Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Getting Your Kids To Eat More Vegetables

I am a very big fan of eating healthy. Getting the right amount of veggies in my kids' meals is important to me and the task can be challenging at times. There are many ways I have hidden vegetables in my kids' foods. Some of my kids are more picky than others. My daughter, Teela, loves eating broccoli, but not all of my children are like her. No parent likes to find out that their child is hiding their veggies in their napkin or trying to feed them to the family pet. I am going to share some secrets I have tried to get her and my others to eat their veggies.

SOME IDEAS:
1. Fruit and veggie juice blends without added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can also make them into Popsicles or frozen cubes and throw them into smoothies. Some kids love to just eat veggies frozen...esp. good on a hot day!
2. Bake them into things or add cheese (Broccoli with cheese sauce, so classic and I love chocolate chip zucchini muffins)
3. Make zucchini puffs, poor mans crab cakes, an omelet, or Okonomiyaki (A Japanese style pancake that you can put all sorts of things in.).
4. Have them make their own foods with ingredients you provide. Kids who cook or prepare it themselves (with a little help) usually end up also eating what they have made. Salads or fruit and veggie kabobs are wonderful to do this with!
5. Casseroles and Crock Pot meals loaded with veggies. Have your little one help you with what goes in it.
6. My kids think they are cool because they like "green paper", seaweed wraps for sushi, to eat plain. They think it is funny to eat them in front of someone who might think they were a bit strange for doing so.
7. Rename things in fun ways like the above "green paper"...broccoli could be mini trees, peas could be called "power peas", or spinach leaves could be "dinosaur scales", etc.
8. Use Japanese Bento Boxes or be creative about serving the fruits and veggies. You can make all kids of fun creations from animals to faces the skies the limit!
9. Teach 'em while they are young. Read books to your baby and toddler about veggies and the importance of eating healthy. Start early offering your child lots of different types of foods when they are young and letting them see you eat and enjoy a variety of foods, especially vegetables.
10. Have them help you in the garden...if they have picked it or grown it maybe they'll eat it.

About the book Peas and Thank You:
Peas and Thank You is a collection of recipes and stories from a mainstream family eating a not-so-mainstream diet. It's filled with healthy and delicious versions of foods we’ve all grown up enjoying, but with a Mama Pea twist—no meat, lots of fresh ingredients and plenty of nutrition for growing Peas. From wholesome breakfasts to mouth-watering desserts, there’s plenty here to satisfy the pickiest Peas in your life. It’s easier than ever to whip up crowd-pleasing meals that will have the whole family asking for, “more, Peas.” Sarah Matheny's delicious recipes and entertaining stories draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to her blog, peasandthankyou.com each month, where she makes raising a vegetarian family easy and fun. She is the author of “Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love.” Learn More about the book.

More info
: http://peasandthankyou.com, Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love [VIDEO]. Peas and Thank You on Facebook. Follow @Mama_Pea on Twitter. Buy the book: Peas and Thank You.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Peas and Thank You blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Perfect You by Holly Skelton FWCT Book Review

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:

Tate Publishing (May 10, 2011)
***Special thanks to Holly Skelton for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Holly Skelton has had a colorful and diverse work history, from engineering to wedding planning, all in an effort to explore her different talents and personality traits. After having children, she was inspired to write a tale explaining to kids how unique and special they are, blessed with their own talents and gifts. Holly is passionate about spreading her message to all children that they are made for a purpose! She lives in Plymouth Michigan with her husband Bryndon and three young daughters and feels she has finally found God’s calling for her as an author.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Perfect You is a story for parents to share with their children to encourage them to discover their talents so that they can live a life of purpose and happiness. In this letter from God, children will discover that He has blessed them with gifts and talents that make them totally unique and able to serve the world in a very special way. Could the gift of bravery make you a police officer or firefighter, or could your compassion help you to be a great doctor or teacher? The possibilities are endless!

Product Details:

List Price: $8.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Perfect Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Tate Publishing (May 10, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1617399183
ISBN-13: 978-1617399183

AND NOW...THE FIRST THREE PAGES (Click on images to view larger picture):






Monday, July 18, 2011

Shutterfly's Photo Book Review and Giveaway - 10 winners!

Shutterfly has an all new Custom Path to make your very own photo books your style, your way. This is different from their Simple Path photo books. You get more control and get to make it exactly how you want. The Simple Path photo books are instantly made for you by Shutterfly. The Simple Path is a lot quicker, but you have less options to choose from. With the new Custom Path you customize your photo book page by page. You can now pick either one, each has its advantages.

Custom Path:
* Add, move and resize pictures and text anywhere
* Extensive collection of new backgrounds, layouts & embellishments
* 1-25 pictures per page (up to 1000 pictures)
* Five sizes starting From $12.99 $11.04

Simple Path:
* Pictures arranged for you. Then easily rearrange or add captions
* More than 20 styles with preset backgrounds and layouts
* 1-4 pictures per page (up to 400 pictures)
* Five sizes starting From $12.99 $11.04

I love to capture memories by taking lots of photos! I have so many photos of my family that I have taken with my digital cameras I have had over the years. I have just started to make photo books with some of my favorites. These photo books are wonderful for gifts and are so much fun to make! I love flipping through the pages and reading the captions over and over again. I am thinking of doing one for my son Delbin's first 8 years of life. Delbin is my first born and currently I do not have any photo books featuring him made yet. Since he was baptized when he turned 8 years old I figure that is a great stopping point for the photo book. Shutterfly has a great photo book maker, online. They allow you to easily arrange your pictures with a variety of layouts, different backgrounds, text boxes, fun embellishments, and cover options to choose from. You can also see exactly how the pages are going to look before they are printed. I am very excited to use them to make my next photo book!


Besides photo books Shutterfly also offers photo storage and sells prints and customized invitations, announcements, calendars, photo gifts, etc.

Do you have a blog? Sign up for a chance for a free photo book from Shutterfly.

Go to their special offers page to see what you can save on. Right now you can save 30% on Photo Books and Centerstage products, 20% on Notebooks, cards, and select photo gifts.

WIN IT:
Stuart from Shutterfly has generously offered a Photo Book for ten of my readers to win.

Mandatory:
1. Go to the Shutterfly webpage and tell me by commenting on this post what your favorite photograph you have taken is that you might add to this photo book if you win.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (3 extra entries each)

2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (GFC) on the left sidebar and/or Networked Blogs Let me know what your user name is. (2 extra entries each)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Shutterfly in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

5. Give me a brief POSITIVE review on Alexa and provide me with your user name. (3 extra entries)

6. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

7. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

8. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

9. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog Linky/Link-up and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

10. Write about this giveaway with a link to this post on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, or other social media website besides Twitter. Let me know where. (2 extra entries for each)

11. Comment on one of my regular (not giveaway) posts. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

12. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

13. Tweet this: @finamoon: @shutterfly WIN Photo Book - 10 winners #giveaway http://bit.ly/nguOaA (Daily Extras are Available)

14. Fan/Like Shutterfly on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

15. Follow Shutterfly on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. Don't forget to leave a comment for each task and the correct amount of entries for each task. This contest ends on Friday August 17, 2011 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. Only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about Shutterfly's Photo Books I am getting a free 8x8 hardcover Photo Book with 20 pages from Shutterfly. Thanks to Shutterfly for providing me this promotion information, free product, and giveaway free for my readers. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review and giveaway.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Homemade Syrups, Sodas and Other Fizzy Concoctions Blog Hop

Photo courtesy: the kitchn

I have been interested in the herbal community and herbs for natural healing and health for ages now. My favorite book on the subject, Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, is dogeared and worn as I have used it many times as a reference. I have many, many herbal friends on Facebook and Twitter. These are my kindred spirits, some with knowledge beyond my years and some just learning like I.

My herbal friend, Kiva Rose, is well known in the wildcrafting and herbal community. She is the Co-Editor at Plant Healer: A Journal of Traditional Western Herbalism, the director and organizer of the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference and the director and instructor of the Anima Lifeways & Herbal School.

So the other day Kiva posted on her Facebook wall that she loves lavender Italian soda with whipped cream. She had made this unique and wonderful sounding drink herself. She has a way of coming up with the most divine sounding recipes and commenting about them on Facebook making us all wish we were at her place for dinner. I love reading her posts on her Facebook wall and on her blog. She is a great inspiration for those of us who have her as a friend. When she posts it is hard not to comment :)

The comments were inspiring too, as one pointed out that the Sodastream that I have in my home and have reviewed here on my blog in the past could be used as the means to carbonate these delicious fizzy drinks. I had thought of making my own syrups, sodas and fizzy concoctions myself but never to the extent of using my Sodastream to carbonate them. Now I was hearing of yummy things like using rose syrup, cream from fresh goats milk, jasmine, elderberry, pomegranate, basil-mint, lemon balm, raspberry, elderflower, prickly pear, mulberry etc. to flavor fizzy water with! These natural sodas/syrups just are better for you and also tastier than their regular counterparts.

I have made my own awesome ginger ale before with the use of an already carbonated lemon/lime soda. I use my Hurricane Stainless Steel Manual Wheatgrass Juicer to juice the ginger root and squeeze out all the precious juice from it. Then we add as much of the ginger juice as we like to the lemon/lime soda and there you go...a yummy ginger ale how ever strong you like it. However, my version doesn't use my Sodastream and usually has high fructose corn syrup in it. I was looking on the web for something that might be better and came across this great post too about some homemade ginger syrup you could use with your Sodastream or carbonation machine.

Kiva's post also inspired me to create a blog hop to show a bit of our creative side. What is a blog hop? Well...A blog hop is a list of blogs or specific posts related to a similar topic. A blog “host” (that would be me) lists a Linky (list of links to other blogs or posts) on their page, along with the Blog Hop rules. There are 2 parts to a blog hop: 1) Each participant adds their info to the Linky so others can see it. 2) Each participant re-posts the Linky on their blog to promote the blog hop (not mandatory, but I hope you will do this part so others may also know about this).

Let's see how many recipes we can come up with for Homemade Syrups, Sodas and Other Fizzy Concoctions. I am intrigued by this concept and would love to connect with other blogs that want to participate in this too. Besides a recipe, pictures of your drink that you have created would be awesome! Add your link with the button below the rules.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Pear Tree Greetings Secret's Out! Baby Contest and $25 Giveaway

Pear Tree Greetings has just launched their new baby collection of cards and birth announcements! They are adorable and you will definitely want to share your new bundle of joy with one of these announcements. They have everything from self-mailers to ribbon announcements that your friends and family could display from their mantle or fridge. With this launch of their new collection comes their Secret's Out! Baby Contest where you could win their grand prize of a $1,000 Visa Gift Card to spend on baby, or be one of ten winners to receive a $100 credit toward baby announcements at Pear Tree Greetings! It’s a video, photo or essay contest for both moms and moms-to-be and you share how you told friends and family you were expecting – was it funny, memorable or sentimental? They've already had a few great entries already, but if you want to be in the running for the $1,000 you need to gather votes by socially sharing your entry before August 31st.

The coupon this month is their promo code page with great deals on kids cards, stationery and a coupon for any order!

WIN IT:
Dani & Christy from Pear Tree Greetings has generously offered $25 to use on anything in the Pear Tree store for one of my readers to win, whether you choose birth announcements, party invitations or even holiday photo cards – yes, I said it, we’re thinking about Christmas in July!

Mandatory:
1. Go to the Pear Tree Greetings webpage and tell me by commenting on this post what you want to get with the $25 if you win.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (3 extra entries each)

2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (GFC) on the left sidebar and/or Networked Blogs Let me know what your user name is. (2 extra entries each)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and Pear Tree Greetings in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

5. Give me a brief POSITIVE review on Alexa and provide me with your user name. (3 extra entries)

6. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

7. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

8. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

9. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog Linky/Link-up and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

10. Write about this giveaway with a link to this post on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, or other social media website besides Twitter. Let me know where. (2 extra entries for each)

11. Comment on one of my regular (not giveaway) posts. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

12. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

13. Tweet this: @finamoon: @peartreegrtngs WIN Pear Tree Greetings $25 #giveaway http://bit.ly/n8DCkm (Daily Extras are Available)

14. Fan/Like Pear Tree Greetings on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

15. Follow Pear Tree Greetings on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. Don't forget to leave a comment for each task and the correct amount of entries for each task. This contest ends on Friday August 5, 2011 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. Only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Pear Tree Greetings for providing me this promotion information and giveaway free for my readers. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Year Subscription of Parents Magazine Only $4!

Purex is partnering with Parents Magazine to offer a one year subscription (12 magazines) for only $4. That is only 33 cents an issue!

Parents Magazine is a great magazine filled with information on parenting in a safe, loving environment.

Enter the code: PX0968 at https://www.purex.com/parents-promo and fill out the form to get this exclusive offer. HURRY offer ends July 22nd!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Purex (I am a Purex Insider) for providing me this promotion information free for my readers. For each person who signs up using my code, I will get one point. The Top 50 bloggers will win prizes. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else.

Friday, July 8, 2011

PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength, and Discipline by Janet Holm McHenry FWCT Book Review

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:

WaterBrook Press; 1st edition (March 20, 2001)
***Special thanks to Laura Tucker, WaterBrook Multnomah Publicity for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Janet Holm McHenry is the author of numerous books, including Daily PrayerWalk and PrayerStreaming. A high-school English, journalism, and creative writing teacher, she is the mother of four adult children. Janet has been prayerwalking for more than thirteen years and is the leader of her church’s prayer ministry. Find out more about the author at www.janetmchenry.com.


Visit the author's website.


SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Ask any busy, overworked woman what her goals are for this year, and spiritual, mental and physical health are likely to be at the top of her list. Yet physical health and spiritual growth often take a backseat to the urgent demands of grocery shopping and bill paying, time with family and friends and long hours at the office. Thirteen years ago author Janet Holm McHenry suffered from depression, weight gain and exhaustion. Then she began a prayerwalk routine that not only transformed her life but also profoundly impacted the lives of those around her. Learn about the simple practice that changed her life in PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength & Discipline. This tenth-anniversary edition includes an epilogue letter from the author, a 30-day prayer and fitness challenge, a guide to organizing a community prayerwalk and a Bible study and discussion guide. Perfect for the overwhelmed mom, the business woman on the go, or anyone wanting physical and spiritual renewal, PrayerWalk includes heartfelt, genuine glimpses into the author’s journey as well as practical advice on everything from walking shoes and stretches to how and what to pray and finding a prayerwalk partner.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; 1st edition (March 20, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781578563760
ISBN-13: 978-1578563760
ASIN: 1578563763

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Introduction

“You know I’m an ordinary Christian woman, God. But I’d like to become more disciplined, to have a consistent daily prayer time. I’d like to lose some weight and to be a little more fit. And…and…oh, this sounds crazy after everything I’ve just said, but I’d like to be content with my life.”

This was my prayer two years ago. All of those requests and more have been realized in my life, all because of one thing: prayer-walking. Virtually overnight I changed from a woman who couldn’t get out of bed to—Okay, I’m going to be brutally honest with you, dear reader. I am still an ordinary Christian woman. I probably look like the person in your high school class who was voted Most Likely to Become Your Kids’ English Teacher, thirty years later. That’s because that’s exactly who I am! Let’s just say you won’t find my face and body on the cover of an exercise video. But God has truly changed me, and I am convinced it’s because I now spend an hour or more five days a week praying as I walk. I call it prayerwalking—spending time with God in adoration and intercession as I walk the streets and highways of my community.

Stop right now! I know what you’re thinking: I don’t have a free hour for prayer and exercise. Hey, I don’t either. It’s true. If you were to examine my life, you’d see I don’t have the time. I work fulltime—teaching English, no less, which most secondary teachers agree is the most demanding position because of the mountains of writing assignments to grade. Craig and I have four children, with one still young enough to need Mommy’s nearly constant attention. All have been active in sports, lessons, and other activities. I have a part-time business as a writer, I teach Sunday school, and I have very little housekeeping help. But I am making time for prayerwalking—an hour or more daily—because God has used it to transform me. I wrote this book to tell you, from my heart, how and why I started prayerwalking and the reasons I believe that if you make time for prayerwalking, God will change you as well.

Besides reading my personal story, you’ll learn how you can pray more like Christ—our Personal Trainer in prayerwalking—and how prayerwalking can energize your prayer life. Prayerwalking has changed how I view my time and priorities, and I’ll help you find time in your life for this new discipline. I’ll also show you why walking while you pray is a good idea, and I’ll provide a wealth of walking tips that can help prevent soreness before you head off on your own.

Join me as I share my story.
Chapter One: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It

Oh, that d word: discipline. I’ve never liked it, personally. We have met on occasion—with diets, short runs on exercise programs, and a prayer journal attempt or two. But life interfered with our acquaintance, and routines always fell by the wayside. Discipline implied torture, restriction, sameness. I mean, remember piano scales? Up and down, up and down. You never got anywhere, it appeared to me. Discipline simply stifled my spontaneity. Why, if I were committed to various routines of discipline, I couldn’t visit a friend or take my daughter shopping or watch the ducks flying the wrong way.

I Was a Mess

Just two years ago I was falling apart. I bit my fingernails to their nubs with worry about finances (we had two kids in college). My weight was taxing my back, and my knees were giving way as I walked down stairs. I was force-feeding my soul with a few daily devotionals, but my prayer life was about zilch. Each night I gulped down a couple of St. John’s Wort tablets to combat depression. I ate too much, I was tired all the time, and I felt as if I were a few days behind on every list of my life—from my load of essays at school to my laundry at home. I was an undisciplined mess.

I knew what I needed. I needed to exercise to get my strength back again. Could I exercise in the morning? I didn’t really have time—I usually shut off the alarm around six each morning, exhausted, and turned over for an extra half-hour of rest, then rushed through my morning routine and headed to school an hour later. How could I give up even more sleep for exercise? With kids’ sports schedules and lessons, faculty meetings, and few consistent baby-sitters, regular exercise after I taught school all day was impossible. There had been spells in my life when I was more active—aerobics and weightlifting classes, swimming laps at the pool. But classes always end, and our community pool is only open during the summer months. Besides, I didn’t want to leave my kids once I was home from work.

I also needed to pray—at length—to give over the worries of my life to God. A book I read many years ago that still pierces me is Could You Not Tarry One Hour? by Larry Lea. Tarry an hour? It seemed like a Grand Canyon leap of time in my going-going-gone schedule. However, seeking God, interceding for others, and staying in his presence were becoming the deepest desires of my heart. I truly wanted to strengthen my relationship with the Lord of the universe by spending more alone time with him—without the phone ringing, without the kids interrupting, without the washing machine calling my name.

I’ve read over thirty books on prayer. Every single one recommends praying in the early morning hours. I had tried that over the years—getting up earlier than the family and creating my own prayer closet of sorts. Minutes into the routine, my head was usually flopping. You have probably guessed that I’m not a morning person. Actually, I’m not a night person either. I tell my high school students that most days I have one good hour—lunch hour (which is really only forty minutes for me)—and that afterward I’m ready for a nap. It’s true!

However, I did stick to an early morning routine once. I thought of praying while I exercised, and for several months I propped my Bible on my NordicTrack and prayed through the Bible in the wee hours. That actually worked until my knees began to trouble me. Then the routine and I went our separate ways. My NordicTrack is now a great clothesline and keeps watch (wash?) in my office over my usually messy desk.

Two in One

I needed a workable plan, a resolution. I believe in New Year’s resolutions, but my new year starts in September, when I return to teaching. All summer long I sleep a little later and mosey through my household chores and writing tasks. It’s a leisurely pace. When school starts, I begin living by ringing bells again, so it makes sense to make my resolutions then.

When Labor Day passed that year, I felt pulled to become the woman of discipline I had never been. My past history could not have been a solid résumé for my success: Every day of my life seemingly had begun a new diet or a new exercise routine or a new prayer practice. Somehow my resolve that Sunday night in September felt different. I would do it this time. I would get up an hour earlier and tarry with God. Well, maybe tarry was not quite the right word because I had decided to spend my hour prayer-walking. I would walk for an hour, praying at the same time— meeting two sincere desires of my heart with one activity.

I loved the idea of doing two things at once. As a working mom, I always make multitasking a personal objective. Every morning I read the newspaper literally upside down as I lean over and blow dry my hair. I open my mail on the way home from the post office. I grade papers while listening to my daughter read at night. Although I may not be a model of organization, I love efficiency! Prayerwalking seemed a perfect solution to the two largest missing links in my life.

I had never before considered walking alone in the dark, early morning hours. The problem isn’t that it’s unsafe. In our town of just over a thousand people in a mountain valley in Cal i fornia, many not only leave their homes unlocked but keep their car keys in their ignitions. No, I’d not considered walking on Main Street because it didn’t have sidewalks and because huge logging trucks sweep through on their way to the lumber mill. However, a few days before I made my resolution, brand-new sidewalks sculpted of brick and cement and brand-new lighting made our few blocks of downtown look like a fairy tale town. Elsewhere people walk in their local mall before opening hours. We have no mall in our town, but I decided that our half-dozen blocks of twinkly-lit Main Street would be my mall—my prayerwalking course.

Beating “The List”

At 5:20 the next morning I woke up moments before the alarm, turned it off, and rolled over. The List began speaking to me. “You’re too tired; give yourself a few more minutes in bed.” “It’s probably too cold; why don’t you walk this afternoon when the sun is out?” “Remember all those dogs? They’re waiting for you!” “Bogeymen hide in the bushes!” “Your knee hurts; you’d better wait until you’re in better shape.” The List battered me for a few minutes until I remembered: I had not only made a physical-fitness resolution; I had also made a spiritual-fitness resolution.

Right then I realized that discipline involved another d word: decision. I could decide to be disciplined. I soon discovered that the decision to become disciplined had to be made daily (yet another d word.). Every single day I prayerwalked would be another decision, another step, toward discipline. That first day was no easier, no harder than any other. It was just a decision: Would I be a disciplined woman, for my own benefit, for the benefit of my family, and for the glory of God? I could not fix the physical and emotional pains of my life, but I could decide to meet God each morning while I walked.

After all, he wanted to be my Personal Trainer for becoming a woman of prayer, strength, and discipline. Some people have walking buddies. Others, like Oprah, pay someone to cheer them through a workout. I knew that in this new calling, prayerwalking, the Lord would be waiting at 5:30 on the front steps of my house, ready to hear my praise and petitions and to guide my steps—not only for the next hour but for the whole day ahead. How could I stay in bed when God was waiting for me? I got up! The first victory was won!

During my first months of prayerwalking I was too afraid I’d wimp out and jump back into bed if I undressed, so I pulled on lined nylon pants and a heavy sweatshirt right over my pajamas. As it grew colder, I added a coat, a double-layered knit hat, a woolen scarf, and gloves. Frost is our mountain manna about nine months of the year, and I’ve never liked being cold. I look pretty funny when I walk, but it’s no fashion show at that hour, and I stay warm. Yes, it took a friend of mine several months to realize it was I walking early in the morning—he thought I was a guy with all the heavy clothes on.

I started out slowly. Although my enthusiasm was high, I knew that if I overdid my first days, I could risk injury and discouragement. I strolled down Main Street, then picked up the pace a bit. That first day I walked a mile and a half in a half-hour. I increased the distance over the next weeks until I was consistently walking three miles in an hour. (Now I walk five miles in less than an hour and a half—fives times a week.)

Changed!

I had thought that I’d be alone with God that early morning hour. At first I devoted the entire hour to prayers for my husband, Craig, and for our four children, Rebekah and Justin, both away at college, and Joshua and Bethany, who are still at home. But one morning a couple of weeks into my prayerwalking changed all that. As I approached Toddler Towers, our local day-care center, two cars drove up from opposite directions and parked, almost in sync. In one I recognized my friend Cheryl, ready to open the home-awayfrom-home for a couple dozen little ones. Emerging from the other, a young father swept up his curly-haired little girl, still in jammies and holding her blankie, and handed his sleepy package to Cheryl. I was okay until the bundle said, “Bye, Daddy. Love you.” When I heard those words, the immenseness of my prayer job hit me. My prayerwalk was not just for my family and myself, but also for the many others I would encounter on Main Street. I began to cry—bawl is a better word. I cried and prayed for all the little children and their mommies and daddies, as well as the day-care workers who would mother and teach the children that day.

On subsequent days my Personal Trainer opened my eyes to other needs along my path, and I added new prayers. As I passed my church, just a half-block off Main Street, I prayed for our board members, who were desperately seeking direction. I prayed for the other two churches in town, which had their own struggles. I prayed for the owners of the businesses I passed each day, the principals and teachers at our three schools, the commuters leaving early for hour-away Reno, and the men heading for the day shift at the lumber mill. I added the city council members and the county supervisors and other government workers. Soon I discovered a sober truth: I didn’t have enough time to pray for all the needs.

The experience was not only sobering but had another effect.

One morning about two months after I began prayerwalking, my younger son, Joshua, then thirteen, came into the kitchen and said, “What are you doing, Mom?”

I looked down at the counter and back at him. Maybe he didn’t have his contacts in. “Making peanut butter sandwiches?”

“No, Mom,” he said accusingly, “you were singing.” He walked away, shaking his head.

He was right. I was singing. I, the one whose usual morning words were only Get up…I said get up…Get up or you’ll be late— and other variations on the same theme—was singing. God had been filling my soul while I prayerwalked, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. It occurred to me that my entire countenance—in fact, my entire outlook on life—had changed. Prayerwalking an hour each weekday had transformed my life—in just a couple of short months.

On an ordinary morning I made the decision to prayerwalk. On an ordinary morning you could do the same and thus change your life in similarly dramatic ways. Walk with me. Walk with me over city streets, small town paths, and country roads. Let me show you how one daily decision can make a difference for our world. Walk with me through joys and sorrows, through hopes and fears, through laughter and tears. Let me show you how talking with God each day will be better than extra sleep. Decide to seek a healthier lifestyle, and let me prove that “discipline” can actually feel good. Join me and our Personal Trainer…and prayerwalk your way to physical and spiritual strength.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Acknowledgments

Introduction
Part 1 Becoming a Woman of Strength and Discipline

1. If I Can Do It, You Can Do It

2. Spiritual Endorphins

3. Making Time

4. Why Walk?

5. Reducing Aches and Pains

6. PrayerWalk Partners
Part 2 Becoming a Woman of Prayer

7. Prayer Tips from My Personal Trainer

8. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

9. Take a Walk with Me

10. Eyes Wide Open

11. A Sacrifice of Tears

12. Faces of Answered Prayer
Epilogue: Looking Back, Moving Forward

Study Guide

Resources on Walking

Thirty-Day PrayWalk Challenge

Appendix: How to Organize a Community PrayerWalk Event

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Notes Excerpted from PrayerWalk by Janet Holm McHenry, Copyright © 2001 by Janet Holm McHenry. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Monday, July 4, 2011

EcoMom Approved Products Review and $15 Giveaway

EcoMom is one of my favorite stores online. They sell an assortment of wonderful natural, organic, and healthy products that they have compiled and tested themselves to help parents make easy, practical and affordable healthy choices for their families. They partner with charities like Healthy Child Healthy World and team up with EcoMom experts in various fields of expertise to share their information for a healthier, more balanced, and sustainable planet and lifestyle for us all. Within their website they have a icon coded system to help you quickly evaluate which products work for your own family.

I was sent samples sizes of these EcoMom Approved Products for free from EcoMom to try out and review: Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask, SmartyPants Gummy Vitamins, SKINKiND Microfine Face Scrub for Men, SKINKiND Travel Size Essential Moisture for Men.

I tried out the Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask myself and enjoyed it regardless of the fact that I resembled the Creature from the Black Lagoon when I had it on! As you can tell from my facial the product isn't the most attractive color. It is kind of a muddy green and has a gritty texture that spreads on pretty thin and unevenly too, but I believe the good outweighs the bad for this product. My gritty mud monster face becomes radiant and smooth after washing it off. It doesn't seem to irritate my skin or leave my skin too dry. It also helps exfoliate because of the grit and instructions to rub it in circular motions with wet fingers before washing completely off. When taking it off be sure to use a warm to semi hot water on a washcloth that isn't white (this seems to stain and the granules like to stick in the cloth). It also has a very pleasant herbal, minty smell that rejuvenates my skin and perks me up when using it. I just think that it is more like a scrub than a mask. For the price of about $40 for a tube of 4 fluid ounces the price might be a bit steep for some, but the list of certified organic: essential oils, extracts and other ingredients in the Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask are extensive (nothing artificial or synthetic in there) and worth every penny. So in a nutshell, to me, this is a heavenly nutrient-rich, all-natural, nature-derived feast for your face.

My kids got to try the SmartyPants Gummy Vitamins. They are an all-in-one multivitamin with eco-friendly non-tuna sourced DHA Omega 3's, Vitamin D, Choline & 12 other key nutrients. They are also gluten and casein free, have no high fructose corn syrup, and only have 5g of Organic cane sugar per serving (that is 80% LESS sugar than in a glass of unsweetened apple juice). I only had a small sample pack of 4 gummies and supposedly all 4 gummies in a daily supply. I am not sure why they couldn't have made just one gummy with all the vitamins instead of having to take 4 although the bottle of 120 then only will last 30 days. I like that they are made with natural flavors and colors from natural sources. Flavors include: lemon, orange, and cherry. These are great vitamins for kids that like gummies and don't like their veggies or fish. They don't taste fishy at all, are chewable, and my kids enjoyed them. They wished we had more. A bottle of 120 that lasts 30 days is about $19.95. Every time you buy a bottle of SmartyPants, they donate to Vitamin Angels so that 2 children most in need recieve a years worth of vital nutrients.

My husband got to try the SKINKiND Microfine Face Scrub for Men and the SKINKiND Travel Size Essential Moisture for Men. The SKINKiND Microfine Face Scrub for Men goes on before a shave and exfoliates the face to battle ingrown hairs and dead skin. I kinda wish they had this product or one similar for when I shave my legs too! This has Aloe Vera gel to cool the skin, natural Bamboo powder to exfoliate, Organic Blood Orange and Vitamin E to provide antioxidant protection to new skin that is unveiled, Cedarwood to tone and decrease acne, and Organic Cinnamon Leaf to bring oily skin back to normal. My husband commented that it has a slight fruity or citrus smell, but nothing overpowering. He said it was easy to apply but to him it felt very abrasive...like sandpaper. He didn't think that it was very pleasant on his face and thought that it wasn't microfine like they had called it. I tried a little on my face and I really didn't think that it was all that bad. He did notice that after his shave with his razor that his face felt pretty smooth and the face scrub did clean the pores and buff away the dead skin. A 100ml/3.4flOZ container of it costs about $29.00 at EcoMom. The SKINKiND Travel Size Essential Moisture for Men goes on after a shave to help moisturize, rejuvenate, and help with post shave irritation. Again this product would be wonderful for the woman after leg shaving. This has Organic Rosehip, Avocado and Jojoba oils to revive the skin; Sandalwood, Fragonia and Lavender as an anti-inflammatory and oil normalizer; Bergamot to control blemishes; and Vitamins A & E. My husband said this product smelled pleasant and has a slight fruity or citrus smell, but nothing overpowering. It was easy to apply and left his face softer than right after his shave. It didn't leave his face sticky or oily and he thought that his face liked the stuff better than the face scrub. A 1.7flOZ bottle of it costs about $18.00 at EcoMom.




WIN IT:
Sarah from EcoMom has generously offered $15 for anything in their store for one of my readers to win.

Mandatory:
1. Go to the EcoMom webpage and tell me by commenting on this post what your favorite item in their store is besides the ones I mentioned above.

Additional entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog by feedburner or by email and let me know which way. (3 extra entries each)

2. Fan/Like me on facebook and write something on my wall. (1 extra entry)

3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (GFC) on the left sidebar and/or Networked Blogs Let me know what your user name is. (2 extra entries each)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and provide me with the link. Make sure you have the link to this post and EcoMom in your blog entry or it won't count. (2 extra entries)

5. Give me a brief POSITIVE review on Alexa and provide me with your user name. (3 extra entries)

6. Grab My Button (see sidebar to the left) AND/OR Put My Blog URL in Your Blogroll - Leave Your Link. (1 extra entry)

7. Technorati my blog and let me know your link. (1 extra entry)

8. Fave me on Momfaves. (2 extra entries)

9. List this giveaway on any giveaway listing website or blog Linky/Link-up and tell me where you listed it. (2 extra entries)

10. Write about this giveaway with a link to this post on your Facebook wall, Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, or other social media website besides Twitter. Let me know where. (2 extra entries for each)

11. Comment on one of my regular (not giveaway) posts. (1 extra entry per post you comment on)

12. Follow me on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

13. Tweet this: @finamoon: @ecomom #WIN EcoMom $15 Gift Card #giveaway http://bit.ly/q1D8Ym (Daily Extras are Available)

14. Fan/Like EcoMom on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

15. Follow EcoMom on Twitter. (1 extra entry)

Make sure you leave me your email in all posts so that I can contact you. Don't forget to leave a comment for each task and the correct amount of entries for each task. This contest ends on Friday September 16, 2011 at midnight (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada). This Giveaway is open to all 18 years and over in the U.S. Only!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to EcoMom for providing me this promotion information, free product, and giveaway free for my readers. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review and giveaway.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Rubbermaid and Pear Tree Greetings Notelettes Giveaway Winners

The winner of the Rubbermaid Glass Food Storage Containers with Easy Find Lids 8 piece set (4 glass containers and 4 lids) is #66 Melissa E.! She said she'd love the Microfiber Dust'N Mop. Redraw #40 justicecw! She said she'd like the Classic Configurations Closet Kits!

The winner of the Pear Tree Greetings 24 free Notelettes is Linda Kish (She is the only one that entered this giveaway)! She said she likes the Changing Stripes -- Unique Notelettes.

Come on readers of my blog! Enter my giveaways! I want to see more than just one person entering them. There are more giveaways coming soon so stay tuned! Thanks!

Congrats again to all the winners! I will contact each winner by email. If you did not have your email posted please post it here so I can email you! Thanks to all those who participated and don't forget to enter in my contests/giveaways that are going on now! I will also be adding more posts and giveaways soon so stay tuned!

*All winners are chosen by my True Random Number Generator.