Redeemed {Review and Giveaway} ((closed))

Congratulations to 
MANDY 
You have won the Redeemed Wallet! 
(winner chosen by RaffleCopter with random.org)






Redeem.  To pay off, buy back, recover.  

All of those, and more, describe what Jesus did for us.  He paid the price for our sin.  He LOVED us so much that we were worth dying for.  He redeemed us from our sin.  He paid the price for our eternity.  

We are beautiful, valuable, loved, treasured.

I am so thankful to be reminded of how important I am to my Savior.  

I was contacted by Dayspring to do a review of their new Redeemed Makeup Bag and Wallet.  

They are awesome! Not only are the patterns beautiful, they are embroidered with scripture.  

The makeup bag has inscribed "truly beautiful Ecc. 3:11" and the walled has "truly treasured Rom. 8 28".  

They are both made from glossed canvas and oil cloth. 

Take a look. 

The makeup bag is roomy and can be used as a clutch also.  Or, if you are a mom, a nice little take along wipe and diaper case.  :)  

The wallet has a snap enclosure and an adorable chevron pattern across the front.  It has just enough room for some, important cards, and if you are lucky enough to have some, cash and change! :)

Don't you want one? You'd like the chance to win the Redeemed wallet? 

Well, enter here! (winner must cover shipping costs)

Betty Crocker Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to 

Amy Dearie!! 

You gift pack should arrive in 2-3 weeks :)

The 20 Hour Giveaway! A Gift Pack from Betty Crocker

Warm your family’s hearts and home with a fresh-from-the-oven treat that won’t have you spending hours in the kitchen. New Milk Chocolate Traditional Brownie mix from Betty Crocker^® can help you simplify your brownie baking regimen and get a head start on homemade.

Betty Crocker has remade their brownie mix, but don't worry, it's better than ever! 

I was sent a box of the new  mix and Madi and I enjoyed making them together.  They were delicious - so moist and chocolatey.  Would you like to try them too? 


The holidays are filled with desserts of every kind... 
add to the Christmas cheer with some brownies!

Enter this giveaway... 
all you need to do is leave a 

comment with your favorite dessert and you are entered. 
This is a quick giveaway so tell your friends to enter before its too late!

If you win, you will receive a Betty Crocker Apron, a 9x9 pan with lid, a box of Betty Crocker's new brownie mix, and a red melamine mixing spoon.  Everything you need to make these brownies but the eggs and water!


Giveaway ends at 4pm Friday afternoon!

Disclosure: The product, information and prize pack have been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.

A Reluctant Queen - Book Review and Giveaway

I was recently asked to review the book, A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf.



Here's what the publishers say about her book:

An inspiring re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.

See the story of Esther in an entirely new way-with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Xerxes was a powerful but lonely man. Esther's beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.

Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith's great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity.

And about Joan:

Joan Wolf was born in New York City but has lived most of her adult life with her husband in Connecticut, where she raised two children and countless numbers of assorted animals. Joan is the author of numerous historical novels including The Road to Avalon which Publishers Weekly lauded as “historical fiction at its finest.”
For more about Joan and her other books, please visitwww.joanwolf.com



REVIEW: I personally LOVE to read. I enjoy a good romance and especially so if it based on a Bible story I love and am familiar with. I have a fondness for Biblical accounts that are "novelized" or made into a story for pleasure reading. It has just enough biblical history and then enough added romance to keep me interested. A Reluctant Queen was a great book. It started off a little slow, I think it was awkward transitioning the biblical language into modern day English, but then picked up quickly! I thought I would be bored or uninterested because I have read the story of Esther so many times, but I wasn't. There was romance, intrigue, a hint of mystery, and all of that wrapped up into a beautiful love story. The author takes liberties with the biblical and historical facts, but it is all in the name of creating an interesting, fresh, and "readable" story. This fresh take on Esther is definitely a must read, but don't go basing your theological foundations on this story! :) I know you will enjoy watching Esther fall in love with her king and seeing how God uses difficult and sometimes unwanted circumstances to bring about His ultimate purpose.


Now for the giveaway part:

To celebrate Joan Wolf’s debut Christian Fiction title, A Reluctant Queen, Joan and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have teamed up to give away A Reluctant Queen prize package worth over $150!

One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen

* A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf (for KINDLE)

To enter, just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the contest ends on June 20th. Winner will be announced on June 21st during Joan’s A Reluctant Queen Book Club Party on Facebook (details below)! Hope to see you there – bring your friends!

Join the fun on June 21st! 

Joan will be wrapping up the blog tour and Kindle giveaway promotion during her A Reluctant Queen FACEBOOK party on her FB author page. During the party she'll announce the winner of the Kindle, host a book chat discussion, test your trivia skills (Is Esther's story in A Reluctant Queen fact or fiction?), and more. Don't miss this chance to meet the author and make some new friends!

Good Luck!!
bc

Spend it Wisely

I was over reading The Nesting Place blog, because well, ya know, I kinda won one of her giveaways!! Ahhh!! I am so excited to have won these adorable decorative blocks from Dayspring.

Anyway, I was catching up on some posts from this week and came across her post - 18 summers. She shared how many summers she had left with each of her boys and then admonished us to spend summers wisely. Before you know it our kiddos will be all grown up. I thought it was a fitting reminder. Madi is 3. That means I get 15 more summers with her. I am definitely going to be cherishing each and every one.

So as we head into this summer of 2011, treasure and hold dear each and every day with the ones you love. Time passes quickly and we don't want to waste a minute.

(in)spired deals giveaway winner!

Congratulations to.....


Lauren Hargrove!!

You have won the $20 to the Dayspring Online store. Please email me as soon as possible with your information so I can send you the code.


Remember everyone can use the code May20 at the Dayspring store to get 20% off your order through the end of May.

Thank you for entering,

bc

(in)spired deals review and giveaway!

There are a lot of things my house "says" to me when walk in the door. A lot of the things I really don't want to hear.
For instance:

"Hey, you didn't put up the laundry"
"Look, the sink is filled with dishes"
"Wow, Madi left her toys out again"

But that's ok. I have realized my house is never going to be perfectly spotless and there will always be laundry waiting for me. And I am ok with the toys everywhere because before I know it, my children will be too old for them.

So I choose to overlook the things my house says that I don't want to hear. Because when I walk into my home, I see love, fun, laughter, joy, and most of all, evidence that Jesus Christ is at the heart of our home. I love putting little touches of Jesus throughout each room, and when I saw this wall art on one of my favorite blogs a while ago, it went on my wish list immediately.

Look how beautiful this wall art from Urban Soul is -

*image courtesy of Dayspring

It looks black in the picture but when you look up close at the finish it has bronzy texture across it. The art can either stand alone or be hung on the wall. It's so awesome! I cannot wait to find the perfect place to put it and the perfect family picture to fill the frame. To see the rest of the Urban Soul collection go here. There are a few more that I want. (hint hint) :)


Because I love you and because Dayspring is awesome, they are offering you a giveaway! The winner will receive a $20 gift card code to go shopping at the Dayspring Online Store.

And even MORE! Everyone can use the code MAY20 at check out to receive 20% off your order during the month of May! :)


To enter is easy. You can do one or all of the following. Of course, the more ways you enter, the better your chance of winning!

1. Comment on this post and tell me what you would get from the Dayspring store if you were to win this giveaway.

2. Facebook about this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know you did it. Sample FB post, I entered to win a $20 giveaway from Dayspring and you should too! http://bit.ly/kkmQc6

3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know you did it. Please include @mybfjesus in your tweet. Sample: I entered to win a $20 giveaway from Dayspring and @mybfjesus. You should too! http://bit.ly/kkmQc6

4. Subscribe to my blog and then leave a post saying you did it! (or if you already do, tell me that too!)

Good Luck to you all! The giveaway ends Tuesday, May 24th at midnight, so enter quickly and tell your friends!

Much Love,
bc





PS- Shipping charges will still apply to your order. The code is one time use and will expire August 31, 2011.

PPS- The FTC wants me to tell you that Dayspring gave me this free item for me to review and also provided the giveaway for you lovely readers. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Book Review and Giveaway: Money and Marriage by Matt Bell

Money & Marriage is a complete guide for engaged, newly married couples, or couples who have been married for years.
In this thorough and practical guide, financial expert Matt Bell helps engaged and newly married couples navigate the merger of habits, flaws, and attitudes about money so two can truly become one. His writing is full of helpful advice, Scripture, and practical steps to gaining financial freedom together as a couple. Learn to use money in a way that minimizes disputes and maximizes marital happiness.

Matt began his career as a radio journalist, with his work featured on National Public Radio, the NBC Radio Network, and several other networks. His reporting earned national awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and United Press International.
Today, Matt is a full-time personal finance writer and speaker. He is the author of two books: "Money, Purpose, Joy" (September 2008) and "Money Strategies for Tough Times" (April 2009), both by NavPress. Matt has been quoted in USA TODAY, U.S. News and World Report, the Chicago Tribune, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, has written for ChristianityToday.com, and has been a guest on WGN-TV and several nationally syndicated radio talk shows.

Matt holds a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from DePaul University, where he wrote a thesis about the emergence of America's consumer culture and its influence on people's beliefs and behaviors. Matt lives with his wife and their three young children in the Chicago area. Visit his website and blog at www.mattaboutmoney.com.


Review:

I really enjoyed reading Money and Marriage. Josh and I have been married for 6 years and money is still one of our biggest struggles. Matt Bell puts forth some great suggestions for laying a successful financial foundation in your marriage basted on Biblical principles. The book is divided into three sections: decoding each other's financial DNA, a ten-step action plan for financial success, and fostering financial oneness. In the first section, Matt helps the readers figure out their financial personalities. Men and women see money differently and its important to understand your spouse. The second section gives great steps toward acheiving financial freedom like making a plan, putting some money away, and "ruthlessly avoiding debt". Then the final section discusses "financial oneness" which is mainly an issue for engaged and newly married couples - merging checking accounts, figuring out what to do with your separate credit cards, etc.

Throughout the book Matt throws out questions for you to discuss with your spouse, which I think is awesome. Sometimes just figuring out what exactly to ask can be the toughest part of dealing with finances. And once you know how your spouse feels about money issues you can move on to making your plan and getting started on the road to financial success. Matt does a great job explaining money issues and solutions and putting everything into words that are easy to understand.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs guidance with their finances. The steps are easily explained and defined and the solutions are doable if you put your mind and effort behind them.


Giveaway!


To celebrate Matt has put together a Nest Egg Giveaway with a prize package worth over $250! 

One winner will receive:

•    A Free 1 Hour Financial Session
•    A $100 Visa Cash Card
•    A signed copy of Matt’s Money, Purpose, Joy and Money Strategies for Tough Times

To enter just click one of the icons below. Then tell your friends. And hurry - the contest ends April 11th. The winner will be announced on Matt's blog on April 13th.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Money & Marriage – important principles whether you're newly engaged or just celebrated your 30th anniversary.

Thanks for reading!
Brittany


(The book was provided to me by Litfuse Publicity Group at no cost, but I was not required to give a positive review... that's all me!)

CSN Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Katychick for winning the gift certificate to CSN Stores! And big news... they upgraded it to $20! Whoo hoo!

Please check your email and look for the gift certificate.

Thanks everyone for entering!

~bc

GIVEAWAY!!! $15 to CSN Stores {{CLOSED}}

I am so pleased to finally announce the giveaway.

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from stylish swing sets to cute cookware to chic lighting pieces! Their websites are fantastic. I could spend the $15 hundreds of times. :) CSN Stores has everything you can imagine from housewares to bedding to furniture to cookware on their many websites. Just looking over their home page I found several awesome products.

Look at this adorable apron:


or this Garden Play Tent


Madi could have a lot of fun with that!!



Click on the links above to take a look around and enter to win! The giveaway is available for readers in the United States and Canada.

To enter:

*Look around one of CSN Stores 200+ websites and comment on this post telling me what you would spend your $15 on.

THEN for additional entries (you can do any or all of these):

*Follow my blog/subscribe (or let me know you already do) and leave a separate comment.

*Follow me on Twitter (or let me know you already do) and leave a separate comment with your Twitter username.

*Follow @CSNStores on Twitter and leave a separate comment here with your username.

*“Like” CSN Stores on Facebook and leave a separate comment here (not on their Facebook page) with your Facebook name.

*Tweet, Facebook Status, or blog about this giveaway. Leave a separate comment with a link. Here’s a sample you can copy & paste: I just entered to win a giveaway from @CSNStores at http://thecranorfamily.blogspot.com. You can too!



The giveaway ends January 28th at midnight. So pass it on!

Much Love,
bc

**CLOSED** Mabel's Labels! (and a Giveaway!!)

CLOSED... Winner will be announced tomorrow!! :)


I feel like I am always losing something; whether its my purse, my keys, or my mind. Not to mention there are millions of things I have to keep track of for my daughter, who is almost 3, like cinderella wands, cups, socks, or even underwear (wish they made skin-safe superglue for THAT.... lol) Anyway, I am always looking for ways to make my life more efficient and "easier." And I really WANT to spend less time looking for things and losing them when I can't remember which color sippy cup I brought to church on Sunday.

So, when I was at the MOPS convention I came across a booth for Mabel's Labels. I had heard of them before, but I still claim pregnancy brain and that memory was back in the recesses of what used to be a pretty efficient machine. (I don't think there is any help for that...) So I picked up their information and did some further research when I got home.

Once I looked at their website I was even more intrigued. These labels are washable (as in the washing machine!) and dishwasher and microwave safe! And they stick to just about everything - clothes, shoes, sippy cups, bottles, even tupperware. I knew then that I had to try them and Mabel's Labels was kind enough to send me a Back-to-School Combo Pack which included: Skinny-Minis, Tag Mates (for clothing labels), Shoe Labels, and Teeny Tags (for zipper pulls or the like).



Of course, it was difficult to tell who was more excited about these "stickers," me or Madi. I immediately applied one to a sippy cup, a pair of shoes, a shirt, and her backpack. Then, I had to put it to the test.

This is the sippy cup label:




And this is the sippy cup label after several minutes of soaking in water and vigorous scrubbing with an abrasive wash cloth (I promise this is a different picture):



You couldn't even tell a difference. How cool is that? I actually tried to get it to scrub off, and it wouldn't. Now, I don't know about you, but every time I WANT something to stay on, it doesn't. So, its nice to see a product that actually does what it promises!

Here are the other labels I put on:

the shoes




the shirt




the backpack




Needless to say, I am very impressed with Mabel's Labels and their products. In addition to these products above, they offer kids safety products (like allergy labels and my favorite the "411 Wristband"), household labels (like flour and sugar, or cord labels), and stationery products (like Mama Calling Cards).

If you would like to check out their labels for yourself, please click on the logo on the right of my page and it will take you there. :) (They offer free shipping in Canada, by the way!)

Because I love Mabel's Labels so much, and even MORE because they are awesome, Mabel's Labels is allowing me to giveaway a
set of Colourful Sticky Labels personalized with you or your kid's name like this:

(photo courtesy of www.mabel.ca)


To enter this giveaway:

1. Leave a comment and tell me what you lose most often.


For additional entries, you may do any or all of the following:


2. Follow @mabelhood and @mybfjesus on twitter and leave a comment telling me your twitter ID and that you now follow or already followed us. :)

3. Tweet and/or facebook about this giveaway and then leave a comment telling me you did.

4. Follow my blog by subscribing in the box to the right and leave a comment telling me so. (or if you already follow me)


This contest will be open until Midnight on Thursday August 26th. A winner will be chosen at random. Good luck to you all!


Giveaway open to the US and Canada only. Thank you Mabel's Labels for providing both my set of labels to review and the set to giveaway. All opinions expressed in this blog are my very own.