I had announced on my design sites that I wouldn’t be doing any custom designs over the summer.  I have decided though to go ahead and accept a couple of designs for the summer after all.  If you have been waiting to get a custom design by Sweet ‘n Simple Design, now is the perfect time to get in the door.

You can even get a great discount for being an A Frog In My Soup reader…bet ‘ya didn’t know that.  When you use the code MOMDESIGN during checkout you’ll get 15% off your order at www.SweetnSimpleDesign.com.

I have also decided make a few changes at SNS Blog Design (my premade design site).  You’ll still find the fun adorable designs that are uniquely mine, but they will now be Limited Edition designs instead of One of A Kind.  It is a little sad for me to do this since I’m such a believer in each mom having their own unique blog design, BUT…I also totally understand that the economy is not being friendly to so many families.

You’ll find all of the Limited Edition designs for $25 each (no more than 4 of each design will ever be sold) and you still have the option to pay extra to make it One of A Kind if you would like.  Being the people pleaser that I am, hopefully this will help solve a few problems all in one fell swoop .  These changes should all be updated on the site by Monday, in the meantime if you want to purchase one of them, just click on “Contact Me”, fill out the form and let me know which design you want.

Just in case you haven’t been by the site recently, I thought I’d share just a few of the latest designs.  Oh, the discount mentioned for Sweet ‘n Simple Custom Blog Designs doesn’t apply at SNS Blog Design due to the low prices that are already in effect.

I am LOOOOvin’ this kit!  Just released it’s called “Your Planet or Mine” by 4 Shades of Blue!

You may notice that many of my digi WW layouts are by 4 Shades of Blue…well, she’s having a great sale through the 4th that you’ll definitely want to take advantage of if you like to do digital scrapbooking.  This is a great sale and 4 Shades of Blue offers some great style for creating beautiful pages for almost anyone!  Happy Scrapping!

It isn’t often that I stumble upon a book that I believe needs to be added to EVERY parent’s bookshelf, but this is definitely one of them!  With a title like if your kid eats this book, everything will still be okay it’s immediately obvious that Lara Zibners, MD has written a book completely unlike anything else out there.

If you have a friend that is expecting a baby…give them this book, if you have just become a grandparent or have friends who recently had a child and you would like to give them a great book just because….give them this book.   Get the idea…buy this book for every parent you know.

It’s funny, intelligent, witty, honest, medically balanced and definitely a great read!  You won’t find this to be one of those boring medical how-to or info books that you can read to go to sleep!  With this book you’ll be sucked in and drawn to read chapters on subjects that you know you may never need to know about, but it’s funny to hear what she has to say about it anyway.

Just an example….as I was reading through it to present to all of you, I stumbled upon the section on Colic.  If you have never had a child with colic, or been very close to someone who has, you will have absolutely NO understanding or appreciation for the amazing advice being given in this section.  I called my sister…the queen of daughters with colic (and figuring out how to cope with it) and read the entire section to her knowing full well that she would LOVE it…she did!  She especially loved that Dr. Zibners mentioned the only book that has gotten my sister through her two girls with colic.  Prompting me to give Dr. Zibners two thumbs up…and a big ole hug from my sis!

Author, Lara Zibners, MD (an emergency room pediatrician) has seen far too many children taken to the ER who didn’t need to be there. I love her grounded advice on everything from what to keep in your medicine cabinet (even this experienced mom could use a refresher course in that from time to time), how to tell if the situation is really an emergency or not and if you do have to go to the ER, what to expect when you get there.

I really do encourage families do their research ahead of time. I know it isn’t something that any of us want to think about ever needing to do, but much like finding a qualified pediatrician, it does help to know up front what your best options are. Many parents don’t know that there are some hospitals that have pediatricians on hand and some that don’t…if your child doesn’t have a life threatening emergency, you should always take them to the hospital that offers pediatric care. For instance, if there is a Children’s hospital in your city, take them to the ER there. Many ER’s aren’t really equipped to be the best option for childrens’ care, especially if there are many higher level pediatric facilities within the same city…so do your homework.

You can read an excerpt from the book HERE. Dr. Lara Zibners has a great website too where she answers some great questions, has more information about her book and even has a section where you can ask a question or tell your story.

If you would like to win a copy of this book for your family bookshelf (or a friend), be sure to check out Dr. Lara Zibners’ site, then come back here and leave a comment telling me why you’d love to have a copy of this book.

There are many opportunities to get extra entries as well… CLICK HERE to continue reading!!

Can you keep a secret?  My 16th Wedding Anniversary is coming up on July 17th and I’m planning on taking my hubby to The Cheesecake Factory.  I’ve been wanting to go for a long time and think that it makes the perfect place to have a date, celebrate an event…or even a very fun double date with some friends!  In this case though it will just be us and I couldn’t be more excited.

My friends and family have been raving to me about The Cheesecake Factory for years, but I have just never had the opportunity to go.  There are a few nearby so it’s really just a matter of getting a sitter and going.

If you have been to The Cheesecake Factory, you know how fun it can be and right now you can “Share Your Celebration” and be entered to win one of several AMAZING prizes…

• Trip for 4 to Florida – Airfare, Hotel, Disney Resort Passes and $1,000
• Chance to instantly win a $25 gift card, $500 in gift cards.
• Cheesecake for ONE YEAR!!

All you have to do is grab a photo of you celebrating at The Cheesecake Factory (if you don’t have one, it’s a great excuse to visit and create a celebration).  Put together a story mentioning the role The Cheesecake Factory played in your celebration and submit it to be entered to win those great prizes.

Since I tend to be the one to plan our anniversary I thought it would be fun to do something different this year so when I was asked to share this great contest with you, I thought it was a great opportunity to hear from my readers about their experiences with The Cheesecake Factory.

Share your best story to enter to win one of the prizes of course, but if there’s a dish you love there and think we should try when we go next month, I’d love to hear about it!

*Go HERE for my full disclosure policy statement.

I once was known simply as Shera.  The oldest of 3 girls (and later 2 brothers).  The girl with the unique laugh and who smiles a lot.  For the last 13 1/2 years though, my role has been defined more and more as a mom and less and less as Shera.

It isn’t uncommon for moms to lose a bit (or a lot) of  themselves along the way.  To suddenly find one day that most people know them as the mom of so-and-so, not knowing who we were before children or who we are when the children aren’t around.

As you reach this realization, you may feel many different ways, but many of us end up feeling a little lost.   It is also very common for moms who have suddenly “lost” themselves to begin the search…the search for “me”.

I’d like to suggest something potentially unique today…you can find yourself through motherhood, you just need to know where to look.  It really isn’t about going back and trying to reclaim who you were once upon a time, it’s about realizing that we all become different people through the years and we just need to redefine what it means to be the woman we are today (which may very well be defined primarily by my status as a mom) and understand that although this moment is fleeting it will define who we continue to become.

Your life isn’t over, you don’t have to achieve everything you dream of right now.  It’s ok to wait until your children are a little older to pursue those things that suddenly seem very important for you to do!  Being right here, but wishing I was over there is the angst of many moms…whether they are willing to admit it or not.  Just when that feeling becomes almost unbearable is the moment when we need to take a step back and re-evaluate why we feel that way.

I was shocked recently when I felt like I was trapped in my own motherhood.  Shocked!  All I ever wanted to do was be a mom…I chose to be a stay-at-home mom to completely raise them and instruct them…yet here I was, suddenly dissatisfied with “just” being a mom when I saw all that the other women were doing around me.

Wake up call:  What better thing in this world can I do?  As far as eternal value is concerned, I could not do anything better than to invest my time and energy into the 6 young men that I will someday send out into the world.  It’s what I’ve been called to do!  I have been given these children merely for a short season in life…though it may seem long to me now…and I must rise to the challenge!

If you are feeling particularly lowly in your role as a mom I hope you will feel encouraged by what I’m sharing here today!  I’m not perfect, I have huge gaping character flaws that I take before God  daily (when I remember…see flawed).

If you have stopped seeing motherhood as the greatest gift in your life and have started wishing you could be doing other things instead, it might be time for a reality check!  Here’s the bottom line…I can wait until next year or even 5 or 10 years from now to write that book, start that business or go on that trip!

Since God has given me this moment to be a mom, I guarantee that if I stop focusing on all I’m “missing out on” and start focusing on being the best woman I can be right now for my family, I’ll be able to do all the things in life that I could dream of ….and more!

Going green in all the little ways in life can be challenging.  For instance, where to find the best containers to take lunch to school or work is one of those areas that I was a little less familiar with until recently. New Wave Enviro recently introduced me to their line of products and sent some of their products for me to review.

Learning about the right products to use is definitely most of the battle, so when one company offers them so conveniently it makes life a lot easier.   Doing things like using stainless steel containers in your lunch bag (bamboo lunch bag by the way) – they are healthier for you and can be recycled when you no longer need them.

You can purchase New Wave Enviro products at health food and nutrition stores throughout the USA and Canada as well as through many online retailers!  New Wave Enviro has a great store finder on their site.

I love that their Stainless Steel bottles (which come in various sizes from 12 to 40 oz) are a high grade stainless steel and come in a variety of fun colors!  I like to keep these available to my kiddos througout the day, especially during the summer.  I don’t know what it is about kids and water bottles, but they seem to love to drink out of them and with Stainless Steel I know that the container is SAFE!

Their Bamboo bag is made of bamboo that is grown completely without chemicals or pesticides and regenerates without replanting!  The Bamboo bag itself is hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial, a definite must for kids’ school lunches.  It is a simple bag, so it would be appropriate for any age to take with them for lunch…from elementary school to the workplace!

If you’re looking for the perfect container for that lunch bag, check out their stainless steel Food Container!  No toxins, no chemicals and the perfect size to hold a sandwich, bagel, small salad or even veggies and dip.  It closes conveniently and is easy to scrub up after use.

New Wave Enviro has offered one very lucky commenter a set of three of their products…Stainless Steel food container, Stainless Steel 20 oz bottle and their Bamboo Bag!  To enter, visit New Wave Enviro’s website and learn a bit about their products.  When you are done simply come back here and tell me why you want to go green for lunch!

As usual, there are lots of ways to get extra entries for this giveaway!  Just make sure you leave a new comment for each one…

• Tweet It: Just tweet this giveaway with a link to this post and make sure your comment has your twitter handle in it.
• Blog It: Write a post about this giveaway (with a link to this post of course) on your own blog, make sure your comment has a link to your post.
• Stumble It, Kirtsy It, Digg It, Submit to Mommy Blips: Submit this giveaway to any of these sites and earn an extra entry for each one…and make sure your comment has your Username.

This giveaway is open to US addresses only.  Be sure to enter by July 9th.  It is void where prohibited, be sure to read my giveaway policies here.

*Disclosure:  My reviews are honest and forthright.  Although companies are required to send me products to review in order to be featured here, I will not post about a product that I do not like.  You can see my full disclosure here.

As I anticipated the start of summer break, I counted down the weeks and days.  I was excited about all the fun things I would plan and adventures we would take.  My sister and I had planned a fun end of the school year celebration for the boys and lots of great activities were planned, but when that day finally arrived, things did NOT go according to plan!

I had been struggling with some pain in my lower back for almost a week.  It was highly uncomfortable, and for the last few days had been getting a little worse, so I’d been taking it easy.  But on that last day of school, I was in excruciating and debilitating pain.

I had done everything in my power to avoid it getting to this point.  I have never had problems with my back in my life…and once this is resolved, I pray I never do again.  The night before I had made a trip in to the walk-in clinic to make sure that everything was under control for the last day of school.

Yeah, it didn’t really work out that way.  I’d been struggling more than ever that morning and as I changed one of the little ones, the pain got so intense I absolutely couldn’t believe it.  So, as my children were arriving home from school that day, they only had their oldest brother to welcome them since I was at the doctors office again.  Oh yes, the guilt will follow me…cuz I’m that mom!

Well, here we are a week later, and I have still not been able to start our summer.  I’m not the kind of mom that likes to have to stop everything to take care of herself…I see an awful lot of you nodding your head out there!

One thing that I have had to challenge myself with in all of this is to get back in focus.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed by this looming issue in front of me, and I have to admit, I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do to compensate for what I’m going through.  But while I get answers to the bigger logistical questions on my mind right now, I have to get my heart and attitude back in the right place!

Sure, this is not “life according to plan”…well MY plan that is.  So getting the right perspective is everything in a situation like this.  Hardships come to all of us, compared to many my hardships are nothing and I need to just roll with it and “get a grip”!

So many things in life can throw us off course if we aren’t careful.  The very thing I had been anticipating with so much care and joy became the opposite in one fell swoop.  Sometimes it doesn’t take much, but in that moment, if we remember to focus on the bigger picture and ask God for direction to get us through so that we can move beyond it…only then can we really go anywhere.

Today, I’m focused…I’ll continue to work toward healing my body so that I’m physically able to take on the rest of summer, but in the mean time, I’ll also be looking for creative things to do with all the kiddos.  It will look a little different than my original plan for sure, but I think in the end it will be rewarding.

Just my Sweet Princess!  I used an amazing set by Verena Karolyi (from www.PolkaDotPotato.com) called A Fresh Day.

I’ve spent a bit of time the last few days looking over our summer calendar and it is chock full of sports camps and sports in general.  We kicked it off yesterday with Golf camp for Salesman, and this is just the first full week of my kiddos’ summer vacation.

Other than the sports camps though, the calendar is shockingly empty.  Since I am the kind of mom that purposely doesn’t fill up my calendar with daily activities that take us away from home, I am still thinking that finding one other activity per week – a fun day trip for instance is definitely a great idea!

What do you do for the summer?  Do you always go away on a family vacation? Do day trips?

We may plan a weekend away for the family, and I hope next year to plan a full week long vacation (have to find places that can accomodate a family of 8 first).   In the meantime though, I’m sure that we’ll be taking a trip to the beach and to the Zoo.  I am looking for a few other ideas along the way, so I look forward to seeing what all of you have planned for the summer!!!

Another school year has come to an end, yet for the past 3 months I have been busy researching and preparing for next year when we will be bringing our 13 year old home to be educated.

As I have been gathering resources for homeschooling families, one of my favorites is definitely The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!  I know that we aren’t the typical homeschool family, since we do still send some of our children to public school, but having the right resources in place for any child you homeschool is absolutely necessary whether you feel you fit the mold or not.

Just because you are “only” homeschooling one child doesn’t mean that you don’t need the same support, encouragement and resources as the family that is homeschooling 4 children.  This year I will be homeschooling 2 preschoolers and an 8th grader so it ought to be interesting.

I mentioned The Old Schoolhouse earlier and I just have to say that they have an amazing fan page on Facebook offering tons of contests, freebies and encouragement.  If anyone has a question about curriculum, they can ask it there and I’ve always been amazed by everyone’s willingness to rally around and answer each concern and question!  A definite must if you are a homeschooling family or are thinking about homeschooling!

I also subscribe to their magazine (digitally and in print) and just received the Spring edition and it is amazing.  Tons of resources, balanced advice, great encouragement and amazing ideas to educate your child well.   This is another resouce I highly encourage homeschooling families to have.

Right now is definitely THE time to subscribe because they are having an amazing promotion where you will receive 19 free gifts with any new or renewing 2 year subscription with them.  These free gifts are worth over $400.  If you have ever considered (or are now considering) getting a subscription to The Old Schoolhouse, do it now and do it soon because this offer is only for the first 5,000 people!