FyrFlyz -Review & Giveaway-

Do your kids(or your husband. Ha!) like to play with lights? Mine does. He is fascinated with lights right now, so we were excited when we received a couple of FyrFlyz in the mail to try out. We had a lot of fun trying to make the different shapes. My husband was the best at it. Shhh...I snapped a shot of him playing with it but don't tell him!

It's not the greatest of quality, obviously, but you get the drift. We had so much fun trying these out and I think that they would make the perfect birthday or Christmas gift. I know my nephew and nieces would love it.

How to win:
Want to win a FyrFlyz for the awesome kiddo in your life? You have a chance right now, all you have to do is leave a comment and you'll be entered. Giveaway will run now until October 3rd, 11:59pm. Winner will be contacted via email (please be sure to leave your email or have it available in your profile) and have 48 hours to respond. Good Luck!

Want to run out and buy one now? FyrFlyz are available at most major retailers such as Toys R Us, Amazon.com, and CVS. If you would like to look up a local retailer near you, you can find the information here.

I received two FyrFlyz from Momselect and FyrFlyz as part of their blogger review program in exchange for my honest review of the product, whether it be negative or positive. No other compensation was provided. 

Colette's Testimony

I have something very special that I would like to share. My best friend Colette wrote up her testimony and she asked me to share it with my readers. I hope by reading her story you will be filled with inspiration and hope. 

Hello, my name is Colette.

To start out, I was born with cystic fibrosis.  This is a fatal disease that today has an average lifespan of 37 years.  I am 29 years old and I am so blessed to have lived this long and hope for another 29 years!  When my mom was pregnant with me, the dr’s told her to abort me because they knew I’d be just like my sister, Jennifer.  She too, has cystic fibrosis and was extremely sick at the time.  The dr’s also told my parents they didn’t think we’d live past the age of 21.  Now my sister is 30!  You can’t always trust the dr’s because there is only ONE TRUE physician.  So God has been here taking care of my sister & I, letting us live as long as we have.  Another miracle he has blessed me with is my beautiful daughter.  Cystic fibrosis affects the reproductive system and we prayed and prayed and prayed for a healthy baby and we got one!!  I am so overwhelmed by His love, that He would give such an unhealthy person her wish of a healthy baby!!!  I’m AMAZED!

A few months after I had my daughter, right around Nov. 2011 I noticed the joints in my thumbs were hurting & I had no idea why.  Then I remember it was Christmas time and I noticed my elbows were swollen.  More joints were hurting by this time, a lot of my fingers were swollen and in pain, my knees, my hips, my wrists were the worst!  It hurt to write & to pick up anything, especially my own baby.  I had to get creative on how I picked her up.  I’d roll her onto my arm and lift her that way.  It hurt to hold my cell phone up to my ear, or to turn on the ignition in my car and to turn the gas cap.  You are supposed to let it click three times, and it took all I had to have it click just once.  I even had to walk downstairs sideways – which is how my grandmother has to walk downstairs, and I was 28 at the time!!  I had horrible fatigue and some days I would get fevers.  On those days I could barely get out of bed.  I had no appetite and I was losing weight.  I found that the only thing that gave me relief was a steroid pack that has medicine for just a few days.  I basically begged my family doctor twice to give me a prescription for it because I needed some relief, even if it was just for a few days- I was desperate.  During all of this I got pneumonia in Feb. 2011 and my liver count went crazy and was instructed to stop my Crohn’s medicine.  I was diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2008.  I had already had a feeling for a while that I really didn’t need to take my Crohn’s medicine anymore.  Something just made me feel I really didn’t have a need for it anymore.  You are supposed to take the medicine like 3 or 4 times a day and I had reduced my dosage to once a day because, again, I just didn’t feel I needed it.  I was too scared to come off of it completely because of the amount of pain I went through back in 2008.  When the dr’s told me to stop my medicine, just for now, until my liver gets better, I was comfortable in getting off of it.  So I was doing a lot of lab work, over and over again and my arthritis dr could not figure out what was wrong with me.  After a few months he finally tells me I have poly-arthritis; which means I have arthritis in multiple joints.  But he couldn’t explain why I had all of the other symptoms.  He recommended some type of medicine and said it was a strong medicine.  I didn’t want to take anything like that because I already put a lot of medicine in my body.  I cried a lot and didn’t know what to do.  I felt like no one wanted to fix me and I felt that no dr wanted to “own” me and dedicate themselves to me and make me better.  I didn’t want to live like this for the rest of my life.  I would dream into the future with my baby girl and I didn’t want her to be affected because I couldn’t be active with her.  I want to be well enough to chase her around the back yard and be involved in her extracurricular activities.  I prayed a lot.  By this time it was time to see my pulmonologist for my follow up from the pneumonia.  My mom started going with me to my dr appts since she was so upset that I hadn’t had any progress.  We tell my pulmonologist what is going on and he puts me on steroids just for now.  I knew it would give me some relief so I happily accepted the medicine, but I knew it was just a temporary fix.  It still wasn’t the “answer.”  I take my meds and I am feeling GREAT!! I have energy!  I can go to the store!  I can have a life!! Before it took all I had to go to work all week and then on the weekends I’d stay home with the baby and sleep and rest as much as I could.  I had no life.  I could finally straighten out my arm!! Which I hadn’t been able to do for weeks!  It was close to the end of my medicine and I accidentally missed a dose.  The very next day I felt my thumbs started hurting again…It was just a reminder that it wasn’t gone, it was just being masked.  I follow up with my pulmonologist again; he wants to reduce my dosage.  So I finish out my current dosage and I get busy and I don’t fill my new prescription.  Weeks go by and finally I think to myself…Wait a minute!! I am off the steroids! I forgot to refill my prescription and I HAVE NO PAIN!!  I feel GREAT and I’m not on any medicine and haven’t been for a few weeks!! WOW!   I am amazed that I can still straighten out my arm!  I haven’t had any fevers or fatigue!  IT’S GONE!  I can jump up and down, move my fingers, etc.  I am speechless!  There’s only ONE explanation!  That is that God has healed that part of me!  And I still continue to be off my Crohn’s medicine with no symptoms of Crohns!  I am back to my normal self again, just all of a sudden!  No warning!  I owe it all to Jesus.  He listened.  He was there with my pain every moment and took it away!  I believe in God.  I believe He works miracles.  I believe He has healed me of my Crohn’s and arthritis.  There’s only one more left!  Me and my sister!   The reason I want to share my story is to remind you all that miracles DO happen.  Jesus is here listening, don’t give up.  Seek Him and trust in Him.  I want to help others keep their hopes up.  If anyone is feeling like they are grasping onto that last bit of hope, hold on tight and pray and continue to pray.  Thank you for listening to my story.

Gabby, God's Little Angel -Review-

About the book:

This first book in a delightful new series offers a comforting message for young readers-God loves you very much and is always watching over you!

What little girl wouldn't love her very own guardian angel? Parents and children alike will be won over by this humorous tale of Gabby, a guardian angel in training who has much to learn about taking care of God's little ones. Her new assignment is to protect a young girl named Sophie, but Gabby soon realizes that watching after Sophie is a bigger challenge than she had expected! After a close call while riding her pony, Sophie learns what the Bible says about guardian angels: "He will put his angels in charge of you. They will watch over you wherever you go" (Psalm 91:11 ICB).

About Sheila: 

Sheila Walsh is the creator of the award-winning Gigi, God's Little Princess® brand which has sold over 1.5 million units. Sheila is a Bible teacher, speaker, singer, and best-selling author with more than 4 million books sold. As a featured speaker with Women of Faith®, Sheila has reached more than 3.5 million women by artistically combining honesty, vulnerability, and humor with God's Word.

Author of the best-selling memoir Honestly and the Gold Medallion nominee for The Heartache No One Sees, Sheila's most recent release The Shelter of God's Promises has also been turned into a DVD curriculum and in-depth Bible study. Sheila's first series for girls, The Gigi, God's Little Princess book and video series, won the National Retailer's Choice Award twice and is the most popular Christian brand for young girls in the United States.

Sheila co-hosted The 700 Club and her own show Heart to Heart with Sheila Walsh. She is currently completing her Master's in Theology. www.sheilawalsh.com

My Opinion:

This is such a beautiful book, both the story and the illustrations. The lesson was great, even my three year old SON got it. He does not sit still for long and he sat in my lap and paid attention through the entire book. He was fascinated with the pictures and would point out things as I read them. I have a certain little girl in mind who will be receiving this book from us, I can't wait to share it with her. 

Want to win a copy for yourself:

Sheila Walsh is excited to announce her new series for little girls and she is celebrating Gabby’s arrival with a fun KINDLE Giveaway and an Angel FB party on October 4th!

Meet Gabby for yourself here. Help Sheila introduce Gabby - be sure to check out her video trailer promotion here!

In Gabby, God’s Little Angel, Gigi fans will fall in love with Gabby and learn about God’s love and provision and a little about His invisible creation, the angels.

Read what people are saying here.


http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13426636

Enter today - Sheila and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have put together an “Angel” prize package worth over $150.00!

One lucky winner will receive:

• A brand new KINDLE with Wi-Fi
• Gabby, God’s Little Angel 

But wait! There’s more …

On October 4th join Sheila at her Author Page on FB for the Gabby, God’s Little Angel Party! She will announce the winner of the KINDLE, host a chat and give away a ton of fun products from the Gigi and Gabby line! RSVP today and then be sure to stop by on October 4th at 5:00 PM PST (6 PM MST, 7 PM CST, & 8 PM EST).

Want another chance to win:

The very awesome people over at Litfuse were kind enough to send me an extra copy for one of my readers to win. It's very easy, just leave me a comment! Tell me what your favorite children's book was when you were a kid or just tell me your favorite dessert!  I'll pick a winner using random.org on Monday, October 3rd. No entries after 10/02/11  11:59pm . Duplicate entries will not count. 

I received two copies of Gabby, God's Little Angel from Litfuse Publicity Group as part of their blogger review program in exchange for my honest review of the book, whether it be negative or positive. No other compensation was provided. 

Superpoints Invite

Have you been wanting to join in on the superpoints fun but haven't been invited yet? Well now you are. Here is a code for you to sign up with. If it says it has already been used let me know and I can create a new invite for you. With super points you gain points when you and your friends earn them through the lucky button or by doing surveys and watching short videos. The more people you get the faster you rake up points and win prizes. I'm aiming for some of the electronics. They also have giftcards.

http://superpoints.com/wrpgs/p3d9lo

She is doing GREAT!!!

I realize that I never updated on how Amy is doing. She is FANTASTIC!! It is amazing. She is such an inspiration. Cassie and I were able to go visit with her again last Thursday and it was very peaceful and calming to my heart to see how well she was doing. She is healing beautifully and getting around on her own. She has been moved to the rehab floor and has been doing three hours of physical therapy each day. She should be coming home this week which I know she is anxious to get back to her husband and children. It will be so nice to be able to just stop by and visit with her anytime. Help her out with anything that she needs. I'm so ready to have our friend back home where she belongs.
Here is the teddy bear that Cassie and I made Amy on our last trip to visit her. Let me just tell you, I get a bit carsick on road trips.......so I really don't recommend sewing while riding down the road. This teddy was worth it though. (Oh, we didn't make the teddy, just altered him.)

Farm Rich Winners

Congrats to Cassie and Courtney. 

Check your email on instructions to claim your coupons for a free Farm Rich product. 

A piece of my heart is missing...

I feel like I can't breathe. I got home just a bit ago. I started getting things put away and then I sat down and it was quiet and I lost it. I feel like I just left her there. I know she is fine but she is there and we are here and it doesn't feel right, and it hurts and I cant breathe.

I hate feeling helpless. When there isn't anything you can do to help the ones you love, it hurts. A feeling of disbelief is wavering in the air this morning. We've known this was coming but being in the hospital has made things really set in. I wish we could just sweep our dear friend up and take her away. Heal her with sandy beaches, crashing waves and little umbrellas in too sweet fruity drinks. Cabana boys with ripped abs and way too tight speedos. Girly giggles and inside jokes.
I wish I could give her all things that warm the heart. The right words to calm and ease her mind. I wish strength and courage could be available in a pill form for these extra hard times.
I know that God is all we need and more. He provides us with our strength and courage. Love and healing.

Isiah 40:31
But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.

Jeremiah 30:17
For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord.

Jeremiah 33:6
Then someday, I will heal this place and my people as well, and let them enjoy unending peace.

Checking In

Okay so we just got her checked into the hospital. The surgery will be at 8am and should last about two hours. She seems to be in good spirits this morning. Nervous and a little ill to the stomach but that's to be expected. It's suffocating sitting in the registration room. I don't know what to think, what to feel. Is it okay to let the tears fall or should I keep them hidden until in my private moments. A jumble of emotions yet numb to all feelings.

Farewell Leg Party

Jessie, Me, Amy, Cassie (Not pictured is our yummy delicious milk chocolate DY -she had to bail early from fussy baby syndrome). 

 Last night was the party. It went great. I'm fixing to head to OKC with part of the group to stay overnight. The surgery will be first thing tomorrow morning. Will try to update as the night goes on. Prayers needed!

Amputation

I've had something weighing heavy on my heart lately. I'm not really sure how to handle it. I'm sad, confused and heartbroken. My friend has been battling cancer and the time has now come where the doctor said its 'life or limb'. She is choosing life, so with that being said, on Monday she is having her leg amputated. She has remained positive and strong through every thing and continues to keep her humor. Tomorrow night we will be having a farewell party for her leg. Yeah you read that right...a farewell party for a Leg. Why not send it off the right way! We will be having a potluck party with delicious food, drinks, laughter and many many tears I'm sure. She wants to play pin the leg on Amy(think pin the tail on the donkey children's game) and she is also bringing a bunch of different permanent markers for everyone to decorate her leg. It will be a time to come together and show our support for our dear friend. We would appreciate any prayers you can send our way. Thanks.

Farm Rich Review & Giveaway (2 winners)

I was recently given the opportunity to try and review a Farm Rich product. If you aren't familiar with Farm Rich, you can find their quick snacks and appetizers in your local grocers frozen section. I had a hard time deciding which product I wanted to try, there were many things to choose from.

• cheese sticks
• mozzarella bites
• philly cheese steaks
• pizza slices
• stuffed pretzel bites
• mozzarella sticks
• quesadillas
• and many many more. 

 My husband and I finally decided on the mozzarella sticks. They are made with 100% real mozzarella cheese and authentic marinara sauce, which is baked together for a traditional cheese stick that you don't have to dip. They are a good source of calcium and protein, and have zero trans fat. As with many Farm Rich products, the mozzarella sticks are quick and easy to make, you can bake them in the oven or just pop them in the microwave.

How did we like them?
Well to be completely honest, we didn't care for them. I think it was the marinara sauce being baked in with the cheese stick that I just didn't care for. They weren't bad, just not something I really liked. I wouldn't buy the mozzarella sticks again but I would like to get something else to try out. I was really wanting to try the stuffed pretzel bites but my husband isn't big on pretzels. I've had other Farm Rich products before in the past and really enjoyed them so I will for sure try them again sometime.

Giveaway
Want to try a Farm Rich product for yourself and see what your taste buds think? Farm Rich would like to give away two coupon vouchers for a free product of your choice. There will be TWO winners. It is super easy to enter. All you have to do is be a GFC follower and leave a comment below. Double entries will not count. Please be sure to leave your email address or have it on your profile so I can contact you if you win. You will have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize.
Giveaway is extended to Friday 9/16/11

I received a coupon voucher for a free product from Farm Rich in exchange for my honest opinion, whether that be positive or negative. They also are sponsoring the giveaway mentioned above. No other compensation was provided. 

-Review- Young Love by Mat Kearney

Have you heard of Mat Kearney??? I had no clue who he was or what his music was about but I saw that he has been featured on many hit shows that I watch (Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, The Hills, etc), so I wanted to check the album out. AMAZING! I put it in as soon as I received it and I honestly haven't listened to anything else since. I really enjoy the rhythm of the music. I have been listening to the album on my computer, ipod, in the car, in the kitchen when I'm cooking, just all the time. I am constantly catching myself dancing around and singing along. Even my three year old gets up and starts dancing when 'Hey Mama' comes on. I don't know that I have a "favorite favorite" track because every time  I listen I favor a different song. They are all great. I guess if I absolutely had to choose one it'd be 'Sooner or Later', but I would also add 'Ships in the Night' because who can really just pick one song! :)

Young Love is Mat Kearney's third album. It released in stores last month so go check it out and let me know what you think. To learn more about the wonderful Mr. Mat Kearney please visit his website, facebook, itunes, and this awesome widget.

I received an album copy of  Young Love by Mat Kearney by One2One Network in exchange for my honest opinion, whether that be negative or positive. All opinions expressed are my own. No other compensation was provided.