Happy Birthday C!

A trip down memory lane, love you son!

The day you were born!

 One year later!

 C turning 2.

 And 3...

 

 My 4 year old

 Happy 5 year old and his baby sister!

Taken today, 6 years old!

Shark Attack - C's 6th Birthday Party

Remember C's Shark Invitations here!  Well, his party was last Saturday and I do believe he had a blast.

 Here is a collage I made of his Shark Cake!  David did a great job.

And I made a Shark Watermelon, yummy!

 We had a 3D shark coming out of our walls.

And C loved his shark grabber machine from Grandma and Grandpa.  It was fun to let the kids get their own party favors.

Thanks so much to everyone who was able to come celebrate.  My son is growing up!

Endorse Mobile App

Have you heard of Endorse?  It is a free mobile app for your iPhone or Android. 

Endorse is a simple, free way to get cash back for buying your favorite products in stores.  You can earn from 10% up to 100% cash back on your everyday purchases wherever you shop including Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Kroger, Safeway, CVS, Whole Foods, Costco and Trader Joe's.

I have been using this app for several months and have already earned over $40.  I have definitely found it to be worth it.  I love getting cash back for buying diapers!  If you are interested in signing up click here for my referral link!

How does it work exactly?  You download the app here, browse offers, upload your receipts and get rewarded!  And with each receipt you earn points to fund local school projects.

It is really a cool thing.  If you check it out, please let me know what you think!

Disclosure:  I will receive $1 for every person who signs up with my referral link.  Thank you if you choose to sign up.  I hope you find it to be worth it as I have.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Once Upon a Prince Review, Blog Tour, Facebook Party & Giveaway

I have a new book to tell you about, Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck.  I found this to be such a delightful read.  It was fun, entertaining, romantic and I read the entire book in one sitting!  I personally felt sucked into the story at the very beginning during the emotional breakup.  Hauck does a great job developing the characters charm quickly and you cannot help but route for Susanna and Nate's budding relationship to blossom.  Sure, I felt like the ending was a bit predictable in some ways but I am A-OK with that!  If you are looking for a clean romance book with a modern day fairy tale feel then look no further, this is a book for you. 

Read more about this book below and be sure to check out the facebook party and enter to win!  You can check out the complete blog tour here.

About Once Upon A Prince: 

The Royal Wedding Series Book One

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon's Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He's a royal prince. She's a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation.

It's the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own?

You can purchase a copy here!

Watch the Trailer: 

Once Upon a Prince, Book Trailer - Rachel Hauck

Meet Rachel:

Rachel Hauck is the bestselling author of Carol Award winner "Sweet Caroline", and RITA Finalist "Love Starts With Elle", and of the critically acclaimed fiction collaboration with multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans, "The Songbird Novels". She lives in sunny, though sometimes hurricane plagued, central Florida with her husband and their ornery pets. Rachel earned a degree in Journalism from Ohio State University and is a huge Buckeyes football fan. She is the past President of American Christian Fiction Writers and now sits on the board as an Advisor.

Find out more about Rachel here!

Rachel Hauck is celebrating the release of Once Upon a Prince with a fun "Royal Wedding" Giveaway and connecting with readers at her May 28th Facebook Party.

One "royal" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 27th. Winner will be announced at the "Once Upon a Prince" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 28th. Connect with Rachel for an evening of book chat, wedding trivia, laughter, and more! Rachel will also be sharing a sneak peek at the next book in the series and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Once Upon a Prince and join Rachel on the evening of May 28th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

Disclosure:  Thanks so much to Litfuse Publicity Group for allowing me to be a part of this tour and providing me with this book to facilitate my review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Adventures in Odyssey Summer of Service A.C.T.S. Blog Tour

 

Have you heard of Adventures in Odyssey?  I really hope you have because if not you are really missing out!  Adventures in Odyssey, the beloved audio series from Focus on the Family, has encouraged kids toward a stronger faith for 25 years.  Whit, Connie, Eugene, and the other lovable characters from Odyssey have shared countless adventures with kids across the world in the classic audio dramas, books, videos, and devotionals, fulfilling the AIO promise to help kids discover, imagine, and grow.  I am proud to partner with Adventures in Odyssey and Tyndale House in joining them in their Summer of Service A.C.T.S blog tour. 

Join Adventures in Odyssey this summer to discover how fun it can be to serve others!

This summer, Adventures in Odyssey is joining with Christian bookstores across the country, inviting kids to participate in a Summer of Service.  They’re promoting the biblical message, “When you serve, everybody wins,” encouraging kids to serve their families, their communities, and their world.  Whether it’s baking cookies for an elderly neighbor or putting together a care package for missionaries overseas, kids will discover that serving can be a blast!

How the A.C.T.S. (A Call to Service) challenge and contest works:

Kids who join A.C.T.S. can pick up a service log and collect fun character stickers for hours served at participating bookstores throughout the summer, or download a serving log online at whitsend.org.  At the end of the summer, kids can record and upload a short video telling how they serve and why they’d like to become an Adventures in Odyssey Ambassador.

A hundred winners will get the brand new AIO Album, and after online voting, two grand prize winners (one boy and one girl) will get to travel on an exciting Good-Goers Mission Based Adventure trip to another country with a parent!  The out-of-country destination will be announced on a live podcast May 22—hosted by AIO actors Katie Leigh (Connie) and Chris Anthony (Chris)—which you can watch at whitsend.org/acts.  You don’t want to miss it!

On May 22, there will be a webcast launch

Why serve?  And how to serve?

One of the best things we can do to build selfless, confident children is to help and encourage them toward a growing and thriving faith in God which includes serving others!  We do not serve because it makes us feel good - although, most of the time it actually does but instead we serve others because we are following God's instructions.  Modeling and encouraging serving will help build faith that our children can carry with them into adulthood—which is one of the greatest gifts any parent can bestow on their children.

For David's 35th birthday this year the kids and I put together a "blessing box" as one of his gifts. 

 Some of our ideas

The box contained 35 ways that we could bless others within our community.  These ideas included hiding $1 bills in our local Dollar Store, placing free red box codes on the machines, giving out reusable bags to those who forgot them, handing out Chick-fil-A gift cards, bags to be left at changing stations that contain diapers and wipes, snack bags (juice/granola bars) to hand out to those in need, Gatorade to distribute, Cliff bars to hand out, bags of change to be left on vending machines, and Hershey bars to be given out for a sweet treat to name a few. 

 

 Have you ever been out and about with a little one and forgotten diapers and perhaps wipes?  We thought this could really bless people with little ones.

Ready to distribute

The kids and I are also planning on baking cookies to distribute to the local firefighters in our area for all the work they do.  We want to bless them in a practical way and show them the love of God and thank them for their service!  David and the kids and I have been having a great time distributing the contents of his "blessing" box.  These are just a few examples of simple ways to bless and serve others.  What ideas do you have?  Please let me know!

Click here to gain access to the free downloadable mp3 file of the AIO Service episode!  And there is a free PDF download of summer service ideas for kids available here.  Hope you decide to participate!

kidecals - personalized kid's name labels and decals

 

Have you heard of kidecals?   They offer personalized, water-proof kid's name labels and decals.

Personalized Kids Name Labels can come in handy on bottles, clothing, books, toys, sports gear - really you name it!  kidecals are durable, dishwasher/washing machine/dryer safe and they do not damage surfaces - what is not to love?  There are even clothing labels perfect for summer camps!

Another great use - allergy notifications!

Their Waterproof labels are also durable and can stick to just about anything and stay put.  These are especially handy for pool toys and you know that summer is almost here :).

Fun Mustache Stickers are a fun touch.  If I had known about these I would have gotten them for my nephew's mustache bash last month!  These partystache stickers can be used as drink markers and the mustache chalkboard stickers are a fun way to label and organize anything in your pantry or craft room.

The variety of options adds a bit of character!

kidecals makes some of the prettiest designs when it comes to chalkboard labels.  What an easy and fun way to get organized fast and the fact that they can go through the dishwasher is amazing to me.

I love this chalkboard design.

If you are interested in purchasing kidecals I have a special promo code for you.  Save 15% off kidecals by using promo code, bestlabels, here!

 

kidecals always has FREE shipping!

Magazines.com & Giveaway

Disclosure:  I will receive my own magazine subscription from magazines.com - Parenting the Early Years.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  Thanks so much to the sponsor for providing this giveaway.

   

   

 

Mother's Day has come and gone but it is never too late to think of Mom or even celebrate her throughout the year!  Magazines.com offers people a fun, easy way to discover new reads and helps them track their magazine subscriptions.  They have several great Mother's Day deals on magazine subscriptions.  You'll find incredible savings on cooking, celebrity, crafting magazine subscriptions and more.  Don't forget about all the Moms in your life - your aunts, sisters, grandmother - you can give a gift that keeps on giving.  Check out all their current deals here!

Parenting the Early Years

I am excited because in just a few short weeks I will be receiving a subscription to Parenting the Early Years.  I look forward to reading the articles and information. 

Would you like to win a free magazine subscription to Magazines.com?  Just enter the giveaway below and good luck.

Here are a few of the titles that you could win:  Cooking with Paula Deen, Martha Stewart Living, Parenting Early Years, Parenting School Years, Prevention, Weight Watchers, Working Mother, Victoria, People, Southern Living, Food Network, Real Simple, Southern Lady, Crochet Today, Tea Time, Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, Entertain Decorate Celebrate, Taste of South, Creative Machine Embroidery, Just Cross Stitch, Quilt, Quilter's Newsletter, Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly, Creative Knitting, Quilter's World, Sew News, Crochet World, Creating Keepsakes, Crochet and Card Maker.

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