Sharing Diet Coke on a Family Day #ShareItForward #ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareItForward #CollectiveBias

One thing we're always telling our kids is that relationships are important. Your relationships are the only thing you can take to Heaven with you, so they need to be the #1 focus in any situation. That's why we try to have a full-on family day at least once a week. Sometimes, we miss it---but not often. Today was one of those family days and today we made it sweeter by treating the kids to a case of Diet Coke to share.

Yep, we're one of those families. The ones you find riffling through the store displays, looking for our names on cans of Coke. Some of my kids, like Michael, enjoy this hide and seek game. Others, like Avalon and Selah, know they're doomed before they begin, so they settle for Anna and Susan and are glad they at least got the first initial right. Lucky for them, there's the option of buying the cans in cases that carry nickname cans. We found a case with great nicknames like Sweetie and Dad---even these BFF ones, which are perfect for these two best friends.

Today our family day was made extra special by celebrating the girls' last week of ballet for the year. They competed and performed at the Christian Ballet Olympics last week and did very well. Avalon earned a silver medal in her level, Lynzie earned a bronze medal with honors in hers, and Selah earned a gold medal with honors in her level---advancing her up to a new training level for next fall! It's important to us to celebrate these things as a family. It keeps the girls focusing on helping one another to do their best and keeps the competitive feelings directed inwardly, in an attitude of competing with oneself, rather than with one another.

Last week while my mom was still here, we took a couple of kids to Sam's Club for a Coke demo and other shopping. I love the demos at Sam's because they're always featuring great stuff and fun giveaways. This day they were giving away free cans of Coca-Cola products. My mom, having never been in a Sam's Club before, thought this was pretty awesome! We found our 32-count "nickname case" at a great price. They're great for big events---or if you have nine kids.

With a whole case of nicknames to choose from, we all had fun today picking them out for one another. It's funny how something as simple as a can of soda can really boost your ego. I mean, when someone says, "Here, take this *Superstar* can, it fits you", well, how can you resist?

Be sure to check out more ideas at the Share It Forward site. Have you ever found your name on a can of Coke?

The End: The Beginning of Summer

Well, y'all---I've reached the end. I knew it had to come sometime...and it was a long, long, LONG time coming...

By this time next week, I'll be just two short days away from the beginning...

The beginning of my NO OBLIGATION SUMMER!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

This week marks the end of a year of ballet...

A year of homeschool co-op adventures...

A year of playing the part of a starving, sleep-deprived, hurried and harried taxi driver...

By the last day of May, all my obligations outside these four walls will have ceased for the summer and I can RELAX for awhile until time to start preparing for my England trip in September.

Just me, my porch, my sweet tea, my book, and my kids in the swimming pool on the lawn... {ask me about this imagined bliss in a few weeks when I've been pickin' ticks and treating sunburns...}

Have a Spa-Like Experience at Northwest Arkansas Birth Center #BirthCenterNWA

This article was compensated by Acorn Influence and its advertiser. All opinions are honest and are my own. #BirthCenterNWA

Earlier this week, I was given the opportunity to visit the NWA Birth Center in Rogers, Arkansas. Wow! What a treat! I've had nine babies and have never come close to the relaxing and beautiful experience the women who birth here have the opportunity to enjoy. For those of you moms---imagine having your baby and recovering in this relaxing suite, as opposed to a sterile and uninviting hospital room. {I asked the owner if I could book a private night's stay...even though I wasn't expecting. She said she's the only one who gets to do that...}

As I entered the homey atmosphere of the birthing center, I was greeted by a brightly and fashionably-decorated sitting area with a kitchen built in. On another wall was this display of fun baby and mama items that aren't available in most retailers I frequent. I'm a sucker for a hospital gift shop, but this selection was even better as it is designed to meet health and comfort needs, without a lot of frills.

The birth center is not just for those who are expecting a baby. Any woman can come enjoy the experience of an annual exam or screening in a more peaceful environment than she's used to in the standard doctor's office. The costs for utilizing the birth center can be half as much as a hospital birth and the care is more closely designed to individual needs. There's even an ADA compliant birthing room to accommodate those with mobility issues.

One thing I love about the birthing center staff is that they encourage practices that make sense during labor. Eating and drinking is promoted to keep energy up (thus the gorgeous kitchen area) and there's even a beautiful patio area that opens out onto a walkway for the laboring woman who wants to walk. Best part: no routine IVs to keep you strapped in bed with an unnecessarily prolonged labor.

The birth center is designed for women in low-risk pregnancies, and since more than 80% of pregnancies are considered low risk, it's likely this will be a good fit for you or someone you know. Since the staff operates on the truth that there's nothing "wrong" with a woman who has just given birth, they tend to send clients home within 4-6 hours after delivery. This is the time when a woman is still feeling that adrenaline rush after birth and it's important to get her home and settled in her own comfortable environment before the exhaustion sets in. The staff follows up later in the day by video chat and with a home visit soon after.

I'll admit, I thought nothing could make me want another baby any more than I already did---but this tour has deepened the desire even more! Make sure to check out the NWA Birth Center website and contact them to see if they can meet your needs. Have you had any experience with a birthing center? I'd love to hear your story in the comments below.