell him.  It broke my heart knowing I had lost a baby.  He found out, because I couldn't lie to him, he saw right through me and he always thought I was up to something.  Here we go again...he was calling me names, pissed off because I did it without him, calling me more bad names.  He told me to get out of his house.  All I did was sit there and take it, and cry.  He didn't care.  All he cared about was himself.  Then about 30 minutes later he apologized and I accepted it because I didn't want to loose him (yeah I know, what was I thinking?).  Days went on same old thing, fighting, arguing, him pulling me around by my shirt, name calling.  Sure there were good and wonderful days and that is why I stayed and kept going back, because of those days, even though the bad days outweighed the good ones.  In November I became pregnant again.  We had went our separate ways for a few days.  But I still wanted to be with him and marry him...

My Story Part 2

Heading into month two of our relationship he was planning on marrying me.  What a wonderful man, though I thought.  We were at one of his friends house in a little country town in Missouri.  We got into an argument over me talking to his friend, mind you a female, for about three hours, it was almost 1am in the morning.  What he was upset about was the fact I was talking ‘good’ about him and praising him to his friend (I’m being sarcastic).  I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.  So we ended up arguing.  He pushed me on the bed and commanded me to go to sleep, because I was the one acting ‘crazy’.  But my hard head didn’t want to listen, of course.  He starts kicking me in the back, throwing me around by my shirt.  So, I told him I wanted to leave and go home.  We fought over the keys so bad that my fingers were cut up from him not letting go of them.  So, finally we get into the car and I’m crying my eyes out, he’s telling me to STFU and other name calling.  Mind you we are on a country gravel road in the middle of nowhere.  He’s yelling at me, accusing me of cheating and how big of a whore I am.  He then slams on his breaks, leans over and at that very moment I thought I was going to die, he starts strangling me.  He finally let go and we started moving, he then slams on his breaks again and tells me to walk home, but I told him no, not without my kids, even though I was terrified of him.  He tells me to drive then.  On the highway driving he told me to slow down, because if we get pulled over and you tell the police what happened I’ll kill you.  So I did what he said. 

We pull up to his mom’s house, I was going to leave but he told me to stay and sleep elsewhere because it was 4am in the morning.  We lay down, I’m on the floor and he’s in his bed and he tells me to get up there with him.  So I did!

The morning came and he was crying when I woke up.  He started to apologize and said it wouldn’t happen ever again.  I forgave him and went on about our day, in love, without a care in the world.  So I thought…

Baby Shower Gone Cyber!

What a cute and nifty Idea!  Come to the online baby shower and RSVP a spot for you to win a Medela Freestyle Breastpump, Dooney & Burke Handbag, Macy's Gift Card, Necklace from Tiny Tag Designs, Daddy Diaper Changing Toolbox, Gift Card to Zutano, and lots more!  An Island Life

The Cycle of Abuse

Victim Beware: You are on an emotional roller coaster ride that will wear you down and deplete your self-esteem!



Honeymoon/Calm Phase
Things seem wonderful at what I always consider the beginning of the pattern, and everyone (particularly the victim) hopes beyond hope that things will be different from here. Everything has been resolved and the problems will not persist. There is open communication and things seem to be back on the desired, ideal track. You forgive and you forget. All the past is forgotten.


Tension Phase
Things start to become a bother, especially for the person who is abusive. Things start to become irritating and these offences begin to build. Communication that was very open just a short time before is now difficult and guarded. There is much avoidant behavior and "walking on eggshells." "I'd better not provoke." "I'm going to get into trouble for this, so I won't say anything." "I have a problem with this but I can't take the chance of talking about it."


Confrontation or Altercation Phase
The accumulated tension or irritation errupts into some type of confrontation and communication shifts from a passive avoidance to aggression on the part of just one or both of the parties involved. Here, we see verbal abuse and/or physical abuse, intimidation, threats, ect. The accumulated tension is unloaded in one acute event which is often not commensurate to what appears to have triggered the event.

Reconciliation Phase
Both parties basically become very shocked by the confrontation, and the frustration has been expressed by at least one party. The other party is left to deal with shock, injury, incredulity, ect. It is during this phase that apologies and excuses are offered to assuage the other partner's pain and emotion, whatever that may be. There may also be a great show of caring from the abusive party which engenders the sympathy of the injured. Both parties generally try to excuse the event by creating a myth about the altercation: "it wasn't that bad and was blown out of proportion." Denial is also a possibility, as the confrontation quickly and conveniently slips out of the remembrance of one or both parties. With Borderline Personality Disorder, the effect of that disease process actually prevent the memory from passing from short term into long term memory storage. It is literally forgotten.


Then back to square one...

A man abuses his partner. After he hits her, he experiences self-directed guilt. He says, "I'm sorry for hurting you." What he does not say is, "Because I might get caught." He then rationalizes his behavior by saying that his partner is having an affair with someone. He tells her "If you weren't such a worthless whore I wouldn't have to hit you." He then acts contrite, reassuring her that he will not hurt her again. He then fantasizes and reflects on past abuse and how he will hurt her again. He plans on telling her to go to the store to get some groceries. What he withholds from her is that she has a certain amount of time to do the shopping. When she is held up in traffic and is a few minutes late, he feels completely justified in assaulting her because "you're having an affair with the store clerk." He has just set her up.

Abusers use a variety of tatics to manipulate you and exert their power.

Abusers use a variety of tatics to manipulate you and exert their power.
1. Dominance: Abusive individuals need to feel in charge of the relationship.
2. Humiliation: An abuser will do everthing he can to make you feel bad about yourself.
3. Isolation: An abuser will cut you off from the outside world.
4. Threats: Use threats to keep you from leaving or not saying anything to authorities.
5. Intimidation: Tactics designed to scare you into submission.
6. Denial/Blame: Abusers are very good at making excuses for the inexcusable.

Domestic Violence is often overlooked, excused or denied.

It can happen to anyone.  Abuse is abuse no matter how great or small it may be.
Some examples of abuse are:
Physical: from pulling you around by your shirt to getting laid up in the hospital or even death
Emotional: Verbal, such as yelling, name calling, blaming and shaming.  Other emotional abuse can be isolation, intimidation and controlling behavior.  Those abusers often throw out threats of physical violence.  Emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse.
Sexual Abuse: According to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, between 1/3 and 1/2 of all battered women are pared by their partners at least once.
Economic/Financial Abuse: An Abuser's goal is to control you.
*Rigidly controlling finances
*Withholding money/credit cards
*Making you account for every penny you spend
*Withholding basic necessities (food, clothes, medications, shelter)
*Restricking you from working
*Sabataging your job (making you miss work, calling constantly)
*Stealing from you/taking your money
Spiritual Abuse: Yell at you for not praying, reading the bible,  not going to church/not helping at church.  Telling you only one way to worship is right.

My Story - Part 1

The year was 2006 in the month of June.  I fell in love with a man.  He made me feel so happy and feel good about myself.  He was great with my three kids, and in return my kids liked him.  On our one month day together, he brought me a rose and a card.  He left quite quickly with an kiss and an I love you.  I tried calling him about an hour or so later and no answer.  So I tried again, still no answer.  I quickly jumped on Myspace.com and Yahoo IM.  There he was so I asked him why he wasn't answering his phone or his IM's.  STill no answer, Finally I get an aswer through yahoo IM , stating that he was informed that I was cheating on him (which was untrue).  He started IMing me on yahoo, calling me all dirty and nasty things.  He just assumed everything were true (no one really emailed him about me supposably cheating).  I couldn't explain myself or defend myself, he didn't want to hear it.  I thought I was going to loose it.  My heart felt like it was coming out of my throat; my stomach felt terribly empty.  I finally decided to try and get some sleep.

In the morning he finally answered his cell phone.I was crying so hard and was trying to do the best I could in defending myself and begging for him to take me back.  He finally apolgized after a long day on waiting to hear from him (he put me through agony all day).  By the day came to an end we were a couple again!  This was just the begining of his long drawn out abuse...

Craigslist scam victim getting even.

You hear about Coloradans becoming victims of on-line scams everyday. But you don't often hear about the victim getting even.

Craigslist scam victim getting even - KWGN


Kristin♥

Ticketpuller.com

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At Home Reps

You must be bright, personable and can articulate well verbally and in written form. You would be conducting interviews with customers who have recently had a service experience. Previous customer service experience, computer knowledge and telephone skills are mandatory.

1. A personal home computer with latest Microsoft Window and browser updates
2. A Virus protection program and a Firewall
3. High speed internet connection
4. A separate dedicated voice phone line
5. An Approved Long Distance provider(Service 800 will reimburse you for your calls)

If, after the application process, you are a qualified individual you will be required to pass a reading comprehension evaluation and a scripting session with a facilitator. It may also be required that you pass a personal credit check to be eligible for special long distance rates.

SERVICE 800 - Application For Representative


-Kristin♥

Quote the Walls -Review and $50 Giveaway

This is a super fun giveaway!  Very cute and the quotes are very good and cute!  Check out The Suburban Jungle

Fundraising Account Manager -- Telecommute

Calling All Moms

Refrigeratorsaver Inc. is looking for housewives & homemakers from all over the U.S to join our next exciting fundraising program. You work the hours you want, and from the comfort of your home. Maybe you have just had a child or you have recently reached retirement.

As you are probably aware GREEN has become the new black. Energy saving and the environment are on the lips of every politician and in every newspaper, radio station, and news channel on a daily basis. Energy-saving is the largest growth industry in the world. Raise While You Save has been put together to not only help schools raise money, but also to help parents save money in their homes during this economic crisis, which is having an effect on most homes.

The fundraising program, Raise While You Save is a program that schools and communities can join to help raise that much needed funding. Everything is done for them. It’s totally interactive, web-based, and doesn’t cost the schools or communities anything to join.

The aim is for parents to participate in purchasing energy saving products instead of cookie dough’s, magazine subscriptions, t-shirts, wrapping paper and actually allow them to purchase something which is of benefit and could save them hundreds of dollars each year while still being able, during these economic times, to raise money for the schools or community programs their children attend.

If you would like to be a part of this program, which I am sure has caught your interest if you have read up to this point, you could become one of our fundraising account managers from the comfort of your own home. If you are confident, have a good telephone manner, and basic skills on a computer (Word, Email, Internet) we will supply you will all the leads, information, and training.

Our in-house staff will be there to support you all the way to make your fundraising experience and working days enjoyable and fun with those schools that you are managing.

The compensation we will be offering will help you while you help others.

Feel free to check out our website: RefrigeratorSaver - Featuring the EndoTherm Thermometer for Food Safety

If interested, call (631) 780-7080 or email: monica@refrigeratorsaver.com

Faith is Spelled 'R-I-S-K'

"And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised." 

- Hebrews 11:39 AMP

It always amazes me how many believers are hesitant to claim God's promises because they're afraid they'll be disappointed. Perhaps they feel that if they don't expect too much from God, they can avoid the pain of being let down. I've heard it said that real faith is spelled "R-I-S-K". I think there's a lot of truth to that. It takes a lot of courage to trust God to come through for us when our senses aren't giving us any support. But that's exactly what the Lord expects from us. If you look at the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, you see that God approves of those who put their faith in His promises, whether or not they come to pass. The verse above confirms this. And so does Hebrews 11:13 (NIV): "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance."

The Scriptures reveal that God holds in high esteem those who live by faith and continue to hold on to God's promises, even through long periods of waiting. The fact is, if we really want to please God and reap the rewards He has in store for us, we're going to have to risk putting our faith and trust in Him, even when it looks like the odds are against us. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) tells us that, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

The first verse of Hebrews gives us a biblical definition of faith: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." And the next verse reveals that it's this kind of faith that God esteems: "This is what the ancients were commended for." (Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV) The words "sure" and "certain" make it clear that faith is confidence in God and His Word, even when we don't see any tangible evidence to justify that faith. And the verse that follows reveals why our believing in what we don't see isn't just "pie in the sky": “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” (Hebrews 11:3 NLT) The Creator of the universe isn't the least bit hindered when our circumstances look "impossible." Making something out of nothing is what our God does best.

Now you need to ask yourself how serious you are about pleasing God. If you're really serious, you aren't going to be able to avoid taking risks with your faith. Yes, you're going to experience some disappointments you might have escaped. But I guarantee you this--you're going to witness some miracles in your life that you would have otherwise missed. Hebrews 11:33 (NLT) tells us that "by faith" some of God's people "received what God had promised them." The bottom line is this--whether or not we receive all the promises we believe God for isn't the issue; the issue is whether or not we are living by faith, trusting God with all of our hearts in every circumstance every day of our lives. When we do, along with God's hearty approval, we'll have a peace and joy in our hearts that will enable us to live the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. Today, my heartfelt prayer for you is that you will dare to believe!

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the times I've missed Your perfect will because I was fearful or timid. Give me a holy boldness that will dare to believe in Your promises, and to risk disappointment. Help me to keep my eyes on You and Your Word, instead of on my circumstances. Thank You that as I live by faith each day, I'll impact the lives of others with my peace and joy!

-- J. M. Farro