Fall is in the air- Giveaway!

I don't know about you, but I am actually looking forward to fall this year... the colors, the cooler temps and the thoughts of Christmas on the horizon...

The people over at Imagine Childhood are showing off their new fall catalog AND hosting a giveaway for $100 in their shop!! Oh the lovelies that could be under our tree this year if we were lucky enough to win!! :)

 

This would definitely be at the TOP of my list!! :)

 

 

This would be SO cool to have!!

 

What would you get?:)

All Things Lovely- Giveaway!

Don't you just love giveaways?

This one is just too cute!! Be sure to go check it out!!



I just LOVE those boot socks so I'll be crossing my fingers to win for sure! :)

What really matters...

We recently returned from a trip to see family... it wasn't really a planned trip and nothing about the preparations beforehand seemed easy, but none the less we went. My husband's family was going to visit his mom for the 4th of July so we figured it was our perfect chance to get to see them (one day drive instead of three is always a nice break! )

The family portion of the trip only lasted 4 days... but it was a whirlwind of visiting, joking, eating GREAT food and most of all making memories. I watched as my girls interacted with their GREAT-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I saw them enjoying simple things as riding their scooters up and down a sidewalk and watched the wonders in their eyes as they sat amongst family and watched the fireworks display...they weren't thinking about tomorrow, or years from now, they were just being kids and enjoying the moment, enjoying these precious times with family that can't possibly be replaced by a day at an amusement park or some other big and flashy outing. They are going to remember the way their great grandparents smile at their stories, and how their Auntie Tish always spoils them.... I am so glad that they have these memories and that we took the time, like so many other trips before, to spend our vacations with family.

I had a revelation today of sorts…it seems silly now to even say it out loud but I feel the need to. As a kid, growing up in a military family and then later growing up to live a lifestyle of regular moving, it was and is just a given that any vacation time was/is going to be spent traveling to visit family in one way or another.  I have always looked at other families with a bit of envy when they got to go on fun vacations to sunny destinations or exciting places or theme parks. I always thought that it would be nice to get to do that someday…and for some those kind of vacations are great…. But today I came to the realization that I am not one of those people. Would I love to stand on a beach in Hawaii with my feet in the sand or walk the streets of historic Boston? Heck yeah, but would I chose to give up even one moment with the people I love to be able to do that? Absolutely not!  Not one memory is worth giving up, not one mile traveled was traveled in vain if it meant one more visit, one more afternoon of sitting on an elderly person’s couch looking at pictures or telling them about our life so far away….

This morning I got the call that my Great Aunt Sis, 91, had passed away…wow that feels so foreign to say out loud. Part of living so far away is that nothing like this feels real, and it never really sinks in like it would if I could be there for the closure of getting to be with family at a time like this. Instead, I sit here on the other side of the continent, looking at pictures and thinking of my much treasured memories and have a good cry… I cry out of pity for myself not for her because I know she is in a better place. But I cry just the same because another treasure of this world has left us…

She is the older sister of my Gram and for the first part of my growing up years she lived right down the street from us. I had to pass her house on my walk to and from school and she lived in a beautiful white house with a collie dog that always seemed so huge to me. I have vivid memories of sitting in her fancy dining room (I don’t know if it was all that fancy but as a kid that’s how I saw it) playing with blocks and I have faint recollection of her asking me numerous times if I was hungry. I think she was babysitting me, but I don’t remember why. It’s funny the bits and pieces that we can recall from memory.



As I grew older, and moved away, we always came back to that town, to my grandparents house and would then spend the next 2 weeks flitting from one family members house to another, trying to fit in all of those people that were so important to us. There was lots of visits over iced tea sitting in parlors (they have those back east you know) or out on a back porch where you could catch a breeze and a break from the heat (as many of those houses didn’t have AC). As a kid, I knew how important it was to get to see everyone but I must admit that sometimes I got bored. Now looking back tho, those visits taught me to value my elders. The hours we spent listening to stories were priceless. I think that so many people have missed out on that life lesson. I hope that we are teaching our girls that, that its so important to treasure those visits with loved ones and to listen to their stories while we can…



It became a tradition, and I’m not even sure how it really got started but on those vacations back east we had what we’d call lunch with the aunts. My mom, Gram, Aunt Joy and Aunt Sis, cousin Sally (and a few other cousins from time to time) would all go out to a special lunch. I remember those times with such love and joy and it makes me so sad to think that we can’t do that anymore. It’s crazy to think that it’s been over a year since we lost my AuntJoy, and now Aunt Sis too.



It’s hard to even imagine going back there and not seeing her. I try to look at it through the simplicity that my girls are experiencing it thru… we have been praying for Aunt Sis now for a long time, and we knew this day was coming as hospice had been brought in a few weeks ago but it doesn’t make it any easier. This morning when I told my youngest the news, she had the sweetest little smile on her face when she told me that she was “glad Aunt Sis is done with her miseries now but I’m gonna miss her”



I am so going to miss her but feel so lucky to have known and loved her….

When God is your realtor...

Since the 5th of April our lives have been a total blur...sometimes I still have a hard time computing everything that has gone on and even more so fully realizing how very blessed we have been...how did we ever get to this place where we are and what are we supposed to be doing now? But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself....

It all started like any other fairly normal day. Hubby just happened to be off that day and we ended up having to take our husky in to the vets for a limp in her leg that had just started in the middle of the night. We got the blow that she was going to need knee surgery ($$$) and had come home to call and tell my mom about it. We were still talking to her on the house phone when I got a call on my cell phone from the property manager of our house. I excused myself from my mom for a minute and took the call that would end up changing life as we knew it.... He said it so fast and so matter of fact that I didn't even comprehend what he was saying... the owners of our house were coming back to the states and were moving back into their house by June 1st!! WHAT?! THEIR house? WHAT house?! THIS house?! After a split second, the news set in and I instantly started to cry... that poor man on the other end of the phone! lol He said that he was trying to give us as much notice as he could, which was nice considering we thought we had another 2-3 years in this house!  I quickly hung up with him and got back on the phone with my hubby and mom but I'm afraid I gave them both quite the scare as I know I was having trouble taking a deep breath and pretty much just fell to the floor in a pile of tears while I tried to explain to them what was going on! lol Looking back, I feel pretty silly for reacting that way but at the time I felt like the sky was falling and there was no solid ground around us...

After the shock of it set in, and the tears started to dry up (and I'm talking about a matter of maybe 20 minutes) we were out the door and in town looking at rentals. This all happened about 2 pm and by 5 we'd looked at about 3 houses! We literally hit the ground running!! :)

I can remember feeling the panic, the fear of what was going to happen to us, to our girls, to our animals (2 dogs, 3 cats, 20+ chickens and 40 more in the incubator!!) and just thinking that there was no way we were going to find a place that would allow our crazy family to live the country life that we were so blessed to have. I just knew we were going to have to settle and would end up losing what we've been working so hard to build up.



We had just put in 4 raised beds (two of which were planted) and had a DUMP TRUCK load of wood chips delivered to the house TWO days before!!! lol
I had images of us having to live in our travel trailer again on some empty plot of land... or worse.... live in town! :)  That night, we were just numb. I know we watched a movie but I can't for the life of me remember what it was... I just sat all night looking at house listings and combing Craigslist for a rental that we could live with. I found I think three that we were going to call on in the morning, one of which seemed WAY too good to be true for the price but only time would tell.




My husband woke up before me, and was ready to get started again on the great house hunt 2013 so he looked up the address for the to good to be true house and decided to do a drive by before we bothered to even call. He was back to the house shortly after 8am and I was only able to hold him off till 8:45 before he called about it. The man on the other end of the phone said we could come by at 10 and I don't think I've even taken so fast of a shower and we were ready to go!!

You may be wondering about my title for this entry... But when God is your realtor there is no question about where you are supposed to be!! 20 hours from the time we got the call till the time we saw our new home... that could only be God! God is SO GOOD!!

This house was made for us... it was started in 1921, and later added on to in 1979. The setting is this amazing view, and more trees than a person could ever count.

 

 He thought of every possibly thing to make this location perfect for us...

right down to the blue berry bush in the garden, the grape vines out back and the fenced in garden with raised beds in place...

the entire property is surround by blackberries and the view... the view will take your breath away...

 

So many people just shake their heads when we tell them this story and they ask how we could find such a treasure at all, let alone in less than a day? I've had friends that reacted with unkind words about the owners of our previous house, and I have to just tell them, that it was God... no matter how much I thought I loved our old house, I could have never imagined how wonderful this one could be or what a total blessing this change could be....

 

 

Before we left to see our would be new house, on that fateful morning... my husband and I stood holding hands in what was soon to be our old kitchen and prayed... we prayed that if this house was the right house for us in God's plan that we would see that and not just jump on it thinking that it was in OUR plan... there was not a moment of that day that God didn't have a hand in  and I am so completely grateful and humbled by his love for us...

 

Matthew 6:31-33
So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (NLT)

Lost in a world of eggs

It seems like I haven't been in this space, on this blog, in some time now. I think about writing, I really do, but the days just seem to be so full lately and then they just seem to slip away and the weeks just fly and before you know it- Its MARCH!! Where on earth did January and February go?! lol And soon it will be April! Agh!!

We have been doing lots of fun projects for school, and of course I've been right there taking pictures and writing blog posts about them in my head but I have yet to get them typed out and shared... sigh... someday.... Someday I will get caught up in everything I am working on, someday I will be more organized... someday....

But until then, my days are full of researching (mostly health stuff, recipes and more schooling ideas), school with the girls, more cooking REAL food from scratch and fitting in every little bit of crafting as I can... This week will be another one of those crazy weeks as the girls and I gear up for another craft show!! These little shows allow us to fund all these great learning experiences so in the long run they are worth if but boy do they make for busy days!! Here's just a few of the eggs I have been making!! I'll have them at the show or you can order them from my shop if you are interested! :)

 

Yeah, you could say I've been a little busy! :)

 

And the rest of my week will be spent finishing up more of this guy!! After months of being back ordered... I finally got my hands on more of this fur!! 

People ask me in what seems like amazement "How do you do it?".... what they don't realize is the sink stacked high with dishes and the laundry that is never ending... I don't do it all... I just juggle and hope nothing falls! lol

Return to Nims Island- Giveaway!

 It looks like we'll be having another fun family movie night at our house tonight!! Break out the pizza (gluten free for us!) followed by popcorn and snuggles on the couch!! :) I love that there are still movies like this on television to enjoy with my kids and hope that they will remember nights like these when they are older!

Won't you join us? It's on Hallmark Channel March 15th 2013 at 7/8C!

To really make this a fun event, I am working with Walden Media & Hallmark Channel to bring you a giveaway for a Return to Nim's Island Blu-ray Combo Pack!

To Enter -All you have to do is post your results from the Discover Which Adventurer You Are Quiz in the comments section and your name will be entered to win the combo pack! Easy right? :)



A name will be randomly drawn on March 22nd! The prize will be shipped directly from Walden Media and Hallmark and will be sent via FedEx or UPS. No P.O. Boxes please.


Congrats to Hermits On the Hill!!
You are the winner!!
I will be in contact soon!!

Spring Give-a-way!

The last few months feel like a blur... I keep waiting for life to slow down but it seems that once we get over one hurtle there is another one to climb over! :) To be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way! :) It's one thing after another with toy making, homeschooling, chickens and soon to be gardening but it's our life and it's NEVER boring! :) We made it through the crazy season of Christmas bazaars and craft shows... and are heading into Easter creating for the shop and Spring craft shows that are quickly creeping up! :)

 I have been over joyed at the responses I'm getting on my Facebook page and the kind words that fans are posting about my toys so I'd like to give a little something back! I promised that when my fan page hit 1000 likes I would host a giveaway!! It is just in time for Easter! :)

My girls and I are crazy about books and love finding books about nature that we enjoy so much we want to read them over and over again! We have had this book for a few years and absolutely love the illustrations and story. We love it so much so that when we found this copy at a local library sale, I just couldn't help but buy it too! It makes me so sad to think that the library system will have one less copy of this great book but it works out for all of you because it is a nice addition for a great giveaway!!

The winner will receive this book and a little chipmunk pegdoll!

So go, enter, tell your friends and cross your fingers! The winner will be randomly chosen from Rafflecopter on March 16th! The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a second name is chosen! :) If you just can't stand the wait... this little guy is also available to purchase in my shop!

FYI-This giveaway is for US/Canada residents only. If you live out of the US/Canada I am still happy to have you win, if you don't mind paying the extra shipping! :)

Congrats to Sarah Curl! Winner of the book and pegdoll!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crazy over American Girl- GIVEAWAY!

Let's face it, we're all a little crazy about baby dolls around here and none more so than the American Girl dolls!!  I have such fond memories of the time I spent with my doll Kirsten, as a kid and now I get to relive all that with my girls!! You can too... just check out this amazing giveaway!! 

Hosted by:

NYSavingSpecials, Your Fashion Resource, My Four Littles, Ann I Am, Barbara's Beat, Life's Cheap Thrills, We Have It All, 

Mamal Diane ~ keeping it simple, 

Sweet N Sour Deals, The Naptime Review, Cotton Ridge Homeschool, Kaisy Daisy's Corner, Mommie...Again, Capri's Coupons, Michelle Gills Blog, Just a Little Creativity, Monica's Rants, Raves & Reviews, Stay a Stay at Home Mom, Mommy Bear Media, My Devotional Thoughts, Mindfully Frugal Mom, Simply Sherryl, Spend With Pennies, Phillyfun4kids and B & V Savings

We are happy to bring you this great giveaway.

The American Girl Doll giveaway.

Jan 20 to Feb. 19, 2013

We will have two winners.

Winner number one will get:

Doll + Starter Collection.  

Winner gets to choose skin color, hair color and eye color.  

Value $120.

Winner number two will get:

One American Girl Doll with the box.  

Winner gets to choose which doll they want.

Value $105.

Winners will need to choose their prizes from American Girl Doll website.

Winner can not change prize for any other American Girl Product.

To be part of this giveaway you need to be 18 years or older.

This giveaway is only for US residents.

To gain entries to win, fill out the form below. 

All entries are optional.

Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NYSavingSpecials is responsible for prize.  If you have any question please send an email to nysavingspecials@gmail.com

If you feed it... they will stay....

 I know, I know...

If you feed it, it's bound to stay....

This little critter first made her appearance in our woods out back. I would see her almost every morning creeping up from out in the woods and into our back yard. Where she came from, I may never know but adopt us she seemed to do. I think for awhile she was even living in the girls' swingset playhouse! :)

Living in the country, there are always strays that wonder thru and originally I thought that this would be the case for a cat too but the longer she had been here, the more trouble she seemed to get into. It became a nightly occurance for her to show up and dig thru my garbage, setting off our motion lights and driving the dogs into a barking insanity at all hours of the night! Boy was that getting old!!

One day, after she'd been coming around for about 6 weeks, I broke down and took out a peace offering of cat food. I figured that if she was going to be hanging around I might as well see if she was nice. She was hesitant at first... but that only lasted a few minutes and then she was over rubbing up against me and meowing. For the weeks that followed, she would come around in the mornings, the girls would feed her and she would be off on her adventure for the day. She stopped getting in the garbage and instead would hang out on the back porch or follow me around while I fed the chickens, chattering at me along the way. I swear I have had some of the best conversations with that cat! lol

Shortly before Christmas, she disappeared for a little over a week and thought perhaps our time with her has passed. I missed having her around but hoped that perhaps she had found a home indoors somewhere. Then a few days before Christmas, she showed up again.... looking... fuller.... I had my suspicions but kept them to myself until I was sure...

My dear hubby made the comment the other day that he thought I was feeding her too much... I finally had to tell him that I didn't think it was the food... lol

The girls asked me the other day too, if I thought she was going to have kittens. They asked me point blank and I couldn't answer them without lying... so I asked what made them think that? "Uh she's FAT mom!" So I finally had to share my thoughts on it with them. I didn't want to tell them and get their hopes up but I couldn't lie either!

I did take her in to the vets to make sure she wasn't micro chipped. I would have felt awful if she was someones lost cat and I hadn't at least tried to find them. But that was a big no... and a big yes on the kittens to come! :)

Now it's just a waiting game since we aren't sure exactly how far along she is. I made a plastic tote into a bed for her and she now spends her days in it on our front porch, with a heat lamp at the opening to take the edge off the cold. I find myself spending a great deal of time at the front window watching her, and even a good amount of time sitting on the front step visiting with her and loving on her.

This definiately wasn't how I saw the beginning of our new year going, and I know it is going to be terribly hard when it comes time to find the kittens good homes but for now I am trying to live in the moment and greatly looking forward to the kittens to come!! I pray every day that they will be born healthy, that she will be safe and that we might be lucky enough to watch it tall happen!!

So there you have it... if you feed them... they will stay... and capture your heart! :)

More updates to come on our dear Pyewacket and her kittens! :) I named her after a cat in one of my favorite old movies "Bell Book and Candle" !

Blogger Op- American Girl- Two winners!!

IF you have little girls then you know how exciting a giveaway like this can be!! MY girls would flip to win! :) 

Blogger Opportunity

1/20 to  2/19

Come and be part of this awesome giveaway

I love this giveaway, my daughter has 3 American Girl dolls and she loves them.  Even now that she is older she keeps them as collectible items.

That's why I thought this would be a great giveaway 

We will have 2 winners.

One winner will get:

Doll + Starter Collection.  Winner gets to choose skin color, hair color and eye color.

Value $120

Second winner will get:

One American Girl Doll with the box.

Winner gets to choose which doll they want.

Value $105

Winner will need to choose their prizes from American Girl Doll, this way I will be sure to pick one that is on stock for delivery, if it is sold out I will try to get what ever they choose directly from the American Girl Store here in NY 

(I love that Store)

Any payments made for hosting, page hosting, links, etc.  Will be use for shipping charges and for futures giveaways. 

Requirements to join

* Free Facebook or Twitter with posting announcement Here or pay the $5 fee.

*Additional links $1.00 each (optional)

* Host a page $5 fee (Optional)

*Be one of the Host $10.00 (Optional) -Host does not pay any other fee As I host you will get: -Name with link of your blog as a host on the post -Mandatory entry links on the rafflecopter (up to 4 links) -Host a page

* Agree to post the giveaway html on the date the event begins and promote at least 3x a week

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