Little Bit of Wonderful

Check Out Laura's Peevish Pets Toy Review On Literary Legs + Giveaway!

2012-02-26T17:40:00.000-06:00

My dear friend Laura, who writes a fabulous guest post once here on Little Bit Of Wonderful the third Tuesday of every month, just posted a fantastic review and giveaway opportunity on her own blog, Literary Legs, and you've simply got to check it out.

Our mutual friends, Brooke & Jose, recently discovered they are expecting their first baby, and the timing was sweetly perfect, because they had just launched a new line of handcrafted toys - Peevish Pets. These little guys are hand sewn animals and characters that you just want to snatch up and snuggle to death. Seriously, check this out!

Peevish Pets on Facebook

Right now, you can win either the pug or the owl pictured by entering Laura's Rafflecopter drawing. Hurry, the giveaway ends on March 8th! You can enter here.

If you haven't met Laura yet, you can find her guest posts by simply entering her name - Laura Page - into the Search box at the top of the right hand sidebar.

The Maid Of Fairbourne Hall | Julie Klassen | Book Review, Author Interview, Contest & Giveaway!

2012-02-25T21:24:00.000-06:00

You are a young woman in a time when being a woman means you are utterly dependent on the men in your family. Your widowed mother marries a man intent on taking possession of your inheritance by any means necessary, and you have just learned that those "means" include getting his nephew to rob you of your innocence in the dead of night. No one will believe you if you tell them, and you are penniless. What do you do?

To escape a scheme to marry her off to a dishonorable man, Margaret Macy flees London disguised as a housemaid. If she can remain unwed until her next birthday, she will receive an inheritance, and with it, sweet independence. But she never planned on actually working as a servant. And certainly not in the home of Nathaniel and Lewis Upchurch - both former suitors!

As she fumbles through the first real work of her life, Margaret struggles to keep her identity a secret when suspicions arise and prying eyes visit Fairbourne Hall. Can she avoid a trap meant to force her from hiding?

~ from the publisher

Join me after the cut for my review of this fantastic new book by Julie Klassen, an exclusive interview with the author, a chance to win some great prizes from her during her huge multi-blogger book tour - including a Kindle Fire - and a chance to win a copy of this great book right here on Little Bit Of Wonderful!

Set in the county of Kent in England, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall is a beautifully detailed story of a young woman forced to flee her upper class home and all she knows and go into hiding as a house maid in order to avoid being forced (by "any means necessary") into marriage to a dishonorable man by his uncle, her new step father. Written in a style reminiscent of the glorious novels by Jane Austen, this book will sweep you away to a time when women could do nothing without the consent of the men in their lives, when servants stood nose-to-wall as their employers passed and lived in cold, drafty attics, and when finding love was deemed far less important that securing wealth and title for family legacy. In this, her fifth novel, Julie Klassen weaves a tale of one young woman's journey to freedom, honor, humility, and love.

You can read more reviews of The Maid Of Fairbourne Hall here.

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane - Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She has won the Christy Award: Historical Romance for The Silent Governess (2010) and The Girl in the Gatehouse (2011) which also won the 2010 Midwest Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

You can buy your own copy of this great book here for only $10.19

Want to get to know Julie a little bit better? To my thrilled excitement, she agreed to an exclusive interview with me! Here's what she had to say...

The Maid Of Fairbourne Hall is set in England, with magnificent detail. Have you ever been there yourself?

Yes. My husband and I have had the privilege of visiting England twice now. (I jokingly say that’s the real reason I write--to justify my lifelong desire to travel there!) In May 2011, we toured several old country estates and historic town houses which still have much of their servants’ areas intact. I loved seeing the massive kitchens, larders, stillrooms, dairies, butler’s pantries, housekeeper’s sitting rooms, attic bedchambers, and more.

It is clear from the detail in this story that you did a massive amount of research. What was the most interesting or unexpected thing you learned while preparing for this book?

I found it all interesting! I was especially impressed by how large the staffs were in many of these country estates (think Downton Abbey). And though I’m writing about a time period 200 years ago before electricity and indoor plumbing, in many ways houses were very advanced with complex hierarchies and impressive tools like speaking tubes and bell systems to communicate with the rest of the house.

A few of the characters in your book display a sound knowledge and understanding of how the Bible teaches a Christian ought to live. I love that this book is anything but preachy, while still managing to convey sound principles. How does faith figure in your own life, and how does it affect your writing?

As a believer, my goals in writing are to delight readers and to glorify God. I do hope to include faith themes and Christian content in a way that is seamless to the story and not tacked on or preachy. It is always a challenge to do this well, so I appreciate your kind words.

On of my favorite things about this story is that the characters all have depth and believability, and are uniquely their own persons - even the secondary and tertiary characters. How did you manage that??

Thank you so much! I love it when characters come to life and become their own persons while I’m writing. This is also a challenge. A few things I do to help: 1. I “cast” characters by finding actors or models that represent the characters in my mind. This helps me describe them, and begin to see them and hear them in my mind. (Yes, my husband is worried about the voices in my head!) And 2. I “interview” the main characters and a few secondary characters as well, asking a list of questions I was once graciously given by fellow-author Susan Meissner. These questions (about the character’s background, fears, view of God, etc.) help differentiate characters and bring them to life as well.

I understand that this is your fifth book, and that you have another in the works. What can you tell us about this new project?

I am working on my next stand-alone Regency-era novel for Bethany House Publishers. It’s called The Tutor’s Daughter. I’ll be sharing more details at my first-ever Facebook party on March 15th--I hope you’ll join me there.

Thank you for agreeing to be a guest on Little Bit Of Wonderful during this busy time for you. We are thrilled to have you, and would love to get to know you better! In what ways can your fans connect with you?

I would love to hear from readers via email through my web site (www.julieklassen.com) or on Facebook. Thanks for having me here.

Any time! Thank you so much for coming, and I can't wait to get to know you better *smiles*

Julie is so excited about her new book, she's giving away a Kindle Fire, and hosting a Facebook party to celebrate! Check it out...

Don't miss the perfect blend of Regency-era romance and mystery in The Maid of Fairbourne Hall! Grab a copy and then be sure to enter Julie's Kindle Fire Giveaway and RSVP for her Author Chat party on Facebook! Swoon.

One fortunate winner will receive:

A brand new Kindle Fire
A Julie Klassen Library (The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Silent Governess)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/14/12. Winner will be announced at Julie's Fairbourne Hall Book Chat Party on 3/15. Julie will be hosting an evening of chat, trivia and a sneak peek of her next book - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books and a Downton Abbey Prize Pack (Seasons 1 and 2)!

So grab your copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and join Julie and friends on the evening of March 15th for a book chat party.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 15th!

I don't know about you, but I really want to win that collection of all of her books! *wink*

Julie has kindly offered one of my sweet readers a chance to win a signed copy of The Maid Of Fairbourne Hall right here on Little Bit Of Wonderful. Isn't that awesome?? *smiles* All you have to do to be eligible to win is complete the mandatory entry in the Rafflecopter widget below; this giveaway is open to residents of the US & Canada. Once you have completed the mandatory entry, you will see several new entry methods - these are all optional, and you may complete as many or as few as you like for extra entries. Be sure get your entries in by 11:59pm on Saturday, March 10th, to qualify to win. Have fun, and please tell your friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Disclosure }

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity Group for the purpose of providing an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. To learn more, please visit my Disclosure page. If you are interested in having your book, product, or service reviewed on this blog, please see my PR Friendly page, and send me a message via my Contact page. Thank you!

Blue Moon Promise | Colleen Coble | Book Review & Author Giveaway

2012-02-23T22:38:00.000-06:00

A love like Lucy and Nate's only comes along once in a blue moon...

Lucy Marsh's worldly resources are running out, but she's fiercely determined to care for her younger brother and sister. When she discovers that their father's recent death was no accident, Lucy is eager to leave town. She accepts a proxy marriage she believes will provide safe refuge. But trouble follows her to Texas where her new husband is surprised to suddenly have a wife and children to care for.

Nate Stanton always hoped he'd marry someday, but running the family ranch meant he had no time for romance. When his father deposits Lucy Marsh - a city girl - on his doorstep, with two siblings in the bargain, he expects ranch life will send her running on the first train out of town. But Lucy is made of tougher stuff than Nate imagined. When danger moves in, Nate finds he'd give anything to protect Lucy and the children he's grown to love. Even if it means giving up his ranch.

~ from the publisher

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I loved this book!! Colleen Coble has been writing for a while, but this was my introduction to her work, and I'm so glad I took the plunge! Written in an easy flowing style that engages the imagination and pulls you into the story, Blue Moon Promise is well worth reading.

The flavor text you read on the back of this book barely does it justice. Lucy Marsh is a complex and fascinating character, and oh so achingly believable. A woman who struggles to put her trust in God into action, longing to be the one to set the rules, Lucy learns through the unusual and surprising trials of being a surprise bride by proxy just what it means to let God write your story. Nate Stanton is a good man who struggles to honor his father when the older man seems too set on writing his story for him, especially when that means tricking Nate into marrying a total stranger with two young charges! Nate and Lucy would have had a hard enough time adjusting to this impossible situation without the added dangers of a stranger almost burning down their barn, rustlers making off with their hard won cattle, predators of a half-tamed frontier, and dishonest villains trying to steal a surprising treasure - even killing Lucy's father in the attempt! Through it all, both Nate and Lucy wrestle with God over the unjustness of their situations, while seeking to make the best of a story neither of them could have possibly imagined for themselves - and eventually they come to realize that sometimes the unexpected and tragic can transform into something beautiful.

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Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA's RITA, the Hold Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Reader's Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

For more about Colleen and her other books visit www.colleencoble.com

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You can purchase your own copy of Blue Moon Promise here for $15.99

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Blue Moon Promise is a story of hope, romance, and suspense . . . immersing the reader in a rich historical tale set under Texas stars.

To celebrate Colleen is teaming up with her publisher Thomas Nelson for a "Blue Moon Promise" Facebook Chat party where she will giveaway a KINDLE Fire and a Texas-sized gift basket (fabulous Texas treats and fun Lucy-inspired housekeeping products)!

Click the banner, RSVP today for the Facebook Party and mark the date on your calendar!

Invite your friends and don't miss Colleen's evening of chat, trivia, prizes, and more.

Counting Down & Counting Kicks - and Hicks!

2012-02-22T19:39:00.000-06:00

I am 30 weeks pregnant, and look it. Sorry, I'm also lazy and tired, and you have to wait a little bit longer for pictures, but I promise, they're coming! The last week was crazy busy (and fun!), and I've been paying for it since Monday night. To my poor husband's relief, I am choosing to take it easy this week, to give my body a chance to recover before I start packing for our move.

***Pregnancy Moment: I can't remember if I told you guys that we found a cute little two bedroom duplex in the town we've come to love, and we get the keys next week!***

Anyway, only 10 more weeks until EDD (estimated due date), but my midwife is pretty confident I'll got 2 or even 3 weeks early - Ren is measuring big, and keeps doing things earlier than expected.

Like kicking the snot out of me all night long. That sort of thing!

So this is what I've been doing for two days now...

{source}

Okay, maybe not that extreme, but there have been moments. As a few of you know, I was introduced to the lovely world of Braxton Hicks contractions with a bang two weeks ago, when I almost ended up having to drive the 30 minutes to my hospital because they were only 11 minutes apart and a full minute long. Thankfully, after a whopping 5 hours of this, they suddenly just quit, and I was able to go to sleep. Oh, and let me tell you something - anyone who says these things never hurt is VERY LUCKY, because I'm here to say that they DO in fact hurt sometimes. Just so you know.

Over this past weekend, I did a TON of walking with my brother, Cole, who was in town for a few days to see me and attend my baby shower (a post about that is coming up, but first he has to send me all the pictures he took *hint hint, I know you read this*). I started having Braxton's again, but thankfully they're not painful at all and very irregular and far apart. Except for last night - was up repeatedly with extremely sore lower back and TONS of the dumb things. At one point I woke up and they were only a few minutes apart! I lay semi awake for almost an hour before I realized that wasn't good, but when I got up to find the phone, they just suddenly stopped, and about 10 minutes later Ren started jumping around like she normally does at night, so I just went back to sleep. I've had a few today, and they kinda hurt, but they're over 20 minutes apart and not regular, so I'm not concerned. Just very, very tired and sore.

I'm excited about the next (estimated) 7-10 weeks, but I have this funny feeling I'm not going to get a lot of sleep or be very comfortable. Thankfully, I'm still gaining weight extremely slowly, and since I've decided to swear off junk and sugar until she's born (with exception of my anniversary at the end March), I'm not overly concerned about what I'll weigh at the end of all this. I'm grateful that I haven't had to worry about putting on a ton of weight, which I am sure would have made this harder. And my self image got a nice boost yesterday - my mother-in-law, Cindy, pointed out that I still have a waist from the back *wink*

Kmart Coupons & Savings | CouponCodes4u

2012-02-21T21:51:00.002-06:00

I love shopping at Kmart. Not the little ones, so much, but the bigger ones that have a small grocery section and better product selection. When I was little, Kmart kind of had this reputation for being overpriced, especially compared to Walmart, but anymore that just isn't true. I was in one the other day, and actually found that prices on baby supplies are actually significantly cheaper - with over all better quality items - than Walmart! Sure changed my preferences for stocking up for when Serenity arrives!

I found this great website that deals in coupon codes for a wide variety of businesses and brands, to help you, the consumer, get the best deal possible on things you buy. Right now, CouponCodes4u is offering a number of great Kmart Coupon Codes and I wanted to tell you a little bit about them, so you can take advantage of some great savings!

Today only, you can get 30% off plus free shipping on all orders over $39 - hurry, this ends at midnight.

Spend $50 on apparel, intimates and accessories and take $10 off your purchase (expires in four days).

Get up to 70% off of Clearance and winter apparel!

And my favorite: Get $10 off select baby gear items during the next four days!

If you like what you see, be sure to browse the CouponCodes4u website in more detail to take advantage of super savings on a wide variety of brands and services. Not only do they have thousands of online codes, they also have a section of printable coupons, and even a section featuring savings codes on vacations! And you can sign up for instant notifications so you never miss a thing.

Have fun, and get clipping!

{ Disclosure }

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. To learn more, please visit my Disclosure page. If you are interested in having your book, product, or service reviewed on this blog, or would like me to feature a sponsored post for you, please see my PR Friendly page, and send me a message via my Contact page. Thank you!

A New Chapter Begins! | Guest Post by Laura Page

2012-02-21T08:00:00.002-06:00

Hi everybody! I’m very excited that Alena has asked me to guest post here again, today, because today is a very big day for me! Today is picture day. We’re going to get a fuzzy, black and white photo of the 7- week-old little person inside of me! Yep, several weeks ago, my husband and I discovered that we’re pregnant and today we’re getting our first ultrasound!

My husband and I have been married for almost five years. Our little bean will be the first addition to our family. So many changes are coming in the months and years to come; I hardly know where to begin processing it all. I’m excited. And scared to death.

No, not me, but a beautiful photo
nonetheless. Orbie Pullen Photography

Fate has a funny way of going about things. This little development came amid lots of upheaval. In fact, if the charts are right, I very probably conceived on the day I got let go from my job last month. Perfect timing? My husband works full time and is in the slow, difficult process of starting his own business. I’m about to go to work again part time (my new boss, who is actually an old boss still doesn’t know that I’m preggers, so…looking forward to that conversation) and I am in the process of applying to grad school to get my masters in Literary Theory. I’m also working on a book. And trying to save up to buy a new car. The point is, there are times that the weight of this new discovery—that we’re going to be parents—is so overwhelming, that it feels like the world has stopped spinning. But it hasn’t. It spins on, and at an ever faster rate! I’m going to add the role of “mother” to my several other roles and it’s very probably going to be biggest adventure I’ve embarked on, yet! And if I haven’t learned to already, I’m definitely going to have to learn to juggle in a few months!

I’m in good company, however. My dear friend, Alena, will be welcoming her daughter, Serenity, into the world very soon. And my friend Brooke’s due date is only two weeks before mine! I’m among friends and I know we’ll all learn together. Many of you out there reading this today are mothers, some of you mothers to several children, and I know you’re frequent visitors to Alena’s blog. I look forward to gleaning some of your wisdom and drawing from some of your experiences as parents. I’ll take all the help I can get, believe me!

For now, tell me how you felt when you first discovered you were going to be a parent. What was the first thing that went through your head? What kinds of things did you do to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for motherhood? I would love to hear your responses!

Laura Page is a woman, a wife, a sister, a friend, and your favorite nerd-- among other things. She enjoys art, culture, literature, and a good glass of red wine! Her current projects include building her blog, Literary Legs, and writing her first novel, as well as a chapbook of poetry. Laura lives in Oregon with her hubby and her cat, “Kit”, and is expecting her first child in October. She loves company, so feel free to drop by the blog and say hi!

The Birthday Chronicle | Review & Giveaway

2012-02-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what was going on the year or day you were born? Now you can find out, with a fun Birthday Chronicle from Because I Tried It...

This one was created for me by the folks over at Because I Tried It using my birthdate, which was just last Friday. Happy birthday to me!

The process is very simple - all you do is pay the $2 fee and provide the desired name and birth date you want to appear on the Chronicle. I got my pdf file back by email in less than 5 minutes!!

Be sure to check out the other fun personalized products that Because I Tried It offers. All of them are only $2 by email, $6 by snail mail, or $20 by snail mail presented in a nice black frame.

You can follow Because I Tried It on Twitter and on Facebook.

Want one of these fun Chronicles for yourself or a loved one? You're in luck! Not only are the super affordable on the website, but Because I Tried It is offering two of my readers here at Little Bit Of Wonderful the opportunity to win one of these fun Birthday Chronicles. Fun!

All you have to do is enter your information into the Rafflecopter widget below. Only entries received via this widget will qualify to win, and all entries will be verified, so be sure to follow directions! Have fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Disclosure }

I received a free product for the purpose of providing an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. To learn more, please visit my Disclosure page. If you are interested in having your book, product, or service reviewed on this blog, please see my PR Friendly page, and send me a message via my Contact page. Thank you!

Organize Your Online Life | Introducing Clipix

2012-02-17T15:01:00.001-06:00

If you're like me, you find lots of interesting stuff online while you're browsing, and are never quite sure how to keep track of it all. Are you a "million open tabs" girl, or a "million bookmarks" girl? I tend to be both, and it not only drives me nuts, but it's also fairly ineffective. I mean, unless I have hours to write a bunch of blog posts at once about a number of different topics, having all those tabs open doesn't really do much beyond cluttering up my workspace and slowing down my server. And all those bookmarks? Same thing - I have so many of them, I can't sift through them for anything useful anymore. It's downright discouraging!

Well, say goodbye to your zillions of tabs and bookmarks, because clipix comes to the rescue! Clipix is a super cool and useful new online tool that allows you to organize all of those recipes, articles, pictures, products, etc that you need to keep track of into one easy to access place - your Clipix Clipboards.

You can create individual Clipboards organized by subject (and you can assign each its own name and level of security), so that you don't have to sort through a jumble of subjects, but can skip straight to the one you're looking for.

Here are some of my Clipboards...

I have one for organizing ideas and things for my daughter's nursery, one for keeping track of all the books in my personal library, one for tracking interesting articles... the list goes on and on! I'm planning to add a few more soon, to keep track of recipes I want to try out in my new kitchen this spring and summer, and to keep track of recipes I invent myself and post on my blog so one day I can pull them all together and finally write my cookbook!

There's also an app for iPhone for those of you who use them - you can clip anywhere!

Ready to give this a shot? Just go to the Clipix website and sign up using either Twitter or Facebook - it just takes a few minutes, and they'll never post anything without your permission, so don't worry about that. Take a second to familiarize yourself with the Clipboard system, and get clipping!

Promoted Post

Happy Birthday To Me | "Home" by Willow Tree

2012-02-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my sweet parents, who sent me fun money for my birthday last Friday, I am now the ecstatic owner of the figurine "Home" by Willow Tree...

"Home" by Willow Tree

Happy birthday to me! *smiles*

Celebrate You Valentine's Day Giveaway | $300 Upcycled Vintage Ring & Pendant

2012-02-16T14:08:00.001-06:00

Late to the party, but here I am! *smiles* Thank you to Heather of Full Price? Never! for letting me join in and bring you this awesome giveaway, in celebration of Valentine's Day! I've teamed up with other giveaway loving bloggers to bring you the chance to win this one of a kind collection of upcycled, vintage jewelry, valued at over $300! Let's celebrate YOU this year...

A Pendant and a Ring {chain not included}! Perfect for a night out on the town!

About the prize: This unique collection of jewelry features a new process to "upcycle" Vintage Jewelry. While still keeping their original charm, they are transformed into a modern look! Both pieces feature vintage rein stones, and the ring has an adjustable size stainless steel band. This is a one of a kind set that will make you sparkle!

About the Sponsor: Morgann Hill Designs is industry known for their upscale wedding decor, custom created flowers, furniture, jewelry and more! Recognized for their signature rustic chic collection... A clever blend of California chic with delightful hints of Southern influences ~ their designs are the perfect compliment to numerous styled weddings including Rustic, Country, Shabby, Vintage Inspired, Woodland, Garden, Barn, Farm, DIY, Backyard Chic, Eco Friendly, Natural, Elegant, Enchanted Whimsy, just about any eclectic style!

Check out Morgann Hill Designs:

Shop, Blog, Facebook & Twitter

Giveaway open to to those in the Continental US only aged 18+. Please fill out the form below to enter - only entries received via this form will be counted. By entering your information below, you verify that you understand the rules, and you release all participating bloggers, including Alena Belleque and Little Bit Of Wonderful, from any liability associated with this drawing and the prizes described herein.

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner!! | Capture The Love Event | FlipCam Ultra

2012-02-16T13:00:00.000-06:00

A huge thank you to everyone who entered the Capture The Love FlipCam Ultra giveaway event, for helping to make it a big success!

Congratulations to the winner, Gladys P! Here's what she had to say when she found out she won...

"Thank you so much! I'm so Happy!" :)

A big thank you to Staci of 7 on a Shoestring for hosting this awesome giveaway. Be sure to hop on over to her blog and give her some comment love!

Welcome to Little Bit Of Wonderful, new readers who've joined us through this event. We're so glad to have you, and hope that you will stick around to get to know us a little better. I can't wait to get to know YOU!!

Sweeter Than Birdsong | Rosslyn Elliott | Book Tour & Author Interview & 2 Giveaways!

2012-02-15T15:27:00.000-06:00

Sweeter Than Birdsong is the second book in The Saddler's Legacy series, which follows the lives of the Hanby family, real life heroes from Westerville, Ohio. You can read my review of the first book in the series, Fairer Than Morning, here. In this second installment of the series, we meet Ben Hanby (son of Will Hanby and Ann Miller from the first book) and Kate Winters, daughter of a drunken father and a cold and distant mother. Drawn together by their mutual love of music, and later by their support of the abolition of slavery, Ben and Kate must navigate social etiquette and family ties as they explore the possibilities of something more than friendship.

Music offers Kate sweet refuge from her troubles . . . but real freedom is sweeter.

In Westerville, Ohio, 1855, Kate Winter’s dreams are almost within reach. As the first woman to graduate from Otterbein College, she’ll be guaranteed her deepest wish: escape from the dark secret haunting her family. But with her mother determined to marry her off to a wealthy man, Kate must face reality. She has to run. Now. And she has the perfect plan. Join the upcoming musical performance—and use it to mask her flight.

Ben Hanby, Otterbein College’s musical genius, sees Kate Winter as an enigmatic creature, notable for her beauty, yet painfully shy. Then he hears her sing—and the glory of her voice moves him as never before. He determines to cast her in his musical and uncover the mystery that is Kate. Still, he must keep his own secret to himself. Not even this intriguing woman can know that his passionate faith is driving him to aid fugitives on the Underground Railroad.

A terrifying accident brings Kate and Ben together, but threatens to shatter both their secrets and their dreams. Kate can no longer deny the need to find her courage—and her voice—if she is to sing a new song for their future.

~ from the publisher

You can read an excerpt of this moving story here.

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Rosslyn Elliott is the award-winning author of Fairer than Morning, the first in the Saddler's Legacy series. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. Her study of American literature and history inspired her to pursue writing fiction. Elliott lives in Albuquerque, where she homeschools her daughter and works in children's ministry.

To learn more about Rosslyn, you can visit her website, "like" her fan page on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter. Rosslyn loves connecting with her readers, and I have personally really enjoyed getting to know her since I reviewed her first book in September.

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I loved this book so much ~ just as much as the first one, and that's saying something! ~ I had to invite the author back to do another interview for this book. (You can read her first interview here.) Rosslyn not only agreed to come back on the blog and do a second interview, she even offered to give away a copy of Sweeter Than Birdsong, as she did with Fairer Than Morning last September. Please join me in welcoming Rosslyn Elliott to Little Bit Of Wonderful...

SweeterThan Birdsong is the second novel in a series about the Hanby family of Ohio. My readers can read my reviewof the first book, Fairer Than Morning, here, and they can also check out theconversation you and I had about that book here. Can you tell us what it isabout the Hanby family that inspired you to write such moving novels?

TheHanbys accomplished some great things in their lifetimes, particularly in theirwork against slavery. I’m especially inspired by the way that Ben Hanby used agift that some might not think of as powerful, his gift of music, to helpchange the course of American history. Sweeter than Birdsong is a veryencouraging story for those who want to minister to others and oppose evil andcruelty. It shows us that our efforts make a difference, sometimes in ways wecan’t imagine, and we can never give up in fighting the good fight. But the novel alsospeaks to people engaged in a more internal battle against their own pasts andthe pain in their families, like Kate Winter. Both types of freedom are equallyimportant.

I understand that the Hanby's story is not yet complete. What comes next inthis wonderful series, and when can we expect to see it available to read? Iknow I personally cannot wait!

Lovelierthan Daylight is the next novel in the series, and in it we jump forward twentyyears from Sweeter than Birdsong to see Will Hanby and his wife Ann MillerHanby involved in a temperance crusade to keep a saloon from opening in theirhometown of Westerville. This is a suspenseful story based on a real eventcalled the Westerville Whiskey War. The novel centers on a conflict and lovestory between the Hanbys’ niece Susanna, who detests alcoholic drink, and JohannGiere, the son of a local German-American brewing dynasty. It will be published this November, 2012, so not too long now!

In our first interview, you said that you had a terrible time with writer'sblock when you first began writing Fairer than Morning, because your "goalwas so high" you "melted down", afraid that you wereinsufficient to the task you had set for yourself, but that you were able topush through it because you "held onto faith" that God would supplyyou with what you needed to complete your task. Did you struggle at all whilewriting this book? Was it with the same things, or did you find new challengesto overcome?

Thisquestion makes me smile, because I did have new challenges for this book.Sweeter than Birdsong was actually the first novel I ever wrote, because Ifinished it in 2008 before I wrote Fairer than Morning. In 2008, Sweeter thanBirdsong was titled A Wind through Westerville, and that version was very, verydifferent from what readers are now experiencing! I had to do two majorrewrites of A Wind through Westerville in order to create the rightsequel to Fairer than Morning. My dad commented, having read both, that Sweeterthan Birdsong is SO different that it’s really my third novel, not my first. J This rewriting process waspainful, at times, because for the second rewrite, I didn’t quite know what Iwas doing, and then the third rewrite was so quick that I greatly feared that Iwould produce a bad novel. Not to mention that I had no life whatsoever. Ha!But I have been blessed with very good editors, and so their feedback (and lotsof prayer) got me through it and—in what seems almost miraculous now—did manageto get the novel to the quality I had hoped and prayed for.

One of the many, many things I love about your novels is that, in addition to asweet love story, and well written narrative, your books deal with themes thatare not often tackled in Christian historical romances and similar literature.In Fairer Than Morning, Will Hanby is an indentured servant to a cruel andbarbaric master; in Sweeter Than Birdsong we see themes of slavery, abolition,and even domestic violence. I am very impressed with your ability to speak outon such loaded issues without becoming preachy or losing the voice of yourstory - what inspires you to be so bold, and to tackle these subjects whenother authors remain silent or dress them up in pretty language?

First, Ihave to give credit to my editors for allowing me to write these spiritually-substantialbooks. I strongly, strongly believe that in order for stories to uplift us in apowerful way, we have to be willing to be a little more real and more open tolife as it really is. We have to walkthrough some darkness to truly appreciate the light, when it peeks through theclouds and then breaks out in radiance at the end of a novel. The challenge isthat in order to write about darkness, an author has to know how to writeeffectively in ways that don’t apply to lighter stories—as you said,preachiness doesn’t work, and neither does melodrama, which sometimes appearswhen novelists try to tackle serious issues. It takes a delicate balance tobring depth without going overboard, all the while remembering that the pointis to tell a compelling, realistic, and uplifting story. I always respect myreader’s intelligence and try not to cop out with simplistic answers ormoralizing—life’s real moral lessons happen in complex ways. And in answer toyour question about what makes me bold enough to do it, I would say that thisis the heart of my calling as a writer, to offer people hope and thepossibility of change, not just another escape. I would rather not be publishedthan ignore that calling by writing something that didn’t serve a moresubstantial purpose. To parallel a well-known verse, sometimes, you have to bewilling to lose your dream to save it.

Rosslyn, thank you so much for coming on Little Bit Of Wonderful again, andchatting with us! I can't wait for your next book, and I am so glad that Godgifted you with such unique talent for the written word. While we eagerly awaitthe release of the third book in The Sadler's Legacy series, how can we get toknow you better?

I love to have readers stop by my hangouts on theinternet. First is my website and blog at www.rosslynelliott.com. There’s acontact form on the site plus a comments section on the blog if you want tochat or ask a question. Then I’m always glad to see new people at my authorpage on Facebook, which is under my own name, and I’m on Twitter. Come sayhello!

********************

Are you excited to read this book yet? It's so worth it! You can buy Sweeter Than Birdsong here for only $15.99. You also have two opportunities to win this book and read it for free. Yep, that's TWO chances to WIN and read for FREE!!

First, Rosslyn is kicking off the release of this great new book with a huge giveaway of her own...

In this second in the award-winning Saddler's Legacy series, Rosslyn Elliott has written a stirring novel of hope and faith inspired by real historical people and events. With Ben Hanby, a genius composer, Kate Winter, one of the first female college graduates in America, and John Parker, an ex-slave who risked his life time and again to help fugitive slaves, Sweeter than Birdsong is full of real heroes to inspire us. "I hope readers will find a renewed sense of strength in their own lives," says Elliott, "knowing that change is possible, and our efforts matter. I want them to remember these unique, brave people in history who left us a shining example of what it means to live out one's beliefs with passion and commitment."

So to celebrate the music in all of us, Rosslyn and Thomas Nelson are hosting this "sweet giveaway".

One fortunate winner will receive:

A Brand new iPod Nano (Winner's choice of color!)
Fairer than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott
Sweeter than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 28th. Winner will be announced at Sweeter than Birdsong Author Chat Facebook Party on 2/28. Rosslyn will be chatting with guests, sharing a sneak peek of the next book in the series, hosting a trivia contest, and more! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, season 1 of DowntownAbbey, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Rosslyn.)

So grab your copy of Sweeter than Birdsong and join Rosslyn and friends on the evening of the 28th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

Rosslyn has also kindly offered one of my readers here on Little Bit Of Wonderful the opportunity to win a copy of Sweeter Than Birdsong via a Rafflecopter sweepstakes that starts today and will end on DATE. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only, and you must be at least 18 years old to claim this prize. Please be sure to review the Terms & Conditions at the bottom of the Rafflecopter form. Only entries collected via the form will count toward this giveaway, so be sure to follow all directions carefully - entries will be verified *smiles* Have fun, and tell your friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Disclosure }

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity Group for the purpose of providing an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. To learn more, please visit my Disclosure page. If you are interested in having your book, product, or service reviewed on this blog, please see my PR Friendly page, and send me a message via my Contact page. Thank you!

Facebook Parenting: For the troubled teen | My Response

2012-02-15T12:00:00.000-06:00

I noticed a few days ago that several people on my Facebook feed had posted this video, but as I've been extraordinarily busy lately (which surely has nothing to do with putting off to the last minute a whole bunch of blog stuff *ahem*), I had not found time to watch it myself until this morning.

Facebook Parenting: For the troubled teen is a video that a dad posted on Youtube in response to a letter written by his fifteen year old daughter that she posted on her Facebook. Title? "To My Parents." Content? Blatant disrespect. In the video, her dad reads her letter aloud, then responds to the content, verbally, and then with a demonstration of her parents' chosen consequences (removal of laptop from her life - and, well, from ever being used as anything but a paperweight ever again).

***Join me below the cut for my thoughts on this video***

I'm not sure how many people I know posted this video on Facebook, but I remember seeing at least four or five posts about it. Most of them were just the imbedded video, I think one said something like "good for him!", and one poster thought it was a horrible thing for the dad to do. Youtube is currently flooded with responses to this video; I chose not to watch any of them because I can only imagine that the overwhelming majority are angry teenagers and young adults who think it was an invasion of privacy or that he over reacted or similar (a theory backed up by the fact that the first fifteen response videos on the feed had teenagers or badly animated caricatures of the dad as the opening image). This video has definitely gone viral!

Personally, I think this dad was spot on. Sure, he could have refrained from using a** in his response, but after her explosion of profanity, I don't really care that he used it. Sure, he could have addressed the issue in private instead of posting a video to Youtube, but really? She posted a horribly disrespectful letter on Facebook for hundreds of people to see and sneer at her parents; in my book, she kinda lost the privilege of private confrontation. Maybe the embarrassment of having all her friends see the consequences of her disrespect will make an impression.

Invasion of privacy? I don't think so. When we post things online, we are making them public. I learned this lesson the hard way when I was only slightly older than her. I had a blog (my husband would lovingly refer to it as my whiny public diary, lol - and he'd be right), that I had only told two or three people about, and I thought it was private as a result. Evidently, I didn't know much about the Internet back then, because it never occured to me that someone could search my name on Google and find my blog. Yah, that happened. I don't remember any more what they found, or exactly what happened as a result, but I do remember that something very personal I had written ended up in the hands of someone who really didn't like me very much, and the results were horribly uncomfortable for me. I was humiliated! And yah, it was used in a way I definitely did not intend when I wrote it, but I put it out there on the big ol' Net, and when I did, it ceased to be private. So no, I do not agree that this dad finding and reading this letter - addressed to him, no less - was an invasion of privacy. Was reading it online for the world to hear appropriate? Maybe yes, maybe no. But it was posted in a public forum. If it was supposed to be private, she would have kept it off the Internet, and definitely not shared with with hundreds of online friends.

Would I do this to my kid? Probably not. At least, not publicly like this dad did. But not because I think he was out of line - I just don't need the hate in my life that he is currently receiving from thousands of irate teenagers. My daughter's rage when I banished her from technology and grounded her for infinity would be more than enough, thanks! Is it too harsh of a punishment to take her laptop, phone, and iPod away, and ground her for writing a horribly rude and disrespectful letter to her parents and posting it online so that others can join in the mockery? This soon-to-be mama doesn't think so. Though maybe shooting the laptop was a bit much *wink*

The video contained in this post does include some "mild" curse words. Please be aware of little ears should you choose to watch it. *smiles*

Spring For Susannah | Catherine Richmond | Book Review, Author Interview & Giveaway

2012-02-14T18:00:00.000-06:00

A novel about love, loss, and redemption, Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond is one of the best historical romances that I have read in a long time. Catherine Richmond weaves a compelling tale that you won't want be able to put down.

Hundreds of miles from home, Susannah faces an uncertain future as a mail-order bride on the untamed Dakota prairie.

When her parents die suddenly, and no suitors call, Susannah resigns herself to the only option available: becoming a mail-order bride. Agreeing to marry her pastor's brother, Jesse, Susannah leaves the only home she's ever known for the untamed frontier of the Dakota Territory.

Her new husband is more loving and patient with her than she believes she deserves. Still, there is also a wildness to him that mirrors the wilderness surrounding them. And Susannah finds herself constantly on edge. But Jesse's confidence in her - and his faith in God's perfect plan - slowly begin to ship away at the wall she hides behind.

When she miscarries in the brutal Dakota winter, Susannah's fledgling faith in herself and in God begins to crumble. Still, Jesse's love is unwavering. Just when it seems like winter will never end, Susannah finally sees the first tentative evidence of spring. And with it, the realization that more than the landscape has changed.

She looks to the future with a renewed hear. Yet in her wildest dreams, she couldn't predict all that awaits her.

~ from the book jacket

******************

I was so impressed with this incredible book that I contacted the author, and to my delight, Catherine agreed to an interview with me, to share with you, my lovely readers...

The themes in Spring for Susannah are both touching and heartbreaking. What inspired you to write this particular story?

Spring for Susannah was sparked by a folk song about a homesteader meeting his mail-order bride at the train. The song led to questions: When did the railroad arrive in Dakota Territory? Why did women become mail-order brides? How did anyone survive in a sod house? The story rolled out from there.

What is your personal favorite part of this story? I loved Jesse, but Susannah, with all her faults, stole my heart.

My favorite is the ending. Hmm, let me see how to say this without any spoilers. I loved seeing Susannah's growth, that she had learned something through all her trials. Do you suppose God feels like that when we finally catch on to whatever He's trying to teach us?

Will we see Susannah and Jesse again, or meet their children?

I didn't write a sequel, because I had tortured Susannah and Jesse enough. I'm only imagining good things for their future - lots of children, good health, a productive farm.

Do you have plans for another novel? If so, what is it about, and when can we hope to see it available?

Through Rushing Water comes out in June. It takes place in southern Dakota Territory in 1876. The heroine is very different from Susannah. Sophia has been proposed to so many times, she doesn't recognize true love when it hits her.

Do you ever get writers block? If so, how do you break through it?

On the rare occasion when I don't know what to write next, research often provides the next piece of the puzzle. Then I end up with the opposite problem - I want to squeeze all sorts of interesting, but irrelevant facts into the story. Would you like to know how to square-up the walls of a sod house? What people did for birth control in the 1870s? What women used for maternity clothes back then? I'll tell you!

What advice can you give to aspiring writers?

Find a good critique group! Mine requires five polished manuscript pages every week - writing regularly is a great habit. Giving and receiving critiques helps hone skills and prepares a writer for being edited.

********************

Catherine Richmond was focused on her career as an occupational therapist until a special song planted a story idea in her mind. That idea would ultimately become Spring for Susannah, her first novel. She is also a founder and moderator of Nebraska Novelists critique group and lives in Nebraska with her husband.

You can connect with Catherine on Facebook and on Twitter. You can also read more about her and her work on her blog.

********************

You can purchase your own copy of this great book here for only $10.98, or you can enter to win a copy here on Little Bit Of Wonderful, courtesy of the sweet author herself! Only entries received via the Rafflecopter widget below will count in the sweepstakes, so be sure to log in and follow all directions carefully. Only the first entry is mandatory, and bonus entries will become visible once you complete the first one. Feel free to complete as many or as few of the optional entries as you like, but be aware that all entries are verified and they must be completed properly in order for you to win. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only, and you must be at least 18 years old to win. By entering the giveaway, you acknowledge these requirements, and release me, Alena Belleque, and my blog, Little Bit Of Wonderful, from all liability. So have fun, and get your entries in pronto! And don't forget to tell your friends! *smiles*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Disclosure }

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of providing an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. To learn more, please visit my Disclosure page. If you are interested in having your book, product, or service reviewed on this blog, please see my PR Friendly page, and send me a message via my Contact page. Thank you!

Winner!! | Fan Appreciation Cash Giveaway

2012-02-14T16:00:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Laura J., winner of the Fan Appreciation Cash Giveaway! Here's what she had to say when notified of her prize ~ $80 in Paypal cash *smiles*

"Oh my gosh, I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, I am shocked. I really didn't think it was possible to win one of these big blog giveaways. Haha. Just goes to show you that you can!!!! Oh I am jumping for joy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippee!! And...it could not come at a better time! Really needed. Thank you so much...Thank you!!!!!"

Thank you to all who entered to win this great prize; you are truly appreciated as readers and fans of all of the participating blogs in this event, and especially of Little Bit Of Wonderful. Take care! *smiles*

Thoughts On Love | A Valentine's Day Guest Post

2012-02-14T14:00:00.001-06:00

Please welcome my friend, Debby, to Little Bit Of Wonderful. Debby shares her life and thoughts on her sweet personal blog, and I have really enjoyed getting to know her on our various mutual social media profiles. I enjoyed reading her thoughts on Valentine's Day, and I hope you enjoy them, too, and will leave her some comment love *smiles*...

My name is Debby Shively, My home is in Boise Idaho along with my many pets and Husband of 8 years. There are a variety hobbies I enjoy like gardening, knitting and especially anything in homemaking. I also write on my blog Live in Lavender Love. I love discussing many topics, feeling the power of music and what it speaks to us. I am a writer who shares openly in my memories, my life lessons and where I hope to go into the future. As a spiritual person I respect everyone's own personal faith. I hope that within my writings the main principle "Live with Love" comes through in a honest way. I want to help and encourage everyone's life for the better. Happiness is my gift to share and LOVE is the core of my heart and soul. For love will out last all things.

I will never forget when I was a small child seeing bright red hearts everywhere in the stores around Valentines day. That first time I wondered "What IS all of this?"When I asked my mother about everything I was seeing, she shrugged and gave a simple answer of it being another holiday. There was something I liked about THIS holiday over all the rest right away in my young life, maybe it was the shades of red and pink covering the store. Maybe it was the parties full of kids giving out valentines with candies, I truly learned to love this holiday most of all. I use to walk the rows of Valentine décor in the stores when I was a teenager. Dreamily I thought about this holiday of romance. While I was growing up in church I heard a sermon one Sunday about "Agapé Love" and it suddenly changed my whole mission in life about Valentines day.

Definition: Agapé is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible.

In this discovery I realized that with bickering among the groups of women at church while this holiday unfolded around me, because some how their husbands didn't do the whole Valentine's Day thing correctly. I was left confused by these attitudes as they compared themselves with each other like who got roses, who didn't. I became annoyed by this social requirement, "to have a man spoil you, if he knows what is good for him". This wasn't the love I had just learned about from that sermon, I began to realize love has many levels and everyone interprets it differently. I also saw how Valentine's Day could be this amazing holiday full of acts in kindness, with unconditional love blooming from the buckets of roses that we could hand out because no one is alone on this holiday when they have LOVE to give! I began to feel a magical movement in my life in seeing the depths of love and all the good it could do for our communities, starting with this one day out of the whole year to really honor and share agapé love with the whole world! THAT is what Valentine's Day became for me. I had discovered this joy in knowing and seeing how LOVE was the best way to live!

Looking back in my life that was the beginning of my quest to teach people about this very important holiday, the day of love. Valentine's Day is more important then any other holiday, it is far deeper then any commercial idea. How often do we forget to say "I love you" or give a hug through any average day? So it is time to have a holiday that celebrates pure LOVE, Love in all it's glory, in all it's forms. When life can get busy or we forget sometimes just how everything in this world just wants to be loved, this is the time to remember it! Learning about and living with agapé love was a powerful moment in my heart and soul that helped explain what Valentines day should be about and I want live my life to honor it.

For Valentines day, for the day of love, for the whole world and for you, no matter if you are single or attached, no matter if you are happy or sad this holiday honors that rich deep emotion of being. Honors humanity in connecting every living thing together, for there is no greater reason to celebrate a holiday then to honor LOVE.

Check Out My Guest Post | My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software | To Be Thode

2012-02-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of the awesome digital scrap booking software, My Memories Suite, available from MyMemories.com? Thanks to my friend Stefany, I had the opportunity to review their most recent version on her great blog, To Be Thode. Be sure to head over and check it out for an opportunity to get $10 off your own copy of this great software along with another $10 of store credit (sweet!), and for a chance to win it FREE! You can find my review here.

Embraced By God | Babbie Mason | Blog Tour & Giveaway

2012-02-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

I received a copy of Embraced by God in the mail a few days ago, and was immediately impressed by the soft design, and equally soft words and voice throughout the pages within the sleek, hardcover volume. I had never heard of Babbie Mason before, and was intrigued. According to the back cover of the book, she is a gospel singer, songwriter, and a teacher. Intrigued, indeed!

Sadly, I only had time to skim over this book before the book tour began and I had to write this post. So I won't be writing my usual book review, and will instead give you my initial impressions.

Embraced by God is a 21 day devotional book intended to help the feminine reader by "celebrating who and whose you are" in Jesus Christ. Written in an easy flowing and engaging style that draws you in from the first paragraph, this book is a perfect fit for busy women who want to spend a little time investing in their spiritual growth. This book focuses on your identity in Christ, and what that means for your life.

Have you ever wondered, "Does God really love me? Do I really matter to him?"

HE LOVES YOU.

As a matter of fact, God loves you just as much as he loves His own Son.

In the pages of this heartwarming, thoughtful and life-affirming 21-day journey, award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, and teacher Babbie Mason reminds you, when you know you are loved by God and that you are in His eternal plan, you’ll never again wonder if your life matters.

Click for more information: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs019/1101807863309/archive/1109062257179.html

"You'll never again wonder if your life matters." A question so many ask, at one point or another. I know I have. I am very much looking forward to reading this book, and it seems appropriate that I should begin this journey on Valentine's Day, a day that celebrates love. After all, what greater love than that of a Savior who laid down his life for me?

Babbie Mason is a Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated gospel singer, songwriter, author, creator of the Embrace: A Worship Event for Women ministry, professor of songwriting at Atlanta Christian College and Lee University, and a television talk-show host. She was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2010 and has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs. Babbie has been honored perform for Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, Steve Forbes among many others. Babbie performs a holiday special at Carnegie Hall every year. Babbie lives near Atlanta on a farm with her husband Charles.
~ From Babbie's Publisher

Babbie loves her readers and fans, and she is celebrating the release of Embraced by God by giving you the following opportunity...

Embraced by God is a 21-day encounter that shares the unconditional love of God. "If you watch what the media says as to where we should find our identity--" says Babbie, "--money, beauty, power and technology--you'll just be confused about who you are and what your purpose is. As a culture we are trying to buy or sell what can only be administered to the soul by Jesus."

Celebrate with Babbie by entering her Nook Tablet Giveaway and coming to her "Embraced Facebook Party {3/6}!

One beloved winner will receive:

A Brand new Nook Tablet with Wi-Fi
Embraced by God by Babbie Mason
Babbie's Embraced by God Music CD
Babbie's Embraced by God Note cards

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/5/12. Winner will be announced at Babbie's "Embraced" Facebook Party on 3/6. Babbie will be hosting an evening of chat, music, laughter, and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, Embraced by God music CDs and Note cards, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club.)

So grab your copy of Embraced by God and join Babbie and friends on the evening of March 6th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 6th!

{ Disclosure }

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity Group for the purpose of providing an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. To learn more, please visit my Disclosure page. If you are interested in having your book, product, or service reviewed on this blog, please see my PR Friendly page, and send me a message via my Contact page. Thank you!

BrytonPick | Dental Health | Product Review

2012-02-13T21:35:00.000-06:00

The other day, I received a package of BrytonPicks in the mail, to try out and tell you my thoughts. These are a new invention, designed by dental professionals to be a substitute for traditional dental floss.

Slightly boomerang shaped, the BrytonPick is constructed of a hard plastic handle, and is tipped on both ends with a super soft and flexible, yet strong, piece of stainless steel which is germ resistant.

This tool is designed to remove food from between your teeth, without the gumminess and residue left behind by traditional string floss.

You can purchase this product online on their website. You get three picks (one per month, so a three month supply) for only $4.99, four packs of three (12 picks) for only $19.95, or twelve packs of three (36 picks) for only $53.87. They are currently running a Valentine's Day special wherein all orders are doubled FREE.

BrytonPick is a neat product, but my teeth ached for over an hour after trying to use it. I have one exposed root, and it radiates pain, so I think that's probably the problem (even though I didn't go anywhere near it). It removed food great, just not a good fit for me. Since I prefer not to say negative things about products, especially in cases like this where it seems the problem lies more with my mouth than the product, I almost opted out of posting a review, but this product has had an overwhelmingly positive response from reviewers and customers, and I decided to share it with you anyway, and just let you know why I do not personally like it.

Using this product is pretty easy. Check out these simple instructions, printed on the back of every package!

For detailed instructions, you can visit their website. They have tutorials for people who use regular wire braces, Invisaline braces, and for those who do not use braces.

These dental picks store conveniently in credit card sized reusable pouches that you can store in your medicine cabinet or carry with you in your wallet, purse, or pocket.

For anyone looking for a simple, germ and wax free method for removing food particles from between teeth, the new BrytonPick is an option worth considering.

You can watch videos on YouTube here and here to see demonstrations and hear more product features.

They can also be found on Facebook and on Twitter, and they love to connect with their customers!

{ Disclosure }

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. For more details, please review my Disclosure page. If you are interested in having your product or service reviewed on my blog, please see my PR Friendly page for more information, and send me a message via my Contact page.

Winner!! | Four Letter Words by Bill Giovannetti

2012-02-12T20:17:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Samantha T., winner of Four Letter Words by Bill Giovannetti! Thank you to all who entered this giveaway, and to all of our new readers - welcome to the family! You can read my review of this great book here.

Last Chance To Win!! | Four Letter Words by Bill Giovannetti

2012-02-10T15:03:00.000-06:00

You have until a minute before midnight to get your entries in to win an autographed copy of Bill Giovannetti's great new book, Four Letter Words. Only three people have entered so far - that's right, THREE - so your chances of winning are extremely good!

Enter HERE, and tell your friends!

Winner!! | iPad2 & Kindle Fire | Rafflecopter Launch Party

2012-02-10T14:59:00.001-06:00

Thank you to everyone who entered to win an iPad2 or Kindle Fire on my blog during the Rafflecopter Launch Party these past few weeks! Congratulations to the lucky winner, Erin C!

The Secret World of Arrietty | Upcoming Disney Movie Premier

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Residing quietly beneath the floorboards are little people who live undetected in a secret world to be discovered, where the smallest may stand tallest of all. From the legendary Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Ponyo) comes "The Secret World of Arrietty," an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers.”

Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger.

~ From the "Secret World Of Arrietty" Facebook page

I grew up reading first The Littles, then Indian In The Cupboard, and later The Borrowers, and have a deep love for stories of tiny people, especially those with tails. I watched the live action movie version of The Borrowers when I was in junior high, and I loved it! So when I heard that Disney is coming out with a new rendition of the beloved children's book, I was thrilled - I practically lost my mind with joy when I found out that it is being made by the same studio that produced Ponyo, one of my favorite movies!

I love the gorgeous, unique animation style presented in this movie and ones like it. Simple, yet expressive and charming. Perfect for a story like this one!

The Secret World Of Arrietty premiers in the United States a week from today on Friday, February 17th, 2012. To learn more about this film, please visit this website.

Free Book Friday | The Keeper | Suzanne Woods Fisher

2012-02-09T11:34:00.003-06:00

If you enjoy reading Amish fiction, I've got a deal for you...

Today ONLY, you can download The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher FREE for Kindle or Nook!

Kindle Nook

A big thanks to Revell Books, the awesome publisher behind this and many other wonderful books, for providing free copies of The Keeper to readers today! Be sure to visit Suzanne on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog (below) and say thank you for this great opportunity, and let her know that Alena @ Our Little Bit Of Wonderful sent you!

Wordless Wednesday | I Choose Joy

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

{source}

Beyond Molasses Creek | Nicole Seitz | Book Review & Blog Tour

2012-02-06T16:52:00.000-06:00

Beyond Molasses Creek

Nicole Seitz

{ About This Book }

Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.

Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

{ About The Author }

Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels - The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Visit her at @NicoleSeitz, Facebook and www.nicoleseitz.com for more information.

{ My Thoughts }

I loved this book! Nicole has a very unique method of storytelling that drew me in from the first few sentences, and she consistently delivered throughout the entire book. The characters are engaging and believable, and your heart responds to their highs and lows as the story unfolds. I give this book 5 stars for originality and excellence in storytelling!

{ Win This Book & Other Prizes }

Nicole is celebrating the release of Beyond Molasses Creek with a fabulous "Friendship" Facebook party! She'll be giving away a ton of great stuff (KINDLE TOUCH, some of her own beautiful artwork, a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies of the book for your small group/book club and a Live Skype Chat with Nicole), and more!

CLICK the button (below) to RSVP for the party - then join us on February 16th for a book chat, story sharing and prizes! Hope to see you there!

{ Buy This Book }

You can purchase your own copy of this book here for only $15.99

{ Disclosure }

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of providing an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations.

Do You Want To Win Cool Stuff, Including Cash? | Current Giveaways

2012-02-06T13:29:00.001-06:00

I don't know about you, but I love entering giveaways and sweepstakes - who doesn't want to win free loot, right?? I've only ever won one giveaway, for an extremely cute hair bow (which I'll be writing about this summer, when my niece has a little more hair), but I figure eventually the odds will be in my favor.

Anyway, I have four giveaways live on my blog right now. Yep, FOUR!! And more are coming very, very soon! Here are the links - get hoppin', friends! *smiles*

Ending this Wednesday at midnight...

iPad2 & Kindle Fire ~ Rafflecopter Launch Party!

Ending this Friday...

Four Letter Words by Bill Giovannetti ~ autographed copy!

Ending this Saturday...

$80 Paypal Cash ~ Fan Appreciation Cash Giveaway!

Ending Tuesday, Valentine's Day...

4G FlipCam Ultra & $60 Cash ~ "Capture the Love" Giveaway!

Have fun, and tell your friends! *smiles*

Behind The Veils of Yemen | Audra Grace Shelby | Book Review

2012-02-06T10:00:00.000-06:00

Behind The Veils Of Yemen

Audra Grace Shelby

Chosen

238 pages

{ About This Book }

Women began to arrive in the entry hall, peeling away their black outer coverings. I watched in amazement as shimmering bodies emerged from the black shrouds. One woman sparkled in a purple silk caftan, her arms gleaming with gold jewelry. I smiled to myself. If people only knew what was under those veils. I looked at their faces, artfully painted with makeup, not at all how they appeared in public: dark eyes in narrow slits. They were like the beauties of Arab folklore. I was awed by the transformation.

With only prayer and a faith that always seemed too small, Audra Grace Shelby departed with her husband and children on a one-way flight to Yemen...deep into the heart of conservative Islam.

With honesty and passion, she shares her harrowing journey as a Christian woman thrust into a culture dangerously different from her own. From the friendships she forged, to her gnawing doubt and fear, to her offers of hope when her new friends' religion failed them, she gives us glimpses of a world most have never seen: behind the veils of real Muslim women - and how the grace of God touches lives in the midst of an Islamic stronghold.

~ from the book cover

{ About The Author }

Audra Grace Shelby served nine years as a missionary in the Middle East alongside her husband and four children. They remain actively involved in reaching the unreached people in the Middle East and around the world.

{ My Thoughts }

I am usually happy to read a book like this once, then hand if off to someone else. This book? It's staying in my personal library. Audra tells her story in a compelling fashion that leaves you feeling like you were there with her when she visited the tribal women in their remote village, your heart aching with hers as the six month old motherless baby of an adulterous relationship is left to cry alone in the dirt because she wet her hammock, and is considered bad luck. You feel her fear as she waits in agony for doctors to save her child when she falls ill, and you experience her joy as the Muslim women in her neighborhood begin to open their homes and hearts to her. This book is a fascinating look into the hearts and lives of the Yemenese, and into the mystery shrouded world of Muslim women.

{ Buy This Book }

Want to read this incredible story for yourself? You can purchase this book for $11.20 here.

{ Disclaimer }

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of providing an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations.

Out Of Mormonism | Judy Robertson | Book Review

2012-02-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

Out Of Mormonism

A Woman's True Story

Judy Robertson

Bethany House

217 pages

{ About This Book }

"You'll be back."
The bishop walked slowly to the door and held it open, dismissing them like children.
As the door clicked shut behind them, jim took a deep breath and looked at Judy. They were leaving everything behind. And they never looked back...

When Judy and Jim Robertson felt a spiritual void in their lives, they found "the finest people in the world" to embrace them and a beautifully packaged religion to entive them. Once drawn into Mormonism, they quickly climbed to leadership positions and became worthy temple Mormons, only to become disillusioned with the teaching and demands of the Latter-day Saint religion.
From her unique insider's viewpoint, Judy shares her life as a Mormon woman, her rediscovery of the Jesus of the bible, and how she and Jim found freedom as they left the LDS church in the face of persecution and confrontation.
The Robertsons are not alone in leaving Mormonism. In this edition of the book, you'll find breaf stories of others who have chosen to follow the Jesus of the Bible.

~ from the book cover

{ About The Author }

Judy Robertson is an author, speaker, and teacher. Since leaving Mormonism, Judy and her husband, Jim, founded Concerned Christians, an outreach ministry to Mormons and an equipping arm to the body of Christ. The Robertsons live near Mesa, Arizona.

You can read an exclusive interview with Judy over on Parchment Girl, here.

{ My Thoughts }

I found this book to be a very thoughtful read, and one that I believe will truly help anyone seeking an informed look at Mormonism to gain an unbiased look into this prominent religion. Judy and Jim's story is compelling because it is about a couple - a family - that was truly seeking truth when they entered the LDS church. So many stories I have read about people coming out of Mormonism feature themes of being led into it by a husband who wanted another wife (those who joined the FLDS, rather than the mainstream church), of being born into it, or of becoming Mormon simply because they lived in Utah and everyone they knew was already one. This story is different, and as such, I think far more credible, especially to readers who would otherwise say that the individuals involved simply didn't understand, or where rebelling against their upbringing or spouse. Where those other stories are moving and emotional, this book is factual and thoughtful. I recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Mormon religion.

{ Buy This Book }

You can purchase this book a variety of places, both online and off, including most Christian book stores. You can purchase Out Of Mormonism: One Woman's True Story here for $10.94

{ Disclaimer }

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations.

Romanticism & Postromanticism | Claudia Moscovici | Book Review

2012-02-03T14:18:00.000-06:00

Romanticism and Postromanticism

Post-Stalinist Romania

Claudia Moscovici

University Press Of America, Inc.

403 pages

{ About This Book }

Claudia Moscovici asserts in Romanticism and Postromanticism that the Romantic heritage, far from being important only in a historical sense, has philosophical relevance and value for contemporary art and culture. With an emphasis on artistic tradition as a continuing source of inspiration and innovation, begins by describing some of the most interesting features of the Romantic movement that still fuel our culture. It then addresses the question: How did an artistic movement whose focus was emotive expression change into a quest for formal experimentation? And finally, Moscovici considers the aesthetic philosophy of postromanticism by thinking through how the Romantic emphasis upon beauty and passion can be combined with the modern and postmodern emphasis on originality and experimentation.

~ from the book cover

{ About The Author }

Claudia Moscovici is a Romanian-American writer who works on political philosophy and the Romantic movement. She has published short fiction in literary magazines, as well as scholarly books on Romantic art and literature.

[She] is the author of seven scholarly books on political philosophy and the Romantic movement, which include Romanticism and Postromanticism (Rowman and Littlefield, 2007), Gender and Citizenship (Rowman and Littlefield, 2000), and Double Dialectics (Rowman and Littlefield, 2002). She co-founded the international art movement called postromanticism with the Mexican sculptor Leonardo Pereznieto (postromanticism.com). She taught philosophy, literature and arts and ideas at Boston University and at the University of Michigan. She has also published poetry, short stories and essays in several literary magazines, including Portland Magazine, Enigma Magazine, Poetry Magazine, The Poetic Matrix, Three Cup Morning, Soul Fountain, Slate and Style and Mobius. The painting featured on the cover is by the postromantic artist Edson Campos.

You can learn more about Claudia by visiting her author's profile on Notable Writers.

{ My Thoughts }

This is a very scholarly work, written in plain English, but definitely geared toward students of literature and history rather than the average lay person. It was an interesting read, and I recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for the arts, particularly in the romantic and postromantic eras, and who wants to gain a deeper, more philosophical understanding of this subject.

{ Buy This Book }

You can purchase this book here for $29.50

{ Disclosure }

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations.

Velvet Totalitarianism | Claudia Moscovici | Book Review

2012-02-03T13:07:00.000-06:00

Velvet Totalitarianism

Post-Stalinist Romania

Claudia Moscovici

University Press Of America, Inc.

403 pages

{ About This Book }

This book introduces students and the general public to the post-Stalinist phase of totalitarianism, focusing on Romania under the Ceausescu dictatorship, through the dual optic of scholarship and fiction, in a story about a family surviving difficult times under a totalitarian regime due to the strength of their love.

~ from the book cover

{ About The Author }

Claudia Moscovici is a Romanian-American writer who works on political philosophy and the Romantic movement. She has published short fiction in literary magazines, as well as scholarly books on Romantic art and literature.
[She] is the author of seven scholarly books on political philosophy and the Romantic movement, which include Romanticism and Postromanticism (Rowman and Littlefield, 2007), Gender and Citizenship (Rowman and Littlefield, 2000), and Double Dialectics (Rowman and Littlefield, 2002). She co-founded the international art movement called postromanticism with the Mexican sculptor Leonardo Pereznieto (postromanticism.com). She taught philosophy, literature and arts and ideas at Boston University and at the University of Michigan. She has also published poetry, short stories and essays in several literary magazines, including Portland Magazine, Enigma Magazine, Poetry Magazine, The Poetic Matrix, Three Cup Morning, Soul Fountain, Slate and Style and Mobius. The painting featured on the cover is Red, by the postromantic artist Edson Campos.

You can learn more about Claudia by visiting her author's profile on Notable Writers.

{ My Thoughts }

This book opens with an explanation of the author's methodology and personal writing philosophy, as well as an historical overview of the time period covered the overall work. Broken into sections, Moscovici manages to communicate what could be very dry information in quick, easy to digest bites, that give the reader a good understanding of the situation in Post-Stalinist Romania, and the events that led up to it.

The rest of the book consists of Moscovici's Reincarnations of Love: a novel, which is broken into three parts, followed by an "about the author" section at the end of the volume.

The story follows the Schwartz family, a Romanian family that is trying to lay low under the Ceausescu regime, because of their anti-regime leanings. Radu, the eldest son, works for Radio Freedom Europe in France, while his parents, grandparents, and younger sister remain in Romania. Part I follows their separate yet connected lives as they deal with food shortages, harsh police actions, spies and betrayal, and the unbearable unknown. I loved Part I, because it not only paints a clear and stunning picture of the time period in question, but the characters are passionate, believable, heartbreaking, and alive. I felt that the story could easily have ended with Part I.

Part II follows a young professor named Paul, and examines his view of the world. Ionna Swartz, younger sister to Radu from Part I, features in Part II as an art student. Paul and Ioana (who changed her name to Irina after immigrating to the United States with her family as a child) eventually hook up, and the author is not shy about describing their trysts, or the twisted thoughts and ideas that Paul (who loses his position at the university - and his marriage - after seducing young female students) entertains on a regular basis. Radu is rarely seen or even heard from, as he is now an operative for the CIA. Personally, I felt that Part II added very little to the overall story, though it did have its moments, and I learned quite a bit about art, Abstract Impressionism specifically.

Reincarnations of Love: a novel concludes in Part III, which continues to follow Irina and Paul's story. They return to Romania and the surrounding area on vacation, and experience a number of very intense encounters with the local government, military, and police, including political demonstrations that result in the deaths of several students. I felt that Part III really came back to the original story, and ended the novel well.

I think that the final paragraph of the novel sums up the sociological implications of the novel quite well. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about Romania during the Post-Stalinist period, and who doesn't mind wading through the mind of a borderline sociopath (Paul), and a fair amount of sexual perversion.

"As they embarked on their new life together in America, Irina no longer felt torn between her old life and the new one, between East and West, as she had in her memories and in her heart, hoping that some day she'd be able to convey to hr children, and to her children's children, the lost traces of an era in which ordinary people were forced to lead extraordinary lives."

~ pg.402

{ Buy This Book }

You can purchase this book here for $34.14

{ Disclosure }

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations.

Author Interview | Bill Giovannetti | Author of Four Letter Words

2012-02-03T12:42:00.000-06:00

Please welcome to the blog Bill Giovannetti, author of the fascinating Four Letter Words, a modern and relevant look at Christian apologetics. You can read my review of this great book here, and enter to win a copy for yourself, using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of that post!

Bill Giovannetti serves on the faculty of A.W. Tozer Seminary and is the Senior Pastor of Neighborhood Church of Redding. Four Letter Words is his second book. He has written numerous articles and is a popular speaker. Bill hates legalism, loves grace, and teaches that God is infinitely more committed to us than we will ever be to him. He is a graduate of Trinity Seminary and earned his doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary.

You can purchase Four Letter Words here for $13.99, or you can purchase an autographed copy direct from Bill here for only $8.99 for a limited time!

You can connect with Bill on Facebook, Twitter, and on his blog ~ www.maxgrace.com You can also find more info about this book on its website ~ www.fourletterowrds.org

What's Four Letter Words about, and where did you get the title?

Four Letter Words is about defending your faith in Christ. If you've ever felt tongue-tied standing up for Jesus, this book can help.

Even though our culture claims tolerance as a virtue, that tolerance stops at Christianity's front door: witness the hostility directed toward a sincere Christ-follower like Tim Tebow. Judging by reactions to him, you'd think he just cussed out his grandma when all he did was say a word for Christ. Speaking God's truth and living your faith is quickly becoming today's profanity. Tougher days are coming; we need to get ready.

There has never been a truth-system more satisfying, consistent, logical and beautiful than Christianity. I wanted to help God's people rise up and say so.

What four letter words do you write about?

True: who says your truth has to be my truth too? Know: how do you know God is real? Pain, Evil, and Ouch: why doesn't God stop the bad stuff? Damn: how can a loving God send people to hell? Word: What makes the Bible so special? Wait: isn't it unreasonable to expect today's people to live by biblical standards of sexuality? Hope: what good has Christianity done in the world?

The book has ten chapters, discussion questions (in the book and downloadable from the website), and 208 pages.

Did you ever struggle with your faith? How did you work through that?

Even though I've been a pastor for a long time, I struggle with my faith a lot. My earliest struggles – back in high school days – centered on scientific stuff, like evolution. In the book I tell the story of how I made peace with faith in a Creator God and how I fit together science, logic, and the gospel in my own heart.

Now that I'm a bit older, my struggles come more out of pain and suffering. Why does God let people hurt? I cover those topics too.

Struggles are normal – we just can't let them overwhelm our faith or uproot our joy. It's super-important for us to know every question raised against Christianity has an answer. I try to provide some of those answers along with simple talking points for everyday conversations.

Who is this book for?

This book is for anyone who either struggles with faith or who wants to help friends who struggle with faith. I wrote to strengthen faith and equip believers to share faith. Our church has used this book with high school students, young adults, and senior citizens—it's been really well received across all age groups. Other churches are using it in small groups and youth groups.

I would love to see this book in the hands of every high school graduate and new college student: they need to be inoculated from the anti-Christian venom they're going to experience.

Toward the end, Four Letter Words invites readers to faith in Christ so it can be resource for evangelism too.

Discussion questions are included.

What's with the QR codes?

Part of my geek credentials, I suppose. As far as I know, Four Letter Words is the first QR-enabled book for the general market. QR codes are those postage-stamp sized boxes with indecipherable patterns inside – Quick Response codes. I wanted to make the book an interactive experience: just scan the codes with any smartphone and you'll go straight to relevant videos, audio .mp3's, and websites. Each chapter has a lot more resources on the website (www.fourletterwords.org) which you can reach either through the QR code or just by visiting the site. The geek-tech stuff in no way overwhelms the written word; it just supplements it.

I hope readers like it. What did you think? (You can read my review here.)

If I read this book, what will get out of it?

I wrote Four Letter Words with three simple goals in mind:

1. Clarity: Know what you believe.
2. Confidence: Know why you believe.
3. Courage: Know what to say when you don't know what to say.

So what do you do when you're not writing?

I'm the husband of one incredible wife and dad to two amazing kids. My main calling is as a pastor to the Neighborhood Church of Redding, a small-town church of over 2,000 set amid the snow-capped peaks and pristine lakes of northern California. I love preaching and teaching—spreading out a rich feast of God and his grace and digging deep into God's Word. I also serve on the faculties of A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary and Simpson University. I like watching mindless action movies, reading, hanging with friends, bass fishing, woodworking, good coffee, and Chicago sports teams. Go Bears!

Italian food is my love language.

Do you have any other books around?

My earlier book helps readers get a grip on their inner mess. If you read it, you'll meet your Inner Thug, Inner Brat, Inner Legalist, and the rest of the motley crew lurking in your soul. It's called How to Keep Your Inner Mess from Trashing Your Outer World (Monarch/Kregel, 2009). I have a couple more books in the pipeline, including a fiction book on the global political scene.

What's your spiritual background? How did you get started with Jesus?

I was reared in a tiny Chicago gospel church. I was loved. I was cared for. I was taught the Bible. That church was my second family. They introduced me to Jesus. I received him when I was young and devoted my life to him. But it wasn't until young adulthood that I began to appreciate how much Jesus was devoted to me. That discovery rocked my world. I shifted from rules to relationship and from guilt to grace. I dedicated my life to encourage instead of tear down. I strive to free others from guilt, shame, and legalism, and to help people discover life and love through God's amazing grace.

How did you pick the four letter words for each chapter?

I had a great team working with me to pick the topics. The young adult leadership team from my church hung out with me for a few coffee-shop meetings. We brainstormed ideas. We asked what questions kept surfacing in their relationships with seekers and what issues kept tripping up their conversations about Christ. The topics came from them. Each chapter grew out of the real-life struggles of real people in my church. I think this is why the book has connected in some pretty deep ways with readers.

Would you say that Christians are persecuted?

Not so much in the U.S., but persecution is definitely coming. It's not that Christians are changing; it's that culture is running from God so fast that yesterday's normal is becoming today's weird. Christians will be increasingly marginalized. Tell a typical college student he needs to be celibate till marriage and he'll look at you like you're Amish. Why don't you hop in your buggy and trot along. A generation ago, our culture would have supported that value. Today, culture attacks it. It's going to get tougher to stay strong for Jesus.

We need a new breed of Christ-follower: alert to the beliefs that tick people off, and ready to fire the weapons of truth and grace with courage, compassion, humor, and love.

There are so many books on the gospel message, do we really need another one?

Thank God for a lot of excellent books out there to defend your faith. Four Letter Words stands out because it is written for the everyday Christian. You won't need advanced degrees to understand its message. I wanted to go deep, but keep it really clear. I also made sure to include "Talking Points" after each chapter. That's where I pull the chapter's themes into a handful of memorable and repeatable truths. These take-aways can help you engage your friends in solid conversations about Christ. While many other apologetics books focus on a single topic, Four Letter Words deals with common topics that often make the average Christian feel tongue-tied. Consider it your one-stop shop for equipping in apologetics.

FUN QUESTIONS

If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?

Definitely the Minister of Space Exploration. I dig science fiction and it's my secret dream to pilot an alien spacecraft through a wormhole into another dimension. I want to boldly go where no one has gone before. Plus it would be cool to see first hand how Jesus gets glorified on the far side of Jupiter and to hit a baseball on Pluto and see how far it goes. As Minister of Technology, I'd restore Pluto's status to that of planet instead of asteroid; I feel sorry for the little guy.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

There's this guy on the TV show Alphas named Gary Bell who can literally see the entire electromagnetic spectrum: radio waves, phone texts, television signals, digital transmissions, and the Internet. He sees it in the air around him. I want that. Is that enough to renew my geek-card?

Name one movie you consider wildly under-appreciated.

That's easy: Tremors. Yes, the one with Kevin Bacon fighting giant worms that eat people. Creepy comedic genius. My wife loves it so much she rolls her eyes and leaves the room every time I turn it on.

Thank you, Bill, for giving us a closer look into your world and your new book! And thanks are due to LitFuse Publicity Group, who provided us with this great Q&A! Don't forget to check out my review of Four Letter Words here, and enter to win an autographed copy of this great book!

He Thinks It's Bed Time | Neurotic Puppy Strikes Again

2012-02-03T11:00:00.000-06:00

Evidently, I don't actually have to sleep late for my dog to think mornings are snuggle-in-bed times; I'm usually awake around 9ish, but stay in bed and work on the blog, or read, or whatever for a few hours, because really, I don't have much to do until we move at the end of the month. This morning, I got up at 8 to see Andrew (my brother-in-law) off to school, and decided to hang out in the empty living room for an hour, watching a little HGTV (something I love, and rarely get to do).

My poor pooch was practically beside himself! He kept sitting up on his haunches and batting at me with his feet, crying and looking up the stairs toward our room. I made the poor thing wait until my show was over, but now we're back upstairs, snuggled on the bed, while I dink around on the Interwebs, putting off finding a camera to start work on some new reviews for ya'll here on my blog. Every time I tried to get up to do something in the room, he'd freak out and try to stand on me (not very comfortable when you're seven months pregnant!), so I gave up.

He's quite happily asleep now.

We Signed The Lease!! | Moving Again

2012-02-03T10:35:00.000-06:00

I've talked on the blog before about our various homes and not-homes, in our five year quest to put down roots in our own place. I am happy to announce that last night, Nick and I signed a one year lease on a cute little two bedroom duplex here in our new "hometown" in Illinois, and will be moving in on March 1st! Now we just have to collect some essential things we need to set up house. Like a bed.

Check Out My Guest Post | "The Creative Maternal" | Literary Legs

2012-02-01T14:34:00.001-06:00

My dear friend Laura, author of the fascinating literature and writing blog Literary Legs, has invited me to write an article for her wonderful blog! It actually went up yesterday, but better late than never, letting you know, right? I hope (oops)... Anyway, I hope you will take a moment to head over to Legs and check it out! The comments section is very lonely *wink*

The Creative Maternal

How Impending Motherhood Has Affected Me Artistically

by Alena Belleque

{source}

"Playing With Fire" Kindle Fire Giveaway | And The Winner Is...

2012-02-01T14:20:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Shelley P, who won a brand new Kindle Fire from the "Playing With Fire" multi-blog giveaway!

When notified of her win, Shelley said, "I'm in total shock! Wow, wow, wow!!! I can't tell you how totally thrilled I am! Thank you and all the many bloggers that made this giveaway possible! Thank you so very, very much!"

Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway, and made it such a huge success. We had over 274,000 entries!! To all of my new readers, here at Little Bit Of Wonderful, welcome to the family, and I hope you will stick around and join the fun! We have a lot of new reviews and giveaways going up in the next several weeks, as well as lots of more personal content. My baby girl is due in April, and things are going to get exciting! *smiles*

Fan Appreciation Cash Giveaway | Thank You For Reading!

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the February edition of the Fan Appreciation Cash Giveaway!

As a thank you to all our loyal readers, and a welcome to our new readers, Little Bit Of Wonderful has teamed up with Frugal Experiments and a great group of other bloggers to thank you all with a chance to win some cash!

{ Prize }

$80.00 Cash in your PayPal account!

{ How to Enter }

Just enter your information into the Rafflecopter form below (following directions found in each available entry), and then share it with your friends and families!

{ Dates }

This Giveaway will run from today, February 1st, and will end at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 11th.

{ Who Can Win? }

This giveaway is open to anyone 18 or older with a valid Paypal account. Entries are only accepted through the Rafflecopter form and all entries will be verified. The winner will be emailed once we verify they are a fan of the sites they have indicated, and they will have 48 hours to respond to that email before another winner is chosen.

{ Giveaway Sponsors }

We couldn’t do these giveaways without teaming up with other great bloggers who help contribute to the prize so please take the time to stop by all the wonderful blogs and look around - most are hosting other giveaways that you can enter, and many of them write really great regular posts, too!

The following blogs are all participating in this Fan Appreciation Cash Giveaway...

Thank you for being a devoted reader of Little Bit Of Wonderful! Please note: you only need to enter this giveaway on one participating blog. All the blogs listed above are using the same Rafflcopter form, so the info you enter here will show up on each blog (privately, of course). The only entry that is required is the one telling us which blog you entered on; the rest are optional. The more entries you complete, the greater your chances of winning, so do as many or as few as you want!

Good luck! Be sure to put Little Bit Of Wonderful as the blog you are entering on...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you're a blogger and are interested in joining us next month in another Fan Appreciation Cash Giveaway, feel free to fill out the form here. The cost to become a participating blogger is $5 per entry link. Your entry fees will be pooled together with the fees from all the other participants to provide the cash prize for our fans, administration and advertising fees, plus the blogger prize! Thanks for your interest - we hope to work together soon! *smiles*

"Capture The Love" FlipCam Giveaway Event | Enter To Win!

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, love is in the air, and I am happy to help bring you, my dear readers, an opportunity to win an awesome prize to help you celebrate!

The Capture the Love giveaway event is brought to you by 7 on a Shoestring and Little Bit Of Wonderful, along with 35 other bloggers, and is open to residents of the United States.

So what is the prize?

4G FlipCam Ultra Video Camera

The winner will also receive a cash gift via PayPal in the amount of $60 *smiles*

Ready to take a chance, and enter to win these great prizes? All you have to do is follow the directions in the Rafflecopter form below. Remember, this giveaway is open only to residents of the United States, and you have until the night before Valentine's Day to get all your entries in.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Disclosure }

In exchange for my participation in and promotion of this giveaway/sweepstakes event, I receive "likes" and "follows" on my Facebook fan page, and my Twitter account - a form of compensation, for which I paid a small amount of cash to be included in this event. All opinions expressed are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations.

Last Chance To Win A Kindle Fire!!

2012-01-31T20:45:00.002-06:00

Tonight's your last chance to enter to win the "Playing With Fire" Kindle Fire giveaway! Click on the link below to go to the giveaway post, so you can enter your information into the Rafflecopter form...

"Playing With Fire" Kindle Fire Giveaway

Good luck! I will announce the winner here on the blog as soon as I know who it is *smiles*

Why Serenity Will Remain Rear-Facing | Car Seat Safety Video

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is why my daughter will remain in a rear facing car seat until she exceeds the maximum weight/height requirements for the seat. My convenience could never be worth this...

Thank You, Susi! | Versatile Blogger Award

2012-01-27T17:04:00.000-06:00

* Correction: I accidentally credited "Maureen" for this award, but the BocaFrau is actually Susi.

I apologize for my mistake, Susi - thanks for letting me know! *

The beautiful Susi over at Boca Frau has given me The Versatile Blogger award! Thank you, Maureen; I am so glad you found my blog, and that you like it so much! Your comment on my recent post about hope brought a smile to my heart and tears to my eyes.

Recipients of this award are asked to thank the person that nominated their blog for the award, and include a link to their blog in a post about the award on their own blog. They are also asked to list at least three things about themselves that a new reader might not know, and to pass the award on to at least five more blogs that they believe deserve the nomination, listing links to those blogs in their post, and then letting the nominated blogs know about the award.

Three Things You May Not Know About Me

1. I am a classically and operatically trained singer, though it has been almost six years since I sang on a regular basis, and not just for fun or for church. It is a dream of mine to someday record an album, even if just for my family.

2. I have been writing stories, articles and poetry since I was in middle school. I wrote my first published piece in 8th grade; a poem titled One Good Friend that was published in An Anthology Of Young Americans in 2000. In high school, a 5th grader on the bus asked to "borrow" a short story I had written, and proceeded to win a $500 savings bond when she submitted it as her own work (and no, I never did get credit for that). I am currently awaiting publication of another anthology of poetry from all 50 United States, featuring my poems American Dream and another one that I have actually managed to forget the title to because I wrote it specifically for the anthology, and it has been in the works for over four years now (I'm not honestly sure it will ever get published). I love blogging because it combines the best of all forms of writing, and allows for instant access to share with my readers. Someday, I would love to publish at least one book in traditional form, and I am considering writing an eBook.

3. My hair is about four inches longer than it look, because of my curls. When I straighten my hair, I look like a completely different person, especially when it's long. The first time I straightened my hair, I went to church with a boyfriend (I had only been there a few times), and a woman actually screeched at me because she thought I was an "other woman"! Most people say that they prefer my hair all curls, but I like to straighten the front of my hair, and leave the back curly; I think it makes me look more like myself.

Five Of My Favorite "Versatile Bloggers"

1. With Love For Africa ~ Jess writes this lovely blog about her life with her husband Colin, and their journey to adopt their daughter from Africa. Her blog is full of sweet stories, delicious recipes, engaging crafts, and deep thoughts.

2. To Be Thode ~ The lovely Stefany writes this engaging blog about her life as a mother, step-mother, craft addict, and lover of all things creative. Her blog contains stories about her family, crafts and activities she does alone and with her children, yummy recipes, and reviews and giveaways of all sorts of family friendly products.

3. Literary Legs ~ My beautiful friend, Laura, writes this blog all about books, writing, and all things literary. Her blog glistens with beautiful and insightful articles, examples of her own work, and engaging guest posts from authors and other literary figures. She also hosts giveaways, and is hoping to branch out into doing book and writing related product reviews.

4. Oh You Are The Roots That Sleep Beneath My Feet ~ This Floridian beauty writes about life with her husband, adorable baby boy, and her four cats. As I am sure you can guess, from her lyrical blog title, Lindsay has a flare for the dramatic, which is easy to see demonstrated in her beautiful narrative prose throughout her blog.

5. Ladaisi ~ Lauren is an American transplant in Denmark. Her beautiful and artistic blog is full of gorgeous photography from her life and travels, including portraits of her adorable son. Her writing is full of compelling imagery, and she is a master of emotive narrative.

I hope you will take a moment to visit each of these blogs, and see why I am giving them the Versatile Blogger award. I promise you will love what you see! Each of these women is a beautiful soul with a real talent for writing, and the ability to write about a variety of subjects with equal amounts of passion and interest. If you like what you see, be sure to follow their blogs, and let them know Alena from Little Bit Of Wonderful sent you over!

Four Letter Words | Bill Giovannetti | Book Review, Blog Tour & TWO Giveaways!

2012-01-27T13:25:00.001-06:00

Four Letter Words

Conversations on faith's beauty and logic.

Bill Giovannetti

207pages

" My friend didn't object to my belief as much as to my confidence.

To her, it smelled like arrogance."

~ p.13

{ About This Book }

Thou shalt tolerate every opinion... except the Christian's. Today's postmodern "prime directive" leaves many followers of Jesus tongue-tied. In the global village, isn't it unreasonable, and even dangerous, to suggest that the Bible has a monopoly on truth?

The church needs a new breed of Christ-follower. We need Christ-followers who are alert to today's touchy ideas, the truths that fire up more heat than light. We need Christ-followers who can make a clear case for the Bible's worldview; who are ready to help our friends think through their beliefs; who can recognize inconsistencies and challenge them; and who can do all of this with humility, confidence, humor, and love. For more information visit http://fourletterwords.org.

{ About The Author }

Dr. Bill Giovannetti is a professor at A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary and the senior pastor of Neighborhood Church of Redding. An experienced speaker and author, Bill informs the mind in ways that touch the heart. He enjoys life with his wife and two kids in northern California. For more information about Bill and his other books, visit http://maxgrace.wordpress.com and http://fourletterwords.org.

{ My Thoughts }

Four Letter Words is an excellent book, and one I recommend to anyone - Christian or non-Christian - who is willing to take a moment to really think through what and why they think and believe what they do. The author approaches issues of faith and opinion on a range of topics relevant to today's culture in a way that is direct and unapologetic, but respectful and sincere. This book spoke to me as few have done, and I found his approach to these issues really helped me to clarify for myself issues that I struggled with, and gave me the tools to perhaps help clarify those same issues with others. As a woman who believes in Jesus, practices traditional Christianity, and wants to be a light and hope to those around her without compromising her values in an attempt to be respectful of opposing beliefs, I found Four Letter Words immeasurably helpful.

Several quotes really grabbed me. Here are a few of them...

There has never been a culture more desperate for answers to life's big questions, and never a culture more convinced no answers exist.

***

Thou shalt tolerate every opinion...except the Christian's.

***

Yes, Christians have inflicted their share of inhumanity across the globe, and for it, I grieve and apologize. But those evils are the exception, not the rule. They flow, not from biblical Christianity, but from a distortion of it.

***

I believe that [God] pre-programmed the most important [moral lines] into human nature, so that most cultures consider murder, abuse, rape, and cruelty wrong. God's laws, the Bible says, are written on our hearts (Romans 2:15). That makes us accountable to him, and without excuse (Romans 1:20).

***

For the truth about God is known to them [the whole world] instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and the sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God (Romans 1:19, 20 NLT).

And my favorite, the one I found the most compelling...

There was nothing Jesus could say or do - short of redefining himself to suit their preconceptions - to make everybody like him. So he stood strong, kept the faith, spoke the truth, loved the world, and let God handle the outcomes.

Such a life was interpreted by most as a long string of four letter words. It always will be.

But one man, standing at the foot of the cross, heard it differently. He was a Roman centurion, part of the squad that crucified Jesus.

He said, "Truly, this man was the Son of God" (Mark 13:39).

He was only the first of countless seekers who saw the cross, not as a lunatic's curse, but as heaven's blessing.

May your life story speak forth that blessing for countless seekers more.

You can find more reviews of this book here.

{ Buy This Book }

You can purchase your own copy of this book here for $13.99

{ Enter To Win }

Bill is celebrating the new Kindle edition of Four Letter Words (for only $4.99)! He’ll be traveling coast to coast over the next few weeks on this virtual book tour and he's celebrating by hosting a great giveaway!

Click here (http://fourletterwords.org/2012/01/contest-giveaway) to find out how you can win two gift certificates to Amazon (in the amount of $50 and $25) and free downloads of his yet-to-be-released title, Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World.

The whole scoop here: http://fourletterwords.org/2012/01/contest-giveaway/

In addition to the tour-wide sweepstakes for the prizes mentioned above, Bill has graciously extended another offer to you, the readers of Little Bit Of Wonderful. Starting today, and ending at 11:59pm on Friday, February 10th, you can enter to win your own copy of Four Letter Words right here on this blog! All you have to do is sign in to the Rafflecopter widget below, and follow the directions for each entry. Only the first one is mandatory (all you have to do is read the info, enter the required text, and hit Done!), and the others (which will show up once you enter the first entry) are optional, for additional entry points. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, and you must be 18 years old to win (this will be verified, so if you're underage and want this book, you must have a legal adult enter for you). This offer is void where prohibited by law. By entering this giveaway, you acknowledge that you have read and understand these conditions, and that you qualify to win, and that you release Little Bit Of Wonderful and myself (Alena Belleque) from all liability. Also, please remember that this offer is seperate from the tour-wide giveaway, and to win those prizes you must follow the links above.

Have a great day, and good luck in the drawing! *smiles*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Disclosure }

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of providing an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. To learn more, please see my Disclosure page.

Where There Is Hope | A Story Of Us

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

I am guest posting today, over at Peace Love & Poop! and I hope you will check it out when you get a chance; it is all about my hopes for this new year, 2012, and ties into this post. You can read my guest post here.

The last several years have been hard for us. My husband has worked one part-time, dead end job after another, struggling to provide for our little family of two, while I have bounced from one job to another, unable to keep one because of my health. Our income has vacillated all over the place, and as a result, so has our housing.

When we first got married, we had an apartment in a nice tax credit community (similar to low income, but newer and you don't get kicked out if you actually start to make a living wage), but after six months we broke our lease (a huge mistake) and moved back up the Valley to be near family and friends again. It wasn't that we were struggling or unhappy; I was a cook at a pizza place and he was my delivery driver, and we drove up to Missoula each week for church and to see everyone, but we didn't like the commute, and then, well, there was my health. Specifically, my inability to get pregnant. A few quickly failing friendships didn't help, either.

Our next apartment was bigger, but not as nice (or safe - our front door was a sliding glass patio door with no lock), and we ended up moving out in a huge, humiliated hurry because of a massive (ie: STUPID and beyond our control) conflict with our landlords that resulted in a family member giving us a large sum of money to pay our back rent, fix our car, and get us out of that nightmare of a situation (thank God for generous loved ones). By that time, my health was in such poor shape I could not work at all, and poor Nick had only been able to find a 1o hour a week job at minimum wage. Completely broke, we gladly accepted his best friend's offer to move into his spare bedroom at his condo, until we could figure things out.

Living with Carl was fun and relaxed, and a much needed break from all the drama of the previous few months. We celebrated our first anniversary while living there, and I think we could have happily continued the arrangement for some time, if it hadn't been for the military. Carl has enlisted in the Marine Reserve the previous year, and when he deployed, his dad decided to rent out the condo. Nick had lost his job, and I was unable to find work, so we moved out, and into my aunt's garage a few towns further down the Valley.

That summer was busy, which was a mercy. We slept most nights in our bed in the middle of the garage, surrounded by our belongings. I know it sounds terrible, but it wasn't as bad as you might think. It was a big garage, and we laid out rolls of carpeting, setting up house "zones" so it felt a little more normal. We had a living room area with our recliners and tv, a kitchen area with a table and small appliances including a mini-fridge and microwave, and a bedroom area with our bed and nightstands and dresser. The heat was the only part I really hated - Montana may be about as far north as you can get in the United States, but our summers were still in the 90's and 100's. Thankfully, we had a lot of fans, and we really didn't spend much time there except to sleep. I spent a fair amount of time indoors with my aunt and cousin, scrapbooking, cooking, and visiting, and we were over at Nick's parents' a lot, too. We actually stayed in their house for a full month in the middle of summer, hanging out with Nick's younger brothers while his parents traveled, and then enjoying the quiet after they moved to Illinois. All our belongings stayed at my aunt's garage, but the empty house was so much cooler in the summer heat we didn't care.

Nick had been unable to find a new job, but I was able to get full time work as a telemarketer at a magazine place, so we were doing okay financially for a little while. My health was still poor, but not so poor that I couldn't sit at a desk all day and read a script. We might have found our own apartment and stayed in Montana, but for a small problem with my job; we found out that the owners had been sued multiple times, and that the business had actually been shut down by the feds a few times (reopening under new names and with a new "owner" each time) because of fraudulent activities. I had become increasingly uncomfortable with some of the practices I was made to follow, and the same week we found all this out, my supervisor actually told me that if I didn't start including a bald-faced lie in my scrip (which I had left out, though still getting more than my quota of sales), I would lose my job. After many tears and much prayer, we decided that it would be better to be without an income than participate in fraud, and I quit my job.

It was August of 2008. Nick's parents and brothers had just moved to Illinois, his sister was about to get married and leave the state for Bible school in Wyoming, the house we were living in was going on the market, and as soon as school started in September, we would no longer be able to even stay in the garage. With neither of us employed, we had very few options, and we were scared to death! What were we going to do?

At the last moment, Nick's grandparents saved us. It was at his sister's wedding reception; they asked us what our plans were, and when we told them we really didn't know, they offered us a solution. We would move in with them in Wyoming, and in exchange for room and board we would do work around the place that they could no longer do.

Two days later, we packed the things we couldn't bear to lose into the back of our little sedan, and drove out of Montana for our new home in Wyoming. My wedding ring (the one my grandfather had given my Grama on their wedding day - she insisted we sell it) financed the trip, with help from almost everything we had owned up to that point. Many tears fell as we crossed the border.

We spent three years in Wyoming, and there were good times as well as bad. We had our own apartment for 9 months in the middle of that time, my sister, Rosie, lived with us for six of them, but circumstances beyond our control made it necessary to move back in with the grandparents again. Ed and Linda are incredible people, and though living with others is never easy, we loved our time with them, and I miss them dearly now that we are gone.

Nick and I both worked a variety of jobs, trying to get our income to a place of self-sustainability, but it never quite worked out. (For one thing, I had a nervous breakdown at work after being harassed by a coworker for several weeks, and was unable to find another job in that town.) We finally came to the realization that we had a choice to make; stay in Wyoming and scrape for a living, or take a chance and move on. By that time, Nick's sister and her family had moved to the same town in Illinois where his parents and brothers had gone, and in October 2010 we made the two day trip out to see them for our niece's 1st birthday.

We fell in love with Illinois. The wide open spaces, the green fields and forests, the winding rivers... And it felt so right to be back with his family. During the long journey back to Wyoming, we discussed our options, knowing that any move would be a huge leap of faith. It wasn't until we crossed the border back into Wyoming that we decided it was a risk worth taking. As much as we love his grandparents, we couldn't stand to live in that state any longer.

It took us several months to scrape together enough money to make the move, but we did it. We arrived back in Illinois in early March 2011, this time pulling a small trailer behind our Jimmy. We still had to sell a lot of our belongings (it's amazing how much you accumulate in three years, even without your own home) to make it all fit, and to get enough cash together for the journey, but nothing precious had been lost this time. Nick's parents graciously opened their home to us, and we moved into their guest room. Our nephew was born a few short weeks later, and for the first time in years, Nick and I began to have hope for our future.

It took five months for Nick to find work, but he kept busy with family, and volunteers every week in the puppet team ministry his sister and her husband run through our church. I found a job almost by accident, and worked in a commercial photography studio until August, quitting because of further health problems the same week that Nick finally landed a part time job as the wheelchair aid on a special needs bus for our local school district.

Barely more than a week later, we found out we were pregnant!

I was in Kansas, visiting my friends Tina and Tyler and their wonderful kids. I had been feeling "weird" for about a week, and Tina insisted that I take a home pregnancy test. I was genuinely curious, but also very jaded by this point; around the same time that we first became homeless and moved in with Nick's best friend, Carl, back in 2008, my doctor confirmed that I have hypothyroidism and diagnosed me with PCOS (poly-cystic ovary syndrome - a condition wherein a hormone imbalance causes painful cysts on a woman's ovaries, and infertility). We had been trying (directly or by not preventing) to get pregnant since June of 2007, and by the fall of 2010 we had finally given up. Nothing had worked, including fertility drugs, and we sold all of our collected baby things, and gave the dream back to God, thinking someday to adopt if we could. So when Tina suggested I might be pregnant, I was both suddenly hopeful and completely sure that it couldn't possibly be true. But I took the test; hope cannot be denied forever.

I took three tests before finally believing I was really pregnant. Then I called Nick, and told him the good news. He was so shocked, he actually threw up! It was a hard week, keeping it secret from everyone (except Tina and her family, of course) until I was able to return home. Poor Nick thought he was going to lose his mind, and several people called or messaged me on Facebook asking if he was okay, and teasing him about being a mess without me. Little did they know!

I have written about our pregnancy journey elsewhere - how we made the announcement, when we found out our baby is a girl, etc - so I will let you read those posts yourself, rather than rehashing it here. You can find posts about our pregnancy here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. If you don't feel like wading through all of that, or if you want more information about our fertility journey and our sweet little girl, you can read about it here on our Journey To Baby page.

The first several months of this pregnancy were both wonderful and very, very hard. Being pregnant after infertility is not quite the fairy tale I expected, or that most people want to hear, but that is a story for another day; I need more time to process my thoughts, I think. It really wasn't until month six began - after we knew she was a little girl, and after passing the "danger zone" where pregnancy complication or early labor could spell disaster - that I really began to relax and enjoy everything.

I am almost seven months pregnant now, and hope - where it used to be something elusive and transitory - has become my friend. I wake up each morning, feeling my daughter move, and I am reminded that life is a miracle. That is a precious gift.

Thank you for reading about Nick and my story! I hope you will take a moment to hop over to Peace Love & Poop! and read my guest post, as it ties into this one. Have a wonderful day! Blessings...

Wordless Wednesday | Pizza Will Kill Us All

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

Brother moves away

2012-01-24T19:30:00.001-06:00

Please welcome Mitch Osborne to the blog for a short guest post...

My brother just moved to Texas and I have been very upset about it. We have always been a short car ride away and now we are it completely different states. Ever since his divorce, he has leaned on me for everything. It has made us very close and I already miss him. I went to see him last week to help him move in and I didn’t want to leave. Even though we were doing boring things, we still had a great time. I helped him pick out all of his furniture. I helped him Shop Electricity Rates Texas and even cable rates too. And believe it or not, I helped him paint. I hate painting and probably always will, but my brother means a lot to me and I wanted to help. His new place looks greatand I am happy for him. However, selfishly I wish he would change his mind and move back to Oklahoma. The truth is as long as he is happy, then I am happy. It is just a hard adjustment to make.

{ Disclosure }

This is a sponsored guest post in conjunction with Blogvertise, and is in compliance with FTC regulations. For more details, please see my Disclosure page.

Serenata Hampers | UK Gift Hamper Delivery | Gifts For Her

2012-01-24T19:21:00.001-06:00

Valentine's Day is coming up in a few short weeks, and I am really excited about this one. I turn 26 a few days before the holiday, and for some reason I am really feeling this birthday - maybe it's because I will officially be closer to 30 than to 20, or maybe it's because I've been married for almost five years, or it could be because I will be a mother in a few short months. Whatever the reason, I am hoping to be spoiled rotten this year, even if I can't have a pretty beverage with my dinner.

I want to tell you about a company from whom I would absolutely love to have something from their shop this Valentine's. Serenata Hampers is a UK based hamper delivery service that delivers to over 150 countries, worldwide! (If you, like me when I first heard the name, are wondering why someone would want a laundry hamper delivered to their front door, please note that in the UK "hamper" refers to a pretty basket - see this article for details.) With hampers for every occasion, this company really hits the nail on the head when it comes to meaningful, personal, and oh-so-wonderful-gimme-gimme gifts for any person on your gift list. And for Valentine's Day? There are hampers like these...

Fresh Linen Cupboard 29.99

A Pamper Dream 34.99

Bubbles & Truffles 49.99

Are these not the most decadent gift hampers you have ever seen?? The middle one is my favorite. (Please note that all prices are in UK pounds, not US dollars; please reference the website for proper conversion.)

Serenata Hampers has a very wide selection of beautiful gift hampers, all customizable to fit your needs. If you have a lady in your life (or you are a lady, and want to oh-so-subtly hint at your significant other), be sure to check out their line of hampers for her; you'll be happy you did!

{ Disclosure }

This is a sponsored post brought to you in conjunction with Blogvertise, and is in compliance with FTC regulations. For more details, please view my Disclosure page.

Winners!! | New You Fan Giveaway

2012-01-23T22:32:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Stephanie Plummer, Katie Smith, and Helen Bush, winners of the New You Fan Giveaway, which was co-sponsored with CouponFreeStuff. All winners have been contacted by email, and had 48 hours to respond in order to claim their prizes.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for future giveaways on this blog! All giveaway events are listed in my right hand sidebar under the headings "Current Giveaways" and "Upcoming Events & Giveaways."

Eden Loves Bloggers | Eden Community Clubs | What's Up, Cupcake? Workshop

2012-01-23T22:03:00.001-06:00

* This is a sponsored post for the EdenFantasys company. While there is no objectionable content in my post, be aware that by clicking any of the links within this post you will be taken to a website that does contain adult content, both written and visual. By reading this post you certify that you are at least 18 years old, have read this warning, and will not hold me or this blog liable for anything you may see by clicking through these links. *

I have an admission - I have never made cupcakes. I don't think I've even made muffins, though we'd have to ask my mom to be sure (care to weigh in, Mom?) because my memories of actually baking things are way back in the mists of time... I've made cookies around the holidays, a few times (with supervision, haha) in the last five years, but I think the last thing I actually baked (besides cookies) was some kind of short bread (zucchini? banana?) in middle school. But you know? I've always wanted to make cupcakes. And regular cake. Mostly because I don't like either one (too dry, too sweet, too something), and the ~~narcissist~~ artist in me is convinced I could do better.

But how do you go about learning to make something? I mean, enchiladas - no problem! You just mix stuff that smells good together, stuff it in rolled up tortillas, smother it with cheese, and bake it until everything's hot; presto! But baking?? You can't just throw things together, you have to actually follow a recipe *shudder* which entails *gulp* MATH. Have you seen the fractions they throw into those things??? My mother- and sister-in-law both tell me I just need to buck up and bake already, but I'm a chicken. There, I said it. I would rather not eat baked goods than have something I slaved over turn out nasty.

Thankfully, darthkitt3n over at Eden Cooks Club plans to save the day (and my poor culinary victims' taste buds) by hosting a cupcake making workshop on Monday, January 30th @ 7pm EST, open to anyone who wants to expand their repertoire, or (like me) learn something new (and delicious!) altogether. (Please note that the date listed on the blog post I linked says October, which is incorrect. The correct date is the one I listed in this post, and you can find additional info about the workshop here.) Does this sound like something you might enjoy? Sign up - it's free! Personally, I think this could lead to fun Valentine's Day shenanigans - decadent cupcakes, a little wine, pretty lingerie from the EdenFantasys shop...

{ Disclosure }

This is a sponsored post brought to you in partnership with the Eden Loves Bloggers program. All content and opinions are my own, and are true to the best of my knowledge. This post is in compliance with FTC Regulations.

Upcoming Event | Fan Appreciation Ca$h Giveaway

2012-01-23T15:20:00.000-06:00

Are you a blogger? Do you want to increase your social media exposure by rewarding your fans with a chance to win a cash giveaway? I know I do!

If you answered yes, then you should join our upcoming cash giveaway event, which will run from February 1-11th.

Sign-ups are open now!

Prize: Cash sum which will be determined by participation - the more bloggers that join, the larger the amount of the cash giveaway.

Eligibility: This giveaway is open Worldwide, prize is in US dollars, Paypal account is required.

Cost: $5 per entry link - Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, Email subscription, RSS subscription, or other (could be either a voting link, entry into a different giveaway you are running, or if you are still with blogger a GFC link, etc. whatever - your choice). Each type of link will be listed together in categories on the Rafflecopter form beginning with Facebook pages and moving through all the options in the order listed above. Each entry link in the category will be listed in the order payment was received. Sign up and pay as soon as possible for your chance to be near the top of the list.

Payment: Accepted via Paypal - send to frugalexperiments@gmail.com.

Blogger Prize: There will be a cash prize for the participating blogger that refers the most participants. Total prize amount will depend upon the number of participating bloggers. Minimum prize amount of $10 and will go up $1 per participating blogger that signs up after the initial 10 so this would be a progressive prize amount.

Requirements: You will be required to post twice about this giveaway. Once before the giveaway begins to announce your participation and to tell other bloggers how they can participate also. Your second post should go live after the contest begins, detailing the giveaway and containing the Rafflecopter form so your visitors can enter this awesome giveaway.

Sign-up Now Through January 28, 2012

Your payment will be pooled with the payments from all other participating bloggers and will go toward the total prize (minus Paypal fees, blogger prize and administrative fees). In exchange, your blog will be included with all other participating blogs in the Fan Appreciation Giveaway as an entry method.

After you sign up, you will be sent a form to fill out via email, so that Theresa can keep track of your entry. When you fill it out, be sure to say that Little Bit Of Wonderful referred you! Thanks! *smiles*

Did I Forget To Mention...

2012-01-21T17:12:00.000-06:00

...that I am a regular contributor to the awesome mommy blog, Peace Love & Poop, now? Oops!

I will be posting over there every Wednesday from now on, and I hope you will join me! Each week, I will leave a post here giving you the link to my current guest post, so you can check it out. While you're there, I hope you'll stick around and see what the author is up to! She's a great blogger *smiles*

Here are links to the three posts I have written so far...

Letting Go Of Perfection | A New Year's Resolution

7 Dumb Things I've Heard Since Becoming Pregnant

7 Heart-Warming Things I've Heard Since Becoming Pregnant

See you there!

Not What I Intended To Write...

2012-01-21T15:09:00.000-06:00

A dear friend asked me to write a guest post for her blog next week, and the topic we decided on got me thinking about things I want to write for my own blog, which got me thinking about things I wish I'd written in the past, which culminated in me waking up at 4am with a blog post title and content running through my head. I almost grabbed my laptop and went downstairs to slam it out, but then I sat on the edge of the bed to think about it, and the next thing I knew it was morning. I got up, fully intending to write what had woken me up (besides having to pee for the third time, that is) in the middle of the night, but got seriously derailed when I realized that the cold I thought I'd finally beat (I've been sick with one cold after another, including strep throat, since August when I got pregnant) has not actually left, it was just hibernating. In other words...

I feel like poop.

So, instead of trying to actually THINK long enough to write out my pre-dawn thoughts, I'm here, whining to you about not being able to get well enough to post anything of any actual journalistic merit on my own blog. Stellar.

"Capture The Love" Valentine's Day Giveaway | Coming Soon!

2012-01-21T13:59:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is coming up fast, and my bloggy friend over at 7 on a Shoestring is hosting a great giveaway; the Capture the Love giveaway will open February 1st and will close on the 14th. Along with 36 other bloggers, I am helping bring this giveaway to you here on Little Bit Of Wonderful as a co-sponsor! There will be one winner, and they will walk away with a brand new 4G FlipCam Ultra, and a cash prize (tbd) via PayPal to sweeten an already super sweet deal.

Be sure to check back on February 1st for your chance to enter to win this great prize via Rafflecopter!

In the meantime, be sure to check out all these great bloggers who have teamed up to bring you this great giveaway!

Happy About Mother's Day | Huge Giveaway Event Coming in May!

2012-01-19T20:08:00.000-06:00

Is it too early to talk about Mother's Day? Maybe, but I have to say that I'm already looking forward to it. Why? Because, after half a decade of wallowing my way through this holiday because of infertility, this year I will have my own precious little bundle of baby girl to celebrate with me. This year, I get to be a mother for Mother's Day!

I also want to tell you about a super awesome giveaway event coming up for Mother's Day this year...

Makobi Scribe (a fellow blogger) is hosting the Mother's Day Gift Ideas Carnival Event for the second year, and I will be participating!

It is a perfect time to find what gifts you would like to give to your mother. Makobi Scribe is proud to present Mother’s Day Gift Ideas Carnival Event from May 10 12:01 PM EST to May 18 at 12:01 PM EST and is accepting signups now.

If you're a blogger, and want to be involved in a huge multi-blog giveaway event, you need to click on the button above and sign up! You can pay a $5 entry fee, or write a post like this one (details on her site) to get in for free.

If you are a brand, business, small business, or individual artist who would like to see your products featured in this event, send me an email via the Contact page at the top of this blog, and let's talk! I will be putting together a prize package to give away on this blog during this event, and I would love to talk to you about getting involved!

Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop | I'm Guest Hosting!

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

I am so excited - I am the guest co-host of this week's Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop! Thank you, Shelly, Sam and Jeannette for including me! *smiles*

Welcome back to week 42 of Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop hosted by Shelly from My Saving Game, Sam from Have Sippy Will Travel and Jeannette from The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug! Thank you all for helping make this hop so successful! We love you tons! Now what are you waiting for? Let's get to hopping! We are finding some fabulous blogs through this hop and having a great time getting to know so many of you! So thank you for linking up again this week to those of you who are hop veterans and welcome to those who are new! Let's continue to make new bloggy friends and increase our traffic! We do have a few simple rules for you - nothing too tough though. So here we go!

1. Please follow your hostesses My Saving Game, Have Sippy Will Travel and The Advetures of J-Man and MillerBug. Leave us a comment and we will follow you back! (If you already follow us on GFC, we'd LOVE it if you would follow us on Google +, Facebook or Twitter.)

2. Follow our Guest Host who this weeks is Alena from Little Bit of Wonderful. That's me, folks! My GFC widget is in the right hand sidebar. Thanks for following! *smiles*

3. You don't have to post our button but we sure would like it if you did. Not only does it help our hop grow so we can all get new followers, but each week we will choose a guest co-host and to be considered you must have our button somewhere on your site! If you post our button and want to be considered for guest co-host, please email me at jmanandmillerbug@gmail.com to express your interest.

4. You can link up blogs, facebook, twitter accounts, whatever - just be sure to specify what each link is.

5. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

6. Have fun!

Alienation: A CHAOS Novel | Jon S Lewis | Blog Tour & Giveaway

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000-06:00

Alienation

A C.H.A.O.S. Novel

Jon S Lewis

{ About This Book }

After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.

Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?

As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.

{ About The Author }

Jon S. Lewis is the coauthor of the Grey Griffins trilogy (over 500,000 books in print) and the upcoming Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He also writes for the DC COMICS family of publishers. He resides with his family in Arizona.

For more about Jon and the series, visit www.chaosnovels.com.

{ Buy This Book }

Want to check out this book for yourself? You can purchase it here: http://ow.ly/8wW4O

{ Giveaway & Facebook Party }

Win an iPad from @JonSLewis and @NelsonFiction in the Alienation iPad2 Giveaway!The invasion was only the beginning! Jon Lewis is celebrating the next adventure in his fast-paced C.H.A.O.S. series with an explosive giveaway!

One thrill-seeker will receive:

iPad2 with Wi-Fi
Copies of the C.H.A.O.S. novels, Invasion and Alienation

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 7th. Winner will be announced at the Alienation Facebook Party on 2/7. Jon will be hosting an Author Chat, giving away copies of the books and gift certificates to iTunes and Amazon.com! Don't miss a second of the intrigue!

Grab your copy of Alienation and join Jon on the evening of February 7th for an author chat, spy training (How much do you know about alien invaders?) and lots of giveaways.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

{ Disclosure }

I received a free advanced readers copy of this book for the purpose of providing a review; with the sponsor's permission, I elected not to provide a review, as I did not personally enjoy this book. All opinions are my own. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations.

Wordless Wednesday | Sesame Street Baby Cake

2012-01-18T11:00:00.000-06:00

You have no idea how much I love this baby cake!!! And yet, I am fairly certain that my niece, Cinda, would love it more...

You can find this cute cake and many, many more on this week's Sunday Sweets post over on the awesome and hilarious Cake Wrecks blog!

“If You Have Food in Your Fridge…” | Guest Post by Laura Page of Literary Legs

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

My dear friend and fellow blogger and book lover, Laura Page, is joining us today with a very insightful post about life, goals, and dealing with them in the real world. Here's a little bit about this lovely woman...

Laura Page is a woman, a wife, a sister, a friend, and your favorite nerd-- among other things. She enjoys art, culture, literature, and a good glass of red wine! Her current projects include building her blog, Literary Legs, and writing her first novel, as well as a chapbook of poetry. Laura lives in Oregon with her hubby and her cat, “Kit.” She loves company, so feel free to drop by the blog and say hi!

"If You Have Food In Your Fridge..."

Laura Page

author of Literary Legs

Before I launch into what I’m about to talk about, I should say first off that I’m not a mommy. Nor do I have a high-powered job. Neither of those thing-- yet. So I really have no right to even go there with my topic, today, by all you breadwinning mom’s out there. I admit it. Okay. Now that that’s out of the way, I want to talk a little bit about… stress

Ha. I can just hear you all, now.

I want to talk about stress, simply because I experience a lot of it. Especially lately. If you’d known me a few years ago, you’d be surprised by this, because I’ve always been pretty chill. Somehow, though, stress crept in and suddenly I realize—I’m my mother! How did this happen? It’s the usual stuff—too many hours at work (or too few), trying to make the money stretch all the way to the end of the month, trying to please other people in my life--and just generally trying too hard to see around the next bend in the road before I get there. Normal stuff, right? More so for you mommy bloggers, I’m sure! To a certain extent, I think everybody feels these pressures. But those things have been pressures for all of my adult life, and I was not always so harassed by them. I’ve had to really evaluate the source of my anxieties, of late, and what I’ve come up with is a little ridiculous.

I’ve realized that I get stressed out not because I think we won’t be okay. We’re okay. We’ll be okay. No, I get stressed primarily because I feel that I should be moving along a certain life track. I feel like the older I get, the more people wonder why I don’t have that graduate degree yet. That mortgage. Or any of the other external indicators of success. Lame, right? I get stressed, because I’m often afraid that my wheels are moving outside the lines of what my society deems “successful.” Because I’m a late bloomer, you might say.

And it’s ridiculous. Straight up.

Ostensibly, I’m against making new year’s resolutions. But this year, I decided to make one. I do, however, have a somewhat “loose” interpretation of the word “resolution,” when it comes to first of the year promises to oneself. I’m not going to commit myself to, say, flossing twice a day, like I did last year. Or fitting into the size 6 pants I used to fit into. No, no. This year, I’m simply going to try to remember that I am blessed. So incredibly blessed. Right where I am.

This little meme puts it into perspective. Says it better than I ever could.

Well, when ya put it like that…I think all of us are pretty blessed. This year, I’m going to start trying harder to remember that. Remind myself of it more often. I suspect that doing so is going to keep my stress levels down. This late bloomer is going to get over herself and that silly 5-going-on-10-year-plan this year, and savor what life has to offer in the present.

Be sure to check out more of Laura's wonderful writing over on her blog, Literary Legs. Laura will be joining us every 3rd Tuesday of the month from now on, so check back February 20th for another beautiful post!

Playing With Fire | Kindle Fire Giveaway

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

Back at the beginning of the month, I told you guys about an upcoming Kindle Fire giveaway, co-hosted by a variety of bloggers around the web, and sponsored by my friend Ashley of Freckleberry Finds. Well, wait no longer - here it is!

One lucky reader will win a brand new Kindle Fire ($199 value) using the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post! This tablet is amazing! It is WiFi enabled, has super-fast web browsing thanks to Amazon Silk, and you can store all of your Amazon content in cloud storage. Additionally, it gives you access to over 19 million movies, tv shows, songs, magazines, and books, as well as thousands of web apps! This is one nifty little machine!

Of course, not everyone can win, especially with the wide audience this giveaway will be receiving over the next two weeks. That's why we've come up with a second place prize of $20 PayPal cash! Even if you don't walk away with the Kindle Fire, you can still win fun money!

All you have to do is enter your information in the Rafflecopter widget below, and follow the instructions it gives you. If you are unfamiliar with Rafflecopter, you can watch this short video for basic instructions (the widget in the video is a little different than the one below, but don't worry about that - the instructions are still good and very easy). This giveaway will run from today, January 17th, to January 31st, 2012, and is open to residents of the US & Canada (if the winner of the Kindle Fire is in Canada, they will receive a gift card from Amazon in the amount of the Kindle's value, so they can purchase it there).

So what are you waiting for?? Get crackin', and don't forget to tell your friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Disclosure }

This is not a sponsored post. I did not receive a product or any form of compensation in exchange for my promotion of this giveaway. This giveaway is sponsored by Freckleberry Finds, and is co-hosted by a number of other bloggers, including myself, who "bought in" in order to bring you this giveaway. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations.

Winner!! | Mommy On The Go Wallet by BabyLove

2012-01-16T15:00:00.003-06:00

And the lucky winner of this adorable and stylish Mommy On The Go Wallet from the debut brand, BabyLove by Cindy Belleque is...

Christyn Mkenna

Congratulations, Christyn! :) You have 48 hours to respond to the email I sent you to claim your prize.

Cindy has several beautiful wallets and pairs of baby shoes still available, and is interested in talking to you about custom orders, as well. If you are interested in purchasing a Mommy On The Go Wallet, Mary Jane Baby Shoes, or a custom item from BabyLove, please send Cindy an email at cindy.babylove@live.com and she'll hook you up! And remember, these wallets aren't just for mommies - they're for anyone who wants a cute and stylish soft wallet that is easy to stash in your pocket, purse, or anywhere else!

Last Chance To Win a Mommy On The Go Wallet from BabyLove!!

2012-01-15T13:13:00.002-06:00

Today is the last day to enter to win this adorable wallet from the debut brand, BabyLove. Don't miss out! You can enter on the post below...

Mommy On The Go Wallet

Check back tomorrow to find out who won - it could be you!

Winner!! | Silver Smoke by Monica Leonelle

2012-01-14T11:21:00.004-06:00

And the winner of Silver Smoke by Monica Leonelle is...

Helen Marie Jones

Congratulations, Helen! You have 48 hours to respond to the email I just sent you, in order to claim your prize.

You can read my review of this great book here.

"I'll Try Not To Have My Baby On Your Feet, Ma'am"

2012-01-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

Over the last two days, I have been sharing stories from my exciting trip to our local Walmart, to finish up my baby registry, with my friend Jeanette (you can read them here and here). Believe it or not, I have one more doozie to share with you...

{source}

Jeanette and I were standing in line at the Service Center, waiting to pick up a scanner so we could head back to the baby section and add stuff to my registry. We were about 3rd in line, and the lady in front of us glanced back, her eyes freezing on my pregnant belly, horror freezing her entire body.

"Wow, you're pregnant! You're not going to go into labor right here in line, are you??" (I swear, not a trace of humor in her voice.)

Exchanging amused glances with Jeanette, I laughed and told her that I'm only six months pregnant, and have a ways to go yet.

She barely looked relieved, edging away from me, nervously. "Oh good! I've had my own two babies, but I'm not ready to deliver yours!"

Resisting the urge to say, "Oh, don't worry - I'm not ready to let you touch my baby!" I just smiled and turned away. She edged a little farther away from me, still staring anxiously at my belly (which is really not that huge yet), putting her husband between us.

Ah, the fun people you meet at Walmart *smiles*

Should Insurance Get to Decide Pharmacy Rates? | Walgreens' Customers Blocked | Sponsored Post

2012-01-13T14:01:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Most of us in America have at least heard the uneasy buzz about insurance companies hiking rates, making it harder for the average (ie: under-employed) person to afford their coverage and prescription costs. But if you're like me, it probably hasn't occurred to you that the providers of those services (I'm thinking in particular of pharmacies) are affected by insurance giants' decisions, as well. This information will change that.

The insurance company Express Scripts has booted the major pharmacy chain, Walgreens, out of their covered providers roster for prescription drug coverage. Why? Because Walgreens refused to allow them to set drug prices carte blanche. The pharmacy chain even offered to hold their prices (they did not ask for a rate increase) in a good faith attempt to work with the insurance company, but Express Scripts refused to accept anything less than total control, even indicating that they wanted to slash Walgreens' reimbursement rates to well below the national average, and cut the chain from their list of accepted drug providers.

Where does this leave their consumers, though? Unfortunately, it's a pretty simple answer. Thousands of people, insured by Express Scripts, are now left searching for alternative pharmacies, and most of them are facing impressive rate hikes as a result.

Other victim in this heavy handed move by Express Scripts is the health care and prescription drug program, Tricare, which serves America's men and women in uniform. In an unprecedented move, Walgreens offered to guarantee a price/discount match nation wide to insure that military personnel receive the lowest possible rates on their prescription drugs amongst all over pharmacies in the Tricare network of providers. An offer that Express Scripts flatly refused, putting men and women in the armed services in the middle of a nasty dispute.

What does this mean for you? Possibly, nothing, but it is definitely in your best interests to check. If you are a Walgreens customer, you can check with your pharmacist to see if your coverage has been impacted, or you can simply look at the back of your insurance card. If the name Express Scripts appears on your card, you may very well be in the market for a new pharmacy, but if it does not, you do not need to worry - you are not among those affected by this depressing issue. If you are affected, check with your local Walgreens to learn about some of the steps they are taking to help you either continue to use their pharmacy, or to make your transition to another pharmacy as painless as possible. One of the services they are offering is a special January-only discount on their Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens.

To learn more about this unjust war between Express Scripts and Walgreens, please visit this article: Walgreens and Express Scripts.

You can also find more information by visiting Walgreens on Twitter and Walgreens on Facebook.

"I Just Want To Register - Don't Make Me Hurt You!!" | In Which I Consider Criminal Activity Against A Walmart Employee

2012-01-13T12:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I shared a fun story with you about almost getting run over by a CSM at Walmart, when I met my friend, Jeanette, at our local Walmart to finish adding items to my baby registry before my sister-in-law starts sending out invitations to the shower she's throwing for me in February (she's a sweety like that *smiles*). I was a few minutes late, thanks to the accidental 2 1/2 hour nap I took (oops), and we were chatting away happily as we waited in line at the Service Desk to pick up a scanner; we weren't even put off by the fact that we were fifth in a nine person line, waiting for one lonely desk person.

When we finally made it up to the counter, I told the lady that I had already established a registry online, and that I just needed a scanner so I could add store only items to my registry. She got this annoyed/condescending look on her face, and informed me that the store "doesn't do in-store registries" and that I would have to stick with what I found on the website. I was more than a little surprised, and politely questioned this information, asking if perhaps we were in the wrong part of the store for registries, to which she curtly replied that "everyone knows you register online" and I got the distinct impression she thought I was an idiot. The fact that I briefly considered lunging across the counter at her must have been evident on my face, because Jeanette laid her hand on my shoulder and suggested we try another store.

Is it bad to consider drop kicking a rude clerk?

Thankfully, the Walmart a few miles farther down the road was not delusional (or suicidal), and they let me use a scanner. Granted, for the 30 minutes it took us to actually add items to my baby registry, it took another 1.25 hours for them to (a) find a scanner, (b) get the battery to work, (c) find my registry, (d) find and install a new battery when the first one died after scanning three items, (e) finding someone who knew how to run the thing when we were finished, (f) find the person who disappeared with the scanner (it was the customer service manager who tried to run me over earlier), (g) find another new battery when the 2nd one died, (h) print off another registry instruction sheet after the first one disappeared, and finally (i) confirm that all my new items were still on the registry so I could finally leave the store. But hey! We finished the registry. That's all that matters, right? RIGHT???

For those who've been asking, you can find my baby registry online at www.walmart.com, by searching the name Alena Belleque.

I highly recommend that you use the online registry if you plan to buy anything, as the in-store system is incomprehensible (or print the registry at home - much easier). Not to mention, who has an hour to stand around waiting for someone to figure out how to print it out for you? *wink*

New You Fan Giveaway | Brought To You By CouponFreeStuff & Friends

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

Are you ready for a fun prize to start off the new year? You're in luck! The deals and steals blog, CouponFreeStuff, has put together a nice little giveaway with three prizes for three winners. Several other bloggers, including myself, have teamed up with her to bring this giveaway to you, our loyal fans!

New You Fan Giveaway

{ The Prizes }

One Head To Toe Kit from Burt's Bees

(Retail Value $19.99)

One necklace from Inspired Silver (ring not included)

(Retail Value $19.99)

One bottle of It Works Fat Fighters weight loss supplement

(Retail Value $33.00)

{ The Sponsoring Blogs }

This giveaway is brought to you by CouponFreeStuff in conjuction with the following blogs...

Little Bit Of Wonderful ~ Me, of course!

More From Mom

Love Lives Here

DnBuster Place

Yummy Boy Mummy Saving Money!

Be sure to sure to stop by these sponsors and check them out, and maybe say thanks for sponsoring this giveaway!

{ Win It! }

Ready to win something? Sign up below using the Rafflecopter widget! This widget appears on all of the blogs listed above, but you only need to enter via this one to win (it's the same widget on all the different blogs). Just follow the directions and have fun! This giveaway opens on Friday, January 13th, and ends Friday, January 20th, 2012. There will be three winners (one for each prize, and the first winner gets to choose), and they will be announced first on CouponFreeStuff - once that goes live, I will announce the winners on this post and in a new post on my blog. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message via my Contact page. Have fun, and please tell your friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Disclosure }

I did not receive any product or other form of compensation for my participation in this giveaway, nor am I responsible for winner selection, or for distribution of prizes. By entering this giveaway, you release Little Bit Of Wonderful and Alena Belleque from all liability.

I Want This!!! (But you can enter, too wink) | Giveaway on A Nation Of Moms

2012-01-12T15:51:00.001-06:00

I just discovered this great new (to me) blog called A Nation Of Moms thanks to my friend Ashley, author of Freckleberry Finds, and I just have to share this giveaway they're hosting. They're giving away a brand new $400 Britax Boulevard 70 CX convertible car seat!!!

This car seat is the creme de la creme of baby gear, my friends. It has a million and one fantastic safety features that make my about-to-be-mama heart sing! And look - just look - at that adorable cow print!! How can you not love that!?!?!?

You can enter to win this great car seat (but you better not, 'cause I wants it, Precious!! j/k) over at A Nation Of Moms by following this link, or clicking on their cute button below.

* This is not a sponsored post (unfortunately). I (sadly) did not receive a product or any other compensation for promoting this giveaway. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. *

Did He Really Just Do That?? | In Which A Walmart CSM Tries To Run Me Over

2012-01-12T14:12:00.000-06:00

Last night, I met my friend Jeanette at our local Walmart to put the finishing touches on my baby registry. It was a delightful experience, in which I considered assaulting a service desk person (come back tomorrow for that story), but we got it done and I am so glad I don't have to worry about it again (until Serenity becomes a big sister, of course)! In fact, it was such a great experience, I felt I just had to share this story with you...

We had just finished adding items to my baby registry, and we were heading back up to the service desk to get someone to close out the scanner. Jeanette was ahead of me (I was lagging a bit, and focusing on not waddling), and we had to pass through the register area to get there. As I entered the narrow space between a register and a large display case, a young man (about 20-23 years old, I'd guess) wearing the badge of a CSM (customer service manager) entered from the opposite direction. I slowed down, waiting for him to move aside - after all, not only am I clearly pregnant, but I was already half way through the space before he entered. He looked up, locked eyes with me, and kept right on walking! It was too late for me to turn around or back up, and I was forced to jump sideways out of the way to avoid being run over. What???

And that, dear friends, was just one of the super-awesome things that happened last night while at Walmart. It's a good thing I invited Jeanette along, or I might have had to share a "going to jail" story with you, too! Join me tomorrow for another harrowing tale of baby registry adventure!

Thank you, Jeanette, for being a great friend! You truly kept me sane last night, and it was so fun to spend time with you, and share laughter.

Read My Guest Post on Peace Love & Poop | 7 Dumb Things I've Heard Since Becoming Pregnant

2012-01-11T14:33:00.000-06:00

I'm being featured, today! Read my post, 7 Dumb Things I've Heard Since Becoming Pregnant over on Peace, Love & Poop! I am now writing a weekly feature, so check back for these links every Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday | It's The End Of The World!!

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

Gorgeous Period Clothing & Corsets| Damsel In This Dress

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have long been a huge fan of period clothing, especially from medieval or renaissance times. My sister Rosie introduced me to the shop, Damsel In This Dress, a few months ago, and I absolutely love their work! These are not costumes - they are real clothing designed to be worn in any situation. And they absolutely stunning!

Damsel In This Dress website

Damsel In This Dress has a website, and they also have an Etsy shop. Here are two items currently on their Etsy shop that I love...

Black Pinstriped Suiting Vixen Corset $79 SALE

Peasant Blouse $32

I couldn't possibly show you all of the lovely items on their website that I love, but here are a few of my favorites...

Cropped Vixen $65

This one is my absolute favorite of all of their products. I love it for so many reasons (can we say beautiful??), but a few that jump to my mind right off are that it is perfect for pregnancy because it is cropped above the belly, and it is perfect for nursing because it supports the bust from below, rather than covering it. Wear it with a drawstring top peasant blouse, and wallah, you've got the perfect nursing top for someone who loves romantic clothing!

Damsel $149

Full Length Bustle Skirt $109

Someday, I hope to have a full outfit from Damsel In This Dress, but for now I will be content to drool over their website. It would be sweet to get it in time for the huge Ren fair up in Wisconsin that Nick and I plan to go to with baby Renny this summer, though *smiles*

* This is not a sponsored post. I did not receive a product or any other compensation for my review. All opinions are my own, and this post is in compliance with FTC regulations. *

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