The winner for our June Father’s Day contest. . .
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Surprize Me! | Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Alexa Howard told us all about her man and WON the amazing selection of products found here for her husband. We had a lot of fun picking out the winner. Click here to see the video where my husband uses his bow and arrow to select the winning dad (I also included a little peek at Quinten in the video;).
Here is what Alexa had to say about her man (what a great guy God blessed her with)!:
"My husband is "the BEST dad ever"! One of the most important things he does (to me) is he prays for our kids and with them. He is teaching them what it look like to love the Lord and follow Him. He wrestles with them and they LOVE it! He is VERY involved. Get's up in the morning with the kids and helps and drives our daughter to school. Helps with their bedtime routine…bath, books, devotions, prayers… then stays with our 2 yr old till he falls asleep. The kids love him sooo much and have such a good relationship with him! I know they will grow up KNOWING their daddy. He has been so supportive of me as a mom, he was very helpful with our home birth, and me breastfeeding, and wearing baby in slings, he would even wear our babies in the slings a lot too! He always tells our kids how much he loves them, they get hugs and kisses and loving from their wonderful daddy. He is soo much more than just a great father, he is a wonderful husband and man of God. I'm very proud of him!" ~Alexa Howard
Recycled Refrigerator Magnets by Kristina B.
By kristinabjornbak | Category: It Worked 4 Me | Posted Monday, June 29, 2009
You hate those magnets. I know you do. You know, the one with the lawyer on it that came with your phone book? Or how about the magnet with last year's calendar on it sent to you by your insurance agent? Or that magnet they gave you last time you ordered pizza? But you keep them, right? Because you need a magnet?
Here's a way not only to give those ugly magnets new life, but recycle them into cute, custom magnets you can proudly display on your refrigerator!
Materials needed:
-Old, ugly magnets
-Paper of any kind (printer paper, card stock, or even pretty wrapping paper)
-Any sort of embellishment that strikes your fancy (markers, crayons, foil, buttons, ribbon, etc.)
-Glue (I used an Elmer's glue stick, but white school glue would work as well)
Step 1:
Cut down old magnet into the size and shape of your choice. Select the type of paper you will be using.
Step 2:
Lay the paper you are using for the front of the magnet face down on the table. The paper I am using here is double-sided, so the side I want is actually face down on the table. Glue the magnet onto the paper so that the side that will face the fridge is toward you. Allow a moment for the glue to dry.
Step 3:
Cut out the magnet with the paper glued onto it. Now it is free to do whatever you want to it. Add words, layer paper, get crazy with glitter. Here I've written out "WELCOME" in black and silver permanent markers and added an aluminium foil border.
Here are some of the magnets my 5-year-old and I made with this craft.
Remember, don't be afraid to get creative. They are yours to display and feel free to use any materials you want to whether or not you'd normally see them on a magnet. As long as the glue will stick to them, they are a go!
Safer Online Shopping
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Surprize Me! | Posted Monday, June 29, 2009
I want to thank Patrick Runald, Chief Security Advisor, at F-Secure for the following guest post for our readers!
Shopping has never been easier and more fun. In just a few clicks, we can jump from bazaars to boutiques to shopping malls across the continents. The Internet has become the world’s biggest marketplace and revolutionized our age-old activity of buying and selling things.
It’s easy to see why more and more people are switching on their computers instead of heading for the shops. Online shopping is hugely convenient and presents an unmatched range of products to choose from. Price comparison web sites offer instant analysis for bargain hunters, any time of the day. And instead of getting frustrated by queues and parking problems, we can chat online with other armchair consumers to share the best deals, product reviews and shopping tips.
Whether you are looking for Bolivian sports memorabilia or Tibetan prayer bells, using the web saves time and makes it simple to send gifts to family and friends. For many people, online auctions like eBay have become the preferred way of buying both new and used products.
But online shopping also has its risks. Browsing through the Internet’s never-ending supermarket may be entertaining virtual travel, but there is nothing ‘virtual’ about sending your credit card details across the Web. With billions of dollars exchanging hands on the Internet every day, online criminals make their money from unprotected or careless shoppers who don’t follow basic security measures.
Get ready for shopping action
It’s your money at stake, so it pays to make sure that your online shopping experience is as safe as possible. Going online without any safety awareness or security software is nowadays a bit like deliberately jumping into in shark-infested waters. Before spending any money, it’s essential to make sure that your computer, Internet connection and web browser are all as secure as possible.
F-Secure’s free Health Check pinpoints the possible security vulnerabilities on your PC and helps to make sure your system stays in good shape. If you do discover some problems and the constantly evolving world of Internet threats is not quite your area of expertise, then the first item in your shopping basket should be a security program for your computer. Software like F-Secure Internet Security 2009 keeps you protected and automatically updates your computer’s defences, wherever your online shopping expedition takes you.
Now focus for a moment on the Internet connection that brings the world’s marketplace to your computer screen.
- Remember that it’s always risky to send personal information over the unsecured wireless networks found in cafés, libraries, airports or other local Hotspots.
Messages sent over unsecured networks can be intercepted by outsiders. So before whipping out the credit card to complete a purchase, make sure you are on a secured broadband connection at home or work, or log on to a secured wireless network that requires a user name and password.
Safe computer, safe connection, safe browser. The third preventive safety measure is to:
- Ensure that your Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or whatever browser you are using to surf the net, is up to date.
Browsers without the latest security updates are vulnerable to attack by hackers and other malware merchants trying get inside your computer. Clicking on the update bubbles from Microsoft, Mozilla or other browser vendors helps to keep the baddies out. It’s that simple.
Buy from reputable stores
Since you can’t physically touch the products or judge the trustworthiness of the salesperson, get into the habit of identifying the signs of a reputable web site. Just as you wouldn’t buy a Rolex watch for 20 euros from a shady character on the street corner, don’t take any chances with online vendors.
- The first alarm bells should start ringing if you have never heard of the shop, it doesn’t have a postal address, and nobody answers when you call the customer service contact number. A quick web search should reveal if the company really exists and whether anyone else has experienced problems dealing with it.
- Pop-up adverts and questionnaires jumping around the screen are another bad sign. Never write your personal details in the pop-ups that may appear when you are shopping around, unless you really want more spam e-mail in your inbox.
- If a shopping web site requires you to open an account and to log on with a password, make your passwords more secure by mixing upper case, lower case and special characters.
- Always scrutinize the product descriptions and shipping costs before buying something. Read the small print and make sure you know how to follow the status of your order in case of a delay.
- Most importantly, don’t forget to check the company’s refund policy so that you’re not left wearing the wrong-sized shoes.
Making secure payments
There are also useful things to look out for when you have clicked on the ‘checkout’ button but have not yet typed in your credit card numbers or PayPal details.
- Many online shops display a closed padlock or unbroken key symbol and switch to a https:// address when you proceed to the checkout. Be reassured that https stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer. Spotting that padlock or https should therefore bring a warm glow of relief to the face of every online shopper. It means that the sensitive information you send during the checkout process is encrypted and can’t be read by others. The padlock should be located in the address bar or status bar in Internet Explorer, or the navigation tool bar in Firefox. If it appears on the page itself, you have ran into a fraudulent web site.
- Paying by credit card is a good idea because you can usually get refunded if it has been wrongly charged by a shop or used fraudulently by someone else. Keep a sharp eye on your credit card statements and immediately contact your bank if unauthorized payments have been made on your card. Print out the e-mail order confirmations and receipts for your purchases. If you do have problems with a shop, remember that normal consumer rights also apply on the products that you buy on the Internet.
Safe habits save money
Never, ever, buy anything advertised in a spam message. Junk mail offers that seem too good to be true are usually exactly that. They are scams designed to steal your personal details, to infect your computer with nasty stuff like spyware, and to part you from your money. Clicking on attachments or links in spam messages is simply asking for trouble. Also watch out for bogus messages asking you to verify your eBay, PayPal or online banking details. Reputable companies will never do that, so delete all such requests.
The key to avoiding shopping disappointments on the Web is to follow your common sense, backed up by up-to-date security software. If you have any doubts about a web site, then spend your money elsewhere. With so many retailers at your fingertips who are prepared to make online shopping safe and enjoyable, it’s really not worth taking any risks.
Let’s hear it for your man one last time. . .
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Surprize Me! | Posted Friday, June 26, 2009
I have had a wonderful time sharing some of the entries from our "Let's hear it for your man" June giveaway promotion. I hope you have enjoyed reading them. Isn't it awesome to not only read about these great men but also to know that these wonderful women are supporting them? I think that honoring our husbands with our words (both when we are with them and when we are not) is so important as wives and a vital role we can play in upholding them.
I wish I was able to share all of the entries! I went through the first few pages of entries early in the month and scheduled these posts before our baby was born so that they would be ready to go so because of that I was not able to share all the entries. We will have fun picking the winner (remember my wonderful husband is going to use his bow and arrow to nail down which dad is getting the amazing items shown here). Today is the last day to enter so if you have not yet done so, today is your day!!
"My husband is a special dad because he has two wonderful children that adore him. We became parents later in life by adoption. First a boy then a girl. Adopting abused children is not easy and our first year was not easy. But my husband was a trooper and stuck in there when sometimes he didn't think he could. Now he spends all his extra time with them by showing them what a dad is supposed to do…love his children and spend quality time with them. He wants them to have the best childhood memories that they can have for a lifetime."
"My husband is not only an amazing man, but he is also an amazing father to my two children, Charlotte (2 1/2) and Toby (3 months). When Charlotte was born he wrote a song for her and would play it on his guitar every night. To this day she still asks for her "Butterfly" song before she goes to bed. Now, he has a song that he wrote for our son and sings it to him every night as well. It is just a little reminder to both of them as to how much he loves and adores them. He is the love of my life and God had truly blessed me with the perfect husband!"
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO tell us about your man!
Weekly Giveaway – Digitsaver Pinch Guard
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Mom 4 Life News & Giveaways | Posted Friday, June 26, 2009
Congratulations to Anita, who won Strap To It!
Strap To It will be 10% off this week (until Thursday night).
….and TODAY is the last day to enter your man!
You have until June 26, to enter your
man in our Father's
Day Contest!
June is National Safety
Month, and look what you could win!
Digitsaver Pinch Guard for Door Knobs
Retail Price: $9.99
One winner will get to receive their choice of styles.
- Fits on most door knobs and lever handles
- Portable…take it with you where-ever you go
- Easy to install, no tools required, just attach to any
doorknob - Does not cause damage to hinges or door frames like other products
on the market - Blocks door open to prevent young children (or pets) from
accidentally locking themselves in a room - Prevents door from blowing shut due to an open window or forced
air heater - Made from velvety soft man-made polyester, reinforced with cotton
for additional safety - Produced to the highest International Safety Standards
We went your feedback on our Giveaways! Please comment here and tell us what you
like or don't like about our Giveaways. What kind of products would you like to see more of?
How often do you enter? Whatever you feel like sharing, we'd like to hear it.
The winner will be randomly drawn. You have until
Tuesday evening, June 30, to enter. Good luck!
