Freebies and some Great Deals

I love sharing a good deal.

Especially with my besties!

Even though we don't see each other every day over coffee at Starbucks (wouldn't that be fab!) we can still fill each other in on what's new and exciting.;)

A FREE calendar at Staples.  Desk size.  Big!  Great for everyone!  Right by the register. (You have to mail in a rebate. Easy.)

FREE drink at Starbucks!  Their new Refreshers.  Tomorrow (Friday) from 12-3.  I'm going for the Lime.  Mmmmmm.  

*FREE KIDS HAIRCUTS* (K-6th) in the month of August at JCPenney's Salons!  (Already booked my appointment!)

Cutest OWL backpacks EVER at Very Jane.  $12. 50!!  I may have bought 3 or 10.  So cute!  Only good for 15 more hours (as I type this) so hurry your little self over there!

Precious little headbands at Very Jane.  Bought a bunch- even one for myself!  $3.95!  What? (15 hours left on this deal, too.)  Birthday gifts and stocking stuffers...

Any great deals you would like to share?

Dallas. Oh, Dallas.

Dallas, oh Dallas, how you tempt me.

So many restaurants and stores calling my name.

But it is hot there.

Good thing malls were invented.

And massage chairs.

Nordstrom. 

Piano playing.

Friendly sales clerks.

Fab cosmetics.

Glamorous Shoes.

And the cafe.  The Cilantro Lime Salad and Brie Sandwich.

Ladies who lunch.  Yes, ma'am.

Not quite Nordstrom lady-like, but we snuck one anyway.;)

Gigi's Cupcakes.

Let's get this straight.  I'm not a cupcake lover.  They are cute but normally not worth the calories.  

Gigi's is the exception.  Gorgeous and beyond yummy.  

You are lucky if you have one near you.

Or maybe you're not.

Different flavors each and every day.

Which one would you pick?

I chose the Top Hat cupcake.  

Devil's Food Cake and Chocolate Ganache.

Crazy delicious.

See below.

They were gone within minutes.

The bottom right cupcake was Cinnamon Roll.

It tasted just like a Cinnabon.

Not sure what the Weight Watchers calories are on these beauties.

I was afraid to look.

No sitting around after that treat!  

Time to walk some of it off (hopefully) at another mall.

What is she doing??

Fulfilling a request. 

:)

We stumbled upon an Anthropologie!

How do they make them so inviting and fabulous?

I want my home to be like this.

Just for fun.:)

LEGOS.

I do believe they are potentially dangerous in the dark but the Lord of the Rings characters are quite fabulous!

Who else is excited about The Hobbit coming out this Christmas?

I'm ready to go back to the Shire.

Or Dallas.

Whatever comes first.

Once Upon a Time there was a little boy...

One Upon a Time there lived a little boy...

who grew up to be an amazing (and very handsome) husband, Daddy and friend.

He indulged his wife and daughters and was such a good sport when it came to shopping, movies and everything "girly".

His wife thought and thought about something that would really make her husband smile.  It was their anniversary and she wanted more than anything to surprise her best friend.

Searching on the internet one evening she stumbled upon The Mario Andretti Racing Experience.

That's it!  A chance to drive an Indy car- SOLO!

My husband was thrilled!  I had no idea how excited he would be!  Reservations were made and the plans were set.

Last month we headed to Dallas to make this dream a reality.

The men (and a few women) suited up and went to class!

It's the real deal so I was a bit worried, let me tell you.  No hand holding here.  Which makes the drive all that more thrilling- if you survive! ;)

Such a handsome guy.  I'm just saying.

It was HOT, but there was a nice breeze blowing.  

I'm not normally a "car" person but there was electricity in the air there!  All the people gathered were having dreams come to life and I was excited for them.  Kind of like Disney for men.;)

We watched and waited...

My husband did get a bit nervous!  It added to the experience, don't you think?

Then, the helmet was on...

and he was in his car!  (I was praying very hard he would come back in one piece!)

They communicate with you by headset the whole time you are driving.  Very cool.

One final wave- he knows how I love pictures. 

And he was off!

I watched like a hawk for car #19.  Before I knew it he was back!  Lap #1!

He made it around 7 times before his time was up.  Wow.  (I believe you get 5 minutes racing time in the package but you can purchase additional minutes.)

His top speed was approx. 150 MPH.  gulp.

Over...

all...

too quickly.

As we left, there was a rainbow in the sky.  Perfect way to end this day. 

(He has not stopped thanking me.  Needless to say, we highly recommend it.:))

Spirit Fighter book review and GIVEAWAY!

Shawnee is the winner!  Congratulations!

Spirit Fighter is the thrilling first book in a series created for tweens/teens by Jerel Law.  Jonah Stone, the main character, is a 7th grader that feels like he can't do anything right.  Life is just not going his way at the moment until he discovers something quite amazing about himself and his siblings.  They are all part angel- 1/4 to be exact!  Their mother is the daughter of a human and a fallen angel.  Exciting information that is just about to get frightening...  Just as Jonah starts to enjoy his new "abilities" (incredible strength) and meets his guardian angel he finds out that his Mom has been kidnapped by evil fallen angels.  Only Jonah and his sister, Eliza, can save her and that means a perilous journey to New York City.  Danger awaits at almost every corner from cougars possessed by demons to little old ladies with "yellow eyes".  It's hard to know who they can and can't trust, but they always know that they can trust God.

In a day where magic and mayhem are captivating youth, Jerel Law has written an exciting book with the theme of good versus evil that includes the Bible.  Angels and demons are very real and Spirit Fighter will both enthrall and intrigue it's readers!  The journey that Jonah and Eliza make to rescue their mother is frightening and they constantly have to fight to stay alive.  They can even smell evil (smells like old trash!).  Thankfully, their guardian angel, Henry, is along with them to help guide and protect.  He's not always able to be there, though, as the other members of their family also need his protection...

Description

“In his exciting debut novel, Jerel Law transports readers to a place where supernatural forces of good and evil collide. Young readers will be entertained and inspired by Spirit Fighter. I heartily recommend it.” —Robert Whitlow, bestselling author of the Tides of Truth series

Percy Jackson, move over! Jonah Stone is here! 

What if Nephilim—the children of angels and men—still walked the earth? And their very presence put the entire world in danger? In Spirit Fighter, Jonah and Eliza Stone learn that their mother is a Nephilim and that they have special powers as quarter-angels. When their mom is kidnapped by fallen angels, they must use those powers to save her.  Along the way, they discover that there is a very real and dangerous war going on between good and evil and that God has a big part for them to play in that war.

Parents today are looking for fiction that makes Christianity and the Bible exciting for their kids. This series is the Christian answer to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, The Secret Series and other middle-grade series packed with adventure, action, and supernatural fights. Son of Angels, Jonah Stone will be the first series in the market to explore this topic from a biblical perspective with content that is appropriate and exciting for middle-grade readers.

“Jerel Law has crafted a fantastic story that will leave every reader wanting more. Stop looking for the next great read in fantasy fiction for young readers—you’ve found it!” —Robert Liparulo, bestselling author of Dreamhouse Kings and The 13th Tribe

Pretty exciting!


Would you like to read the first chapter?  Go here.


Thomas Nelson has generously given me a copy of Spirit Fighter for one of my readers!  The perfect book for summer reading...


Here's how to enter-


#1- Leave a comment on this blog post for 1 entry.
#2- Leave a separate comment telling me you are a follower of my blog (if you are).
#3- Leave another separate comment telling me what book you or your child is reading now for 1 entry.


That's it!  The giveaway ends next Sunday, the 15th. Good luck!


*I was given a copy of Spirit Fighter in exchange for my honest opinion by Thomas Nelson.  No other compensation was received.*

Swipe book review

Swipe is a book written for young adults, but grown-ups will want to read it, too.  It's that good.  Logan Langly is quickly approaching his 13th birthday which means he will get The Mark.  The Mark (pictured on the cover above) is a tattoo of sorts in the future which allows you to get a job, purchase items, vote and more.  The problem is that when Logan's sister, Lily, went in to get her Mark 5 years ago she disappeared.  And not only that, Logan believes someone is now watching him, following him, spying on him.  His parents don't believe him; they think he's being paranoid.  The truth is, Logan and two of his friends are unwittingly involved in something much bigger than they know.  When the new girl, Erin, gets involved things really get intense.  You see Erin's father (FBI/secret service type) has been brought in to fix "a problem", and Erin is intrigued enough to find out what exactly that problem is.  Swipe is full of secrets, action, intrigue and spy like adventure.  I couldn't put it down!  The next book in the series will be coming out this Fall and you can bet that I will be one of the first people to get my hands on it.  Great job, Evan Angler!

*I was given a copy of Swipe from Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was received.*

Legacy Road book review

Wes Watkins's journalism career took off when he was asked to eulogize Michael Gavin, a stranger to Wes but a hometown hero to the humble folks of Talking Creek, Georgia. While researching Gavin’s life, Wes was confronted with an estranged relationship of his own that he wasn’t prepared to address, having ignored for years the occasional letters from his imprisoned father. Wes has chosen to focus instead on his growing career and his budding relationship with Emmy. His life is looking up . . . until his marriage proposal to Emmy goes south.

Left to wonder if he can reconcile with Emmy before she is deployed to Afghanistan, Wes can no longer avoid the other reconciliation that troubles him. But when Wes uncovers a painful truth about his parents’ past, patching things up with his father may prove impossible. Wes’s life is close to spiraling out of control. Will Wes learn to forgive? Or will the best year of his life turn into the worst?

Set against the haunting backdrop of several Civil War battlefields, Legacy Road is a grace-full exploration of hidden secrets—and what happens when they are revealed. Through the ups and downs of human relationships, of family ties lost and found, southern fiction fans will ponder the age-old question: How do you forgive others—and release yourself— from a past that threatens to destroy you?

My Thoughts on Legacy Road:

Legacy Road is the sequel to the book Hero's Tribute.  It's the story of Wes Watkins, a man disillusioned with life and longing for a happily ever after.  Wes believes he has found the love of his life (Emmy) but she clings to secrets in her past that won't allow her to accept his love.  Emmy's life consists of healing and saving people in the ER.  It's admirable, but what is she hiding?  Wes Watkins' parents also have secrets that threaten to shatter all Wes has ever known.  His father has a criminal history and his mother has always been there for him.  Wes's father wrote him letters over the years that Wes has refused to read- until now.  What he discovers may destroy him but is also has the potential to set him free- to forgive and heal.

I felt that Legacy Road had enjoyable characters, such as Wes and Emmy.  Their relationship was something I could identify with- good people that had to come to terms with past mistakes so they could build a tomorrow.  I had a bit of trouble connecting with Wes's father, Ron, although I wanted to.  I did enjoy reading his letters and found them to be raw and emotional.  I loved that he did not betray his ex-wife, Janet, even though she made him out to be the "bad guy". (Don't want to give too much away here.)  There is quite a bit of American history in this book which distracted from the storyline.  It would perhaps appeal to men and history buffs?  I fit into neither of these categories and so portions of the book made my eyes glaze over.  The secrets kept me reading as I had to find out what was in Ron's letters and why Emmy felt she couldn't marry Wes.  I feel that Graham Garrison was trying to appeal to too many audiences.  It's a pleasant book although parts of it were boring. I'm not sure who I would recommend it to.

Graham Garrison is the author of Hero’s Tribute and has published articles in six newspapers and eight magazines, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, America’s Civil War, Georgia Physician, and Boating World.


*I received this book from Kregel in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was received.*

M.A.S.H.

It's come to my attention that some of you never learned to play M.A.S.H.

(That's just wrong and I'm all about righting wrongs.)  

M.A.S.H. is a really fun game to play when you're stuck somewhere with nothing to do.  It was around before Nintendos, iPhones and the like were on the scene.  Played it with my girls and we all loved it.  Here's proof...

Want to play?  Of course!

To begin, M.A.S.H stands for M-mansion, A-apartment, S-shack and H-house.

Then, the rest of the game is up to you.

The sheet I created last night is below.  Let's go through it....

#1- Choose 4 people that you may end up marrying someday.  The fun part is that you pick 2 "good" choices and 2 "bad" choices.:)  (The giggles come when you get the "bad" ones!)

#2- Choose 4 numbers that will represent the # of children you will have.  (Make sure at least one number is "Duggarlike"! )

#3- Four locations you may live.

#4- The type of car you will drive. (Notice I have a trash truck as one of my options!)

#5- Possible pets you may have.  I was not hopin' for the tarantula.

When your sheet is ready, ask your friend (or yourself, but not cheating!) to pick a number from 1-10.

Using that number, we chose 8, you will begin counting from the MASH letters and then go to the people you may marry.  M is 1, A is 2, S is 3, etc.  Then you cross off the 8th item on your list, which just happened to be Edward on my list below...

Keep going down your list, counting to 8 each time.  When you get to the 8th item, you cross it off.  These things will not be in your future.

Look, I will not be having 20 children or living at the dump!  Hurrah!  But we're not done yet...

Oh my, looks like I will be driving a trash truck.  No Ferrari.  Wha, wha, whaaaa.

Keep counting to 8 (or whatever # you choose) until you have one item left in each category.  

What does the future hold for you?:)