In honor of Earth Day this weekend, you can make a real difference by joining the Tide COLDWATER and shespeaks Take A Load Off the energy grid and the environment by washing clothes in cold water.


Tide and Future Friendly have launched the Take A Load Off sweepstakes to encourage cold water washing. Make the promise to switch to washing in cold water on the Future Friendly Facebook page and you'll be entered to win a High Efficiency Washer and Dryer and a one-year supply of Tide Coldwater! You can enter once per day to increase your chances of winning. A new winner will be picked each week through May 13th. 


Did you know that when doing laundry, heating water can account for up to 80 percent of the energy used per wash load in the U.S.? If one household switched to washing in cold for one year, they would save enough energy to watch TV for 1,363 hours! Making the switch to washing in cold is an easy change to make with Tide Coldwater, which is specially formulated to get clothes clean in cold water.


Take A Load Off Sweepstakes info:
You can enter the sweepstakes now through May 13th by going here.  You can enter once per day to increase your chances of winning.  They will pick a new winner each week through May 13th.  The prize is a Maytag® Bravos XL® HE Top Load Washer and Dryer and a one year supply of Tide Coldwater!  I would love for one of my readers to win!!




This contest was passed along to me through shespeaks of which I am a proud member of!

The Redeemed Collection

I am so excited to share the REDEEMED collection by DaySpring with my readers!

Redeemed how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Redeemed through his infinite mercy.

His child and forever I am!

~I remember singing this hymn by Fanny Crosby growing up as a little girl in church~

The Redeemed collection celebrates the way God, in His generous grace, sews together every beautiful bit of our lives to form one masterpiece creation after another. I am so thankful for God's redemption and grace in my life. He has been so generous to me, even when I don't deserve it. That's the beauty of a relationship with God. Oftentimes I try to compare my Heavenly Father's relationship to earthly relationships. This gets me nowhere fast. I don't know of anyone on earth who is perfect, and everyone on this earth will sooner or later let me down. But God will never fail me. Over and over he gives love, mercy, grace, and redemption.

I love the little tags that come with the redeemed collection pieces. I have been using mine as bookmarks (I read a lot!) to remind myself that I AM REDEEMED!

I was also able to get one of the Truly Treasured Wallets. I cannot tell you how many compliments I have gotten on it this week. This wallet is too cute to hide in a purse. It is an adorable wallet to carry by itself.

I also love the Makeup Bag and the Antiqued Gold Finish Ring! Some of the Redeemed Collection items are 20% off this month. So if you are really wanting some cute accessories, I recommend starting here.

This month DaySpring is letting me giveaway one Redeemed Tabletop Mirror to a lucky winner. I will give the winner a code to order their mirror, however shipping charges do apply. (this cannot be combined with any other offers). To enter the contest, please leave a comment telling me whose face would be looking into the Redeemed Mirror the most! Contest ends April 27th and winner will be contacted by email.

*This review and giveaway was sponsored by DaySpring (I think they rock!)*

Quaker Oatmeal Squares

This is a cereal I have not tried in a long time! I forgot how good they taste and how good they are for you. They are:

*heart healthy*

*deliver 46 grams of whole grains,*

*5 grams of fiber,*

*and 6 grams of protein per serving*
*AND they taste good!*

If you go to facebook, you can receive a free sample of the new Honey Nut flavor. I received mine the other day and there is a $1.00 off coupon on the back of the box. My local grocery store has it on sale for $2.50, so with the coupon, I will get a box for $1.50! I'm so excited to share this new cereal with my family!

almost amish

Living in the midwest (central Indiana), I have always been intrigued by the amish community. There are several small towns in our state that are known for their amish roots. I always knew they were excellent bakers, quilters, and craftsman, but other than that my knowledge of their practices was very limited. After reading this book, it is amazing what could be applied to my everyday crazy busy life! You can learn a lot from the amish!

The author isn't comparing her family's lifestyle to the amish, instead she investigates the principles they believe in and how they can apply to her (and my) life. She looks at the following 10 different areas in her book:

*HOME
*TECHNOLOGY

*FINANCES

*NATURE

*SIMPLICITY

*SERVICE

*SECURITY

*COMMUNITY

*FAMILIES

*FAITH

I love how she says "The busyness of our modern life has a way of thwarting even the best of intentions". I have often said I have very good intentions, but very poor follow-through. This book has reminded that simple is often better.

~Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16~

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine.