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Monday, April 30, 2012

"The Devil in Pew Number Seven" by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo



The story of Rebecca Nichols Alonzo has been told on the Dr. Phil Show, where she and her brother faced the man who shot their parents, killing their mother, for the first time in over 30 years. The show has also aired on the OWN channel, and you can read about her story on the 4 part CNN series. And if you haven't heard Rebecca's story, you should definitely pick up her book about it.

The product: The Devil in Pew Number Seven is a true story written by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo about her family and the tragedy that came to them. She shares about her memories of the trying days her family faced at the mercy of a neighbor and member of her father's church congregation. And most of all you'll hear about a brave woman coming to grips with her past and what happened to her family. Through the power of God she is able to offer forgiveness to the people who made her life a horror story.

Rebecca never felt safe as a child. IN 1969, her father, Robert Nichols, moved to Sellerstown, North Carolina, to serve as a pastor. There he found a small community eager to welcome him- with one exception. Glaring at him from pew number seven was a man obsessed with controlling the church. Determined to get rid of anyone who stood in his way, he unleashed a plan of terror that was more devastating and violent than the Nichols family could have ever imagined. Refusing to be driven away by acts of intimidation, Rebecca's father stood his ground until one night when an armed man walked into the family's kitchen...And Rebecca's life was shattered. If anyone had a reason to harbor hatred and seek personal revenge, it would be Rebecca. yet The Devil in Pew Number Seven tells a different story. It is amazing true saga of relentless persecution, one family's faith and courage in the face of it, and a daughter whose parents taught her the power of forgiveness.

Timmy Time: Timmy Needs a Bath DVD


Rub-a-dub-dub! Fun in the tub! Grab your rubber ducky and get ready to soak in some lamb-tastic good fun as preschool favorite Timmy Time returns for an all new family-friendly, good-hearted release, Timmy Time: Timmy Needs a Bath. It is available on DVD now from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.

With slapstick humor and not a single line of dialogue, Timmy Time follows a day in the life of barnyard preschoolers. With diverse animal character along with a rich and colorful nursery school backdrop, Timmy and his friends learn life lessons that every preschooler needs to know. Whether fleeing bath time, becoming a walking collage, being bitten by the cleaning bug or engaging in a paint way, Timmy and his pals always bring joy, heart and a little silliness to any situation.

Timmy Time is a show that airs on Disney Channel's Disney Junior. It's programming for kids ages 2-7 and their families and airs in more than 99 million US homes. The show is from the same award winning creators of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

The product: In Timmy Time: Timmy Needs a Bath you can enjoy some good clean fun with Timmy and his friends! Adventures with mud, glue and paint leave Timmy in some sticky situations. This clever little lamb uses his creativity to make tub-time fun and turn a paint fight into a masterfleece! Timmy cleans up and discovers the most fun of all is being with friends! Soak up the good times with Tinny...just don't forget to wash behind your ears.

The episodes on this DVD include:
  • Timmy Needs a Bath
  • Sticky Timmy
  • Tidy Timmy
  • Timmy Goes Camping
  • Timmy the Artist
And there are 2 fun bonus features too. There is a music video- Timmy's Tune #2. And then you can catch a bonus episode from Shaun the Sheep called "Supersize Timmy", which is so funny!

Thomas & Friends: Curious Cargo DVD


All aboard! Things are happening on Sodor Island, and you better believe that Thomas and his friends are in the middle of it. There is some strange cargo aboard the trains in the Thomas & Friends: Curious Cargo DVD out now.

The product: You will find Thomas and his friends to be quite the wild bunch in Thomas & Friends: Curious Cargo available now on DVD, Digital Download and On Demand from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.

Bunnies and birds and giraffes, oh my! Thomas and his railway pals are carrying some great and unusual freight. Thomas and his engine friends embark on four fantastic adventures as they deliver the Wildlife Center's newest, long-necked resident, make friends with local animals, chuff off in search of the perfect home for friend Bash and lots more!

There is a wild ride in store for Thomas and his engine friends on the Island of Sodor. They get to deliver some Curious Cargo like giraffes and cows, birds and bunnies, and you will see more. Thomas takes on quite a challenge taking a giraffe to Sodor Wildlife Center, Percy learns to be genterl with Sodor's animals, and Belle and toby discover how important it is to listen to others. Join Thomas on his wildest adventures yet!

The episodes on this DVD include:
  • Thomas' Tall Friend
  • Percy's New Friends
  • Toby and Bash
  • Big Belle
There are also some great DVD bonus features. You'll find the "Find what doesn't belong" game, "Determination" song karaoke music video, and exclusive activities and fun with Driver Perkins.

And if you watch Thomas & Friends: Curious Cargo VOD you'll get to see a "Buzzy Bees" bonus episode too.

Brain Teasing Puzzle Books {Giveaway - Ends (CLOSED)5/7}

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner listed below!



One of the best ways to keep your mind young is to challenge it and try new things. One of my favorite ways is through puzzles. Sudoku, crossword, word search, whatever you can find to challenge yourself. Each puzzle is different, therefore, a challenge to your brain as you are trying to figure it out.

The product: I received a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Picture Puzzles, Volume 2, Puzzle Baron's Sudoku and Puzzle Baron's Logic Puzzles, Volume 2. Especially since I enjoy puzzles, these books were tons of puzzling fun. These books are each full of their own fun puzzles to solve.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Picture Puzzles, Volume 2

ISBN: 9781615641390, January 2012, $10.95

Authors: The Editors and Designers of Alpha Books

About the Authors

The Editors and Designers of Alpha Books are uniquely suited to the task of producing The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Picture Puzzles, Volume 2. The editors and design group enjoy a close working relationship, enabling them to produce high-quality, four-color books such as The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to the Perfect Wedding Illustrated, Fifth Edition  and The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Scrapbook Projects Illustrated. Moreover, the editorial and design groups’ background in game and computer books makes them especially suited to the task of producing this very fun and funny book.


Puzzle Baron’s Sudoku
ISBN: 9781615641215, September 2011, $9.95
Author: Stephen P. Ryder

Puzzle Baron’s Logic Puzzles, Volume 2
ISBN: 9781615641529, February 2012, $14.95
Author: Stephen P. Ryder

About the Author
Stephen P. Ryder is the founder and editor of the Puzzle Baron network of websites (PuzzleBaron.com). These sites focus primarily on textual games and puzzles, including acrostics, cryptograms, logic puzzles, drop quotes, sudoku, patchwords and many more. The Puzzle Baron network has upward of a half a million unique visitors each month, along with an extremely dedicated user-base of more than 50,000 registered players who compete against each other for record scores and times.

The Puzzle Baron site Logic-Puzzles.org launched in mid-2008, and though a relatively new site, it is consistently ranked #2 in Google and Bing for anyone searching for the terms "Logic Puzzles" or "Logic Puzzle". The site was featured in PC World (April 12, 2009) as a recommended site for logic puzzles, and currently has more than 10,000 registered members. It offers the largest library of grid-based logic puzzles available anywhere online—currently just over 5,000—and it has a statistical solving history on every one of the puzzles from the database of just under a million puzzles solved since inception. 

The Good Father Blog Tour


"The Good Father" is a book by Diane Chamberlain about a young father trying to find his way with a little girl to care for. I just started reading the book, and I love it so far. I was captured in the first chapter and have had a hard time putting it down. It won't take any time to finish this great novel.

Here is more about the book:

"Diane Chamberlain's characters are so realistic that you feel you know them in person, and when you get to the end of the book, you miss them."
--New York Times Bestselling Author Tatiana de Rosnay

THE GOOD FATHER
Diane Chamberlain

A beloved daughter. A devastating choice.
And now there’s no going back.
Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown had to make a life changing decision. While his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home raising his newborn daughter on his own – changing diapers and working to keep food on the table.  But he’s never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life – the reason behind every move he makes – and so far, she is fed.  Cared for.  Safe.
But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he’s worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble…
Bestselling author of The Secret Life of CeeCee WilkesThe Midwife’s Confession, and The Lies We Told, Diane Chamberlain, returns with her latest and most gripping novel to date,THE GOOD FATHER (Harlequin MIRA; April 24, 2012; $14.95 U.S./$17.95 CAN.), showing the great lengths a father will go to provide for his little girl.
Just when Travis is at a loss for solutions, a job in Raleigh opens up with the power to change their situation.  It has to.  But upon arriving in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.
With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter’s sake.  Even if it means he might lose her. 
THE GOOD FATHER
By Diane Chamberlain
MIRA; April 24, 2012
368 pages; $14.95 U.S./$17.95 CAN.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-1346-5


And now for a little Q & A with author of "The Good Father" Diane Chamberlain:

Q&A:
1.      How did you come up with the character, Travis Brown?
The character of Travis was inspired by a young father who would bring his little girl into the coffee shop where I write each morning. I saw the tenderness and love with which he treated his little girl and was touched by it. At the same time, with the economy in terrible shape, I wondered if he was out of work, since he always came in on weekdays as though he had no place else to be. How would a single dad support his precious little girl if he didn’t have a job? I could imagine his desperation leading him to make a terrible decision that he would never be able to undo.

2.      If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in the book?
I don’t think so. If someone told me I had to change something, I might draw the ending out a little longer. I tend to write very “tight”—my greatest fear is boring my reader, so I don’t add a lot of extraneous detail. But I know that, when a reader has fallen in love with my characters, they don’t want me to end their story too soon or too abruptly. That’s why I added an epilogue to The Good Father, showing how the characters fared after their story ends. So if I had to change something, I might draw that epilogue out a little longer to give my readers a little more time to say good bye.

3.      How much, and what kinds of research went into creating this novel?
I do a great deal of research as I write a book. I’ve probably Googled at least one small item per every page of the novel. But some things require more intensive research. Although I was a stepmom to three teenaged girls, I’d had no children of my own so four-year-old little girls like Bella were not very familiar to me. I loved spending more time with my grandkids that age, observing them carefully as I created Bella. Bella’s mother, Robin, also required a good deal of research, since she’d had a heart transplant and I needed to learn what she would have gone through. I loved spending a few days in Beaufort, North Carolina—the beautiful little waterfront town where Robin lives. And finally, I had to learn more than I ever wanted to about the relationship between cocaine and baby formula!

4.      What are you currently reading?
I’m deep into nonfiction right now as I research my work-in-progress, a story that takes place on a North Carolina tobacco farm in 1960. As someone who grew up in New Jersey, I feel as though I’m learning about a foreign country in another era and it’s an eye-opening experience. As far as fiction goes, my favorite recent read was Stephen King’s 11/22/63. What an extraordinary page turner! I love King when he doesn’t do horror, but instead focuses on a human story with a twist, and this book really fits the bill.

Excerpt:
My hands shook as I scratched a note on the back of a gas receipt and stuck it in Bella's pants pocket, sneaking it in there so Bella wouldn't ask me about it or try to pull it out. I remembered the tremor in my mother's hands. "A fine tremor," the doctor had called it and he'd said it was harmless and barely noticeable. Mine wasn't so fine. I could hardly help Bella get her socks straight on her feet.



As you can see above, Diane Chamberlain has a live chat scheduled that you won't want to miss. To find out more information about this book, author and the blog tour, be sure to visit http://booktrib.com/blog-tour-the-good-father-by-diane-chamberlain/. You can read more about the book from other bloggers there too. And look for The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain in bookstores.


*Disclaimer: I received this book to review. All opinions are my own.*

Friday, April 27, 2012

La Bella Stella CD {Giveaway - Ends 5/10} (CLOSED)

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner listed below!


We just celebrated Earth Day. Now you can celebrate Earth music with your children with the new children's music CD La Bella Stella. This CD will help you better explain to your kids all the great things that our world is about.

The product: La Bella Stella CD contains a variety of music styles. The songs focus on our environment for kids. Here's a little more about the CD:

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Chicken Soup: Find Your Happiness



Are you looking for a little inspiration? Maybe you've been a little down and just need a pick-me-up. Or perhaps you need some hope to fulfill your dreams. Whichever the case may be, with Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Happiness you'll find 101 stories about finding your purpose, passion and joy.


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Morphology Game


It's no secret that I love playing games. Finding people to play with me can be a problem sometimes. I used to play more with my family when we all go together, but once we added kids to the mix, they seem to occupy all our time now. It's pretty rare that we get to play many games. But once in a while someone will break them out, and I love it.

The product: I was introduced to a new game recently that I think is great. Morphololgy is a game that has been described as Pictionary with craft materials. This is a fun new game with a twist that you haven't seen before. Being creative and willing to try new things will help you win this game.


Morphology is a wildly fun and imaginative board game requiring players to build words in three dimensions.  Using objects such as string, wooden sticks, glass beads and colored cubes, players must create the designated object on their game card before the clock runs out. Correctly guess the words your teammates build to be the first team to reach the Final Lily Pad. For more of a challenge, you may be asked to flex your creative muscles by closing your eyes, using your weaker hand, or only pick 5 objects.  In an effort to make the game fun for the whole family, all Morphology game cards include both an “Easy” and a “Hard” word. 



Blog Hopping

I feel like blog hopping today. So far this is what I'm participating in:




Do you have any fun Wednesday blog hops that you participate in? Do you have a great blog I need to follow? I'll also follow on Google +, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. if I don't already. Just leave a comment!

Wordless Wednesday - My Star


Last week at school, Zachariah had "Wacky Wednesday". His school is a Kindergarten only building, and they all participated. I took my grandma to have lunch with him that day. It was pretty fun to see all the crazy outfits the kids have. Zachariah has shorts on over his pants, my Halloween socks pulled up to his knees, his shirt on backwards, Daddy's tie, and his hat turned inside out. So funny.

I decided to submit his picture to our small local TV news station. They have a contest to receive a $10 gift card to a local restaurant if your photo is chosen. I sent in this picture of Zachariah. And I got an e-mail yesterday morning saying that we won, and this photo will be featured on the morning news. Fun!

We wish you a Wacky Wednesday too!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Journal 10+


Are you a journaler? Do you keep up with your baby book? Is it important to you to keep things written down for future reference? Whether your children's baby book is complete, or like my son's it's sadly neglected, this is a product for you. Journal 10+ helps you keep your activities, ideas, milestones, and important memories in one safe place.

The product: Maybe you're looking for a daily journal that will help you keep your thoughts and memories safe. Or perhaps you're not great at writing things down, but would love to have somewhere to jot down things you don't want to forget. Journal 10+ works for all of these.


Journal 10+ is a nicely bound, leatherette book that is made specifically with long-term journaling in mind. Journal 10+ isn't for someone who likes to write pages and pages about their days. It's more for people like me who have the best intentions for writing about my life at the moment, remembering things my son has done and said, but just don't always get to it. It has a few lines for each day for you to jot down important things. And the name Journal 10+ comes from the 10 years of dates that this journal holds. You can keep memories and more for 10 years in one place.


Here's a little more about it from their website:

Olly Oogleberry Book {Giveaway - Ends 5/7} (CLOSED)

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winners listed below!



Back in November my son met an alien. And he lived to tell about it. What??! He did! No, I'm not crazy. I'm talking about the friendly alien- Olly Oogleberry. We were lucky enough to meet him at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair. And Olly Oogleberry is staring in his own book- "The Fabulous Adventures of Olly Oogleberry".

The product: The Fabulous Adventures of Olly Oogleberry is a book written sort of like a large cartoon. The story is told through dialog and thought bubbles with the characters in the book. The pages are big and very colorful.

Deep from outer space comes a band of alien misfits - led by the curious and lovable Olly Oogleberry - on a mission to save earth and all its people, places and things from the impact of a gigantic asteroid. 
Come along for the ride as Olly and his friends race across distant galaxies to redeem himself from his mischievous past and in the process, discover an amazing new world of earthly wonders.


Greased Lightning Multi Purpose Cleaner




It's that time of year again. The sun shines a bit brighter. The birds are chirping. Trees are getting their leaves back. Flowers are blooming. Yep, it's time for spring cleaning.

What is it about this time of the year that makes us want to scrub our houses from top to bottom, inside and out? I don't know why, but I get the itch every year. I want to purge and organize, scrub, dust and mop. I want me house in tiptop shape...even if it doesn't last very long.

The product: Greased Lightning! It's great to have a few dependable cleaning products that you can go to anytime to get the job done. Anything that makes cleaning spills and messes easier is A-OK in my book. Greased Lightning is an multi-purpose cleaner and degreaser. It is great for spills on carpet, residue on your counter tops, and even grass stains from lots of outdoor play. "Great for surfaces in every part of your house and even for stain removal, Greased Lightning is a multi-purpose cleaner and degreaser that removes grease and grime, laundry and carpet stains, soap scum, and much more." This truly is an multi-purpose cleaner.


Saturday, April 21, 2012

Counting on my trusty old ice cream maker


Guest post written by Olivia Reeves

There are lots of times when I have to whip up something to take to an event for my kids or to a church event. If it's even remotely warm outside, I love to make my own ice cream. I just think that it's so much more interesting to whip up some homemade ice cream. And I think that the people who eat it appreciate my dedication to making it.

I think that one of the things that I love so much about ice cream is that there are so many different flavors that you can make without making many changes from a simple recipe. I was looking for some ideas on how to come up with a new ice cream flavor when I found some info on Consolidation loans. I looked through it a little bit and after that I decided to see about getting a consolidation loan for our family.

I found a recipe for some peach ice cream that I think just might be my new favorite ice cream flavor. Or at least one of my favorites.

Floor Lamp with Reading Light from Wayfair



Do you remember CSN Stores? Well, now they are Wayfair. They still have the same great online store with lots of great products. Wayfair has something for everyone. You can find anything from end tables to baby toys, kitchen tools to bed sheets.

I recently had the opportunity to review something from Wayfair. Do you know how hard it is to choose something from a store this large? It took me hours. I looked at this and that and more. Finally I thought of something that I needed to replace in my house.


I chose the Adesso Piedmont Torchiere Floor Lamp with Reading Light. We use two floor lamps for light in our living room. The only other option is a large ceiling fan with 4 lights. It's too bright for everyday use, so we stick to the floor lamps. We've had ours for several years, and a few months ago mine bit the dust. This was a perfect time to try something new.

The product: The Adesso Piedmont Torchiere Floor Lamp with Reading Light is just what I've been looking for. I like the added reading light that comes with this. Sometimes it's just what I need for reading a book in the evening or other work like sudoku puzzles in my lap. This light has a 3-way switch. It will turn on the top/floor lamp part only, reading light only, or both lights. Most of the time I just use the floor lamp portion.




Friday, April 20, 2012

e.p.t® Pregnancy Tests & New App {Giveaway - Ends 5/4} (CLOSED)

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner listed below!




Were you trying to have a baby on 12/12/12? The perfect birthdate? You should have conceived March 18-24. And now will be the time to start taking those pregnancy tests to see if it worked. e.p.t® is the pregnancy test to turn to, so you'll have no doubt if it worked for you to achieve this birthdate.

The product: When you take a pregnancy test, you want immediate results and you want those results to be accurate. With e.p.t you'll have over 99% accuracy which is more accurate than any other brand. You can get their tests in both analog and digital models. They have easy to read results in only 2 minutes.

Have you been trying to conceive? If you've done it for any period of time, you know that it's full of hopefulness, happiness, excitement, nervousness, and sometimes stress. There are so many emotions during a time of trying to get pregnant. Not only will e.p.t provide you with accurate results when testing for pregnancy, but now they have a free mobile app that will help you find out when you are most fertile to conceive.

The e.p.t Ovulation Calculator is for women to track their menstrual cycle and see when they are most fertile. The app is made for the iPhone and comes with 35 helpful fertility tips as well as the option for email or calendar reminders on the day before expected ovulation.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Penbino



Toys aren't always just toys. Some toys are smart. They move, they talk and so much more. If you've seen any of these fun, new toys you are probably amazed like we are. I can't believe how far the toy industry has come. I was just thrilled when we saw Alphie in my childhood. It was a computer! It was awesome. I can't believe how far toys have come along with everything else.

When we were at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair this fall, we saw so many neat new things. One of the things that my son kept wanting to go back and look at was a toy called Penbo. Penbo is a little penguin that has a special compartment inside, which contains an egg with a small, soft, baby penguin. It's the sweetest thing.

The product: We received the Penbino to love and try out. The Penbino is a little penguin, a bit smaller than the Penbo. You can get it in purple, pink, blue and jade. Penbino is the younger sister penguin to Penbo. She toddles around on her little legs and speaks to you in "Penguish". She likes to sing, dance and interact by carrying on a conversation with people. There are two little song and dance routines that she does too. Kids enjoy the interaction of Penbino.


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Carolina Playset



It is officially springtime. You know what that means, right? Of course birds, plants blossoming, flowers blooming, rain and more. But it also means that kids are ready to be outside to play. The weather is warmer and outdoor play is great for children of all ages. They are more likely to be active and wear off energy playing outside.

If you're looking for something for your kids to do in your own backyard, a playset might be the way to go. They can have hours and hours of fun where you can watch them and play along. We are happy that my son had a little playset in our yard. It keeps him entertained, and he can enjoy some fresh air from time to time.

Carolina Playsets has lots of different playsets for your family. You can look and see what you like. One of the fun ones are their pirate ship playsets. Your kids will be able to imagine they are pirates on a ship play for hours. They also have other playsets and fun outdoor swings and more. Be sure to check them out and see which playset option your family will like most. From big to small, they have a little of everything.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Silk Fruit & Protein {Giveaway - Ends 4/29} (CLOSED)

This giveaway is closed. Congrats to the winner listed below.


Protein in milk is so important for our bodies. As a mom I make sure that my son drinks plenty of milk for the calcium and protein. Sometimes plain milk can get boring for kids and they don't want to drink it. Instead of giving in and giving them the sugary, sweet juice, try the new Silk Fruit & Protein! The juicy new kind of Silk has the great taste of fruit juice plus the power of protein.

The product: Silk Fruit & Protein is soy milk and juice blended together in one delicious drink. The New Silk Fruit & Protein comes in 3 tasty varieties- Mixed Berry, Strawberry Banana, and Mango Peach. Wake up to the great taste of fruit juice plus the nourishing power of protein. Silky-smooth, fruit-luscious and easy to love, Silk fruit & Protein is marvelous in the morning or awesome in the afternoon.

Silk Fruit & Protein is a good source of protein with grams of protein per 1 cup serving. It's also a great source of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin C. And if you don't like the Silk Fruit & Protein, there is a  Silk guarantee. Silk says,  "Love It Guarantee Or Your Money Back- When we say you'll love the taste, we're not kidding. Don't love it? We'll give your money back. Promise."




Friday, April 13, 2012

Doodle Roll {Giveaway - Ends 4/27} (CLOSED)

This giveaway is closed. Congrats to the winner listed below.



Last fall my family and I took a weekend trip to Chicago. The purpose of this time was to attend the Chicago Toy & Game Fair. Maybe you remember reading all my tweets that day. There were many great booths with games, toys and much more. We saw so many different toys and games that day. A few really stuck out to me and my family. And this product that I want to show you was one of our favorites. It's great for on-the-go fun for families of all kinds. It appeals to kids from the youngest to the oldest. You'll see what I mean.

The product: Doodle Roll was created by parents, Diana and Marc Cooper, as something that children can use their imaginations for to create fun art. Children are often busy with electronics- games, computers and more, but it's good for them to be creative too. The Doodle Roll allows that and makes it fun too. This is a US based company and a product that is made in the USA. They aim to "offer safe, useful and fun products made in an environmentally and socially responsible way, that feed every child's imagination".




"The Barefoot Executive" by Carrie Wilkerson



Are you tired of doing what you're doing? Are you looking for more. Would you love to be at home and making money? Do you want flexibility in your work schedule for your family?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then Carrie Wilkerson's book "The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide for Being Your Own Boss & Achieving Financial Freedom" is for you.

The product: In The Barefoot Executive Wilkerson lays out the steps that you need to achieve your goals of becoming your own boss. It's the dream of many to run their own business and be in charge of their own destiny's when it comes to work and finances. This book offers tips and steps to make your dreams come true.


Thursday, April 12, 2012

Glade® Expressions™- The Welcoming Scent of Home

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Triad Retail Media for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Walmart.com - Glade Expressions Air Fresheners

When I'm preparing my home for company, I want it to look nice and smell nice too. It's good for it to smell good every day too. Especially right now and in the winter, I don't want people to think that my house is dingy. It's nice in the spring and summer, because I can open the windows and let the fresh air in. But when I can't I use home fragrance products to give my house a fresh and fun energy.

The Glade® Expressions™ are a great way for my house to smell great all the time. The fresh, true-to-life fragrances are long-lasting. The new Glade® Expressions™ oil diffuser comes in Pineapple & Mangosteen, Fuji Apple & Cardamom Spice, and Lavender & Juniper Berry. The new Glade® Expressions™ fragrance mist comes in Pineapple & Mangosteen, Fuji Apple & Cardamom Spice, and Lavender, Juniper Berry, as well as Cotton & Italian Mandarin.

These new fragrances are designed to look great in your home and mine. They are stylish, designed to compliment any home decor, and convenient to use. The fragrance mist is a squeeze-to-spray activation that makes it easy and comfortable to get the perfect fragrance where you need it. And it is refillable, so you can use it over and over. The oil diffusers have a no-spill design that is great in every home. Plus the fragrance lasts for 30 days and it doesn't use any electricity. I really like the designs. They are sleek and fun, but even better they are functional and a great fit for my home.

I'm most interested in trying the Pineapple & Mangosteen scent. I would love the new Glade® Expressions™ oil diffuser in my main living area, so it could provide a constant refreshing fragrance for my home. And I think the best part is there is a fragrance satisfaction guarantee. Where else can you get that? If you don't like the scent in 30 days, you can fill out this form for your money back.

You can find the new Glade® Expressions™ at Walmart and other places. And right now when you can get a $1.50 off any Glade® Expressions™ that can be used at Walmart to take advantage of their everyday low prices.

 

 

Walmart.com - Glade Expressions Air Fresheners

 

Visit Sponsor's Site

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Easter

I hope that you had a fantastic Easter with your family. Here are a few highlights from our mostly low-key day. I'll share about our Easter dinner (with recipes) another time.

Easter service at church

Up early and hasn't spotted the hidden Easter basket...do you see it?


Easter basket discovered

Easter egg hunt

Lots of eggs all for him (advantages of being an only child)

He was shoveling little chocolates in his mouth as soon as he opened eggs...until we caught onto him.

My pretty Easter nails

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

DidiPop Song in John Lennon Contest




I have shared reviews of children's music artist DidiPop before- DidiPop "Everyday Adventures" and DidiPop "Goes to Hawaii". Right now one of her songs is in a contest for children's music. Maybe you can help her out in voting for this fun song. Here's what she has to say:


Parents who love independent children's music can help decide the best kids song of 2011 in the John Lennon Contest. Our local songstress DidiPop is up for the final prize with her smart and exotic, "The Hawaiian Alphabet Song" as she's made it to the final two. People can vote everyday until April 27. Moms and dads can help shape the future of children's entertainment!
Here's the video www.youtube.com/didipopmusic
and up above the video they can get the song FREE. The download link will take people to the contest at http://www.jlsc.com/vote.php (or people can go straight there)
Voters do not have to enter their home address - just birthday and email. People can vote everyday until April 27 and they can listen to both songs and choose their favorite :)
Children's music creators need all the help they can get to get their good work out to the kids. If it weren't for educational and entertaining indie music makers like DidiPop, all we'd have would be Disney!

Deborah Poppink Hirshland

Hamburger Helper {Giveaway - Ends 4/17} (CLOSED)

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner listed below!


One of the busiest times of my day is dinnertime. Making supper for my family is something that I'm happy to do every night, but it can be a chore too. My son gets off the bus about 4:15 during the week, and my husband gets home about an hour after that. I like to have supper early, so we have time later in the evening. Plus my son goes to bed early, so we start his bedtime routine at 6:30. That means supper needs to be ready and eaten before that.

But I have found since my son started school, pulling supper off can be a challenge. When he gets home, I want to spend time with him since I haven't seen him all day. But he gets home about the time I need to start making dinner. So on a typical night, I spend a little time finding out about my son's day while he has a snack. Then I run off to make supper while he plays or watches cartoons. The best thing is when he can pitch in and help me with dinner, then we can spend time together while we're getting food on the table.


The product: Hamburger Helper is an easy meal that I can pull together on those really crazy weeks. With a little hamburger and some veggies to serve on the side it's easy and quick to make a filling meal for my family from time to time. Hamburger Helper has two new flavors now- Cheesy Italian Beef and Beef Stroganoff. They aim to make mealtime fun and happy for families.

The NEW Hamburger Helper Ultimate Beef Stroganoff provides rich roast beef flavor and pasta with a decadent sour cream flavored sauce mix. And the NEW Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Beef features real Italian herbs and pasta enhanced with naturally flavored Italian-style sauce mix. All you need for either of these meals is milk, water and ground beef to add.


Surgery Recovery

Thank you!

Thank you for all of you for your nice, caring, loving comments about my son's surgery this week. I truly appreciate all the thoughts and prayers you offered for my family.

Zachariah is home and doing great! After a few hours of observation at the surgery center, he was able to come home. He rested on the couch the rest of the day, then slept all night in his bed only waking when we got him up for more pain medication.

Today he's been a little perkier. He's not too afraid to eat and has tried popsicles, jello and pudding. And he's drinking a little juice and water too. I even talked him into a bath this afternoon, hoping he'd feel good after that. He did. And with the sunshine outside, we even went out in the yard to swing on the porch swing together for a short while.

Otherwise, he's just resting and watching lots of cartoons. We decided to try a Netflix streaming video trial. This has given him lots of new options for things to watch while he's stuck on the couch (or recliner) recovering. And I know he's enjoying all the new shows he's never seen.

Matt and I are doing great too. We're just doing what we can to make this little guy comfortable and relaxed. We are giving him pain meds regularly for now just to keep him from feeling too bad. And of course we're there to grab him juice, popsicles and other stuff when he needs it. Plus there has been lots of cuddling on my lap too.

Matt was able to go back to work today, but it was nice to have him here all day yesterday to help out. After we brought Zachariah home, Matt was able to run to the pharmacy for meds he needed. And he brought home lunch and went to get supper later for him and I. So I could just take care of my little man and rest a little myself (it was an early morning). He also gave Zachariah meds this morning, since I'd gotten up with him in the night. That was a nice break, and I was able to sleep a bit longer.

I think tonight and tomorrow will be better. Fortunately Zachariah is sleeping well at night, especially since he isn't napping during the day. And my mom is coming for a while tomorrow. She's bringing along a movie he wanted to see, "Hop", and I think she got him a new game. He'll enjoy that. And maybe he'll be a little more chatty.

So thank you all for thinking of us. I'll probably be able to catch up on my review/giveaway posts again soon, since I'll need to stay home until Zachariah is a little better. And as he's feeling better he won't need me as much. It's a great thing!


*Update: This post was supposed to go up last week. At this point Zachariah is back to school, eating much better and feeling great! It's amazing how quickly children can bounce back like nothing happened. An the best news is that he's been off antibiotics for 3 weeks and hasn't gotten sick. I think we made the right choice with this surgery!