Romantic Candle Giveaway (3 winners)......

This yummy scented candle currently comes in three different scents :)

-Apples & Cinnamon

-Champagne Rain

&

- French Vanilla

AND....

&

I

are giving 3 (three) lucky people the

 chance to try one out :)

This is what Edenfantasys has to say about this wonderful candle:

"Turn out the lights and add romance to your evening. Romantic candle will add a glow

 of romance, a touch of fragrance and has the added bonus of pheromones that can only enhance 

the mood. Whether you are soaking in the tub with your lover or have it lit by the bed....

this candle will create romantic atmosphere."

This candle is 4 oz. and has a 12 hour burn time!!

~~~~

~~~~

U.S. and Canada entries only please.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Edenfantasys and tell me your favorite item,

other than those mentioned above. You must follow my blog via GFC.

Extra Entries: You may do as many of these as you like AFTER you complete the mandatory entry!! If the mandatory entry isn't done first, the rest of the entries will not be counted. Make sure you include your email address in each entry, so that I can easily contact the winner.

Leave a seperate comment for each entry please.

~~~~

Follow Edenfantasys on Twitter, leave handle. (2 entries)

Like Edenfantasys on Facebook, leave handle (2 entries)

Make a purchase from Edenfantasys (15 entries) must prove if you win!

(purchase must be on or after todays date)

Tweet about this giveaway, can be done three times per day

(Must be at least four hours apart)

Share on facebook or other social network, leave me proof!! (2 entries)

Subscribe via email. (3 entries)

Subscribe via feed. (2 entries)

Follow my other blog via GFC (5 entries)

Follow me on Facebook. (2 entries)

Follow me on twitter (2 entries)

Enter another one of my giveaways (2 entries each) 

Tell me where you found this giveaway (2 entries)

Add this giveaway to a giveaway linky. Tell me which one. (5 entries)

Blog about this giveaway, leave me the link. (10 entries)

~~~~

This giveaway will end on 4/18.

A winner will be chosen, contacted via email,

and will have 48 hours to reply.

If no response, I will choose a new winner.

Best of luck to everyone :)

REMEMBER...THERE ARE THREE WINNERS!!! 

~Steph

Sharing a couple giveaways with you.....

I wanted to share a couple of great giveaways 

that I have happened upon with you so that you could enter them as well :)

~~~~~

Bridgette over at

has a $25 gift certificate to

Kranky Krab 

for her....

Kranky Krab Personalized Children’s Art: Review and Giveaway

Ends April 11th at 11:59 pm.

~~~~~

Elle over at 

can be found here

has a 

$15 dollar Wal-mart gift card

to give away

in honor of  her

Follower Celebration Giveaway.

The giveaway ends March 28th at 8 pm.

~~~~~

'Money & Marriage' Blog Tour.....

About the book:

Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged or Newly Married Couples

In this thorough and practical guide, financial expert Matt Bell helps engaged and newly married couples navigate the merger of habits, flaws, and attitudes about money so two can truly become one.

His writing is full of helpful advice, Scripture, and practical steps to gaining financial freedom together as a couple. Learn to use money in a way that minimizes disputes and maximizes marital happiness.

My Review:

OK, now here is what I have to say about the book....

First off, this is a great book for both engaged and newly married couples.

Matt starts right off with what seems to be the cause of so many relationship issues these days ---MONEY!!!

He talks about he and his wife, Jude and when they were merely dating, and how they very rarely disagreed. And then when they got engaged and they had to go register for their wedding gifts, they had their very FIRST ARGUMENT...over what dish pattern to register for. Yes it seems so silly, doesn't it?? But if you think about it, it is often something so silly that will cause many arguments and the little arguments often don't stay little, because we let them grow and make them into something so much more. He goes on about that first argument and says if they were "having such a tough time spending other people's money"...'what about when it came time to spend [their] own money?'  And isn't that the a great question to ask ourselves right now???

This book does a great job at helping you to understand how important it is to understand what you are getting yourself in to ahead of time...NOT after you have been married for six months or a year!! He tells us to ask your partner to have a look at their financial slate, so to speak. Basically, you should both know of each others debts if any, such as credit cards, student loans, etc. up front if there is any.

And without giving the whole book away, the last thing I want to stress on, is how Matt stresses how important it is to put some money away. It's kind of like Jackie Mason that says, "I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something." But who can live like that in real life and be comfortable and live in peace??? Matt says that the least stressed-out people have six or more months worth of living expenses set aside. Now that is something that I currently do not have, but am definitely going to start working at.

This is definitely not just a one time read. I feel that this is a book that you will stick on your shelf and refer back to many times through-out your engagement and marriage. Perhaps it may just be the key to a long and very happy marriage, because money won't be something you two will have to worry about :)

~Steph

About Matt Bell: 

Matt began his career as a radio journalist, with his work featured on National Public Radio, the NBC Radio Network, and several other networks. His reporting earned national awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and United Press International.

Today, Matt is a full-time personal finance writer and speaker. He is the author of two books: "Money, Purpose, Joy" (September 2008) and "Money Strategies for Tough Times" (April 2009), both by NavPress. Matt has been quoted in USA TODAY, U.S. News and World Report, the Chicago Tribune, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, has written for ChristianityToday.com, and has been a guest on WGN-TV and several nationally syndicated radio talk shows.

Matt holds a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from DePaul University, where he wrote a thesis about the emergence of America's consumer culture and its influence on people's beliefs and behaviors.

Matt lives with his wife and their three young children in the Chicago area. Visit his website and blog at www.mattaboutmoney.com.

Buy the book here! 

Don't miss the rest of the blog tour....

Here is the whole blog tour schedule list :)

Note: I was given a copy of this book to review at no cost.

I am in no way required to given a positive review!! 

I ALWAYS given my honest opinion of items that I review.

In this case, thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group.

Again, if you haven't already got yourself a copy,

you can get yourself one here.

 

On kids...and what I'm willing to go through for mine....

I have probably earned the following....

and, I'll even tell you why,

BUT...I am more than willing to make up for it!!

And NOT BECAUSE I WANT BROWNIE POINTS!!

Brownies...maybe :)

J/K

OK, so here it is Sunday the 20th. And my Brandon's birthday was on the 13th.

One of his presents was a coupon/voucher....basically the promise to get him a new

bike just as soon as we could get a ride into town to Walmart or Meijers!!

Many of you may remember that I have been without a vehicle for almost a year now.

Well, needless to say, this person and that person, and well, just about EVERY PERSON

we know and don't know (as nice as the offer was) has offered us a ride to go buy Brandon

his new birthday bike, except that NO-ONE has shown up yet.

Each and every day since Brandon's birthday, a week ago....

BUT, BOY AM I TELLING YOU, IT SEEMS MORE LIKE A MONTH...

he walks in the house after school, drops his back-pack, and I can just tell that he is trying

just as hard as any eleven year old can be expected to try for his Mom....

(But I can see that behind that good sport, his big brown eyes are so disappointed!!)

It makes me just want to cry! But he doesn't, so neither do I.

That's why I have decided that tomorrow while he is at school, that I am going to

take the pay-per-ride bus into town to Meijer (because it is closer!!)

I am going to buy him the nicest darn bike they have,

and then I am going to peddle my little,  I mean not so little, big butt the whole

eight mile home myself and just hope that I can still walk on Tuesday.

Now of course with all my diagnoses and all that, I know this is a big risk...

but....I can not stand to see that look on my son's face one more time,

and I think it might just break my heart for good.

I truly think that someones heart can only be broke so many times before

it truly cannot be mended--at least properly--again :)

So, everyone...please wish me well on my bike ride tomorrow!!

And by all means, hope that I can still walk on Tuesday,

well let's be realistic here, let's hope that I'll be back up and walking,

by say Thursday or Friday :)

Oh the things we do for our kids...

But then there really isn't much that I wouldn't do for any of them...

even if it did mean I would NEVER walk again

.

 And....I truly love all of you.

~Steph

Hide-A-Heart Giveaway has been extended....

The giveaway for the gorgeous

"Pay It Forward/Random Acts of Kindness"

Red Glass Heart

Hide-A-Heart has been extended.

The first time around, I don't feel like there were

enough valid entries to really be able to pick a winner.

SO DON'T MISS OUT ON YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

THIS TIME AROUND.

 Make that many, many chances to win.

The last time I posted the giveaway, I had a whole lot going on.

I don't feel like I was able to give my b log the time it deserved.

My 14 year old son running away (and no he hasn't returned yet)

is just one of the many things I am dealing with.

But I figure that it's time to quit moping and get back to work!

And getting back to what I enjoy most besides my children and

reading is blogging (and reading and blogging go hand in hand)

So hear I am, back to meet all my deadlines....

And review...AND GIVEAWAY A WHOLE LOT OF
REALLY GREAT STUFF :)

STARTING OFF WITH THIS.....

Hide-A Heart's

''Pay It Forward/ Random Act of Kindness"

Red Glass Heart

Want a chance or 10 or 20 or 35 to win???

I thought you might :)

Here is the link....

ENTER TO WIN HERE

In fact, go ahead and tell you friend about it and if they enter

and tell me that you sent them, you both may take five (5) extra entries

between now and March 28th :)

Good luck.

Have a wonderful weekend.

And hey, while you're at it this weekend...

why not pay it forward, eh??

Do a few random acts of kindness??

NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THEM...

THAT'S THE BEST PART OF ALL!!

~Steph

On Friends....

At first I was having a hard time figuring out what to write about today.

So I went back to the old saying...write about what inspires you...

and I came up with...

FRIENDS!!

How important are friends??

At times I have thought that I really didn't need any friends at all. In fact I figured that I could do it all on my own. At other times, I thought that maybe just one really close friend would work. In fact, I have made it thought the past fourteen years with JUST ONE really great friend!! We have been through some extraordinarily great times together; both just her and I, and her, I and all our kids !! And then, we've also been way down in the dumps together; so, so low that we didn't know if we'd ever be able to dig or even claw our way back out. But we did, and we both made it out alive, and probably all the better for it. There have been times when we have hurt each other's feeling really badly, probably to the point where some would says it's unforgivable, but even it it takes us some time to think it through... and a few times, it has taken quite awhile ;(-- we have always (luckily) came around and found our ways back to each other :) She is my best friend of 14 years, Marsha Marie, AKA, Marsh.

Recently I have met a really great friend online, she is just the most wonderful, most giving, and caring person you could ever meet. I don't think she knows how wonderful she is, and that she just so happened to come into my life at exactly the time I needed her the most...but isn't that the way it's suppose to happen. I'll be forever thankful for her. I think that right now she is perhaps doing some soul searching herself and maybe realizing some of these same exact things about friends that I am....that they are always there when you need them, NO MATTER WHAT!!

Lately I have met a few more really great friends and realized that having no friends and trying to do it all on my own is not the answer and probably not even possible...especially not at this stage in my life.

Having one really great friend is wonderful--and now I have two REALLY GREAT friends who I wouldn't change or give up for the world. The only thing I would change, is being able to see the other one MORE...or in this case....at all, as of yet!!!! But I am very optimistic and hopeful, and know that we will someday soon, meet in person, she is absolutely, my angel friend, sent to save me when I was losing myself fast, my Halo.....

But...I'm also really enjoying all the new friends I've been meeting and I have every intention of keeping each and every one of them, learning to know all that I can about each of them, AND...I even plan to keep looking for MORE new people who look either interesting...OR...as if the might be in need of a friend.

 BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL, AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT I HAVE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO IT :)

I have come to believe that one can never have too many friends.

I believe that all of them will probably end up becoming different levels of friendships and that will be just perfect :)

So, again, like I said in the beginning...

how important are friends??? 

VERY!!!!

Sunday, a new friend picked us up and drove us to church.

Monday, I went to the ER with a friend for support.

This past weekend I had a friend and her kids over to visit.

Last weekend I had a different friend and her kids over for a visit.

The other day a friend of mine drove me to counseling and we had a wonderful talk.

I came across an old friend (from over 20 years ago) this week and talked to her for more than

   an half hour, we reminisced about old times, come to find out she lives ten minutes away.

I have become friends with a girl who rides the pay-per-ride bus with me, and it just so happens that 

   she reads almost as much as me, we have been trading books back and forth, and recommending

   good authors and books to each others.

I asked a Facebook friend to pray for my missing son Jacob the other day, and then I heard through the

   grapevine that he was OK the very same night.

I could go on and on, but I'm not going to....I think you get the idea :)

Here is what I want to do instead.....

I want to encourage you to stop here

 and give you the choice

 to do one or more of the following:

- Write an old friend via snail mail.

- Email a friend.

- Go visit a friend, don't call first.

- Call an old friend.

- Go buy a ' just because' greeting card for a friend and send it out TODAY.

-Send a friend flowers or other 'just because' gift TODAY.

- Go out and meet a new friend.

- Go visit someone you know in the hospital or nursing home.

- Go meet and visit someone you don't know in the hospital or nursing home.

-Go out and buy a stranger coffee and visit with them for a short talk.

((HUGS))

My friends,

I truly, truly hope you will

take the opportunity to do one

of the above...or perhaps think up 

one of your own.

And hey...if you do, whether you 

use one of my ideas, or make

up your own...won't you 

share it with the rest of us....

help encourage the rest of us 

to do the same???

Have a wonderful day!!

Music and healing....

OK, so I'm not really an avid movie watcher...truth is I usually fall asleep half way in!

But the cover got me, and since like I explained in an earlier post,

I had been sort of having a hard time reading.

I am happy to say that is no longer the case.

I am more than 2/3rds of the way through my second book since yesterday's 'Lift' :)

OK, so back to the real point of this blog....

I rented and watched

"The Guitar"

with Saffron Burrows playing the lead.

The Guitar

Directed by Amy Redford - Starring Saffron Burrows, Isaach de Bankolé, Paz de la Huerta

Starz/Anchor Bay - Rated R - 93 min - Psychological Drama - Region: 1 (USA & territories, Canada)

What the cover says:

A doomed woman discovers her creative spirit during a final fling with life in this independent drama. Melody Wilder (Saffron Burrows) is already having a bad day when she visits her doctor about a troubling lump in her throat -- her boyfriend has left her, and she's lost her job. However, this news pales in comparison to what her doctor (Janeane Garofalo) has to say: the lump is an inoperable cancer, and Melody has only a short time to live. Throwing caution to the wind, Melody rents a huge, luxurious apartment and furnishes it in high style, putting her purchases on a handful of credit cards she won't be around to pay off.

What I say:

So, wow....she finds out she has throat cancer, it can't be cured, it can't be operated on, she has very little time to live!! And basically no-one that she is close to has the time of day to listen to her, they are all to caught up in their own life dream world (whatever you want to call it...I call it pathetic!!!) Loved ones and friends should ALWAYS make or find the time to listen to someone who is obviously going out of their way to tell them something important--which is apparent on Melody's (Saffrons's) face and in her voice.

There is so much raw emotion in this movie.

What a powerful movie.

This is one you most certainly won't soon forget.

Melody (Mel) takes what's left of her life as the Dr. has told her --two months--

and lives out all her dreams since

childhood, the biggest being the guitar.

You absolutely have to watch her transformation!!

This was a wonderful movie...at least in my opinion :)
And even though it isn't a brand new movie that is just out on DVD
or anything like that...you definitely should watch it
if you get the chance :)

I think in a way, a really big way,

Mel let the guitar and music help her

a lot! She had been hurting since she was a child.

Her music helped all of those hurts and others

to heal :)

~~~~~~~~~~

Music and healing....

I think that music can help in many different kinds of situations.

I also believe that it can help heal many hurts as it did in the movie mentioned above.

I DEFINITELY BELIEVE THAT MUSIC CAN HEAL...

No matter what kind of music it is!

When I'm in different moods, I listen to different types of music--how about you??

When I am mad, I listen to more fast, heavy metal type music.

And that is when I sometimes go into my power-cleaning mode.

(For those of you who know me personally, you know I don't

like to go into that mode very often, lol !)

When I am upbeat and happy, that is when I love to listen to a real variety

of music. I like anything from punk, 80's, 90s, rock, country, inspirational,

jazz, metal, 70s' some rap like Eminem, even Glen Miller Band and especially

the Herman's Hermits!! 'Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good!'

So, tell me, do you let music take you

away when you are hurting?

And....

Does it ever have a healing effect on you??

((HUGS))