snail mail

The contest mentioned in the post below is now closed; I didn't win the large dandelion but I did get a confirmation email saying my 2 caterpillars (one in tangerine and one in ocean blue) are in the mail! Sweet!
Can't wait...
now it will be my goal to have my "happiness" wall rub-on up before these caterpillars arrive! I'll show you once I do! (part of a gift from Alexa for my birthday!) Thanks so much!)

A big Thank You goes out to lifelong friends of mine, Laurie and Jamie - thank you girls for surprising me with a package in the mail for my birthday! Here's what they blessed me with - it was like I won a prize!

Wall Art and Freebies!!

A Soft Place to Land has informed it's readers of a GREAT giveaway for EVERYONE
(well, I can't see if it is open just to USA residents or Canadian too? Stay tuned for an answer!)

You can win this huge dandelion wall decal - It's over 5' tall and sells for $60!To be the lucky winner of this large wall decal - visit Lewa's Designs and find something you like and then head over to A Soft Place to Land and comment to Kimba what it is you found! Simple!

Look at this decal that can go on your vehicle! I think it is pretty fun!or spicing up your laptop a bit!

THEN, Lewa's Designs is giving away your choice of the following wall decals:
Here's how:
If you blog about Lewa's Designs, you will win your choice of a Medium Caterpillar Wall Decal, or Baby Swirly Bird Wall Decal or Baseball Wall Decal in the color of your choice. You can write whatever you want, just make sure to link to Lewa's Designs website (www.lewasdesigns.com) or etsy shop (www.lewasdesigns.etsy.com)

AND if you add Lewa's Designs badge to your sidebar, you will receive your choice of TWO of those items! Seriously!!!! The badge is available on the Lewa's Designs blog. Once you've blogged about Lewa's Designs, send an email to contest@lewasdesigns.com with with a link to your blog post along with your choice of decal, color desired, name & mailing address.

So awesome! Thanks so much! I can't wait! Now, what will I choose?!

Kimba from A Soft Place to Land is contacting Lewa's Designs for me to see if my fellow-Canadian readers are able to get in on this too... if not, sorry! But if you have a USA address to ship to, you better get commenting and blogging!

apron giveaway

In the last bit I've entered a few more giveaways than I ever have! I even got myself a Gmail email account so that I have an address to use and not feel 'guilty' for giving out my regular account... and hey, I can't believe I actually won some things!! I also entered to win this apron from Beautiful Calling blog (also Canadian!) from the Heavenly Homemakers Blog Carnival. I was able to choose an adult size or child size apron as well as a pattern/colour I wanted it to be! I chose a girly one for Gabi when she gets a bit bigger - it might be a Christmas gift for her or maybe for her 3rd birthday.
Ann of Ann's Gifts and "Sew" Much More, is the one that provided this beautiful, very fun apron for Jen at Beautiful Calling to giveaway! Check this apron out - look at this stitching:and it can even be reversed:Thanks so much Jen and Ann!!!(I don't see a website yet for Ann's Gifts and "Sew" Much More yet...)

I won cards!

A few weeks ago I found a blog carnival going on hosted by Heavenly Homemakers blog... I entered some of the giveaways on there that interested me and that I had time to still enter since I only found out about the carnival at the end!
Well, a fellow-Canadian blogger, Sarah from Fifth Street Palace was offering these two homemade cards that I won! Thanks so much Sarah!

Earth Day Giveaway

On Earth Day in April, I came across this Giveaway through Works For Me Wednesday, I think. Mom's Toolbox was giving away gently used Ranger Rick magazines. I didn't actually win, but since I was the first to comment on the giveaway Amy said she'd send me one regardless AND then she actually said she'd send a magazine to each of the people that entered! So I received my magazines today! Thanks Amy! My kids are going to love these!

one year blogversary party!

There are soooooo many great blogs out there that I'm finding... wish I had more time to just sit and read and be inspired and encouraged and stretched!

Anyway, if you have access to a USA shipping address, you will want to check out "Like a Warm Cup of Coffee" blog every day this week for a party that's going on!!! :)

There is a button in my sidebar ---> go check out the great prizes!! :)

Blog Carnival

There are nearly 20 giveaways so far (goal is 100) on One Woman's Cottage Life blog. She is hosting a Blog Carnival for the month of May. Her button is in my sidebar --> go and check it out!

Dayspring ~ The Life Collection Giveaway

Okay, this new line from Dayspring of dishes is right up my alley! I love it! I would love to win and you might like the opportunity to win too! This is the third giveaway I've found for this and so let's see if someone we know will win! Head on over to A Soft Place to Land and enter to win...$50 to spend at Dayspring!She also has a code you can use for the month of May to get 20% off and free shipping when you spend $50 (might be USA only, not sure about that?)...

I'm One of Eleven - Glimpse Giveaway

I entered a contest to win a canvas bag from Blushing Bags - I just had to send in a photo that will be put onto the bag and now there are 11 photos in which you can vote for! I'm #11... if you can take a second to go to this blog: GLIMPSE and vote for me that would be great!! :)

While you are there, check out all the giveaways! There are quite a few fun things to enter to win!

Pay It Forward

Well, Lucy at Lucy's Life Blog, who hosted the "House a Home" Giveaway has a fun post on her blog right now and I am participating! I hope you will too! (you don't have to be a blogger to participate, just be the first five to leave a comment even if you use "annonymous" with your name and email addy)

Lucy found a post about a Pay It Forward chain and she decided to sign up. And now Lucy has a post on her blog to find the first five readers to sign up on her blog for a Pay It Forward surprise! I am one of the five! So in the next year Lucy is going to send something to me 'out of the blue' as a RAK of sorts (RAK is Random Act of Kindness)... I can't wait!!!And so I'd like to do this too for the first 5 readers that leave a comment on my blog! (PS, I know I have a lot of readers that don't have blogs, but you can just tell me you'll do this P.I.F. for 5 people of your choice too)

Don't be shy!!! The first 5 people to leave a comment on this post indicating that they want to participate in "Pay It Forward" will receive something special from me at some point over the next year. It could be next week, it could be in a few months, it could be 364 days from now.

Here are the rules:
1. Leave a comment letting me know you'd like to participate. You must be willing to provide me with a mailing address, obviously.
2. Post a "Pay it Forward" on your blog where you link back to me and extend the same offer to 5 of your readers. (again, if you don' have a blog, you can still participate maybe over FB, Twitter or just in 'real life' situations!)
3. Promise that you will follow through and send something special to those 5 who comment on your blog (or however you choose to do it!)

(I'm sorry but I can only open this contest to residents of Canada or the United States)

The little something something's don't have to be extravagant, just something that you select with that specific person in mind. What fun!!! Who can I bless with this Pay It Forward?!! C'mon, leave a comment!

Ranger Rick Earth Day Giveaway!

Happy Earth Day!!! I took a picture of a Burger King cup a couple weeks ago in honor of the celebration of Earth Day!In honor of Earth Day, Amy at Moms Toolbox is giving away 8 Ranger Rick magazines that her children are done with but in perfectly good condition for your Family to enjoy! click HERE to go to this post to enter to win!

LaBella Hand-Stamped Jewelry

These giveaways I keep finding on all these cool blogs are just amazing!!! Look at this great necklace that comes personalized...you have til Thursday to head over to "We are THAT Family" blog for this giveaway provided by LaBella Jewels.

Erin from Schnookums Bows sent me over to Soapbox Mama to check out "the biggest free Gift Basket on the web"... you ought to check it out too! The Gift Basket is full of gifts with the value of $1100!!!I've added this to my sidebar too --->

Home Sweet Home

I'm doing the Challenge from Lucy's Life blog - what makes your house a home? And although we've moved six times in our 10+ years of marriage, every house we have is still our home as soon as we get possession! But hopefully this house will be our home for more than our record of 2 years 7months (our last place)... I am very hopeful!!

Family makes this house a home first of all... but I don't have a picture of the five of us recently.

Framed pictures of Family and Friends...and on my fridge...and decor like this H-O-M-E I made...and this in my entrance way:and this special gift I received from Alexa that is stationed above my stove to act as a reminder to have JOY always as well as remembering what J-O-Y could stand for (Jesus, Others, Yourself):

...and house plants...memories - scrapbooking is a hobby of mine - and my kids love to look through themAnd as much as I love going on vacation, it is always good to use my own bathroom...and sleep in my own bed the sound of windchimes in my backyard is something I love to listen forand the sight and scents of candles which I only tend to light when we have company overand finally popcorn has to be on this list since it is Jason's all-time favourite snack - and is becoming a favourite of our kids tooI could add more of what make our house our home... like my kitchen and my laptop... as well as important aspects of living, laughing and loving!

What makes your house your home? You have a good amount of time left to come up with a list too and share it with Lucy!

House a Home

What makes your house your home? Lucy from Lucy's Life blog is asking her readers this question and for it she is having a contest to win your choice of different plaques that have an inspiring verse on it! I would love one!!!
So I will start to think about why my house is our home... and enter her contest between April 15-21st.
Maybe you'd like to too?! Click here to see the details about her giveaway!