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A Sacred Christmas Music CD Giveaway

Happy Holidays! Enjoy A Sacred Christmas with original music from Garth Smith.

Christmas music is quite easily my favorite to listen to. I’m not one to listen to it all year round, but I never mind hearing it – no matter the season. So, yes, in our house, as soon as Halloween is over, I start playing the Christmas tunes.

This year I was especially excited to check out a new to me artist – Garth Smith. Garth is a Utah native and current California resident. You can read more about him on his website – www.garthsmithmusic.com. Every arrangement is his testimony of Christ. I truly feel that as I listen to each arrangement on his newest CD, A Sacred Christmas.

Since a young age, I’ve found a love for and my own testimony of Christ within the hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. One of my favorite scriptures is in the Doctrine & Covenants where the Lord tells Emma “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”

When listening to A Sacred Christmas, I hope you will be able to feel the Spirit of Christ in your homes and hearts. Check out the playlist for some of the beautiful songs you’ll hear on this album.

A Sacred Christmas playlist

For Unto Us A Child Is Born
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Still, Still, Still
I Wonder As I Wander
Gesu Bambino
Sankta Lucia – Swedish Carol
Away In A Manger
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Heaven’s Hallelujah
O Holy Night

How To Listen

Purchase A Sacred Christmas CD’ in Deseret Book, at Your LDS Music Store, and at Garth Smith Music.
Sheet Music is available for purchase on Garth Smith Music.
Digital Downloads are available on all major downloading services.
Tune in to the Garth Smith Holiday channel on Pandora.
Tune in to Garth Smith Piano on Facebook Sunday nights for a live devotional with Garth Smith. Every Sunday at 9:30 pm MST.

A Sacred Christmas Fireside

If you can, check out one of Garth Smith’s firesides during the month of December and as part of the #LightTheWorld campaign. You can find him at the following dates and places (7 PM start time):

Dec. 9th – Sandy Utah Crescent North Stake
Dec 16th – St. George Tabernacle
Dec 23rd – Los Angeles Temple Visitors Center
Dec 29th – Oakland Temple Visitors Center

A Sacred Christmas Giveaway

Open to US readers 18+. Giveaway ends 11/11/2018. Enter on form below.

November 1, 2018
My First Book of Hockey: A Rookie Book by Sports Illustrated for Kids

I received My First Book of Hockey for review. All opinions are 100% my honest thoughts.

This year we have loved getting into the Sports Illustrated for Kids series. We’re back with the latest seasonal book, My First Book of Hockey! Kids and adults who love this contact sport will enjoy perusing the book before heading out to a game.

I can’t honestly say where my love for the game of hockey came from. Growing up we spent most of our time playing baseball as a family, and attending baseball games. Whether they were for my brothers, or my own softball games, along with the occasional professional game. I remember those moments clearly.

Hockey, however, holds no memories that I can recall. Perhaps it was because my first middle school crush was on a guy who played the sport. Though, I never watched him play. Never attended any games. The closest I probably ever got to seeing hockey played was on the television, and maybe a few sticks being thrown around the frozen ponds we would skate on over the winter months.

I did, and still today, know more about the game of Hockey then I do Football. I also watch football more than hockey, but can not for the life of me understand anything other than the score. Give me hockey any day, and suddenly my heart is racing and I’m cheering for the teams. I’m in the game when it comes to hockey. So despite my lack of memories on how I came to love hockey, I’m thrilled to share the sport with my kids through another, easy to follow, book.

My youngest two, Rosalina and Lincoln especially got into the book with me. They thought the Goalie’s mask was the coolest, and were just as excited about the teams making a score as if we were actually at a game. Perhaps this year, to add to our gifts of experience, we’ll find a local hockey game to check out.

Do you love Hockey? One lucky reader will win a copy of My First Book of Hockey: A Rookie Book by Sports Illustrated for Kids plus 2 Hockey Reading Buttons! Open to US 18+ Ends 1206/2016

ENTER FROM MOBILE HERE

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November 28, 2016
The Sick Kids Basket to Keep Them on the Couch
When the kids are sick and have to stay home from school, having a sick kids basket will keep them from feeling bored. Thanks to Pfizer for sponsoring this post. The Pfizer Pediatric Platform products, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click through and make a purchase.

I am not a doctor! For medical advice consult with your local doctor.

There’s little I dread more, then a kid waking up on a school day sick. Then they have to stay home. Your day is thrown off, and if you were planning any errands – restocking the empty fridge or returning overdue library books – they get thrown out the window.

Even if it’s not a school day, getting kids to rest when they are sick is a challenge. After Venice had a bout of the sickies last week, I decided it was high time we had an activity basket that only came out on sick days. Sick Just Got Real™!

I sat down with my sister in law to make this list, and while shopping at Target picked up a couple more items that stood out to me. These are all things that I would find useful no matter the sickness. From colds, flu, and strep, to broken bones and post-surgery recovery.

In My Sick Kids Basket:
- audiobooks/books
- coloring
- ball
- playing cards
- notecards
- pencils
- LEGO set
- BrainQuest
- WaterBottle
- Sanitizing Wipes
- Battery operated LED Light stick
- Applesauce squeezers
- Individual Gatorade Packs
My sick kids basket may not look like yours, but these are things I know my kids would enjoy. I tried to focus on items that could be wiped down before putting away to avoid spreading germs. – Books, playing cards, balls, LEGO pieces, LED Light and the water bottle are all washable with the sanitizing wipes stored in the basket.

Keeping the kids’ minds sharp while missing school is also important. I’m not talking stress them out because they do need to be resting, but games like BrainQuest will keep them learning in a fun way.

I also added note cards and pencils to the basket. What better way to teach them the value of handwritten notes, then when they’re stuck relying on others to care for them?

Applesauce and Gatorade should be staples in every home. If your family is like mine though, if those are sitting in the cupboard, they won’t last until someone is sick. By storing them in the sick kids’ basket I know I’ll have some when they are really needed.

As much as I love my sick kids’ basket, and it helps keep them confined to one area without getting too bored, it’s not going to help get them well. Taking another page out of my sister in laws book –and it helps her hubby is a PA – I decided I needed to start separating our medicines by illness.

I’m so tired of pulling out our Medicine Box to try and find a fever reducer, or cough suppressant. By the time I find it, or realize we’re out, the medicine box is a mess, and the kids are just dying!

Thanks to Pfizer Pediatric Products, I now have a well-stocked Cough and Cold Medicine Basket! In this smaller basket, I have all our get better needs – Children’s Advil®, Children’s Robitussin®, and Children’s Dimetapp®.

If you ask my husband, I hate taking medicine (truth), but when it comes to getting the kids better, I know and trust the Pfizer Pediatric family. With the Chldren’s Dimetapp® being alcohol free, I feel safe giving it to them.

I then added in my extras like Chapstick, Tissues, and Honey. Honey is another one of those food staples everyone usually has, but when I really need it, it’s all out. Keeping one bottle in the Cough and Cold Medicine Box will make sure I always have it handy.

Help Kids Avoid the Sickies
- Wash Hands frequently. Help teach them how important this is, and practice with them.
- Eat Healthy and Exercise. I think kids naturally rebound from, and have a hard time resting during the sickies, because they are generally fairly active. This goes for adults too. The better you take care of your body, the better chance you have of avoiding illness or rebounding faster from it
- Take Vitamin C. Don’t like taking pills, there are a lot of natural ways to boost your Vitamin C intake. I personally love this Vitamin C Boost drink.
- Probiotics! Another staple, but something you can’t really keep in the medicine box, is yogurt! Full of probiotics, they help fight those bad bugs.
The next step is keeping these baskets out of the kids reach. We have an awesome shelf in the laundry room that is even too high for me without pulling in a kitchen chair to grab. This is a safer location than under our master bathroom sink where we’ve previously stored them.

What would be in Your Kids Sick Basket?

~~GIVEAWAY~~

~~Pfizer Pediatric Products would like to send 1 Home Maid Simple reader a bundle to help keep their family healthy through coughs and colds!~~

~~Open to US 18+. Ends 4/12/16~~

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Looking for more ideas to store medicine? Check out my First Aid Kit.
April 5, 2016
The Ultimate Sandwich + Brownberry® Giveaway
Brownberry® provided me with coupons and a gift card to share my thoughts on the Brownberry® products with you! All opinions are my honest thoughts.

Mark loves it when I ask him if I can make a sandwich, and what he would like in it. Knowing full well he doesn’t usually care for whole wheat bread, I often offer to make his sandwich just to sneak a better bread into his meal. Shh, don’t tell my secret!

Last week was Mark’s birthday so I, of course, offered to make his ultimate sandwich. The fillings change depending on his mood, so I had to get a list of what his preferred sandwich would be. He only had a few specific request. There must be avocado, lots of meat, and some muenster cheese.

The perfect sandwich starts with the perfect bread. Back when I shared my favorite sandwiches, I discovered Oroweat bread. Moving to Indiana I thought I wouldn’t be able to get Oroweat bread anymore, but it just goes by a different name here in the midwest – Brownberry®. The company recently reformulated the recipe for their Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat Bread to contain 23 grams of whole grains, 100 calories, and 3 grams of fiber per slice!

To make Mark’s ultimate sandwich, and keep it on the healthier side, this is what I did.
Ultimate Sandwich

2016-03-08 07:23:47

Make the ultimate sandwich with Brownberry® Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat Bread

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Ingredients

2 slices Brownberry® Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread

1-2 tsp mayonnaise

2 slices Chicken

2 slices smoked Ham

2 slices Muenster Cheese

2 slices Cheddar Cheese

Red Leaf Lettuce

1 Roma Tomato sliced thickly

1/2 Avocado

Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Spread mayonnaise on 1 side of each slice of bread.

Layer chicken and ham on 1 slice of bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add cheeses, lettuce, and tomato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.

Top with Avocado and last slice of bread.

By Home Maid Simple

Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
According to Mark, this was the best sandwich he’s ever had. I give credit to Brownberry® for making a whole wheat bread that Mark will eat and truly enjoy.

GIVEAWAY

1 reader will win (3) coupons for $5 Off Brownberry® Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat bread. Open to US residents 18+.

Ends 3/16/16

Oroweat® if you’re in the west, Arnold® in the east

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March 8, 2016
Beauty Blogger I am Not + a Giveaway

A photo posted by Adelina Priddis (@adelinapriddis) on Dec 29, 2015 at 10:57am PST

It may be clear at this point that I am no beauty blogger. I love to look for beauty in the world around me, and I appreciate my body and its health. When it comes to things like makeup and fancy hair, though, this is not where you will find helpful info.

Not for lack of trying, of course. I’ve attempted a mud mask, and reading a book on beauty. Unless they have a giveaway attached, though, I usually skip the beauty stuff. So with that in mind, I bring you another Beauty Giveaway!

Periodically I end up with some makeup or other supplies as part of campaigns through groups like Influenster. Sometimes I will give the items a try, to see if maybe I’m missing out on something. Rarely do I keep any of it though. Currently I’ve got a great giveaway I believe you’ll all love, because while I’m not a beauty blogger, I know the majority of women my age wear some sort of makeup and will get more use out of this than I could.
Plus I’d probably put it on wrong and look really really funny.

When you join Influenster, you have the opportunity to let your voice be heard. No blog is needed, just a desire to share your opinion on products on social media. Have a facebook, twitter, instagram, and want to share about new products? Join today!

Beauty Giveaway!

Who wants to win this KISS True Volume eyelash and Strip Lash Adhesive? Enter on the Rafflecopter.

Giveaway open to US 18+

Ends 3/4/2016

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February 25, 2016
Asleep on the Hay: A Dust Bowl Christmas Blog Tour + $25 Gift Card Giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

Asleep on the Hay: A Dust Bowl Christmas by Ben Sowards

It’s Christmas Eve when a knock comes at the door of Paul’s family farmhouse. A small family is stranded due to a broken-down truck and seeks shelter for the evening. Paul’s grandfather not only welcomes them in, but offers them dinner and a bed for the night. Even though it is a season of giving, Paul’s heart is not filled with charity. It’s the height of the Dust Bowl and food is scarce. Why should he share what little he has with strangers? Worse, in order to help the sick baby, Paul will have to sell his beloved calf to buy a part to fix the truck.

Angry, he retreats to the barn, where he sleeps and dreams of faraway Bethlehem. In his dream, he visits Mary and Joseph, and their newborn son, Jesus. The family offers Paul food and shelter and warmth—extending to him the love and charity he lacks and teaching him of the true meaning of Christmas.

My Review:

Every year for Christmas we get a new book. It’s one of those traditions we’ve been able to hold on to throughout all our moves. This year I was excited to receive Asleep On the Hay as our new Christmas book. Books that incorporate a little bit of history while still holding the kids attention will always be a winner in my eyes. Before even starting the story, I explained to the kids what the Dust Bowl was. We then got into the story. With tender hearts my children gasped, cried, and cuddled in closer as they followed Paul through the tough choice of giving up his best friend in order to help someone else. My favorite part of the book was the last page. I won’t spoil it for you, but I just loved how it ended.

Author & Illustrator Ben Sowards

Ben Sowards is the illustrator of many well-loved picture books, including A Christmas Dress for Ellen, Seven Miracles that Saved America, and Christmas Oranges.

Ben Sowards teaches others to paint both traditionally and digitally at Southern Utah University, where has directed the illustration program since 2001.

Website

$25 Blog Tour Giveaway Giveaway

Enter to win an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/30/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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December 16, 2015
How to throw a Bruschetta Bar + a Bertolli Riserva Giveaway
I received product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

For a good while this year I was stuck on dinner ideas. I was sick of pasta, but it was also the only meal the kids all agreed on. While browsing Bertolli’s website for some pasta inspiration, I hit on the idea of Bruschetta. I love bruschetta, but never thought of it too much as a meal. For most people it actually probably wouldn’t be a meal, but for my kids, a Bruschetta Bar was the exact meal to break up the mundane.

I’m always game for an easy dinner that doesn’t sacrifice flavor, and gives the kids a taste of another country. That’s really exactly what we have here. To make your Bruschetta Bar you will need –
- 2 loaves french bread
- Bertolli Riserva sauces
- Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese
- Toppings – sliced chicken, olives, peppers, green onion
Slice your bread into 1 inch thick slices. Serve the Bertolli sauces in bowls, either with the jar behind it, or labels letting dinner guests know which sauce is which. Next to the sauce lay out your toppings and cheeses. Feeling the Italian come out, I served up red grapes on the side. I don’t know any kid that doesn’t like grapes!

With a Bruschetta Bar everyone gets what they want, and can have fun trying the new Riserva sauces from Bertolli. Celebrating 150 years of rich Italian heritage, Bertolli created these new sauces. I’m a big fan of the Asiago Cheese and Artichoke sauce. The kids also enjoyed it, because it didn’t picture any onions or mushrooms – silly kids.

Who wants to win a pack with all 4 new Bertolli Riserva Sauces? Enter below!

GIVEAWAY

Open to US residents 18+ Ends 11/19

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November 12, 2015
Make Lunch fun with FunBites + a Giveaway

Welcome to our FunBites Giveaway!

FunBites makes mealtime fun for kids, especially when they’re trying new foods and are picky eaters! We’ve used our FunBites to cut a variety of sandwiches and bread, cheese, melons, pineapple, apples, peaches, bananas, avocado, squash, potatoes, ham, turkey, chicken patties, these 13 Hallloween recipes and more. I love that the cutter is easy to use, and safe for kids because it doesn’t have sharp parts.

It’s also dishwasher safe, although we prefer to hand wash ours with the kids sippy cups. FunBites cutters are available in a variety of colors and shapes: Squares, Trianges, Hearts, and now for a limited time Minion Goggle! The winner will receive one FunBites cutter of their style choice and color. Enter using the form below and good luck!

Entry -Form

Disclosure: Practical Parenting Ideas and participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Giveaway is not affiliated or associated with Facebook or any other social media platform.

September 19, 2015
Zipit Bedding® is fun and easy + a Zipit Bedding® Giveaway
*The Zipit Bedding®, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ontel. All opinions are my own.

So it turns out this is National Make Your Bed Day. Officially an unofficial holiday. I could not find where the holiday started, or why, but anything to get the family making their beds more. I’ve tried so hard to teach the kids to make their beds. I know it’s such a simple thing, and so easy to skip – I do it too! – but it’s a great beginning to a good daily routine.

Despite my desire for nicely made beds that include a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and a nice quilt on top – the kids have had other ideas. One child likes to sleep in ball of blankets and sheets. One despises the flat sheet on top. One sleeps with the 2 sheets, but usually in weird ways, making it difficult to make. Finally my little Prince came along. He doesn’t fight the flat sheet, actually enjoys it, and sleeps fairly calmly at night. He enjoys his bed made, but it’s kind of hard for his little hands.

I decided we’d go ahead and give the Zipit Bedding® a try. I’d seen these before, and thought it was a pretty novel idea. My kids of course love sleeping in sleeping bags, and that’s what the Zipit reminds us all of. The difference is it’s tailored to their bed, with a fitted sheet. It’s also got pockets on the side for keeping special bed time items
- toothfairy money
- reading light
- notepad and pencil
- hotwheels cars. our current hidden treasure
Now the we’ve tried the Zipit Bedding® for about a month, I’m seriously considering getting the Princesses each their own as well. It would make bed making a lot easier in the triple bunk.

Do you enforce made beds, or let it slide?

GIVEAWAY

Open to US 18+

ends 9/18/2015

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September 11, 2015
Christmas Kisses Collection + Giveaway

Christmas Kisses is a collection from five bestselling and award-winning authors. Set in the snowy town of Echo Ridge in upstate New York, these inspirational romances are sure to delight while you sip cocoa by the fire and listen to Christmas carols.

***Pre-order now for only $.99***

Amazon * Barnes and Noble

Kobo * iTunes * Smashwords

Win amazing books by each of the authors. Enter below to win – nine different books will be given to nine lucky winners.

Christmas Makeover by Cami Checketts Amazon bestselling author

Chelsea Jamison has been infatuated with Drew Stirling longer than she’s loved playing basketball, high-top sneakers, and the Knicks. Unfortunately, all Drew sees is the kid who kicked his trash in the high school free throw contest and not the girl whose heart breaks into a fast dribble when he’s near.

Drew makes an unexpected visit home to Echo Ridge and their friendship picks up where they left off as they scheme to make a teenaged boy’s Christmas dreams come true. When Chelsea realizes she’s fallen for her best friend, she wonders if there is any hope of a relationship with Drew or if she’s stuck in buddy-status for life.
The Candy Counter Heiress by Lucy McConnell Amazon bestselling & award-winning author

Someday Reese Gates will own The Candy Counter at Kenworth’s; but someday can’t come fast enough when the manager threatens to bring in a national candy provider. Reese secretly takes matters into her own hands hoping to save her parents from additional worry and prove herself capable of running the company. Her deception deepens as she ropes computer guru Andy Edwards into helping her expand the business. Reese wanted to shake things up, but she wasn’t planning on her heart getting caught in the mix by Andy’s stolen kisses. If she can hold it together until after Christmas, then she can reveal her successful online company and her feelings for Andy. Unfortunately for Reese, even the best laid plans can melt like chocolate.
Soda Fountain Christmas by Connie E. Sokol Amazon bestselling author

Keira Kenworth has one focus this holiday season: save her father’s old-time department store from bankruptcy. She is not focused on Tayton Wells, the tall, dark, and genius marketing guru from downtown New York, hired to make it happen. He is as doubtful that her nostalgic connect-the-town ideas will succeed as she is about his numbers-first plan. However, it’s not just their different approaches that cause sparks to fly. Working together on a fast deadline to save the store before Christmas, the unspoken connection between them grows. But will the tough decisions they face drive them back to their separate worlds, or will they lead to the beginning of love?
Christmas Makeover by Heather Tullis Amazon bestselling author

Jonah Owens thought moving to Echo Ridge to open his art gallery would solve all of his problems. The need to sell his grandma’s house adds an unexpected complication. It would be easier if his neighbor didn’t have all those farm animals.

Kaya Feidler’s family has owned their land for nearly a hundred years–long before the neighbors were there. There’s no way she’s giving up the animal therapy business she’s been struggling to make profitable. She gets a temp job helping Jonah in the gallery. Spending time together is a recipe for romance, but can they overcome their own hangups to be more than friends?
Hope for Christmas by Rachelle J. Christensen Amazon bestselling & award-winning author

Anika Fletcher hates Christmas–its promises of good tidings and hope for the future are as tinseled as the ornaments on Kenworth’s Hope Tree. Despite her feelings, Anika wants to maintain her daughter’s faith in the magic of the season and gladly accepts a second job working with the handsome Carlos Rodriguez to restore Kenworth’s old fashioned soda fountain. Carlos is no stranger to hard times and slowly shares his life of light and joy with Anika as they work together. Just as her fragile soul begins to feel hope again, an ill-timed act of charity changes everything. Anika isn’t sure who she can trust or if hope is worth nurturing–especially at Christmas when it’s easy to enjoy a kiss and believe love can last longer than the season.

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September 1, 2015