We Are Party Poopers

That's right, party poopers. We had a New Year's Eve party and all our guests left by 9:45. The first two had to be at work early in the morning, and the other two are just not late night people. So, no problem, we still have each other. Dan has been playing on the Wii (gotta love those parents who like to spoil the grandkids) for the past hour, while I've cleaned up the party food. Now we are both struggling to stay awake until midnight. Maybe we should go buy a couple of rocking chairs now.

Seriously, once upon a time I looked forward to this night. Fix a fancy meal, have some friends over, entertain and enjoy. Tonight the only thing I "cooked" was artichoke dip and some frozen hot wings. Chips, dips, and such made up our fine dining menu. I wore sweats, no shoes, no make up, and my hair was in a giant clip. Has motherhood changed me that much? Am I really that frumpy of a housewife? Am I just old? What is wrong with me?

But, we did have a great time while it lasted. I got to use my awesome lazy susan Lenore gave me for my birthday, and I love it so! We all had fun with the Wii, adults and kiddos alike. It was very laid back, low key, and relaxing. Good friends are such a blessing and as always we enjoyed our time together.

So, now what to do for the rest of the night? Dan seems to think we should stay awake to see in the New Year. My thoughts are "okay if I can watch old Ghosthunters episodes online while we do it". I don't think he's moving from his recliner anytime soon anyway, so I guess we will each do our own thing. I may try to go steal a smooch at the stroke of 12. Exciting times around here, I tell you what!

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Need To Find a Telephone Number?

photo by Nexeus Fatale

I hate trying to find a telephone number online. There are so many "so called" online phone books that are just a pain to use. They either want to charge you a fee, subject you to a bunch of useless offers, or bombard you with pop up ads. That's why I am glad to have found USA Phone Numbers. It is an easy to use site that helps you find any working phone number across the USA! That's any active land line number, but also mobile numbers as well! I really like the site and will be using it often.

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The Best Peanut Butter Bars

Before attempting to make these delicious little bars, be sure you have plenty of cold milk in the fridge. Milk is the perfect accompaniment to these treats. They are rich, so cut little bars. They are a snap to make and made from ingredients that are often already on our pantry shelves. Fast & frugal, my kind of treat!

The Best Peanut Butter Bars~

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

3/4 cup peanut butter - no low fat or no fat stuff here, good old Skippy and the like is what you need

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

Cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Then beat in the egg.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, mix well. Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar/peanut butter mixture.

Spread batter into a greased 13x9 baking pan. I say batter, but what I came out with was more of a dough that I had to pat into the pan.

Bake at 375F for 15 to 18 minutes. Mine did end up cooking about 8 minutes longer than this, so you might want to check for doneness at 15 minutes and go from there.

When I pulled these out of the oven I added a half a bag of milk chocolate chips (I love after Christmas sales!) and spread them all over. Once they've melted a bit you get a yummy chocolate topping! But, I am quite sure these would be wonderful as is.

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Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Morning!

Don't you just love Christmas morning! We wanted so badly to see the looks on the kiddos faces when they saw their gifts, it's the best part! So, we locked one entrance to the living room and the two that didn't have doors were wrapped up like gifts! We were not going to miss those first reactions! Anyway, they thought busting through those doorways was one of the best parts of the day!

For more Wordless Wednesday pics, head over to 5 Minutes for Mom!

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The Joys of Remodeling/Redecorating

Most of you know that we live in a house that has been in my family forever and is 80+ years old. We are completely remodeling it, slowly as we have the money and time to get thing done.

Recently Dan brought home a $300 dollar sink that was being discontinued, so he picked it up on clearance for $35. Gotta love a deal like that! Anyway, the sink sits in a box until we can find a suitable cabinet to put it in, or he can build one himself. Bathroom vanities, we've discovered can be quite pricey. But, these bathroom vanity sets are some of the best bargains we've found. I really like several of them and would have a hard time picking my favorite.

Our bedroom is a major source of frustration for me. It's a big room, but is is dark because the walls are covered with dark paneling and we have fairly dark hardwood floors. The furniture is a hand me down set from my brother in law, that is really beautiful. The problem is that the sleek, modern black lacquer does not really mesh with our country/western, more traditional decor. So a new bedroom set is high on my list of wants. Several of these sets of bedroom furniture would look great in our house. When you think about good quality furniture being a long term investment, the prices aren't bad. You can actually find some pretty great buys at Maxfurniture.com, especially shopping during their sales. I'll have to make Dan browse the selections a bit.

The house will come together eventually I know. It's one of those slowly but surely type projects. The big pieces of the puzzle wait until we find them at an affordable price, so the little things get done faster. We've finally gotten a lot of painting done which has made a big difference! And I'm having no problem filling the place up with little things I love. It may not me remodeled the way I want it to be yet, but it has already become a home.

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Erin Has Inspired Us!

Do y'all know Erin? She is absolutely inspirational! She feeds her family of four, plus pets on a $800 annual budget! This includes all HBA, groceries, pet food, and even dining out! She seriously works those coupons and awesome deals! She really helped me when I started my frugal journey and my family will be forever thankful! If you don't know who she is, stop by her blog and say hi. She is a really treasure in the blog sphere.

Erin's Budget Includes:

1. all food

2. all HBA (health and beauty items)

3. all dog food

4. all eating out

5. all cleaning supplies

6. all coupons I pay for (the paper)

So, she has greatly inspired our family. After much discussion, Dan and I have decided to try a $1200 budget for the year. WE are still up in the air as to whether we will include pet food in this, but it will for sure cover food, HBA, eating out, cleaning supplies, and the times I pay for coupons. I know $1200 is significantly more than Erin's budget, but for us it's a huge step. I am really looking forward to this!

It must be noted that we live in a small town with no CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart. We have one grocery store that doubles/triples once in a blue moon. This means that Dan, yes my DH, will be doing the bulk of the coupon shopping and CVSing after work. He commutes to a town with Kroger, CVS, and a new Walgreens. We've never shopped Walgreens, but I'm hoping we'll figure it out. I am beyond thrilled that he is so committed to this idea that he's willing to do a lot of the work!

Anyway, this is our goal. It may be an interesting journey. Frankly, I'm not at all sure we can do this, but we are going to give it our all. I think it will be good for our family. Reducing needless spending is always a good thing. Our main goal for 2009 is to live a simpler life, and these seems like a big step in the right direction!

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Great Glasses for Less

One thing that is always an expense for our family is eyeglasses. Ashley started wearing glasses when she was two years old, so we have bought two or three pair a year since then. I cannot tell you how many pair of eyeglasses she has lost, sat on, or have fallen victim to recess play disasters. All these little mishaps sure pack a punch with our checkbook. Why can't eyeglasses be more affordable?

Well, I've come across a resource that might really help us save on glasses. Optical4Less.com offers high quality prescription eyeglasses at a great price! I was very impressed with their selection of stylish frames; Ashley found quite a few frames she really liked and she can be rather picky. They also offer bifocal reading glasses, tinted sunglasses, progressive reading glasses, and photochromic sunglasses. One thing I thought was very unique was their virtual try on system; it was very cool! An added bonus is they ship free worldwide if you order more than one pair; a great plus considering rising shipping costs. This is really a great site!

So, if your family is looking for a less expensive way to buy prescription eyeglasses, Optical4Less.com is definitely worth a look. You know I'm always on the look out for a great deal and that is what their glasses seem to be. I love that we can afford to get Ashley a pair for home, one for school, and a back up pair for the same price we've been paying for one pair. Now that's a good deal!

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I'll Be Back...On The 1st!!

Above image by nightthree.

I am taking a bloggy vacation. I've decided to take the time to enjoy my husband, kids, pets, hot cocoa, Christmas cookies & candy, holiday movies, and just all the comforting simple pleasures of the season. It seems I cannot stay away 100%, so although I may post, it likely won't be as frequently as normal. I'll be back to blogging full time on January 1, 2009. I can't wait to see y'all back here then! Wishing you all the best in the new year!

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30

Today I am 30 years old. In honor of this occasion, here are 30 random things about me.

1. I've had a crush on my husband since I was ten years old.
2. My favorite color is grey.
3. I know every word of "Ice, Ice Baby" and cannot forget them for some reason.
4. I have a box full of New Kids On The Block memorabilia. There's even a doll in there.
5. My middle name is Ann.
6. I'm not even 5' tall; I only stand 4'11.
7. I adore John Wayne movies.
8. I met some of my dearest friends on the Internet. Meeting them is one of my most treasured memories.
9. I have a framed photocopy of a stuffed pink monkey's behind. That sounds weird, huh?
10. For some reason I hum the theme to Love Story when I wash dishes.
11. Hank on King of the Hill could be my Dad. Seriously.
12. Liver and onions is one of my favorite foods.
13. I love Joe Walsh! His guitar playing makes me teary eyed.
14. I am a blog addict! I'll sit down to check my blog roll for new posts, then completely lose track of time. I've made some great pals, tried some great recipes, and learned soooo much from the blogsphere.
15. I am finding this really difficult.
16. I really like being an aunt. Next to being a mama, it is the most awesome thing!
17. I am awful at gift wrapping.
18. I love old, vintage, unique stuff. My style is very eclectic.
19. I also really enjoy western things. Cowboys rock!
20. Classic country music calms me. When stressed, I turn to Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, or George Jones.
21. I love the smell of Stetson cologne.
22. My children's laughter is my favorite sound.
23. I love reading!
24. I love writing letters and believe it is becoming a thing of the past. This makes me sad. After all, who doesn't enjoy receiving a letter?
25. I have a serious crush on Hugh Laurie.
26. I love TV shows that I'm too embarrassed to admit that I watch.
27. Have I mentioned how scatter brained I am? I am awful about flitting from one unfinished thing to the next.
28. I am fiercely frugal and proud of it! The idea of paying full price for stuff makes me kinda queasy. This has been a problem since moving to Podunk, but I still try my hardest to find great deals.
29. I still have stuffed animals on my bed. Sometimes they even sleep with us.
30. Writing this blog has been one of the most amazing experiences. I've met folks I hope to keep in touch with for years. Your comments really mean a lot to me. Thank you all for reading me.

That is all.

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My Birthday

In honor of my birthday, here is some random birthday stuff.

According to the birthday calculator ~
Your date of conception was on or about 1 April 1978 which was a Saturday.

You were born on a Saturday under the astrological sign Capricorn.

Your Life path number is 6.

Your fortune cookie reads: You will be invited to an exciting event.

You were born in the Chinese year of the Horse.

There are 0 days till your next birthday on which your cake will have 30 candles.Those 30 candles produce 30 BTUs,or 7,560 calories of heat (that's only 7.5600 food Calories!) .You can boil 3.43 US ounces of water with that many candles. Yippee!

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Corey Haim (1971)
Eddie Vedder (1964)
Susan Lucci (1948)
Harry Shearer (1943)
Jose Greco (1918)
Madame C.J. Walker (1867)
Connie Mack (1862)

Then we have the Wiki Birthday Meme! For this one you head over to Wikipedia and look up your birth day (excluding the year). List three events, two births and one death, inclouding the year. Here we go!

December 23 ~
* 1938 - Discovery of the first modern coelacanth in South Africa.
*1968 - The United States won the release of 82 sailors by issuing a written apology to North Korea for spying on the Communist country.
*1986 - Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world.

*1864 - Zorka of Montenegro, Princess of Serbia (d. 1890)
*1969 - Greg Biffle, American racecar driver

*2006 - Marilyn Waltz, American actress and Playboy Playmate (b. 1931)

And the thing that most amused me about December 23, 1978? This was the number one song at the time....


So now we all have some completely useless information about December 23. Aren't you thrilled?

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Frugal Holiday Baking Tip - Pan Coating

I love Bakers Joy spray, but use a ton of it this time of year. Buying lots of the stuff is just not very budget friendly. A friend recently gave me this recipe and I am hooked. It works better than any no stick pan coating I've ever used and is very CHEAP to make.


1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 all purpose flour

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it is all blended and looks like marshmallow fluff. Store it in a lidded container. Mine is in a Gladware container. I've been keeping mine in my pantry and so far so good. I guess you could store it in the refrigerator if you wish. To use it, just brush onto pan with a clean pastry brush or paper towel.

I've used this for all my holiday baking and am beyond thrilled with the results!

Speaking of holiday baking, this is what's in my oven today:

Spicy Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Chunks - I made one last Christmas and used it for gifts as well. Everyone raved about it! Plus, it makes your house smell yummy! Enjoy!

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Update - Walmart Rant

Well, I'm not sure who to thank for it, but a wonderful man named John from Walmart contacted me. He's having someone for Customer Service contact me and said I could always contact him if I needed anything. I have a feeling one of you rockin' bloggers it behind this and I thank you. I will feel much better when I actually here from CS, or better yet just have the lost Christmas gift in my hands. I just wanted to say thank you to whoever prompted this. I'll keep you posted on what happens.

As for the comments being closed on the original post, I think I'll reopen them. I had several very negative comments as well as some emails verbally attacking me. It upset me to be bashed on my own blog, so I turned the comments off. Since then I've gotten several wonderful emails and messages on Twitter and I feel badly that those being positive had no way to comment. So, I'm going to reopen the comments. I only request that we all stay civil.

Thanks to all my wonderful readers! You are all special folks!

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Holiday Traditions - Peanut Butter Blossoms

These are one of my favorite cookies and the only cookie I remember my mother making during the holidays. I plan to make some this afternoon, so thought I'd share the recipe. What are your favorite Christmas cookies?

Peanut Butter Blossoms Ingredients:

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

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Christmas Walmart Rant

***The wonderful Walmart Eleven Moms are mentioned numerous times in this post. I want to make it perfectly clear that I am in no way bashing this group of ladies. I think they are a savvy, clever, talented group of women and their blogs a credit to the bloggy world***

Let me start by saying that I had given up on Walmart quite some time ago. My negative experiences there had always far outnumbered the positive. But, when Walmart came up with the idea of the Eleven Moms and invited some of my favorite bloggers to take part, I decided to give them another chance. The Eleven Moms shared tips and such showing you how to save more at Walmart, which I really enjoyed. Because these bloggers are women I read daily, and whose judgement especially where it concerns frugal matters I really respect, I started shopping at Walmart again, although a store in a different town. I will say that the Stepehnville Walmart is almost always a joy to shop at. I am glad that I gave shopping at Walmart another chance and I am happy the Eleven Moms got me back into the store.

Sadly, I am not so happy with Walmart Online or the company as a whole. Did you know that in September of 2007 they implemented a “Customer Contact Reduction” program for their online branch? This basically means that if you have a problem with Walmart Online you can either email or write a letter, there is no number to call to speak with customer care. I was shocked! so, I ended up emailing them. You see, the book Ashley wanted for Christmas not arrived yet. I ordered it on the 5th and it was due no later than the 15th. Here is what has happened to it:

Dec 7 2008
Received at UPS Mail Innovations Origin RPF
Paulsboro, NJ
Processed at UPS Mail Innovations Origin RPF
Paulsboro, NJ
Dec 8 2008
Transferred to UPS Mail Innovations Destination RPF
Austin, TX
Dec 9 2008
Received at UPS Mail Innovations Destination RPF
Austin, TX
Dec 9 2008
Manifested (Postage Paid)
Dec 9 2008
Entered USPS Facility - BMC
DALLAS, TX
Dec 9 2008 01:34PM
ELECTRONIC SHIPPING INFO RECEIVED
OKLAHOMA CITY,OK
Dec 10 2008 02:58AM
SHIPMENT ACCEPTANCE
DALLAS,TX
Dec 10 2008 12:47AM
SHIPMENT ACCEPTANCE
DALLAS,TX
Dec 12 2008 11:32AM
PROCESSED
DALLAS,TX
Dec 12 2008 12:43PM
PROCESSED
DALLAS,TX
Dec 13 2008 01:54PM
PROCESSED
KANSAS CITY,KS

Notice that it has made it to Texas twice and then left again. This is the response I got to my email:

Dear Walmart.com Customer,
Thank you for contacting Walmart.com regarding tracking an order. Due toextremely high holiday volumes, we regret that we have not been able to read your email. Instead of keeping you waiting, we hope the information below helps answer some of your immediate questions.
The most up-to-date order status and tracking information can be found by signing into "My Account"

So, they can't even read my email because they are so busy? And poor Ashley will not have her Christmas gift. I am furious! So, with the help of my neighbor, I complained via email to corporate. I doubt it helps, but who knows.

I will now admit that I was a bit envious of the Eleven Moms at first, but no longer. I am glad that I was not asked to be a part of the group because I could never praise Walmart with a clear conscience. No offense meant to the Eleven Moms here, I think you are a great group of ladies and I visit all of their blogs often. I do really like that Walmart has allowed them to be part of this group, yet they don't have to limit themselves to only Walmart related postings. For instance, Keeping the Kingdom First is the place to go for the scoop on good CVS deals. It's just that I've personally had so many headaches with Walmart, that I could never do it.

I am sure some people can shop Walmart often with no problems, but I've had more than my share. That in itself doesn't bother me as much as the complete lack of customer service. I've seen it talked about on various coupon and frugal communities that Walmart is to big to care about a few thousand poorly treated customers, I just didn't believe it until now. It makes me sad.

Anyway, I have to go bake cookies now. This rant is now over.

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Menu Plan Monday

Wow, December sure has been interesting so far! I am running behind, as usual, so this week I am keeping things simple in the meal department. That way I can focus on the baking and shopping and wrapping and all the other stuff needing to be done. So, here is my simple, yummy, comfort food menu for the week.

Monday: Chili & Eggs - This comes from DH's family. I thought they were nuts at first, but now I'm addicted. All you do is scramble eggs, then add a can of Wolf Brand Chili before the eggs are totally done, then just heat it all up. This served with garlic toast of all strange things is one of our favorite meals. I'm having more icky dental stuff done today, so DH will be cooking. My meal will likely be Jello :-(

Tuesday: Bestest Hamburger Soup - I found this on Recipezaar and have been making it for quite awhile now. The whole family loves it! It is yummy and filling and just plain good! Perfect for a cold winter day...especially with corn bread or warm rolls.

Wednesday: Meatloaf, green beans, crash hot potatoes, and rolls.

Thursday: Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake, salad, garlic bread. We had this pasta over the weekend and everyone requested it again. Looks like it's for sure a keeper!

Friday: It's leftover buffet night! We will have leftovers from the week and work on more Christmas baking.

For more wonderful meal plans click the pretty MPM banner at the top of this post to check out MPM at Organizing Junkie. What do you have planned for the week?

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And The Winner Is...

Christine
December 8, 2008 11:45 AM
Oh enter me!!!!! I love reading...and in fact I am tagging you with the bookworm meme over at my blog...enjoy!

Congratulations Christine! You've won a copy of One Perfect Day and Engaging Father Christmas. I hope you enjoy these books.

Thanks so much to all who entered! Keep reading, you never know when I'll have another giveaway.

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Mommy, I Don't Feel Good

It's that time of year again...the time of year when I have so much to do that it makes my head spin! In the middle of all the holiday hustle and bustle, it is inevitably the time of year when my kids get sick. The will bring home colds, flu, stomach viruses...they aren't really picky.

This week it was my DD who was home for two days with the stomach virus. That would be bad enough, but she became ill right after I'd had a very complicated tooth extraction on Monday, so I wasn't feeling really great myself. She is much better now. But, my jaw is still throbbing, I have to take Tylenol every four hours, and yesterday it became clear that DD had shared her stomach bug with me. Joy! So, I'm hoping to get better soon. My precious friend Lenore came over several times yesterday to check on me and take care of me. I don't know what I'd do without her!

I have more icky dental work on Monday, possibly another extraction and the pain I'm in now is making that seem like a really rotten idea.

So, this has been my week. I am still feeling quite queasy this morning, so I plan to try to eat some crackers or something so I can take my meds, then go back to bed for a bit. I just have to get past the morning rush first. Those are my bedmates in the pic :-)

I sure hope the weekend goes better than the last 5 days!

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CFBA Book Tour - Engaging Father Christmas

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Engaging Father Christmas
FaithWords (October 30, 2008)
by
Robin Jones Gunn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin grew up in Orange County, California and has lived in all kinds of interesting places, including Reno and Hawai’i.

She and her husband currently live near Portland, Oregon and have been married for 30 years. They spent their first 22 years of marriage working together in youth ministry, and enjoying life with their son and daughter who are now both grown.

As a frequent speaker at local and international events, one of Robin’s favorite topics is how God is the Relentless Lover and we are His first love. She delights in telling stories of how God uses fiction to change lives.

Robin is the recipient of the Christy Award, the Mt. Hermon Pacesetter Award, the Sherwood E. Wirt Award and is a Gold Medallion Finalist. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and the Board of Directors for Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers’ Guild.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Miranda Carson can't wait to return to England for Christmas and to be with her boyfriend, Ian. She has spent a lifetime yearning for a place to call home, and she's sure Carlton Heath will be it, especially when a hinted-at engagement ring slips into the conversation.

But Miranda's high hopes for a jolly Christmas with the small circle of people she has come to love are toppled when Ian's father is hospitalized and the matriarch of the Whitcombe family withholds her blessing from Miranda. Questions run rampant in Miranda's mind about whether she really belongs in this cheery corner of the world. Then, when her true identity threatens all her relationships in unanticipated ways, Miranda is certain all is lost.

And yet...maybe Father Christmas has special gifts in store for her after all.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Engaging Father Christmas, go HERE

My Review - I really enjoyed this book! It is not my usual reading fare, so I wasn't very sure that I'd like it. No worries though, I was instantly captivated with the story line and characters. Robin Jones Gunn does a wonderful job of of describing her characters, as well as the locations in the story. You have no problem "seeing" the village of Carlton Heath in your mind. I love the really descriptive writers! I highly recommend this novella. It has family, romance, and a good dash of the Christmas spirit!

Want to win your own copy of Engaging Father Christmas? Go here and enter my giveaway! Hurry, it ends at 8:00am Central time tomorrow!


ORGANIZE, SHOP, SAVE, BLISS!!

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A Wonderful Holiday Tale - Cole Family Christmas

Cole Family Christmas by Jennifer Liu Bryan with Hazel Cole Kendle is a wonderful story I had the opportunity to share with my children. We all really loved this book and reading it will probably become a holiday tradition for our family.

The story is about the Cole family, Papa, Mama, and nine children. It is set in 1920 Kentucky, in a coal mining community. The family has very little, which was typical of the time. The book talks about love, family, and the true meaning of Christmas.

We all grew to love this family. I really enjoyed the fact that they reinforced the things we all should remember about the holidays. I think it's a great book for families to share! This book gets my five stars from me and my little ones too! I highly suggest adding a copy of Cole Family Christmas to your family's library. You can read more about this heart warming story and it's authors here.

ORGANIZE, SHOP, SAVE, BLISS!!

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CFBA Book Tour - Quills And Promises

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Quills And Promises
Barbour Publishing, Inc (May 28, 2008)
by
Amber Miller


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hi, I'm Amber, but my friends call me Tiff, short for Tiffany, my first name. I am in my 30's, married the love of my life in July 2007, and live in beautiful Colorado just east of the Front Range of the Rockies, but I love to travel and visit new places. Ultimately, my dream is to own horses and live in a one-level rancher or log cabin nestled in the foothills of the mountains. For now, I will remain where I am and do what I love—design web sites and write.

Amber's very first book, Promises, Promises, released in February 2008. It's a historical fiction set in Delaware during the Colonial period and the Great Awakening. The other 2 books in the series are this current one, Quills And Promises (July 2008) and Deceptive Promises (December 2008). In 2009, they will be repackaged for a state set entitled Delaware Brides. She has also sold another series set in historical Michigan during the Industrial Revolution. The 3 books in that series will begin releasing in May 2009 and will be repackaged in 2010 as Michigan Brides.


ABOUT THE BOOK

-- Separated from Madison when he leaves to fight the French and Indians, Elanna Hanssen must choose between her heart and her head, especially when Madison's integrity is questioned. --

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not until thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Innocence paired with wisdom beyond her years. With these traits, Elanna Hanssen unwittingly captures the attentions of Major Madison Scott. Her honest desire to understand the war fascinates him, and he resolves to get to know this perspicacious young lady better. When his military duty separates them, they begin a correspondence, cautiously baring their hearts to each other. Elanna has never known emotions like this before, but she is drawn to the integrity she sees in her major. Wh a local news reporter questions the major's credentials and activities, however, will she allow her heart or her head to rule? Can true love grow over such distance and around such obstacles?

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Quills And Promises, go HERE.

ORGANIZE, SHOP, SAVE, BLISS!!

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One Perfect Day Giveaway & A Holiday Surprise

I am giving one lucky reader there very own copy of this wonderful book! All you have to do is leave me a comment here to be entered. Want extra entries? Then Twitter about this giveaway and/or blog about it, then come back and leave a comment letting me know. Or subscribe to my blog and let me know. Or add my button to your blog and leave me a comment. Do all of the above if you wish. Easy right? This giveaway is open to residents of both the US and Canada. You have until 8:00 am Central time on Friday December 12 to enter. I will post the winner on Saturday, 12/13.

But wait, there's more! Since it's the holiday season, let's make this giveaway really good! The winner of this giveaway will not only receive a copy of One Perfect Day, but will also win a copy of Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn! It is a great book, look for my review of it next week. I am thrilled to be able to offer such great reads to my readers. I know you'll enjoy both these books.

Good luck!


ORGANIZE, SHOP, SAVE, BLISS!!

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CFBA Book Tour - Dark Pursuit

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Dark Pursuit
Zondervan (December 1, 2008)
by
Brandilyn Collins

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Brandilyn Collins is known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®. She is currently working on her 20th book. For chances to win free copies of her work, join her Fan Club on Facebook. Here’s what Brandilyn has to say about why she wrote Dark Pursuit:

In John Milton’s Paradise Lost Satan’s followers, kicked out of heaven, boast about storming the gates and reclaiming their territory. Beelzebub scoffs at their boasting as merely “hatching vain empires” and suggests a different revengeful scheme: seduce mankind away from God. So Satan visits the Garden of Eden to teach humans the very thing he and his cohorts have learned to be futile—the dark pursuit of hatching their own vain empires instead of following God. He presented man with this “gift” of death, disguised as life. And man fell for it.

Upon this theme of man’s fall and spiritual blindness, I created the characters and events in Dark Pursuit. The story clips along at a fast pace, with much symbolism running underneath.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dark Pursuit—A twisting story of murder, betrayal, and eternal choices

Novelist Darell Brooke lived for his title as King of Suspense—until an auto accident left him unable to concentrate. Two years later, reclusive and bitter, he wants one thing: to plot a new novel and regain his reputation.

Kaitlan Sering, his twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, once lived for drugs. After she stole from Darell, he cut her off. Now she’s rebuilding her life. But in Kaitlan’s town two women have been murdered, and she’s about to discover a third. She’s even more shocked to realize the culprit—her boyfriend, Craig, the police chief’s son.

Desperate, Kaitlan flees to her estranged grandfather. For over forty years, Darell Brooke has lived suspense. Surely he’ll devise a plan to trap the cunning Craig.

But can Darell’s muddled mind do it? And—if he tries—with what motivation? For Kaitlan’s plight may be the stunning answer to the elusive plot he seeks...

Read the first chapter of Dark Pursuit, HERE.

My Review - I could not put this down! I tore through it in two nights and loved every minute of it. I look forward to reading more of Brandilyn Collins' work. I highly suggest this page turner!

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I'm Not Dead, I Promise

Well, considering the amount of email I've gotten lately, I figured I should pop on here and reassure you all that I'm not dead. I promise I will get around to answering all your emails ASAP.

The kids were out the entire week of Thanksgiving, so that threw me off a bit. I did enjoy the extra time with them though. Thay are growing so very fast! Tris will be a teenager this time next year, eek! Anyway, the holiday got me off schedule. We did have a lovely Thanksgiving at the grandparent in laws, then had our own feast here with friends on Sunday. It seems the whole week was a blur of cleaning, cooking, playing, and visiting loved ones. Fun but tiring.

On tuesday morning I woke up with a raging fever and an absessed tooth. I am now on meds, and my fever is not spiking so high, but I am not feeling 100% yet. Hopefully I will soon. I have too much to do to be sick again. So, to the dentist I go on Monday morning, fun!

Dan put the tree up tonight. It is a $20 cheapo from Dollar General but sure beats no tree at all. I really wanted a real tree this year, but we could not find an affordable stand anywhere in this town. So, I hope to get one during an after Christmas sell and stash it for next year. He put it all together and got the lights on it. We will decorate it tomorrow night.

Ashley has UIL Music Memory competition tomorrow. She's been listening to her classical music selections for at least 6 weeks now. She is really nervous and my heart goes out to her. Nothing like those butterflies! Anyway, I hope she does well. We've told her over and over that we are just glad she made the team. That alone is a big accomplishment and we are very proud of her!

The weather is definitely getting colder. According to the National Weather Service the low tonight will be 32 with a high of 51 tomorrow. Tomorrow night's low will be 26 with a high Friday of 48. Burrrr! It'll be in the high 70s again in a few days I bet. Texas weather is just crazy!

So, I'm going to go hop under the electric blanket now. Y'all stay warm and I'll "see" ya in the morning!

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CFBA Blog Tour - One Perfect Day

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
One Perfect Day
FaithWords (October 22, 2008)
by
Lauraine Snelling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Today, Lauraine Snelling is a member of the more than Two Million Books In Print club, but when she first began, she was a mother of three teenagers with a simple dream to write “horse books for kids.”

All told, she has over 50 books published. She thinks. She’s not sure. She’d rather write them than count them. Lauraine’s work has been translated into Norwegian, Danish and German as well as produced as books on tape.

Awards have followed her dedication to “telling a good story”: the Silver Angel Award for An Untamed Land and a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart for Song of Laughter.

Helping others reach their writing dream is the reason Lauraine teaches at writer’s conferences across the country. She mentors others through book doctoring and with her humorous and playful Writing Great Fiction tape set. Lauraine also produces material on query letters and other aspects of the writing process.

Her readers clamor for more books more often and Lauraine would like to comply, if only her ever-growing flower gardens didn’t call quite so loudly over the soothing rush of the water fountains in her back yard and if the hummingbirds weren’t quite so entertaining. Lauraine and husband Wayne have two grown sons and a cockatiel named Bidley, who loves to tease their Basset Hound named Chewy.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Two mothers end up more closely connected that they could dream...and yet they are strangers to one another.

The first has two children--twins, a boy and girl, who are seniors in high school. She wants their last Christmas as a family living in the same home to be perfect, but her husband is delayed returning from a business trip abroad. And then there's an accident--a fatal one involving a drunk driver.

Meanwhile, the other mother has a daughter who needs a new heart, and so the loss of one woman becomes the miracle the other has desperately prayed for. While one mother grieves, and pulls away from her family, the other finds that even miracles aren't always easy to receive.

If you would like to read the first chapter of One Perfect Day, go HERE

My Review - This was an amazing book! The story is told from the perspective of the two mothers, which I really enjoyed and made for an very easy read. In no time at all you feel like you've know both families, from the mothers right down to the pets, for years. I could easily identify with the characters of both mothers. I can easily identify with Nora, wanting that one perfect Christmas, as well as Jenna who desperately wants what's best for her child. This story takes you through a wide range of emotions very quickly. I found One Perfect Day to be a touching and inspiring book. I highly suggest it!

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