Ugg! Winter is Coming...Win a Free Pair of Whooga Ugg Boots!

As Summer fades into Fall, can Winter be far behind? It seems like we barely HAD a Summer here in Minnesota this year. It was a very cool one, that's for sure. This past week or so was warmer than most of the entire season...but it's supposed to turn cooler by the first part of next week. And then, who knows? We could get an "Indian Summer" or two before Winter rears it's ugly head once again, (we usually do), but one thing's for certain. Winter WILL be upon us...in the near future. Are you ready? I know that I need to find myself some new boots this year, before the cold and snow hit. I really like the looks of these Ugg boots from Whooga. They come in many different styles and colors to choose from, for both women and children. In fact, Whooga is giving away a pair of these cool boots every month! I'm going to try to WIN some "Whooga" boots for FREE myself, And YOU can TOO!

Here's all you need to do to enter:
1) Go to: Free Ugg Boots and copy and paste their button on your blog, mySpace or any other website.
2) Fill in the blanks with your entry information...and voila, you're entered! That's all there is to it!

ROCK of AGES! ~ Original Broadway Cast Recording Review

New Line Records just hammered the in-store release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of five-time Tony Award nominated "ROCK OF AGES." For those of you not in the know, Rock of Ages is the new Broadway musical starring American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis. Set in 1987 in a legendary Sunset Strip rock club, a small-town girl meets a big-city dreamer and they fall in love to the greatest metal songs of the 80's. The musical is an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and more.

Personally, this wasn't exactly my "cup of tea," but then...I was busy raising my oldest three children in the 80's...and not really listening to these songs, "back in the day." I do remember them, but I suppose I'm more of a product of the 70's myself...and if you like Broadway musicals, you're sure to love this cd. Here are the great 80's songs you'll find on it:

Just Like Paradise / Nothin' But A Good Time

Sister Christian

We Built This City / Too Much Time On My Hands

I Wanna Rock

We're Not Gonna Take It

Heaven/More Than Words / To Be With You

Waiting For A Girl Like You

Wanted Dead Or Alive

I Want To Know What Love Is

Cum On Feel The Noize / We're Not Gonna Take It (Reprise)

Harden My Heart / Shadows Of The Night

Here I Go Again

The Final Countdown

Any Way You Want It / I Wanna Rock (Reprise)

High Enough

I Hate Myself For Loving You / Heat Of The Moment

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Can't Fight This Feeling

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Oh Sherrie

The Search Is Over

Don't Stop Believin'

To see a video of the making of the soundtrack click here.

You can order a copy for yourself from Amazon.com for only $12.99!

SISTERCHICKS in Wooden Shoes ~ Book Review and Giveaway!

SISTERCHICK n: a friend who laughs with you till you cry and cries with you till you laugh; a gift from God.

I have a few "sisterchicks" in my life, some of them being actual blood sisters, and others that are ascloseassisters to me. I have never personally had a pen-pal, but do have a few cyber friends, that I have subsequently met in person after getting to know them online. For that reason, I could totally relate to feeling like you've known someone for years, the first time you actually meet them face to face.

In SISTERCHICKS in Wooden Shoes, "Summer" goes to the Netherlands to meet her longtime pen-pal, "Noelle" after getting some not-so-good test results from her doctor. Instead of waiting around for further test results, she plans to take some time out of her life to finally meet this friend from afar...just in case it's her last chance to do so. They have a wonderful, crazy time during their week together. I found this to be a fun book to read, it didn't take long, and there were some funny parts, as well as some rather emotional ones.

Summary:
When a mammogram result comes back abnormal, midlife mama Summer Finley makes a snap decision to relegate fear to the back burner and fulfill a lifelong dream. Summer heads for Holland where she meets up with tulips, wooden shoes, and her best friend, Noelle.

Pen pals since fourth grade, Summer and Noelle have never met face-to-face. Through decades of heart-level correspondence, they have sustained a deep friendship. A week of adventure helps both women trade anxiety for a renewed and deeper trust in God. When Summer confides in Noelle about the abnormal medical report, Noelle finds the freedom to share a long-held heartache, and both women discover they needed each other more than they realized.

Women ages 35 and up, readers of Christian Boomer Lit, and fans of books such as The Yada Yada Prayer Group will enjoy Robin Jones Gunn’s humorous and uplifting style. True-to-life characters and moments of poignancy bring a deeper understanding of the value of life and the gift of true friends. Readers guide and bonus material included.

Author Bio: Robin Jones Gunn is the best-selling and award-winning author of over seventy books, including the Glenbrooke, Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, Katie Weldon, and Christy and Todd: The College Years teen series. The Sisterchicks® series has sold more than 300,000 units, bringing her total sales to more than 3.5 million books worldwide. A Christy Award winner, Robin is a popular speaker, both at home and abroad, and is frequently interviewed on radio and on television. www.robingunn.com www.sisterchicks.com

Win a free copy of this book, by leaving a comment after this post, about one or more of your "Sisterchicks". I'll randomly draw a name from comments that are left on my birthday, June 30. Feel free to leave one new comment each day for more chances to win. My contests are open to readers over 18 years of age, who are residents of the continental US. Thanks and good luck! To purchase a copy of this book, go to Randomhouse.com

Mother's Day Blog Tour Book Review & Giveaway!!

This book is written from the viewpoint of a teenage girl, it even includes a section in the front telling us moms why we shouldn't read it. I thought it was very well written, and did bring back some memories of how I felt at that age...which was quite a few years ago. Since my youngest daughter is not quite technically a teenager, some of it didn't quite fit. However, since she is over 5'9" tall and has started experimenting with make-up, and is going through that lovely "It's Wonderful Being a Girl" phase, a lot of it did fit her...to a T. I haven't actually read the entire thing yet, but I am going to keep it handy for a quick reference when she does things I don't quite understand.

Here's the summary:
Every mom knows how communicating with a teenage girl can be difficult, even impossible at times. One-word answers. Defensive conversations. Daily arguments. How typical for teens to put up such barriers. All the while, moms truly long to know what their daughters really think.
Best-selling author Melody Carlson, whose books for women, teens, and children have sold more than three million copies, bridges this chasm with trusted insight. She speaks frankly in the voice of the teen daughters she’s written for and she tells it like it is: struggles with identity, guys, friendship, and even parents—it’s all here. The straight-talk to moms covers such things as “I need you, but you can’t make me admit it,” “I’m not as confident as I appear,” and “I have friends. I need a mother.”
Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom looks at a young woman’s heart and reveals to moms:
· how to talk to teens so they hear,
· how to connect despite the differences of perspective or years and experiences,
· and how strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.
The lively chapters in Dear Mom can be dipped into topically or used as a read-through tool by moms and daughters alike to understand what motivates or deflates, troubles or inspires—and just in time for Mother’s Day and all the Mother’s Days ahead.

Author Bio:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than three million copies. Beloved for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and Notes from a Spinning Planet series, she’s also the author of the women’s novels Finding Alice (in production now for a Lifetime-TV movie), Crystal Lies, On This Day, These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking, and A Mile in My Flip-Flops. A mother of two grown sons, Melody lives in central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. She’s a full-time writer and an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.

To purchase a copy of this book or for more information about it, go to: RandomHouse.com

I also have an extra copy of "DEAR MOM" to give away to one of my lucky readers. To enter, please leave a comment after this post, about how you celebrated Mother's Day this year, and I will randomly draw the winner's name out of a hat on May 31st. This contest is open to all residents of the continental US! Good Luck!

Book: Mama’s Got A Fake I.D.

Author: Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira

Summary:
Formula for identity loss:
1. Take one multifaceted, intriguing human being.
2. Bless her with a child.
3. Mix with today’s cultural assumptions.
4. Add the demands of motherhood.
5. Presto! All identity except Mom disappears.
For every woman wondering what happened to the unique combination of gifts and abilities she was known for before kids came along, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has good news: in Mama’s Got a Fake I.D., Rivedeneira helps moms reclaim their full identity as creative beings, gifted professionals and volunteers, loving friends, children of God—and mothers.

This inspiring and practical guide shows women how to break free from false guilt, learn a new language to express who they really are, and follow God’s lead in sharing their true self with others. After all, motherhood doesn’t have to mean losing one’s identity. Instead, being a mom makes it possible for a woman to discover a more complete identity as the person God made her to be.

Author Bio:
The former managing editor of Marriage Partnership and Christian Parenting Today, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has been a trusted voice writing and speaking to women for more than a decade. Today she is the managing editor of GiftedForLeadership.com, an online community for Christian women in leadership. Rivadeneira works from home in the Chicago suburbs, where she lives with her husband and their three children.
To purchase this book, or to learn more about it, go to RandomHouse.com and place your order.

Book: Enduring Justice I like to actually read these books before I review them, and I was looking forward to reading a novel for a change. I was not disappointed! This was a very good book from beginning to end, and was a real page turner. I did have a little trouble getting into it at first, because there are numerous characters, and the author lets you see not only through the heroine's eyes, but also writes from the perspective of her FBI agent boyfriend, and even takes you into the twisted minds of the racist terrorists that they are trying to stop. I found it to be a very entertaining read!
Here's the summary:
In Enduring Justice, Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her thoughts.

Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. And when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. When the attack turns personal, is healing still possible?

This thought-provoking novel deals with healing from sexual abuse, the balance of justice and mercy, and maintaining mixed-race friendships in the midst of racial tension. Readers who enjoy investigative thrillers by Dee Henderson, Colleen Coble, and Catherine Coulter, and who watch crime dramas like Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace will love this book—and the entire series.

Author Bio:
Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises, a homeschool mom, and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

To get more info about "Enduring Justice" go to RandomHouse.Com.

For more chances to win these three great books, visit my good friends who have joined me on this book tour: Daisy Crazy and SassyFrazz. I believe Daisy is giving away one copy of each of the above books, and Sassy is giving away a copy of the two that I'm not...so check out their reviews and sign up for their giveaways too!

Experiencing The Spirit ~ A Book Review

Serve God as never before!

The first Christians “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) shaking the gates of hell even in the face of severe persecution. The result: People all around “were filled with wonder and amazement” (Acts 3:10).What can give Christians today the same impact?God’s Holy Spirit is ready to answer that for us in an awesome way, as Henry Blackaby and his son Mel Blackaby make clear in Experiencing the Spirit. You’ll see how the proof of the Spirit’s presence is our awareness of God’s personal assignments for us, plus our supernatural enablement to carry out those assignments. You’ll find essential clarification on the difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts. You’ll explore the dynamics of being filled with the Spirit through intimate relationship with Him, committed obedience, and radical departure from sin. Instead of considering what you can do for God with your abilities and talents, you’ll be encouraged here to seek what God wants to do through you supernaturally by His Spirit, empowering you beyond your personal competence and capacities. Release the Holy Spirit’s work at the very core of your experience of the Christian life.

The Authors:

Dr. Henry Blackaby has devoted his life to the ministry. A multi-faceted talent, he has served as a music director, senior pastor, college president, missionary, and later as an executive in Southern Baptist Convention. Blackaby is the author of more than a dozen books with more than one million copies sold, including the best-selling Experiencing God. As the President of Blackaby Ministries, he is a vibrant speaker and the father of Dr. Melvin Blackaby. Melvin serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro in Georgia, where he lives with his wife, Gina, and their three children.

To learn more about Experiencing The Spirit, or to purchase this book go to Random House.com.

It's The Most _____Time of the Year!

You fill in the above blank. What word comes to mind for you? Busy? Crazy? Frantic? Hectic? Stressful? Of course, we all know it's supposed to be the most WONDERFUL time of the year, or at least that's what the popular Christmas carol tells us. But after a long day of running from store to store, trying to find that perfect gift for Aunt Agnus, Uncle Jim and everyone on your Christmas list, don't you sometimes wish you could just slink yourself down into a nice deep bathtub full of bubbles? I sure do.

We recently moved into an old farmhouse, and while I was taking a bath in my ordinary tub, (which is way too shallow to cover most of me with water), I was thinking that it would be really nice if this old house had one of those old fashioned clawfoot tubs to go with it. That way, I could fill it almost to the rim, and have nothing but my head and neck sticking out of the water. Wouldn't that feel great right about now?

But then, it occurred to me, that one of the things I really miss about the house we used to live in, is the whirlpool tub we had there. If I had one of those, it could surely work out the kinks I'm feeling in the back of my neck and shoulders at the moment. And then, the thought actually crossed my mind, that it would be totally awesome if someone made an old fashioned-looking clawfoot tub, with the modern technology of today's whirlpool bathtubs! Now, that would be just way to good to be true, right? Wrong! I found the bathtub of my dreams at SimplyBathtubs.com. Seriously! Here it is:Wouldn't that be the coolest thing ever? The website says this tub is made of "Acrastone" which is naturally warm to the touch, stronger than cast iron, and durable enough to carry a lifetime warranty. This bathtub features a "Champagne Massage system", which means that it has strategically placed air jets, that are said to give you a better "therapeutic effect" while you're bathing. I think I'm going to put this bathtub on my Christmas list, and hope that Santa can deliver. And speaking of delivering things, they even offer free shipping with no sales tax, (unless you happen to live in the state of CA).

Simplybathtubs.com also carries a variety of walk-in bathtubs, that are a great solution for anyone who has trouble getting in and out of a regular tub. They carry a line of discount walk-in bathtubs too. And for today only, they are offering an additional 10% off this Deep 30 Inch Walk In Bathtub:

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce Giveaway!

I guess you could say I've always been " a little bit country", from my preferences in music, fashion and home decor over the years anyway. So, when I had the opportunity to review Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce, I jumped at the chance.

Last night, my dd Jessica asked what I was planning on making for supper. Of course, my reply was, "I have NO idea", as usual. We didn't have a lot of groceries in the house to choose from, but I knew we had some frozen chicken breast tenderloins in the freezer. Then, it hit me! "I have this new sauce to try out, and it says they have recipes on their site, I wonder if they have a recipe that I could use my chicken in, that I would also just happen to have the rest of the ingredients in my cupboard for." I checked it out, and sure enough, I found this one:

Chicken GREAAAT

1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup Country Bobs All Purpose or Spicy Sauce
1 cup water
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 3lb chicken cut up (I just used a 2 1/2 lb bag of the frozen
chicken tenderloins), cooked them and cut them up)


Directions:
In pot with lid combine mustard,sugar,soy
sauce,vinegar, Country Bobs, tomato sauce and water and bring to boil. Add
chicken and simmer for 45 minutes with lid ajar or until chicken is no longer
pink. The sauce is great over mashed potatoes or rice.

Submitted by:
Al Malekovic

I made some mashed potatoes to go along with it, and a some frozen snap peas for a side-dish and, voila! Supper was ready. My 4 year old grandson CJ, tasted it and decided he wanted "just "tatoes", but then...he's a 4 year old. Which caused my dd Molly, the almost 12 year old, to decide that she didn't even want to try it. So she had "just tatoes" too.

But that was just fine with the rest of us, that just left more of this delicious dish for us! Grandpa Ray ate CJ's portion and thought it really was pretty GREAAAT, and Jessica and I agreed with his assessment. I would definitely make this again, and would highly recommend it to my friends. Besides using it in this and other greaaat recipes, the all purpose sauce is the perfect complement to practically any meal set on your table; including steak, hamburger, chicken or fries.

Country Bob's sent me 2 bottles to try, and will send two bottles to each of two lucky winners! So, if you'd like a chance to win a couple of bottles of All Purpose Sauce for yourself, just go to Country Bob's website, click on the Recipes section, and leave me a comment telling me which recipe you might like to try. I'll do a random drawing, and contact you if you've won. I'll keep this contest open through December 28. Make sure I have a way to contact you please. Good Luck!

Mother's Day Weekend

Well, here it is...weigh-in day again... After a weekend of Friday night "Ladies Night Out" , (where we all stuff our faces), and the "Ladies Spring Brunch" on Saturday, both at church, and then of course, Mother's Day on Sunday. I think I was down a couple of more pounds than I am now, about Wed or Thursday of last week...but I will go weigh in tonight anyway, and hopefully show a bigger loss than last week.

I really wanted to share what I got for Mother's day this year: From my grandson, "CJ" I got a beautiful bracelet, (like the one here except the inscription on the heart was "Love, Christian"): Thank you CJ, (and Mama Jessica)!

From my 11yo daughter Molly, I got this lovely photo mat that she made for me in an after-school craft class. I framed it, and hung it on the wall and will cherish it forever. Here it is:

It's a little hard to read here, but the top square says, "Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do. -unknown". The middle one says, "Live-Love-Laugh", and the bottom was says, "You Make My Life a Beautiful Thing". She also created and printed a nice card, a bookmark, and a coupon that is good for one breakfast in bed. Thanks Mo, You are so creative!

My daughter, Jessica, (CJ's mom), got me a few things to finish off my "Fun Frogs" bathroom, a wastebasket, a decorative hand towel and a toilet brush holder that is shaped like a frog...too cute! Thanks Jess! You always know exactly what I want.

From my DH, (darling husband, for those of you not familiar with blogese), brought me a dozen roses on Friday night. They are beautiful-yellow, with red tipped petals. That's not all, he got me a 50 pc. cake decorating tool caddy, which is something I've wanted for a very long time. I know that my friend, Lisa will appreciate this the most. She and I get together to decorate cakes for church on occasion, so now I can have all of my "tools" in one place, and can grab it all and go. Here's what it looks like:

He also took me out to the Chinese buffet...but of course, we do that EVERY Sunday! Thank you Honey! I Love you.

We then went out to my parents' house for supper, where we grilled, and each brought something to share. I got to meet my great-great niece, Maya. What a cutie! I can't believe that my oldest niece is now a grandmother... Happy Mother's Day, Everyone!

Tastefully Simple, Simply Tasty!

I'm not sure how I'm going to do on the scales come Monday evening. I had a Tastefully Simple party this afternoon, and I'm afraid all the wonderful treats we tasted were not exactly WW friendly. Some of them were not bad, (point-wise), I checked the "Ravishing Raspberry Dressing" it's only one point! I'll have to get me some of that. My daughter, Molly, (the 11teen yo), really liked that too. She also wants me to order the "Orange Dream" smoothie mix, which was absolutely delicious, and tastes just like a Dreamsicle. I might, but that one could prove to be a bit too tempting for me to have around the house. My hubby, Ray, tried a few things when he got home this evening and really enjoyed the beer bread with the "Spinach and Herb dip.

We had a lot of fun, and were pretty full by the time we tasted approximately 25 different food and drink items. Thank you Jody, for the fun, yummy taste experience! I'm not going to be too upset if I didn't lose much this week, but hopefully, I haven't gained too much either.