Our doorbell rang on Thanksgiving night and what do we find? A message in chalk saying...
We Are Back...4 of us!
Charley, Malia, Frost and who else could it be?
A St. Bernard puppy to add to our family!
Miss K named her Rory Whiskers. We used a little help from the Elf on the Shelf naming guide only changed around the initials and shortened one of the names. (Obviously I am kind of excited since Rory of Stars Hollow is making an appearance today also! Hello Gilmore Girls!!)
Do you have an Elf on the Shelf? Won't you please grab the button below, link up, and play along once a week until December 30th-a little longer for those of you traveling and might have a lingering visitor? You can share seven pictures, a few, or just one of your favorite Elf moments/memories of the week. All you have to do is grab the button and put your blog link in the linkup form that I will provide each week. I look forward to seeing all of the Elf games and fun you are having!
Warning: I do post daily on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. My follow buttons are over on the right side of my blog. If you do want to follow and post, I will use the following hashtags #CrowElf16 #The4CrowsElfLinkup.
Elf on a Shelf with The 4-Crow's 2016 will be posted the following Friday's, hope you join in!
Introduction 2016
November 25
December 2
December 9
December 16
December 23
December 30
Only one more week and Malia Peppermint Pattie, Charley our scout elves and their pet Frost return from the North Pole. Four Thanksgivings ago The 4-Crow's were summoned by the doorbell and found a visitor from the North Pole. The visitor was nameless at the time, but soon became know as Malia Peppermint Pattie. 2011 was our first year to participate in The Elf on the Shelf Tradition. We didn't exactly have a "real" Elf on the Shelf, so I called our daily link up Elf on a Shelf. We had Charley, a 40+ year old Whitman's Chocolate Candy Elf given to us by Miss K's dance instructor Miss Pam. In 2014, a reindeer pet named Frost joined our nest in all the Elf fun.
In 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 we hosted a weekly link up, showcasing a full 7 days of elf fun. Our Charley has had to semi retire. He is still a part of our household, but because he is "vintage", I decided he no longer needed to be serving in any reindeer games. He is actually pictured in the above button, see his rips? You can read more about Charley here, also feel free to visit the last four years of linkups and see what kinds of fun our scouts have around our nest.
We absolutely LOVE this tradition, so much that we have even been known to blog for Elf on the Shelf. See our posts here and here.
Do you have an Elf on the Shelf? Won't you please grab the button below, link up, and play along once a week until December 30th-a little longer for those of you traveling and might have a lingering visitor? You can share seven pictures, a few, or just one of your favorite Elf moments/memories of the week. All you have to do is grab the button and put your blog link in the linkup form that I will provide each week. I look forward to seeing all of the Elf games and fun you are having!
Warning: I do post daily on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. My follow buttons are over on the right side of my blog. If you do want to follow and post, I will use the following hashtags #CrowElf16 #The4CrowsElfLinkup.
I once again made myself an Elf on a Shelf Calendar. I have once again made time to get organized. I'll be honest, I did a pretty good job last year of sticking to it. Feel free to use my ideas or print out the blank form for your own use.
Halloween is finally over. But, Fall has barely begun here in Oklahoma. The leaves have barely began to fall and most are still green. Never mind that most of us still need to mow our grass. Thanksgiving is a little over two weeks away, Christmas is only 47 days. ONLY 47 days!!! Okay, I'm not gonna lie to you, I've been watching Christmas movies, I've even bought one gift. And of course the reading around here to our little friend has started to be all about that wonderful time of the year. When FlyBy Promotions contacted me in October about the opportunity to review a Christmas story, of course I said, yes! Even though this book is a little above Miss K's reading level, it doesn't hurt her practice her fluency with me or with the little guy pictured above.
This book is one that must be added to your Christmas library. First of all, I love hard back books at Christmas, I used to love wrapping up 24 gifts/books at Christmas time as an advent and reading each night to my kids. It was a great way to enforce the Christmas story and magic in them. And honestly, the more manger stories, the better. The repetition in this book is terrific. By the end of the book, the almost four year old was repeating words like COW, BED, and JESUS! As you can see from the cover above the book is just beautiful.
One of my blessed readers is going to get their very own copy of this book? Who wants it? Enter on the easy Rafflecopter form below, or order on Amazon (not an affiliate link).
About the book:
“This is the bed where Jesus slept. This is the straw that lined the bed where Jesus slept.” From here, the story builds with each spread, adding a new element and explaining the relationships among the participants and witnesses to the first Christmas. From Jesus sleeping sweetly to the wise men bringing gifts, this charming book reminds readers young and not-so-young of the joyous event we celebrate at Christmastime. Children will love the delightful illustrations and the engaging repetition in this cumulative tale.
About the author:
Norma Lewis is the author of ten books. She lives in Grand Haven, MI, with a marmalade cat named Scalawag. They both love spending time with her six grandchildren, ranging in age from three to twenty.
Illustrated by Katy Hudson.
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Winners from the Continental U.S. only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I was chosen to be a part of a select group of bloggers to help Versona announce the release of their first-ever online look book! They sent me an exclusive invitation to visit their store at Woodland Hills in Tulsa and also sent me ONE of their favorite pieces featured in their look book. ONLY ONE!
This is what I received in the mail. Isn't she fancy?
Of course Miss K had to try it on. My little fashionista.
Now why just ONE earring? This is really the fun and creative part of the marketing department at Versona. I had to take the earring in to retrieve its match as well as a pick up a $25 gift card to use in my local Versona store. Not a problem. You can purchase this fabulous glass stone flower statement earring instore or online.
Miss K and her Daddy must have some kind of conspiracy going on. You see when I take her along shopping for myself, for some reason it becomes ALL about her. Needless to say. OUR $25 giftcard went toward accessories this time.
These. Must have.
We are loving the stylish shades!
Versona's very own Denise and I taking a #fall4versona selfie!
Miss K needed new hoops. She has super sensitive ears. We opted for these cute sterling silver hoops. Versona's sterling silver cannot be beat. We have several pair.
Just launched, Versona's Fall Look Book showcases the contemporary designs and sophisticated styles customers will find this season at Versona. Go ahead, browse the site. Create an account. Add a few things to Your Loves.
Two weeks into the 2016-17 school year and we are already into a 5 day break. WHEW. Now I can blog..
The back to school pictures were taken.
The classes were found- especially when you move to the largest high school in Oklahoma that houses over 3800 students.
The bus actually stops for Miss K at a central location within our neighborhood. It's still to be determined how much she will actually ride the bus. Budget cuts. Long story.
Three PTA meetings down, YAY Mrs. President & Mrs. Vice President!
Basketball conditioning has begun.
Mom's Taxi Service has commenced with ZERO tips.
Only one class schedule change. Yeah, Chemistry wasn't a good idea.
A new church year started. Miss K and I moved to the big side of Synergy. Our room is amazing. Video games, basketball, and more of a small group like setting. Very cool.
My "little" man allowed me ONE more year of first day bus stop pictures. I even got him to hold a sign, of course this picture ended up being my favorite. I've already told him that there is a huge chance I will still be taking these pictures as he enters college.
Miss K. What can I say. Once again this year, of all the shots I took this ended up being my favorite. Her sweet but sassy personality! As you can she she is sporting her Rustic Cuff bracelets. We have matching ones, We both wore our white Madisons this year on her first day of school.
Miss K and I were given the opportunity by FlyBy to read a new book to our little friends who visit us each week. Unfortunately, the reading to the friends won't happen until next week, since we just got the book. But, that didn't stop BOTH my kids from picking up this book and reading it. YES, I said both- even a 15 1/2 year old was drawn to this book. Maybe it was the beautifully illustrated cover. It's funny because even the simplest of books can teach the biggest lessons in life. God created us all unique. We are wonderfully made, loved and special.
About the book:
“Would a worm go on a walk, if you could lead him down the street? Would he wear his tiny tennies, if he had two worm-sized feet?”
So begins this humorous and imaginative picture book that introduces children to the idea that animals are uniquely created by a loving and wise God. Would a Worm Go on a Walk?, with its colorful, comical illustrations, is a fresh, fun way to teach young children that God created all things very good. He gave all the animals, and children, too, wonderful qualities and unique strengths. Children will giggle over the ridiculous scenarios presented, and they will come away with the knowledge that we all are loved and special.
About the author:
Hannah C. Hall is the author of best-selling children’s books, including God Bless You and Good Night and God Bless Our Christmas, as well as an award-winning blog, HannahCHall.com. Hannah lives in Prairie Grove, AK with her husband, Josh, a worship pastor, and their four children.
One of my blessed readers is going to get their very own copy of this book? Who wants it? Enter on the easy Rafflecopter form below, or order at this link.
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I started writing this post on June 1st. I posted it in the notes of my phone. Not quite complete, not quite finished with my thoughts on the whole parent bashing that seems to take place anytime a parent/child tragedy happens. Little did I know that in two weeks time another incident would hit national news. Now my post is complete...
Where is the grace? Where is the love?
As a Moma I cannot even count on one hand the times one of my children have gotten out of my sight. One of mine thought he was pretty funny at age 3 hiding in that clothes rack at Walmart for 180 seconds. Believe me a Code Adam was called. The feeling of panic that grips a parent to find their child missing for even one second is unexplainable.
My poor niece- Miss J, I'm sure glad I got to practice parent on you. Poison control has been on speed dial ever since that possible fingernail polish remover consumption and yes, I will admit the the time I THREW you to protect you from an attack of swarming insects. I don't think we ever did find what truly was attacking us.
Oh, and to this day why did I put flip flops on an 18 month old? Her poor nose as it met the driveway pavement. I guess I should have also been berated when she got in the way of a driveway pickup basketball game and was hospitalized overnight with a concussion.
Let's don't even talk of all the zoo's we have visited over the years. I can guarantee you that if one or three of us Williams' kids could have found a way into a few cages out of curiosity we would have. We were pretty ornery.
I can only imagine another mother's fear for her child as she watched helplessly as her child was in the cage and possession of a wild animal. I am sure if she could have figured out the how to get in the same cage she would have.
A NO SWIMMING sign means just that. NO SWIMMING. It doesn't mean not sitting on a beach. What kid wouldn't be curious enough to dip fingers or toes into the water. Kids are kids!!
I cannot and do not want to imagine a father's fear as he did everything within his human power to save his son from the grips of a hidden reptile.
Face it, NONE of us mothers or fathers will be awarded the perfect parent of the year award. EVER. Let's love. Let's support. Don't hate on or judge. Tragedy is tragedy. Finger pointing doesn't help, it cuts deep. Let's cover each other in grace.
I think we have become a society looking for everything that a parent does that is wrong and are putting them to shame when something bad happens. When the bad happens it happens to all of us. If we are to be Christlike we are to remember, Jesus wept. (John 11:35)
It's summer. WooHoo!!! The one thing my kids hate to do in the summer is anything that remotely looks like school, including READING. As a mom and an avid reader, this breaks my heart. When FlyBy Promotions contacted me about reading and reviewing the latest book in Bible Belle's series, my Moma wheels started turning. How can I make Miss K enjoy reading this summer... To be honest she doesn't like to read, because she is slow, and feels like she doesn't do a great job at it.
I haven't shared on the blog yet, but Miss K now has a YouTube channel- Miss K's Corner. Yes, she is now an aspiring YouTuber. She has 7 videos, with 7 subscribers, and a total of 343 likes total. Believe me, she can rattle those stats off like nobody's business. Anyway, if she can vlog about something she does, a DIY, a shopping haul, or something else, then MAYBE I can get her to read a book and vlog about it.
MISSION SUCCESSFUL. Take a look at this. I'll admit, this was a huge lesson for both of us. My comfort in reading, meets her comfort behind the camera. Her discomfort in reading, met my discomfort of self behind camera. What a lesson the Belles are teaching us both.
"About the series: Bible Belles’ The Adventure of Rooney Cruz is an original children’s series that presents real life heroes like never before. The series highlights five superhero women of the Bible: Hannah, Esther, Abigail, Ruth and Deborah.
THE SOUND OF THE BELLES WILL BE H.E.A.R.D. -EXODUS 28:35
We’re setting out to present women in the Bible in a way that has never been done before. We want girls to connect with them and find out what being truly beautiful is all about. We want girls to remember their names, their stories, and how special they are."
We were sent an e-book/pdf of Esther: The Belle of Patience. I just love how the women of the Bible are being compared to modern day girls. Esther releases in June 2016. One of my blessed readers is going to get their very own copy of this book to add to their library. Will it be you? Just enter on the easy Rafflecopter form below.
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Since we cut the cord- the cable one- a little over a year ago, I haven't missed too many of my favorite channels. Except for ONE. The Hallmark Channel. But believe me when I tell you feeding kids is worth way more than paying the cable bill to watch one channel. At least that is my opinion. Since we cut the cable, we have been saving over $100/month. This week we were given the opportunity to review an episode of a new series by the Feeln streaming service.
Did you know that Hallmark has a streaming service? YES! Feeln is the leading streaming service that brings you heartfelt stories of love and togetherness, anytime, anywhere. All movies are handpicked so you spend less time searching and more time with the stories you love. Feeln brings home the exclusive library of Hallmark Hall of Fame features, Hollywood movies and TV series, and award-winning originals you won’t find anywhere else.
My family and I sat down last night and watched the new original series that Feeln launched this month. “The Eleventh” which stars a trifecta of TV legends including Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch, Dancing With The Stars), Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Roots, Up), and Cloris Leachman (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Malcolm In The Middle).
“The Eleventh” focuses on a young girl’s journey to getting to know her estranged grandmother in order to bring closure to the past and unite her family. The series has heart-warming themes of family, forgiveness, healing, and love.
Check out the trailer:
Jason, Miss K and I sat down to watch our free episode of "The Eleventh" and immediately wanted more. This show is very well written and perfect for FAMILY viewing. It's the perfect time of the year to start a new family series. School is out for the summer, and all of the other shows are ending their seasons.
To watch full episodes of ‘The Eleventh’ on Feeln go to this link.
I received a free first episode screening of "The Eleventh" and will receive a free one year subscription to Feelin for doing this review. All opinions are my own. I will receive no monetary compensation for this post.
Did you know that there are DC Super Hero Girls? I didn't, and I cannot wait to show Miss K. Thanks to DC Comincs and Zeitghost Media for asking me to share this spoonsored giveaway on my my blog. One of my readers could possible win 1 of 3 $100 giftcards.
If your kids are looking for action-packed girl power, look no further than DC Super Hero Girls. DC Entertainment’s latest animated series features a dynamic group of Super Heroes on their journey of discovering the power of their unique abilities and friendships. What I love is how dynamic the characters are from strong and fearless to edgy and fun; there is a character for everyone. I also love that I am familiar with a few of these Super Hero Girls and can introduce them to my daughter- face it the new Super Hero movies that are coming out really do not show a kid friendly side these days.
Check out their YouTube Channel, which makes it easy for our kids to watch their favorite characters, on-demand, and from any device.
Their website is also full of character information, products. and has an extended online experience where kids can play games, download free printable activities, and more.
Be sure to enter on the easy Rafflecopter form below to possibly win 1 of 3 VISA $100 Gift Cards with DC Super Hero Girls!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Zeitghost Media. The 4-Crow's Blog will be compensated monetarily for this post. This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment.
Warning: if you are a teacher of one of my children or one that I volunteer for, DO NOT READ THIS POST. Seriously what are you still doing reading?
My favorite week of the school year is coming up in a little over a month. Teacher Appreciation Week- May 2-6 in case you don't have it on the calendar yet. This year I get to plan for not a dozen (includes specials teachers), but for about 80!!!
Planning began in January. Shopping began in February. My latest purchase was today at Dollar General. Bags of Smarties for .75! I bought 10 bags. Oh yes, I did.
Now I am not going to give all of my ideas in this post, because I know there are a few of those 80 teachers/staff members that are still reading my blog- they get an F for following instructions today.
I made this printable for my Freshman son's six teachers. I will just take string and attach 3 or 4 rolls of Smarties to it.
Here is a blank one. You can download at this link.
One week ago today, I had my bag packed and was ready to take a little overnight trip to Sequoyah State Park. To sleep in a room with a person I had never met in person. To hang out in my PJ's and karaoke with almost 20 other women, of whom I had only met three in real life. Was I crazy? NOPE. Not by a long shot. You see these 20 are a community of mine. A community that even though I may never had met in person, at some point during the past few years they have let me into their lives through their words. They are bloggers, all but three Oklahoma Women Bloggers. They are writers.
We were all attending the first ever Oklahoma Women Bloggers conference. Search #OkWBMiniCon on all social media sites for more info, pics, and attendees.
Bag packed, ready to go, waiting for my kids to get off the bus so I can give them a hug and kiss. What happens? Life. In walks the 15 year old man-child and his nose is sitting on the side of his face, not the middle. SON, in basketball you block with your hands not your face. A trip to the ER at my scheduled time to leave was in order. Diagnosis, Nose Fracture.
I walked out of the ER and posted the above on Instagram, then called Miss K and blew her a kiss through the phone. Sometimes a Moma Blogger just has to let the Daddy take on duty.
From my house its only about a 35 minute drive to Oklahoma's Sequoyah State Park. Absolutely beautiful. This is sunrise Saturday morning.
You've heard the saying "big things come in small packages", well in less than 24 hours we heard from six fantabulous speakers who brought tons of information. On Friday night, we heard from creator/founder of The Women Bloggers Stephanie Buckley aka The Park Wife about the importance of community. Then on Saturday we heard from Jackie Wolven about blog branding. Then our fabulous OKWB...
Marisa Mohi, Topic: 10 Reasons I Stopped Reading Your Blog
Allison Griffin at Refunk My Junk, Topic: The Business of Blogging (Major FanGirling going on. Allison is also a "retired banker". I want to be her when my blog grows up.)
Mari Farthing, Topic: Yes, You are a Writer (Don't Eat the Monkey)
The OKWB admins Stephanie, Marisa and Mari did an outstanding job putting this conference together, I cannot wait until next year's conference. Wanna join me? Wanna be a sponsor? Be sure to follow/join the OKWB. You can contact them here, tell them I sent you!!
