Boog

Boog

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Sign Up Today and Receive 1 Month Free at Agnitus.com

Sign Up Today and Receive 1 Month Free at Agnitus.com

Use Code: No Code Needed
http://www.agnitus.com/
The Agnitus app is SO cute and fun for children of many ranges of abilities. The cute songs are great motivators. The more they work,the more fun the kids get to have. Boog loves it!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

We're now on Facebook! Please like us! :)

I told you we're moving up and branching out!


Please take a moment and "like" All About Boog on Facebook here:
All About Boog on Facebook


And don't forget we're on twitter too!
All About Boog on Twitter


I also made some new graphics and a banner last night. I'm telling you...we're the little blog that could! ;)


Thank you so much for every click, like, share, rt or anything. The more people we reach, the more people start to understand Autism and the more parents will see that they are NOT alone!


Much much love,
Boog's Mommy






Friday, April 18, 2014

We're featured!!!! On Parenting.com!!!

I am so *immensely* honored to be featured on parenting.com! Yes! They chose my Autism Awareness DIY wreath to feature!! I am so proud and humbled to be one of the interweb's Mommy-Warriors spreading awareness on all things Autism. This means the world to me!

Please check it out here: 
http://www.parenting.com/parenting-advice/mom/our-mommy-blog-faves-autism-awareness-month


And please check out these links to Parenting.com for advice, information, awareness, helpfull tips and reviews and all things parents need to know!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/parenting

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/parenting

Pinterest: http://instagram.com/parenting

Instagram: http://www.pinterest.com/parenting








Sunday, April 13, 2014

Woo-Hoo! We are moving up!

Hi there! If you take a look up there at the address bar...there's no longer a "blogspot.com".

Yes, that's right! We are now www.allaboutboog.com!

Very excited and proud to reach this far! Expect more posts, more fun, more freebies, some giveaways...and most importantly...more BOOG :)

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

-Boog's Mommy

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Sign Up Today and Receive 1 Month Free at Agnitus.com

Sign Up Today and Receive 1 Month Free at Agnitus.com

Use Code: No Code Needed
http://www.agnitus.com/

This app is SO cute and fun for children of many ranges of abilities. The cute songs are great motivators. The more they work,the more fun the kids get to have. Boog loves it!

Upcoming Book Review!

I was very honored to have been contacted by Judson Press recently to review a new book, "The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities" by Kathleen Deyer Bolduc. 

This is a subject that so many parents of special needs children struggle with. It's like one of my favorite quotes, "I know God only gives me what I can handle...I just wish He didn't trust me so much". :) I find myself thinking that a lot when we're driving to multiple places for therapy and I catch a Facebook post of someone I went to school with. 

"Oh, how fun. They're on vacation. Gee. At the beach. Wow. Shopping too, huh? Oh...and yummy places to eat..... Noooo, I'm not jealous! The stale granola bar I found in my car was a delightful lunch. Shopping? I do that too! Why, I'm going to the store today because we're out of liquid melatonin!". *bangs head against steering wheel*

But seriously, don't we all have those moments? I'm very excited to dive into this book for some much-needed tips on taking care of myself while still making sure everyone else is fine spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally!


Here is an overview of the book:

Are you there, God? You have to show me how to raise this child. Because the skills I've learned over the years just aren't working here. I'm helpless, Lord. I can't do this on my own!

Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau report that 2.8 million children in the United States have a disability. That means more than 5 million parents, grandparents, and caregivers have probably offered up a prayer like this. Raising a child with a disability is hard work. Where do you go for solace? For rest, refreshment and renewed joy? We know where to go for our kids, but where do we go for ourselves?

Author Kathleen Deyer Bolduc knows these feelings from experience. She and her son navigated through his childhood and now approach yet another new life phase -- adulthood -- and all that entails. In The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities, Bolduc uses the metaphor of the mosaic to life as parents of children with disabilities. How do you rearrange the fragmented and chaotic pieces of your family into a perfectly whole and beautiful work of art? Readers are walked through the process using the spiritual disciplines to help you recognize God's presence in your life and regain the balance we all need.

In this book, writer, parent, and spiritual director Kathleen Deyer Bolduc -- with honesty and humor, wisdom and wit -- invites the caregivers of children with disabilities to steep themselves in Scripture and self-reflection.

Key features:

  • Provides a unique perspective of a parent raising a child with disabilities -- and dealing with it through faith and spiritual direction.
  • Powerful, insightful, faith-inspired stories of other families who are walking similar paths.
  • Exercises at the end of each chapter allow readers to reflect to find the beauty in the pieces of their mosaic.
You can read more at: 
http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17766#sthash.aT66ivTk.dpuf



Stay tuned for a full review!! 

And maybe a little less bitterness at Facebook vacation pics on my feed...

-Boog's Mommy

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

I actually won something! And it's Awesome!

I know a lot of us are either those that NEVER win anything, or some people who ALWAYS win. I have always been in the first group. I never win, so I never even get excited. I just enter contests sometimes if it's something really cool and I know there's a 0.000098475757829% chance I will win.

I won it!!!

What is it, you ask?

Well, as I was checking out one of my favorite blogs by domestic-diva Kathy Gossen, Cornerstone Confessions (http://cornerstoneconfessions.com), I noticed a post about a chance to win an ebook of "Pinterest Savvy" by Melissa Taylor of http://imaginationsoup.net and http://pinterest-savvy.net

Here's a little blurb about the book from Amazon:

In Pinterest Savvy: How I Got 1 Million+ Followers (Strategies, Plans, and Tips, to Grow Your Business with Pinterest), Melissa Taylor reveals her secrets to becoming a top Pinterest user with over 1 million followers.

Highlights:

* Set up your profile for success.
* Understand the basics of eye-catching pins.
* Learn from businesses using Pinterest well.
* Improve strategies for gaining followers and increasing engagement.
* Achieve sales and marketing goals using Pinterest!


I'm SO excited because I've been trying to come up with ways to reach more people with my blog. The more I reach,the better the chance it may help someone. My blog has several purposes:

1. Gives me a way to vent that does not involve my husband/Mom/Dad who near me venting on a very regular basis (sorry guys).

2. Allows me to go back and "reflect". This is important because as the journey goes, you forget the accomplishments you've had along the way. Yes, I want Boog to talk...but I also prayed for him to look into my eyes, to sit in a crowded room and not cover his ears, to hold my hand, and so much more. Looking backs makes me appreciate the road that got us here. And here is good.

3. To hopefully help other parents/caregivers of someone on the Autism Spectrum to know they are not alone and what they're feeling is okay. It can be a lonely place sometimes, but even if you are 500 miles away, someone else is on the same path. I'm thankful for the internet and blogging for this reason.

4. To spread awareness and early warning signs of Autism. Early intervention is a proven method to help children with ASD. All other treatments and therapies are debated in one way or another. The only thing everyone agrees on is that the quicker the diagnosis/treatment/therapy, the better. More people have got be educated so these children can have a better chance at a more independent future.


Because of reasons #3 and #4 I am devouring this book. It's so awesome because I never thought of  Pinterest as a marketing tool. I just use it for gluten-free recipes and DIY ideas that I never have time to do (wow...you too?). However, reading this book has given me so many ideas on how to promote my blog!


Thank you so much to Kathy of:

http://cornerstoneconfessions.com





And Melissa of:
http://imaginationsoup.net



and









And please go check out this book on Amazon for only $4.97! Now that is a deal a thrifty mom can afford! :) (Link below)

-Boog's Mommy

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Sunday, April 6, 2014

My First Free Printable

I have a few quotes that are very special to me. A lot of them are song lyrics since I'm really into music. This one, however, isn't from a song. I read it about two years ago. It was on a little piece of wood in a knick-knack type store (maybe Hobby Lobby?). Anyway I had to have it and it almost made me cry when I saw it for the first time :)

"A mother understands what a child does not say."

Simply beautiful!

Having a non-verbal child that I can read like a book, this really speaks to me. So much that I made a little graphic the other day to print and frame. If you like it, please feel free to snag it. It would be cute on a t-shirt, notebook, or on a gift for a mom that would appreciate it :)





I hope everyone had a great weekend,
Boog's Mommy

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

A Crafty Idea (pun intended)





With April being Autism awareness month I knew I wanted to make some sort of wreath for the front door. I only knew two things: it needs to be blue, and it needs to be thrifty. Challenge accepted! :)

I visited my local craft store (Michaels) and purchased a green foam wreath thingy (technical term) with my 40% off app coupon, some blue daisies that were 50% off! and blue ribbon from the $1 ribbon bin.

I figured I could dig through my several craft stashes to get the rest done, so I left and had only spent about $10.


I got home and wrapped the ribbon around the green foam thingy so it would be blue. I didn't worry about making it perfect because I'm going to glue stuff to it anyway:




Next, I separated the daisy flowers from the stems. It was super easy. They just come right off:



I kept the stems just in case a future crafty idea calls for fake leaves :)




While digging around my supplies I found a couple small wooden signs I got for less than $1. I pulled them out and went looking for some blue paint. Luckily I had the perfect color, "Laguna" by Apple Barrel. Again, very affordable. I think this paint is less than $1 too.




Then I went looking on Google for a cute font to use for my signs. I looooved this one. If you made this, you are adorable.




I painted my first sign with the blue paint, but added some water to it to lighten it up. While it dried I went looking for markers. I found a BIC fine point in black and a silver cheapo no-name silver marker.




Here's what I put together:



I wanted the wreath to have various shades of the same blue, so I painted the next sign and didn't add water. I just used a mix of fonts I've done before on other projects:




Then, I took the signs outside and sprayed them with a clear coat so they won't fade in the weather:




While they were drying I had an idea and went on the search for wire and found some in my jewelry crafty stash:



After the signs dried (I put two coats of clear on them) I hot glued the first sign to the wreath and wrapped the wire around it:


Here's a close-up:



I attached the wire to the second sign on the back with hot glue:






I dug around and was able to find some Scotch tape I got on sale at Target that was the perfect color and used it to cover up the glued wire for extra protection:




I also wrapped the tape around the wire in the middle because I knew I wanted to add daisies there too:



Then, I added the daisies I separated earlier and some blue beads I found while looking for wire for some "bling" factor:


And here you have it! Proudly displayed on our front door :)


I hope you all have a great Autism Awareness April 2nd and spread the word! Speak for those who can't and keep pushing until we get answers!

God bless and lots of <3,
-Boog's Mommy