Amy Grant, Tennessee Christmas – giveaway

agcoverAmy Grant Tennessee Christmas CD – I got this CD the other day and have been playing it on repeat ever since. The kids gave up on stealing it from me and resorted to asking our Amazon Echo to play “Amy Grant” songs.

I did finally relent and tell them that they can have it to listen to when they go to bed this evening. Though, I know it’s highly unlikely they’ll return it to me before Christmas.

I’m just loving the songs on this CD! Since I live in Tennessee, the first song, Tennessee Christmas is especially sweet. And especially meaningful today as we watch the news reports of all the fires in Tennessee this week. People around here are really hoping for rain, and would be overjoyed to get snow. Because, really, it’s hard to beat Christmas in Tennessee!

Even if you’re not in Tennessee you’ll still love this CD, it has some great Christmas classics like White Christmas and Joy To the World and some lesser known songs like Christmas for You and Me. There’s isn’t a song on this CD that I don’t like. They’re all beautiful.

Check out this YouTube of “To Be Together” from the Amy Grant Tennessee Christmas CD.

Also, Amy Grant is looking for fans to upload any videos of you surprising loved ones for the holidays. Post to your social media with hashtag #TNChristmasSurprise! They’re making a compilation video and posting it to Amy’s socials. So, post your favorite for a chance to be included.

The Giveaway winner will receive a physical CD copy of this album. It is also available for purchase and download on itunes.

“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 for this promotion are only for residents of the continental U.S.

Christmas List for the Home Chef – plus giveaway

This is a sponsored post.

Mom’s can be so hard to shop for! For me, I love to cook. So anything for my kitchen is awesome! Here’s 5 of my favorite kitchen items that I’ve gotten this year. AND a giveaway for a product of choice from the Youcopia range. (full details below). I’m just loving my new YouCopia products!

1. YouCopia StoreMore Adjustable Lid Holder – My tupperware lids had taken over! YouCopia came to my rescue! Seriously, organization is always a challenge in a busy kitchen and I was really tired of fighting my Tupperwares every time I had to hunt for lids. You know how you end up with half the cabinet out on the floor before you just pick a different container? All my lids fit so neatly in this lid holder.

It’s so nice to open my tupperware cabinet, pull out the container I want, and my lid is just sitting right there. No more digging.

I did receive this product free for purposes of my review, but all opinions are my own.

2. YouCopia StoraStack Food Container Storage Organizer, Drawer Solution – As you can tell, I love having things organized. It just makes cooking and cleaning so much easier and my kitchen just runs so much more smoothly when everything is organized.

This is an organizer for your drawer. It has an adjustable tab on the back so you can adjust it to snugly fit any drawer. That way our organized containers aren’t sliding all over your drawer. The tabs also adjust so you can organize any size container.

I did receive this product free for purposes of my review, but all opinions are my own.

3. YouCopia Spice Liner in Drawer Spice Organizer 6-Pack – This is another drawer organizer. Can you tell that I’m on an organizing kick this year?

I ended up using these to organize our pen/pencil/marker/crayon drawer – otherwise known as the art drawer. I store all my spices in my cabinet so I didn’t really need to organize them into a drawer. However, my art drawer was in desperate need of a makeover.

These drawer organizers worked great! Now all the writing supplies are organized and don’t roll all over the drawer anymore because this drawer liner keeps them in place.

I did receive this product free for purposes of my review, but all opinions are my own.

4. Bellemain Stainless Steel 3 Cup Flour Sifter – I needed a flour sifter. The reviews on this sifter were great. So I bought it. There’s a reason it’s marked as one of Amazon’s best sellers.

It’s super easy to use. The hand crank is so much nicer than the squeeze sifter that I used to have. All the four sifts through it so I don’t have any excess flour left in the sifter. The large open top makes it easy to pour my flour in. Then I just turn the crank and my sifted flour falls through into my bowl.

If you’re looking for an easy to use sifter, that works great. Look no further.

5. Cast Iron Flour Corn Tortilla Press – This thing is awesome! The directions that came with mine said to “line” with with saran wrap. Which was just too thin and tore up too easily. I tried wax paper instead and it worked great.

The dough is so easy to mix up, then you just smash little balls of dough in the press and cook them on a hot skillet for a couple of minutes. Super easy and you get fresh, warm, delicious shells when you’re done!

Now that I’ve shown off some of my favorite new “toys”, comment below and tell me, what new kitchen accessory have you gotten this year?

And enter below for a chance to win a product of choice from the Youcopia range for a value of up to $40.00. Giveaway ends 21st of December. Full terms and conditions can be read on the widget. Open to USA residents only.

Win a YouCopia product of your choice #4

Christmas Love Letters from God – Review and Giveaway

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

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Christmas Love Letters from Godby Glenys Nellisit and illustrated by Rachel Clowes.

Written for children ages four to eight, Christmas Love Letters from God cleverly combines both prose and poetry as the story of Jesus’ birth unfolds. The book includes seven stories, beginning with Isaiah’s prophecy and ending with the visit of the wise men. Following each story, the child will find his or her own letter from God, folded into a small envelope attached to the page. Each letter begins with a space in which to write the child’s name, so each one can be specially addressed to the child.

Written as if God is speaking, each personalized message gives the young reader a sense of wonder as they discover anew the Christmas holiday and the birth of Jesus. A very special Bible verse, entitled God’s Perfect Promise, also accompanies each story and letter as God’s personal words of love, promise, and hope.

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My 5yr old and 8 yr old were super excited to get this book! In fact, I had to go sneak it back out of their room so I could actually review it.

Each story has it’s own “Love Letter” from God. In each letter there is a line for a child’s name. My girls took turns and wrote their names in every other letter so they get to share the letters.

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They also stuck a little heart sticker next to their name on each letter.

These stories are perfect for them and they just love the personalized letters. This is definitely a favorite book this holiday season.

The stories are short enough that they hold their interest throughout and the book has lots of great colorful pictures for them to enjoy as well.

There are 4 stores you can purchase this book from:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
GoodReads
Zondervan

And you can enter below for a chance to win a copy of Christmas Love Letters from God

“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.

The Biggest Story – Review & Giveaway

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

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The Animated Short Film: Featuring beautifully animated illustrations adapted from the book, The Biggest Story: The Animated Short Film will captivate children and parents alike as they see how all the classic stories in the Bible connect to Scripture’s overarching message about God’s glorious plan to redeem his rebellious people.

This is short animated story of the Bible for kids. It’s only 26 minutes total and it’s divided into 10 chapters.

It’s simple, fun to watch, and all 3 of my kids liked it (even the 3 yr old). They do a really quick walk through of the Bible starting in Genesis with Adam and Even and ending with how all of this leads to Christ and God’s plan to redeem us.

The animations are quite interesting and I would honestly watch it several more times just to see more of the animations.

The narrator is the same as the Audio Book. We watched the DVD first and while the kids liked it, I thought the animator was a bit monotone for them and they probably would like the audio CD. Boy was I wrong. We’ve only watched the DVD once but the kids have listened to the Audio Book at least 10 times now.

IMG_20160830_223352982The Audio Book: This audio book of The Biggest Story — written and narrated also by the best-selling author Kevin DeYoung—leads kids and parents alike on an exciting journey through the Bible, connecting the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ’s death on the cross to the new heaven and new earth.

This CD is the same story as the DVD. My kids love listening to it over and over while they play. It’s only 26 minutes long and they have listened to it at least twice a day since we’ve gotten it.

I honestly assumed that with the animations on the DVD my kids would prefer that, but while they like the DVD they would much rather listen to the Audio Book and play while listening.

Either way, I like that they’re hearing over and over the progression from Adam and Eve to Christ, and how God has a plan of redemption for each of us.

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Want a copy of The Biggest Story? Enter below for your chance to win.

Family Christian Store – Review & $25 Giveaway

I received a $25 gift card to Family Christian in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

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Family Christian Store is a one stop shop for all your Christian Book and Media needs. They have Bibles, Books, Music, DVDs, Kid’s Items, and even apparel.

They’re the exclusive retail partner for Active Faith Sports. A line of workout apparel with Christian-inspired designs and messages. You can check out their promo video for more information.

The closest Family Christian is 3 hours away from me so I chose to shop online with my gift card. I had way too much fun spending it and ended up spending a bit more because they have so much great stuff!

IMG_20160311_135336386_HDRI started by looking up Julianna Deering. I had read her book “Dressed For Death” a while back and liked it. It’s the third in the series and I’ve been wanting to get the first two. Since I can spend my gift card however I want I decided to get these.

Family Christian had a buy one get one 50% off sale, so with the sale price, I was still below my $25 with two books.

And I should add, that they were easy to find. I just searched for the author and all her books popped up and I added the two I wanted to my cart.

I still had a few dollars to spend.

I made the mistake of telling the kids they could help me pick something. They wanted about 20 DVDs so I think I did pretty good convincing them that they could live with 2. Of course, we had to get 2 since everything is buy one get one 50% off. And I can’t pass up a sale.

For the DVDs I  just browsed the kid’s DVD section. They have a huge selection of DVDs which was why it was so hard for my kids to choose. I browsed a few other sections as well just to see what they have and always found what I was looking for.

Sale

Family Christian has a buy one get one 50% off sale on their Books, Music, and DVDs until August 25th. This sale is good in store and online. And I just love finding books on sale!

You can mix and match items and categories to get the deal, your two items don’t have to be in the same department.

AND I get to give away a $25 Family Christian Gift Card to one lucky reader! Enter below for your chance to win.

“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.

I Love You Just Because – Review and Giveaway

Thanks to Propeller / FlyBy Promotions for providing this beautiful book and giveaway!

Through adorable, cuddly art and fun rhyming text, I Love You Just Because will help little ones understand their parents’ love for them and that it doesn’t have to be earned. With playful artwork and the same friendly bear family you already know and love from Donna Keith’s first two books—I Love You All the Same and I Love You Even When—the sweet story of this book will touch you and your family and will remind you that family members love each other…just because.

Format: Hard Cover Board Book
Pages: 10
Purchase: Amazon

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This book is so cute and adorable! My little 3yr old loves it. He has me read it to him over and over again. And we have to stop and discuss the pictures on each of the pages as we go. He loves all the different things the bears do. The rhyme is so sweet and I love that it teaches my kids that they’re each special individuals with their own likes, dislikes, and skills.

You can find out more about the book and the author at:

Facebook @DonnaKeithAuthor
Facebook @TommyNelsonBooks
Twitter @TommyNelson
Instagram @TommyNelsonBooks
Pinterest Tommy-Nelson-Books

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of this book for your little one.

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.

All Things Bright And Beautiful – Review and Giveaway

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

About the book:
First published by Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848, this favorite hymn has become a mainstay of churches and Sunday school classes everywhere. Here artist Katy Hudson brings new joy to the words with her fresh and bright watercolor style. Readers can join in the fun as they follow two little girls and their brother on a day filled with the discovery of “all things bright and beautiful.”

About the artist:
Katy Hudson was raised in Middlesbrough, England, and started her career as a small child drawing on freshly painted walls. Her parents quickly encouraged drawing with pencil and paper instead. The idea stuck, and after earning a degree in illustration, Katy is now a freelance illustrator. Katy works at a desk in a studio within Old London Library and likes to tap dance in her spare time.

Specs:
Jacketed hardcover
Page count: 32
Reading age: 4-7
Category: juvenile fiction/Christian
Purchase from Amazon

Review:
This book is filled with beautiful illustrations for each line from this poem. My children have been reading it over and over. Sometimes for the poem and sometimes for the pictures. We often have to stop and discuss the pictures as we read through this book. And they enjoy “reading” it alone so they can go at their own pace through the pictures.

This book is such a sweet and beautiful addition to any kid’s library.

Giveaway:
On top of my free copy that I received to review. I get to give away a copy of this book to one lucky reader. Enter below for your chance to win a copy of this beautiful book for your kids, grandkids, or any child you would love to give this book to.

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. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.If winner has not responded within 36 hours of attempted contact, another winner may be selected.

Esther: The Belle of Patience – Review and Giveaway

I received a digital copy of this book for free to review. Once it’s printed I will be receiving a physical copy as well. Speaking of which, enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a copy of this book, hot off the presses!

Esther

Bible Belles’ The Adventure of Rooney Cruz is an original children’s series that presents real life heroes like never before. The series highlights five superhero women of the Bible: Hannah, Esther, Abigail, Ruth and Deborah.

They’re setting out to present women in the Bible in a way that has never been done before to help girls remember their names, their stories, and how special they are.

Esther: The Belle of Patience – by Erin Weidemann is the second in this series. It’s a cute story about a little girl named Rooney who’s struggling with patience. She learns about Esther and the patience she exhibited and how she can apply that to her own life.

This book is great for both my 7yr old and my 5yr old daughters. The 7yr old can easily read this book by herself. It’s a pretty quick read, and she likes shorter books, so this is perfect for her. My 5yr old enjoyed having me read this book to her. Both girls loved the colorful pictures.

The story of Esther was told simply, and in a way that kept the girls interested. And I like that it opens up a good conversation about patience and when it’s a good idea to wait for things instead of demanding that they be done immediately.

For more info, check out the Bible Belle’s Book Trailer.

Enter below for your chance to win a copy of this colorful and fun book!

 

Healthy Baby Home Party Application

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What is a Healthy Baby Home Party?

Seventh Generation’s home parties are powered by people like you who are focused on creating a healthy environment for the next generation. Developed with input from non-profit partner, Healthy Child Healthy World, they are a great way to get together with friends, share helpful information, and make an impact!

Healthy Baby Home Party kits are provided to all selected hosts and are filled with educational info about our environment, helpful tips, a fun game, and samples and coupons from Seventh Generation and other favorite family-friendly brands like bobble, American Meadows and Zarbee’s Naturals.

What is the Application Process?

  • Sign up at generationgood.net to join the Generation Good community, or log in if already a member.
  • Accept the Healthy Baby Home Party Application offer on your Generation Good dashboard and complete the application.
  • Applicants will be notified by mid-June if they have been selected to host a party, via an email to the email address assigned to their Generation Good member profile.
  • All selected applicants will then need to confirm their participation by accepting the Healthy Baby Home Party Mission in Generation Good and confirming their shipping address.
  • Hosting spots are open to US residents only at this time. Canadian parties are planned for later in 2016!
  • Full terms and conditions are available within Generation Good in the “Healthy Baby Home Party Application” offer.

I just did a Healthy Baby Home Party a few weeks ago and it was awesome! (my post about this is coming up this week so check back and see what all came in my box) Seventh Generation has some terrific products – especially for those of us moms who have kids with sensitive skin.

ESV Family Devotional Bible Review and Giveaway

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

The ESV Family Devotional Bible is a hardbound colorful Bible.  It retells 130 key stories from the Bible with full color illustrations for each story, as well as placed within the Bible text where it is found.  The stories are simplified and easy for children of all ages to understand.

The ESV Family Devotional Bible is designed to help families read and apply God’s Word together. This full-color edition features the complete ESV text interspersed with engaging illustrations and gospel-centered devotions related to key Bible stories—guiding families through the entirety of God’s Word over the course of a year. Each devotion also includes discussion questions and suggestions for additional reading, helping families develop a habit of reading the Bible together and applying its truth to all of life.

My family is really enjoying this Bible. Each of the stories is 1 to 1 1/2 pages long. The perfect story length for young children! Each story also has 3 discussion questions at the end. I’m not sure who’s enjoying these questions more. Me or the kids! They listen better to the story because they want to answer the questions at the end. And I love hearing their answers. It’s always interesting to me how they can hear things in a Bible story that I never thought of.

I’ve been using this Bible for our evening devotions and it has really helped to enrich this time together and to introduce the kids to Bible Stories that you don’t find in Kid’s Story Bibles. (Like Abraham rescuing Lot when he was captured by enemy armies).

Each story has an accompanying picture, so the kids gather close so they can inspect the picture while I’m reading. This also helps to keep their attention on the devotion.

I especially like that the stories are placed in context among the verses. This makes it so easy for me to look at the actual text and answer any questions the kids have about the story.

This is an awesome Family Devotional Bible!

To find out more about this Bible or to purchase it you can go to Amazon, or visit Crossway Books on Facebook or Twitter. (Note, they sent me links to their giveaway which has already ended – enter my giveaway below for a chance to win an ESV Family Devotional Bible)

Enter below to win your very own copy of this great ESV Family Devotional Bible to share with your family.