Yep, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve shared a song that is speaking to me, here’s this weeks though. Safe by Phil Wickham from his album Heaven & Earth.  I hope it blesses you today.

There are a few events as a child that ever stand out in my mind… going to the circus, a baseball game and seeing the Harlem Globetrotters.  For years now I have longed to take my oldest boys to see them, especially our second son who loves basketball.

So when I received an email offering me the opportunity to go see them I jumped at it!  We are so excited to take the boys to see this great entertaining event in a nearby town.

This is their 84th season! I remember the show being funny, exciting, awe inspiring and just plain old fun, so I hope for the very same experience for my own children.

Want to know more about the Harlem Globetrotters and their tour? Well here’s some basic information, but be sure to visit their website to learn even more and to see if they are coming to a town near you.

Their 2010 U.S. “Magical Memories” tour began on December 26th and continues through May 2nd, and will makes its way to 216 cities—with the Globetrotters taking on their arch-rivals, the Washington Generals, at each stop.

They are offering a code that readers can use to get a $7 discount for each ticket purchased (Note: Not valid on VIP or courtside seats. Available online only. Valid until the day before the show.) Ticket prices do vary slightly at the various arenas, but they typically average $25 each, thus allowing a family of four to save $28 in total. Readers can simply visit www.harlemglobetrotters.com locate a game in their area and purchase tickets using the promotional code: HGMOM to redeem the coupon.

They are also offering a giveaway which includes a Harlem Globetrotter mini-basketball, authentic Globetrotter wristbands, an autographed Harlem Globetrotter team photo and a 2010 game program. To enter simply visit their site to see if they are coming to a town near you, then come back here and leave a comment telling me why you’d like to go.

There are some great extra entry opportunities as well of course, feel free to take advantage of all of the entries for as many chances to win as possible.…Just be sure to leave a NEW comment with each entry…:

• Become a Facebook Fan of A Frog In My Soup!!!
• 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.

It is void where prohibited, be sure to read my giveaway policies here.  Be sure to enter by January 28, 2010.  This giveaway is open to US addresses only.

Disclosure: I always give honest and forthright reviews and will not present something that poses a conflict of interest &/or that I do not like.  Harlem Globetrotters is providing our family with free tickets to attend a local event, information and tickets through Coyne Public Relations.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Life isn’t perfect. We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people and things. That is just the way it is. We all have to come to terms with that sooner or later in order to move on and enjoy life despite it’s imperfections.

As a mom, one of the most difficult parts of life is the fact that we cannot always protect our children from illness, injury and emotional hurt.  I’ve talked about this difficulty before, primarily in reference to the emotional horror of my oldest son’s schooling. But lately it has been injury and illness that have me completely baffled.

We now have a new record for most stitches (for a child) in our home. Little Monkey recently injured the bottom of his big toe at his grammy’s house and ended up with 8 stitches.  He still walks with his foot a little sideways to keep pressure off it and the skin around the injury is peeling like crazy, but it is healing and his stitches are out.

That was the conclusive event for a string that has been going on for a few months illness then injury, illness then injury… repeat.  We all know that when illness starts around here we have no idea how long it will take us to get it out of the house.

I found myself falling deeper and deeper into depression in the middle of all of this. Something that I have only experienced temporarily in the past became a part of daily living for months on end.  Even though I knew I was falling into an abyss, I let it go… I am the mom after all and I must care for everyone around me first… right?

There has to be balance, we cannot be moms who only take care of others and we cannot be moms that only think of ourselves first. We must ensure that we are healthy (mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually) in order to properly care for our family and we need to do that in a balanced way.

It’s a tricky requirement that many of us at one point or another fail miserably at.  I did, and I’m still trying to come out of the fog. I’m very fortunate to have family around me that noticed what was going on and went out of their way to make sure that the problem was addressed and a resolution found.

I don’t like posting about things like this. I like for you all to know that I am an imperfect human, just the same as the next guy over but I also like to leave all of you with hope and encouragement. Today though I find myself with only one question to ask…

Do you ever feel like a failure… as a mom, in your home?

I think in everything that I’ve been working through lately that’s the one thing that has been the most difficult for me to face.  I’m reminding myself (please take this encouragement for yourself if you answered yes to that question) that I too am an imperfect woman living in an imperfect world with a family filled with other imperfect people.  But because of the grace and mercy of God, I have a ‘hope and a future’.

Wow, another year has come and gone and here we are… one full decade into the 21st century. I sincerely hope that your 2009 was a great one… and that 2010 is even better.

We’ve had an interesting few months, if you happen to have noticed a serious decline in frequency of posts, you are not mistaken.  Between the holidays, illness and far too many injuries, I found myself needing a break (don’t worry, it’s only temporary).

Do you have fresh goals or prayers for the new year?

For me, they are fairly simple… to remain sane and get my house under control (lol). I’m also praying for less injuries and the health of my family.

All in all though, I wish for you and your family the greatest of years in 2010.  Blessings to you all!!!

My new favorite Christmas song!!! Sung by Audrey Assad on Chris Tomlin’s new Christmas album, Glory in the Highest.

In an effort to make my home as chemical free as possible, I’ve continued to be a little frustrated as I look for just the right products to help me do this.  Often, even if I find a product that’s less harmful for my family and the environment I still worry about the chemicals that it contains.

Then there’s the deep down yuck that accumulates, especially places like the kitchen and bathroom and finding a product that works quickly and effectively poses yet another problem if I don’t want chemicals involved.

So, when I attended the EuroPro event in Sept. and was introduced to the Shark Steam Pocket Mop I was thrilled. Not only is it small and portable, but it uses steam from water only to completely clean and sanitize your home.  Comes with a variety of tools, extensions and cleaning pads (that are reusable, just pop them in the washer) to cover any cleaning project.

It’s such a simple concept but offers us so many more options without the potential for harming any of your family.  What a great product!  Check out www.SharkClean.com for all the details about this product.  It makes a perfect gift for almost any occasion (birthday, Christmas, wedding) or if you’re tired of wasting money on all those products and just want to purchase something that will last, this is the product for that.

If you need a full size vacuum with all the features of the super expensive ones but at a more reasonable price, make sure you check out the Shark Navigator.  Yes, yet another vacuum from Shark’s amazing line of vacuums, we couldn’t be happier with ours.  Sure that cordless and ultra-lite are nice too but sometimes large rooms and big messes require more out of a vacuum.

Here’s some of the great features….

• Provides high level of agility without sacrificing power. Less than 15 pound weight allows for easy lifting and swift maneuverability.
• Infinity Technology with 21 cyclones traps dust and dirt so the Navigator never loses suction.
• Two power settings offer deep carpet and superior bare floor cleaning.
• Lifetime filter traps dirt in the large bagless no-touch dust cup.
• Accessories include: Pet Hair Power Brush, crevice tool, extra 24” crevice tool, dusting brush and cleaning wand.
• Pet Hair Power Brush easily picks up pet hair from upholstery.
• Navigator features ergonomic grip for comfortable hand position.
• Features 30-foot-long power cord and the Super Stretch Hose with 12-foot cleaning reach.
• Purchase includes 5-year warranty.

This vacuum really does the job and it’s easy to maneuver which is a user friendly feature I love!  Suggested retail price is only $199.  Available at Bed Bath & Beyond and online at www.sharkclean.com. Find us on Twitter at @SharkCleaning or check out our Shark Cleaning Facebook page.

Disclosure: I received a Shark Navigator in order to present my honest opinion of the product, you can find my full disclosure policy here.

This is another song that I’ve been listening to a lot lately. In the middle of a crisis I hope and pray that I will sing this song!

You’ve seen the Pillow Pets commercials and possibly wondered, “is this really something that a child would like?” Well I am happy to tell you that I think they are.

They are cute and fluffy (which kids love), functional and affordable (which parents love).  Kids love stuffed animals, but if you’re anything like me it does get a little annoying that there are so many of them sitting around and while they are great for cuddling they are pointless for anything else.  So the fact that this converts from a fluffy stuffy to a functional pillow for children makes it uniquely appealing to me.

Here’s the 5 reasons the Pillow Pets suggests you check them out.

1. Affordable, adorable fun and functionality
2. May postpone live animal ownership with 20 stuffed varieties to choose from
3. Cuddly like a puppy with ultra softness for hugging and sleeping
4. No clean up required and no shedding; durable and machine washable
5. Always up for anything – naptime, playtime, travel time – anytime!
Pillow Pets were created by a San Diego mom of two who sought a more functional use for the multitude of stuffed animals strewn across her home. Pillow Pets are affordable for just $19.95 at www.GetPillowPets.com with any additional Pillow Pet priced at $15.95 (up to five).

I’m excited to be able to offer one lucky commenter a pillow pet of their choice. Just visit the website and take a look around, come back here and leave a comment telling me which PillowPet you want and who you want it for.

There are some great extra entry opportunities as well of course, feel free to take advantage of all of the entries for as many chances to win as possible.…Just be sure to leave a NEW comment with each entry…:

• Become a Facebook Fan of A Frog In My Soup!!!
• 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.

It is void where prohibited, be sure to read my giveaway policies here.  Be sure to enter by December 20, 2009.  This giveaway is open to US addresses only.

Disclosure: I always give honest and forthright reviews and will not present something that poses a conflict of interest &/or that I do not like.  I received a pillow pet to review for myself in order to present my honest opinion of it.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Because this song speaks to me on such a personal level, I really just wanted to share it with all of you today.  There’s nothing grand about the video part, but listen closely to the words and please be blessed today.