More detergent goodness!

While you all are busy racking up the entries to my Rockin' Green Detergent giveaway (ends Saturday!) from GAD Baby, make sure you check out another cloth-diaper-maker-turned-detergent-maker:

GroBaby is one of my new favorite diapers. Seriously, these diapers rock--you may remember me mentioning them in a prior post but that one didn't do it justice! The more I use them the more I fall in love with them (and, I'm so thrilled that one of my friends plunged head-first into the cloth diaper world by buying their huge cloth diapering kit from Kelly's Closet! Yay Julia!). They are absorbent (more so than my BumGenius dipes which have started leaking at night), trim, cute, and revolutionary!

Speaking of revolutionary, the makers behind GroBaby recently came out with their new detergent, made exclusively for cloth diapers (but, like the Rockin' Green, can be used for any load of laundry!). It is called Tiny Bubbles (cute name!)

...click on the box to read more about it....

or just read the 411 on Tiny Bubbles detergent here:

Dye & Fragrance Free

Completely Biodegradable

Completely Phosphate-Free

No Optical Brighteners or Fillers

Gentle for Sensitive Skin

Low Residue Formula

Ultra-Concentrated

Low Cost-Per-Wash

Recyclable

Safe to use with all cloth diapers brands. Not tested on animals. No animal by products.

60 Loads - Front Load Washer

$0.22 per Load

If you want to try a sample load, they are currently running a sample giveaway! Click here to find out more! (what could be better?!?!)

Thankful Thursday: Week 12

Woohoo! I have one teeny tiny bar of internet service and I have to be in my bedroom to use it but YAY! i can finally blog again! I know you missed it, right...? :-o

Before I delve into the topic of this post, what do you all say about me catching up with my I Heart Faces and Tutorial Tuesday posts? Or would you rather I don't double post and just wait til next week? I would LOVE to read your opinions!

Okay! Here we go with Thankful Thursday!

This week I am thankful...

1. ...to have a very valid excuse to not be online. Having no internet for virtually seven (7!) days was, at first frustrating and then I quickly realized how much more time I had on my hands to spend it with Baby C and family!
   


2. ...to finally have Internet access again. Yes, I realize in light of #1 that #2 might be slightly ironic but I really missed reading your blogs and tweets. I have really come to value the relationships I've made online and I've missed you all!



3. ...for a VERY safe, largely uneventful (albeit loooong) car trip from Atlanta to the Heartlands (Kansas) and back. See Tuesday's post for more details (but keep in mind i was blogging from my phone!). Clearly, the string cheese and board books were huge hits...





4. ...for quality family time with my Grandma (the reason for the trip--her 80th birthday!) and family--we got to visit with nearly all my cousins on my dad's side (but we missed you, Steph, Matt, and Jocelyn!)





5. ....for fun memories made in Kansas with all of Baby C's second cousins--all of the great-grands were there for the 80th birthday party and it was a riot!(sorry, not the best picture but...)





6. ...for all 15 people who have used my gDiaper code! Yay! Thanks everyone! I don't think I'll make the top for a free trip to Portland (bummer!) but I'm so happy and thankful for everyone who used my code! If you are wondering what I'm talking about...



7. ...for my brother-in-law, Noah, who's birthday is TODAY! Happy birthday, Noah! Baby C wanted to celebrate:
   

What are you thankful for this week?

W.o.G. Wednesday:

Well, I really think God is teaching me how to slowly wean myself off the Internet--He just shuts it down altogether, leaving me with time to spend exclusively with Baby C and in His Word. Since my absence, I've already lost three followers--something that would have majorly bummed me out before...even though I knew it shouldn't!

Anyway, with all that said, my internet was back up for an hour today and gone again by the time i got back from lunch with a wonderful gal from church (thanks, Christina!). So, my ever-gracious twin volunteered to guest blog about her fave verse from the Bible. Thanks sis!

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twin writing now: Favorite verse of the Bible?? Identifying that and nailing it down to just one passage is a daunting task...my Bible has more underlined verses than non-inked-under ones, but whenever I think of my favorite book, Isaiah comes to mind. I love dwelling on how God has redeemed His people throughout time and space and how He continues to and will always redeem those given unto His hand. I love reading about how the nation of Israel is so much like the Church today and its individual members. And I am always amazed at passages that reflect images and provide references of Christ to the ancient believers in Old Testament times. It is for these reasons that I am drawn to the book of Isaiah, full of history, stories of an obstinate yet wondrously saved people, and Messianic prophesies. An often quoted chapter brightens my day and yet convicts me at the same time whenever I come across it... When I taught Bible to middle school students, one of the memory verses I had them learn was Isaiah 40: 28-31. And while I adore its truths, I am particularly taken by several other of the famous chapter's verses.

the opening:
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that
her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

I love reminders that our loving God has wiped out our debt entirely!

verses 4 and 5:
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

It is hard not to be a fan of Handel's Messiah, and his brilliant chorus related to these verses is one of my favorites, as it gloriously speaks of the work that God will do to renew his creation and reveal beyond our wildest imaginations His majesty.

verses 6b-8:

All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.

There is nothing like a jolting reminder of our impermanence and God's infinite power and plan.

verse 9:
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"

Another song from Handel's Messiah proclaims this verse and I am struck by how much our Lord and his works ought to be on our minds and our hearts and rung out loudly from our lips. Nothing is like Him--why do I hold back from that sharing that proclamation?

verse 11:
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

A very comforting passage for mothers!

verses 21-26:
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

"To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

This life and its fleeting, flying, fading glory is worthless--it is hopelessly fruitless to put our trust in anything but a God who will never change and who created and maintains the whole world and has always known and always will know the days and hours of its inhabitants...there is nothing like recognizing how big God is, how small we are and yet, miraculously, how much he cares for us.

Gee, Toto...

...We aren't in Kansas anymore!

Thursday: 13-hour trip from Atlanta to Kansas City, KS

Sunday: 3-hour drive to Wichita + 5-hour trip to Columbia, MO

Monday: 12-hour drive home to the ATL

TWO (2) teething babes

1 rented minivan

Lots of stops

No sleep

Safety the entire journey

Babies who were mostly happy (!)

One grandma who was thrilled to have us surprise her on her 80th birthday!

Lots of family bonding and reunion and picture time!

Memories we'll cherish!!

Sadly, Internet access was severly limited and, upon arriving home, we found we have NO Internet! So, here I am typing this no-frills, no-thrills, pictureless post in HTML code on my husband's iPhone! I hope to catchup with an "I Heart Faces" post and "Tutorial Tuesday" post soon...envisioning myself at the library computer!

*Sorry, also, for not reading/commenting on your blogs or responding to your emails! Hopefully we'll be up and running again soon!

Winner! MewMew Shoppe!

Yay for another great giveaway turnout! Strangely, MewMew Shoppe had exactly the same number of entries as Whimsy Couture: 159! Crazy!

It would have been even crazier if the random number generator picked #44 again but it did come close--#14 was the winner...

Which means, this week's winner is...

Amy @ Living Locurto

Congratulations, Amy!

As always, thanks to the very generous Sheena for being a part of Fab Friday Giveaways and thanks to all of YOU for participating in them!

CLOSED: Fab Friday Giveaway: Rockin' Green Detergent

{Woohoo! We made it to Kansas City after a 14-hour car ride with two babies. Joyous.}

{Without further ado, here is this week's giveaway!}

I'll admit it, I joined Twitter to get an extra entry for all The Cloth Diaper Whisperer giveaways. But, then I stuck around and found some other fun moms and twitterers.

One of them is Kim behind the outrageously fun-colored diapers, GAD (Green Acre Designs) Baby. When I first "met" her, I found Kim to be funny and creative and about to open a brand new business--all-natural (cloth diaper) detergent.

I say "cloth diaper" in parenthesis because this detergent is for ANYONE who wants a more natural alternative to name-brand, run of the mill, detergent you can find anywhere. And pretty much everyone has to do their laundry...and pretty much everyone loves a greener-alternative to everyday household cleaning items...and pretty much everyone loves yummy scents!

So...who is this detergent for? Say it with me: "EVERYONE"!

Okay, now that we know everyone can use and has use for it, let's find out more about it!

Kim said that Rockin' Green was born out of necessity. Her kids' skin are incredibly sensitive to just about everything she bought, eventually causing her to start making homemade soaps and lotions. On top of her children's skin sensitivities, Kim found that the hard water in her area made it "hard" to get her clothes truly clean.

So Kim set out to find a better way. Six months later, she now knows more about chemistry than I ever learned in college and has gone through several rounds of testing to bring Rockin' Green to her customers.

It's a cloth diaper safe formula, that won't cause repelling and works great on battling stinkies. And best of all, you don't have to do a bunch of rinses. It rinses clean with just one rinse which saves you time and money. And, how is this for WAHM-Cool? Each and every batch is made in my kitchen with love! I bet her house smells delicious!

Rockin' Green comes in 2 rockin' formulas and tons of sweet fragrances, which is music to anyone's ears.

• Soft Rock: A mellow tune that is great for the sensitive little ones in your life.

• Classic Rock: This is the sound that started it all. Our original formula is great for diapers and regular clothes. So use it on everything!

I was a lucky tester for the Classic Rock detergent. Kim sent me a sample size of detergent and I used it five times--three times on my cloth diapers and twice on regular clothes. How did it work? Super well! I thought that it got my clothes and diapers just as clean, if not cleaner, than other detergents and it smelled incredible! Baby C is usually pretty sensitive to soaps, lotions, and detergents but she had no sensitivity issues with this detergent! I'd definitely recommend this detergent to everyone. And, if you aren't so sure, consider just buying a sample pack--you can't go wrong with a $3 investment.

Want it right now?
Buy it!

Buy a sample packet for only $3! What deal! Or jump in head first and buy a 45-load package for only $9. I actually think that the packets last longer than Kim says, especially if you have a front loader HE washer! You can buy your detergent here.

Want to try your luck?
Win it!

Kim is giving one lucky winner a 45-load package of detergent in the winner's choice of scent and "soft" or "classic".

How?

Mandatory first entry: Please tell me how many loads of laundry you do a week and what fragrance you'd would want to try if you won! (you can find a list of fragrances here)

Extra entries: (please leave me an extra comment for each valid entry)

• Follow Kim on the GADBaby blog (one entry)
• Follow Kim on Twitter @gadbaby or @rockingreensoap (one entry for following one twitter account, two entries for following both)
• Become a fan of GAD Baby and Rockin' Green on Facebook (one entry)
• Tweet this giveaway. (One entry/day) Please tweet:

Win a 45-load package of @rockingreensoap detergent from @monkeysonthebed http://tinyurl.com/lyzquh

• Follow me or subscribe to my RSS feed (one entry for one or both)
  

The fine print:

This giveaway is open to the residents of the USA and Canada, aged 18 and older. The giveaway will end sometime on Saturday, July 18th. You must leave the mandatory comment before receiving extra entries. You must leave a way for me to contact you with each entry! I will draw a winner via a Random Integer Generator and announce the winner on this blog and email the winner as well. If the winner does not reply to me within 48 hours, I will draw a second winner. I reserve the right to delete your entry if you do not follow the rules listed above.

Thankful Thursday: Week 11

Ahh! we're running out the door trying to drive all the way to Kansas today! So, here is my lightening-fast Thankful Thursday for this week:

1. Bank of America--no, this is not a promo for them! I decided to check my spam folder, found a Bank of America email, and learned that last weekend was their first-weekend-of-the-month Museums on Us! We took Baby C to the zoo for the first time! It was so fun! We'll definitely be back next month!
   
   
   
2. Denise from Whimsy Couture--She sent Baby C the most adorable romper bubble. SO fun and summery!
   
   
   
3. Larabar--J and I (and even baby C!) are HUGE fans of Larabar products. I entered a Father's Day giveaway on their blog and won a box of 16 bars! Talk about AWESOME!
   
   
   
4. Good doctor reports all around--Esther Grace is thriving (remember, she was born exactly 3 months early!) and my grandpa is almost through with his chemo and radiation!
   
   
   
5. My Grandma! She turns EIGHTY 8-0 80 on tomorrow!
   
   
   
6. J got to spend a lot of time at home this week! Baby C and I LOVED having him around!
7. Coit upholstery cleaners--Finally! someone to clean out that cat urine Churchill left on my mom's silk drapes!

What are YOU thankful for this week?

W.o.G. Wednesday: Acts 5:42

Acts 5:42

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, [the apostles] never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

I read an amazing story on one of my friend's blogs today. Melissa blogged about her friend who felt like God was prompting her to share His Gospel message. She waited and waited, not wanting to talk to this stranger sitting next to her on the plane. Finally, it was time for the descent and she and the other passenger struck up a conversation. Things progressed from there and she was able to share her passion and all-consuming love that she has for our God with a perfect stranger.

When she got off the plane, she couldn't believe that she could jam all that conversation into such a short descent. It wasn't until she was gathering her luggage that she heard, "We've been in Orlando but the plane was circling the airport for no reason for the last half hour." Turns out, there was a reason the plane was circling--so she could "proclaim the good news that Jesus is the Christ".

For the full story, check out Melissa's blog post here.

How many times have I been in a situation where the perfect opportunity to share the message that I believe , hold to be true, and be of UTMOST importance in my life? Lots. How many times have I acted on that? I can count those times on one hand.

Obviously, here, on my blog, I share about my faith. But what I'm talking about today is real-life sharing where you see the person face-to-face. Its a lot harder that way!

I'm a people pleaser so its easy for me to just write about my faith and hope that someone reads it and takes it to heart but, if they don't want to read it, then i'll never know and I also won't know if I offended them and their opinion.

In real life, I can read someone's expression and watch it change from genuine interest to escape-mode. So, I avoid that situation and just don't share.

Thanks to Melissa's blog post about Beka and the wonderful examples in the Bible, I know that I have God's power to share His gospel and His approval is all I need. May I ever be mindful of that!

Guest Bloggin'

{Okay...so I've been so busy guest blogging that I haven't had time to write a Tutorial Tuesday post! Stay tuned for next week...I have some recipes, baby tutorials and website tutorials planned for the rest of the month!}

I definitely (and, sometimes, unfortunately) have the gift of gab. My faithful-longtime readers can attest to that--sometimes I had so much to say that I'd blog three or four times in ONE day! yikes!

Feeling the need to gab some more, I happily wrote posts for some of my favorite bloggy friends. If you are bored and want to read more about me (you'll have to be really bored!) here are some of the recent posts you can find written by yours truly...

Kelly from Our Lincoln Log kindly published my birth story novel (and special props to the twin, too, for putting up with me while I wrote it instead of helping her get ready for our high school reunion!)...and if you don't want to read my birth story, click on the blog link above because Kelly recently revamped her blog design all by herself and it looks great!

The very lovely Felicia, from Go Graham Go!, let me blog while she was on vacation. I enjoyed sharing a bit about the sunscreen research I've done recently. Summer officially just started so check it out if you need advice on kid-friendly, all-natural, sometimes organic sunscreen! Go Graham Go is a fabulous resource for moms and often features fun giveaways, too. Felicia has spent a lot of time making it easy to navigate and fun to read--Definitely a blog worth checking out! AND, she is an awesome sister in Christ--so what are you waiting for? go visit her (or click on the button to see my post)!

and, last but not least,

my cloth diaper buddy, UpstateMomof3, from Our Life Upstate, let me go off on a tangent about editing photos (an obsessive and time consuming new habit of mine thanks to my equally obessesiveness over I Heart Faces!). You can see a few photo editing tips by using free online resource, Picnik. Hopefully, you'll glean some information there but, if not, make sure you check out some of her fab giveaways to make it worth your time!

Click on her button to be taken to my guest post

I ❤ Faces: The Patriotic Edition

Every now and then, the awesome ladies behind I ❤ Faces take a much-needed break from the weekly competitions and host a "My Story In Photos" week that is non-judged and just for fun--perfect for me!

In keeping with this past weekend, this week is the "Patriotic Edition"...and this, my fine friends, is how we celebrate our Fourth of July in Atlanta...

You may remember from my past posts months ago that I LOVE to run! So much so that I love running with 55,000 of my closest friends (as my Dad puts it!) every Fourth of July. YES! 55,000 people vie for a spot every year to compete in the world's largest 10k...the Peachtree Road Race. Since I was running, most of these pictures are from my cousin, a budding photographer, or her mom, my aunt. I would LOVE to include race pictures from the newspaper but that would obviously be a copyright infringement. Feel free to check some out here!

Since 55,000 people is a lot of people to run, the wonderful people behind the race, namely the Atlanta Track Club (the ATC), must organize it down to the second. They place people on ability and race experience in one of 9 time groups. I run competitively for the ATC and, with a prior race time, was able to score a very low bib number--putting me right behind the Elite runners! The twin was right behind me, followed by J, in time group 4, and my cousin and her friend in time group 6.

All in all, it was a great race! I managed to run fast enough to win a hat and a finisher's mug--woo hoo! bonus!

Here is what the finish line area looks like when about 50% of people have finished:

Here is my official Finishers Certificate:

My parents watched Baby C for us and met us at the finish line--definitely motivation to cross that line quickly so we could be reunited with her! (Doesn't J look thrilled?)

Me, Baby C, my dad, and the cousin, Sweet Little R

For the first time racing, J and I lived close enough to the finish line to walk home--now that is a bonus! We hosted a brunch for our family immediately following the race. My Aunt and Uncle brought fabulous bagels from Panera--thank you!

The twin and her husband kept the mosquitos at bay for the rest of us--why is it that mosquitos tend to fixate on certain people and ignore the rest? Sorry A&B!

J and I with Baby C, enjoying lots of carboyhydrates post run.
I'm sporting my new favorite hat and C is sporting her new fave bow:

J loving on Baby C.
Isn't her bow incredible? The twin made it! Check it out in her Etsy Store!

After the fam went home, we relaxed (read: SLEPT!) and then geared up for another BBQ, this time at my parents' house. Dad set up the sprinklers and C's cousin, R, took right to it...

Lil' Miss R is lucky because she now has cousins from her daddy's side that live in Atlanta! They came over to join the fun...here is Mr. L showing R how to enjoy the sprinkler to the max:

Baby C, unfortunately, slept through all the fun but we know she'd have crawled through the sprinklers had she been awake! Instead, she woke up and was fed...and looked confused about the whole thing:

a little sampling of our carnivorous feast



and the famous flag cake (my mom went with raspberries this year--so much easier than strawberries!)

All in all, the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays because we get to race, relax, and relish our family. And, of course, we get to eat lots of wonderful picnic food, especially the prized Flag Cake!

SPECIAL NOTE: Last year, we celebrated the wedding of my cousin to his beautiful bride on 07-04-08. July 4th is special to him for one more reason: he is an Army Ranger. Thank you, to my cousin, who proudly and BRAVELY fights for the honor and glory of our country!

Winner: Whimsy Couture

Wow! Whimsy Couture is such a fun store and you all agreed--159 comments!




A huge congratulations to #44...

Michelle!

I just checked out Michelle's blog for the first time and, let me tell you, she is a fantastically fabulous photographer. You need to click on her name to see the great pictures of the 4th of July she just posted! Incredible! And, if you scroll down far enough, you can find out how to make chocolate-covered bananas. Delish!

Thanks for entering everyone and don't forget to enter this week's giveaway!

Super Saturday Steals

Happy Fourth of July!

Penny from Purple Ducks and Stuff is having an annual 15% off sale! You may remember her from my 100th post giveaway--she gave away the KCK One diaper which was a HUGE hit! These are my favorite non-name-brand dipes and you can only buy them from individuals who make them. Penny's quality of work is outstanding but if you want more proof, check out the reviews by Upstate Mom of 3 or MonkeyToes.

Emi Beans, a local Atlanta and online cloth-diaper retailer is closing her store to make way for a new (non-cd'ing) store. Jenn, the proprietor behind Emi Beans, is the reason why i felt comfortable enough to start Cloth Diapering. Would have been lost without her! ANYWAY! Everything in her store is 15% off. Use Discount Coupon FINALSALE for 15% off your total, including sale items. Please note that all sales are final.

Kelly's Closet, of The Cloth Diaper Whisperer blog fame, is having an awesome Kissaluvs giveaway!

Kissaluvs just came out with two brand-spankin'-new products and they are up for grabs at Kelly's Closet and their blog! Here is a little more info about these products, compliments of the Cloth Diaper Blog:

• Marvels by Kissaluvs - Green, Hip and Functional these are quite possibly the highest quality cloth diapers on the planet. YES, THE PLANET. This newly designed one-size fitted diaper makes cloth diapering both easy and colorful!
  • Elasticized legs and waist for a leakproof fit
  • simple, easy-to-fasten snaps
  • a fit that ranges babies from 10 to 35 plus lbs.
  • three body layers and one snap-on soaker for extra absorbency
  • and finally, three fabulous designer prints with 100% cotton outer and a yummy bamboo velour inner.
• Kissa’s Cloth-n-Go Bag - Specifically designed to hold one cloth diaper, a pack of baby wipes, and your favorite diaper spray, the Cloth-n-Go Bag has a PUL lined zippered compartment and two outer pockets. The unique snap-in handle design allows it to hang right over your stroller or your wrist or you can snap it on your bag. Perfect when you don’t want to lug your diaper bag around for quick errands. Can also be used a as a chic, functional, toiletry bag for mom.

Sweet As Punkin' Pie is hosting another Smartipants diaper giveaway! Click on the picture to be taken to her blog for your chance to enter!

Look What Mom Found (a new blog that I just found!) is hosting a giveaway for a gorgeous All-in-One diaper giveaway from ES Baby. Click on the picture to be taken to her giveaway post for your chance to win and enter. And don't forget to check out the gorgeous diapers you can find at ES Baby, here!

Our Life Upstate is hosting...you guessed it...another cloth diaper giveaway! Isn't she the best? This week you can win a Monkey Snuggles pocket diaper! Click on the picture for your chance to enter!

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You're a mom but not a cloth diapering mom? No problemo!
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Pregnant? Just like to snack? Hungry? Like "bar" food (as in, nutritional bars)? Then take this survey and receive some Bellybar samples in the mail!

Did you take some fun pictures during your Fourth of July festivities? Why not buy 50 of them for $0.50! Snapfish is hosting a promotion that expires next Friday, July 10th. Use coupon code "penny" to get the discount.

Closed: Fab Friday Giveaways: MewMew Shoppe

Okay, I know what you are thinking...MewMew? This wasn't in the poll and I certainly don't want to win stuff for a cat! Well, my friends, this was in the poll--you are finally getting the jewelery you asked for! YAY you!

Sheena is the 27-year old designer behind MewMew Shoppe and is currently based out of Vancouver, BC.

Sheena always loved accessories but could never wear metal jewelry--it needed to be gold or silver. Sadly, though, she always found like gold or silver pieces too pricey and over-inflated. So, she did what all of us would do--she started making her own jewelery...ha! Yes, that last line was full of sarcasm! Sheena is very creative and we're lucky to have her brainstorming those ideas--I would've just given up! She eventually found Etsy and started her little shop!

When it comes to making jewelry for MewMew Shoppe, the thing foremost in Sheena's mind is: pretty, classic and quality. As a customer, what more could you ask for? As Sheena said, "I'm not cheap, but I'm frugal and I think a lot of people are the same way." She completely pegged me! Sheena's goal is to create jewelery with top-notch materials and keeping each piece in a realistic price range.

Now that you know a little bit behind the artist and MewMew Shoppe lets see what these affordable yet beautiful pieces of jewelry look like!

I'm a pearl-girl and this just might be my fave piece in her shop!

Aren't these earrings gorgeous?


as Sheena says, some of her designs are quirky but classic, like this necklace:


Like what you see? Want it right now?

Buy it!

All of the items in MewMew Shoppe come with free shipping...always!

Just for Monkeys on the Bed! readers, Sheena is extending 10% off to any orders made between now and July 11. Please use code "monkeysonthebed" and she'll refund you 10%!

Want it but want to try your luck first?

Win it!

Sheena is generously giving one lucky winner this gorgeous crystal quartz necklace (in silver or gold, or an item of equal or lesser value):

How?

For the mandatory first entry: Visit MewMew Shoppe and leave me a comment telling me your favorite item.

Once you've left the first mandatory entry you can leave separate comments for doing any of the above:

1 extra entry/DAY for tweeting this giveaway. Leave a comment with your permalink (just click on the time and you'll get a new url) Please tweet:

Win a gorgeous necklace from the Etsy store MewMew Shoppe @monkeysonthebed http://tinyurl.com/mq9qwb

5 extra entries for purchasing something from Sheena's store (please leave five separate comments)--use your "monkeysonthebed" code and get 10% off! There is already free shipping!

1 extra entry for either following my blog OR subscribing to it

The fine print:

This giveaway is open to the residents of the USA and Canada, aged 18 and older. The giveaway will end sometime on Saturday, July 11th. You must leave the mandatory comment before receiving extra entries. You must leave a way for me to contact you with each entry! I will draw a winner via a Random Integer Generator and announce the winner on this blog and email the winner as well. If the winner does not reply to me within 48 hours, I will draw a second winner. I reserve the right to delete your entry if you do not follow the rules listed above.

Thankful Thursday: week 10!

Wow! have I really been doing these for 10 weeks? Crazy how fast time flies!

This week I am thankful for...

1. The lack of TV we had in our household. We held out as long as we could until we finally caved and used our Digitial Converter Box coupon (thanks USA government!)



2. My dad and sister who helped me look and look and look some more for my iPhone...huh, you ask? Well, I left my phone on top of my car and drove off with it there and it, subsequently, flew off the roof (yes, for the second time...i know! i didn't learn!) while pulling out of my sister's neighborhood. But my Dad and Sis helped me look for an hour for it at night!
   


3. That we found a piece of the phone's cover even though we didn't find the actual phone--as my dad said, "At least its closure". True. Now at least I know where I lost it and that someone else is enjoying all the pics of Baby C on my iPhone. I hope they also enjoy my daily Bible devotional and my Christian iTunes playlists!


4. my sweet husband, J, who, instead of blowing up and yelling at me for doing the same thing TWICE, was calm, cool, and collected, and made me not feel like an absolute loser (even though, literally, I was and am, a "loser"!)


5. Our country's independence and freedom! the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons (corn on the cob, fireworks, hot weather, flag cake, the Peachtree Road Race, etc.) but I love that we can celebrate our country's birthday in such a spectacularly fun way!


6. the twin's wedding anniversary and my cousin's wedding anniversary. My twin and her husband were married 5 years ago tomorrow and are such a great couple and have already produced one adorably smart little girl. I can't wait to see their next child, due in December! And my cousin, the Army Ranger, was married a year ago on the 4th of July. He is an amazing young Christian and his wife is a wonderful addition to our family! (PS sorry A and B--I don't have a good pic of your wedding!)
   
   
   
   


7. Cherrio's and handmade-blankets. Two of Baby C's biggest soothers, guaranteed to stop tears in their tracks! We'd be lost without them, especially her blankie from her great-grandma!
   
   


8. Breakfast with my dad--he loves hanging out with his brown-eyed-granddaughter and she has a blast with him, too! It is great being able to spend some quality time with your parents when you are both "grown-up"


9. Lunch with new friends--I didn't feel like a frumpy SAHM when I had lunch at the '"posh" Buckhead Diner with one of J's co-worker's wives (got it?)


10. NAPS! So thankful that as a mom, i can still get sleep when Baby C sleeps. The older she gets, the more active she gets and the more tired i get!
    

I would SO love to hear what YOU are thankful for this week!

W.o.G. Wednesday: Esther 4:14(b)

Esther 4:14

^14.b. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?


You may remember that I started an Esther Study (yes! Beth Moore's!) earlier this summer. It is a great in-depth look into a book of the Bible that I "knew" but didn't "know". In other words, I knew the story but I didn't know how much of the story I was missing until we started delving into it.

Background

Esther was a beautiful young Jewish orphan girl who, after a crazy set of circumstances, was chosen by the King of Persia to be his wife! Her cousin, Mordecai, raised her as his own daughter and was very involved in her life pre-queening (wow...is that really a word?). Once she became queen, she lived in her own little bubble of maids and eunuchs, feasting and parties.

One day, an advisor to the king (Haman) decided to enact a law to kill and annihilateevery Jew in Persia...and the king agreed, not knowing his wife, Esther, was Jewish! The edict went out and all the Jews in Persia were, of course, went into panic mode (does Haman's plan sound familiar? like one of the worst dictator's in all of history? yikes!) Esther, being in the Palace bubble, did not know about this new law so Mordecai had to contact her and let her know.

Enter Chapter 4...Esther is debating with Mordecai about entering the king's presence and pleading with him to save the lives of her people, the Jews. Right now, Esther is refusing to do so...until she hears Mordecai's words:

"And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

In other words, God placed Esther in that exact position at that exact time for a PURPOSE and that purpose just might have been to save the lives of her people!

Application

I love this verse and can think of at least three ways to make it applicable:

1. God placed me in this exact location, position, and time for a purpose and I can choose to make a difference or just let it pass me by--as Mordecai tells Esther in another verse, God's plan will still be accomplished but she can be used, and in a mighty way, if she chooses.



2. I always wanted to grow up in the 50s or 60s...or even during the Pioneer era. I just thought I'd be a better fit for those time periods. Obviously, though, God clearly did not want me, with the talents and faults that He gave me, to be born at any other time. I need to be grateful for where I am!



3. All those times I longed and longed to be a mother and grieved over the losses of my 3 prior pregnancies now have a bit more meaning: God didn't want Baby C to be born until the very exact second that she arrived. He purposes the time and location of each person and I can rest in that peace, knowing that Baby C is here on God's perfect schedule!

What about you? Does this get you excited knowing you are here right this minute for a real purpose? It certainly pumps me up! I'd love to hear if you found any life applications from this verse, too!