#ChristmasTreasure Featured Stop 12/1

Today's featured blog is Dirt Cheap Diva where Tabitha is giving away a pink Vtech V. Reader ($59.99 value)!

While you're there, check out some of the great deals she's discovered and don't miss her "New? Start here" tab. Leave a comment (or two) and remember to let her know you're riding the Christmas Treasure Train.

Look for another bonus prize soon and find the others here.

If you haven't climbed aboard, get over to the list of train stops and enter to win some wonderful prizes in time for Christmas.

#ChristmasTreasure Train Featured Stop 11/30

Today's featured blog is Eco-Crazy Mom where Terri is giving away a beautiful Bright Rainbow Star Mandala playsilk from DesertDyeWorks and a Conscious Box filled with wonderful earth friendly treats. 

While you're there, read about her obsession with green living and don't miss her eco-reviews tab . Leave a comment (or two) and remember to let her know you're riding the Christmas Treasure Train.

Look for another bonus prize soon and find the others here.

If you haven't climbed aboard, get over to the list of train stops and enter to win some wonderful prizes in time for Christmas.

#ChristmasTreasure Train Featured Stop 11/29

Today's featured blog is J4C Home where Jan and Sarah are giving away 2 wonderful praise cds in time for Christmas.

While you're there, check out some of their recipes and visit their Etsy shop. Leave a comment (or two) and remember to let her know you're riding the Christmas Treasure Train.

Look for another bonus prize soon and find the others here.

If you haven't climbed aboard, get over to the list of train stops and enter to win some wonderful prizes in time for Christmas.

#ChristmasTreasure Train Featured Stop & Bonus Prize 11/28

Today's featured blog is At The Maple Table where Terri is giving away a $25 Amazon.com giftcard!!

  

While you're there, enter her other giveaways and check out her "Quote of the Day section. Leave a comment (or two) and remember to let her know you're riding the Christmas Treasure Train.

Ready for another bonus giveaway? Find a great one from UncommonGoods here.

If you haven't climbed aboard, get over to the list of train stops and enter to win some wonderful prizes in time for Christmas.

Black Friday Madness

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Many of you are probably sleeping in this morning because you were very brave yesterday...you actually faced the phenomonon that has become known as "Black Friday". I tried it a few years back (you can find a post on this blog about it somewhere) Needless to say, I've never done it since.

I was watching the news this morning and heard about all these people who got hurt at stores fighting for the "earlybird deals."  I think one man was tackled by the police because someone yelled out that he was stealing an XBox. He was actually hiding it under his shirt to protect himself from the crowd.

Another report told of a women who was fighting for an XBox and peppered sprayed the people around her. There were riots as the stores opened, an uprising because a store actually didn't open right at midnight as promised. The people pushed their way through and overwhelmed the employees. The news channel showed footage of a mob of people fighting over a waffle maker.  I think a man actually got shot in the parking lot of the local Walmart where I'm visiting.

On and on it goes, stories of people acting crazy for a bargain...all hyped up by the media and advertising world, to make them think that they won't get a good deal if they don't show up at ungodly hours on Friday morning.

What they don't understand is...the Monday after Thanksgiving has now become known as "Cyber Monday". If you were one of the smart, I mean unfortunate ones who missed Black Friday, never fear - just go online on Monday and check out the probably even lower prices!

I marvel at the state of people's minds as they fight and claw their way through the store to get what they want. As much as I appreciate a good deal, I can't imagine trampling someone to get it. I couldn't take out some pepper spray and use it on another person unless I felt my life was being threatened...not to get an item on my child's Christmas list.

I wonder if when these same people get up on Christmas morning and they're watching their precious little ones open all these fought after presents, if they'll feel at all guilty for the arms and legs they crushed on the way in to get it???  Just wondering...

There are 29 more shopping days until Christmas - please be safe out there! Word of advice - don't do anything that you'll regret as you wake up on the 25th and hopefully realize "it's not about the gifts!"

It's about someone who came to be the ultimate gift!  His name is Jesus "Emmanuel - God with us"

James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Give Thanks No Matter What

because Thankfulness is a choice...

This is a time of year to reflect on what we're thankful for - I thank God for Thanksgiving - A holiday who's very purpose is to cause people, who may not otherwise stop and take the time, to think about and count their many blessings.

But I understand that there those who are facing such terrible trials, that it's hard to find it in themselves to be thankful for anything. I've heard people say "there's always someone who has it worse than you" and somehow that's supposed to make you feel thankful? I've never understood why misery loves company, or how knowing others are suffering more can bring us any comfort in our own mess.

Let me please share with you something I've learned over the years as we've faced our share of challenges. God wants us to be thankful, even in the midst of our trouble! I'll prove it...

Phil. 4:6 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

1 Thess. 5:18 - "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

In both of these verses, it tells us to be thankful - in vs. 16 & 17 of 1 Thessalonians it says "rejoice always, and pray without ceasing". So to paraphrase, God is saying "pray, rejoice, and be thankful no matter what!"

Remember...thankfulness is a choice.

Choose to be thankful no matter what you're facing, knowing that as you pray and give it to God, He will give you His peace in exchange for your burdens.

#ChristmasTreasure Train Featured Stop & Bonus Prize 11/23

Today's featured blog is Susan Heim on Parenting where Susan is giving away a Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure Starter Pack (for Nintendo Wii) -- a $69.99 Value!

  

While you're there, visit her authors' site and take a peek at her great work on the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. Leave a comment (or two) and remember to let her know you're riding the Christmas Treasure Train.

And, how about another bonus giveaway? Enter to win Teleflora's Harvest Stripes Bouquet.

If you haven't climbed aboard, get over to the list of train stops and enter to win some wonderful prizes in time for Christmas.

#ChristmasTreasure Featured Stop and Bonus Prize 11/22

As you travel on the Christmas Treasure Train, keep your eyes peeled for these special posts featuring a stop you don't want to miss. Who knows, you just might find a hidden code that will bring you one step closer to winning $100 in CASH. If you haven't climbed aboard, get over to the list of train stops and enter to win some wonderful prizes in time for Christmas.

Today's featured blog is Random Thoughts where Tawna is giving away a $50 Health prize that includes 3 chocolate shake samples, 1 shaker cup, 2-workout videos, 1 Beakthrough DVD, & a book!

While you're there, read about how she made 68 pounds disappear and check out her great coupons and freebies. Leave a comment (or two) and remember to let her know you're riding the Christmas Treasure Train. Tomorrow’s stop? Susan Heim on Parenting

And, how about a bonus giveaway? Enter to win a $50 Spa & Wellness Gift Card from SpaWeek.com 

Christmas Treasure Train Featured Blogger 11/21

As you travel on the Christmas Treasure Train, keep your eyes peeled for these special posts featuring a stop you don't want to miss. Who knows, you just might find a hidden code that will bring you one step closer to winning $100 in CASH. If you haven't climbed aboard, get over to the list of train stops and enter to win some wonderful prizes in time for Christmas.

Today's featured blog is Energizer Bunnies' Mommy Reports  where Marina is giving away this gorgeous pair of pearl and silver earrings from Lauren Nicole Gifts (a $65 value).

While you're there, enter a few of her other giveaways and don't miss her HUGE Giving Christmas Away event in partnership with World Vision. Leave a comment (or two) and remember to let her know you're riding the Christmas Treasure Train. Tomorrow’s stop? Random Thoughts.

Welcome to the Christmas Treasure Train!

All aboard…The Christmas Treasure Train is leaving the station! I'm thrilled to be joining my friend, Anitra from The MamaZone as one of your conductors on this wild ride for gifts and cash!

This giveaway hop is a little different than most because it has the added element of a cash treasure hunt! As you hop through entering the giveaways on these fabulous blogs, keep your eyes open—you just might find some hidden cash! Here’s how it works:

• Visit each blog listed below and enter to win.
• After you enter on a blog, look for the image of the Christmas Treasure Train.
• If the train contains a three digit code, make a note of it.
• Once you collect all 10 randomly hidden codes, enter HERE to win the Grand Prize of $100 paid via PayPal.
• As an added bonus, if you enter every giveaway involved you’ll earn 25 extra entries into the Grand Prize drawing (Sweet!).

The hop and hunt will run November 21st-December 5th and the Grand Prize winner will be announced on the 6th. Ready to win? 


Here’s what I’m giving away:

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Southern Living at HOME products...so much so that I used to be a Consultant for over two years. I especially love what I chose as my give-away because of the many ways you can decorate it for every season and occasion. I'm giving away a Southern Living at HOME "Hemingway Hurricane" (a price orig. valued around $30).

Of course yours will be new and in the box! Use the Rafflecopter form to enter. The giveaway ends December 5th at 11:59 p.m.

Now, visit the other great blogs below!

Orderly Mess

Well, it's time for what has become my annual yard sale. Only this year I was too busy to do it in October as in years past, so it's this coming Saturday. Starting each Fall, I begin to feel like my house is closing in on me and I need to purge all the junk. I'm cleaning out the toys the kids NEVER play with (to make room for Christmas presents), and my closet from the clothes I could only hope to fit into again (let's face it, if I lose that kind of weight, I'm going to celebrate by buying new clothes!) 

This year I went a little overboard and decided to tackle the attic and my husband's shed (neither have been cleaned out in years). So it's out with the old and in with the new.

I had to store the stuff that I'm going to sell at the yard sale in my living room. Needless to say, my house is a mess right now! Coming from a person who likes everything in it's place, this has been a real struggle for me to walk past this mound of stuff. I feel like everything is out of order.

Just when I think it's all too much, I remind myself it's only temporary - this weekend it will all be out and hopefully sold. Then I can restore order in my home once again.

Honestly this experience has made me think about where I am in life right now. From the looks of things, it's a complete mess. The Lord is taking out all the junk and I know He's going to replace it with something new and beautiful. This mess that's all around me is just temporary and it's unto a purpose. It's a season where God is saying "don't look at the junk piling up, look at me, the one who can clean it out and trust that you'll come out profitable through it all." Life often looks the bleakest right before the "Son" comes out.

Thank God that He can and does make order out of my mess.