Link: www.scrapbook.com

Scrapbook.com is a family owned business located in Mesa, AZ; a creative oasis in the center of a sun-scorched desert.

It all began in 2001 during the downward spiral of the first internet craze. Jill Davis had raised her children and decided to spend her new-found free-time to do something big. She had been scrapbooking for over 25 years and loved it and the meaning and joy it gave her life. She decided to share her scrapbooking passion with others...and maybe turn it into a business. And so, with no outside capital and no loans, she jumped in feet first and started Scrapbook.com out of her home office, pulling 12-18 hour days, six days a week.

What a business it has become. Scrapbook.com grew into a thriving, profitable family business in the wake of the dotcom crash. It now employs Jill's three sons (a former Goldman Sachs analyst, a professional singer, and a current college student) and 22 others. The company is one of the largest and fastest growing scrapbooking sites online and touches lives throughout the world. Jill's story is one of passion, optimism and perseverance.

Jill said, "Preserving memories is no small matter. I was driven to create an online resource that would serve scrapbookers worldwide. You can understand this feat even better when you know that I flunked my college computer class a few years earlier. Through sheer determination, exhaustion and overcoming a lot of frustration I have realized my dream."

Our mission is to guide people through the memory preservation process and to keep them motivated to document life through:

• Providing the products they need at the right price
• Supporting them through education
• Inspiring them through creative outlets such as galleries, forums and blogs
• Giving them a home on the web where they can connect with Scrapbookers worldwide

(Taken from the About page.)

This website was recommended by one of our MOPS moms. If you like this site or know of any others to share, please leave a comment!

Link: www.widowconnection.com

Widow Connection is a website of encouragement, information, and comprehensive resources. Topics from finances, family, and friendships, to emotions such as grief, anger, and loneliness are here for you. We share our stories, advocacy resources and much more.

Why is Widow Connection important? Consider these facts:

• 800,000 women become widows every year in the United States.
• Our friendship network shrinks by 75%.
• Financially, most widows experience decline and many experience surprises.
• Our financial need declines by 20% However, our income declines by 33%.
• Our average age is 52.
• Emotions of grief, anger, and loneliness intensify.
• 60% of widows experience significant illness in the first year.
• Clinical depression is the most common illness.
• After one year 50% no longer attend the church they attended with their husbands.
• Our family tree rearranges itself often with surprises.

(Taken from the Fast Facts page.)

This website was recommended to Linda Page, the Connections Director here at the Evangelical Free Church of Crystal Lake. She passed it along to us, and now we're sharing it with you. Please let us know in the comments what you think of the site!

Title: The Parent You Want to Be
Author(s): Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott
Price: $19.99
ISBN: 0310272459

When it comes to parenting, who you are is more important than what you do. After all, your child internalizes your traits more than anyone else's on the planet. And that's why Les and Leslie Parrott — in a parenting book like no other — give you a proven plan for cultivating the traits you most want your child to have.

Discover . . .

• the most important question you'll ever ask as a parent
• the three-step method to avoid being the parent you don't want to be
• the secret to making your "intentional traits" stick on even your worst days

. . . and much more.

(Taken from the back cover.)

This book was recommended by one of our MOPS moms. If you have read this book, please share your feedback with us in the comments!