a fond farewell

So we've had a tree removed.  SO thankful to our friend from church for taking it down for such a great deal! He did a great job and we are so glad to have the messy cottonwood out of our lives!  Hurray, no more sticky seed pods sticking to bare feet, shoes - no more raking up messy little sticks during EVERY season, no more air full of stifling cotton, no more giant trunk obscuring my view of the play area - all very good things. 

Praising God for this blessing - so thankful!  The tree could have quickly become a hazard to our home and it can do no harm lying on the ground in chunks!  Sounds like there are a few people interested in coming to get the majority of the wood - so until then, we have a fun jungle gym in the back yard.  Anybody know any lumberjack games?

a TREAT for you!

So - last week I posted a giveaway for one lucky reader - today I have something for FREE for all my readers!

Have you heard of Treat?

Treat is part of Shutterfly and is an easy way for people to create and send one-of-a-kind greeting cards. YOU create the card (you can even make one with those crazy photos you have been saving for a special occasion), and the company mails them!  I can see this being a good way for me to actually start getting birthday cards out on time!  You can even add a gift card if you want to!

SO, today and tomorrow, thanks to the generosity of the people at Treat,  you can create and send a totally personalized greeting card from Treat for FREE. Whether saying thanks for Thanksgiving, wishing a friend happy birthday, or simply sharing the holiday cheer with a just because card, Treat lets you create a one-of-a-kind card that is sure to impress.

 

YEP, one free Treat card good only on Monday 11/19 & Tuesday 11/20 for YOU with code: TREATBLOGR - Have a great time creating, everybody!

 

(this is a sponsored post - thanks, Treat!)

We have a WINNAH!!!

The winner of the $50 Tiny Prints giveaway is.....

....AMY KELLOGG!!

Please get your info to me right away!  Congratulations, and have fun creating!

(special thanks to random.org for an impartial pick)

Tiny Prints (and a weekend giveaway)

It's no secret that I love a good deal - but there have been times when an online "deal" ended up being a disappointment when it arrived - poor quality, a different color, etc. - we've all been there!

I got an email from Tiny Prints asking me to blog about their Photo Holiday Cards, and I must say - I got a few different cards from a few different companies last year, and the Tiny Prints cards did not disappoint.  The company has gone further this year by introducing their new Premium DoubleThick™ Matte Paper. (I am a sucker for thick paper)

When you visit Tiny Prints, please be sure check out the ornament cards - I think the idea is pretty neat, and a circle design will be a standout!  I also love how there are multiple layouts and personalization options available for the card designs!  They also have a Special Offers page which is great for penny pinchers like me!!

Another thing that makes them great is the fact they have offered a coupon code for $50 off a total order to one of my lucky readers.  How exciting!  Just leave a comment telling me that you'd like to be entered in the drawing! Two entries if you link a card you like from Tiny Prints!  The giveaway will end on Monday November 12th at midnight! 

Anyone can enter; Tiny Prints ships to over 200 countries and also will address & mail your cards for you.  However, the prize code does not apply toward shipping and cannot be used with any other discount.  The prize must be used by 12/14/2012.

This is a sponsored post but the opinions are my own.

October (and a sneak preview)

I've started and stopped several blog posts. Obviously nothing has posted since the end of September.  I stopped linking my blog to Facebook due to concerns I had and am still considering a permanent breakup with that confounded social network.  I feel like it's similar to junk food - so horrible - yet so delicious!

Our October seemed to pass in a whirlwind of last-of-harvest scurrying, sickness, sleep, and more exhaustion.  Each year, I feel more poignantly that life is indeed a vapor.

The kids are doing great.  We're enjoying our homeschool adventure and LOVE being part of Classical Conversations.  We keep it simple and parts of me wonder if we're doing enough but we're also learning child-directed things that traditional school would not leave opportunity for - and I had clear confirmation a week or so ago that we made the right decision for this year for our family.  God is good to give us assurances like that.

Aaron is reading everything he sees with a curiosity and hunger that is awesome to watch.  I love being part of this reading journey with him.  He is starting to write stories on his own, is constantly asking excellent questions and is equal parts crazy kid and maturing person.  It is humbling to be tasked with parenting this child.  He is pretty neat.

Evan is growing like a weed and is showing interest in drawing people and making forts.  He loves to have fun and he's our little TV junkie. He is very empathetic and is working on his listening skills.  :-)  He's always ready to help and loves his sister to the moon!  (he loves his brother too)

Cadence is getting around quite well, but like her eldest brother, tends to err on the side of caution and is only standing unsupported when no one else is looking or when something gets her attention and she forgets to hold on.  She's very much attached to her little dolls and is quite adept at communicating most of the time.  I personally think she's brilliant - but I'm sure I am biased.  She also eats more than I do every single day.

Very soon - a giveaway!  I was contacted by TinyPrints to do a sponsored post - free code for $50 off YOUR order is in the works! Stay tuned!!