There was a time in my life when I had approximately 20 boxes of cereal in my pantry at any given time. Why? Because they were free after promotions and coupons. It was a time when I was very coupon and sale conscious and helped me develop some very frugal habits.

I'm proud to say that being frugal, being driven and being disciplined all paid off. When we moved back to Iowa from California a few years ago, my husband called himself retired and I called myself a stay-at-home-mom. We could have opted to continue to work but we wanted to take the opportunity to raise our kids when they are both young and impressionable (and we were young enough to be able to keep up.)  If an opportunity arises, we can invest or open a business.  Otherwise, we can choose to return to the workforce when they are in school.  The nice part is that we have options.

Some people may say that we got lucky. Others may say that came from roots or education that gave us an upper hand.  I'm not going to debate how we got to where we are but rather point to a book, Scratch Beginnings, that shows that passion, hard work and determination open doors for people in all walks of life.

While he could have pursued a higher degree through traditional schooling, Adam Shepard opted to hit the streets and see where it took him.  Using his real name, but a fabricated background, he ventured to Charleston, South Carolina with nothing but the clothes on his back, a journal, a sleeping bag and $25.  His goal was to see if it would be possible to get $2500 in the bank, a car and a furnished living space within one year.

The book chronicles his time in a homeless shelter - and we're talking months not nights - along with his attempt to find suitable work.  Never did he divulge that he was a college graduate, so he took whatever work he could find.  While his work ethic and his attitude were what kept him employed, the book provides examples of how different approaches to the same environment and work land people in different places. 

I found this book to be very honest and interesting, reading it whenever I had the opportunity.  Adam lived the life of a homeless person and showed that getting out from underneath is possible.  The story revitalized my conservative opinions about whether or not the government should be responsible for the welfare of the less motivated. (Note that I didn't say less fortunate.)  The only problem that I had with this book was when I reached the epilogue.  The author stood on a soapbox and took a very liberal stance to what he felt the government should do.  It was completely the opposite of what I had taken from the experience.  I literally could only read a few paragraphs of the epilogue at a time before huffing and throwing the book down in disgust.  Thankfully, I managed through it (a few paragraphs at a time) and got to the part where he says that more neighborhood heroes are needed to set good examples.  People who are fighting their way out need to show other people it's possible.  Programs like Big Brother/Big Sister are out there and have positive results.  It isn't necessarily about raising taxes as much as raising the bar on attitudes.

This is an inspirational book that shows that there are always options in life.  Buy a copy, get one from the library or borrow it... it's worth reading. Here's a chance for you to win an autographed copy!


Thanks to HarperCollins for allowing me the opportunity to review this book and to Adam Shepard for providing the prize for this giveaway!

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When I was the age my girls are now, we didn't have video games.  We played with dolls and worked our way up to board games like Sorry, Parcheesi, Winning Ticket and Monopoly.  I love board games and will be the first to admit that I don't play with DH because I'm not a good loser... and he doesn't let me win.  Having the opportunity to engage my girls in board games has been rewarding, although now when I don't win, it's usually by choice.

Briarpatch offered me the opportunity to try out their new "I Spy Private Eye" game.  Since both my girls loved Briarpatch's preschool I Spy game, enjoy I Spy books and even the I Spy show on HBO, I figured this would be a sure fire winner.  And you know what?  It was a winner for everyone except me because it made me realize my memory is horrible.  And as I said before, I'm a poor sport.

The game consists of picture dice, a timed shaker and game cards.  The player shakes the dice then has a set amount of time to study them before covering them back up.  The player then draws a card and announces which items (s)he recalls from the dice.  Any opponent can challenge them and take a chance at stealing their card.  I want to point out that there are two sets of cards - an easy set for young (or novice) players and a harder set for older or more seasoned players. 

To sum up "I Spy Private Eye" in one sentence - It's a memory game on steroids.  What I discovered is that Miss K (age 4) seldom got it wrong.  Miss M (age 5 1/2) and I (pfft 38) needed to verbalize what we saw to increase our chances of getting it correct.  It gave me some great insight into the differences in the way they learn.  Armed with this knowledge, I'll be able to incorporate different techniques into their education as they grow up. 

While sometimes I throw my turn in games, this one was pretty genuine.  I would swear that I saw something but find out during the reveal that I was wrong!  Seriously, I need to brush up on my Dale Carnegie memory skills.  This game is noted as being ages 5 and up, but it really is challenging for any age.  Both Miss M and Miss K enjoy playing it and often start a game up without me! 

If you are looking for a game that teaches focus and memorization, be sure to add this to your wish list.  It's never to early to start shopping for Christmas!  One lucky reader can find out much fun (and educational) this game is by winning it!

Participants -

... must provide a United States shipping address

... must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile. If winner cannot be contacted immediately upon drawing, I will move on to the second random selection.

How to enter:

(1) Check out Briarpatch's website.

(2) Come back here and post a comment about at least one of their products that would make a great Christmas gift for someone on your list.

For additional entries -

(a) Earn three additional entries by adding my button to your sidebar. Come back here and leave a comment stating that you did so. 

(b) Link to Briarpatch.com. Come back here and leave an additional comment stating that you did so.

(c) Earn three additional entries if you publish a post regarding this contest and link back to it. Come back here and leave a comment providing the link to your post.

Thanks to Briarpatch for providing the prize for this giveaway.  I especially want to thank Briarpatch for the  opportunity to test out this product with my kids.  KidStuff, the PR people who provided this game to me really exemplified the colors of the Briarpatch company by allowing me an extensive grace period when I was unable to prepare a timely review.  They were very understanding when I explained that "Life got in the way of blogging" and I want to send my utmost gratitude for that!

43 comments

I'm not shy about admitting that I'm not the best housekeeper.  Stay-at-home-MOM, not stay-at-home-MAID, I always say.  Several months ago, I read on a friend's blog that CHAOS stands for "Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome."  Isn't that the truth.  But thanks to my Dyson for the heavy duty work and my Roomba for the lighter day-to-day stuff, I manage to keep the floors semi-clean. 



With a Dyson and a Roomba, you're probably laughing and saying that my floors should be spotless, but c'mon, I'm not supermom.  With two kids and two dogs constantly running about the house, it's a daunting task of maintaining it all.  Two kids that like to carry their food around when I'm not paying attention.  AND two dogs that like to carry their food around even when I am paying attention.  I never knew that dogs were social eaters, but our dogs are.  They pick up a mouthful of food out of their dish, carry it into my sitting room, drop it on the floor and eat it piece by piece.  Shrug.  Of course, can't forget the indoor-outdoor thing with the dogs and the dirt they manage to track in.



But with 16 feet hitting the floor every day and a hodge podge of others when we have family, play dates or other guests, the floors are bound to end up with stains.  I have a few favorite products that I've used regularly and rely on for even the toughest stains.

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