I love great Christian t-shirts, any way to share the message of Jesus Christ. You can get the beautiful Jesus Hope t-shirt from the I Rate This t-shirt design shop online. The Jesus Hope t-shirt is a large picture of Jesus with the word “Hope” under it. There is no mistaking the message with this design. Also, you can choose from all sorts of shirt styles so there is definitely something for everyone.

Congratulations to Gena, comment #15 is the winner of the Sabra Dips and Hummus. If you are on Twitter, shout out to @serenemoments to congratulate her.

Don’t forget to enter my other giveaways…

Money Savvy Generation-Piggy Bank

Harry Connick, Jr. “Your Songs” CD

Today is my 18th wedding anniversary so I thought it was the perfect day to post a giveaway for my new favorite CD of romantic music, “Your Songs” by Harry Connick Jr.  Harry performs classic songs by some of the greatest musicians of all time with a full jazz big band and string orchestra!  He collaborated with the legendary Clive Davis, who has managed & guided the careers of so many fantastic musicians (Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson).  These songs are the tunes that you always find yourself humming along to when you hear them!

I love Harry Connick Jr’s big band sound and this CD full of romantic classics doesn’t disappoint. This CD is great for a quiet evening at home or as background music for a dinner party. I know you will love this CD.
Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by):
All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

My gift to you is to make this giveaway as simple as possible.
Mandatory 1st Entry leave me a comment telling me which song on this album is your favorite.
Bonus Entries
Subscribers and Followers each get 1 entry. If you don’t follow or subscribe do it NOW!
This giveaway ends Monday October 5th at 10:00pm and open to residents of the US only. Good luck!

Money management is one of the most important things we can teach our children. The sooner we help them set the principles of good budgeting into place in their lives the easier it will be for them to follow through. There are lots of ways to teach money management to kids. Today I want to tell you about an awesome website Money Savvy Generation. Money Savvy Generation was founded by Susan Beacham, a mom and former private banker. Susan’s dream is to teach money management basics to elementary school aged children.

Most children want to spend money as soon as they get it. By using the principles set forth on Money Savvy Generation and the tools they have available children can learn the concepts of budgeting for long and short term financial needs. The functional yet adorable Money Savvy Pig Bank has 4 compartments Save, Spend, Donate and Invest and each one is accessible through the pig’s feet! My boy’s has a similar bank when they were younger and it really did help them learn money management and delayed gratification. Currently my sons are taking an economics class, taught by our pastor. I can’t wait to share Money Savvy Generations Cash Cache with their class. It goes along perfectly with everything they are learning!

Money Savvy Generation founder Susan Beacham is hosting a Twitter contest follow @susanbeacham on twitter and send a tweet with the hashtag #MoneySavvyPig to be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble and a custom Recommended Reading List for the children in the winner’s life and
an entire Classroom Solution for a child in your life!

That’s not all! Money Savvy Generation is giving one The Mom Maven reader a Money Savvy Pig Bank!

Mandatory 1st Entry visit Money Savvy Generation’s website and check out their products. Then come back and leave me a comment about which of their products you would like to own.

Bonus Entries

• Followers and Subscribers get 1 entry each so please follow and/or subscribe today. Leave me a comment with each entry.
• Tweet this “@MomMaven & @SusanBeacham want to help us raise money savvy kids! http://bit.ly/lxIKX #moneysavvypig” you can do this 2x a day. Leave the tweet URL in a comment. (This will also enter you into the Twitter contest!)
• Sign up to receive the ”Helping Kids Get Smart About Money” eNewsletter. The registration is in the left sidebar of the Money Savvy Generation website. Leave a comment telling me you signed up.

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen at 10pm on 9/30/09 by random.org. I reserve the right to delete any entries that don’t meet the previously stated requirements. Good Luck!

Texting is not just for kids anymore as more and more parents are climbing out of the dark ages and embracing the communication method of the future. This ‘new generation’ of texters may pride themselves on finally catching up to the 21st century, but they still have a lot to learn before their texting forefathers (i.e. their kids) will fully accept them into their texting community.

Below are a few helpful tips from Predicto Mobile , the leading online and text message based survey company, for parents looking to successfully integrate into the texting community:

1) Learn the lingo: There are pre-established acronyms like LOL, TTYL and BRB. Not every sentence is meant to be written using only the first letter of every word.

2) Don’t invade their tech space: Don’t text your kids until they text you, otherwise your kids will think you’re a poseur.

3) Use but don’t abuse: Don’t be the next of victim of text addiction.

4) Make it all inclusive: Make sure you have an all inclusive rate plan so you aren’t like “OMG” when your cell phone bill arrives

5) Just Say No: “Sexting” is inappropriate at any age

6) Don’t text and drive: Texting accidents are becoming increasingly common. Recent studies have shown that drivers who text are four times as likely to crash.

“Texting is an appealing way for parents to reach their kids while simultaneously boosting their “coolness” factor,” says Eyal Yechazkell, CEO of Predicto Mobile. “But parents also need to be careful they don’t over do it. Kids are pretty astute and can sense when their parents are trying too hard.”

Last week I had the honor of attending the Grand Opa’ning of Kouzzina by Cat Cora at Disney’s Boardwalk. As I entered the restaurant I was immediately drawn into the party. The amazing trio played beautiful up-beat Greek music that made me want to dance. The dark wood and beautiful light fixtures really help you feel like you are home.

So that we could get a taste of lots of things available on the menu they served us 12 courses! I tried most of them and I really liked 6 of them.

• Spiro’s Greek Salad Vine-ripened Tomatoes, Arugula, Cucumbers, Red Onions, Kalamata Olives, and Feta. This was delicious!
• Kouzzina Spreads Harissa Yogurt, Kalamata Fig, and Chickpea Hummus with grilled pita. This was good.
• Spanakopita Traditional Phyllo Pie of Spinach, Feta, Leeks, and Dill. This was surprisingly good, I would definately order it again.
• Pastitsio Greek-style Lasagna with Bucatini Pasta, Cinnamon-stewed Meat Sauce, and Bechamel. This seems like an odd combination of flavors with a strong cinnamon scent. It did taste pretty good though.
• Oak-grilled Lamb Burger with Olives and Feta. I love lamb but this was very, very spicy hot. I could barely eat 2 bites.
• Fisherman’s Stew Scallops, Seasonal Fish, Shellfish, Fennel, Grilled Bread and Ouzo Butter. I didn’t try this because I am not a seafood person.
• Cinnamon Stewed Chicken with Tomatoes, Herbed Orzo, and Mizithra Cheese. This was my very favorite. It is from Cat’s mother’s recipe. This is the meal that Cat always requested for her birthday meal.
• Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Capers and Lemon. I didn’t try this but those who did raved about them as the best Brussel Sprouts they had ever eaten.
• Chilled Salt-Roasted Beets with Skordalia. Skordalia is a cold, heavily garlic laden mashed potato. This was good, but for me, an odd flavor combination.
• Oven-baked Gigantes Beans with Tomato Sauce and Olive Oil. I didn’t try these.
• Dessert Trio Sampler Chocolate Budino Cake-delicious!, Baklava-always yummy, and Greek-style Yogurt Sorbet with a raspberry mint sauce. This was my favorite of the three desserts.
• Tableside Frappe A refreshing chilled blend of Coffee, Milk, and Natural Sugar served over Ice. I didn’t try this because I don’t drink coffee.

We were also served the “Cat Flight” of Cat Cora’s own Coranation Wines which included Coranation, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, Coranation, Chardonnay, Russian River, and Coranation, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. We were also served a shot of Ouzo to toast with. I do not drink alcohol so, I didn’t try any of these.

I highly recommend Kouzzina for a wonderful family meal. I hope to be able to bring my entire family to eat at Kouzzina in the very near future.

Home improvements can be costly investments. The other day I found an affordable online source for sinks and faucets. Mr. Direct is a great place to get undermount sinks, 16 gauge stainless sinks, and the smart divide sink. Mr. Direct is better business bureau accredited and offer same day shipping. They also sell for wholesale prices.

The winner of the Get Me Goin’ CD from the Rockstar Nutritionist, @JillJayne is entry #11… Keilann.  She said, “I chose chess. I think life is about making the next move and making the right move and thinking through (beforehand) how that move effects everyone else around you.” Stop by Bloggy Mom Reviews and congratulate her!

Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home is the true story of a California couple on the brink of divorce who unexpectedly find love again on the Italian Riviera.

Tired of each other and completely disillusioned with married life, Susan and Tim Pohlman are wrapping up a business trip in Italy.  They have just one day left to spend together with no agenda before they go home to California, to start divorce proceedings and finally move onto separate lives.

But during their last day as they walked along the Italian Riviera, Tim fantasized aloud that, perhaps, they could live there.  Susan initially dismissed the notion as nonsense, but found herself inexplicably overwhelmed with a desire to give the marriage another try. Defying all logic, the couple found a school for their children and signed a lease for an apartment.  Their therapist called it “an elaborate scheme of avoidance at best.”

But maybe, Susan thought, a life in such a charmed setting could help them find their way back to each other.

Halfway to Each Other is the remarkable true story of a family who traded their breakneck Los Angeles pace for a slower, relaxed life, and in the process, found abundant room for adventure and love. This is a book to be savored and enjoyed, perfect for that rainy weekend or evenings in front of the fireplace.

Open and honest, Pohlman shares the struggles she faces as she and her husband work to reconnect and save their marriage. It is difficult to leave life as you know it behind and simplify everything so that you can spend time with the people you love.  Susan and Tim’s story is one of hope and hard work.

Susan’s descriptive writing brings the reader to the Italian Riviera, where you want to just slow down and enjoy life. This true story is easy to relate to because all relationships have their stresses and strains. I recommend you pick up a copy of Halfway to Each Other, step away from your busy life, and enjoy tis great book.

The Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favorite classic movies and this week it is turning 70! The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Hi-Def Event, a special one-night only, nationwide in-theater presentation, will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 23rd at 7:00 p.m. local time. The unforgettable cultural icon has been entirely re-mastered and will be shown in movie theaters for the first time ever in high definition in a historic big-screen event that celebrates the 70th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Introduced by Robert Osborne, classic film historian and host of Turner Classic Movies, Osborne will share facts and stories about this ageless classic. This special in-theater event will also include an exclusive cut of “To Oz! The Making of a Classic,” which will offer audiences a unique peek into the Land of Oz through interviews with original Munchkin actors; an audio outtake of “If I Only Had a Brain” with Ray Bolger and July Garland, complete with stills and home movie footage; and a look at how the MGM artists and craftsmen created the music, costumes and amazing special effects for “The Wizard of Oz” in the 1930s.

CLICK HERE to find theater locations in your area. Just enter your zip code. Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

I would love to attend this special event but I have a rehearsal on Wednesday evening. I hope some of you will be able to make it and then will e-mail me or leave a comment telling us how it was!