Giveaway: The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies On Blu-Ray.

My Circus can't grasp that when I say I studied "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy in Jr. High School, I mean we really studied it.  We read them all the way through, tested on them, wrote essays on them, and spent class after class talking about them.

For three years.

Being the lucky soul that I am, I was in a certain program in Jr. High which led me to have the same teachers in every subject, year after year.

Generally that was okay, I was a good kid, and an excellent student, and my teachers were pretty cool, but it's a wonder that I actually still like JRR Tolkien , as I had a strong aversion to my English teacher.  It took a certain level of patience and tolerance to stand her personality, none of which I was willing to give her in all my adolescent glory.

To be fair, she didn't like me either and was always making underhand remarks about me to the class.

So I think my intolerance was justified to say the least.

As it is, this post isn't about my Jr. High English teacher.

It's about JRR Tolkien.

More specifically, it's about me giving away a blu-ray of the The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

Argue if you must that the books are always better than the movies.  Argue if you must about the storyline changes.

Argue if you must, but frankly, I find myself being a solid fan of both the books and the movies.  And I'm pretty stoked to be giving this movie away to one of you.

Here's what you have to do:
Take this quiz and see if you're brave like Bilbo. (Warner Home Video's rules, not mine, so go with it.  It was kind of fun in that cheesy quiz way so I can get behind it.  For the record I am brave like Bilbo.)



Now tell me in the comments, are you?

I will choose a winner from the comments on Thursday April 9th at 11:59 pm.  Or if I'm being honest, I'll choose it on Friday April 10th around 8:30 am, but I'll be looking at the comments that hit before midnight... so either way, get your comment in before the end of April 9th.  Winner will be notified by email, so please make sure I have a valid email to contact you.

To be fair, there are some rules. Each household is only eligible to win One (1) Blu-ray The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.  Open to the US and Canada.

Also, this:


I didn't receive anything for writing this post, but Warner Home Video is fronting the prize, so there's that.

And guys!

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Which isn't The Hobbit, but The Hobbit begins it all and it's now time to geek out and re-watch the trilogy.  All.  Weekend.  Long.

LDS Temple Medallions: A Giveaway.

Temples have been on my mind recently.

They've become a part of my quiet contemplation as I'm commuting on Trax.

They've become a part of my monthly routine.

They've been a topic of discussion lately in Sunday school.

We've been studying Ezekiel in Sunday school, actually, and one thing that was said recently has really stuck with me.

The temple is the one place that connects this world with the next.  It is "the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever..." (Ezekiel 43:7)

"The place of the soles of my feet"... it is where he walks.  In the midst of us.

And we get to be there.

This is something that I want my girls to understand, to comprehend, to feel.

There's a website called LDS Temple Medallions where you can buy these beautiful medallions to wear (or otherwise display).

Tayler will be turning 12 in a few months, and in anticipation of her being able to visit the temple I'm giving her a medallion.  I hope it will get her excited, and remind her of what she's going to be able to be a part of.

I hope she'll learn about the temple.

And love it.

I actually get to give not one, but two medallions away this week.  Two of you will be able to win one medallion of your choice.  The giveaway opens today and will run for one week until midnight on December 10th.  Winner will be contacted by email so make sure the email you use on the rafflecopter is one you check regularly.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

I really do love to see the temple, and I'm excited to have found this website.  They have a large selection of temples, so whether you want a reminder of one that's near you, one that was part of your mission, or one that holds a special meaning to you for any other reason, you'll probably find it in their selection.

The prices are surprisingly affordable as well.

And just in time for Christmas.

I did receive a medallion in exchange for hosting this giveaway, but the words, thoughts, and opinions are all my own.

Christmas Giveaway: $500 In Paypal Cash Or An Amazon Gift Card.

I have a few exciting posts coming up this week, first and foremost of which is an exciting announcement about a giveaway!

Yes, you read that right, I'm teaming up with nine other fabulous blogs to bring you a giveaway of $500 cold hard cash.

Well, cold hard cash in the form of paypal money or an amazon gift card, but let's get serious here, it's still money you can spend anywhere you want and with the looming holiday season, who doesn't want an extra $500?

Can you say only 72 days until Christmas?

I know, I panicked just typing that.

So let's tell the blogs who are behind this thank you,

The REAL Housewives of Riverton | Utah Sweet Savings | My Mommy Style | Feel Great In 8 | The Project Girl | Lionesses at the Gate | Two in the Kitchen | Everyday Southwest | My Daylights | The Circus

And get ready to enter.  The rafflecopter will open today, Monday October 13th at midnight and will end at 11:59 pm on Sunday, October 19th.

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Being a solid Halloween fan, you'll have to forgive me for the next sentence.

Happy Holiday's y'all.

Let's make it a happy one.

The Watchers Book 1: Knight of Light.

The search for a good book that's actually worth reading continues.  And as promised, when I find one I'm passing it on.  I like to sink my teeth into all sorts of books, and am even enjoy reading a book that doesn't end happy, but makes you think and reflect on life.  One of my favorite genres, though, is a solid fantasy/fairy tale.

I just love escaping into a new world.

If you're the same way then you should check out this book.

The Watchers Book 1: Knight of Light

In England, 1270 A.D., Auriella (pronounced yurr-ee-ella) flees her village after being accused of witchcraft. Pursued by nightmarish creatures, she struggles to accept the truth about her humanity. Filled with fairies, dwarves, pixies, dragons, and monsters, Knight of Light is an enthralling tale that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old.
The Watchers Series has been described as Braveheart meets Supernatural. The mythology for the series is based on many theological texts from dozens of sects with correlating themes. Ancient writings include The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Traditional Apocrypha, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Kabbalah.

“The Watchers” are supernatural beings in human form whose duty it is to protect and guard mankind from the armies of darkness. Unfortunately, as the Book of Enoch mentions, some of these Watchers go bad. Although the mythology is based on these texts, Deirdra Eden’s The Watchers Series is written in a traditional fairytale style with a young girl’s discovery of incredible, but dangerous powers within herself, a cast of humorous side-kicks, a quest for greater self-discovery and purpose, and villains of epic proportions.

Amazon  Barnes and Noble  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads  Wattpad  Pinterest

About the Author

"My goal in writing is to saturate my books with intrigue, mystery, romance, and plot twists that will keep my readers in suspense. I want to see fingerprints on the front and back covers where readers have gripped the novel with white knuckles! Aside from writing, I enjoy jousting in arenas, planning invasions, horseback riding through open meadows, swimming in the ocean, hiking up mountains, camping in cool shady woods, climbing trees barefoot, and going on adventures."
-Deirdra Eden

Find Deirdra Eden and The Watchers Series online on Amazon, Deirdra's website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad, and Pinterest.

Want a chance to win this book?  Enter below!

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I did receive a copy of the ebook in exchange for this post, but my opinion is all my own.

Dark Hope: Book One of the Archangel Series. Giveaway.

It's a constant struggle as a bookworm mother, who is also an English major, who has bookworm teenage daughters, to find a book that lives up to the high expectations I have when it comes to filling my time with reading.

Because, let's face it, I love to read.

I will ignore every dirty dish, I will tell The Circus to eat ramen for dinner, I will miss night after night of decent sleep just to finish the book I've gotten myself engulfed in.

Apparently I've taught my daughters to be the same way.

The only problem is that it is really difficult to find a book that  has a grabbing story line, is written really well, and is a clean book with no swearing or inappropriate scenes for my teenage and pre-teen daughters to be reading.

That is strangely difficult to find, and it's a real shame.

So I've decided that when we find a book that meets our high expectations, because if I'm going to be spending so much of my precious, limited free time on it, it's going to have to be worth it, I'm going to share it with you.

And I hope that you'll do the same for me.

We've recently just finished a book called Dark Hope: Book One of the Archangel Series, by Monica McGurk.

This book obviously falls into the scope of the fantasy genre, which happens to be our favorite type of genre.

It doesn't swear.

It doesn't have scenes that make me cringe when I think of my daughters reading it.

Though it does touch on some sensitive subjects, such as human trafficking, but  I feel it handles them well and appropriately, while building the climax of the story.

For a split second the heroine, Hope, and her relationship with Michael reminded me of a certain vampire series that I don't want to admit I read (*cough cough* Twilight Series *cough cough*) but it only lasted for a few seconds as it built into a solid lead into the relationship of Hope and Michael.  I didn't want to read about a helpless, incompetent female character that needs to be saved and seems to be a burden on every other character of the book.

I'm happy to say that this book, is not that book.

I'm happy to say that Hope is a solid heroine.

Monica McGurk loves nothing better than to craft thought-provoking stories where strong women overcome big challenges.

This book is 400 pages and I read it in 3 days, around school and work and church obligations and kids' birthdays.

Hook, line, and sinker, I got sucked in. And I relished every minute of it.

But then again, I am a sucker for young adult fantasy.

Dark Hope is the first book of a trilogy, so I'm looking forward to the rest of  the series to come out.

Curse you cliff hangers.

Curse you.

Good news, guys, I get to give a copy of Dark Hope away!  Just enter below on the rafflecopter.  It opens now and runs until 11:59 pm on Monday September 8th.  Winner will be notified by email so please make sure that the email you use for the rafflecopter is a current one that you check.  For US residents only.

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I like that the whole "archangel" scene is a different pace from that YA books that have been floating around recently.  I'm excited to share it with you.

You can find Monica McGurk on:
Twitter here
Facebook here
Pinterest here

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Give Away: Slide the City

Let's be honest with one another here.

Slip-n-slides are the stuff that summer is made of.

Well, that and popsicles.

And while we're being honest here, let's just go ahead and admit that we never really grow out of our toys.  

They just get bigger.

I don't know about you, but these pictures say it all for me.

This is happening in Salt Lake City.

I. Am. So. There.

*insert happy dance here*

A 1000 ft slip-n-slide stretched down Main Street from the Capitol to Temple Square.

This will be a family friendly event with music, food, and drinks.  Main Street will be closed to traffic, obviously.  But the shops on the street will still be open.  The event itself is free, but there is a ticket price to slide down the slip-n-slide.  Inner tubes will be provided, and the slide will be padded.  Squirt guns and water balloons are encouraged.  If you don't want to ride the slide you can still come, grab some food, and maybe instigate a water fight.  The slide is for everyone 48 inches or taller.

More event info and ticket purchases for the slip-n-slide can be found on the Slide the City website HERE.

I have some good news for you.  I get to give away  two all day slide passes to one lucky reader.

This is the give away of the summer.

So grab a friend and enter through the rafflecopter below.  As always, it's easy to enter.  Just follow and share.  The give away opens now and will stay open until midnight July 10th.  Daily entries are available so come back and enter as many times as you want.  The winner will be notified by email on July 11th so make sure the email you use for the rafflecopter is a current one.  (Yes, I've run into this problem before... ahem, Gail)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let's meet up.

I'll race you to the bottom!

Giveaway: Mutineers CD by David Gray

Have you listened to David Gray yet?

You can read my post on him HERE and check out this song from his upcoming CD, which will be released on June 17th:



How would you like a new CD, just in time to roll the windows down in your car and crank the radio up?  I've been given the opportunity to give his new CD, Mutineers, away to one of my readers.

You can win it before anyone can buy it.

It's easy, just fill out the rafflecopter below.

This giveaway will open today and run for one week, closing at midnight on June 4.  Winner will be contacted by email so make sure the email you use for the rafflecopter is a current one.

Also, take note that you can tweet for entries every day while the giveaway is open.

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You can pre-order Mutineers on iTunes HERE or Amazon HERE.

David Gray's Official website HERE
 Instagram HERE
Facebook HERE
Twitter HERE
YouTube HERE

This is the part where I say I did received a free download of the album to review from One2One Network, but I was more than happy to listen to it and my opinion is completely my own.  It's good stuff.  Check it out.

These Are The Best Days Of Our Lives: Meet Beyond 5

Beyond 5 (here) is a new band that is gaining momentum, and fast.

Photo cred: Mormon Newsroom here and Beyond5official here.

"Competing against 500+ talented young men who submitted to the auditions from over 40 states and several countries around the globe, these 5 prodigies were carefully selected and constructed like a compound formula- each of their voices, personalities, and dancing abilities meshing together like a strategically-woven fabric.
The songs they sing have obvious potential to be chart-topping hits with their infectious melodies, tight harmonies, driving beats and cutting edge production." (Jellyfish PR Blog here)

The boys, Ammon, Patch, Tanner, TJ, and Zac, came together from various backgrounds after going through the audition process under the direction of music producer Tyler Castleton (here), who's no lightweight when it comes to the music industry, having co-written songs with Martina McBride, Gladys Knight, and Marie Osmond, as well as Producer Russ Dixon who is also an accomplished song-writer.  (Info pulled from Jellyfish PR Blog here).

I think it's safe to say this group is in good hands.

Before I continue, check this out, and I don't mean skip over it, I mean hit that play arrow, no cheating.

In all honesty, I could stop there.

'Nuff said.

'Nuff sung?

But then again, even with the "infectious melodies, tight harmonies, and driving beats," which is certainly enough, it's so much more than that.  Did you hear the layers of harmony?  I get lost listening to the multiple layers of voices they weave together in every song.  It's even better in person.

Would you believe that on top of that harmony and passion, is energy and enthusiasm that just explodes?

The conversation is easy, the banter frequent, and the laughter non-stop.

Until you ask them what the journey has been like so far.  Then it gets quiet and in all earnestness they express that it's been "kind of crazy", "amazingly fun", and "incredibly amazing".  They express that none of them knew how much hard work would go into something like this.  It's a pay off in both ways, they told me; it's the best time but they're working harder than they ever have before.

I say "they" told me because the comments came from one and then another, building on each other to create one solid answer.

The unity between them is a sight to behold.

"We're closer than a married couple," Ammon joked.

I paused, thinking I ought to defend my closeness with my husband, as any good wife should, but, as they tend to do, the others jumped in and built on it.  That's what you get when you live together, work together, go to the gym together, travel together, drive everywhere together (which is the only way TJ's going to get anywhere, having just turned 16 and his driver's license still in the works.  "That's what I have them for," he laughs.)... and the list went on.

One has to wonder how life is handled when you have a group of five teenage boys living together under one roof, but as you listen to them talk (and laugh) about life it's easy to see that these guys are driven.  They're building their dream, which in and of itself is a full time job, and then some.  Most days they're putting in 12 to 15 hours of solid work, and on top of that Ammon and TJ are still in school.

Photo creds: @Beyond5Official Twitter 

Days off?  On Saturday.  But after "this," and "this."  Then there's "this" in the morning.

It's paying off though.  Just ask the fangirls. Five of them live in my house and are more than willing to have an excuse to tell you as much.

And they're not the only ones noticing.

In March, the group was invited to sing the National Anthem in the Senate Chambers during the legislative session on Utah's Capitol Hill.

Beyond 5 with Governor Herbert and Lt. Governor  Cox. phot creds: Beyond 5 Official Team

It's not all work and no play. The pranks inside the Beyond 5 house are abundant.

The favorite prank of the house?

Scaring each other.  On video.

If you ask TJ about this he'll tell you that there are four pranksters, and he'll point to the others.  And one, he points at himself with a grin, who's afraid to prank because the other four could beat him up.  That's his claim and he's sticking to it.  Apparently the squirrels are in on it as well.  The B5 yard at their current home in Nashville is full of squirrels.  Unsuspecting TJ took the garbage out one night and, as he lifted the lid, a squirrel sprang out at him.

The guy just can't catch a break as far as that's concerned.

I can't fail to mention that they opted for a ping pong table over a dining table.  Fans learned at a VIP concert (my account of it here) in March that Tanner is the resident ping pong champion, and as such has high expectations when it comes to the treatment of the table.  "I used to like ping pong," Ammon joked with a grin and a side glance at Tanner during the concert. It can't be set aside, even by Tanner, that this table must also double as their place to eat.

"We're not allowed to put anything hot on the table."

"It will bubble," Tanner defends.

"We can't spill on it."
"If we do we have to clean it right up."

"It gets sticky," Tanner persists.

"We can't put anything on it unless it's on top of a napkin."

Tanner's holding his ground on this one.

Work and play, the goals of these boys are simple and straight forward.  They didn't even hesitate when I asked, listing off easily:

Write songs.
Create amazing, positive music.
Do their best not to sacrifice their spirituality or their standards.
Continue being as healthy as they can with their eating and exercise.
Keep relationships with their families strong.  The boys call or email home daily.
Hold weekly meetings to make sure they're on the same page not only with finances, but their social media as well.
Hold regular "Honest Planet" sessions as a group where they can discuss whatever they need to freely, with open minds, and without judgments from each other.

"It's more about putting good music out there than what we can get for ourselves," TJ said, as the others nodded in agreement, "It's all of us, not just the five of us but the whole team working and building together to put good music out."

Their desire to leave their mark on the world and make it a brighter place is apparent.

"It doesn't matter what the number of CD's sold is, or the number of performances done," Ammon replied, adding to TJ's statement, "It's what we learned through all of this that's going to be important."

Zac adds, "We'll be useless to society if all we can do is perform when we're done with all of this.  We need to be able to do more than that."

All you have to do is look at the wake they leave behind them  to know they're sincere in this.  They began their careers with a service tour in Asia where they delivered thousands of books to youth groups and performed concerts in eight countries, all free of charge. They put actions behind those words.

On May 2nd Beyond 5 will be performing a concert in Odgen, Utah.

I want all of you to take the opportunity to see these guys in action, so Beyond 5 is letting me do a give away for a 4 pack of concert tickets, as well as the Beyond 5 CD.

Three winners will be chosen.

What do you have to do?

Follow.  And share.  It couldn't be easier.

The give away is open until Wednesday, April 30th at midnight.  

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Winners will be notified by email.  

Introducing our featured client: BEYOND5. (2014, January 2). JellyfishPR Blog. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://blog.jellyfishpr.com/post/72025648805/beyond5

Give Away: Beyond 5 Concert Tickets and CD

I'm in the process of writing a post that will introduce you to the guys of  Beyond 5.

If you follow my social media (especially instagram) you know I post about them a lot, and I want you to get a better feel for why I love and support them so much.

Beyond 5 has allowed me to do a give away for my readers, but as the post is still in a process stage, and as the concert is coming up on Friday, I'm going to do this post right now to get the give away rolling.

I do want to show you this though, click play on this video and get a taste of what I've been talking about.  Don't cheat!  Really take a listen.



Did you hear it?

Katy Perry's version is ruined for me now.  It sounds so bland after listening to Beyond 5's version.

Not only do they have tight harmony, but they have layers and layers of harmony.

I can get lost in focusing on all the layers their songs have, and the fact that they're a boy band means that's not done with fancy gadgets.  They do it vocally themselves, together, so you get those layers at the concerts too.

It's even better live.

But you don't have to take my word for it.

I have the opportunity for you guys to win a 4 pack of concert tickets (general admission) to their concert coming up this Friday, May 2nd in Ogden, Utah, as well as a Beyond 5's self titled CD.

I'm going to give you as many chances to enter as I can because I want it to be easy for you.

This give away is going live now and will end Wednesday. April 30th at midnight.  That gives you two and half days to enter.  Some entries can only be done once, but there are some that can be done every day, so keep coming back and entering.  Winners will be notified by email Thrusday, May 1st.

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As if this give away weren't good enough all on its own, I get to pick not just one winner, but three.

Three winners!

What are you waiting for?  Go enter!

Beyond 5. Giving Away Concert Tickets and CD's

Have you heard of Beyond 5 yet?  If you haven't, you need to. I can get behind this group for my girls to listen to.

They're better than One Direction.

Oh yeah, I went there.

Because these guys actually do harmony.  What??  I know, right?



So check this out, I have two giveaways to do for this group.

First, I get to giveaway four tickets to their concert in Logan THIS Saturday (Dec 21). (Tickets on sale here).
So if you're in Utah and you can make it to Logan on Saturday, enter RIGHT NOW.  This giveaway will end tonight at midnight mst.  I'll email the winner and you can pick up your tickets at will call at the concert.

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Secondly, I get to give away four cd's. Which means there will be four winners on this giveaway.  This will be open for the weekend, ending at midnight on the night of Sunday, Dec 22nd.  Winners will be emailed on Monday morning and the cd will be mailed to you.

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Let's say this is my Christmas present to you.

This is also the part where I have to say I did receive a free Beyond 5 cd for hosting these giveaways, but believe me when I say the opinions and words are all my own and it was absolutely my pleasure to do so.

Giveaway: Necklaces from The LDS Store.

'Tis the season for shopping.

And just because I say that doesn't mean the season is commercialized for me.  On the contrary, I enjoy the gift giving process.  There's an underlying feeling of love and bonding as I sit with my family in our home and simply give to one another.

I love that my kids have already asked that they draw names for each other because they want to be thinking and paying attention to what they can buy for the sibling who's name they've drawn.  I love that that's where their focus is.

Where all of our focus should be.  

Giving.  

Sometimes you just want that one thing that will make the person in your life smile and know that you appreciate them.

I get to do a give away this week that could possibly help you out with that.

Have you heard of The LDS Store?

Frankly, all the items on their website are absolutely amazing, and I wish I would have known about them sooner.  Plus the prices?  You can't beat them.

For example, how awesome is this bracelet?  And it fits this years Mutual theme. And only $3.50.

{online here}

There's a whole series of necklaces called "Lifebeats" that I fell in love with (only $7.00!):

{online here}

{online here}

 They have sections for primary, baptism, Young Women's, Relief Society, and missions.  There are items for your home, and a selection of ties for your menfolk.  I'm going to be doing some Christmas shopping of my own from their store.

And in the mean time, I'm going to give away two necklaces to two lucky readers.  (See?  Aren't you glad you keep hanging around this blog?)

There will be two separate giveaways, one for each necklace so feel free to enter both of them.  The giveaways are open now until December 1st at midnight.  I'll contact the winners (and announce them here on the rafflecopters) on the morning of December 2nd.  I'll get the winners info and pass it on to The LDS store, where they'll mail you the necklace that you have won.

Let's show them some love and appreciation.

Giveaway #1, the Tree of Life Necklace.

{online here}

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Giveaway #2, The CTR Scroll Necklace.

{online here}

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Welcome to one of my new favorite places to shop.  Check them out, they have so many cute things.

A Give Away From Shady Tree Boutique

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Today I have a pretty cool give away for you from Shady Tree Boutique.

I, for one, happen to love clothes.

And shoes.

And necklaces.

*ahem*

Apparently, so do my girls.  Especially Casidee who seems to be raiding my closet daily now that she's wearing the same size that I am in most things.

Except shoes.  She outgrew me there.

I can't even express how excited I am about this give away.

Check these out:

Shady Tree is offering a give away to The Circus readers of one of their cowl neck tunics and one of the triple wrap leather bracelets.

You get to pick what colors you want.

Look at that tunic!  Casual or dressy, layered or on its own.

And that bracelet.

I die.

I guess I might have to share with Casidee.  I don't see how I'm going to get away with not.

So here it is: to win one tunic (size S, M, or L) in your choice of gray or white, and one bracelet in your choice of black and white, enter below on the rafflecopter.

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This give away will run for a week when I'll contact the winner and get the choice selections and mailing info.

Orders made on Shady Tree's facebook page right now are free shipping, for those of you who are interested.

Weekend Plans. Link to a Give Away.

Sometimes when you don't have to get up early and go to your math class on a Friday, it calls for a celebration and you stop and pick up a caramel white hot chocolate from the local Beans & Brews.

And frankly, you deserve when that happens because Tuesday night you crammed for your math test that would be on Wednesday morning, and stressed about it so much that you had a reacurring nightmare that your alarm wasn't going to go off and wake you up unless you could figure out the cube root of the time you wanted to wake up.

And of course you couldn't figure it out so you were worried sick that your alarm wasn't going to wake you up.

So you slept restlessly and woke up several times to check the time and your alarm because you felt your alarm hadn't gone off and you had possibly overslept and missed your test.

I think math is getting to me.

Weekend plans?

Boot shopping with The Circus.
Math homework.  Ahem.
Pizza Buffet with Grandma Julie and Grandpa Brent.
Reading my new book.

Oh, and I might make The Man happy and paint over the nail holes in the crown molding we put up last Christmas.  He's only been asking me to finish that up since... well, last Christmas.

Also, get in on a give away HERE.  Cute stuff.  And right now you get to vote on what they give away.

Which would you want to win?

Happy weekend ya'll.  It's a three day one for me, holla.  Even though I still have to get up Monday and go to... math class.

Give Away: Pumpkin Masters Carving Package

It struck us over the weekend...

boredom.

But it just so happened that we had some pumpkins from our garden, and a box of fun kits from Pumpkin Masters so we decided to try our hand at some of the designs.

Let it be known that I love carving pumpkins (considering my track record of loving all things October and Halloween, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone).

One Halloween when we lived up on the farm in Washington, we found a field that was full of pumpkins.  Pumpkins for as far as the eye could see, a sea of orange.

They had already sold their fill to the stores and what was then lying in the field was free grabs.

If you can carry it you can have it.

So I took my baby girls and some friends and we loaded up the back of my Suburban with pumpkins.

And I proceeded to stay up late into the night (watching Disney's Ichobod Crane, no less) and I carved pumpkin after pumpkin as decorations for our church's trunk or treat.

I used Pumpkin Master's patterns and knives then too, and that was... 9 years ago?

This year I got a package chalk full of all sorts of cool things from Pumpkin Masters, there was the usual carving patterns, but then we got to try new stuff like shaving the pumpkins, and hole punches, and a kit for little kids, as well as some blinking lights to put inside the jack-o-lanterns when they're finished.

(Guess what, I get to give a package like this away!  Enter below).

One word of caution... if you have a thicker pumpkin, you might want to help your child cut the lid with a bigger knife and thin out the meat a little. Our poor little Pumpkin Masters knife just wasn't quite up to the task of our big pumpkin and it's thick meat, though it was perfect for our other regular sized pumpkins.

 

I like using the Pumpkin Masters kits because I can let The Circus loose with their imaginations on the pumpkins and I don't have to worry about them using big knives.  The Pumpkin Masters knives are perfect for carving safely, and I find that even I, as an adult, prefer to use them over my big kitchen knives.

 We have the pumpkins from our garden sitting on our porch now, and we've been making big designing plans on how to use our new tools and patterns for our "real" Halloween Jack-o-lanterns closer to Halloween.

Thanks to Pumpkin Masters, one of you can play with pumpkin carving tools and patterns too!

I get to give away the same kit that we got:

(here's a reminder picture for you)

 Entering is easy, just use this handy dandy rafflecopter to enter.
This give away will only be open for two days, it will close tomorrow, Wednesday October 16th at midnight, mountain time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I want to give Pumpkin Masters time to mail you your box in time for carving pumpkins for Halloween.

Winner will be emailed on Thursday morning where I will ask for your info and then send it on to the good people of Pumpkin Masters who will then mail your goodies to you.

But remember, you can always buy these fun kits at your local grocery, drug, or craft store.

And! Pumpkin Masters is having a pumpkin carving contest. To enter just share a picture of you carved creation by one of these ways between now and October 31:
post it in instagram or twitter with #PumpkinMasters2013
submit your picture via the Facebook app
email your picture to: social@pumpkinmasters.com

They have six prizes to give away, including $5,000 for the Best Pumpkin.
Specific rules for their contest HERE.

{picsource: pinterest}

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.