Here’s a little bit about this amazing program:

“All children deserve a safe, happy life — including the 496,000 American children and youth in foster care. Young people in foster care especially need nurturing adults on their side because their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them.

Each May, we salute the compassionate people who make a difference by serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers, and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will either safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.”

You can learn more about this program at their website www.fostercaremonth.org.

Another great site that I really want you to take a look at is AdoptUsKids. I went to this site and my heart instantly skipped a beat. Actually seeing the faces of these kids that need homes makes me more aware that I need to help in some way.

On the site, you’ll see everything from a Featured Child and Featured Siblings to Caseworker of the Month and some very inspiring family stories.

I just got through reading about a boy named Jacob who needs a home. He’s 14 and has a smile that will melt your heart. There is one line in his bio that stuck out to me and that was when he said, “I need parents who will give me respect, too.” I have no idea what this boy has been through, but I do know one thing…he deserves a home with parents who will love him and show him that he does deserve respect. He deserves it just as much as a child who hasn’t been through the foster care system.

I mentioned earlier that this topic is close to my heart. Why? Because I myself am adopted and was in foster care, but only for a few short months. I was extremely blessed to have been taken out of the system at such a young age. I was given a home when I was only 8 months old. Jacob is 14 and it still looking for what I was given.

Not everyone can adopt, but there is so much more you can do. You can be a foster parent. You can volunteer to help. You can write a short article, just like I am doing right now, and help raise awareness for foster care and adoption.

Every single child deserves a home. Ask yourself what you can do to make that become a reality. My heart has definitely been stirred today. I hope yours has too.

Image Credit: AdoptUsKids

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In our dining room, we have this long wall that I didn’t know what to do with. Well, now I do!

There was one problem though…I don’t like putting large holes all over our walls. Solution? 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips!

I saw these advertised on TV and wondered how strong they really could be? Could they really hold up a 16×20 framed price of art work? The answer is YES!

Product Description:

3M Command, the mounting solution that holds on strongly, comes off cleanly! 3M’s patented stretch release technology offers strong holding power and damage-free removal. The innovation–forget about nails, screws, tacks or messy adhesives that damage your walls. Revolutionary Command Adhesive works great on painted surfaces, wood, tile and more. Comes off cleanly leaving no holes, marks, sticky residue or stains.

These strips are great for rental homes or for any homeowner who doesn’t want a dozen nail holes to have to deal with later. I am very impressed with this product and my pictures are hanging securely and not messing up my walls!

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There is a much easier and faster way to have all the supplies at hand when it’s time to wrap a present. You’ll even know what you have run out of and what you need to purchase. It can be so frustrating to sit down to wrap a present and then realize you are out of tape.

Here’s how to set up a simple gift wrapping center.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 30 minutes

Here’s How:

1. First decide where you would like to wrap presents every time. Your center could be in a closet or a spare bedroom. You can wrap presents at a table or on the living room floor.

2. Gather all your present wrapping supplies such as tape, wrapping and tissue paper, scissors, bows, boxes, gift tags, cards and ribbon.

3. Purchase some storage. You can go all out and purchase a gift wrapping center which includes a table , or a simple gift wrap container . You will also want plastic containers to store the cards, gift tags and smaller items. Another option is an organizer that hangs on the back of the doore and can store just about everything.

4. Put all your gift wrapping supplies in the appropriate container.

5. Label the containers if necessary.

6. Place all the storage containers in your designated gift wrapping closet or room.

Tips:

1. For busy gift wrapping seasons, set up a small card table to have on hand. It’ll save you from some back pain in the end.

2. Stock up on gifts throughout the year when they are on clearance. That way, you will always have a gift on hand when needed.

3. Buy holiday gift wrapping when the holiday has passed. You will be all set for next year.

4. Save bows and bags from presents you have received and re-use them.

What You Need:

· Gift wrapping supplies

· Storage containers

· Label maker or permanent marker

Here are some of my favorite gift wrapping organizing products: (Click on the image to be taken to the description page.)

Portable Gift Wrap Center by Snapware

40" Gift Wrap Organizer

Gift Wrap Caddy

RIBBON AND WRAP ORGANIZER

Jokari Gift Wrap Organizer, White

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Have you seen the commercials for the Windex Outdoor All-in-One Glass Cleaning Tool? I sure have and when I saw it, I thought of two things: 1) How easy! and 2) I have some windows that need some serious cleaning.

How does it work?

1. Spray – Spray your windows with water.

2. Wipe – Wipe with the water activated Windex cleaning pad.

3. Rinse – You then rinse your windows with your hose.

It’s that easy. You can find out more about this product at their website.

I have three of these kits available to give away to 3 of my lucky winners. Here are the rules of the contest and how you can be entered to win:

1. You will receive one entry for leaving a comment on this post.

2. You will receive one entry for retweeting this post (see the retweet button below).

3. You will receive one entry for linking to this contest from your blog.

Rules:

1. Contest is open to US residents only.

2. Contests starts today (May 21st) and ends on May 28th. I will choose three winners on May 29th.

Good luck!

Keep checking back at JulieAnneBonner.com for some more posts coming up! I have more organizing articles (with step by step pictures), more decorating ideas and lots of articles about SUMMER!!

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This chicken marinade is not only delicious, but it is super easy. You can marinate the chicken in this mixture for 45 minutes and it’s ready to go.

I use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe and then throw it on the grill (charcoal) for about 15 minutes. A friend brought me this marinated grilled chicken after I had my third baby and I begged her for the recipe. Here you go!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Simmer for about 5 minutes until ingredients have dissolved.
3. Let cool.
4. Soak chicken for 45 minutes and throw on the grill.
5. Discard marinade.

Image Credit: SXC

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Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 large carton Cool Whip
• 1 large package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 3 cups milk
• Chopped nuts for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Mix butter, flour and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional); press into a 9×13 in pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cool well.
2. Mix cream cheese (at room temp) and powdered sugar; beat until creamy. Fold in 1/2 carton of the Cool Whip; spread this mixture on top of the cooled crust.
3. Combine pudding mix and milk; mix well. Spread on top of the white layer you just spread on the cooled crust. Top this with remaining Cool Whip and sprinkle with chopped nuts (optional).
4. Refrigerate and chill very well. Overnight is best!

I’ll add a picture as soon as I make it for my family.

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The first project I needed to finish was an ABC Baby Afghan that I started a long time ago. I am happy to say that it is finished! I have made about a total of 10 of these in the past few years for gifts and orders that people had made. Yep, I used to sell these.

This is by far my favorite blanket to make. You can print out the pattern here. Here’s the finished product. The picture isn’t the best because, well, my camera stinks.

Now all I have to do is package this baby up and send it on to my sister with a belated apology note.

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Way back in January, I posted some before and after pictures of an area in our house that needed some serious help. We have two living areas in our home and I had been using the second one as the kids’ computer/homework/dump-whatever-you-want-in-here room. It was such an eye sore to me and nobody enjoyed being in there.

You can read the original post here and see my before and after pictures.

The space had gotten out of control once again, although not near as bad as when I first tackled it. My boys were just throwing their hockey equipment on the floor, their baskets were overflowing with school papers and it was just time to tackle it again. So, this weekend I tackled it and got the room back under control. Here’s what it looks like now: (Click to enlarge.)

Having this space as an organized area for my kids to do their homework, play/work on the computer and just hang out has been so nice. They love this room and it’s functional! I added a white board next to the bulletin board and that’s where my kids write upcoming events, items they need me to purchase, etc. They love having their own whiteboard to write notes on.

Next on my list: Our game room! Look for before and after pictures next week.

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Here is my first Summer Fun Idea: The Banzai Falls Original Water Slide. My kids have personally experienced this water slide and absolutely love it!

Here are the product features and description:

From the Manufacturer
The original blower-powered slide. Take the plunge down this huge 18 ft 6 in long inflatable water slide and splash onto the soft-bottom landing pad. Banzai Falls Water Slide inflates in less than 2 minutes with the included continuous-airflow blower motor and easily attached to any hose. Heavy-duty Dura-Tech construction ensures lasting strength and durability while the constant airflow helps to resist small tears and punctures.
Product Description
Slide into cool fun during warm weather with the ultimate in water slides. Setup takes less than five minutes. Simply roll out the slide, attach the water bags and blower and flip the switch! The giant water slide inflates in less than two minutes. Connect the garden hose and watch your aqua park come to life with a cool water spray.

Features:

• Heavy-duty Dura-tech construction ensures lasting strength and durability for years to come
• Arch top, wall and rails are constructed of PVC-coated 420D Terylene for strength and support
• Slide surface and pool area are constructed of PVC-coated polyester tarpaulin that allows children a fun and slippery sliding experience and prevents damage to the landing area of the slide
• Climbing wall made of PVC-coated Terylene. Net has been used to create an extremely strong climbing wall surface, and each foothold is reinforced with a second layer of ultra-strong material
• Water bags are attached at key points around slide to ensure the stability of the structure
• The water bags are reinforced with nylon mesh at the point where they attach to the slide to prevent them from tearing away under stress
• Ground stake loops are sewn in at two points on the blower-powered water slide bottom instead of one point to increase strength and durability
• The included 12" blower motor has a GFCI switch for maximum safety and convenience
• A carrying case is also provided for easy storage after play
• Inflatable size: 228"L x 60"W x 120"H

Includes one inflatable Banzai Falls Water Slide, one 12" blower, 10 ground stakes, two anchor bags and a repair kit.

Most of the reviews on Amazon.com give this slide a five star rating. There are also some very bad reviews, where people have had a bad experience with this slide. From personal experience and talking with friends who have this slide, I give it a 5-star.

Image Credit: Amazon.com

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We did buy a slipcover for one of our hand-me-down couches and I did not like it. The slipcover didn’t fit right, it always looked messy and I was forever fixing it. We also had 2 small children at the time and something was spilled on the slipcover. It didn’t come out. I thought I was done with slipcovers, until last week.

I hopped online and looked at different kinds of slipcovers and read some reviews and came to the conclusion that what I wanted to purchase was the Casual Home Stretch Rib Sofa Slipcover in Oar Brown. The idea of a "stretch" slipcover made so much more sense to me. You would not believe how soft this slipcover is. My kids love the way it feels too.

Here are the product features:

• Rich brown sofa slipcover features stretch construction, with patented elastic band, to ensure a snug fit
• 94% polyester/6% spandex
• Part of the Casual Home Stretch Rib Slipcover Collection (each item sold separately)
• Fits sofas 74–96" wide
• Machine wash

We have had the slipcovers on our couch and loveseat for a few days and so far so good. Do I still have to tuck them back in every once and awhile? Yes. I have three jumpy, energetic kids, so the slipcover is bound to need fixing every once and awhile. Although a brand new leather sectional is what I really want, the Casual Home Stretch Rib Sofa Slipcover in Oar Brown is a great solution until that can happen.

When I do buy that brand new couch, I know that I can still use our current couch and love seat somewhere else in the house. The structure of the couches are just fine, it’s the look of them that’s no good.

If you are looking for an affordable solution to re-do the look of your couch, I would highly recommend this product. A picture of my own couch and loveseat with these slipcovers is coming soon!

Image: Amazon.com

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