July 31, 2013

Fun At Grandma's


July 30, 2013

Kid's Labels Are The Best!

Summer is always crazy with lots of places to go and people to see. This summer, as always, we have been Kid's Labels to keep track of our things. I love using these awesome labels because they last a very long time. In fact, one of the labels that was on a sippy cup at our house (something we use and wash every day) just fell off after 3 years of use. That is my kind of label! I just love these and am super excited to use them for B's kindergarten supplies this year. I love knowing that my things are secure with our name and that if something gets lost it will most likely be returned. These labels make great baby gifts and are perfect for any occasion for children, and adults, of any age. Go check it out!


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

July 23, 2013

A Big Year for Lily from The Adventures of Lily Lapp

Lily3blogbuttonI really wish I would have read this series as a pre-teen as it is written perfectly for that age group. Reading A Big Year for Lily at this point in my life was good but I can't wait to share it with my daughter. I love reading about the Amish culture. It intrigues me. This book is great and is full of adventures perfect for young girls who are interested in exploring a new culture. It is certainly a book that will make a perfect gift for any young girl.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is celebrating the release of A Big Year for Lilybook three in the beloved Adventures of Lily Lapp series, with a giveaway extravaganza!

One winner will receive:
Twelve winners will receive:
  • Special prizes specially picked by Lily (something new each day)! Suzanne will announce the winners on July 29 on her blog!
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 27th. All winners will be announced July 29th at Suzanne's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 29th to see if you won one of the fun prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

July 20, 2013

A Bride For All Seasons from The Mail-Order Bride Collection

BrideBlogButtonSomething about the story of a mail order bride makes me wonder. These women lived in a time so different from my own but I marvel at how they faced the unknown life before them and were still strong and happy. I recently enjoyed reading A Bride For All Seasons, a collection of novellas from The Mail-Order Bride Collection, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Each of the four stories had its own special bride with her own challenges to face and her own strengths to overcome them. It was a great read and one I highly recommend for anyone who wants a short easy read to pick them up after a long, hot day. You'll love every moment!


Four novellas, four brides, and four stories to fall in love with. 

Enter the world of mail-order brides with four of your favorite authors: Mary Connealy, Robin Lee Hatcher, Debra Clopton, and Margaret Brownley. In A Bride for All Seasons (Thomas Nelson) each of the prospective brides is hopeful for a second chance at love—and that second chance always seems to come in an unexpected package.
 
The authors are celebrating with a fun 12 Days of Unexpected Packages Giveaway! Between July 12-23 visit the authors’ Facebook Page to enter to win a new giveaway each day. Winners will be announced at the Facebook Author Chat party on July 23rd! Such fun!

July 19, 2013

Funkoos Organic Clothes for Babies

Dressing your kids is something I don't always take a second look at. In fact, half the time, when it's warm enough, my babies run around in diapers because it's too much effort to get them dressed and we rarely go anywhere. When I do put something on them it is generally just a bodysuit like this one form Funkoos. I really love this shirt because it is made of super soft organic fabric. It washes well and I know that it is good for my kids' skin. The only thing I don't love is that it is a white shirt and they never stay white long at my house but Funkoos is slowly adding more colors to their selection and that is awesome! Make sure you go check out all the fun options for your little one today!

Mama's Havin Fun With Hairbows

One of the best parts of having a little girl (besides that I love her to pieces) is that I finally get to find cute dresses and bows and shoes and so many other things. I don't think that I have ever had this much fun with pink and purple in my life. E keeps making fun of me because every time I see an accessory I love I have to look at it and either figure out where I can get one or how I can make something similar myself. I found and made so many cute items and it's a blast! One of my very favorite, and thus most used, accessories for F is this fun dragonfly clip from Bownanza Utah. I love the bright colors and fun patterns and it has matched lots of F's outfits this summer. I can't wait to share some of my fun projects with you but in the meantime go check out Bownanza and get some fun summer clips for your little princess!

July 14, 2013

The Offering by Angela Hunt

Have you ever considered what it would be like to give up one of your children? Reading The Offering by Angela Hunt brought this thought to my mind and I can't even imagine how hard that would be. The Offering is an amazingly emotional story about Amanda and her unusual experience as a gestational carrier. Mandy makes some exceptional decisions and this uplifting story is one you won't want to miss. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will love every moment of this adventure!

July 13, 2013

Back To School Week #1


Total Spent: $23.84
Total Saved: $340.41 (93.5%)
Rewards Earned: $25.00

Ok, so this week was a great week for shopping. I didn't find a lot of advertised deals but I did find some awesomeness! At target I got formula with rebate checks and wipes (because I'm finally out of the two boxes I bought when C was a baby). Stapes had those bright orange binders on clearance for $1 (regularly $6.99) and I used five of those to get the penny deals. Office Max had their school deals going too so we stopped there. My favorite was Walgreens where I went in for toilet paper (that they were sold out of) but found the Pull Ups on the clearance endcap marked down to $2.99! I paired that with my $2 off any jumbo pack or larger Pull Ups coupons from the paper a few weeks ago and I got 5 packages of Pull Ups for 99 cents each - AMAZING! Anyway, I'm planning on having Erik stop and see about some more school supplies today but we'll see if that happens. If not, I'm sure they will be back before school starts. 

What deals did you get this week? Happy Shopping!

Duchess by Susan May Warren

I try to be a somewhat well rounded person and read books about lots of different things. Most of the time I enjoy them but every once in a while I run into one that just isn't my cup of tea. That is what happened with Duchess by Susan May Warren. I can say that Warren is a very good writer and that I am going to try some of her other books. On that note, Duchess was written about The Golden Age of Hollywood and although it was ok I can't say the subject was something I enjoyed reading about. If you are interested in Hollywood then this will be a great book for you as it is a very interesting story about a lifestyle completely different from today's.

July 12, 2013

Catch A Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt

Some of you know that we've been spending a lot of time at the doctor's office lately. It's not fun by any means but sometimes it is necessary to figure out why your kids are not happy like they should be. Griffin Walker from Beth K. Vogt's Catch a Falling Star is one of those parents who spends more time then he would like in the doctor's office. That is, until he starts to fall for Doctor Kendall. This was a great story of faith, love and learning to face your fears! It's going in my stack to read again.

July 11, 2013

Afloat by Erin Healy

I'm not usually into the supernatural but I just finished reading Afloat by Erin Healy and thoroughly enjoyed it. The story itself is a survival story of a small "boat" town that is destroyed when a flood comes through. It was interesting to read the struggles as people fought over how they should survive, who should lead them, and what chances they should take to find their home again. The story led me to wonder what I would do if some sort of disaster destroyed all that I hold dear and I was left in an unknown territory trying to find the way for myself and my family. This is a good book that will leave you thinking! Don't miss it!

July 4, 2013

Happy 4th of July

We hope you are having a great Independence Day! A big thank you to all out service men and women. You are awesome!

July 3, 2013

Prom Dresses for Less with PromGirl


Finding a nice dress at a reasonable price can be a joke and a half. When you add that on top of finding a dress that fits and flatters things become even more impossible. That is why I am so glad I discovered PromGirl for all of my formal dressing needs. They are amazing to work with, have good prices, and their measurements are very true to fit (in fact, the dress they sent for my sister fits like  it was made for her). This cute black homecoming dress is perfect for little sis and when she adds a little jacket to cover her shoulders she is ready to party! So far the dress has worn, washed, and held up well and my sister is looking forward to wearing it, and sharing it, many more times. We'll be back to PromGirl again soon for more of our formal needs!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

July 1, 2013

Squooshi Coupon!

Adorably designed, Squooshi reusable food pouches are fun for kids of all ages and you'll appreciate the cost savings of DIY...Save up to hundreds of dollars annually! With Squooshi you can store, freeze, and serve all from the same container. www.squooshi.com Use Code FAMILYGUIDE for a FREE set of replacement caps at http://squooshi.com/collections/shop-now 

Squooshi food pouches are reusable and uniquely designed so they are fun for kids, helpful for parents, and better for our environment. 

The Quarryman's Bride by Tracie Peterson + $200 Anthropologie Gift Card

QuarrymanBrideWelcome to the campaign page for Tracie Peterson's newest book in the Land of the Shining Water series, The Quarryman's Bride. Tracie is celebrating with a "True Love" $200 Anthropologie giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party. One winner will receive:
  • A $200 Anthropologie gift card
  • The Quarryman's Bride and The Icecutter's Daughter by Tracie Peterson
You never know what cards life is going to hand you. For Emmalyne Knox it seems like she's always got a bad hand. First she looses her two younger sisters to a tornado and then her father declares that her wedding, only weeks away, must be canceled so she can follow the tradition of caring for her parents as they age. The miracle is that through it all, Emmalyne still holds to her faith in God.
The Quarryman's bride is a book of love, hope, and healing. The story itself was full of traditions I had never heard of. Fiction or not, the story was very intriguing to read. I couldn't help but fall in love with Emmalyne and all the other fun characters. You won't want to miss this great find!

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 8th. Winner will be announced at the "The Quarryman's Bride" Facebook Author Chat Party on July 9th. Connect with Tracie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tracie will also share an exclusive look at the next book in the Land of Shining Water series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.
So grab your copy of The Quarryman's Bride and join Tracie on the evening of July 9th 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. Hope to see you on the 9th!