If you're looking for a deal on audiobooks, there's an estories offer through Swagbucks where you get up to 2000 SB  for paying $5.99/month for your first three months, which is 50% their normal rate. You get 800 SB when you sign up, and once your third monthly payment of $5.99, you get an additional 1200 SB. You can use estories to easily stream or download stories to your iPhone, iPad, Android, PC or Mac. So even if you only try it for the first month, you still make money on the offer, since you're spending $5.99 and your get 800 SB (equivalent to $8). Plus, if you're also signing up for Swagbucks through this offer, you'll earn an additional 300 SB bonus paid out at the beginning of next month. Just click here to take advantage of this offer! Haven't tried Swagbucks yet? They're a site where you earn points (called SB) for doing things like online shopping , watching videos, taking surveys, and discovering deals and services you might like to t...

School's out and many parents are still trying to decide what to do with the kids this Summer.  If your kids are old enough, now may be the time to consider Summer Camp.   I know it sounds scary letting your precious precious child spend a week or longer at camp but for most kids Summer Camp is an exciting rite of passage and an unforgettable experience. I remember the first time our kids went to Summer Camp. It was a one week getaway on the military base near our home.  Near our home meaning, the base is about 2 miles from our house. Near our home meaning, my husband, mother and stepfather work on base.  Near our home meaning, I was less than a 15 minute drive from my kids but nonetheless, they were away at Summer Camp. The kids were excited and truth is, I was excited for them. My youngest was full of questions and I finally told him I couldn't tell him everything because it would ruin the surprise but inside I knew Summer Camp would be an exper...

Swagbucks is holding their Swago promotion starting Tuesday, June 27th at 9am PDT! It's just like bingo, but in this case you're filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you're thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it.    The best part is that the points you get can be used to get free gift cards to places like Amazon, or PayPal cash! Fill up your board and then submit your pattern to get even more points - if you can fill in the whole board, you get a 550 SB bonus! That's enough for a $5 gift card in our Rewards Store. Click here to sign up and get started! If you sign up through my link and earn 300 SB before the first of next month, you'll get a bonus 300 SB!

While traveling with my family last week, we stopped for a bite to eat.  As usual, after placing our orders, our eldest son led us in prayer.  It's just what we do.  An elderly couple sitting nearby noticed we were praying and asked their little one to pipe down.  After our prayers, she looked at me and smiled saying "It's nice to see families praying."    Prayer is such a part of our lives that we do it without form or fashion. Our family prays at home, church and school, yes school.  Some of our friends have said their children are not allowed to pray at school, however, this isn't the case at our kids' schools.  Our district allows children to assemble and pray.  Several honor programs begin with a prayer of invocation and o ur kids' sports teams pray before each game.  The team prayer is led by one of the coaches and helps motivate the team.     The district has some rules regarding prayer in school ...

Swagbucks is currently offering double cash back or more at a number of stores for Independence Day. From JC Penney to Lowes, you'll get cash back (in the form of SB points) for buying your gifts online through Swagbucks. They also have offers where you can earn SB points towards free gift cards for things like trying Hulu. You can find all of the details here .  If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, you can also do that at this page and start earning points towards your first free gift card. As a bonus, if you sign up through me a spend at least $25 shopping online through Swagbucks before the first of the month and you'll get a 200 SB bonus - that's $2 in addition to the points you get for each dollar you spend. These deals will run all the way through Fourth of July!

Yesterday an "On this day" reminder popped up on my social media feed with a post from a few years ago.   I read it and began to cry.  I remember that day.  I remember writing that post.   I was on a business trip a few hours away from home and I got a call from my husband telling me the twins went to Bible Study with him.  He said they stood tall and asked the pastor if they could be baptized. I remember shouting "Hallelujah" over and over again.  The decision was theirs and theirs alone.  I wasn't there to sway them one way or another, they did it and they were steadfast in their decision.   Then last Sunday as I watched from the choirstand as my children received communion I felt a #ProudMommyMoment as one of the little ones received communion for the first time. She knelt down at the altar, cupped her hands to receive the gift of bread and wine.  Her mom stood behind her beaming with a mother's pride.  Her uncle stood nearby and ...

Blog Conference season is in full swing and the forums are filling up with newbies asking "What shall I pack, what shall I pack?"   I remember my first blog conference.  I packed every single thing I thought I'd need:  phone, backup phone, camera, extra chargers - this was before portable charging sticks, SD cards, super dressy clothes, casual clothes, swimsuits, shoes, shoes, shoes, comfy shoes, blah blah blah blah-blah. Basically, I      OVERPACKED. Over the years, I've returned to my minimalist ways and am oh so happy to share 5 my things you MUST pack for a blogging conference. 5. Shoes, shoes, shoes.  Pack a few pairs of comfy shoes.  High heels, flats, sandals, mix it up.  You will see a lot of fashionistas strutting along in the same high heels the entire conference swearing their feet are fine.  Don't worry about them. They're walking in adrenaline and it usually wears off around the 3rd or 4th stroll around the expo f...

We are beach bound and it's time for the annual swimsuit shopping hunt, I mean shopping trip, shopping trip.  Truth is -SURPRISE- I am actually looking forward to shopping for swimsuits this year.  I've been on Nutrisystem for about 5 months now and last year's swimsuit is too big.  *tosses confetti and tosses old swimsuit in donation box* Here are some tips sure to make your swimsuit shopping experience less of a headache. SHOP YOUR SHAPE    Be honest with yourself. String bikinis are NOT for everyone.   I am a work in progress. Nutrisystem is helping me shed the excess weight but I would rather wear a comfortable swimsuit than spend my day at the beach adjusting wedgies.  If you're a plus size diva like me, you may want to opt for a suit with wider straps to keep the girls supported and a full coverage bottom. Click here to check out an article on How to Pick Your Body's Best Swimsuit . Disclosure: I am an Nutrisystem Blog...

Hard to believe Summer is just days away.  Temps are already heating up and this fab mama is not one to be cooped up in some sweltering kitchen.  Now is the time to stock your pantry with items for those quick 'n easy, light 'n tasty meals even the pickiest eater will enjoy. Chicken Salad     I love this easy 3-ingredient chicken salad recipe featured on Atta Girl Says blog.  Yes, only 3 ingredients and it can be served on a bed of lettuce, with crackers or between two slices of bread.    Tip: Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the deli dept of your local grocery store.  Salad with Fresh Fruit The chicas and I get together for lunch at least twice a month and when Summer hits, we dive into the Summer salad offerings at our favorite restaurants.  Last week I had a strawberry spinach salad with grilled chicken and it was both tasty and filling.  Strawberries and nectarines are my favorite Summer fruits - I buy them in bulk whenever ...

OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE will be in theaters for a limited time beginning Nov. 22!  Featuring four new original songs, the 21-minute featurette welcomes the original cast and characters back to the big screen, including Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), who is on a mission to harness the best holiday traditions for Anna (voice of Kristen Bell), Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel) and Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff). Directed by Emmy®-winning filmmakers Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton (“Prep & Landing”), produced by Oscar® winner Roy Conli (“Big Hero 6”), with original songs by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson (“Between the Lines”), OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE will be in theaters for a limited time beginning Nov. 22. Check out the trailer for Olaf's Frozen Adventure “I’m thrilled that Disney Animation’s featurette OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE will be coming to theaters in November with Pixar’s COCO, said John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. “It...

If the dad in your life is a gamer, Swagbucks (the online rewards site that puts cash back in your wallet) has an AMAZING offer through Gamefly where you get 2500 SB (which is the equivalent of $25 in gift cards) for signing up. Gamefly allows you to rent games for lots of different consoles including Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, PS3, PS4, etc, with no late fees ever. Members can also play 100’s of PC games for free! You can try it out for 2 months at a price of $10 AND get 2500 SB by using this link ! Haven't tried Swagbucks yet? This is a great way to do it, and when you sign up through the link above and get your 2500 SB, you'll get a bonus 300 SB at the beginning of July.

If the dad in your life is a gamer, Swagbucks (the online rewards site that puts cash back in your wallet) has an AMAZING offer through Gamefly where you get 1500 SB (which is the equivalent of $20 in gift cards) for signing up. Gamefly allows you to rent games for lots of different consoles including Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, PS3, PS4 , etc, with no late fees ever. Members can also play 100’s of PC games for free! You can try it out for 2 months at a price of $10 AND get 1500 SB by using this link ! Haven't tried Swagbucks yet? This is a great way to do it, and when you sign up through the link above and get your 1500 SB, you'll get a bonus 300 SB at the beginning of July.

To help make your June a little sweeter, Swagbucks is holding a fun team challenge to help you earn free gift cards! For those of you who don't know what Swagbucks is, it's a website where you can earn cash back on everyday tasks you do online like shopping, answering surveys, discovering deals, and watching videos. You can even earn for searching the web! If you've never tried Swagbucks before because you didn't know where to begin, their Team Challenges are a great way to learn the ropes! Their latest, the "Swag Wars" Team Challenge, begins Monday, June 12th at 8am PT. Here's how you can join the challenge and the site: 1. Click here to join the challenge and be assigned to a team. 2. Starting June 12th at 8am PDT, in addition to earning SB you'll contribute points to your teams total as you complete different activities on Swagbucks. 3. Check back on the page often to see the scores and what you've contribute so far. All members...

Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life. BLACK PANTHER stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, with Angela Bassett, with Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. The film is directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Jeffrey Chernov and Stan Lee serving as exe...

If the father in your life is a TV lover, you can get him the gift of a month of Hulu and get paid to do it. Thanks to an offer through Swagbucks, you get $15 (paid in the form of points called SB) for trying Hulu for a month. That will cost you $7.99, so you're making $7 on the deal! Hulu has tons of current and classic programming, movies, brilliant original series, and more. Here's how you do it: 1. Click this link . 2. Create your Swagbucks account (takes 30 seconds) 3. Click "Continue" and sign up for Hulu 4. Enjoy Hulu! You should have your points within 30 minutes. Haven't tried Swagbucks yet? They're a site where you earn points (called SB) for doing things like online shopping, watching videos, taking surveys , and discovering deals and services you might like to try (like Hulu!). You then take those points and turn them into free gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, or PayPal cash. This is a great time to join because ...

Sounds insane doesn't it?  Planning a wedding in ONE week BUT it can be done.  It is being done. Here's the story.  Last week I get a call from my cousin inviting me to his wedding.   His wedding??? I didn't know anything about said nuptials.  You can't just spring that on me.  What am I going to wear?  Deets... I need deets. At first, he and his fiance' were going to have a small civil ceremony.  They'd both been married before and both had big dream weddings so they just didn't want the hassle of a big wedding. Thank goodness they had a change of plans and decided for a small ceremony of sorts and who better to help with their last minute nuptials than moi. I helped plan my mom's wedding, my sister's wedding and one of my best friend's weddings and did it all without breaking the bank. Secure a Location.     June is a great time to have a wedding.  Perfect for outdoor weddings since it's not too hot and it's not ...

“This is a sponsored conversation from Mums the Word Network and The Stork OTC. All opinions are my own.” Late at night when the house is quiet and the kids are sleeping, I sometimes peek in on them. I stand there at their door in awe. Sometimes it brings me to tears just thinking of my life before they arrived. I can't help but think of the countless visits to fertility clinics, numerous meds and rivers of tears I cried during our fertility journey. I guess there were signs of my impending fertility struggle. I mean I started my cycle later than most of my friends. I often had a hair or two spring up like a pimple just days before my cycle and I began to pack on the pounds. Telltale signs of Stein-Levanthal Syndrome also known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). I first heard of PCOS in my late 20s. I remember visits to endocrinologists who poked and prodded in an effort to figure out if I suffered from hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism or blah-blah-blah. Re...

What's sweeter than Summer? Swagbucks Collector's Bills! "Collector's Bills" are special designs that you win randomly while searching the web with Swagbucks ' Yahoo-powered search engine. Collect all 6 and you get an additional SB Bonus! Once you've collected enough SB, you can redeem them for gift cards to stores like Amazon, PayPal Cash, and many more! Here's all the information for this week's Collector's Bills: Search the web   through the Swagbucks search starting   Monday, June 5th through   Sunday, June 11th , and when you get a search win, you may get a special Collector’s Bill valued at either: 5 SB 8 SB 10 SB 11SB 14 SB 22 SB When you get a Collector’s Bill you’ll receive the value of the bill and the bill will be added to your “Collector’s Bills” ledger. Collect all 5 Collector’s Bills and you’ll instantly earn a   20 SB Bonus ! Keep searching til you find them all!