Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Giveaways & Reviews

Need New Glasses? GlassesShop Has Some Super Cute Options!

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I received free product in exchange for a review!

The GlassesShop

The World of Glasses

I got my first pair of glasses at the age of 17, although I had wanted contacts at the time. I wore those until my late 20s, and then my eyes said, ‘Nope, we don’t like contacts anymore.’ And I dove into the world of glasses.

I love having different options, based on the day and my mood. You can have a lot of fun with glasses and choose from a wide variety of colors and designs. As someone who needs to wear them every day, I want to love what I wear. And who needs boring old glasses?

There are also numerous options available for purchasing glasses. You can do so through your eye doctor, visit retail locations, or order your glasses online. I love buying glasses online because I find them more affordable overall, and you have a much bigger selection to choose from.

GlassesShop

GlassesShop is one place you can buy your glasses online.

GlassesShop was founded in Michigan in 20024 and is one of the largest online eyewear stores around the world.

GlassesShop sent me two pairs of glasses to try, and these are so cute! I went with the “Audrey” in Green/Floral and the “Kay” in purple.

The GlassesShop

Love the Variety

I love the variety of options they have. You can get prescription eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses for men, women, and children. They have a face shape detector that allows you to upload a photo of yourself and let the AI determine your face shape. You can upload your prescription to ensure you receive the correct glasses.

GlassesShop offers sales, such as “Buy One, Get One Free,” and provides a 35% student discount.

When selecting glasses, they offer a wide range of options. You can search through all of their collections. They are Cat Eye, Rectangle, Small, Rimless, Glitter, and Best Sellers. Many of the options come in different colors too.

Sound good? Have fun shopping for your next pair of glasses or sunglasses!

The Deployment Journal For Spouses

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The Deployment Journal For Spouses

So you spouse just deployed, and you feel a bit lost. You just aren’t even sure what you are feeling but you know you are feeling something. You just want to get it all out.

Have you ever thought about keeping a deployment journal?

I have been writing in a journal since I was about 16 years old. I love them and while I write more during certain times of my life over others, I still keep one to this day.

During my deployments, they were like a best friend for me. Anytime I was upset, felt angry, or was just so sad I didn’t know what to do, I would grab my journal and let everything out. Doing so was so very helpful and I like to offer that advice to other military spouses.

The Deployment Journal For Spouses

Keeping a deployment journal can help you through your next deployment!

Because of my love of the journal, and knowing how much they can help during a deployment, I am having an amazing giveaway for the new verison of the Deployment Journal for Military Spouses by Rachel Robertson.

They also send me a copy for review, and this book, it’s beautiful. As someone who has journaled for years, finding the right book is important. One thing I look for is the cover, and this one passes my test.

The Deployment Journal For Spouses

This journal is a beautiful teal color which is one of my favorite colors. Teal is so soothing and calming to me. The color makes me want to pick up the book.

Within the book, you will find places to journal, prompts, tips, ideas, quotes, and even a place to write down your memories and milestones. This journal would be ideal for any military spouse going through a deployment. And I know this book will be a big help during the time your spouse is away.

The Deployment Journal For Spouses

Now, head on over to my Facebook page to enter. The giveaway will go until March 15th. Please visit Military Family Books if you would like to purchase this book for yourself, or want to know more about the book or the author.

Have journals helped you through a deployment???

Santa’s Dog and Bandana Giveaway

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Santa’s Dog and Bandana Giveaway

If you caught me on social media in September, you might have seen a post about Santa’s Dog. This book was written by JoAnn Sky and illustrated by Ed Koehler. JoAnn has offered up an awesome giveaway for my readers 🙂

Santa’s Dog is a rhyming story about the adventures of Santa’s best dog, Lance. He falls from the sleigh on Christmas Eve and is taken in by the animal shelter and then brought home by a military family who needs some help as Dad is called to serve his country. When Christmas Eve comes, Lance must decide whether to return to the North Pole with Santa or stay with the family.

Santa’s Dog is perfect for all children, dog lovers, and military families.

JoAnn Sky is an award-winning author who writes adult contemporary romance, young adult romance, and children’s stories. Originally from the midwest, JoAnn lives in Northern Nevada with her family and three crazy rescue dogs. 

Now for the giveaway. We will be giving away TWO copies of the book Santa’s Dog, each one with a bandana. One will be red, one will be green.

Santa'a DogHow do you enter?

Simple, leave a comment letting me know how old your military children are 🙂 US/APO addresses only! 

This giveaway will go until Thursday, October 26th, 2018, 11:59 pm and a winner will be picked the next day!

Good luck 🙂

And if you would like more information about Santa’s Dog, please visit Dogs and Books 🙂

You can also visit JoAnn Sky’s site or Ed Koehler’s site. 

Deployment One of Our Pieces is Missing by Julia Cook

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Deployment One of Our Pieces is Missing by Julia Cook

If you are raising military children you might always be on the lookout for books that can help them through the challenges of military life, such as deployments. I was sent one of these books for review!

Deployment One of Our Pieces is Missing by Julia Cook

Deployment One of Our Pieces is Missing by national award-winning children’s author, Julia Cook, Illustrated by Tamara Campeau is a fantastic way to explore deployments from a child’s point of view.

The book goes with the idea that everyone in the family is a puzzle piece. I like this because families do have to work together, no matter what. You all have to fit and as life goes along, you form a complete picture.

Deployment One of Our Pieces is Missing by Julia Cook

However, when one parent has to deploy, things change a bit. You feel like apart of your family is missing. You feel like a puzzle without all of its pieces.

Deployment One of Our Pieces is Missing by Julia Cook

The book goes on to show the dad puzzle piece coming home and the struggles that can bring to a family as well. The dad puzzle doesn’t just go right back to where he was. And the rest of the family has changed a bit too.

This book really gives a good picture of what happens during and after a deployment in a way that children can truly understand.

In the back of the book, you can find “Tips For Helping Kids With Deployment” which is a great resource to have too.

Please visit these links to learn more and purchase a book for your own military children:

Julia Cook

Deployment One of Our Pieces is Missing 

BUT WAIT…

Before you go…they also gave me TWO copies to giveaway to two of my readers 🙂

Enter this giveaway by leaving a comment telling me who the book would be for. This giveaway will run until Tuesday, June 5th, 2018, 11:59 pm.

US and APO addresses only! 

Let’s Go To Prince Edward Island With Liz Johnson’s On Love’s Gentle Shore

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Let's Go To Prince Edward Island With Liz Johnson's On Love's Gentle Shore

Let’s Go To Prince Edward Island With Liz Johnson’s On Love’s Gentle Shore

I was provided a free copy of this book for review! There are affiliate links in this post. 

I love to read. I don’t have a particular favorite genre. Just depends on my mood and what books I am into at the moment. There is, however, something about a love story that gets me. Whether it is a historical fiction about a lost love or a modern story about childhood friends who find each other again.

I wanted to tell you about a recent book release that I think you will enjoy. On Love’s Gentle Shore is the third book in Liz Johnson’s Prince Edward Island Dreams series. You can also read about The Red Door Inn and Where Two Hearts Meet.

These sweet books take us to Prince Edward Island in Canada while we walk alongside the main character as she tries to understand and figure out a current problem she is dealing with. I have never been to Prince Edward Island, but that place is definitely on my travel bucket list.

On Love’s Gentle Shore is about a woman named Natalie who has moved away from the island to start a new life in Nashville. She is now back on the island to marry her fiancé Russell, but everything is a lot more complicated now that she is back. For one thing, she sees her childhood best friend Justin after all this time and can’t seem to make sense of her feelings about him.

What I loved about this book is that Natalie isn’t perfect. She struggles with her past and even her future. She is trying to figure everything out. I also love that the main characters from the previous books are also interacting with Natalie. We get to see what they have been up to and since we already know their backstory, these secondary characters are a little more real to us than they would be otherwise.

Having read all three of these books, I think this one is my favorite.

Liz Johnson writes about love and such and is a New York Times bestselling author of Inspirational Romantic Suspense and Contemporary Romance. To learn more, visit her website. You can also read the other books I have reviewed of hers in the past.

You can purchase the On Love’s Gentle Shore on Amazon 🙂

LoveBook Review

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LoveBook ReviewI was provided a free LoveBook for review! This post contains affiliate links as well. 

LoveBook Review

When your spouse is deployed over the holidays, it can be a bit difficult to figure out what to get them for Christmas. They might be overseas and not be able to use any of the gifts you would normally give them. That’s when you have to look at more creative type gifts. LoveBook would be a perfect example of what you can send to your deployed service member.

LoveBook is a personalized book all about you as a couple. You choose your cover and decide if you want hardcover or softcover. Then you can edit your title. You make your characters look like you and your love. Then, choose your pages and customize them. They are professionally printed and bound to last. You can have as many pages as you want and the book is 5.5″ X 8.5″ in size. They will also ship to an APO.

Here is the one I made!

Pretty cool, huh?

I love how you can make your own pages based on your own relationship! They do give you lots of examples to use but you can change them around to match what you want them to say.

LoveBook

If you want to make one too, use the code SAVETEN for 10% off all LoveBooks

Visit LoveBook for more information and make one for your spouse too! For Christmas, their birthday or your anniversary!

Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas CD Review and Giveaway

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Tennessee Christmas

Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas CD Review and Giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

I was about 12 years old when I discovered Amy Grant’s Christmas albums. I had them on cassette tape and used to listen to them all season long. This was back in the day when you had to have a cassette or CD in order to listen to the music you wanted when you wanted to. I think I wore those albums out!

When I heard that Amy Grant was going to come out with a new Christmas album this year, I was very excited!

Tennessee Christmas is one of my favorite songs. The song has changed for me over the years. Before, I was a teen growing up in Southern California. Now I am a mom of three raising my boys in Tennessee and there is just something about that song that makes me feel good about being here, especially during the Christmas season.

“Well they say in l.a., It’s a warm holiday; It’s the only place to be. But a tender Tennessee Christmas Is the only Christmas for me.”

Tennessee Christmas is on the new album as well as many other songs that you have heard before. Here is the list:

  1. Tennessee Christmas
  2. To Be Together
  3. Christmas for You and Me
  4. Melancholy Christmas
  5. December
  6. White Christmas
  7. Joy to the World
  8. I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
  9. Baby, It’s Cold Outside
  10. Christmas Don’t Be Late
  11. Still Can’t Sleep
  12. Another Merry Christmas
  13. O Come, All Ye Faithful

Besides Tennessee Christmas, some of my other favorites are To Be Together, Joy to the World and O Come, All Ye Faithful. I enjoyed all the songs and will be listening to this CD in my car for the next few weeks. The CD book is filled with the lyrics and photos from Amy’s life.

Tennessee Christmas

Amy is also asking fans to upload any videos they might have of surprising loved ones for the holidays. Have you ever done that? Have you ever had a Christmas homecoming?

If you have a video to share, you can share to your own social media using the hashtag, #TNChristmasSurprise! The videos that are chosen will be a part of a compilation video that Amy will share on her own social media outlets.

You can also find Tennessee Christmas on iTunes!

Now for the giveaway! One of my readers will be able to win 1 of Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas CDs.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Just enter with the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Changed Forever: Eliza’s Story Hercules Series Book 1 by Kelly-Beth Cagnon

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changed forever

Changed Forever: Eliza’s Story (Hercules Series Book 1)

I really enjoy fiction books about military life, especially when they are written by someone with first-hand experience. What better way to explain how military life really is than a story. I just finished reading the brand new book Changed Forever: Eliza’s Story (Hercules Series Book 1) by new author, Kelly-Beth Cagnon.

Eliza is a bored stay-at-home mom. She desperately wishes for some excitement in her everyday humdrum life. She is living vicariously through her dreams as a Queen in Ancient Egypt. Some nights, the dreams are so vivid, so life like, she wakes up overcome with emotions. Other nights, she wakes up pleasantly surprised by the action in her dreams.

Eliza’s husband, SSG Scott Jackson has just been assigned to a brand new unit at Fort Polk, Louisiana. After months of settling in, Eliza begins to suspect infidelity and confronts her husband. The answer she receives is more than she can bear.

Little does Eliza know, Karma has heard her requests for some excitement and she is about to be sucker punched and have her life flipped upside down.

I love how the two stories come together and both of them kept me wanting to know more. I am so glad this is going to be a series because I can’t wait to read what happens to Eliza and what happens in her dream life in Egypt.

As a military spouse, I felt that the modern parts of the story were so real. As you know, military life is hard and can be messy sometimes. Us spouses have to deal with so many different things from solo parenting to keeping up with the house to supporting our spouse even when it is hard to do so. The author does a good job of bringing all of that into the book.

I was able to interview Kelly-Beth Cagnon and learn a little bit more about her writing and her plans for the future. Kelly is a military spouse of 12 years with two elementary aged children.

I asked Kelly why she wanted to write Changed Forever. She told me that she wanted to write about the military but was also inspired after visiting a museum on Egyptian history. She was fascinated by what she saw and then created her story.

I asked her why she liked writing and she told me that the story came to her and she had to write it. She just hit the ground running and found the writing to be a great stress reliever as well as a creative outlet.

I then asked Kelly if she had any advice for anyone who wanted to write a book and she said to write what’s in your heart, to be true to yourself and to just start writing.

So what’s next for Kelly? She is currently halfway through writing her 2nd book which will show us what is going to happen next with the characters from Changed Forever.

You can find Changed Forever: Eliza’s Story (Hercules Series Book 1) on Amazon!