Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Giveaways & Reviews

Searching For Sunday By Rachel Held Evans Book Review

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I am a big fan of Rachel Held Evans. I read her first book Evolving in Monkeytown and then I was a part of the launch team for her second book, A Year of Biblical Womanhood. When I saw an opportunity to be on her team for her third book, Searching for Sunday, I was excited to sign up!

When it comes to faith and religion, to what I believe and what I understand, I enjoy reading about how other people come to their own faith. I especially find this helpful when someone was raised similar to me. Rachel Held Evans is one of these people. She was raised in an Evangelical home and attended Evangelical churches. I did too. A lot of her church past is very similar to mine.

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As I try to figure out what parts of my faith are important, how to live out my faith and what I need to let go of, I look to people who have been there and have been through it.

Searching for Sunday is a book about church. She centers it around seven sacraments. Baptism, Confession, Holy Orders, Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the sick and Marriage. The book takes you through all of them with stories about each topic. Some are personal, some are more general. A lot of the chapters will cause you to step back and think a bit about what you have experienced in your own church life.

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The point of the book is to find hope. To get back to believing in church if you don’t anymore. To see that your faith walk is a journey and you will have ups as well as downs.

This book reminded me of the things I have always loved about the church and allowed me to get excited about it again. It let me mourn and deal with some of the icky parts I have experienced. It was just a good way to connect with another Christian and take part in her journey.

It’s about how God’s Grace is always enough, about an unraveling faith and finding your way back again, about how you don’t have to choose between your Christian faith and science or between doctrine and compassion. That doubting is okay and searching for answers is a part of the journey.

Beyond that, it was just nice to read more about Rachel’s story. About leaving her church, trying to start a new one and where she ended up. About what she went through, what she learned and where she is now. It was a great breakdown of what her church experiences have been like the last few years.

The book is out TODAY! You can buy it at your favorite online bookstore or, enter to WIN a copy for yourself here.

The giveaway will run until next Monday! Enter the Rafflecopter below…

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Don’t forget to visit the Searching for Sunday website too. If you submit a proof of purchase by April 18th, you can also receive a free musical album which goes along with the book.

 

* This post contains affiliate links!

* I was given a copy of the book for review!

 

 

Fit Snack Monthly Box Review

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Fit snack boxAlthough I haven’t ordered very many of them, I love the idea of the monthly box subscription. You can sign up and expect something good every month. Since I love getting mail anyway, it is really fun to see what new things the company will put in the box.

I had the opportunity to review the Fit Snack box! Here is some more information about it…

Curated monthly box featuring the best of fitness nutrition promotes a healthy lifestyle with the release of company’s first subscription box.

Denver, CO (WEB) January 6, 2015 – Fit Snack, a curated monthly box filled with exclusive, health focused snack options, announces the release of its launch box. Each month Fit Snack subscribers will be motivated towards an active lifestyle with healthy snack selections, inspirational tips, and exclusive bonus items.

Fit Snack is the brainchild of Rose Muniz, a Denver native and manager at an international consulting firm. While managing a travel oriented business career alongside her passion for fitness and nutrition, Rose realized a void in the health and fitness world: the difficulty of finding healthy snacks on the go! Once inspired, she used her business expertise in conjunction with her passion for healthy living to develop Fit Snack, a subscription box devoted to providing satisfying and nutritious snacks to-go.

“Good nutrition affects your mood, energy levels, and provides clarity of mind,” Rose explains. “Decision-making, positive attitude, and problem solving are pivotal aspects of being successful, whether at a Fortune 500 company, spending quality time with family, or training for a marathon.”

Fit Snack has arrived with the mission to save subscribers the time, money, and effort involved in the search for ddelicious and nutritious foods. Most diets have one common goal – nutrient dense energy. To provide this Fit Snack includes what they call a mix of the “Perfect 10” in each box. A focus on snacks with high protein, complex carbs, low sugar, GMO free, paleo, gluten free, clean eating, sustainable, organic, and raw.

“I love to motivate and inspire people to live a healthy life,” said Muniz. “Fit Snack is all about making an active lifestyle fun and social. We have positioned Fit Snack to help encourage our subscribers to reach their goals through sharing their progresss with each other on our social channels.”

Fit Snack is applying the social model to its partners as well. In order to share exclusive behind the brand views, Fit Snack will showcase a “Brands We Love” interview every month, which will highlight the history of a Fit Snack partner as well as go into detail about how their product is made.

Fit Snack offers several different subscription plans including 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and annual subscription options. Monthly box prices start at $15.00 (+ $5 S/H) and provide double that value within each box.

I got my box in the mail a few weeks ago and have been enjoying a lot of my snacks.

This is what I got…

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It was really great to get a box like this because it introduced me to some new foods. I had no idea about the Compete Energy Bites but I loved them. I also really liked the Simply 7 chips, especially the sea salt flavor. I will be buying more of those for sure. The Level Life bar is also something I think I will purchase for myself. I enjoyed the almond mix too and used it on my salads. There were a few things in box that just were not my thing like the Lemon poppy-seed cookie. I would say I was happy with about 90% of the box and glad to try those snacks. I am curious if I would have the same results with another box.

I found the packaging to be good too and it came in a nice and sturdy box that I could keep my snacks in while I was trying them. The variety is nice. Not all of the same type of food.

This box would be great for anyone that likes food. It is fun to try new snacks and get a feel for something you might not have thought about before.

If you are interested in signing up for a box, you can do so here.

 

* I received this box for free in hopes of a review on my blog! 

Jamberry Holiday Giftset Giveaway

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A little over a year ago I heard something about a company called Jamberry nails. I knew I had to try them so I ordered some cute Hawaiian print nails. I loved them. I am one of those people who sometimes paints her nails but then it chips and I get frustrated. Jamberry helps that issue and since my first order I have tried a few different designs which has been a lot of fun.

When my friend Brittany from Bohemian Transplant asked if I wanted to host a Jamberry giveaway on my blog, I had to say yes!

Jamberry Nails are vinyl, heat activated nail wraps that last up to two weeks on fingers and six on toes, and each wrap will get you 2-4 applications. They make amazing gifts and the best part is, you don’t have to know the recipients shoe size, dress size or ANYTHING! Whatever you buy will be a hit! Most of our wraps are buy 3 get 1 free. Pair them with a mini heater and application kit and you have a gift unlike anything else!

Jamberry also offers top of the line nail lacquers, application materials, hand care items and a one of a kind Biotin rich multivitamin that will keep your hair, skin, and nails looking and feeling beautiful.

One of my lucky readers will receive a Jamberry Holiday Gift Set!!!

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About the Holiday Set: Celebrate Joy, Laughter, and Fashion with a limited edition Jamberry Holiday gift set. Set includes: 1 Holiday Gift Box, 1 Holiday Greeting Card, 3 EXCLUSIVE Nail Wraps (sparkle, glossy and tint) and 1 Application Kit

 

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win 🙂

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Buck Denver’s Why Do We Call It Christmas DVD Review and Giveaway

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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. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

This post contains affiliate links!

Are you a Veggie Tales fan? My boys love them and when I saw this opportunity to review a DVD by the same people I knew we had to do it.

DVD-Christmas-1000_largeBuck Denver’s, Why Do We Call It Christmas DVD is all about Christmas!!!

Cutting down trees? Hanging stockings? Santa Claus? What do any of these have to do with Jesus’ birthday?  More than you’d think!

Join VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer along with intrepid newsman Buck Denver and all his friends on an amazing journey into the world’s most popular holiday! Sure, you know the Christmas story. But do you know the story of Christmas?

Don’t miss the whimsical, educational, Christmical party to end all Christmas parties as Buck Denver Asks … Why Do We Call It Christmas?

The movie is also 60 minutes long.

The DVD contains the following topics:
-Where do we get the word Christmas?
-When was Jesus born?
-What do Christmas trees have to do with Jesus?
-Who is St. Nicholas?
-What is Hanukkah?
-Who is Emmanuel?
-Luke 2 Story

HERE is the official website!!!

My son came home from school and saw the DVD and wanted to watch it right away. He loved it! He said it was “Funny and full of Christmas stuff.” I asked him what his favorite part was and he said he loved the puppets and hearing about Jesus being born.

This is a fun video that your kids will enjoy this Christmas. Would you like to win a copy of the DVD? Just enter below.

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Harvest Snaps Review and Giveaway

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Snacks! It is always nice to find a new snack. One that is yummy and is rather healthy for you. That is why I was excited to try some of the Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps. When I got the box in the mail I was happy to see so many flavors. When I am looking for a new snack, it needs to taste good or I am not going to eat it again.

I like that there are so many flavors because most people will find one that they enjoy. I think out of the ones I received, my favorites are the Caesar and the Black Pepper ones but especially the Black Pepper.  I think I could have finished off a whole bag in one afternoon!  You can also find them in Lightly Salted and Wasabi Ranch. You can find the Lentil Snaps in Tomato Basil and Onion Thyme.

I found them all to have their own taste with a similar texture which is nice because it means there really is something for everyone. I had a friend tell me that even though she doesn’t like snap peas she loves these.

I really like how light they feel. You can eat a bunch of them, fill up and not feel so bloated or like you overate. I hate that feeling.

These snacks are baked, gluten-free, high in fiber and protein, low in sodium and fat which is nice. I am not on a gluten-free diet but it is nice that they are for people who are. It is one more thing they can feed to their family.

 

Sometimes I get really hungry between lunch and dinner and I am trying to stay away from sweets. These will be a good snack to have on hand during the afternoons.


Harvest Snaps is a great snack that I think most of you would enjoy!

Have you every tried these before? What was your favorite flavor? How would you like to win your own sample pack? Just enter the giveaway below 🙂

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This post was created in partnership with Harvest Snaps. I have been compensated for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Calls The Heart: Change of Heart DVD Review

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A long time ago, when I was about 19 years old, I read a book series called When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke. I can’t tell you very many details about it since it was a long time ago, but I remember liking it a lot. That is why I was excited to hear they were making it a TV series on the Hallmark channel.

Here is some more information about it :

 

From the Television Series inspired by the writings of Janette Oke

Nashville , Tennessee- When Calls the Heart, Produced and directed by Michael Landon Jr. and inspired by the best-selling books by Janette Oke, tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young woman of privilege, working as a teacher in a prairie town in the Western Frontier.   The local Mounty Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing), has began courting the high society teacher, but new orders have taken him away from the town,  Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin) has trouble of her own, their forced to confront the most powerful man in town in a battle that may ruin her deceased husband’s reputation.

When Calls the Heart- “Second Chances” is a feature length film from the episodes of the When Calls the Heart television series.  The When Calls the Heart television series debuted on the Hallmark Channel to more than 3 million viewers, making it the No. 2 for the night on all of cable for the primary telecast at 9 p.m and No. 3 overall in households.   Distributed by Word Entertainment, previous DVD’s are available to purchase in Christian Retail.

Synopsis–  Jack finally gets Elizabeth to agree to join him for a dinner date just as Elizabeth’s younger sister, JULIE THATCHER, arrives in Coal Valley, surprising Elizabeth.  Julie is accompanied by Mountie PATRICK O’REILLY, the man who has been sent to inform Jack of his new posting, and become the new Constable of Coal Valley.  Jack had already forgotten that he sent in a request to transfer the week he arrived in Coal Valley, and the news takes him by surprise.

Michael Landon Jr. – Director:  Michael Landon Jr., son of the late television legend Michael Landon, has been in the film business for over 25 years.  With two of the highest rated films in the history of the Hallmark channel, and several top ten releases targeted to the Christian market, Michael has become known for creating heartfelt, inspiring films that connect to the family.  He has developed and/or produced, directed, and written screenplays for Fox, CBS, NBC, Disney, Sony, Lifetime, and others.

 Brian Bird- Writer/Producer : Brian Bird is co-founder with partner Michael Landon, Jr., of Believe Pictures, a film and television production company.  He was co-executive producer and writer on the successful television series, Touched by an Angel.  Adding to Brian’s success, he had also written and produced episodes of Evening Shade, Step by Step and The Family Man.  Most recently, Bird wrote and produced Gametime, a two-hour television pilot for NBC, The Shunning, inspired by the novel by best-selling author Beverly Lewis, for the Hallmark Channel, and Not Easily Broken, adapted from the novel by T.D. Jakes and released theatrically by Sony/TriStar.

About Word Entertainment:  A leader in the music industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Love & The Outcome, Dara Maclean, Point Of Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print, Word Films, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records, Word Worship and Fervent Records.

 

If you are an Army Wives fan, you will recognize Erin Krakow from that show. She was Specialist Tanya Gabriel. In this show, she plays the main character Elizabeth.

I was able to review the When Calls the Heart: Change of Heart DVD. It was a great episode. I had seen a few other episodes before and I enjoyed this one as well. The story was interesting and kept you wondering what would happen next.

I love historical fiction stories and this is a great addition to that genre. If you enjoy Inspirational Historical fiction, you will like this show. It is also something older children might enjoy too. I am not sure how closely it keeps to the books but it is fun to see the characters come to life on the screen.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned below for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

This post contains affiliate links!

Coming Home By Greg Ruth Review and Giveaway

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I wanted to share a book review of the book Coming Home by Greg Ruth. I was sent a copy to review and I have really enjoyed it. It’s a simple, poignant book about a boy and his dog waiting at the airport for a military parent to come home. How many of us can relate to that?

There are not too many words in this book but that is okay. The pictures tell the story more than anything. The book made me tear up a little and it also made me laugh. Super cute. It reminded me of all the times my own kids had to wait for Daddy and what it felt like to get him back. I also love how the parent he was waiting for was not his Dad but his Mom. It was great to see because sometimes it is the Mom that is away, not the Dad.

The book will be for sale starting November 4, 2014.

How would you like to win a copy of this book for your own personal library? Just enter below!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned below for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Give Forward and Erase Love With Hate

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I was saddened to hear the story of a 14-year-old boy with Autism who was bullied by a group of kids in Bay Village, OH. The boy was going to do the ice bucket challenge but instead of pouring a bucket of ice over his head they filled it with urine, feces and spit. Not only did they do this but they also videotaped it and put it on Instagram. What a horrible thing to do to someone. Bullying can be such an awful thing. As a parent of special needs children, I worry sometimes that they will be bullied and it makes me so sad when I hear it being done to other kids.

The organization, GiveForward heard the story as well and decided to do something to help. They started a fundraiser for the boy. The goal was to raise money for the family as well as creating a page full of support that they can read and be encouraged by. I know it is helpful to know that others, even strangers are on their side and feel for them. That most people are not okay with what happened to their son.

giveforward-hiresGiveForward provides free online fundraising pages allowing friends and family to raise money directly for a loved one when they need it the most. You Can set up a page in minutes, share it with friends and instantly create a community of support. It is a great way to be able to help other people. They want to be able to prove that there is more love in this world than hate.

In today’s world, 98% of the time we stand by idly and watch life go by. When we see a tragedy or injustice on the news, we say “what a shame” and then we flip the channel and proceed to do NOTHING about it, as we expect someone else will step up and help. There’s an actual psychological term for this. It’s called bystander apathy.

We also know that when people don’t stand around being bystanders, magic can happen. We saw it when a bomb exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon and this nation made a collective decision that we were going to do something about it.

One of the many fundraisers started at that time was for a newlywed couple, Pat and Jess, who lost their legs in the bombing. Friends, family, and so many that were outraged by what happened that day were able to raise almost $900K for them, making sure that they would never have to worry about any of their medical expenses as they deal with their new life with prosthetic legs.

As you can see,  GiveForward has done to help people be able to give back.

You too can help by donating to the fundraiser, leaving a message and just choosing love over hate, no matter what you encounter in your daily life. Love goes a lot further than hate ever will.

 

* Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”