The Evolution of a Hair Style {GIVEAWAY!!!}

I’m thrilled to be doing a fun, girly giveaway today for Princess of the King. Read on to find out more!!

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Of all the wonderful things about raising little girls, one in particular has proven to be equal parts fun and frustration.

Their hair.

More specifically, what to do with their hair.

Lily’s hair has gone through a number of stages since her entry into this world.

First we had the newborn fuzz…

Oh my goodness.

Stop it.

I want to pick up that little bundle and snuggle her fuzzy head on my chest again.

Aaaanyway….

Then the fuzz started to rub off…particularly in the back, so we had the nice Is that a baby or the back of an old man’s head balding stage…

This was actually the easiest stage of them all. We could do hats…

Although occasionally those got to be a bother…

Or headbands…

Ok…how much do I want to squish those cheeks??

And eventually we got to the can’t hardly see it but there’s just enough hair there to attach a bow stage.

I believe that look says, “Dude. I can’t wait to start choosing my own hair accessories.”

Not long after that we got to the stage my husband affectionately coined, The Lily Ray Cyrus phase. Because her hair was a little bit…mullet-ish…

It was at this point that I really got to actually start doing Lily’s hair – as opposed to just slapping on a headband.

Now Lily has a head full of gorgeous wavy blond hair and we get to have tons of fun accessorizing!

Which leads me our giveaway…

When Sara {who just so happens to be my cousin’s husband’s brother’s wife…did you get that? } contacted me about doing a review and giveaway of her hairbows, I jumped at the chance.

Because, I mean…just look…

How sweet would these be in pigtails on a trip to the pumpkin patch?

These little clippies work great for those of you whose munchkins don’t have much hair to work with…like mine!

I got some sparkly ones like this

…in black and brown. Sophia even wore one in our family pictures this past weekend:

I love the versatility of these sparkly bows:

I could do pigtails for Lily, or put one in each of the girl’s hair to match!

And I couldn’t resist these fun green and red ones for Christmas:

And these are just a fraction of what she’s got available in her shop!

Sara’s customer service is fantastic and she had mine shipped almost immediately after I ordered them! Not to mention that her prices are extremely affordable!

So I’m thrilled to tell you that Sara is graciously offering one of my readers $15 worth of hair accessories! Wanna know how to enter?

Visit Princess of the King and check out all her hairbows! Then come back and leave a comment letting me know which one is your favorite!

Wanna get your name in the pot another time?

“Like” Princess of the King on Facebook! Sara also happens to be doing a fun giveaway through her Facebook page, so liking her page will gain you an entry into that giveaway as well!

And because she is so generous, Sara is offering a special discount throughout the course of the giveaway – free shipping on any orders over $10. Just enter FREESHIPPINGWITH10 at check out.

Whew!

That’s a whole lotta good stuff for one giveaway!

So what are you waiting for? Get your entry in now! Even if you don’t have a little girl of your own, these would make great gifts for that niece you love to spoil! You can’t win if you don’t play!

Giveaway ends this Sunday, October 9 at 11:59 PM CST. I’ll draw and announce the winner Monday morning.

Good luck!!

We Have A Winner…

Long overdue because I forgot about my own giveaway like an idiot wanted to keep you in suspense  

The winner of the Unplanned DVD giveaway is {drum roll please}

Ann @ Stringer Mama!

Congrats Ann!!

I’ll be sending you an email to get the details on sending you your prize!

{un}planned {GIVEAWAY}

A couple of months ago, Tyndale House contacted me with an opportunity to view and review a new documentary they’ve released, “Unplanned”. It’s the story of Abby Johnson, once director of one of the largest Planned Parenthood clinics, who quit her job and walked in the doors of the crisis pregnancy center down the street.

Some of you may remember seeing news stories and interviews with Abby when the decision was initially made – this DVD gives background on the journey that led her to make that decision.

This is a powerful story, I think particularly because it comes from someone who has been on “the other side”. Though Abby was raised pro-life, she was influenced during a very impressionable period of her life and bought into Planned Parenthood’s rhetoric, hook, line, and sinker.

There are so, so many things I could say about this. It was absolutely heartbreaking to hear Abby tell about her turning point -- watching as the doctor performed an ultrasound led abortion with her in the room, seeing the baby struggling to get away from the probe and watching the pieces of it fly through the tube.

But I think most of all, what struck me was the reminder that God is in the business of redemption. He has taken Abby’s past – her regrets, her mistakes, the sin – and used them for His glory.

I think sometimes it’s easy to distance ourselves from things we find unpleasant. To just say, “I’m pro-life, I believe abortion is wrong,” but then go about our every day lives and forget that it’s actually happening, and there are so many women out there who need to know that it’s not the only choice.

Abby’s story lit a fresh fire in me, to be in prayer for those millions of women around the world who are considering abortion, to support and encourage our local crisis pregnancy center, and to pray for those “on the other side of the fence” – the employees at Planned Parenthood and elsewhere who honestly believe they are doing the right thing.

Regardless of your personal beliefs about abortion, I would highly, highly recommend watching this DVD. And I can help you out with that, because Tyndale has given me a chance to give one away to you!

Simply leave a comment on this post in order to enter for a chance to win! The giveaway will be closed at 11:59 PM next Tuesday, May 10.

I’d also encourage you to check out the upcoming Unite for LIFE webcast --a free webcast featuring Abby Johnson that will benefit pregnancy care organizations. You can sign up to participate on May 17 at 8:00 p.m. (in all time zones) at www.uniteforlifewebcast.org.

Unplanned the book and the DVD will be available for purchase as a package deal and 33% of each purchase will go to crisis pregnancy centers like CareNet, the National Institute of Family & Life Advocates, and Heartbeat International.

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This DVD was provided for review by Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions are my own.

We’re Having A….

Happy Monday morning to you!

Thanks so much for all of your anniversary wishes! We had a fantastic time on our little anniversary getaway and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

But first, a little order of business :)

Remember how I told you we were scheduled for a second ultrasound in June, and we were hoping to find out the gender of our baby then?

Well.

We had our second ultrasound on June 1st. And they were able to tell what the baby’s gender was…but we asked them not to tell us. Instead, we had them write it down and put it in an envelope for us to open later…to be precise, we wanted to wait until our anniversary to open it.

I know. Aren’t we sentimental fools? :)

Actually, I was ready to open the envelope the second we stepped out of the doctor’s office…but Dave made me wait. Meanie :)

So anyway…this weekend on our drive north we found out the long anticipated news…

BOY or GIRL?

And I won’t torture you any longer because I know you’re all dying to know…and because one of you is going to win a prize for guessing the right gender!

Are you ready??

Time for me to start digging out the tubs of Lily’s baby clothes because  
we’re having another girl!!!

And congratulations to Jenn! Out of all the people who correctly guessed the gender, her name was drawn as the winner of the $5 gift card!

Fun Fact: Jenn’s little boy Dane and Lily were born just a few weeks apart.
And now Jenn is pregnant with her second and due just a couple weeks before me!

Jenn, send me an email and let me know what your address is and whether you’d like a Target, Sonic, or Starbucks card!

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Oh, and by the way…both Dave and I were super surprised. We were pretty sure it was a boy. But I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to have two little girls! I always wanted a sister growing up so I’m thrilled that Lily will get that chance!

Plus I can dress them up like TWINS! :)

Alrighty. I’ve got suitcases to unpack and a pile of laundry to tackle. Tomorrow I’ll tell you all about our anniversary getaway!

Have a great day!

I’m About To Make Someone’s Day…

As promised, I’ve drawn the winner of my Guess The Gender Of Our Baby contest, courtesy of random.org

Drum roll, please….

Congratulations, Ann!

You win the $50.00 gift card to CSN Stores! Send me your email and I’ll get you all the details.

Don’t forget!

You can still win a $5.00 gift card to your choice of Target, Sonic, or Starbucks! If you haven’t made your guess yet, go here and leave me a comment. Whoever correctly guesses the gender of our baby will be placed in a drawing for the above mentioned gift card.

Thanks for playing!

An Ultrasound, A Contest, and a Giveaway!

Note: This might be officially my longest post EVER. But hang in there, because there’s a giveaway at the end, and it’s a good one – the biggest I’ve ever done! How’s that for bribery ;)

Happy day-after-Mother’s-Day!!! Hope you had a great weekend!

We kicked our weekend off with an early Mother’s Day present for me:

Seeing our newest little munchkin for the first time on ultrasound. It never gets old! Everything looked normal and healthy – two words that are music to any expecting parent’s ears.

Saturday Dave gave me my second early Mother’s Day present:

{Don’t mind that sippy cup – Lily’s already made herself at home}

It.is.FINISHED.

Well, we’ve still got to attach the  mantel,  but the rest of it is done. Officially the hardest, longest, most frustrating DIY project that we have done to date. Next we’ll be painting – both the living room and the bedroom!

Sunday morning I got to sleep in a little and when I came downstairs I saw this yummy breakfast waiting for me:

 
Of course I shared bites with this little cutie:

And then I got my final present – a a sweet card and Peanut Butter Dove Promises:

Mmmmm…chocolate and peanut butter…he knows the way to my heart :)

We had lunch at Outback with my family, came home for a little rest, then headed to my parent’s house to hang out and grill in the evening.

All in all, a very good weekend. I’m so thankful God gave me a reason to celebrate Mother’s Day!

AND NOW FOR SOME FUN!

Remember how I told you we wanted to find out the gender of our baby?

Well…we didn’t. Or rather, we couldn’t. The little stinker kept it’s legs crossed and it’s feet curled up the whole time.

I was sooo disappointed, until the doctor told me he was going to schedule us for another ultrasound at our 22 week appointment. So *cross your fingers* we hope to find out then!

And while we’re waiting, I thought we’d have a little fun with it – so I’m hosting a “Guess the Gender of Our Baby” contest!

Here’s the scoop – to enter, all you have to do is leave me a comment on this post with your guess as to whether we’re having a boy or a girl.

In addition, you can earn  TWO ADDITIONAL ENTRIES by doing the following:

1) Become a follower – just click on the button on the left-hand side of the page. If you’re already a follower, great! Just leave me a comment to remind me.

Sample comment: I follow!

2) Blog about it! – Or if you don’t have a blog, put a notice up on your Facebook page with a link to my blog. Then come back here and leave me a comment letting me know you did it.

Sample comment: I blogged about it!

And just what exactly is in it for you?

The winner will receive  a $50.00 gift card graciously provided by CSN Stores.

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find tv stands, furniture, home decor, and more!

The gift card will be good at any of CSN’s 200 online stores. And seriously – there is something for everyone here!

I mean, they’ve got an entire website dedicated to just shoes – who doesn’t love shoes?

But I think if I won the gift card, I’d probably end up spending it at their cookware site.

Le Creuset, anyone?

But wait…there’s more!!!!

You have until midnight on Wednesday to enter and I’ll be randomly selecting a winner sometime this Thursday, May 13th.

That’s right…you don’t even have to guess the gender right to win!

BUT…

there will be a special prize for one of you who does guess the gender! Once we find out {sometime in mid-June} I will draw another name from those who correctly guessed the gender. And that lucky person will receive a $5.00 gift card to their choice of either Target, Sonic, or Starbucks.

Whew!

Did you get all that? There’s so many chances to win, I don’t know what you’re waiting for! Leave a comment (or two or three) already!!

Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Absence So Great book giveaway {courtesy of random.org} is….

 

#1

Sarah @ This Heavenly Life!

I actually laughed when I saw this because how often do you think number one is drawn? Sarah, I guess it’s your lucky day! I’ll email you so I can get contact info and send you your book!

“An Absence So Great” – Review and Giveaway!

I don’t think it’s any secret that I like {ok love} to read. I’m one of those weird people who would rather pick up a book than turn on the TV. I enjoy all kinds of books, including non-fiction, but when I’m looking to relax there’s nothing I love more than to cozy up on the couch with a good novel.

So when WaterBrook Multnomah contacted me to review my first ever fiction book, I was thrilled!

About the Book:

Despite growing in confidence as a photographer, eighteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele’s personal life is still at a crossroads. Hoping she’s put an unfortunate romantic longing behind her as “water under the bridge,” she exiles herself to Milwaukee to operate photographic studios for those ill with mercury poisoning. 

Jessie gains footing on her dream to one day own her own studio and soon finds herself in other Midwest towns, pursuing her profession. But even a job she loves can’t keep those painful memories from seeping into her heart, and the shadows of a forbidden love threaten to darken the portrait of her life.

 

About the Author:

Jane Kirkpatrick is an award-winning author of sixteen historical novels, including A Flickering Light, the first part of Jessie Gaebale’s story, and three nonfiction titles. Known for her unique insights into the exploration of community, family and faith of actual historical women, the Wisconsin native and her husband have called their ranch in Oregon home for the past 25 years.

 

What I Thought:

I’m a little bit on the fence about this book. There were things I liked and things I didn’t – I’ll start with the negative.

What I Didn’t Like: I had a difficult time getting into the story. In the beginning, it felt like I was just wading through the pages of the book, not turning them eagerly trying to find out what was going to happen next. To be fair, this is actually the second book in a series and I hadn’t read the first book. Maybe if I had, it wouldn’t have taken me quite as long to figure out who the characters were and what the main conflict of the story was. I also wasn’t crazy about the way the story ended. I won’t spoil it for you, but I found myself wishing it had been resolved differently. However, she couldn’t very well change the plot of the story because…

What I Liked: This book was based on a true story – but not just ANY story. It was written based on the life of Jane’s own grandmother. I found this aspect fascinating. Maybe it’s just because I’m kind of a history buff but the thought that this was a real story about a real person absolutely intrigued me. Throughout the book Jane sprinkles actual pictures taken by her grandmother and speculates about the stories behind them. Some of the story is obviously the creation of Jane’s imagination as she had to fill in some of the gaps about what actually happened. But the bones that form the story’s structure are all true facts about her grandma’s life.

I also found it interesting to read some of the bits of American culture that the author weaved in – like, for example, how people were wary of having their picture taken when the technology first emerged. It’s so commonplace now! Or how it was difficult for a woman to gain respect without the help of a man in some way {in that day}. Things have definitely changed since the late 1800’s!

Overall, I’d say this is worth the read, but it’s probably best to read the first book, then this one. I’m interested to find out if the author has written any other historical fiction books – those are some of my favorites.

And if you’re interested in giving this book a read, I can help! WaterBrook Multnomah has graciously provided a copy for me to giveaway! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post anytime between now and next Tuesday, April 6th. I will choose and post the winner Wednesday morning.

An Absence So Great is also available for purchase at the Random House website.

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This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Winners!

I am happy to announce the two winners of my book giveaway!

Winner #1:

Kay – Congrats Kay! You will be receiving a copy of the book, Mother Daughter Duet by Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum.

Winner #2:

Mandolin – Mandi, you’ll be receiving a copy of the book Dancing With My Father by Sally Clarkson.

I’ll be emailing you ladies to figure out details on how to get the books to you :)

Thanks to all who participated and best of luck next time! :)

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Winning numbers chosen courtesy of Random.org

Tea With Hezbollah – Review and A Giveaway!!

Guess what?

It’s Friday!!!

Guess what else?

It’s a giveaway day!

Today I am reviewing the book “Tea With Hezbollah: Sitting at the Enemies’ Table” by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis for Waterbrook Multnomah.

About the Book:

Is it really possible to love one’s enemies?

That’s the question that sparked a fascinating and, at times, terrifying journey into the heart of the Middle East during the summer of 2008. It was a trip that began in Egypt, passed beneath the steel and glass high rises of Saudi Arabia, then wound through the bullet- pocked alleyways of Beirut and dusty streets of Damascus, before ending at the cradle of the world’s three major religions: Jerusalem.

Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.

Through powerful narrative Tea With Hezbollah will draw the West into a completely fresh understanding of those we call our enemies and the teaching that dares us to love them. A must read for all who see the looming threat rising in the Middle East.

About the Authors:

Ted Dekker is the author of many nationally bestselling novels, including Bone Man’s Daughters, The Circle Trilogy, Thr3e, and House, which was coauthored by Frank Peretti. His unique style of storytelling has captured the attention of millions worldwide. Visit him at TedDekker.com.

Carl Medearis is the founder and president of International Initiatives, LLC, an organization that promotes cultural, educational, and commercial exchange between the East and the West. He is an advisor on Arab affairs to the members of the U.S. Congress and leaders in international business.

What I Thought:

Ted Dekker is best know for his works of fiction, of which I’ve only read one, and to be honest, when I saw the title of this book, I thought that’s what this was – a fictitious novel. I mean, seriously? Who has Tea With Hezbollah?

Well, Ted and his friend Carl did. And not just with Hezbollah but with Hamas, the bin Laden brothers, and many others who would be considered enemies of America. They were on a quest, not to write a book on Middle Eastern politics but to explore what Jesus meant when He taught that we are to love our enemies.

Dekker’s account of their journey into the heart of the Middle East is every bit as gripping and interesting as his fictional stories. Along with stories about the people they met and transcripts of their conversations, he weaves in some of the vast and complicated history of the conflict and turmoil that has transpired in that ancient land. And in true Dekker style, there’s even a plot twist at the end.

I took away a couple of things from this book.

First, I realized just how complicated and muddled the politics of this region are – even more so than I thought before. Christians, Jews, Muslims – all have their share of blood on their hands. All have done things in the name of religion that would grieve the heart of God. Dekker says, “The problem I have in writing this today is that there is simply no way to appropriately parse the condition of this land without infuriating one group or the other. The situation is complex and it’s bathed in centuries of blood.”

Second, I was convicted about my responsibility, as a Christian, to show love to my enemies, regardless of how horribly they have treated me. Throughout the book, Dekker frequently references the parable of the Good Samaritan. The parallel is clear – the terrorists in the Middle East are to us what the Samaritan’s were to the Jews of their day. When Dekker asks his friend Carl at the end of the trip if he’s now become a pacifist, Medearis replys, “No. I don’t know what I am with respect to governments’ use of power. But one on one, love is the only solution, and nobody does it well. Not Christians, not Muslims, not Jews, not me.”

There is something to be said for justice, their is something to be said for standing up for truth, there is something to be said for a country defending itself against outside threats – but individually – for me – I have been commanded to show love to my enemies. I can’t accept everything else Jesus says, and reject that.

To be honest, I really don’t know what that means or how it plays out in my life, but reading this book has made me really stop and think about how this teaching should look in my day to day life.

If you’re looking for a gripping and challenging book that will help you dive into some of the conflict that exists in the Middle East, read this book! And I can help you out with this because Waterbrook Multnomah has graciously given me a copy to giveaway!

If you would like a copy of this book, please leave me a comment on this post. Please make sure your email address is linked to your comment or  leave your email address in the comment so I can contact you. I will close the comments at midnight on Monday, February 1, 2010 , and will draw a winner then. I'll post the name of the winner  Tuesday morning. 

Tea With Hezbollah can be purchased from Random House.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Oops…

Ok so…my sincerest apologies…to those of you who have been checking in to see if they won my giveaway from last week…I totally forgot to choose a winner! Please forgive me!

Without further ado, the winner of The Male Factor book giveaway, courtesy of random.org is:

Lindy Rhodes

CONGRATULATIONS! Lindy is a first time commenter, which just goes to show that good things come to those who comment ;)

Lindy, I’ll be sending you an email to get the details so I can mail this out to you!

Thanks for all who participated! Another giveaway is coming next week so stay tuned!

And We’re Done {Sigh}

Whew! That was, in a word, exhausting.

And FUN!

I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard while I baking. I definitely want to do it again. Maybe not next week but definitely next year.

We’ve got tins filled for our neighbors:

A plate full of goodies for Dave to take to work:

And a Tupperware container literally bulging with yummies:

Oh yes, and this tin is filled with one of each treat {including the “Shrimp”}

There’s still time to enter the giveaway. Keep it up with the comments – it’s cheap entertainment :)

I’ve got to end by giving a few shout outs. First,

Mindy

One of my bestest friends, she made what would have otherwise been a lot of work feel like a lot of fun.

Mary and Martha

I don’t know who they are, but they wrote this cookbook that supplied us with almost all of our recipes today.

My mom

Our baby-sitter and resident baking expert, she corralled our children and fielded questions all day. We could NOT have done this without her. You rock mom!

 

Lily and Hannah

For being super cute and providing us with comic relief.  How can you NOT smile when you see this?

Alrighty. Baking’s done. Kitchen’s cleaned. Time to put my feet up…aaahh…

Come back tomorrow to find out who won!!

And the Winner Is...

How to pick a winner for your giveaway...

Find an impartial judge...

...and a princess bucket.

Toss in all the names...

...and pull out the winner!

And the winner is...

Oh, I'm kidding...I disqualified the hubs, of course (though it was sweet of him to try :)

The REAL winner is...

(watch the video to find out!)

Congratulations to Sarah @ This Heavenly Life!

And to everyone else, thanks for being such great readers, commenters, and all around good people :) Better luck next time!