permission to peruse

Top Ten Tuesday: Tax Time

January 24th, 2012 at 9:29 am / Amy Bennett / 11 Comments »

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I love tax season.  I know, you don’t hear that very often.  But let me explain.

  1. I love numbers.  For a few years there, I would do my taxes by hand but then still get them done so I could see how close I was to the right answer.  Why yes, I did give myself a test on taxes.  *sigh*  I know.  The geekness knows no bounds.
  2. I love getting extra mail.  I know!  My life is boring.  But knowing I’m getting important! mail! and often! makes me happy during January.  I normally lo-uh-ove the mail but January has a special place in my heart.  I’ve been known to call companies on February 1st asking where in the world my 1099 was.
  3. I love office supplies.  So organizing all the papers into categorized stacks and then putting one of those huge alligator clips on them makes me happy.  My kids love office supplies too but they get like 2 pieces of paper and try to use these huge clips when a paper clip would do.  But tax papers?  I NEED the big clip.
  4. I get to make lists.  I love lists.  I make lists just so I can check things off.  I’m not even joking.  They say you get a little shot of adrenaline when you check something off.  Clearly I need as much excitement as I can in my day.
  5. I get to print and highlight lists.  The geek in me loves running reports in mint.com, paypal.com and our bank so I can find deductions.  I like downloading the exports and formatting them in Excel and printing them and highlighting them.  How often do you really get to use a highlighter for a legit reason these days?
  6. Finding deductions is like a scavenger hunt.  Once I have all these lists printed and highlighted I always go back to previous years and see what I’m missing. I search my email for other deductions I might have missed.  When I cull something up, it’s like I hit the jackpot.  YES!  Another deduction.  It’s like a game!  Try it!
  7. I enjoy seeing if we met our giving challenge.  Our goal is always to give a higher percentage from the year before so I love that challenge to gather all the numbers and see if we met our goal.
  8. Call my silly, but there’s a satisfaction I receive going to see our tax office.  It’s run by a local family in town that knows everyone else in town.  It’s in an office in a house.  The linoleum has to be from 1976.  The dad and daughter do the taxes and the wife answers the phone.  It’s just so homey and small town and I like the tradition of it.
  9. But if I’m honest, the biggest reason I love tax season is since having kids, we usually get a hunk of change back.  Except for that one year I actually made money on the Internets and it physically hurt to write that tax check.  That year wasn’t fun.
  10. And just to drive home the point, the very best part is having those returns randomly show up in my bank account.  It’s always so depressing to go into mint.com and see my bank account drain every single day but during tax season?  Surprise!  Random huge deposit in your account!

OK, now I promise I’m not just a money-hungry dork.  I’ll claim the dork part but that’s it.

Tell me, do you love tax season or hate it?

This post is linked to ohAmanda’s Top Ten Tuesday.

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Permission to Peruse’s Top 10 Posts of 2011

December 27th, 2011 at 7:00 am / Amy Bennett / 7 Comments »

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I just *know* you guys come here every single day and read every single post so this one you can skip.   Buuuut just in case you haven’t and may have missed one of Permission to Peruse’s most popular posts, I thought I’d put together a little list:

  1. More Working Mother Rambling
  2. Introducing Entangled (Entangled: Launch Day and Things I’ve Learned Writing an eBook also made the list but I thought I’d combine)
  3. Top Ten Reasons to be an Early Riser
  4. Top Ten Tuesday: Lighting Choices
  5. My {Current} Take on the Topic
  6. Top Ten Reasons to Watch Downton Abbey
  7. Sacrifice
  8. My Experience with the Daniel Fast
  9. Jewelry Holder
  10. Would You Quit the Internet?

This one gets an honorable mention because it didn’t have the most comments but I believe it got the most views: My Favorite Things

As we begin to finish out 2011, I can’t thank you enough for coming to read here.  I’m looking forward to what 2012 brings for Permission to Peruse!

You can see more Top Ten Posts at ohAmanda.com

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Top Ten Reasons to Watch Downton Abbey

December 6th, 2011 at 8:33 am / Amy Bennett / 17 Comments »

DowntonAbbey

I haven’t talked too much TV lately but I just have to share about a new show I’ve caught up on recently that is a must-watch.  I’m talking Friday Night Lights-level love here.  The BBC show Downton Abbey.

It.

is.

amazing. 

Imagine Pride and Prejudice but 8 times better and drawn out as a TV series.  I’m serious.  It’s that good.  Here are 10 things I love about it.

  1. The show had a great hook right from the start.  The show takes place in Yorkshire at Downton Abbey, where the Earl and Countess of Grantham live with their older three daughters.  The two male heirs are killed in the Titanic and it sets off the basis for entirety of Season 1.
  2. The filming quality is that of a movie, not of a TV show.  The setting is legitimately filmed at a castle in England.  The costumes have won awards and are amazing.  It’s just one of those shows that is simply beautiful to watch.
  3. The show is different from other period pieces like Pride and Prejudice in that it deals moreso with the servants and the running of the house versus the royalty and their dealings.  Yes, it’s mixed in but you get a unique look at that period I’ve not seen anywhere else.
  4. The ensemble cast is spot-on.  There is not a bad actor to be found.
  5. There are good, honorable characters.  There is one in particular, Mr. Bates, that is honorable to a fault.  One of the servants Anna is a caring woman with integrity.  You can’t help but love them dearly.
  6. There are some great evil characters too.  There are two servants in particular that are foul-mouthed, morally destitute and downright scoundrels. I love to hate them but it makes for some GREAT TV.
  7. There are some funny characters too.  The mother of the Earl has the perfect sense of sarcasm I appreciate about the British.
  8. Because the Earl has three daughters, many of the storylines are about finding them a husband.  You know I can’t help but love a good storyline about a couple.
  9. Each season only has 7 episodes.  It’s easy to get caught up but each episode is packed with so much drama so you don’t feel jipped.
  10. Season 1 is on Netflix!  PBS will be airing the second season starting in January so you gotta get caught up!

Seriously, ya’ll.  You have to watch.  The first episode I would say has the most controversial scene of the whole first season but don’t let that put you off.  The rest of the season is amazing. Here’s a promo for the first season.  Just watching it makes me want to watch it all again!

 

This post was linked up with ohAmanda’s Top Ten Tuesday.

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Top Ten Signs of an Emotional Affair

November 15th, 2011 at 7:09 am / Amy Bennett / 2 Comments »

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Are you unsure what an emotional affair is or wonder what one looks like? The following list is an excerpt from my eBook Entangled.  It’s not an exhaustive list of ways to recognize if you’re in an emotional affair and there are many more details in the book.  But if these spark something in you, I want to highly encourage you to read Entangled.

  1. You think about him all the time.
  2. Your daydreams are consumed with him.
  3. Songs make you think of him.  You may or may not share lyrics.
  4. You write poems or stories reflecting feelings or fantasies.
  5. You think of him when you dress or fix your hair.
  6. You confess dreams or feelings for each other.
  7. When you’re not together you remain connected. Your spouse is unaware.
  8. You desire to see him or being where you know he will be.
  9. You refer to each other as girlfriend/boyfriend or office wife/husband.
  10. You wish you’d never met your husband or you fantasize his death.

You can check out more about the book at the site EntangledBook.com

This list is linked with Top Ten Tuesday over at ohamanda.com.

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Top Ten Reasons to be an Early Riser

October 11th, 2011 at 7:02 am / Amy Bennett / 23 Comments »

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It’s been almost two weeks that I’ve been going to bed early and getting up early.  I know, two weeks isn’t long enough to consider anything a habit, unless your talking about buying Lattes every day and then I’d bet you’d call it a habit.  In any case, I’ve found that I quite like it.  Here’s why:

  1. Scott and I go to bed at the same time.  Since he has to get up at 4am when he’s on day shift, he’s in bed by 8.  I usually was never in bed until at least 10 and sometimes 12.  I’ve enjoyed the whole house shutting down at one time.  It’s weird, but it feels like that “lights out” moment at camp when you knew you were all in it together.
  2. I wasn’t getting a whole lot done at night anyway.  My brain power by 8pm was not worth much so I’d find I was just circling between Facebook, Twitter and email.  Sometimes I’d get a blog post in but only when I was lucky.
  3. I start to think about the next day a lot earlier in the evening.  This is good because at 7:30 I still have energy to plan for the next day.  I find even though I’m up early the next day, I’m getting more things ready for the next day the night before.
  4. I get up easier when it’s earlier.  I have no idea how that happens but it’s easier for me to get up at 5:45 when I’ve gone to bed at 9 then it is to get up at 6:45 when I went to bed at 10.  It shouldn’t be so as it’s the same amount of time but I have just found I am entirely too groggy the later I wake up, no matter how much sleep I’ve had.  In fact, Friday night Scott and I were asleep by 9:30 or so and slept in until almost 9 and it was harder to get myself out of bed that morning.
  5. I like starting my day before everyone else.  I feel like I have a head start to my day and get my day started with the right attitude versus the kids up and me feeling like a failure for not being able to be up with the kids.
  6. I get more done in the morning.  I’m a lot more alert in the morning so I’m actually productive.  With less time, I get more done.
  7. We’re not rushed to get off to school.  This morning, we were all literally sitting around the living room waiting for the time to leave.  This has *never* happened before. 
  8. I like that the kids will remember that I’m up, ready and alert.  I normally did have to wake them up for school anyway but I was in my pjs, hair a mess and barely alert.  It worked, but I just feel better being completely dressed and ready. I have a better tone to my voice and attitude.
  9. I’m not worried all day about all the things I need to do.  Yes, some things have to wait but I like that I can get things started before work.  That load of laundry that needs switched or that blog post that needs written (this one!) can all get done without me worrying about it.
  10. I’m saving money!  Now this one sounds funny but seriously, we are.  Since I’m up earlier I have time to make my own coffee and get my snack and lunch ready for work when I go.  Before, I was just rushing out the door and buying stuff at work.  I still treat myself to Starbucks one work morning a week but I’m not buying the regular coffee at work every single time.

Wow, I didn’t think I’d ever be such a proponent as an early-riser but I think I’m in!  The only downside I can think of is when you CAN’T get to bed early and it’s super hard to get up early the next morning.   The good news is, it’s even easier to go to sleep early the next night and get back on track.

So how do you do this?  I started out by going to bed super early one night when I was exhausted but then got up early the next day instead of sleeping in.  Somehow, it’s stuck since then!

So tell me, are you an early riser or night owl??

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Top Ten Tuesday: Luau Wish List

August 1st, 2011 at 9:53 pm / Amy Bennett / 12 Comments »

So the girls have been begging to do a “game day” at the house with their friends.  It’s like a fair but with all games they make up and direct.  I somehow skirted around this by agreeing to do a themed back to school pool party in two weeks.  And since Back to School isn’t such a fun theme to decorate around your pool, we decided to stick a Luau theme on it.  Yes, the invites read “Back to School Hawaiian Pool Party”.  We Bennett girls are nothing if not wordy.  So, Pinterest to the rescue!  I’ve pinned some great party ideas and here are my Top 10!

1. OF COURSE you have to have leis.  But how about making them as the party craft first thing?

Source: thecraftingchicks.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

 

2. And I know this is wedding material and all but wouldn’t a bunch of little girls be adorable with flowers in their hair?

 

3. I’m sure the grownups would appreciate some Hawaiian pizza

Source: google.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

 

4. Not to mention some Aloha Cake!

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

 

5. Or Aloha smoothies?

 

OK, let me get back on track. This is a KIDS party not an adult party

6. The girls simply can not wait to have this jello watermelon

Source: cuegly.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

 

7. Or the Blue Hawaiian Ice

Source: mightysweet.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

 

8. OR the carved Shark watermelon

 

9. Oh and we should probably have some decorations. I think this wreath is super cute.

Source: cfabbridesigns.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

 

10. And finally yes, I’ve relented to some games. And how about a cool sign to point the kids in the right direction?

 

If I can pull all this together, the kids will be talking about this for years. I can not wait!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Lighting Choices

April 5th, 2011 at 6:00 am / Amy Bennett / 18 Comments »

Decisions, decisions. This is for our bedroom. It will basically hang at the foot of the bed, midway between the fireplace and headboard. What I really was after was a pretty chandelier to be the girly jewelry in an otherwise manly room. However, after a quick look at lightingdirect.com and shadesoflighting.com, I have just a *few* more options. Halp!

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CH09034GB-017
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CH10087IR-01

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8375chi

10

What say you?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Simple Healthy-ish Lunches

March 29th, 2011 at 1:09 pm / Amy Bennett / 7 Comments »

Ever since I did the Daniel Fast I’ve forgone (for the most part) my usual lunches of Chick-fil-a, Taco Bell, leftover pizza or cereal.  To say I ate unhealthy was a bit of an understatement.  But it was just me and I was always in a hurry while doing other things during my lunch break and I just needed something to get by.  And I was a little addicted to Taco Bell.  And it’s Mountain Dew. 

However, those days are gone and I have been really good at trying to eat something of value.  Most of the time, this ends up looking like a kids’ lunch box, usually 3 or 4 snacks rolled into a lunch.  There’s nothing profound here but I feel so much better when I’ve eaten off this list!  And I guess it’s working because I’ve kept off the 6 pounds I lost during the fast!  I have to give a shout-out to Jo-Lynne and Kristi for always inspiring to eat better!

  1. Carrots with ranch (admittedly the ranch should go)
  2. Cottage cheese (full fat!)
  3. Strawberry yogurt with granola (I’ve also heard rave reviews over greek yogurt with honey)
  4. Mixed nuts (don’t expect any pecans or cashews to be left after my turn!)
  5. Garlic hummus with pita chips
  6. Fruit – whatever I have: strawberries, grapes, etc
  7. Baked potato (with only butter and salt. ok and maybe a little sour cream sometimes)
  8. Salad with balsamic vinegar and oil
  9. Tuna salad plain (with Nayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise) instead of Miracle Whip)
  10. Egg salad plain (with Nayonnaise(vegan mayonnaise) instead of Miracle Whip)

Pretty sure I should have a ton more veggies on there but that is what I’m able to conjure up for now.

What else would you recommend?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Bedroom Designs

March 15th, 2011 at 7:00 am / Amy Bennett / 12 Comments »

OK so I could keep a lot of the same decorations in our new bedroom and most likely I will.  But it’s time to step it up just a notch.  As I mentioned, I’m not a fan of the uber popular coastal look going around.  I mean, it’s GORGEOUS but it’s just not my style.  Pretty sure I will forever be a fan of reds, oranges, browns and greens.  I love dark woods.  I love for it to feel WARM, COZY and INVITING.

So given that, here are my Top 10 Dream Bedrooms.

#10 What I love about this? DARK.  I love the feeling that I’m sleeping in a library with all of that dark wood.  Just wrap me up and put me to bed!  Not a fan of the lamps, rug or picture necessarily.  Just like that it’s so dark.

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#9 I don’t think I could handle such light walls, furniture AND carpet but I love all the green pillows and love the interesting light and bench.

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#8 Blue is not usually my thing but I do love all the shimmer.  The chandelier is outstanding and I just like the overall chic look.

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#7 I don’t love everything about this room (please cover those chairs!) but I do love the mirror, I love the mixture of red, orange and brown.  I like the black and white artwork.  The lighting just makes it feel cozy.

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#6 These white walls usually would be a turn off but I think the tile is interesting.  Again, I love the red, orange and brown.  I particularly like that the headboard and bed are both dark, similar to ours.

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#5  I love the orangey/peachy colors in this room.  I think this is less the cozy feel but still a nice, bright room I would be happy to walk into.

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#4 OK, now we’re getting to my favorites.  I love, love, love the green floor to ceiling curtains. I Love the shimmery rug and art.  I love the dark furniture and dark floors.  I’m surprised I love it given the walls are ivory.

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#3 I just LOVE this room. Again, floor to ceiling curtains.  We have the brown and orange with some great pattern in the blanket.  I love the rug.  Love the geometric design in the lamp and side table.

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#2 Now, this is just a pipe dream but this room was built as a college thesis and I am just IN LOVE with all the cozy lighting and the green on the bed and curtains.  Love the mirror on the bottom of the bed.  Love all the wood accents.  This is so not happening but I love it.

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#1 And this might surprise you, but this was my favorite out of the bunch.  It’s not perfect but there’s a lot to love.  I love the floor to ceiling green curtains (those are green right?).  I love the dark furniture.  I love the pattern in the rug.  I love the mirror to the left.  I love the black and white photography.  I am very surprised I like the light blue walls and blue accents in the pillows.  I’m not a huge fan of the bed and chest but overall, I think this room evokes the right mix of modern, traditional, light and dark, cozy, livable space.

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I think I’m going to pull some of my favorite things from all of these to make our new master bedroom a cozy retreat.  I think we’re really going to need a nice place to escape to in the coming years!

Which of these are your favorites?

For more Top Ten, visit ohAmanda.com

Pictures were taken from Elle or Rate My Space

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Top Ten Tuesday: Photo Booth

December 28th, 2010 at 12:45 pm / Amy Bennett / 4 Comments »

It sounds silly but one thing I will really miss about my MacBook is Photo Booth.  It’s a sample camera that takes pictures with different effects applied and you can see yourself as you take the picture.  The kids loved it and it’s the one thing they mentioned they would miss.  Probably because it’s the only thing I would let them do on it.  It was always a fun time to take silly picture with one another at random times.  Most of them are garbage but there are a few that I would be sad if they disappeared and make me happy.

The three of us piled onto my bed one night.

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A quick hug at my desk.

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Not sure but they effect was really cool. I feel like Marilyn Monroe.

Photo 295 Being silly on the couch.

Photo 405 Being extra silly on the couch.

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  Impromptu family portrait in our bedroom.  Can’t leave out the Build-a-Bear.

Photo 146 Love my girl!

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And we’re good at being silly sometimes.

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Did I mention silly?

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Lexi stealing the camera by herself one day.

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Emma stealing the camera, feigning surprise, I’m sure.

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Fun right?  So different than the usual family pics we grab around here. 

I think maybe what I’ll miss the most is not the Mac or Photo Booth but the moments we let ourselves be silly.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Blogging Tips

November 30th, 2010 at 10:30 am / Amy Bennett / 15 Comments »

 

I’ve been in the blogging world now for almost NINE years.  Yep.  I’ve learned a thing or two about blogging and today I’ve taken a look at my favorite blogs and compiled of list of things that make me love them.  AND things that have made me hit that awful Unsubscribe button in my reader. I’m learning too even after 9 years so I’m taking notes on my notes!

  1. Don’t apologize for your content.  I’ve done it and seen people do it.  Don’t start a heavy post by saying, “Sorry this is so heavy today”.  Just let it be heavy.  Same for funny.  If you’re posts are normally heavy but you throw in a light-hearted fun one, don’t say “Sorry this is so frivolous”.  Just let it be funny.  However, if you have offended someone and realize your content was hurtful or not written with the right heart DO apologize. It’s ok to make mistakes in blogging.
  2. Speaking of the funny, BE funny sometimes.  I truly believe God has a sense of humor and even if you write spiritual posts, you CAN have a sense of humor about some things.  BooMama and The McMommy Chronicles ALWAYS make me laugh.
  3. Use quality pictures.  Well, first USE pictures.  If The Pioneer Woman has taught us anything it is that you need pictures in your posts.  I’m always more drawn in when I get a sense of the post from the pictures.  If you’re not a photographer, use a stock photo rather than a bad personal photo.  If you’re looking for a blog with fantastic pictures, look no further than The American Mum.  Beautiful!
  4. Write consistently. This does not equate to write every day.  Even if it’s once a week, do that all the time.  In fact, some might argue that readers look forward to your posts more if they are infrequent, but consistent.  Anne Jackson has started blogging only twice a week and I look forward to those days!  However, it’s almost a guarantee that Pete will have a blog post up every morning and I look forward to those too!
  5. Share you.  Whether you write a personal blog or niche blog, always share your heart.  But be wise when you’re angry, frustrated, mad or sad.  You don’t want hurtful words written in the blogosphere for everyone to read forever.  There is a reason for the DRAFT mode of posts.   Sometimes they need to stay right there in your draft folder!  However, I find that opening your soul lets the best blogging happen.  Moosh In Indy and Ministry So Fabulous both share the good and bad and I love them for it.
  6. Change it up.  To be honest I get tired of reading the same type of content on personal blogs (niche blogs are defined by the same stuff over and over so I don’t mean them).  Show me all sides of you.  I DO want to hear about your kids, the music you love, what’s eating at your soul, etc, etc.  OhAmanda and Musings of a Housewife are two people that have a great range of posts.
  7. Be creative.  In life or in your posts.  There is not much else I appreciate more than seeing someone use their talents in a creative way.  Carlos Whittaker and his wife Heather are both fantastically creative.
  8. Be inspired by and link to others.  I love when I read a post and they mention they were inspired by another blog or book that I read.  I think it really enhances the connection to that person through that 3rd party.  Just this morning, Mommy on Fire linked to Jesus Needs New PR and I couldn’t help but get a little excited someone saw the same thing as me!  A caveat to this…don’t make every post a rehash of someone else’s posts.
  9. Offer tutorials or solutions.  Even if you’re not an expert at anything (like me) and can’t post wonderful food blogs like The Pioneer Woman, you DO have something that you do well.  Share it so others can do it too.  Works for me Wednesday hosted by The Diaper Diaries is a great way to start sharing (and promoting) your tips. (Update: Not sure what I did to mix this up but it’s hosted by We are That Family!  thx Alicia!)
  10. Write what you’re passionate about.  And be honest about it.  If you’re passionate about a pair of jeans, then by golly, post about them.  If you’re passionate about what God showed you in your quiet time, then share that.  I think the key to someone connecting to you is if you are PASSIONATE about your topic.

So there you go, ten simple steps to a better blog.

What did I miss?  What makes you go back to a blog every day or makes you hit that unsubscribe button?

 

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Operation Christmas Child

November 9th, 2010 at 3:30 pm / Amy Bennett / 6 Comments »

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The girls and I had a really good time doing the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes this year.  If you’re not familiar with the shoeboxes, basically you pick an age group, pack a shoe box with age-appropriate toys and necessities and then they are shipped out to kids of that age group that will not get a Christmas otherwise.  I’ve done it before but for whatever reason took a few years off.  I’m so sorry I did because the girls and I had a great time packing them.  We watched several of the videos together and I think they really GOT that this would be their only Christmas present.  Lexi, who LOVES her toys, even dug into her own toy box to donate.

A huge help this year is that my couponing REALLY paid off.  I think we packed each box for about $5 and they were STUFFED.  Here are 10 of the things we packed:

  1. Toothbrush/toothpaste (free thx to couponing)
  2. Gum(free thx to couponing)
  3. Stuffed Animal (free thx to couponing)
  4. Dice and cards
  5. Coloring book/crayon
  6. Chapstick and eye shadow (to play dress-up of course & free thx to couponing)
  7. My Little Pony toys and other plastic figurines that were like new (which the girls donated from their collection)
  8. Flashlight
  9. Pens/Highlighters (free thx to couponing)
  10. Plush purse

As you might can tell, we picked a 5-9 year old girl.  What I love about this year is that they now have a tracking system and you can track which country it goes to.  I’m hoping for Haiti (a new country this year) and Emma thinks it will be Russia.  Our church was not participating this year so to top it off, we donated ours at our local Chick-fil-a and received two free chicken sandwiches! 

The great news is YOU still have about a week to put one together!  Here’s a video on how to pack it and get more information on their site for labels and donation sites near you.

 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Catalyst Takeaways

October 12th, 2010 at 6:00 am / Amy Bennett / 6 Comments »

 

Yeah, so I’m going to be talking about Catalyst for a while I suppose.  Just to start I thought I’d make a list for you (but mostly me) of organizations that Catalyst promoted.  I’m planning to research many of them in depth that I feel called to but you might have a heart for a different ministry.  Here’s a quick overview.

  1. Operation Christmas Child.  No stranger to many of us.  Fill a shoebox for a child for Christmas.
  2. Compassion.  Definitely not a stranger to this blog or to you probably.  Sponsor a child for only $38 a month.  Catalyst had a graduate of Compassion there who is now sponsoring another child.  Do it.  Do it, do it, do it.  I LOVE Compassion.
  3. CharityWater.org.  They reminded me a lot of blood:water mission who we are supporting through the Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt.  Very worthy cause to say the least.
  4. A21Campaign.org – Helps women who have been a victim of human trafficking.
  5. Street Grace – Atlanta based group that help children who have been victims of trafficking.
  6. Tronie Foundation – Survivor led organization to support survivors of trafficking.
  7. First Response Team – A group that responds to United States natural disasters to aid local responders do their jobs.
  8. 143Million.org – Brings awareness to the 143 million orphans across the world that need adopted.
  9. Project 7 -  A company that sells COFFEE where a part of it goes to charity.
  10. aHomeInHaiti – They provide shelter to homeless Haitians.

Here’s the thing.  I KNOW that’s a lot.  But as Helen Keller said, “I may not be able to do everything, but still I can do something”.  Yes, I feel overwhelmed with all the ways we can help make a difference.  But not understanding all the ways doesn’t mean I can’t understand at least ONE way.

So pick one.

Do something.

Start a small monthly donation to one.  And then add another when you can.  Having any number of options should not lead us to no options.  Do something.

So I’ll start the thinking process for you…which one jumps out at you as you read the list?  Go ahead, put it in the comments.

For me, obviously Compassion is really close to my heart but sex trafficking has been heavy on my heart for weeks leading up to Catalyst.  A21Campaign, Street Grace and Tronie Foundation were a big bright neon sign to me.  I’ll be posting more about them in coming days.  Stay tuned!

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Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Shows I’ll Be Checking Out This Fall

August 24th, 2010 at 10:56 am / Amy Bennett / 22 Comments »

I have enjoyed watching exactly ZERO TV this summer.  Yes, Friday Night Lights was on NBC but honestly that Friday night schedule didn’t work out for me too well.  I would really like to continue the no TV into the fall but I really do love these shows.  Many I will DVR and watch later but this is my list for now.

1. Monday – Lone Star

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This is a new one with “Tyra” from Friday Night Lights.  I can’t NOT check it out and all the entertainment blogs are raving about it.

2. Monday – Hawaii Five-0

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Former LOST star turned police officer?  I’m in. But I’ll ditch it fast if it’s not amazing.

3. Tuesday – Parenthood

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Parenthood is funny and dramatic and real.

4. Tuesday – One Tree Hill

2010-08-24_1043 Well, duh.

5. Tuesday – Glee

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This one honestly could come or go.  Even last season I was mainly watching from DVR and it’s another I’ll ditch if it’s not amazing.

6.  Wednesday – Hellcats

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I have to check this one out at least.  I loved Bring It On and I love Ashley Tisdale.  Plus it has One Tree Hill alum Robbie Jones.

7. Wednesday – Modern Family

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Not to be missed!  Hilarious TV!  Also one of of few shows Scott and I will watch together.

8. Thursday – Vampire Diaries

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Going into this season, it’s one of my favorites.  Drama!!

9. Thursday – My Generation

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This one is going to be interesting.  Two Friday Night Lights alums are in this and I definitely want to see what it’s about.

10. Thursday – Grey’s Anatomy

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Um, hello?  I’m an original Grey’s fan.  Watch it.  Own it.  Love it.  Seriously.

And optionally Dexter.  I don’t have Showtime so I won’t be able to watch but if people start chattering about how good it is, I might have to break down and get it for a few months.

Obviously, I’m a drama fan!  With endless time, there are many more fabulous shows I would like to add (Lie to Me, Big Bang Theory, Chuck, The Middle, House, How I Met Your Mother) but 2-3hrs/night is already too much!

What’s on your must-see list for the fall?  What am I missing? I found FNL from a comment on my list last year!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ways to Pray for Your Child’s Future Spouse and Marriage

August 10th, 2010 at 12:00 pm / Amy Bennett / 6 Comments »

In light of our anniversary and some really special Karen Kingsbury books, relationships and marriage have been heavy on my heart this week.  It’s so important that we pray for our children and their future spouses, if God leads them that way.  I know my parents and Scott’s parents both prayed many of these.  It is now my turn to pray for my two girls and I thought I’d share some of the ways I’m doing that.  Pray that:

  1. God would help you to lead your daughter to an authentic relationship with Christ
  2. God would help the child’s parents to lead their son to an authentic relationship with Christ
  3. God would lead you and his parents in the paths that would lead your children together
  4. God would keep them pure, in heart and body, until marriage.  Specifically, that Satan would not deceive them about love, relationships and marriage and what they should look like.
  5. God would help them raise their son up to be a spiritual leader and humble servant.
  6. God would help us raise our daughters up to be a Proverbs 31 woman.
  7. God would speak to and soften their hearts so they recognize each other when the time is right.
  8. They would have a fulfilling, long and happy marriage.
  9. God leads them individually and together in whatever ministry He has in store for them.
  10. If God gives them children, that they would be praying these same prayers one day.

What else should we be praying for?

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