Eventide Book Review, Blog Tour & Giveaway

I have a new book to tell you about, Eventide by Shelley Shepard Gray!  This is actually the third and final book in The Days of Redemption Series but you really can read it as a stand alone, at least in my opinion.

This book centers around Elsie Keim and the fact that she is slowly going blind.  But it is also so much more than that.  It is the story of love, value and worth, and letting go - there is so much more to Elsie than just her circumstances.  Although her circumstance shapes her life in many ways, it does not define her.  You cannot help but fall in love with Elsie - her strong will and determination, her ability to overcome, and her quiet spirit.  Her family intends to protect her but slowly they learn to let her spread her wings, as God intended - not abandoning her or running her life but ready to help as she needs.  This reminds me of the role of a parent stepping aside and letting their child become an adult.  Although difficult, it is a healthy transition!  I enjoyed this book a lot and I was pleased with the outcome - don't worry, I will not spoil it for you.  So pick up a copy of Eventide, sit back in a comfy chair and let Shelley Shepard Gray do the rest!  You will not be disappointed.

Keep reading for more about this book and the author.  And you can purchase your own copy here and check out the full blog tour here.

About the Book:  A young Amish woman harbors a difficult secret.  Does she dare share the truth with the man she hopes to marry?

Elsie Keim doesn't want to be left behind.  Her twin sister, Viola, and her older brother, Roman, have both found love and are building lives of their own.  But Elsie?  She's still stuck at home, being treated like a child.  No one seems to consider her a capable woman - all they see are the thick lenses of her glasses, constant reminders that Elsie suffers from keratoconus and is slowly going blind.

Elsie knows there's much more to her than her disease.  That's why when a new neighbor, Landon Troyer, shows some interest in her, she doesn't want anything to scare him away...even if it means keeping her condition a secret.

Landon is ready to start a new life and feels like Elsie may just be the right woman to start it with.  But when Roman steps in and shares the truth about Elsie's illness, Landon is floored.  His job is demanding and takes him away from home, sometimes for days at a time.  How could he keep up with his responsibilities and take care of Elsie?

Shelley Shepard Gray

Meet Shelley: Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the "Sisters of the Heart", "Seasons of Sugarcreek", "Secrets of Crittenden County", and Families of Honor series.  She lives is southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.  You can connect more with Shelley here.

Now, ready for a giveaway?  You can win Shelley Shepard Gray's Days of Redemptions Series!

Shelley Shepard Gray is celebrating the release of the final book in The Days of Redemption series, Eventide, by giving away FIVE sets of the series. 

Five winners will receive:

• Daybreak, Ray of Light and Eventide by Shelley Shepard Gray

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 21st. All winners will be announced September 23rd at Shelley's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Shelley's blog on the 23rd to see if you won one of the book sets!

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. 

Purex Step Into Fall Sweepstakes

Purex has been rolling out the sweepstakes lately haven't they??  I have another fun one to tell you about.  The Step Into Fall Sweepstakes has officially launched.

Summer has officially ended and the new school year has begun.  We are finishing up our second week of homeschooling here.  Let Purex help you step into Fall with a bang and enter to win the $1,000 grand prize here today, plus a year's supply of Purex with Dirt Lift Action Detergent!  Good luck.

I could put that prize to use, what about you?

Disclosure:  Thanks so much to the Purex Insiders program and Purex for allowing me to be a part of this campaign and providing information about this Sweepstakes!  As part of this campaign I am eligible to win prizes!

Blog, Blog as Fast as You Can...

B and D's birthday cakes a few years back

Life has been busy.  There is so much that has happened in the last few weeks and I finally feel settled enough to write about some of it.  I feel like I have been chasing the gingerbread man :).

 Some of my grandmother's flowers - she had such beautiful flowers!

We sad goodbye to my grandmother Kathryn.  I am glad to know that she is at peace.  I cannot thank my friends and family enough for all the cards, meals and just general support.  It was amazing and my family was truly blessed. 

David and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary!  We have officially been married a dozen years :).

 

On our wedding, 8-25-01

David accidentally broke his big toe on our anniversary so it was definitely a day to remember.  To make a long story short, he was climbing up some stairs and somehow his toes curled under his foot and he ended up putting all his weight down onto them - ouch!  He has been wearing a boot and is healing well.  This is actually his first week without having to wear his boot which is super great because C starts baseball this week.  

 C at the last Round Rock Express game we went to.

His first game is tonight and David is somehow the assistant coach.  We look forward to watching him play.  A is having a great time swimming and has recently learned to do the butterfly - something I have yet to learn.  B started dance yesterday and couldn't be more thrilled.  She would like to go everyday instead of once a week though.  Our homeschool is now in full gear.  A is in 4th grade, B is in 2nd grade, C is in 1st grade, D started a Pre-K curriculum and E is my teacher's aid. 

 

Tinkerbell D

 

The new baby - sucking on a few fingers!

We had our 20 week ultrasound a few weeks back and everything looks great with our littlest one.  I am measuring about a week ahead.  We took all the kids and they were pleased to get to see the baby.  D asked the technician to tell her if she saw a bow because then she would know if the baby was a girl or not - it was pretty cute.  Of course, we did not find out the gender - we love surprises!

Alright, I suppose that is enough news for now.

Renuzit Adjustable Cones Review & Giveaway

You have probably heard of the name Renuzit, did you know that they have new adjustable cones?  As part of the Purex Insiders program I was sent 4 different Renuzit cones - After the Rain, Simply Vanilla, Tahitian Breeze and Hawaiian Oasis to try out.

My awesome kit

There are over 20 scents and they are available in their original white cones and their new black cones so you can pick the fragrance and style for you!

After The Rain is the first cone I put to use.  This is it in front of my shower curtain.

 And here it is freshening up my bathroom.

I really like the adjustable height feature, this lets you choose the amount of freshener that you want.  The higher the height, the greater the strength.  And I love the way this white cone coordinates.

I also headed over to Walmart to check out their selection of the new Renuzit Adjustable Cones.  I think I hit them at time to restock because their selection was lower than I anticipated - these cones must be flying off the shelves!  I was able to find three of my favorites and discover that these cones are less than $1 each, now that is a bargain my friends.

 Renuzit Adjustable Cones at Walmart, only $0.94 each!

 Three of my favorites - Simply Vanilla, Fresh Lavender and After The Rain

I have shown you one of my white cones in action now let me show you a Renuzit Adjustable black cone.  My living room is a mixture of light and darker colors.  We spend a lot of time in this room so I thought it would be a good idea to keep it freshened up as well.  

Here is the Renuzit Tahitian Breeze Adjustable Cone on my couch.

 I also wanted to show you the easy to tear label.

 I think you could choose to keep the top label on if you really wanted to but I made my Renuzit Adjustable cone all black.

And here it is in use on my fireplace mantel!

In short, the new Renuzit Adjustable Cones are a great and easy way to freshen up a room.  They are affordable and come in an array of scents and styles to choose from.  My favorite feature is that they are indeed adjustable allowing you to choose the strength you desire.  So now that you have heard all about them, would you like to try the new Renuzit cones for yourself?

 

Time for a giveaway.  I have 10 coupons for $1.00 off any Renuzit Adjustable Air Freshener (expire 12/31/13) - which are Free product coupons as these fresheners are only $0.94 at Walmart!  Five people will win 2 coupons each.  Enter the giveaway below and good luck!

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Disclosure:  Thanks so much to the Purex Insiders program and Renuzit for allowing me to be a part of this campaign and providing me with my awesome Renuzit kit and coupons for this giveaway!   As part of this campaign I am eligible to win prizes!  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

New Purex Laundry App & Sweepstakes (iPad mini Giveaway)

I want to tell you about the new Purex Laundry App!  It is available for download for both Android and iOs.  If you are using iOs (or have an iPhone) download the App here and if you are using Android download the App here.

Features of the App

The Purex Laundry App has an awesome stain guide.  This is one of my favorite features.

 Stain Guide Menu

You can select the type of stain (everything from BBQ sauce, gum, peanut butter, red wine, you get the idea) and the type of material that is stained (cotton, rayon, wool, etc) and ask for a solution.

Let's say that E got into the paints and stained her cotton shirt (not an unlikely scenario right?).

Suggested Solution

A solution: For Water-Based Paints (including latex acrylic) - rinse stain in the warmest water recommended on the garment label.  Then pre-treat with Purex detergent and launder.  Dried pain stains are very difficult to remove so it is important to treat the stain as soon as possible.  For Oil-Based Paints (including varnish) - gently blot the stain with the solvent (thinner) listed on the paint label.  Rinse, then pretreat with Zout stain remover and launder!  Super helpful right - love this!!

Another cool feature is the Ironing and Folding Help.  You can select a garment type and it will give you step by steps as to how to fold and iron your garments.  I have never really been good at ironing but this feature gives me hope!

What are you waiting for, download the App now and start using it!

If you are using iOs (or have an iPhone) download the App here and if you are using Android download the App here.

Oh and I don't want to forget to tell you about the Purex Laundry Help Sweepstakes!  To celebrate this new App, Purex is giving you the chance to win an iPad mini.  Dowload the App and enter today for your chance at the grand prize (3 winners).  Go here to enter this sweepstakes and good luck!

Disclosure:  Thanks so much to the Purex Insiders program and Purex for allowing me to be a part of this campaign and providing information about this App and Sweepstakes!  As part of this campaign I am eligible to win prizes!

Nuby Fun Drinking Cups Review

I want to tell you about our new, Nuby Fun Drinking Cups!  We have the purple and pink pack.  These cups are great for toddler's and young children.  D (who is 3) has been enjoying the purple cup while E (who is almost 23 months) has been using the pink.

Here is E, so proud to have her own cup!

She has no problem gripping it.  It is super easy for little hands.

Drinking water

And that's how it's done :).

 I cannot leave out D!

 The cups have fun designs on them as well.

I love that these cups are stackable and store easily in my cupboard.  They are a great size for little ones - this goes for the grip and amount of drink they hold.  They are easy to bring with you on trips if need be.  They are dishwasher safe in the top rack and they make a great transition cup from straws or lid cups.  And they are super affordable.  I would highly recommend these Nuby fun drinking cups!

Read more about these cups below.

According to Nuby
18+ Months, 10oz/300ml
Nuby Fun Drinking Cups are bright, fun and durable enough to withstand the challenges of daily use.  They are great for children who are just beginning to drink from an open cup because they are sized perfectly for smaller hands.  They feature a fun design and are available in a variety of colors.

These drinking cups are available in numerous colors options.  You can purchase them in two packs of blue/green, blue/yellow, purple/orange, purple/pink, green/pink, and yellow/orange.  Nuby Fun Drinking Cups are available for purchase at www.BuyBabyDirect.com, www.amazon.com, and www.diapers.com.

Thanks Nuby for another awesome product!  Remember you can connect with Nuby on facebook, twitter, instagram, and pinterest as well. 

Disclosure:  I did not receive any compensation for this post, although as part of this program I may receive items to sample or review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Orkin Blog App & Giveaway

Is your home at risk?  The best way to protect your home is education!  How much do you know about household pests?  They don't have a place in your home, but pests do a have a place in the world.  From science and forensics to art and culture, pests play an important role.  Entomology was one of my favorite classes in college - it was truly fascinating!

Take the Pest Test Quiz to find our how well you know about our tiny neighbors!

Orkin are experts in bug science and developing customized solutions for keeping your home pest-free!

Ready for a giveaway?  One of you will win an Orkin Home Education Kit.  This kit includes 2 Orkin factoids 11x7 posters (The Pollinators, The Recyclers), 1 Orkin bug-finding flashlight, and 20 rubber toy creepy crawly bugs!  Enter the giveaway below and good luck.

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Disclosure:  Thanks so much to Orkin for providing this information and sponsoring this giveaway.