Free Webinar and More on China

As mentioned in my previous article, I have managed to persuade Sean (that would be my husband for those of you that don't know) to run a free webinar on how to Launch Your Business Online.   He has been in the Web Coach and Online industry for a number of years, and is experienced in so many things its sometimes hard to keep track of.

Consider the following questions, when trying to decide whether you should attend this webinar or not.:

Are you a home based entrepreneur?
Are you currently unemployed / underemployed?
Do you want to earn money from the comfort and safety of your home?
Do you have a few hours each day to build your business?If you have answered YES to any of the questions above, join us on Saturday evenings, as we explain how you can setup an online business, or get your existing business online.

This will be a FREE five part series, covering;
- Strategy: How to get a great idea and work out your game plan.
- Platform: Blog or website, email or SMS, product or service?
- Social Media: Get visible on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google
- Billing: Charge clients in a professional and effective way
- Affiliates / Partners: Make money by referral and earn a residual income.

You will need a fast Internet connection and a computer with a mic headset or speakers, to fully interact with us and others via this exciting web technology called a Webinar.
Find out more by joining us for the first session, or call us on +27 21 788 2809 for more information.
Register Now 

Faces and Places of China Part 2 
Today's photos are all about people who we spent time with, while  helping and volunteering with China Heart International - our team !  Volunteers are invaluable to any organisation. Having set up and run a non profit for many years, I know how important volunteers are to the effectiveness of any organisation.  These are the faces of those that volunteered with me.  Special people who travelled from all over the globe to spend time with orphans and special needs children in China.The group was diverse - British, Australians, Chinese, South Africans (us:) and Americans- but what an amazing team!  

Here they are....

And here they are in action.....

Gold Nuggets #3 Work from Home and More

Pinterest
A place to get seriously distracted!  Its all about saving the things you like and find on the web.  Lots of pretty things.  BE warned - this is a highly addictive activity! However a wonderful opportunity to showcase your products especially if you run a small business from home.  By "pinning" an image it showcases that image to a number of viewers or followers.

ODesk
A real solution to be able to work from home.  There are so many opportunities to supplement your income.  There are so many moms who are really need to make a little extra money while still trying to home school and manage their homes.  This a goodie because you decide how much you want to work. You also can track employer records before deciding that you want to work for someone.  Please remember though to read the fine print!

Odyssey Daily Broadcasts
I don't know about your children, but mine love Odyssey.  They listen to it daily on the radio and in fact our school day finishes with them, and we have even downloaded and bought some from Audible.com which they listen to every night as they drift off to sleep.  But if you don't want to buy them, why not let them listen to it on your computer.  Every day they offer a different episode. Why would I post this on "Work from Home?"  Sometimes we need to occupy our children without sticking them in front of the television, while we deal with our "work-from-home" issues.  These episodes are about 30 minutes long, they are highly entertaining and they teach good values and morals through the stories.  Of course also developing those under developed listening skill.  What a wonderful combination!

Groupon
Just the right place to find discounted rates on restaurants, beauty, flights, hotels - and some of the discounts are as much as 70%.  I always keep my eye out for a good deal - chance to take my man on a romantic outing, no-cook-at-home-options (a firm favourite in this house)
You can earn extra cash by recommending Groupon! Recommend your favourite offers to friends, relatives and colleagues who haven’t heard of Groupon. If someone buys a deal which you’ve recommended to them then you receive R 25 Groupon credit which entitles you to an even greater discount on your next deal - or you could even have it for nothing!

Webinar on HOW to get YOUR business online?
My husband has been a Webcoach for a number of years - from training individuals, companies and universities in using a website content management system (Joomla!) - to hosting, website design and support and just about everything else that happens online. Well I have persuaded him to run a Webinar at no cost to you on How to get YOUR business online?  I will be posting details of the Webinar during the week about how to sign up and be part of the discussion .  For those of you that are interested in joining us, the Webinar will take place from 8pm to 9pm (UTC/GMT +2 hours)  so make sure you set that time aside.

For our next Gold Nuggets issue we will be linking up to good reads on Adoption, if your blog or website covers adoption why not submit your link to mel at mothers dot co dot za.  Please note that there are no guarantees that they will be published as I choose links based on content and suitability.

China and Rice Porridge

Our Homeschooling Routine

A few of you have asked me how we manage our home school routine.  Let me just say from the start that this routine is definitely not set in stone but it acts as a guideline to our day.  I believe its vital to have a plan, because if you don't everyone else will plan your day for you and its so easy to get distracted - that one thing to clean, the email you want to read, the phone(s) and even "researching" ideas for teaching your children.
7:00 am Wake up
This does sometimes change especially if we have had a late life group meeting the night before, or friends visiting.  I prefer to let them sleep a little later because I know they won't manage school with too little sleep.
7:00 - 8:00 Getting Ready for the Day
This part of the day is all about getting ourselves and our house ready for the day.  Even Ruth at the age of 3, is responsible for setting the breakfast table, making her bed (which entails moving her bedding around and is far from tidy but she is learning responsibility for her own things) and getting herself dressed after someone has laid out her clothes.  The boys normally pack away dishes, put out the breakfast cereals, taking out the trash and tidy up the lounge.
8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast
This is a very special time for our family.  We are very fortunate to have my husband working from home and so he normally reads the Bible to the children while they eat, or some kind of missionary book.  At the moment we are reading a series called Jesus Freaks which are true stories about Christian martyrs.  But even this doesn't happen every morning and then I do a time of Bible with the children in the morning before lunch.
8.30 - 9:00 Get Settled
After breakfast they quickly brush teeth, take their vitamins, wash any excess breakfast off around their mouths (which is often - my kids love breakfast - especially rice pudding! See recipe that follows)  Unset the breakfast table, wash dishes and head to our learning centre. (room where we do most of our learning which could really be anywhere in the house)
9:00 - 12:00 Learning
We normally start the day with their individual grade subjects like Maths, English, Latin, Mandarin and  Afrikaans.  I spend time with each of them whenever needed.  Ruth normally starts her day with about 30 minutes of educational TV.  Then she joins in with her own activities which I plan the day before.  We sometimes stop half way for a stretch, some Milo and a slice of bread or fruit but only for about 15 minutes.
12:00 - 12:45 Lunch BreakI make lunch while they run around like crazy riding their bikes, J-Boards, Hide and Seek and anything that requires a lot of noise and energy, in fact occasionally one of them will try and stay inside to read or play Lego but I believe children should get as much fresh air and activity as possible.
12:45 Ruth goes for her afternoon nap
12:50 Get Settled
Wash hands and get ready for the next session
12:50 - 15:00 Group Subjects
We do all of our group subjects such as Geography, Computers, History, Zoology, Anatomy, Life skills.
15:00 - 15:30 Break for Odyssey and finishWhy is this part of our schedule? Our children love listening to Odyssey on the radio every day and so this is normally my time to bring the day to an end.  I used to try and add more school time after this but I have realised that they also need to finish at a reasonable hour.  When we feel the need to get more done in a day - then we start earlier.  In fact if we have a play date or excursion planned for the afternoon, we also start earlier to make sure we get enough done in the day.

I would love to hear how you manage your school day?  What approach do you use?  Are you very structured or do you allow your children to guide you through the day?
 

Breakfast and Rice?
 So with China still pulsing through our veins after our 2 week trip with China Heart International, I thought that a good rice recipe would be very fitting.  Do they eat this in China? - who knows but they definitely eat it in Kalk Bay at the Grant house.I have seriously found the most delicious breakfast for my children.  Not only is it delicious but it tastes a little like eating dessert and who doesn't LOVE dessert?  So this one's a little different but a real winner.

Creamy Rice Porridge
INGREDIENTS
2 cups uncooked white rice (never tried brown as an option)
2,5 litres of milk
2ml salt
30ml cornflour

Cinnamon sugar and butter for serving


HOW TO MAKE IT
1.  Heat your milk until it just starts to boil
2.  Add the rice and salt
3.  Simmer for 20 - 25 min or until rice is cooked
4.  Mix the cornflour with a little extra milk until its a smooth paste.
5.  Add the cornflour mixture to the rice and mix.  Allow it to cook for 5 more minutes or until it has thickened.
6.  Serve with a blob of butter and sugar and cinnamon

This recipe is truly delicious.  It makes a big pot so you might think its too much but my children loved it so much they snacked on it for the rest of the day (so did Sean and I:).  Cold or hot it tastes delicious.  Bear in mind we are a family of six and rice is really yuk! when you freeze it, so maybe try your first batch by halving the quantities and if they love it - then go ballistic!


Faces and Places of China Part 1
After a two week trip to the other side of the world, we arrived home exhausted, jet lagged and amazed at how much we had done in such a short time.  What we saw, experienced and gave to, was beyond anything we could have imagined.  So I thought I would post some photos of our time away.  I have decided to divide the photos into different sections.  These photos are all photos of the beautiful, contrasting structures found there.  Of course we only saw a small part of this country but what we saw just really fascinated us in its size, colour, creativity and contrasts.

 This was in the Muslim Chinese market area.  I just love the detail and colours. 

 No this photo wasn't just about the tall buildings in the background but look at those electric wires! Soooo many of these hanging over whole cities and they are so thick and so many you can see them for miles.

 This was one of the "smaller" places we stayed in, only few million people live here:)

 

I love these Chinese traditional buildings.  Funnily enough I thought that there would be far more of these but most of China lives in high rise buildings.

 

This structure was actually at the top of a high rise building and we suspect it might have been a place of worship or a temple.

 

Market place.  For those of you that received gifts for us - if they need returning, THAT'S the place to take it to.

The drum tower, with drums all around the sides with the most amazing views that had me more enraptured than anything they had inside. Have a look at these views from the top.  Its probably the only place I found where there was some quiet.  With all the hustle and bustle and all the people, its hard to find a quiet spot.

The Chinese love flowers, everywhere you go, even at the tolls there are flowers everywhere, hanging baskets of flowers all the way down the island in the middle of a freeway, and some of the them are plastic ones stuck between the vegetation when there are no flowers blooming.  Its quite a site and so pleasing to the eye when so much attention is placed on detail. 

The biggest mistake I ever made

Mistakes, oh dear yes, those things we don't like to tell everyone! 

Well thank goodness there are none of us that are above making mistakes so I know that all of us can identify with the feeling when we make them.  In fact I have often said to my friends - if only they knew.  Of course the they would be all those of you that don't know me very well. The ones who still think that I am that beautiful, dignified (you can clear your throat dramatically at this point), well mannered, submissive (OK that hurt a wee bit), disciplined (not sure that Virgin Active would vote for me on that one), tidy and organised individual - that I am not.

Its so easy to be so convincing for the masses but spend time with people who get to know you, the real you starts to seep through and then its not so convincing anymore.  I have however realised that without being honest, we lose the opportunity to connect with people on a heart to heart level.  No one wants to be around Miss Perfect, aren't they a pain!  Of course none of us have tried to come across that way. 

Mmmh, let me think of an example...You know like when a child grabs at something at the shop for the 5th or 6th time and we are just about to launch into a mini lecture with threats of what-will-happen-when-you-get-home-talk, and some sweet old lady comes walking down the aisle?  So instead of giving our child a tongue lashing, we grit our teeth and speak very slowly and sweetly and tell Little Johnny to"please not touch the pretty things on the shelves".  Of course this then gives the old lady the opportunity to stop and admire our bunch (which are still running circles around our leg squealing and causing the thermostat to rise even further) and to let us know that we are such a wonderful mother to have so much patience.  Of course we accept this complement graciously.  We smile sweetly and tell her how much we love our children and love going shopping with them and that its so good to spend time with them. (which is true..... most of the time)

Ha! Ring any bells! Of course not - must just be me..... .  Of course the flip side of this is that we feel like such a hypocrite and make a concerted effort to continue in this patient mode trying to be the person we have just pretended to be.  We grit your teeth and ask the children to behave again, smiling as we do this.  We speak slower and slower and  use our eyes to convey messages in a hidden language to our children who still haven't managed to learn this rather important form of communication. Finally we pay and we march quickly to the car with the children running behind us trying to keep up, almost knocking people over with the trolley before in utter relief we reach our car.  We bark out an order for the children to get in.  They now realise that things are not as peachy as they had hoped and look at us expectantly.......waiting..... We climb into the car.... They wait in silence.... When the door finally closes ..... we let rip! And we make sure we are driving when this happens so that others can't hear or see our yelling. 

Oh yes, that crazed lady driving past you would be me! Very undignified and mad as a hatter.  So what's the point? 

The one's that know us, know the truth

Yep, those children who saw us speak sweetly to the old lady, know the truth. Our husbands knows the truth.  The ones we have offended when our under cover act hasn't been as successful as we would like, know the truth.  The biggest mistake I have ever made is thinking I could hide my imperfections and I could act so well that no one would see.  But its useless, we're not that good.  But there is hope, because when we do confess our weaknesses to one another, yes - even our children, they have the opportunity to help us, pray for us or even share of how they struggle with the same thing.  Isn't it a relief to know that we are not the alone in these struggles?

I love spending time with people who know how to laugh at themselves, tell it like it is and who are open and transparent.  They are less intimidating and you feel the freedom to do the same.  And this is where real heart moments happen. Being real and open about who we are opens up a door to deep friendship.  I love imperfect friends.  I love that they have bad days, because they can help me cope with mine because they know how it feels. I love friends who make mistakes, big ones and little ones because they can offer me a hope that I can make it through those disaster moments.  I don't want friends who pretend to be perfect because then I go into "hide mode" again, I make comparisons and feel like I am the worse mother and wife.  But the ones who remind you that we are all very human, with a very fallen nature, who are all relying on God's grace and mercy to change and transform them - as Facebook says it so well - I like!

Photo:freedigitalphotos.net

Green Fingers: Gutter Gardens

You may remember my post about greenplanet.com where they had this really lovely idea of using unusual objects to grow vegetables in. So I got a few helpful individuals involved ( ie - men and boys - who likes to fiddle with drills and bits and hacksaws anyway?  If you do, don't mind me but I love playing the helpless woman in distress card at this point including : wheel changes, heavy bags, hammering, fixing and lifting and in fact anything else that they fall for -oops, volunteer for;))

So here's what we were hoping for: (be warned ours didn't finish off quite so tidy but its a work in progress)

We got all the bits together: the flowers and herbs

 I just love being able to pick and choose and my husband is always incredibly generous and patient.  Then the team arrived, to do the hard stuff!
There was lots of measuring and cutting to start. 

With the help of Grandpa Jim the brackets were put up against the wall.

And as a retired engineer everything was measured and spaced perfectly. (see my reasoning in letting them do it - I don't think I would have got it looking this good!)  And there goes the first one, real team work.

With a quick celebratory photo for the first one done. Not sure what Ruthie did, maybe ate the nuts and bolts but she was determined to get her moment in the spotlight.

 
Dad decided he was not to be outdone and wanted in on the action and in all fairness he did put most of the gutters, but this was a special time with Grandpa and so he got more media coverage.

With almost 9 gutters put up, I filled them three quarters full with 50% potting soil and 50% compost before planting my flowers and herbs.  Oh yes and because I am doing this late at night and forgot to mention that you have to drill holes at the bottom of the gutter for drainage, let me do this now.  If you are following this step by step you may now need to drill holes upside down with your neck stretched at a strange angle, but don't let it be said that I didn't mention it:)
Back to this rather professional (uhm ...no) step by step tutorial (sounds professional doesn't it?)

Aren't they just beautiful? The marigolds, for those of you that don't know, are supposedly a natural deterrent to bugs.  I don't want to have to use pesticides and prefer to find alternative ways to protect my plants.
I haven't taken a photo of all the gutters yet as they are not all ready.  We recently planted spring onions and spinach in some of them and they have just sprung some shoots but will post some photos soon.

Another hobby I have grown to love as part of the gardening process, is going to the dump.  Yes you heard me right, I go to our local dump and collect all the things that others like to throw away. 
At our dump, there are a group of entrepreneurs, who go through the rubbish and find things that are worth recycling and they charge you a small fee for the purchase.  They have become so well known that some community members just bring the things they want to get rid of, and give it to this recycling initiative so that they can make some money. 
This is what I did with 2 drawers that I bought for a massive R20 each.

Our balcony is really cold and there is a lot of salt air blowing on our plants all the time.  I have tried to plant indigenous plants and shrubs to ensure that they survive.  And they have done so well and grow abundantly with almost no attention. 
I have loved doing this part of our garden but am really looking forward to doing even more.  Who knows what I will find at the dump next week?

What new gardening ideas have you recently put into action in your garden.  I would love to hear from some of you.

Gold Nuggets #2

This weeks Gold Nuggets are all to do with stuff.  Lots of stuff - some free some nearly free.


Gumtree.co.za
This a really helpful site.  There is a freebie section where you can get anything from a puppy to building rubble.  Stuff for sale is so cheap.  I have bought wetsuits at a fraction of the cost and friends of ours bought the most beautiful furniture from a couple emigrating.  Their house now looks like a House and Home advert.  Whenever I need something, I always look there before heading to the store.  The site even gives you the option of choosing adverts which are situated close to you so that you don't end up viewing adverts in Johannesburg.

Freecycle.org
This is another goodie for stuff. "An entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills." All you have to do is join the right group (a yahoo group) by entering the area you live in.  They send you emails about what people need or are giving away for free.  Some stuff is broken but then people take them for parts but there are a large number of ads that are really useful.  Some of the items that have been on the list recently include vegetable plants, an old desk, stamps, second hand clothing and loads of others.  The trick though is to respond immediately to the emails, as things are taken quickly.

Free Christian Audio Books
Each month Christian audio gives away one premium audiobook download for free. How does it work? They give away one audiobook download (that they have published or that a partner has allowed them to give away) absolutely free; available only during that month and only once, ever. There are also hundreds of other free audiobooks, lectures, sermons, interviews and podcasts there too!

What sites do you enjoy to visit?  I would love to hear from you.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall....

Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So today was a great day, children went to the local gym for their holiday club activities which meant me running around like a maniac doing all the things I cannot normally do which was simply divine!  Followed by a Park Day (what - you ask? ).  A colourful group of mom's who get together on a paddock in Noordhoek and enjoy each other's company while their children run around enjoying the open spaces, the mud (yes Helen and Michelle - the MUD!) and much laughter.  OK so I am drifting a bit but the remains of mud in my shower and the washing load full of dirty clothes reminds me that I need to remember to take extra clothes on our next Park Day and definitely no newly-granny-knitted-cardigans - sorry Mom:(

So here I was enjoying the diversity of the group, the laughter, the stories -when one of the mothers started sharing about all these great exciting things she was doing - play dates and learning ballet.  The details of her adventures are not as significant as the sudden comparison I made.  I started to feel almost insecure (yes I definitely have moments like this) and unimportant , even slightly envious.  The temptation to run to the closest dance instructor who would be crazy enough to sign me up for a class was so strong, it was ridiculous.  I love dancing but have never really felt the urge to go for lessons but here in the shadow of this significant other - I was comparing myself to her and falling so short.  Short according to whose standards though?

There is an insightful scripture that my children recently had to memorise "and they in comparing themselves, among themselves, are not wise" 2 Corinthians 10:12 and if you take the scripture to the opposite basically it says that if you make comparisons - you're not wise - mmmmh lets see if I look up the opposite of wise in my web search I come up with:   foolish , ignorant, stupid, unintelligent, unreasonable, unwise. Not a nice thing to consider but so true!  I am being foolish in comparing myself because when I do I am looking for a winner or a loser.  If I win it makes me feel good, but who is the loser?  The person I am judging or measuring?  And if I 'lose' in the comparison I feel rotten, unworthy and of no value.

Its so easy to slip into this way of thinking - we compare ourselves with others in so many ways - clothing, children, popularity, finances, lifestyle and yet God  individually wrapped and made us.  If he had wanted to, he could have cloned me and made 1000's of Mel's (oh how that would not work!) but He chose one Mel and one you.  Recently my sister visited and I sat there marvelling at how different we are but doesn't that make her all the more special and more unique! What a divinely unique individual each one of us has been created to be. 

He has made you so uniquely different from anyone else because He wanted YOU, not someone else.

So here I am celebrating my rather unusual dress sense, bumps, moles, freckles, love handles and heart for orphans, desire to go places and do things off the map and crazy stubbornness that has me holding onto the promises of God.   Because the whole package is what he gave me and what makes me Mel.

And to finish, here is a song that was playing on iTunes as I was writing this, why not listen to this song.

Never let 'em see you when you're breaking
Never let 'em see you when you fall
That's how we live and that's how we try
Tell the world you've got it all together
Never let them see what's underneath
Cover it up with a crooked smile
But it only lasts for a little while

[CHORUS:]
There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God

Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted
When you hear the words that you are loved
He knows where you are and where you've been
And you never have to go there again

[CHORUS]

Who lived and died to give new life
To heal our imperfections
So look up and see out let grace be enough

[CHORUS]

By a perfect God [5x]

Be changed by a perfect God
Be changed

How many homeschoolers does it take to change a lightbulb?

Just this morning I received this email through one of our homeschooling e-loops, so after asking permission from Dr Frank Muller, here is a real funny for you to enjoy!

How many homeschoolers does it take to change a light bulb?

Before commencing, mom contacts the Pestalozzi Trust to see if it is legal to change a light bulb without registering with the provincial department of education.

She then contacts the Homeschooling Yahoo group to see if there is enough interest to have a field day to watch the changing of the light bulb.

The Forum then debates whether this is a homeschooling or an unschooling type of activity.

Then, mom checks three books on electricity out of the library, then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a
biography of Thomas Edison and do a skit based on his life.

Next, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles.
Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of light bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they´ll get if they buy two bulbs for R10.95 and pay with a R50 bill.

On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also conservation, as there is a lion picture on the R50 bill.

Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed.

And there is light.

So the answer is: Not less than 5.

Are you a leader or a follower?

The things that haven't been done before,
Those are the things to try;
Columbus dreamed of an unknown shore
At the rim of the far-flung sky,
And his heart was bold and his faith was strong
As he ventured in dangers new,
And he paid no heed to the jeering throng
Or the fears of the doubting crew.

The many will follow the beaten track
With guideposts on the way,
They live and have lived for ages back
With a chart for every day.
Someone has told them it's safe to go
On the road he has traveled o'er.
And all that they ever strive to know
Are the things that were known before.

A few strike out, without map or chart,
Where never a man has been,
From the beaten paths they draw apart
To see what no man has seen.
There are deeds they hunger alone to do;
Though battered and bruised and sore,
They blaze the path for the many, who
Do nothing not done before.

The things that haven't been done before,
Are the tasks worth while to-day;
Are you one of the flock that follows, or
Are you one that shall lead the way?
Are you one of the timid souls that quail
At the jeers of a doubting crew,
Or dare you, whether you win or fail,
Strike out for a goal that's new?
Author Unknown

Pioneers are not the loudest, the youngest or the most popular.  Courage is all we need to be the pioneers, the leaders, the Joshua's and Calebs.

When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the Lord said to him, "You are old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over"  Prov 13:1

In fact pioneers only lead the way amongst people but they follow God faithfully and when they do the reward is great.

"The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. Joshua 14:9"

Can you hear the voice of the Lord who calls you to walk in a way you never gone before?

Blogging: Decorating your blog

I love playing with backgrounds on my blog. It's the non-graphic-designer-wishing-she-was, that gives me such a thrill to change the way my blog looks. I really don't like having the generic backgrounds that Blogger offer. They are fine for a start, but the more I read blogs (and I read a lot) the more I want it to look more professional or appealing.

To help you along, I found a number of blogger backgrounds which are free.  Its not difficult to do, all you have to do is go to the backend of your blog, add a gadget - the html one - and normally you just have to copy and paste some "web language" into there and it transforms your blog. Why not give it a try. If it doesn't work and you don't like it, then you can remove it afterwards.

• Abstract in Back
• Allie Brown's Layouts
• Blissfully Just Me
• Blog Designs by Dani
• Blogaroozer
• Blogs and Blings
• Bluebaby Pie Designs
• Butterflygirlms Blog Designs
• Chic Blogs
• Cristi's Creations
• Daisy Gray Design
• Debs Craft
• Delightful Dots
• Dotty Dot Dot Backgrounds
• Hot Bliggity Blog
• Ivy's Free Blog Backgrounds
• Izzie Grace Blog Backgrounds
• Kindra's Blogging Designs
• Layla Kay Designs
• Mimi Nicole Blog Backgrounds
• Miss Mych
• My Style Backgrounds
• One Cute Blog
• PaisleyCat Scraps
• Plumrose Lane
• Quick and Easy Way to a Scrapbooked Background
• Sam's Scraps
• Scrap My Blog
• Scrap-e-Blog
• Scrappin' Blogs
• Shabby Blogs
• Shel's Scraps
• Simply Chic Blog Backgrounds
• The Background Fairy
• The Cutest Blog on the Block
• The Hobby Barrel Blog

Most of them offer plenty of blog backgrounds for free and then there are also some that you pay for, or parts you pay for like blinkies or buttons. The free ones are lovely and are more than sufficient to make your blog look elegant and charming.

Have fun!!
WARNING: Changing blog backgrounds can be a very addictive activity, proceed with care.