Giving Tuesday

Are you tired of hearing about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc and so on?  Here's is something you can sink your teeth into (at least I know I can)!!  

TODAY IS GIVING TUESDAY!

Did you know?  There are people all over our country giving to others so unselfishly that today I am proud to be a part of this great nation.  People are using social media to spread the word and give ideas and I wanted to get in on the action!

Have you ever had someone pay for your food in the McDonalds drive-thru?  Did you turn around and do it in return for the person behind you?  Such an easy but powerful blessing!

Have you given coats that you have grown out of or don't wear anymore to Coats for the Cold?  Are there people in your community that don't have what you have?  Are there little ones that are going to go without a warm jacket this winter?  Give you coats people, how hard is that?

Do you participate in the shoebox ministry at your church?  Never heard of it?  Follow this link to be a blessing to children around the world that don't know Jesus Christ and may never have a Christmas if it wasn't for you!!

Spare change in your pocket?  Throw it in that big red pot in front of most major stores and support the Salvation Army - it only takes a little pocket change to add up to MAJOR BENEFITS for so many!

Do you know someone that is adopting a child?  Do they have a little person they are praying without ceasing that will soon be a part of their family - Buy a shirt here and here to help support them monetarily in their adoption.

Can you spare a few dollars for Toys for Tots?  Most stores are collecting toys for children in our communities that will go without this Christmas!  Buy one more toy than is already on your list and brighten a little God-Love-It's Christmas!!

Pay someone's parking meter!

Bring someone you work with a Sweat Tea from McDonalds!

Bake cookies for your elderly neighbors!

Send a Christmas card via snail mail and brighten someone's day!

Go Christmas caroling at your local nursing home!

Give a gift card for Starbucks coffee to your crossing guard at your kids' school!

My point is folks, GIVE TO OTHERS!  Isn't that what this season should be about?  You will never know the impact of your blessing on someone else this side of Heaven!  Our God will bless you 100 fold for blessing others so please get involved and let me know what you are doing to promote Giving Tuesday (and everyday)!!

My Christmas List

If anyone sees Chad Cox between now and December 25, can you please tell him I have about three things on my list this year (We usually buy one big thing that we need like a computer or camcorder, One year we bought a present for every letter of our name - that was fun).  This year I want a Pioneer Woman Cookbook, Premier Jewelry Big-Honkin engagement looking ring with matching earings, and a quesadilla maker.  Is that too much to ask for?  Please let him know!

P.S. One weekend away with Chad would be a nice gesture too.  Sans kids.  Ask me how many times we have EVER been without kids in the past 7 years of their lives.  You will be astonished!!

Christmas Traditions

The Cox Clan is anxious for the upcoming holiday season.  There are so many fun things planned and so many traditions that we love and it just doesn't feel quite like Christmas if we have to leave one out.  Our traditions range from Elf on the Shelf, Christmas Eve service at JCCC, sleeping with our kids on Christmas Eve (Chad with the boys and Molly and I), baby Jesus' birthday party, and many more.  However, probably one of my favorite Christmas traditions is packing our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan's Purse.  If you have never packed a shoebox for a child in need - YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON A TRUE BLESSING!  Every year our church shows videos of boxes being delivered all over the world and sweet children savoring each item in their box!  I tear up every time and I have vowed that one day I will help deliver those boxes and see those cuties in person as they open their present from someone that doesn't even know them but loves them just the same!

So, if you have never packed a box before, here is how you can get started:

1.  Visit the website

2.  Download and print the labels

3.  Decide on what gender and age range you are going to pack a box for

4.  Head to the Dollar Tree and buy goodies for your box

5.  Wrap your shoebox (or plastic container with a lid), post your label (with gender and age range) on the front, put a rubberband around the box

6.  Find a drop off location, pray over your box and BE BLESSED BECAUSE YOU ARE BLESSING OTHERS!!

Halloween 2012

And the unofficial count for Trick-Or-Treaters for 2012 is............

400!!

In Knight Wind Subdivision, we love our Halloween festivities including lots of family and friends (including first-timers to the Knight Wind experience: The Cobbles), chili, candy, fog machines, theme music and tons of fun!  Here is a short 2012 recap:

They really are this sweet to each other (MOST of the time).

I know, I know....Mario is shorter than Luigi but as some of my students pointed out: Mario is OLDER than Luigi (Does 16 minutes count on the case of my twins?  The mustaches make the outfit huh?)

 

Wonder where she gets that post from?  She tickles me to death!!



My own fall harvest

Today I wanted to share a few pictures of the fall fun we have here in East Tennessee every year.  Chad's aunt and uncle have what we call "The Pumpkin Party" every October usually on the 3rd weekend of the month (yes, that is when UT plays Alabama every year).  Molly Cox has had the party on the calendar for MONTHS and the kids woke up very excited to get to the party!  What encouraged me to write this blog post was the overwhelming since of "my own fall harvest."  Not one that I harvest every year of course byt the harvest that is my adorable, precious, sometimes crazy children.  Chad and I work very hard at being good parents and yes, sometimes fail miserably because of our own sinful selves but we strive to produce a harvest of productive, caring, loving, Lord-abiding kids and we pray every day that we are able to do just that!  We urge each of you to do the same!!  The pictures that I want to share come from our first Pumpkin Party in October of 2009 and the last is our group shot from this year's Pumpkin Party - LOOK AT HOW MUCH OUR HARVEST HAS GROWN AND WHAT AMAZING YOUNG PEOPLE THEY ARE BECOMING!!

 

 Pumpkin Party 2009

Pumpkin Party 2012

 

Fun with sidewalk chalk

Thank you Pinterest (The link takes you right to my Summer pin board) for another super great idea to keep my kids and I busy (and happy/not fighting) this summer!!

Sidewalk Chalk Paint: Equal parts water and cornstartch (I used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup cornstarch and then added a color, poured about half into three containers and then added a second color to mix: for purple, orange and poured that into 3 containers, then washed out my bowl and started again with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cornstartch)  and then add food coloring - Mix and match colors and ENJOY!!

Let me know if you have any questions about Pinterest or the chalk recipes!!

Sock Bun = Curls

Ok, this is going to be a TOTALLY random post but I love this idea so much that I just have to share!!  Do you love Pinterest?  I am obsessed!  I have gotten tons of great ideas to craft/sew, probably 85% of my recipes since October, great decorating tips, nails, and hair!!!  Today I want to share a great hair trick that I am newly in love with!  Take a sock, cut it, roll it, hair in ponytail, wet hair, roll hair around sock, leave overnight, take it down, brush it out, and VOILA - CURLS!!!  I am linking to the website, via Pinterest with instructions (more specific than mine).  Please try it and let me know what you think!!

Sock Bun = Curls