It happens every year.  The question usually pops up after Mother’s Day and right before Father’s Day is on us.

So, yeah, this week.

“When is Kid’s Day?” they ask with the tiniest hint of bitterness.

I smile and always answer with the tiniest hint of triumph, “everyday is Kid’s Day. Yay!”

And then I jump up and down. Once.

Well, everyday is Kid’s Day. But I can’t blame them for trying.

My kids are easy to please. Their entire day can turn into THE BEST DAY EVER with a visit to the gumball machine or a visit to the Sassy Box (a box we keep with goodies for extra great behavior). Although as they get older, they want the gumball machine that’s giving away the iPods. I’m just saying. But in return, my kids MAKE MY DAY when I catch them humming an inspiring song or watch them in the rearview mirror dancing to the beat.

We’ve been skipping around to Hillsong Kids JR Crazy Noise CD lately and I’m excited to give away a bunch of them! Let’s make today one that our kids won’t forget!

The Hillsong KIDS are back with an energetic collection of kid-friendly praise
songs, guaranteed to get your young ones on their feet and singing along! But
that s not all, for the fi rst time ever Hillsong Kids presents an album especially
for preschoolers and early school age children. Crazy Noise is an album full
of catchy new songs for fans of The Wiggles and Yo Gabba Gabba. A couple of
Hillsong KIDS favorite songs and an appearance from JD, lead singer of Hillsong
United, are also added into the mix to complete this wonderful collection.
More than products, Hillsong KIDS albums are resources, thoughtfully created
for Hillsong Church s Children s Ministry. For a long time we have wanted to
create an album for this age group and we are so excited about producing this
album for the preschooler, Hillsong Children s Pastor Dave Wakerley says.
Crazy Noise is full of brand new songs that your little ones will enjoy singing,
dancing, and praising God to.

UPDATE: The winner is comment #2-Wendy.  Congratulations, Wendy!

My home has become a gallery of inspiration.

The walls are peppered with more than decor: Inspirational art makes a statement and issues a challenge.

I made a decision a long time ago that I would only hang what inspires me. From my kids handmade art in the laundry room to the canvas cross in the kitchen to the tree of life in the bathroom, I can’t tell you how many times in a day I’m encouraged by inspirational art.

I want you to be too.

I love Show Off Arts newest pieces:

Show Off Arts is one of my absolute favorites! Not only is their story (behind the art) beautiful, their products are fun and warm and truly inspirational!

Today, Show Off Arts is offering one reader a $50 gift certificate for anything in their store, plus free shipping. Plus, all my readers can receive an extra 20% off with code watf20

Take a look around and leave a comment with what art inspires you.

This giveaway ends on Thursday.

UPDATE:  The randomly selected winners are Nidya (125), Trena (173) and Christine (177). Congratulations!

I just registered my tot for Kindergarten.

{Sob}

How did we get here? She’s reading short words, can write her entire name and has perfected her sassy look.

We are soaking up her days before she’s in school full time and her appetite for learning grows daily. So, when friends over at Time for Tots asked if they could help me help my daughter, give my readers an awesome deal and benefit Mercy House–I said YES!

My oldest played hooky a couple of weeks ago-she needed a mental health day (shhh!) and she “played school” with my youngest. She had no idea she was learning. I loved watching them work together for hours!

Summer Kit Includes:

Summer Themed Prewriting Strips

Flower Playdough Mat with Playdough

Bumblebee Dice Game

“Plant the Seeds” Color Matching with Mold

Flower Alphabet Matching

Sticker Matching Grid Game

Targeted Skills:

Color Identification

Letter Identification

Number Identification

Counting

Matching

Fine Motor Skills

Visual Discrimination

It’s perfect for summer learning, long days, homeschool, trips, etc. (I’m taking ours on our trip to Africa!)

Today, I’m giving away THREE kits on this post. Leave a comment to be entered.

This kit is available to purchase right here (until supplies last). It’s regularly $25 (plus $5 shipping).

You can purchase it for only $15 (plus $5 shipping) and 25% of every sale benefits Mercy House!

Visit Time for Tots and check out their other resources. You can also follow them on Facebook.

UPDATE:  Emily (comment 194) has been randomly selected as the winner of this giveaway.

I’m a big rule follower. I like to color inside the lines.

Lately though, I’ve been trying to break my own rules and be more flexible.

And guess what? My house is a little messier, my laundry pile is a bit bigger, my to do list longer, but my life is more peaceful.

2+2 doesn’t always equal 4.

I stink at math. But I’m always reminded that time with the beautiful people in my life is really what life is all about.

That’s why I absolutely love RULES like this: (Plus, who doesn’t love subway art?)

I think when I focus on making these rules a priority, I remember life isn’t about things at all.

Alexander Creative has some awesome art for your walls!

I love this one for a boy’s room.

They sent me the  family subway rules poster and they are giving one away on my blog today to a lucky reader.

Everyone else, shop here!

Tell me what you’d love to hang on your walls from Alexander Creative and that will be your entry.

This giveaway ends on Thursday.

UPDATED with WINNER: Comment #108 has been randomly selected – Congratulations Vanessa!

My real life intersects with my online life more and more.

I love it.

Except when people see me mopping up a broken pickle jar in the middle of The Wal Marts and say “yep, you are that family.”

I will deny and run.

But usually, it’s a great experience! It turns out another preschool mom has been reading my blog for awhile and when we bumped into each other, it was so fun! She has a heart for God and Mercy House, plus (bonus) she has an adorable business called Tippie Toads that offers fun, awesome personalized gifts!

She created some darling items to benefit Mercy House.

Cute, huh??

She’s selling them in her store and get this: 100% of the profits from the Love Mercy line go to support our girls in Kenya!

Cute with a cause is my kind of shopping!

Check out all her awesome items here.

Plus, Tippie Toads is giving away a Love Mercy tumbler set and choice of Love Mercy clipboard or Post It Note Set today to one lucky reader (more than $75 value):

Leave a comment if you’d like to win.

That Works for Me! Contest

We are running a contest on the website thru the month of April for a gift card for house cleaning ($150 value). We are asking readers to “submit a tip” as an entry. You can submit as many as you’d like (for multiple entries) with 25 categories! This contest will run thru April 30th.

UPDATED:  Congratulations to the following randomly selected winners:  Jennyroo, Karen, Bobbi, Brenda Torres, Wendy, LeAnn H, Rachel, Nicole, Angela
And the grand prize winner – Lacey C.

Moms everywhere have one thing in common: they all know how to replace toilet paper rolls when they are empty.

If your house is like mine, this is a rare gift.

It doesn’t matter what mothers “do” for a living, how famous in infamous they may be, moms also do one other thing well: they fiercely love their kids.

It’s in our blood.

I think that’s probably one of my favorite things about Christy Nockles. (Her brand new worship album Into the Glorious debuts this week!) She’s a fantastic singer, an inspirational worship leader, a renown recording artist, but her greatest legacy is her three young children.

Plus, y’all: she writes some of her songs in her minivan with her kids. It just doesn’t get more real than that.

I almost wrote a song once in my van, but I couldn’t think of anything that rhymed with I’M SO TIRED.

This week, Christy launched her new CD, Into the Glorious.

I asked Christy Nockles a few questions-I think you’ll love her Mom-heart as much as I do:

1. How do you juggle being a mom and a recording artist?

Well…juggle is certainly the right word.  When they were little I
think I tried to compartmentalize my world…but later I realized the
best thing for me and for my family is that we are all in the middle of
it together.  In order for them to see me walk in my gifting and my
calling, I’ve learned that to involve them and invite them in is the
best way to also mother and mentor them inside of it.  When I was
getting ready to write songs for this record, I sat all 3 of them down
and asked them to help me write the songs.  They looked at me really
funny…  I asked them if they knew some ways that they might could help
me write the songs… It was crickets at first, but then our youngest,
Annie Rose (4), spoke up… “we can be kind to each other!”  She totally
got it. Then the older two began to spout off all the ways that they
could help me while I was songwriting. I now see allot of fruit from
that decision to invite them into it.  Even yesterday, our son Noah saw
my finished record that had arrived at our house in the mail and he
looked at it and said, “I remember when you were writing these songs,
can’t believe it’s already done.”  I was really excited that he
remembered the writing process and it appeared to be a good memory for
him. : )  So… all in all, it does take juggling.  I do have some great
helpers who love on my kids!  We have 3 young women from our church that
take turns…they nanny & tutor & even sometimes fold clothes and do the
dishes!  We do kind of a “hybrid homeschool” program where they go to
school twice a week and then homeschool the other three days.  It works
well for our lifestyle, but I need lots of help!  But you know what?
Even the Proverbs 31 woman had help!  It says she gave a portion to her
servant girls… I think it’s a beautiful thing to invite some young
women into your life to help you, and in turn you are helping them have
means to live and they are getting to see inside of a mother’s life.  It
can be a real win/win thing… I also have learned to write songs during
the mundane, ordinary things… I write while I’m cleaning, running
errands and in the carpool line!  That’s what “Into The Glorious”
means…we are invited into the glorious every day of our lives…all we
have to do is accept the invitation and step into it.  A few years ago I
asked my friend Terry Price, whose a mother of 9 and a songwriter this
very same question…”how do you juggle it all?”  She said, “you have to
invite the glorious into the mundane”.  That stuck with me from that day
on… The invitation is ours.  The minivan really can become a sanctuary
and a place of worship…and a much needed songwriting session.

2. Tell us about your children:

Our oldest is Noah Luke, he is 11.  Noah is very passionate… He
loves music, is a very naturally gifted drummer and his newest passion
is film making.  He’s witty, creative and sensitive.  He walks closely
with his Daddy, we realized early on, even at the age of 9 that Noah
already needed accountability in his life.  They talk openly about life,
love and other mysteries and I’m so grateful for their relationship.  It
allows me to be just “mom” in his life…the one who comforts, cooks,
and sits on the edge of his bed every night to talk about life… while
I scratch his back of course.  Elliana “Ellie” is 9.  She is so much
like her Daddy…quiet, even keel most of the time, inward,
peacemaker…she looks around to see what needs to be done and she does
it.  She’s our little artist…she loves painting, drawing and creating.
Annie Rose is 4, she’s spunky, funny, and a little bit too smart for her
own good sometimes. She actually appears kind of serious a lot of the
time, which I think is her own way of just playing it cool… I have
loved getting to mother 2 girls!  I’m constantly amazed by their love
for each other, despite the occasional spats, and I realize more and
more that it’s my job to mentor them first.  It’s a new season of life,
moving from child-bearing to child-shepherding on a daily basis, but
what a privilege! So rewarding…

3. What inspires you to write a song?

It usually starts with needing Truth to cover my own heart…then it
branches out from there.  It will sometimes start with a passage of
scripture, something I heard a teacher say, something we are
experiencing together at church…or even something my kids say.  It’s
different all the time, but the main motivation is Truth.  I have always
loved putting truth to song in an artful way, and I love that it helps
people articulate things that their hearts want to say to God, but they
may not know how to say it.  Songs do that and I love it!  I love the
idea of helping people communicate their heart to God…so incredibly
inspiring.

4. What would you like to tell moms?

I love how motherhood is being celebrated in our generation.  Now
there are so many moms who can connect to each other all over the world
and share stories, art, and beautiful photographs of their children and
feel like they are walking closely with others in the same season of
life.  However, I think there are still the days that some of us wake up
and we let the season we are in completely overwhelm us.  Maybe there
are dreams and plans that you had early on that stretch beyond the walls
of your home…maybe you have a cause in your heart…a passion that has
been lying dormant in your soul. There’s a verse of scripture that
probably all of you know well, but it’s Psalm 37:4-6.  The first part
says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of
your heart.”  For many years I read that like, “if I do this for God, He
will do this for me”…but instead, He began to show me that the word
GIVE in that passage can also mean SHOW or INSTILL or PLACE IN… He
will show you what your desires are… He will place desires IN you for
different seasons of your life.  Then it goes on to say, “Commit your
way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your
righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of your cause like the
noonday sun”.  The Message says it like this: “He will validate your
life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high
noon.”  Isn’t that beautiful? It’s such an amazing way to live to be
able to trust God with our dreams and plans.  He says if we do, HE will
validate our lives and He will lift up the cause of our hearts for all
to see… We have assurance in the every day ordinary things of life,
that God will take our faithfulness in the ordinary and truly do
something extraordinary that we never could have imagined on our own!
“Into The Glorious” is proof that I can be a very normal wife, mom and
homemaker and the times I choose to give Him the mundane moments, He
sweeps me up and shows me that the cause He put in my heart is His to
lift up…and He does just that.  He will do the same for you…

In honor of moms and Christy’s amazing new album, Into the Glorious, (click to listen or purchase),  NINE commenters are going to win a copy  of her new album, Into the Glorious plus her Life Light Up CD. In addition, one Grand Prize Winner will win a Mom Gift Basket!

Grand Prize: Mom Basket Contents:

$15 gift card to Bath and Body Works

$10 Starbucks gift card

$50 gift card to Toms Shoes

Plus, Christy Nockels new CD, Into the Glorious and Life Light Up

UPDATED with winners:  Comments 303 and 72 were randomly selected; congrats to Rachel & Lori.

If you’ve ever caught vomit with your hands.

If you’ve ever considered a trip to Target alone a mini-vacation.

If you’ve ever told a group of adults you need to go potty.

If you’ve ever hidden in the bathroom to talk on the phone.

If you’ve ever had a funeral for a cricket or pulled a soggy lizard from the washing machine.

If you’ve ever used your own spit to clean a face or adjust a wild cowlick.

If you’ve ever thanked God for Magic Erasers.

If you’ve ever hidden chocolate in the house.

If you’ve ever lied to children.

If you’ve ever shaken a pile of crumbs from your purse.

If you wouldn’t trade your unpaid job for all the money in the world.

If you’re not a mom, you certainly had one

And she (you) deserves to be celebrated! Mother’s Day will be here before you know it. Mothers are beautiful and they deserve a bit of beauty.

Today, in honor of the women who make the world go round, The Vintage Pearl is offering two $50 gift certificates!

Take a look around and tell me what you’d give a mom (yourself included) in your life. And for fun, fill in the ____.

You might be a mom if . . .

This giveaway ends Thursday.

UPDATED with winners: Congrats to random commenters:
Jessica Kelley, Amber V, and Danielle

Pssst . . . pull up a chair and I’ll tell you a secret. You’d better lean in close for this one.

Ready?

You don’t have to do more, be more, have more.

I’m sure there are security alarms going off somewhere. You should probably hide this book when your in-laws come over. And this could be the makings of a Sunday morning scandal.

But it’s true.

It’s the kind of true that will change your life, set you free, and make you wake up smiling for the first time in a long time. I know because that’s what it did for me. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of other women too.

So watch out, sister. If you keep reading, you just might be next.

-You’re Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be by Holley Gerth

My sweet friend, Holley, knocks it out of the ballpark with her new book! It’s exactly what we all need to hear. I’m a do-gooder, I’m a try-harder kind of girl. But to Him, I’m already enough. Just like I am….

This brand new bestseller is also the Bloom Book Club book over at (in)courage!

And get this:

If you are able to purchase a book for someone in need, DaySpring has set up a sweet deal for you starting today.

In addition to purchasing your own book, you can choose to purchase a second book for someone in need for an additional $9. (Feel free to give more than one if you can! To purchase a “Sponsor” book,just go here, click on the image of You’re Already Amazing with the green sponsor button on it and purchase the Sponsor book for $9. This option expires March 30)

So, what are you waiting for, girl? You need this book. You are already amazing!

Plus, Dayspring has got great new coordinating items featuring messages that will brighten your day and speak directly to your heart. All regular priced items in the Holley Gerth – Loved by God Assortment Set are 25% off with coupon code HOLLEYG25. This code is valid through 3/31/12.

I’m celebrating with Holley: Today, I’m giving away THREE copies of her new book.

To be entered, leave a comment with something good you have to say about yourself.

Go!

This giveaway will end Friday.

Updated with winners: Congrats to random commenters:

Amy Bowling, Jen @ Dancing Through the Minefield and Karla Meachem
So.

We are going to talk about sex.

Oh, yes, we are.

I’m reviewing and reading Sheila Gregoire’s brand new book, The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex: (And You Thought Bad Girls Have All the Fun).

And my hubby said a heart A-men!

I think the book description says it best:

Do bad girls really have more fun? Surveys say no. The women who are most likely to enjoy sex are married and religious. In other words, they’re Good Girls! But good girls know that making sex great isn’t about acting trashy. It’s about recognizing what God really designed sex for, and then learning how to reap all these benefits and joyfully enjoy your husband. Frank and contemporary, The Good Girls’ Guide to Great Sex will give the newly engaged and new brides—and some veteran wives—a Christian place to turn to answer their most intimate, and embarrassing, questions. In a conversational style, with lots of humorous anecdotes, the book will show that sex isn’t just physical: it’s also an emotional and spiritual experience. And we’ll learn why commitment in a Christian marriage is the perfect recipe for a sex life which is out of this world!

And because I’m a big chicken, and prefer not to be THAT family on this subject, I’ve asked the author to share a little with you:

Have you ever been having fun with your husband in bed when the thought, “is there milk in the fridge?” pops into your mind? That’s pretty much a mood killer. We don’t mean to start thinking about groceries, but once we let the thought intrude, it’s over. For women, sex really begins in the brain.

I’ve often heard marriage writers use the analogy “men are like microwaves, and women are like slow cookers”, but I don’t believe it. It implies that women will, eventually, heat up. Actually, there’s no guarantee, because we control the switch. When we’re enthusiastic and excited, we heat up. When we’re not, it doesn’t matter what he does; we’ll likely just lie there and wonder, “will this take much longer because I want to get to sleep!”

How we wives feel and think about sex plays a much larger role in whether or not we enjoy it than what physically happens. When we’re enthusiastic, sex can be great. When we’re scared, or resentful, or just plain tired, sex is likely to be ho hum at best and rather icky at worst. And I’m afraid that we women are missing out on real intimacy because we’re letting our negative attitudes take control of our bodies.

Unfortunately, negative feelings towards sex are awfully easy to come by. For many women, making love just doesn’t feel that great. In the surveys I took for my book, the most enjoyable years for sex are years 16-20 of marriage. It’s not the honeymoon phase. If you’re still in your first decade of marriage, then, and you’re juggling little kids, don’t worry: the best is yet to come.

For others of us, sex feels somehow wrong. We figure God made it as an afterthought, thinking “Well, they’ve got to reproduce somehow, and this is all I can come up with.” It just feels dirty.  And what about wives whose husbands use porn, or who feel like their husbands don’t really value them? Too often sex is an imposition.

I understand. For the first few years of my marriage, sex was awful. I figured it was something like The Emperor’s New Clothes, where every woman knew sex was created just for men, but we were all afraid to speak up.

I don’t feel like that anymore. It’s partly because I realized how much my husband experiences love when I’m enthusiastic, but it’s also because I got sick and tired of not living life to the fullest. If God meant for this to be fun, and intimate, and passionate, then surely there must be some way for me to experience that!

And one of the first things I learned was that attitude determines action. We have this preconceived notion that we can’t actually make love unless we’re “in the mood”. After all, isn’t that what sex is about?

But women don’t tend to work that way. Rosemary Basson, from the University of British Columbia, found that in women desire is usually a product of making love, not the cause of it. Most women don’t start out making love “in the mood”. They get in the mood because they decide to throw themselves into it.

It starts with a decision to believe that this is what God has for you—even if you’ve been abused, even if you’re tired, even if your marriage hasn’t always been wonderful. When you believe it, you’re more likely to feel it.

You will always be able to come up with reasons why you can’t have sex. I wonder why we women don’t try to come up with as many reasons to have sex. After all, when we do, we feel better about ourselves. We feel so much closer to our husbands. And we even sleep better!

Embracing intimacy on all levels—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—is a beautiful thing in a marriage. And if you want to get there, but you don’t know how, I hope the book will guide you.

———————–

Sheila is an inspiring Christian marriage speaker and book author  and also blogs at To Love, Honor and Vacuum. I’m happy she’s tackling this very taboo subject so openly. I think it’s going to help a lot of marriages!

Today, I’m giving away THREE copies of the book, The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex! If you’d like to be entered tell me your favorite part about sex.

TOTALLY kidding.

Just leave a comment to be entered. Whew!

This giveaway ends on Friday.

*Plus, there’s a fun Facebook contest on Shelia’s page (trivia link on sidebar) going on–winner gets $1000 towards a dream honeymoon!

Double Feature Day: Stay tuned for another amazing book giveaway later today….

UPDATED WITH WINNERS:  Congratulations to Kristina Z. (comment 6) and Julie (comment 7)

So.

I downloaded Couch to 5k the other day.

I’ve completed the first week (3 days).

I don’t even know who I am anymore. I’m sore and achy and I miss my couch.

I’m not really interested in running a race (Mr. Welch) and I don’t care about my time or even pace.  I’m just interested in finishing.

Life is a lot like a race. We fall down and get back up. The key is in continuing. Our Christian life is compared to a race in the Bible:

In a race, all the runners run but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize! Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever! {1 Corinthians 9:24-25}

Of course, my tangible prize is sweet tea. But I do look good in crowns.

Worthy of the Prize is a ministry that uses sports as a way to reach people for Christ as well as encourage us in the journey. They have provided each of our Mercy House moms with a set of Fit Cards to help them learn Scripture. You can clip these cards on your keychain, bag, etc. and carry them with you while you are out so you can pray, memorize scripture and do devotionals while walking the neighborhood, sitting in the carpool line, etc…the prayer cards are great for praying the biblical virtues over your children, you can insert their names into the guided prayers.

Today, Worthy of the Prize is offering TWO of my readers:

1 Ta Dot Fit Band {wristlet keychain}, 1 Set of Fit Cards {winner’s choice – either prayer, scripture-memory or devotional} and a copy of the book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps.

UPDATED with WINNERS:  Mandy S. (comment 24), Cindy (comment 31), Karla (comment 48), Stephanie (comment 75), Amanda (comment 93), Lorrie Clark (comment 104)

Let’s face it: some days, I don’t just manage my home, I run a company! I’m balancing the budget, hiring home repair, firing off orders to my minions (I mean children) and getting along with co-workers (also known as my husband). As the CEO of this house, I’m always looking for ways to run things smoother. I think I found it!

Just released from Susan Heid at The Confident Mom, the 2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner will make completing your daily and weekly household chores a snap! This planner helps keep you on task and productive by utilizing those “in between” moments to complete your household tasks so they don’t build up to become large and overwhelming.

Most of the items can easily be completed in 3 to 30 minutes, and you can select appropriate items to delegate to family members. (Hey, no one said YOU had to do it all!) And nothing feels better than being able to check off those items as DONE!

Here’s a sample of the types of tasks you will find in this planner:

• Plan/cook dinner
• Make beds
• Clean out expired food in pantry
• Water indoor plants
• Clean bathrooms sinks/shine mirrors
• Wash car
• Pay bills due
• Pamper yourself
• Plan cards/gifts for January birthdays/occasions
• Quiet Time (Gen 4-6) (Note: A version without the Bible study is also available)

You can even personalize the planner by adding special weekly tasks or notes to remember. A fun or inspirational quote is featured each week to remind you about the joys, and sometimes humor, of family and motherhood.

This helpful planner created for and by a mom is only $9!  And you can get $1 off until March 1 – with coupon code:  WER1

Today, I’m giving away 6 copies of the Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner!

Please make me feel better about my disorganization and let me know in the comments how badly you need this planner as your entry.

This giveaway will close on Thursday.

(If you buy the planner and are lucky enough to win it, you will be fully reimbursed!)

UPDATE:  The winner of the book set is Lauren (comment #7).

I have one dream for my kids.

I don’t care if they are successful. I’m not hoping they will be rich or famous or even moderately liked in this world.

My dream is for them to have a deep abiding relationship with Jesus.

That’s it.

Because everything good and bad in their lives will end of being okay if that’s their foundation.

My hubby and I read a lot of books with our kids. We are currently reading It’s Not About Me :Teen Edition during our family devotion time. (My hubby and I always read aloud and filter for our kids if we don’t think it’s appropriate).

We loved reading You Were Made to Make a Difference by Max Lucado as well as a family. I highly recommend it.

When I was asked to review Jenna Lucado (Max’s daughter) Bishop’s new book for teen girls, I was interested in focusing in on some special one-on-one time with my girl.

It’s called From Blah to Awe: Shaking Up a Boring Faith. Nearly every night, when the younger kids are in bed, my oldest daughter and I (she’s 12), snuggle up and read a chapter. It’s been so good to talk about our faith or lack of.

We are still making our way through this book, but I love Jenna’s passion for teen girls and her call to them to love God radically, hungering and thirsting for more of Him.

My daughter is a regular girl and I’m seeing faith thru her eyes as we journal and talk about these things. It’s been good and I look forward to more.

If you’d like to win THE SET of You Were Made to Make a Difference, It’s Not About Me and the brand new book, From Blah to Awe, leave a comment.

This giveaway ends Thursday.

Read together as a family. You’ll be glad you did.

UPDATE: Congratulations, Jen (comment 91), you have been selected as the giveaway winner!

(Disclosure) I’m not sure if that last one is still in the store. I might have bought it. Ahem.

Few stores pull me in like the Adopt Shoppe. I think it’s because I know I’m shopping really cute stuff for an amazing cause! Kate and her precious family are trying to bring their child home from Taiwan and your purchase helps!

So, shop for your naked wrists, shop for a great cause.

Today, one lucky reader will win $50 to this inspiring store. Tell me what you love in the comments to be entered.

Happy weekend!

UPDATED with WINNERS: Congrats to Carrie (comment 103) & Rosetta (comment 126)

Psst: Hey you, yes, you:

{Whispering in your ear}  Valentine’s is only 21 days away.

How did that happen exactly? Wasn’t it just Thanksgiving?

I’m going to make it easy for you:

And I ♥ this brand new design:

See? That wasn’t so hard was it?

The Vintage Pearl is my exclusive silver jewelry recommendation. I love the lady behind the business and I love their stellar works of art.

Today, my favorite jewelry shop is giving away TWO $50 gift certificates!

Please tell me what you’d love to give or receive in the comments as your entry.

This giveaway will close on Thursday.

UPDATED with WINNERS: Congratulations to Jenn (comment 51) & Kelley (comment 94)

Some beautiful and hard things are happening at Mercy House.

One of our girls left with her baby. We are bringing in several new pregnant girls. Sadness and joy.

The hard times make the beautiful more beautiful, don’t you think?

My home church is working to partner with a Compassion church in Nairobi, Kenya. My pastor is there this week and visited our girls yesterday. My heart lives in that house!

Our girls are being transformed by Christ and it’s beautiful to watch!

We are so proud of the artisans they are becoming, too and we are thrilled to show you our first video:

The Mercy Shop is restocked with beautiful items. Please consider shopping mercy and give a gift that gives twice!

Stay tuned for details about our {Mercy} Home Party Division that is launching in the next few months!

We are thrilled to bring the party to you. We will have two divisions:

• Real Life Parties where you play the hostess and receive a Party Box with the above DVD, invitations, brochures and product to share with your guests
• Virtual Parties for your social media life (blog, Facebook, Twitter)

Today, we’re are giving away TWO SETS of our brand new barrel necklace with matching bracelet, earrings and handmade zipper pouch (our girls can sew now!) to TWO WINNERS. Some of these items aren’t even available in our store!

Value per set: $40

If you’d like to be entered, please watch our video above and leave a comment with your thoughts on it!

This giveaway ends Thursday.

UPDATED WITH WINNER – Congratulations to comment #93, Elizabeth L.

My home is filled with art.

But I’m hardly a collector of rare and expensive art. I only have one criteria:

Art hanging in my home must be meaningful.

Some of it is handmade, some of it is store-bought, but every piece means something to me.

When I walk by, I want to be Inspired. Reminded. Encouraged.

I want my home to be a sanctuary of peace and inspiration.

That’s why I love Show Off Arts! They show Him off:

Today, this beautiful company is giving this popular FAITH, HOPE, LOVE set to one very blessed reader!

Visit their online store and tell me what piece of art inspires you. Leave a comment on this post to be entered.

This giveaway ends on Thursday.

It’s appropriate since that’s our word, too. Randy is taking his years of experience as a graphic and web designer and launching his own business to help support ministries and non profits with design, as well as regular people who are trying to do good in the world.

“My goal is to come alongside my clients and truly understand their needs so that i can provide them with a clean, useful, and personal product.  design is my way of investing into ministry and hopefully making a difference,” -Randy Doleman, DC.

Today, Doleman Creative is offering

- 3, one-hour consultation settings in which we will discuss mission, goals, branding, needs, and promotion

- custom website design or redesign of existing website (hosting & domain fees not included in giveaway)-$1000.00 value

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Download Faith Printable

UPDATED:  Bethany, comment #366, has been chosen as the winner.  Congrats!

I sort of have this thing about clean floors.

And when the days of my life (and work) get chaotic and feel out of control, I take it out on my floors.

Yes, I’m a compulsive sweeper slash vacuum cleaner user.

I may have Mount St. Laundry in the background and 429 things on my to do list, but I always start with my floors. It makes me feel better.

You’d think with this compulsion gift, I’d have a really top dollar vacuum cleaner. No. We usually just replace our cheap, worn-out one with a mediocre one every year or two.

Y’all: my floor cleaning dreams have come true. When Oreck asked if they could send me their newly released Magnesium (top of the line vacuum) to try and keep, I might have cried a little. I might have also spread dirt on the floor in eager anticipation. Oh wait, I have a hubby, three kids, a dog, cat, two half-alive hamsters and a fruit fly infestation, I don’t have to add “make house dirty” to my list.

I was grocery shopping when the Oreck Magnesium arrived. My hubby took it out of the box, assembled it in a few seconds and put it next to the Christmas tree. I think that’s called Brownie Points.

!!!!!! I call it love.

I might never stop vacuuming.

Here are my favorite things about the Oreck Magnesium Vacuum:

• It’s incredibly light-weight (a very good thing for my neck).
• It’s feels like it’s self-propelled. Seriously.
• It sweeps up floors and carpet with two speeds.
• It’s small, sleek and sexy. (Yes, I used the “s” word).
• The swivel head reaches the small village of dust bunnies that live behind furniture.
• The cord is really long and I only have to unplug once on both floors of my house.
• And probably my favorite part?? It’s so easy to use, even a child can do it. And does [insert evil laugh here].

Example:

And the best part? Oreck is giving their amazing Magnesium Vacuum to one lucky reader today! Value: $499.99

Introducing the lightest, full-powered upright in America. With its extremely strong, durable magnesium frame, the Magnesium™ packs all the power you expect from an Oreck vacuum — so much power it feels like it’s self-propelled on most surfaces. The two speed Quickswitch™ on the back of the vacuum enables you to move smoothly across all floor types using appropriate power levels: high for carpets and low for hardwoods and tile. It’s even gentle enough for fine Oriental and Persian rugs. Additionally, the large high-performance rear wheels with cylindrical wheel bearings give the Magnesium maneuverability, making it easy to push through high-pile carpet. Best of all, it lays virtually flat for easy cleaning under furniture.

To enter: Please visit Oreck.com and come back here to tell me one thing you learned about the Magnesium vacuum.

For an additional entry, you can  tweet that you’d like to win the @oreck vacuum that @wearethatfamily is giving away.

The giveaway winner must be a resident of the U.S. 48 contiguous states.

Please note: Oreck Corporation provided the prize for the sweepstakes but is not the sponsor of the sweepstakes.

UPDATED WITH WINNERS:  Congrats to Ingrid (comment 16) and Deborah (comment 89)

He was on his way home from work.

I was stirring soup in the pot, holding the phone between neck and shoulder, stepping over my youngest and her “spy doll center” under my feet.

You know the normal mom stuff.

We were talking about nothing and everything. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t call me. Sometimes we just enjoy the silence on the other end. Sometimes the call is about connecting, not communicating. But not in a gross way. We just like each other. A lot.

He asked me to hold. And then I heard the muffled, “here you go, I have an extra bottle of water. Oh, wait. I also have a blanket in my car. Your welcome. Stay warm.”

And then he was back to me, as if nothing happened.

“What was that about?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing. I just saw a homeless person and remembered I had that blanket from the park in the trunk. I hope it okay. It’s about to get cold,” he said guiltily.

He sees a need, meets it, and then pushes it off like it was nothing.

He doesn’t give to be seen. He doesn’t tell of his generosity. He does it because that’s the kind of man I married.

We’ve been together a long time. We know each other very well.

And yet, he surprises me every day, inspires me to live for others and challenges me to do things that go unnoticed.

I’m a better woman, mother, wife because of him.

And that’s why I own enough of these for almost every day of the week. I want the world to know that I love my husband. I want people to know he rocks.

I want them to know the kind of man I married.

Today, Union28 wants you to proclaim your love for your spouse. They are giving away TWO of these cute long sleeve shirts!

Tell me why your hubby (or wife) rocks and what shirt you’d proudly wear!

This giveaway ends Thursday.

For years and years, I’ve kept a huge plastic container hidden in my garage. It contains gifts for friend’s birthday parties, family birthday gifts, little things I’ve found on sale or bought off-season and collected throughout the year. Most years by November, the container contains all the gifts we give for Christmas.

I sort of fell off the buying wagon with the busy year we’ve had.

This week when I got out some Christmas decorations, I opened the container. I was happy to see some holiday hand towels that would make nice teacher gifts. But other than that? It was empty.

Y’all: I have to Christmas shop now.

Good thing there’s a store in my garage. Ha!

This just reminded me that it’s good to put thought into saving, planning ahead and being intentional with buying. It not only saves money, it saves time.

I thought your comments on the post about the American Express Blue Cash Card were very interesting. It was good to know I was in the grocery shopping ballpark with other families like mine.

And now for the winner of the : I’m happy to announce that random tweeter:

UPDATED: Since the first winner never responded, here’s another random winner: Jessie C who, tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/tcarolinep/status/138882571550466048

UPDATED WITH WINNERS:  Congratulations Deborah (comment #35), Zenobia (comment #47), Amy (comment #58), Sarah H. (comment #70), and Elizabeth (comment #80)

I’m anticipating Advent this year with my family! From yesterday’s post, you can see we do a variety of activities to celebrate the Season and I’m super excited to try out Truth in the Tinsel, an Advent experience for little hands. My kids LOVE crafts!

As I read thru the pages, I was so impressed with the tangible, practical ways to open up Christmas to even the smallest. Plus it’s neatly organized, easy to use and absolutely inspiring.

I really believe December is one of best times to impress God’s Word on your kids’ hearts. Our whole country turns its attention to Christmas–stores are playing songs of worship to the newborn king, movies are playing on cable that show the real meaning of Christmas and people even decorate their yard with Bible characters! -Amanda, author

This ebook is full of encouraging and tangible ways to  make Christmas about Him.

Along with this great little ebook, Amanda, is issuing a challenge on Impress Your Kids blog to “give” our kids the first 24 days of December by doing the book together & joining the Truth in the Tinsel Facebook page. It will be a place of encouragement every day during Advent (by posting pics of the craft you did, funny things your kids said while doing the activity, etc.)

The whole concept of the book is to read a portion of the Christmas Story directly from Scripture. Then make an ornament craft to go along with it. The talk about the event or the person in the story. It sounds simple but I know (and you do, too if you have kids) that when kids get to use their hands to create and they get to talk about something, it gets into them. I see these Advent activities in the book as kid-friendly ways to meditate on God’s Word. -Amanda

I hope you’ll give it a try with your little ones! The ebook is regularly $4.99, but you can save 20% with the code THATfamily. It’s only good for 24 hours, so hurry! [This post contains my referral link].

Today, I’m giving away FIVE copies. Leave a comment if you’d like to be entered.

Click here to get this great ebook!
This giveaway ends on Thursday.

Updated: the code is now working!