Waiting on Him {A Giveaway}

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Just wanted to let all my blog readers know about this great giveaway! If you are wondering about what "Wait Only Upon God" is about, please check out my review here. Candace, the author of Wait Only Upon God is doing a giveaway in celebration of the release of her 40 Days of Praying the Scriptures in the Waiting. So read below as she tells you about it and enter for a chance to win some great prizes!

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God's Word has a lot to say about waiting on Him. I hope you will join me on this 40 day journey as we seek Him above all else and dig into His Word together praying the scriptures about waiting.

I'm so excited about the release of my new prayer journal and I want to celebrate with you!! So, some of my dear friends are helping me to throw this give away for you!!

Give Away Includes

Here are the items you could win! There will be ONE winner, U.S. Resident Only.

• 1 Handmade Soy Candle from KMac Creations


• The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Journaling Bible (Original, Black)


• $20 Starbucks card


• Sakura 30065 6-Piece Pigma Micron Assorted Colors 05 Ink Pen Set


• Complete Digital Copy of Philippians in 28 Weeks


• 1 Hymn Art Necklace


• 1 Print Copy of Wait Only Upon God


• Eco Dry Highlighter Pencils - Set of 5 Jumbo Highlighter Pencils Will Not Bleed or Dry Out - Includes Wooden Jumbo Sharpener


• 1 coffee mug

Give Away Dates

Give away begins Monday, January 19th and will end in 1 week. I will notify the winner (U.S. resident) by email, request your address and send you a fun package in the mail! Yay!

Rafflecopter Entry

Please use this rafflecopter form to enter the give away!

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Five on the Fifth {December}

Last month on the fifth I shared some of my favorite blog posts that I had read.  Here are five more that I have read since then...

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{1} I am currently reading Les Miserables and LOVING it!  Yes, it is about 1,500 pages. Yes, there are times it drags a bit when Hugo gets into a lot of background information, but the story is not to be missed.  I really enjoyed this post from Beth that includes her review and a plethora of quotes from the book.

{2} I never really celebrated Advent growing up because I was raised Southern Baptist.  However, as an adult Advent has become a precious time for me.  Candace over at His Mercy is New has a great post that really explains the tradition well. She also offers a list of resources to celebrate the season!

{3} Have you ever felt lonely? I have over the past few years gone through a tremendous season of loneliness. It is/was hard, but honestly there have been so many blessings that have come from it.   My relationship with God has grown by leaps and bounds. Lysa TerKeurst's post on loneliness really resonated with me.

{4} In the next few weeks I am going to order a Journaling Bible  as I have been journaling more these days in response to God's Word. This is a great post about the process!

{5} Right before Thanksgiving I read Bonnie Gray's post on gratitude. I loved what she had to say about how brokenness and gratitude can mix. Brokenness doesn't mean that we can't be thankful.  We may experience sadness and thankfulness all at the same time.

So what have you been reading on the web lately?

Linking up at Ben and Me...  

Bitter and Sweet {Five on the Fifth}

Marcy over at Ben and Me has a new link-up, Five on the Fifth, in which she is asking bloggers to share the five best posts from other blogs that they read in the past month.  Here is my list of great posts:

Bitter and sweet. It really has been a theme this month in my blog reading.  Let's start out with something sweet...

These coconut oatmeal cookies were AMAZING!  I had some leftover coconut and was sure glad that I used it up this way.

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I love reading Candace's blog because of her suggestions on what to read. This past month she had a post on Every Bitter Thing is Sweet. I went ahead and downloaded the book based on her review. What an inspiring story!!! One that is not to be missed! {Warning: I cried through big portions of it. Get the tissues before you sit down to read.}

In the Bitterness there is Sweetness, is a post by Bonnie Gray from Faith Barista. This past summer I read her book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest, which is a memoir of her childhood and her road to healing. In her post she describes that while life has been bitter at times she is trying to seek out the sweet.  I love the "er hu" {a Chinese violin} that she plays at the end.

Something a bit bitter...The Burdens We Bear, written by Marni Arnold, gave me some insight into those that abuse. They can't handle their emotional pain so they give it to others.  I had never thought of it this way. It gave me compassion for those mistreat others. They are hurting and deal with their pain in an unhealthy way.

Finally, let's end with something sweet. I haven't had a chance to make these yet, but they are on my list when I get up the gumption to bake again! Flourless brownies...they look delectable!

I am linking up at...

A New Look

I am so excited!!  I have been wanting to change my blog design for some time now, but I don't have the expertise to do anything major when it comes to a totally new look.  So I asked one of my friends, Candace, who she would recommend. Dinosaur Stew redid her blog recently, and she loved the experience. They offer pre-made templates and even installation (which I desperately needed someone to do for me!).  Ashley, over at Dinosaur Stew, was great to work with and did an amazing job! I hope that you enjoy the new look...a little less cluttered is what I was going for.  To visit her Etsy store, click here.

 So welcome to the new look of my home on the web!

Bloglovin'

 I have to admit that I have a hard time keeping up with reading blogs.  Between taking care of the home, homeschooling, and working part time I struggle to keep up!  But there are a few blogs that I go to on a regular basis that have stood the test of time...

Holy Experience
Ann Voskamp's blog.  She inspires me!  If you are a Christian looking to deepen your walk with Christ you need to read her blog.

His Mercy is New
Love, Love Candace's blog! If you homeschool, love missions and Jesus then check her blog out!

Beth Stone Studios
Beth's artwork is amazing!  Also a Christian who does art from that perspective.

Life as Mom
Jessica is a homeschool mom that change my life when it came to freezer cooking.

Good Cheap Eats
Jessica's second blog

I am currently reading them on BlogLovin', which is a blog reader similar to what Google Reader was.

Google Reader left the scene on July 1st.  So if you would now like to follow my blog you can use BlogLovin'.  I have kind of been poking around there, and I have to say that I am actually liking it better than Google Reader.  If you would like to follow my blog now please use Bloglovin'!

Where Heaven touches Earth

I recently read this post and loved it!  Sometimes I think we need to step back and realize that God is in every moment and appreciate what we have and what we have experienced.

Blogging Break

Just to let you know I will be taking a blogging break for this week because of having company and lots of busyness.  I will "see" you next week.

Homeschool Blog Awards

It is time to vote!  I am shocked, but I was nominated for two categories this year-Best Blog Design and Best Homemaking Blog.  Thank you to those who nominated me!  I really appreciate it!

So head on over and vote for your favorites!  You might even find some new favorites!

It is time...

It is time to nominate your favorite homeschool blogs!  Please go over to The Homeschool Post to nominate.  You can do this through October 30th.

2010 Homeschool Blog Awards!

  They are coming soon!  Check out the categories and all the details by clicking on the button!

Need a Blog Makeover?

Have you noticed the new look to my blog?  Don't you love it?  I do!  I would have never been able to make my blog look like this...just wouldn't have been doable!  I don't know enough about html or design to pull it off.



So a few months ago I came across Relevant Designs by Jolanthe (pronounced "Yo-lawn-tha). Jolanthe does blog makeover for moms!  The prices are awesome...something that I could afford!  I had looked at other blog design websites, but they were out of my price range. Jolanthe was awesome to work with!  She communicated quickly and efficiently with me, checking back often to give me updates on how my makeover was coming along.  I would highly recommend her to anyone.

You might be familiar with Jolanthe if you are in the homeschool community.  She has two blogs: Homeschool Creations and No Ordinary Moments.

Thanks, Jolanthe, for doing such a great job!

Beautiful Blogger Award

Last week Heidi over at Chatter, Clatter and Things that Matter gave me a Beautiful Blogger Award!  Thanks, Heidi!

As a recipient of the Beautiful Blogger award, one must:

1) Add a link and note of thanks to the person giving the award
2) Pass the award on to the bloggers whose blogs you love (15 tops)
3) Share 7 things about yourself

Seven Things about Myself
1. I live in Alaska.
2. I am originally from New Underwood, South Dakota....find that on the map!
3. I love gardening, reading, scrapbooking and stamping.
4. I am a former high school Spanish teacher who now gives private lessons in her home.
5. I love dark chocolate and hate red meat!
6. I love being the mom of two boys that are complete opposites.
7. I am tall and shrinking!  I used to be close to 5'10", but I am now 5'9"...the wonders of getting older! (I will be forty this year!)

Blogs I Love

Candace at His Mercy is New  I would have to say that even though Candace is younger than me she has been a mentor and guide for me over the years.  She was my TOS Crew leader and now is my mentor for the Bible in 90 Days.  She has helped me with my blog more times than I can count.  Like me, she has struggled with depression.  She has such a heart for God!  I love visiting her blog for inspiration!

Michele at My Blessings from Above  I love Michele's blog!  She loves to cook and is on a mission to be frugal.  I am the same way and love to find out tips from reading what she has to say.  She is the one that encouraged me to get into Swagbucks...I am so thankful that she did!  Now I can order from Amazon with less guilt!

Cheryl at Adventures of a Somewhat Crunchy Mama  I recently found Cheryl's blog...I love her wit and humor and tips! I loved her series...Somewhat Crunchy You.

Kendra at The Pumpkin Patch  Kendra has awesome ideas...for homeschooling and cooking.  Her home looks so fun!  Look at these great posts....Independence Day and Zebra Cake!

The Heart Mender-Giveaway Winner

Angel from All the Mus is the winner of The Heart Mender! Congratulations!

Giveaway!

Lisa at Simplified Saving is having a giveaway!  The contest is for a Good Earth Dinner kit.  Go check it out!

And the Winner is....

Edwena from Only One Life!

She has won The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling giveaway.  Congratulations!

Giveaway...Curriculum Clean-Out!

The Curriculum Choice is hosting a "Curriculum Clean-out" and I thought I would join in on the fun!  I am giving away a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell. This books is published by Apologia and is an awesome resource for any homeschooling family!  All you need to do is leave me a comment telling me how long you have been homeschooling or if you are just starting or thinking of homeschooling.  Please leave a way for me to contact you!

You can sign up for this giveaway through March 22.  On March 23rd, I will announce the winner. See below for more giveaways!

Giveaway Coming Up...

Check back tomorrow as I will be hosting a giveaway!  The Curriculum Choice is putting on a blog hop of different homeschool giveaways!

Giveaway

Lisa over at It's a Country Life is having a giveaway!  Go check it out!

Soap Giveaway

Go visit Shannon's blog at Song of My Heart for a cool giveaway from Virginia Soaps and Scents!  I love these soaps!  Hurry because the giveaway ends tonight!

Giveaway Winners

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog! Can't believe that it has been a year! 

We have two winners (which I selected using Random.org)  for my anniversary giveaway, and they are...

Andrea, who will receive Family Math
Dana, who will receive Hands-On Geography


Congratulations, ladies!!!