Silence & Support

On Tuesday, December 18th, there will be a blogger day of silence. We will post the button and that’s it.

We are also raising money that will go to an organization in the memory of this tragedy. The organization is called The Newtown Family Youth and Family Services.

Here is the official description of the support service we are donating to:

“Newtown Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a licensed, non-profit, mental health clinic

and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their

highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support

groups and education throughout the Greater Newtown area.

ANY DONATIONS MADE TO NEWTOWN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THOSE EFFECTED BY THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING.”

Please visit THIS PAGE to make your donation.

We can’t imagine how they must be feeling, especially this close to the holidays. We would love for you to spread the word on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let’s make a difference and use blogging in a positive way.

Thank you in advance for participating.

Love,

The Blog World

Speechless

Friday I heard the news with everyone else.

I kept silent because words did not come, only tears and a heavy heart.

Today, they are burying the first of the innocent children.

I still have no words but others more eloquent do.

Tomorrow I will be participating in the Blogger Day of silence, and posting this button only. There is also an option of  making a donation in honor of the victims; if you would like to join me, go here.

More Information about the Blogger Day of Silence can be found here.

Please join me in praying for the families of the victims, those directly affected and America as a whole.

Though I have never been to Connecticut nor know the families, I feel grief for their senseless loss as I am sure you do as well.

12.12.12

Happy 12-12-12!!

For the 12.12.12 link up - the focus has to be on the number 12.

Starting January 4 {which happens to be a particular someone's birthday by the way...}

Thirty-One will have a new Spring Catalog!

This is promising to be an exciting year with Thirty-One - it's the company's 10th anniversary!!

I'm really excited about the new products and prints - so I thought I'd share 12 of my favorite new things with you!!

1. The Inside Out Bag! It's reversible to show both coordinating prints!
2. Our new Pocket a Tote - it fits onto the gromets of our existing bags! Like the Large Utility Tote, Organizing Utility Tote etc.
3. Pet Leash! The name says it all!

 4.This is our new Easy Breezy Tote! I'm thinking the perfect beach bag!!
 5. Skirt Purse! In addition to the brown and black purse base, we now have grey!! I'm really loving the turquoise skirt for the spring!
 6. The Hostess Exclusive Party Thermal that comes with 2 cute matching can coolers!!

7. These are our Hostess Exclusives! The room to grow utility bin (in the back) can go from a single cube to 3 cubes connected!
8. Tote a Tablet! This is a FREE item when you host a party & one of your guests has a party after yours!

9, 10 & 11 - new prints that I love for spring!! (Island Damask, Turquoise Cross Pop, Chevron Party Punch)

And last but not least #12. Our January Special!

For every $31 spent in January, you can get a "Your Way" product (seen above) for 50% off!!

Thanks for stopping by!

New to {Living&&Learning}?

Follow GFC on the sidebar

 Instigram @rebekahjplewis

Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/rebekahlewis/

Check out my Thirty-One page!

Sanger Christmas Celebration

Brothers, Father, Husband & Me: SCC 2011

 This year is the 10th anniversary of the Sanger Christmas Celebration! SCC is the Christmas production our church puts on every year and it has become a huge tradition for our family.

John dressing as the Bronze Wise Man

Every year it's different.

Two acts: Act 1 - That years theme and Act 2: Biblical Production.

John dressing as Roman Soldier

 There are 5 performances and countless hours of preparation and then there are the rehearsals!

You know it's almost time for SCC when... You left the church for the night at 11:30 pm, and you weren't the last one out the door. {my experience Monday night...}

John as Balthazar, the African Santa

My family has been involved every year for the last 10 years.

The first couple of years we all sang.

Mom and I played in our handbell choir between Acts.

 

Me & John after production 2010

 My Dad & Brothers started managing the Tech side of things about year 3 through to today.

On average my family puts in somewhere around 100 hours of prep time getting ready for each years SCC sound and lights.

The brothers also act in the production, sing and play handbells.

The Light & Sound Boards. AKA my Dad's Central Station.

 The Christmas Celebration has become a great way for my family to spend time together, serve the church and serve the community.

I can't wait to share pictures from this years production!

If you are in the DFW area - you should come and see it!

Tickets are Free (comment/contact me to reserve them for you)!

Performances are this weekend!

Saturday @ 4 & 7 pm

Sunday @ 11 am, 4 & 7 pm

{5 for Five} Could have been a better week!

Last week my goals were:

1. Send out Choir Letter & order Choir Christmas Costumes
2. Purchase & send out Christmas Cards
3. Clean out my Bloglovin'
4. Clean off my desk at home
5. Wrap Christmas gifts
   
   For as crazy as life is right now, I did okay-ish.
   
   I got everything for #1 completed - which is great because it was the only one that was mandatory. Everything else really needed to happen, but they weren't do or die.

 I managed to purchase our Christmas cards - I really like them!!

I even sent out a few! I still need to finish that asap!

I also cleaned some of my bloglovin' out. It could still use some attention.

As far as cleaning off my desk and wrapping Christmas gifts...

Well, they kind of go hand in hand. My desk is covered in Christmas gifts and wrapping supplies.

I wrapped a few, but I have many to go!!

This Week my 5 goals for 5 days:

1. Send out Christmas Cards!! {today if at all possible}
2. Mail off 2 packages {that are very over due...}
3. Finish wrapping Christmas Gifts {aka, clean off my desk}
4. Sew/Glue/Tie  (whatever it takes) the streamers for the Christmas Production for the childrens Choir
5. Order Spring Catalogs for Thirty-One & The add-on Kit for Spring!

JCP Buttons!

All Christmas season I've been hearing about these buttons that JCP is giving away.

To be honest, I thought they were this cheesy little button that just adds to the junk in your house...

Boy was I wrong!

A co-worker had heard about the promotion on Ellen, so she took her kiddos and ran by our local JCP. Out of the 4 she had tried she won $20 in gift certificates!

So yesterday when we were out gift shopping (and I had to get another pair of jeans and JCP just happens to be my favorite place to get jeans!), both J and I got 2 buttons.

Our buttons had codes for $30 in gift certificates!!

Details:

2 buttons per person, per day

You can only redeem 2 buttons per day per email address

No purchase necessary, just ask for them at the register!

If you're out today - stop by! The promotion runs through Christmas Eve!!

Deep Breaths

 

Some times as wives it is easy to cast our husbands into stereotypes.

{I'm sure that my husband can easily cast me into one...or three}

Several months after J & I were married, we were finally settling down into a "normal" routine.

We were both only working one job and it had actual set hours.

When John got home from work, I was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

He came in, greeted me, changed out of his work clothes and zoned out in front of his video game.

It was really easy for me to get frustrated and angry that I'm working in the kitchen and he is playing a game.

After several nights of frustration (and shoving his plate at him with a tad bit too much passive aggressive anger), I stopped and put myself in his shoes. I was about to yell across the house at him to please bring his toosh to the kitchen and help {in those exact words, I'm sure...}. Instead, I stopped took a deep breath and thought about it.

What I didn't tell you, and what I wasn't seeing myself, when I was wrapped up in my frustration, was the big picture.

John was getting up and leaving the house before I was even out of bed in the mornings.

Each and every day he had at least an hour drive in terrible traffic to get to & from work.

I on the other hand, had a leisurely morning schedule and a twenty minute commute (most of which is through the country side, traffic? what's traffic) to and from work.

When I got home each afternoon, I usually beat John home by at least thirty minutes.

I came in, changed into comfy clothes and spent a good few minutes reading before making it to the kitchen.

It would have been very unfair to declare that he didn't get video games, when I had gotten unwind time too. Just because it isn't convenient for me, doesn't mean I should punish him.

Do you ever have trouble recognizing double standards you have for your husband?