Like Arrows Review & Fandango Giveaway

I received a review copy of Like Arrows for free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

When conflict, rebellion, and resentment overwhelm their family, Charlie and Alice are forced to rethink their parenting strategy. In the process, they realize how critical intentionality and focus are when shaping and molding young lives. FamilyLife’s first feature film explores the challenges and joys that come with raising children. Through a journey that unfolds over 50 years, Charlie and Alice discover the unmistakable power of family. Together, they learn that knowing and living by God’s Word is what brings transformation and hope to any family.

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While this isn’t usually the type of movie I choose to watch, I do enjoy a Hallmark type movie from time to time and this was a good one. This story follows a family from marriage, to birth, to children, to teenagers, and beyond. It’s a sweet movie about the challenges and heartbreaks of parenting. And the forgiveness and grace that is needed to parent well.

Social Corner:
1. Press Release
2. Get Tickets
3
. Art of Parenting Resources

And now for the fun part. I get to give away 2 Fandango tickets! Enter below for your chance to win. Also, don’t forget to check and see when Like Arrows will be in your theater.

 

Kitchfix Grain Free Granola Review and Giveaway

I received this product free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own. This post does contain affiliate links.

I was excited to try out these two varieties of Kitchfix Grain Free Granola. Original Mix and Honey Pecan.

I like to take granola and trail mix along with me when I’m out and about with the kids and to our coop every week. The catch is, I can’t bring peanuts. I’m not allergic but over half of the places I go with my children are “peanut free” so I try to follow the rules.

Trail mix is hard to find without peanuts or peanut butter so I’ve been trying out different granolas. I like both varieties of the Kitchfix granola that I tried. As an added bonus they’re grain free – certified paleo. I can eat grains just fine, so what that really means for me is that this granola has lots of awesome things in it. Like nuts, raisins, seeds, and coconut flakes. It’s sweetened with maple syrup and the Honey Pecan is sweetened with maple syrup and honey. And it’s nut just filled out with oats or other grains.

The original mix is very lightly sweetened. Which I love. I try to limit my sugar intake so a hearty granola that’s barely sweetened is perfect.

For something a little sweeter. The Honey Pecan is delicious. My 9 yr old loves this one even though she won’t eat the original mix because she says it isn’t sweet enough.

My younger kids won’t eat it because they don’t like nuts – which for some reason seems normal for my young kids, my 9 yr old just started liking them. The nuts in these granolas are nice and crunchy but not too hard.

The top of the bag is resealable and it’s perfect for bringing along in the car, baby’s diaper bag, lunch box, etc.

Because there’s so many nuts in this granola I find that it’s rather filling and I don’t have to eat a lot of it at one time.

I’m really enjoying these granolas and will be purchasing more when my free packages run out. They are exactly the kind of granola/snack that I want to have on hand for when I need a little something – or if I forget to pack myself a lunch.

They’re delicious and nutritious! Enter below for a chance to win a Kitchfix Grain-Free Granola Bundle and try these for yourself.

Win a Kitchfix Grain-Free Granola Bundle #3

ESV Illuminated Bible – Review and Giveaway

I received this Bible free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

About

The ESV Illuminated Bible places the full ESV text alongside over 500 elegantly hand-lettered gold ink illustrations by renowned artist Dana Tanamachi. Printed on thick cream-colored paper, the Bible’s single-column text setting and wide margins provide generous space for additional notes, prayers, and designs—inviting readers to creatively engage with and reflect on the beauty of God’s Word.

• 9-point, Lexicon

• Black letter text

• 2-color printing

• 64 full-page, custom book opener illustrations

• 50 full-page verse illustrations

• 250+ hand-lettered margin verses

• 100+ other illustrations throughout

• Illustrated by Dana Tanamachi, whose work has been featured by Google, The Wall Street Journal, Random House, USPS, and Target

• Thick, cream-colored paper

• Wide margins

• Single-column, paragraph format

• Smyth-sewn binding

• Packaging: Permanent Slipcase

• Dana Tanamachi is an American lettering artist, graphic designer, and illustrator whose exquisite typographic murals ignited the worldwide chalk-lettering trend. She has been commissioned by clients such as Instagram, Target, Google, Time Magazine, Nike, and West Elm.

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Review

I have trouble writing in books but this Bible encourages you to write in the margins. I like that there are illustrations already there, so I’m less intimidated at the thought of making notes in my Bible. I love that this Bible is ESV, since that is my favorite version, and while I just haven’t convinced myself to write in the Bible yet, I’m getting close. In fact, I may let my 9 year old break it in for me since she loves to highlight, underline, and make notes when she reads.

In my opinion, this makes a great family Bible where everyone is encouraged to make notes, illustrations, etc for the entire family to enjoy.

The paper is thick so it’s designed for writing on. The illustrations in the Bible are gorgeous. Even if I never end up writing in it, it’s still a beautiful book to read, and I just love beautiful books. Because of the thicker paper it’s a bit too heavy to easily carry to Church with me, so it’s more of a family Bible or study Bible.

I’m just loving this ESV Illustrated Bible and the interaction it encourages!

You can purchase these at Amazon or check out the Illuminated Bible website.

How We Made the ESV Illuminated Bible from Crossway on Vimeo.

And I get to give away a copy of this ESV Illuminated Bible to one of my readers! Enter below for your chance to win.

Jeremy Camp – The Answer – Review and Giveaway

I received this CD free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

Jeremy Camp – The Answer

I love “Word of Life” by Jeremy Camp so I was super excited to review his new CD. Word of Life is the cover song for this CD, so I figured I would probably like the rest of the CD as well.

I love how his music is upbeat and fun to listen to and sing along with. With songs like “My Father’s Arms” and “Love so Great”, this CD is full of great music that me and my kids have been enjoying.

My 4yr old son is excited to have a new CD with a male singer. He has two older sisters who prefer female musicians because they’re easier for them to sing along with. I told him that the CD is his and he listens to it as much as he can. He’s so excited to have his own CD and I love that he has some new music that’s not only fun and child appropriate but that also has a great message.

And check out Jeremy Camp’s music video for Word of Life. It’s so much fun!

And, thanks to FlyBy I get to give away one copy of this new CD. It was released today, Oct. 6th so it’s super new! Enter below for a chance to win.

Review – Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered CD

I received this CD free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered CD – I’m constantly looking for new music for me to enjoy and my children love it when I get a new CD to try out. So, we put this one in the car and have been enjoying it this past week while we run errands and such around town.

I somehow had never heard of Nichole Nordeman before this review opportunity – not sure how that’s possible since we listen to a LOT of Christian music in my house and this is her 5th CD!

First off, I’m excited to discover a new artist. She has a great voice and we’ve really enjoyed her latest CD. The music on this CD is soft, gentle, and thought provoking. She sings about her life journey and how Every Mile Mattered. Such a good reminder of how God cares about everything in our life.

Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered is a great CD and it will be in our car CD rotation for quite a while. Want to know more about the artist? Follow her on her blog: http://nicholenordeman.com.

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You can get your own copy at:

ITunes
Spotify
Amazon

Also, enter the giveaway below for a chance to win your very own copy of Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered CD.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Winner has 36 hours to respond to winning notification or a new winner may be selected.

Evian® Facial Spray’s #CoolBaby Campaign!


This is a sponsored post.

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For starters, I love evian ® Natural Mineral Water Facial Sprays! They’re so refreshing and perfect for having on hand in the summertime. Pure, natural skincare from the French Alps, evian® Facial Spray is very beneficial for any skin type at any age. The spray delivers a very find mist of pure evian® natural spring water that is sealed at the source in Evian-les- bains, France.

evian® Facial Spray’s unique, balanced, mineral content and exquisitely fine micro-droplet mist allow skin to better absorb its hydration and blend and finish makeup into a smooth, natural look. This favorite of skincare and makeup professionals is affordable luxury at its best. Available in three convenient sizes, evian® Facial Spray is leak-proof and environmentally friendly – 1.7 oz. travel size (TSA approved), 5 oz. for tote or office and economical 10 oz. for use at home.

The 1.7 Fl.Oz size is also perfect for sticking in my purse for any emergency!

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Whether is’s for it’s advertised purpose as a facial spray or for an emergency hand washing for the kids while we’re out and about. evian ® Natural Mineral Water Facial Sprays are awesome.

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We even had a little mishap with the stuffed puppy and my daughter had to clean him off.

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As a fun promo for moms – or anyone else with kids – evian ® Natural Mineral Water Facial Sprays is giving away a Diaper Bag filled with a 10 oz., 5 oz. and trio of travel sized evian ® Natural Mineral Water Facial Sprays!

Head to this link or enter below for your chance to win some of this refreshing spray and a new diaper bag.

Laura Story – Open Hands – Review & Giveaway

IMG_20170311_121305813I’m constantly on the lookout for new music for me and for my kids. So, I was excited when I got to review Laura Story‘s newest CD, Open Hands for free. I love Laura Story’s music and this CD was no exception.

The music is beautiful and relaxing. Both me and my children love listening to it. It’s the perfect music for listening to any time.

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Throughout the Bible, there are countless stories of ordinary people whole-heartedly attempting to live a life fully surrendered to God’s unique calling on their lives. More than once, God asks people of faith to relinquish control and simply trust Him.

“We have this picture all the way through the Scriptures of all these great leaders in this process of surrendering everything. What the Lord is asking them is not, ‘You need to hold on tighter. You need to manage this better.’ What the Lord asks us is to surrender,” Laura offers, “It’s about learning to live with open hands, learning to live life in this constant state of saying, ‘Lord, my life is Yours. My time is Yours. My resources are Yours. All of this is Yours. Do what You will.’”

Story has built a life—and a career—around submission to her calling. She’s led worship at Atlanta’s Perimeter Church for the past 12 years. In addition to penning songs recorded by artists like Chris Tomlin, Story has found success as a recording artist in her own right. Since the release of her solo debut in 2008, Story has amassed a GRAMMY® Award, a Billboard Music Award, multiple GMA Dove Awards and an RIAA Gold certification for her massive No. 1 hit “Blessings.” In addition, she’s also the author of two books, including the latest “When God Doesn’t Fix It – Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can’t Live Without.”

Open Hands is the follow-up to 2013’s critically-acclaimed God of Every Story, and in the years that have passed since her last release, Story has given birth to twins, making their brood a family of five. Now, as a mom to three kids—Josie, Benjamin and Griffin—the posture of “open hands” feels more necessary than ever before as she juggles ministry and motherhood.

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“We never get to a point where we can do life apart from complete and total daily dependence on Jesus,” Story admits. “The irony is the less control we have, the more peace we have and the more, I would even say, success and joy we find. It’s a contrary picture to what the world tells us, but it’s gaining through letting go.”

Open Hands’ fresh collection of originals blends Story’s signature congregational worship with intimate moments. A parade of A-list songwriters, including Matt Redman, Matt Maher, Mia Fieldes, Hank Bentley, Sarah Hart and Seth Mosley, among others, pepper the album’s 11 tracks.

The title track—already a chart-topper prior to the album’s release—features guest vocals from Third Day’s Mac Powell, a fellow Atlanta-native and Story’s longtime friend. “You Came Running” borrows imagery from the biblical narrative of the Prodigal Son. In true Story fashion, several selections (“Awake My Soul (1000 Tongues),” “For The Love of My King”) reimagine timeless hymns, which she refreshes with an original chorus.

Reflecting on the world her kids are growing up in, Story wrote the album’s sparse closer, “Grace Abounds,” after weeks of turning on the television only to continue to watch stories of terror attacks, extreme injustice and racial tension make headlines day after day. “It’s easy to lose heart, and the song is about just acknowledging the brokenness. First of all, we can’t just pretend like it doesn’t exist,” she advises. “When it seemingly doesn’t make sense, I’m choosing to believe that God’s grace is enough. God’s grace is enough for any social injustice. God’s grace is enough for any loss that we go through. God’s grace is enough for any loneliness that we experience, for any relational strain and for any relational rejection.

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“When it feels like hope can’t be found, when we don’t even know how we’re going to put one foot in front of the other,” she continues, “Scripture teaches us that’s when grace abounds.”

“Worship at the very core of what it is is ‘worth-ship.’ It’s the easiest definition I’ve ever heard of worship. It’s giving God worth, and sometimes that means verbal adoration and praise. Sometimes that’s showing Him worth with our calendars and our checking accounts. No matter what it is, it always begins with open hands. It always begins with a willingness to say, ‘You are worth whatever cost you call me to give,’” she maintains. “Worship in its very core begins with surrender. That’s how we really show God that He’s worth it all.”

You can follow Laura Story at:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

You can Buy Laura Story – Open Hands at:

iTunes

Amazon

As part of my review, I also get to give away one copy of Laura Story – Open Hands CD.

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

The Beginner’s Bible – Review and Giveaway

I received this book free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

The Beginner’s Bible® has been a favorite with young children and their parents since its release in 1989 with over 25 million products sold. Now it’s redesigned with fresh new art that will excite children for many more years to come. Full of faith and fun, The Beginner’s Bible is a wonderful gift for any child. The easy-to-read text and bright, full-color illustrations on every page make it a perfect way to introduce young children to the stories and characters of the Bible. With new vibrant three-dimensional art and compelling text, more than 90 Bible stories come to life. Kids ages 6 and under will enjoy the fun illustrations of Noah helping the elephant onto the ark, Jonah praying inside the fish, and more, as they discover The Beginner’s Bible just like millions of children before.

The Beginner’s Bible was named the 2006 Retailers Choice Award winner in Children’s Nonfiction.

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My 5yr old was super excited to help me review this Beginner’s Bible. She’s been begging me for a new Bible and she just loves this one. The pictures are bright and fun and the stories are short and easy to read to her.

She even enjoys trying to read the stories on her own. They’re a bit above her reading level so she doesn’t get very far, but it’s still fun to try.

Since it’s Christmas time, she’s been picking stories about Jesus birth and other Christmas related stories for me to read to her each night. Super sweet.

This is an awesome Bible for young children!

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Check out the Beginner’s Bible Website for fun activities like coloring sheets and games.

Social
Facebook
Twitter

And check out this adorable trailer

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of The Beginner’s Bible.

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. U.S. Winners only. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Lee Stafford Ceramic Curling Wand for Corkscrew Curls – Review and Giveaway

This is a sponsored post. I received this product free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

My 8yr old Daughter has the straightest, silkiest, hair ever. I’ve tried everything to get good curls. We tried hot rollers, curling irons, a variety of gels and mouses, wet hair, dry hair, overnight foam rollers, overnight rag curls, curling with my straightening iron, etc. Seriously, I’m pretty sure I’ve tried everything I can think of short of getting her a perm.

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Her hair is so long and straight. And it’s so hard to curl!

The Lee Stafford CHoPstick STYLER Ceramic Curling Wand  is a single barrel clipless curling iron. The instructions say to hold the iron vertically and wrap strands of hair around the curling iron and hold there for 5 seconds. Then release and move on to the next strand. Having tried so much in the past, I was excited to try something new and at the same time very doubtful that it would work.

We had washed her hair the day before, so it was completely dry before I started curling. I did not put any product in her hair, because I was curious to see how the curling wand worked on just her hair. I brushed it and made sure there were no tangles before starting.

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It honestly took me 10 minutes to curl her hair. The process was so fast and way easier than a curling iron with a clip. There is a glove included so you don’t burn your hand but it was hard to work with her hair with the glove on, so I didn’t use it. The curling wand has a safety tip on the end so it wasn’t hard to curl her hair without burning my fingers on the wand.

If I do her hair more in layers (top and bottom) next time I can curl up a little more into those roots at the top. Since I was just testing a new curling iron that I honestly didn’t expect to be any different than the others we had used I didn’t bother doing a lot of work on her hair before curling.

Of course, not to be left out, my 5yr old had to get her hair done as well.

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And, they had to get a picture together.

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Aren’t they so cute with their curls! The Lee Stafford CHoPstick STYLER Ceramic Curling Wand was honestly so fast and so easy to use.

Usually my 8yr old’s curls fall out within an hour or two. These lasted all day and she still had some left the next day when we brushed her hair. Not only did this curling wand curl her hair. It also stayed in!

You can purchase this Lee Stafford CHoPstick STYLER Ceramic Curling Wand on Amazon. With free shipping if you have Amazon Prime.

And, enter the giveaway below for a chance to win your own Lee Stafford CHoPstick STYLER Ceramic Curling Wand.

Giveaway ends January 14. Full terms and conditions of the giveaway can be seen on the widget.

Win a Lee Stafford CHoPstick STYLER Ceramic Curling Wand #20

 

Charlie the Tramp – giveaway

Charlie the Tramp by Russell Hoban and pictures by Lillian Hoban. This book is a hardcover, 50th edition, reprint. After reading it I can see why it was the Winner of the Boys Club of America Junior Book Award, 1968. This is a fun book that my kids love to read and re-read.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Charlie the Beaver wants to be a tramp when he grows up. “Tramps don’t have to learn how to chop down trees and how to roll logs and how to build dams. Tramps just tramp around and have a good time. Tramps carry sticks with little bundles tied to them. They sleep in a field when the weather is nice, and when it rains they sleep in a barn.” Charlie sets off with his bundle. But when he hears water trickling, he can’t get to sleep. Will he be able to resist the urge to make it stop? As Grandfather Beaver says, “You never know when a tramp will turn out to be a beaver.”

An American classic is back in a special 50th anniversary hardcover edition.

This book is super cute. My younger kids enjoyed having this book read to them while my 3rd grader enjoyed reading this book on her own. It’s a beautiful, hard cover book that is a great addition to any kid’s library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Russell Hoban (1925-2011) first became famous for his children’s picture books about a badger named Frances and other animal characters that have a lot in common with children we know – bedtime for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances, Bread and Jam for Frances, and Emmit Otter’s Jug-band Christmas.

After reading Charlie the Tramp my 8yr old has requested a copy of Bread and Jam for Frances. Maybe I’ll surprise her for Christmas 🙂

ctrampABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Lillian Hoban (1925-1998), one of America’s favorite children’s book illustrators, is best known for a young chimpanzee named Arthur and his little sister, Violet. She also illustrated six of Russell Hoban’s books about Frances the badger, which have taken their place among the great classics of children’s literature. Lillian Hoban was born in Philadelphia and attended the Philadelphia Museum School of Art. She studied dance for ten years and became a professional dancer. She began to write and illustrate her own stories only after having children, basing her tales on their experiences.

The pictures in this book are just beautiful and they really add color to the story and make it come alive.

Find out more about Charlie the Tramp at the Plough website or on Amazon.

Enter below for a chance to win your very own copy of Charlie the Tramp!

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Giveaways winners for this promotion can only be for residents of the continental U.S.