Advancing Native Missions Gift Catalog Review and Giveaway #christmasgiving #advancingnativemissons #givingcatalog #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this catalog and a gift was given from it on our behalf through FrontGate Media in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Advancing Native Missions is a Christian mission based organization that instead of sending out foreign missionaries that have little knowledge of the people or culture, they have native (local) missionaries to spread the gospel and minister. They are already accustomed to the physical climate, environment, and political situation. These missionaries live and minister on a fraction of the resources because their standard of living is comparable to those they serve. They also already know the language, people, and culture and can begin work with minimal training and preparation. They are more committed to working long-term because they already know and love the people; their own family, friends, and neighbors. These missionaries preach the Gospel, plant churches, care for children; found: schools, medical clinics, and Bible colleges to train others.

ANM serves 345 native (local) mission ministries with over 10,425 missionaries, church planters, trainers, and workers working in 97 countries around the world. These missionaries are engaging 858 of these 7,000 unreached people groups and are reaching out to more all the time. Some of these countries that these native missionaries serve are closed to Western missionaries. This is the only way to get the message of The Lord out to them.

Through the Advancing Native Missions Gift Catalog you can help these native missionaries with gifts and donations to them and the people they serve so that they may live in better circumstances. Included in the catalog is a coloring book for your kids to color of a true story about a small girl facing big struggles and how she overcomes with the help of others and the hope of Jesus. You and your family can also pick from many causes and charities to aid and advocate for those that are in need, including: 

• Beekeeping kits for a native worker to support themselves through honey sales (brand new to the catalog)
• a Bible to a fellow Christian for spiritual growth
• a bicycle to a church planter or pastor so they can travel easier
• a brick bundle (10 bricks) to help build new classrooms
• a Newborn Care Package: care for a newborn and their mother in Israel for one month
• a chicken so a family can eat and sell its eggs
• Children's Gift Bundle: includes school supplies, sports equipment, a Christmas gift, and a pair of shoes
• a Christmas gift box: a box of small gifts to a child in need
• COVID-19 Relief Package: food for hungry families, hygiene supplies to help families stay safe and healthy, and financial aid for those who have lost jobs during the pandemic
• a goat or sheep so a family can have milk and meat
• medicine to support medical outreach in impoverished communities
• a motorcycle so a church planter or pastor can access remote areas and share the gospel
• a Persecution Aid Package will provide temporary safe housing, basic medical and care for injuries, food and other necessitates
• school supplies so that a student is more equipped to learn
  
• sewing machine so that a family can start a home business and mend clothing
  
• shoes so a child can play, do chores, and walk to school safely
  
• sports equipment so that kids can enjoy healthy recreation with friends
  
• support a worker so they can start churches and care for their congregation
  
• well to provide clean and accessible water for a community
• etc.

 

My Thoughts:

By reviewing the Advancing Native Missions Gift Catalog I was given the choice of three gift packages: Animals Gift Package, Children's Gift Package, or the Newborn Care Package that I could pick from for ANM to give on my family's behalf. I picked the Animals Gift Package which is a $116 value and I believed had the most benefit to a family. This package gives 2 goats so a family can have an economical supply of milk and meat and gives 12 chickens so a family can eat and sell its eggs. 

Food and financial security is so important and so many in this world are starving, going hungry, and don't have any way to make ends meet. I know that I am fairly privileged to live in America where I am living fairly comfortably and free to be a Christian and share my beliefs. I am so grateful and thankful for this. My family is overjoyed to be able to share something so important and essential with our global brothers and sisters who are less fortunate. I hope this gift blesses a family for many years to come.

 

My daughters looking through the ANM Gift Catalog.

 

Giving to this amazing fund is a wonderful and generous thing to do to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with your family. Sharing the message of Christ and giving the gift of benevolence, service, and humanitarianism is so important for those that are impoverished and/or persecuted for their beliefs. Please help those who cannot help themselves. Use the Advancing Native Missions gifting catalog to donate and directly impact families around the world.

 

YOU CAN HELP CHANGE LIVES TOO
Find 20 simple ways to transform lives inside this catalog … all in the name of Jesus.

• Visit the catalog online: https://catalog.advancingnativemissions.com/
• Request a mailed catalog:https://advancingnativemissions.com/request-anm-catalog/

 

WIN IT

• Prize: Win a painting from one of their partners in Bulgaria! They are artists and use that art to share the gospel and fund ministry.
• Host: Advancing Native Missions and FrontGate Media.
• Who Can Enter: Open to US Residents 18 years or older.
• Selection Process: 1 Winner will be selected on 11/30/2020 and notified by email at which time they will ask for your address. Winner will have 2 weeks to respond.
  
• Where to Enter: Go to this link https://www.blessedfreebies.com/advancing-native-missions-giveaway.html and fill out the form to enter.

A Very Thankful Prayer Book Review and Giveaway

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

A Very Thankful Prayer is a board book by bestselling author Bonnie Rickner Jensen and illustrated by Natalia Moore. It uses fun rhyme and sweet illustrations to give a wonderful message of thankfulness to its readers. This delightful book shows illustrations of cute furry or feathery animals showing their gratefulness to God for the many blessings that autumn holds.

Zari reading the A Very Thankful Prayer book.

What We Thought:
This lovely family-friendly story is perfect for little ones because of its sturdy pages, rhyming verse, and gorgeous illustrations by Natalia Moore. I love the shiny, eye-catching, foil-embellished cover too. This book portrays fall perfectly including: the changing & falling leaves, to pumpkin patches, picking apples at the orchard, and sharing Thanksgiving around the table with family and friends. Each moment shown is something that children can relate to and are great to share together with family and friends.

I recommend this board book for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners most of all. My youngest daughter, Zari, who is in first grade also loves this book! It is the perfect size for little hands to hold and the sturdy pages are less vulnerable to tearing. She is learning to read and it has the perfect amount of words on each page for her. She also loves looking at the adorable illustrations as well.

This book celebrates Autumn, Fall, and Thanksgiving. It is a great reminder to thank God for all that we have no matter how small. We cherish this book and its message of family and of being grateful. It would be a perfect gift for Thanksgiving.

BUY IT


WIN IT
Prize: A Very Thankful Prayer Book
Host: Thomas Nelson Publishing and FrontGate Media.
Who Can Enter: Open to US Residents 18 years or older.
Selection Process: winners will be selected on 9/25/2017 and notified by email.
Where to Enter: Go to this link http://www.blessedfreebies.com/averythankfulprayer.html and fill out the form to enter.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. 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.

Thanksgiving: The Holiday At The Heart Of The American Experience Book Review

Thanksgiving: The Holiday At The Heart Of The American Experience by Melanie Kirkpatrick is a wonderful book to read and cherish for Thanksgiving. Simple, yet elegant, illustrations grace the pages of this informative book. It is a compilation of religion, history, hospitality, economics, philanthropy, culture, food, traditions, and politics that surround this beloved holiday. Within its passages it holds timeless tales of how Thanksgiving came to be: from the Puritans and Wampanoag Indians and their feast together to how Thanksgiving became the holiday as it is today. It delves into four centuries of history to paint a more complete picture of our nation's celebration of family, friends, food, fellowship, gratitude, and faith than that you may have learned from school. Besides the history, it also includes Readings For Thanksgiving Day, which are excerpts from famous people like: Mark Twain, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ben Franklin, William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Abigail Adams, Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc. and yummy Thanksgiving Recipes and Bills of Fare from households, cookbooks, and media passed down through the ages.

The Thanksgiving holiday has always been a time of joy, celebration, and gratitude in my home. We thank God for the blessings and bounty He has bestowed on our family and friends. The greatness of the delicious food and drink on the table and multitude of family and friends that will surround us on this Thanksgiving Day are only a few things that I am thankful for. I am also so very grateful to live in a country where religious freedom is practiced and allowed and am glad that I am alive on this gorgeous planet.

Thanksgiving: The Holiday At The Heart Of The American Experience is a comprehensive resource for understanding and coming to know the Thanksgiving holiday better. I highly recommend it for gift giving around the holiday. It would also be wonderful to share with your host or hostess this Thanksgiving or next. It is a great companion for a homeschool study on the holiday too.

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. 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. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook: Cub-Friendly Cooking With an Adult Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook: Cub-Friendly Cooking With an Adult written by Mike Berenstain has 40 delicious recipes that cater to different American holidays around the year. Join Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear as they share 40 of their favorite Bear family holiday recipes. These include traditional favorites like Hot Apple Cinnamon Cider, Cozy Hot Chocolate, and Pumpkin Pie to fun and unique recipes like: Candy Corn Punch, Creepy Crawly Pasta Salad, and Gobbler Apple Muffins.

This hardcover cookbook is laid out well. At the beginning there is a contents page with a list of the recipes in each section and their page numbers. It has 6 sections for different holidays: Valentine's Day, Easter, Forth of July, Fall Festivities, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Each section has 6-8 recipes. Each section starts out with a scripture, a short story, and a poem. Each recipe has a title, what is needed, and directions along with a photograph of the finished food or beverage. At the end there is a page of Kitchen Measurements in both standard and metric.

A peek inside The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook.

I remember The Berenstain Bears' book series from my childhood. I love them and have ever since I was very young. These books teach children how God want them to live everyday. The Berenstain Bears' book series teach children good character traits and values. I love the simplicity of the illustrations and country town feel that the Bear family has.

I adore The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook! My kids love to help me cook and bake and this is a great cookbook just for that bonding experience. I can't wait 'til we can make the: Christmas Holiday Pinwheels, Valentine's Day Pizza, Krispie Easter Eggs, or Forth of July Freedom Trifle! There are so many other fun recipes as well. It has wonderful kid-friendly recipes that are perfect to make with your children or grandchildren for the holidays.

BUY IT


You can also purchase The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook: Cub-Friendly Cooking With an Adult at Zondervan for $12.99.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. 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. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Bil-Jac Dessert Jacs Caramel Apple Pie Flavored Dog Treats Review

My dog, Prince, posing with the Bil-Jac Dessert Jacs Caramel Apple Pie Dog Treats.

I received 2 pouches of treats free to facilitate this review.

Treat your dog to something super special this holiday season. Bil-Jac Dessert Jacs Dog Treats have now arrived for a limited time in Caramel Apple Pie flavor! Your dog will crave these nutritious treats because they will love the taste. The best part about these treats is that they are healthy and nutritious. The #1 ingredient is Real Chicken and they contain no gluten meals, soy, or added rendered fat. These treats are small bite-size triangular pie shapes that are soft, moist, and easy to chew. They are also great for dogs of all sizes and all life stages. They come in a 10 oz resealable double zipper pouch that will keep them fresh.

My dog, Prince, loves these so very much! When I get them out he wags his tale ferociously in happiness and noses the package trying to get them out himself. I love to reward him when he is a good dog. He can't resist the flavor and these treats actually smell pretty good too.

These are wonderful treats to reward your best furry dog friend with love and affection for their good behavior. Get the Special Edition Bil-Jac Dessert Jacs Caramel Apple Pie Flavored Dog Treats for your dog or your granddog for a festive Holiday, Thanksgiving, and/or Christmas treat. Your dog will thank you!

BUY IT
You can find Bil-Jac Dessert Jacs Dog Treats in both Caramel Apple Pie Flavor and Pumpkin Pie Flavor for a limited time at PetSmart locations! Use the store locator at www.bil-jac.com to find the PetSmart nearest you! You can also find them online too. Purchase other Bil-Jac products as well.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate this review. 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.

Creekside Farms Apple Quince Wreath with Hanger Review

Apple Quince Wreath

I received these products for free to facilitate this review.

Creekside Farms hand makes artisanal wreaths with freshly hand picked and naturally air dried herbs and flowers. They are located in California's Monterey County where the climate is warm and dry which is ideal growing and drying conditions for their herbs and flowers. They are also grown naturally without harmful pesticides and dried in small bunches upside-down on wire racks in their warehouse. Once they are ready, the ornamental and culinary herbs and flowers are used in their lovely wreath designs. Creekside Farms has wreaths for all sorts of occasions like weddings, baby showers, fall, and Christmas. They also have some wonderful smelling culinary and ornamental herb wreaths to brighten up anyone's kitchen or home.

Apple Quince Wreath fresh from the box.

The wreath arrived zip tied to the inside of the box it came in. The hanger was wrapped in a bag zip tied to one side on the inside of the box nestled beside the wreath. The zip ties were a bit annoying to get off of them, but I realize it probably was the best way to attach them so that they wouldn't move around much inside the box while being shipped. It also comes with a card that has information about Creekside Farms on one side and care instructions on the other. When I opened the box the wonderful fragrance of the wreath emanated into the room.

I am very glad they sent me a metal wreath hanger with my wreath. It is very handy to have so that I could hang the wreath from my doors. Once I freed the wreath and hanger from the box I selected one of my hallway doors to hang it from. Some of my doors won't hold it, however; because they have a tight seal and won't close while the hanger is over the top. So when purchasing a wreath with a wreath hanger make sure the door you will be hanging it from will take a wreath hanger. If you don't want to hang it from a door it can also be hung by other ways on a wall or over a mantel.

I received the Apple Quince Wreath with hanger to review for free. I got to pick it from an assortment of gorgeous looking wreaths from the Creekside Farms website. I wanted a harvest wreath that would go well with my farm home style. It was hard to choose just one wreath as I thought they all were very pretty. Since their Fall Wreaths are in season now I thought that the Apple Quince Wreath would be a festive decoration to deck my halls for autumn harvest and Thanksgiving. This particular wreath is made with fresh Eucalyptus, Salal, and Juniper and decorated with Quince slices, pine cones, Tallow berries, faux apples, Curly Willow, Artemisia, Sweet Annie, and cinnamon sticks. The one I recieved didn't quite look as neatly made as the pictured one from their website, but it was still very beautiful. I love the circle of green with the browns, oranges and reds peaking through. The bright orange quince slices and cheery red faux apples really stands out among the other foliage. The wreath looks very nice where I placed it and every time I go past I love taking in a big whiff of the lovely aromatic smell.

You can purchase this and other lovely wreaths from the Creekside Farms website. Get a 15% discount when you use the code ABEL.

You can also follow Creekside Farms on Facebook and Twitter.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free to facilitate my review. 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.

LivingPlug Energy Efficient INLET with Faceplate Review

This review is sponsored by LivingPlug. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

INLET is San Francisco-based LivingPlug's multi-use, energy efficient and child-proof outlet and USB source. The INLET comes with a screw to attach it to the outlet and has tamper-resistant outlets so it is safer. It turns a standard outlet into three receptacles plus a 2.1 USB charger and features the “UNplug button” which shuts off power and eliminates the need to physically UNplug devices from the outlet, thus reducing “Vampire Charges” caused when electronics suck power even when turned off. LivingPlug estimates consumers can reduce their electrical bill 15-25% by using the “UNplug” button. What a great way to take a bite out of utility bills!

Besides being very functional and practical their INLET is also decorative. Outlets are in every room and they don't have to be boring. You can make them fabulous looking with INLET faceplates and enhance the aesthetics of your home. Faceplates cover the outside of the INLET to match your home decor. LivingPlug has hundreds of designs that you can pick from ranging from nature scenes, graphic prints, noted artists, inspirational quotes, holiday and seasonal, as well as a line of children's inspired looks. You can choose from several Halloween-inspired designs like: a Happy Pumpkin, Silly Ghost, Haunted House, Black Cat, and variety of fall scenes to decorate before the first Trick-or-Treaters arrive. Additionally, the company offers a line of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holiday season designs. LivingPlug also offers an option to create a customized faceplate for you as well: upload a personal photo, school mascot, favorite quote, or child's artwork, etc. for them to make you a unique design. These faceplates are a duplex electric outlet cover, printed domestically on an ABS faceplate. The Faceplate is super easy to place onto the INLET, just slide the ABS formed brackets that are on the back of the frame onto the INLET front chrome pins. You can interchange these faceplates with one another so you can change the decor of your home with the seasons, holidays, or your mood.

From left to right: The front of the INLET and back of the faceplate, The back of the INLET and front of the Pin Oak faceplate.

I received an INLET with a Pin Oak faceplate. This design is by Seymour Leichman and Riverside Park illustrations and is of a lovely tree. I love this design because it fits with my love of nature and goes with the fall and autumn season well.

LivingPlug INLET with Pin Oak Faceplate. Coffee maker and reader plugged into it.

There are a few problems some outlets and plugs have using the INLET. The INLET only plugs into a three prong outlet. Unfortunately, if you have an older home with two prong outlets you will not be able to use the INLET. Also, if your three prong outlets are installed in an incorrect orientation (upside down or sideways) you will have issues using the INLET with the faceplate unless you choose a faceplate that can be oriented upside down or sideways also and still look the normal (there are actually quite a few to choose from like this). The faceplate can be put on the INLET "wrong" so that it plugs into an upside down outlet and be right side up, but then the faceplate covers the INLET outlets so you cannot plug anything in. There is a lip on the faceplate that even when put on correctly still won't let larger plugs plug into the INLET outlets. You could plug these bulkier plugs into the bottom without the faceplate on, but then the INLET is very plain and you still might not be able to use all three outlets at once because of the close proximity of the three plugs.

Problems some outlets and plugs have using the INLET.

I believe LivingPlug INLET is a revolutionary product when used with the proper outlets and plugs. It is ideal for people that want to upgrade their 3 prong outlets into something more: functional, practical, beautiful, and safe. The LivingPlug INLET, by itself or with the faceplate, would make a great gift for someone as well.

The LivingPlug INLET is super affordable. It retails for $25 and each faceplate is sold separately from the INLET and other LivingPlug base products for an additional $25. To learn more about the INLET and faceplate designs or to purchase, please visit LivingPlug.

BUY IT!


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. 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. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Foodie Friday Dinner in a Pumpkin

Dinner In A Pumpkin
This recipe has been a tradition around the time of Halloween or Thanksgiving for my family since I was a very little girl. I love squash in the fall and autumn. Pumpkin is a autumn/winter gourd-like squash and is perfect for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 large pumpkin (however, needs to be small enough to fit in your oven)
• 1 lb. hamburger (ground beef)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3-4 stalks celery chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped (you can also do a mix of equal value green, red and yellow peppers if you have them for extra color)
• 1 container chopped mushrooms
• spoonful minced garlic
• spoonful mined ginger
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups cooked rice (can use white, brown or mixed)
• basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scoop out seeds. Save the seeds for yummy roasted pumpkin seed recipes. In a large skillet brown hamburger and add onions, celery, peppers, mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Mix and sauté. Add cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, brown sugar and rice to other ingredients. Mix well. Add all ingredients to the inside of the prepared pumpkin. Place stem top back on the pumpkin. Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and and put the whole pumpkin on it. Bake for about an hour or until the pumpkin is soft on the inside.

*if you want to make it a Jack O' Lantern as we did for a festive table you can by carving only the top layer of pumpkin skin off in your design and then pealing it off to show the face.

Wordless Wednesday Tiny Prints Thanksgiving Greeting Cards FREE

My not so Wordless Wednesday Post:

I just made these fabulous Thanksgiving cards at Tiny Prints. I got 50 shipped to me for free to send to relatives (my cards might be late, but it is the thought that counts.) You can individually send them to your family and friends instead if you wish so that they will get to them on time... all you need to pay for is the stamps.

3 Days Only! FREE Thanksgiving Greeting Card
Offer expires on 11/19/10 11:59 pm (PT) Code: FREETHX


"Enjoy FREE Thanksgiving greeting cards when you enter the code FREETHX at checkout. This offer is not applicable to previously placed orders. Offer is only valid on Tiny Prints greeting cards and is not applicable to Tiny Prints stationery and products, or third party or partner websites. To prevent abuse, Tiny Prints reserves the right to discontinue or modify this offer at any time without notice. They reserve the right to cancel any order at any time. Offer is subject to change and expires at 11:59 pm (PT) on 11/19/10. Don't miss out on this unbeatable offer—create your FREE Thanksgiving greeting cards now, and send your love for less!"

My Favorites of Fall

This autumn has been great so far and I would love to share with you some pictures of past falls that I have enjoyed and tell you some of my favorite things of the season. Autumn is one of my favorite seasons for many reasons. Here are some of them.

I love when the leaves on the trees change their many colors.




I love going to the many fairs, festivals, harvest parties, farmers' markets, orchards, and pumpkin patches. Having hay rides and going through corn/hay mazes.



I love the flavors of fall: mulled hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks, spiced chai, sparkling cider, toasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, turkey, sausage stuffing, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, yams, mashed rutabaga/potatoes, Thanksgiving feast, etc.



I love the scents of fall: autumn scented candles, my neighbor's scentsy, apples, caramel apples, mulling spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves allspice, star anise, pumpkin pie spice, clove orange/fruit pomanders, cinnamon pine cones, chai mulch, grape vines loaded with grapes, wood stoves, etc.



I love fall fashions. Especially sweaters, shawls, scarves, dupatta (long scarf), and ponchos (esp. ones with fringe, metallic threads, eyelash yarn, etc.), capes, caplets (esp. hooded ones).


What do you love about autumn? What are your favorites? Do you have a favorite recipe? Please share with me! Thanks!