Happy 5th Birthday, SwagBucks!

Have you RSVP'd for Swagbucks' 5th Birthday Blowout? It's easy to do, and when you RSVP you're automatically entering yourself to win one of five $1000 CASH prizes. The whole birthday celebration will be a big one - they're giving out 135 Swag Bucks worth of codes, and they're giving away four more $1000 cash prizes on the 25th when they celebrate. You can find the RSVP link on the Swagbucks homepage - just look for the birthday image and click on it to be taken to the RSVP page. 

If you're not a member of Swagbucks yet, join me and use the code 5THBIRTHDAY during registration - you'll start with 120 Swag Bucks! I've used Swagbucks for over two years and I've already earned enough Swag Bucks for a new vacuum, several big Christmas and birthday presents, and a new bread machine!

"Shattered" by Dani Pettrey

With All the Evidence Against Him, Only a Sister's Trust Can Save Him Now

When her prodigal brother Reef's return to Yancey, Alaska, is shattered by his arrest for murder, Piper McKenna is determined to protect him.

Deputy Landon Grainger loves the McKennas like family, but he's also sworn to find the truth. And he knows those closest to you have the power to deceive you the most. With his sheriff pushing for a quick conviction, some unexpected leads complicate the investigation, and pursuing the truth puts Landon's career in jeopardy.

When Piper launches her own investigation, Landon realizes he must protect her from herself-and whatever complications await as the two follow clues deep into Canada's rugged backcountry. Not only does their long friendship seem to be turning into something more, but this dangerous case is becoming deadlier with each step. 

Shattered  will take you on an intense and suspenseful journey through the Alaskan wilderness in search of a masterful killer.  I loved it!  You can't go wrong with the McKenna family, but the twists and turn that Pettrey wrote into this story will keep you on your toes.  With most romantic mysteries, I have at least some clue as to whodunnit, but I was clueless with this one.

Better yet, when I finished I passed the book along to my husband.  He didn't speak for the next two days as he devoured the book - it's that good - but he said the same:  it's not possible to guess the ending.

I love when a book keeps me hooked from the very first word until the last, but it's even better when it's so full of action and adventure that my husband wants to read it, too.  Birds of a feather - read together.  :-)

Ready to be Shattered?  You can buy the book and begin your journey here.

Dani Pettrey is a wife, homeschooling mom, and author. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves--the thrill of adventure, nail biting suspense, the deepening of her characters' faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland with their two teenage daughters. 

I received a free copy of Shattered from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Circus-Inspired Snack Mix

As we prepared for our recent trip to the circus, we talked food.  Who could leave out a discussion of the food found at the circus?  

Since we were allowed to take our own food, we decided to mix up our own treat that would incorporate the best aspects of the circus.  I gathered up all of the ingredients and then gave the kids large bags so that they could scoop as much of each in as they wanted.  

The kids loved mixing up their own "Circus Mix" and happily munched away all through the show - and much of the afternoon.  Since most of the ingredients are fairly healthy, I didn't mind them eating a larger-than-usual portion.  The wide variety of ingredients made it an especially fun treat for a very fun day!

Ingredients:

• popcorn
• peanuts (elephant food)
• chocolate chips (circus tents)
• mini marshmallows (cotton candy)
• M & Ms (clown noses)
• pretzels
• animal cookies

Directions:

1. Put desired ingredients into a container.
2. Stir gently to combine.
3. Seal until facing the elephants.
4. Snack away!

What's your favorite kind of snack mix?

PS - It's not to late to link your fun post up to Inspired Wednesday OR to enter our latest giveaway!  

Inspired Wednesday - Geoboards

I'm not sure what makes geoboards so fun, but I've never seen a kid who doesn't like to 'play' with them.

(A geoboard is a flat board with protrusions sticking up on which you can hook rubber bands to make different shapes.) 

Since we've been studying Amish culture for a while now, we just had to study quilting along with it, and you can't study quilts without studying plane shapes, so we decided to break out the goaboards and do some shape comparisons.

This is the first time that my kids have officially played with geoboards, so we began with 5 minutes of free play time.  This gave them each a chance to explore freely with the materials without having to worry about rules or expectations.  It also reduces the wiggles and helps them focus when it's time for the lesson to begin!

Next, I asked them to make each of the plane shapes.  Of course, they are each familiar with the basic shapes, but this is a great way for them to focus in on the number of sides and corners that each shape has.  It's also a great way to teach symmetry and congruency.

When we had finished with our lesson, My Big Helper went to town.  She utilized a variety of sizes and colors of rubber bands to make her very own "quilt square."

Want to make your own geoboards?  It's easy!  

1. Start with a square board.
2. Paint it a dark color - this helps the rubber bands show up well.
3. Pound in small nails at regular intervals in a grid, being sure to keep the nails in straight lines.
4. Voila!  Grab some rubber bands and go to town.

What's your favorite way to work with shapes?

Last week Chris from Campfires and Cleats linked up a post about the wide variety of arts her children are participating in.  This was encouraging to me because while some were big and  official and involved stages and costumes, others used nothing more than empty milk jugs or bits of colored sugar - and big, shiny kid smiles.  If you would like to get ideas for ways to incorporate the arts into your homeschool, be sure to check out her post - and Chris, please visit our Inspired Wednesday page and take the "I was featured on Washed Up Inspired Wednesdays' button back with you.  

Renee, you've won a custom signature from Tatorbug Creations.  Watch out for an email with instructions about how to claim your prize.  :-)  

<center> </center> <center> <a href="http://www.anestintherocks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Where He Leads We Follow" src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ohwdk6NVRkHOqw4e5ESiU7MbEagPhE-hv-xQ8n7ssQj9tJQ19wcqpWGGP-TElN4VD1mzg-8ju6UoXBCmjQcRZ-Sol0lMUG_D6XyntMTIaaJNc_qjLAlAGxHoBMUHbmGpAerIHLIhBgQT/s1600/Inspired+Wednesdays2.jpg"/></a></center>

If you have a post about an encouraging activity, project, or trip that you've taken, please link up below and add a link back to this post.  Either way, please read on to find out more about a fun activity that we enjoy here in our nest, and be sure to hop over to Where He Leads, We Follow to check out Stephanie's  Inspiring Wednesday post, too.  :-)

Our kids are the reasons we do what we do - and one of the most important things that we can do for them is pray.  I've been on a quest to learn more about Biblical blessings recently, and I've been blessed by Mark Batterson's newest book Praying Circles Around Your Children.  Two entrants below will each win a copy, so enter to win, link up, and hop around.  :-)

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GratiTuesday: Praying Circles Around Your Children

Have you ever wondered about all those blessings in the Bible?  You know, "May the Lord bless you and keep you, ...."  The blessings that the fathers always gave to their sons?  Why did they have a limited number of them, and where did they come from?

I've never quite understood that.  Maybe I've been making it too difficult, but for some time now I've been searching for more information.

I've finally found it.  

Mark Batterson has a new little book out called Praying Circles Around Your Children.  This easy-to-read, super-short book is chock-full of examples of how to pray and what to pray and when to pray over your children.  He explains why this is both a Biblical and practical parenting tool, and even details how his own children have come to depend on receiving this blessing.  

Our children pray often and spontaneously.  They pray together and independently.  They pray prayers from children's prayer books and their own creative ones, but they are more more open with their prayers than I have ever been.  

They are growing rapidly, however - by leaps and bounds every day.  They're no longer the tiny babies I brought home from the hospital, or the toddlers who were always made happy at the sight of a banana.  They're now reading and writing, doing their own baking and beginning to sew, playing sports and broadening their circle of influence.  Soon they'll leave their children's books on the shelves and be making plans for adulthood, and fruit will no longer solve their life's dilemmas.  I want to prepare them as well as I possibly can, starting with the instructions laid out in Deuteronomy 6 and praying circles around them.

From physical touch to scriptural prayer, Praying Circles Around Your Children will get your parental blessings off the ground.  You'll devour this book in a single sitting and soon be on your way to making blessings a daily part of your parenting.

Today I'm grateful to authors like Batterson who write such concise, well planned books and provide us with the tools that we need to be stronger parents.  I'm grateful for the hands that made this book appear in my mailbox just when I needed it.  

I'm excited to have two copies of Batterson's new book to share with you.  This giveaway will open tomorrow morning.  Will you join me in this great journey of prayerful parenting?

For more GratiTuesday, visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Menu Plan Monday - February 17, 2013

This week is going to be the calm before our storm!  I'm hoping to keep things simple this week and perhaps double a few recipes to put back for next week. We'll see how that goes!

Breakfast:

• Cinnamon Roll Cake, oranges
• Pumpkin Baked Doughnuts, bananas
• Scrambled eggs, fruit, toast
• Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Dinner:

• Cheesy Ro-tel Chicken with rice and beans
• 
  
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• Chicken Pot Pie soup, Grandma's Biscuits
• Pizza rolls with this crust, carrot sticks, applesauce
• Breakfast pizza - recipe coming soon!
• Baked sausages with roasted ranch potatoes, green beans, and applesauce
• Baked taco potatoes with cheese, salsa
• Leftovers

I'm hoping to try out these cookies for us and to make these bars for my husband.

What are you cooking up this week?

For more Menu Plan Monday, visit OrgJunkie!

Simple Valentine's Day Plans

Valentine's Day snuck up on me this year.  I didn't realize how close it was until it was here.  We have a class in the morning and Daddy has a long workday, so the kids and I have made some plans together.

We're going to start the day with the pink sprinkly pancakes that my grandmother sent them.  (We're even going to make them heart-shaped with the cool pancake-tool that she gave us previously.)

After class, since the weather forecast is sunny, we'll play at a nearby playground with some friends before heading to use our Book-It pizza coupons.

We might meet up with some other friends after lunch, and the kids have both asked for some reading and movie time.  (Swiss Family Robinson and Charlie Brown's Valentine, maybe.)

We're going to make Rice Krispy treats - Daddy's favorite - for dessert, and then we'll prep for supper.  The kids asked for a simple 'appetizer' meal, so this will be our menu:

• pigs in blankets
• whole-wheat crackers and sliced cheese
• fruit platter with apple slices, clementines, and bananas
• carrot sticks

Last year we began a few traditions that we're sticking with this year.  We made a simple poster of 1 Corinthians 13, the love verses specifically, but inserted a _____ in place of the word 'love.'  It's hanging in the kitchen, and whenever someone shows one of the character traits listed, someone grabs a marker and fills in that person's name.  By the end of the month, we hope to have noticed lots of great examples of love in our home - and perhaps begun to weed out the less desirable ones.

We've also drawn names out of a hat for secret valentines.  Each adult has a child and vice versa (it just worked out that way this year).  Our goal is to do two small somethings for your valentine.  They need not be monetary - sometimes we receive hugs, get small pieces of candy, handcrafted pictures, or coupons for chores completed.  After we eat, we'll see if anyone has been able to guess which valentines go with whom.

We'll end our day with a simple scavenger hunt that I'll have in place by dinnertime.  The kids will follow clues to find a small gift.  After that they'll head off to bed.

What plans do you have for Valentine's Day?