Saturday 7/7, Low Entry Giveaways!

The Great Alone Prize Pack (cozy socks, delicious tea and a copy of "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah) - U.S. - Good Books & Good Wine *RC

$25 Amazon Gift Card and a Copy of ’Price of Jade’ - U.S. - Rockin' Book Reviews *RC

Ipsy Bag includes Kaleido Cosmetics Skin Blush in Primadonna, Innisfree Intensive Hydrating Serum, M.A.C Prep + Prime Skin, Dr. Lili Fan Probiotic Eye Repair Cream, Kokie Cosmetics Be Bright Illuminator and a Blue block-print makeup bag, a $10 Target GC, Soap & Glory Scrub of Your Life (body scrub), Soap & Glory Righteous Butter (body moisturizer) and Pacifica Disobey Time Rose & Peptide Facial Mask - U.S. - Vogue Faux Real


Over 250 Entries:
Xbox One OR Xbox One S Skin - U.S. - Product and Game Reviews *RC

Porcelain Rectangular Platters - U.S. - Marg's Products Review *RC

Last Day to Enter for a chance to Win a Xbox One or Xbox One S Skin #Giveaway (U.S.) Ends Tonight!

Enter here for a chance to Win a Xbox One or Xbox One S Skin!

Giveaway ends 7/7/2018!

Giveaway is open to residents who live in All 50 U.S. States, 13 years of age or older.

Friday 7/6, Low Entry Giveaways!

Family 4 Pack Admission Tickets to Deep River Water Park - Metro Chicago area in Crown Point, Indiana - Wonderfully Chaotic *RC

$100 gift card to Tonlé Design (tonle.com) - U.S. - Green Chic Life *IG

(4) cable passes or (2) free sessions at the Aquapark, Orlando Watersports Complex - FL - My Boys and Their Toys *RC


Over 250 Entries:
1st: Signed Copy of TANGIBLE SPIRITS + $20 Amazon Gift Card; 2nd: Signed Copy of Tangible Spirits (2 Winners) - U.S. - Hall Ways Blog *RC

Year Supply of Torani Syrup - That’s 12 Bottles of Your Favorite Flavors - U.S. - Low Carb Delish *RC

Perfect Petunias - Children's Book Review! #EKBooks

Perfect Petunias is a book especially for those little people who find it hard to make mistakes, designed to ’shape’ perfectionistic tendencies towards being a little more self-accepting and flexible. Loppy LAC is very worried about not doing his homework well enough. He is always focusing on what he hasn’t done rather then what he has, and he becomes very frustrated. So, his friend Curly teaches him about how petunias grow - in lots of different, imperfect directions that we can’t control! Loppy learns that by trying to control whether he makes mistakes or not it’s as if he’s always trying to grow ‘perfect’ petunias.  Sometimes he just needs to accept that things go a certain way and to change his definition of ‘perfect’ to mean trying his absolute best. Perfect Petunias is the third book in the ‘Lessons of a LAC’ series. This gorgeous series, by an author and illustrator who are passionate about giving children ways to think about and manage common emotional difficulties, is a valuable resource for every child to help guide their emotional development.

About the book:
Loppy LAC is very worried about not doing his homework well enough. He focuses on what he hasn't done rather then what he has, and he becomes frustrated. His friend Curly teaches him a lesson about perfection by explaining how petunias grow - in lots of different, imperfect directions that we can't control! Loppy learns that by trying to control whether he ever makes mistakes is like trying to grow "perfect" petunias. Sometimes he just needs to accept that things go a certain way and "perfect" can mean trying your absolute best.

For more information about "Perfect Petunias" and Teacher's Notes and activities to do with children or students: https://ekbooks.org/product/perfect-petunias/#prettyPhoto

About the Author:
Lynn Jenkins is a clinical psychologist, author and mother of three. Lynn is passionate about early intervention in the social and emotional development of children, and has written picture books on the topics of anxiety and worry (Lessons of a LAC and Brave, and Perfect Petunias), a picture book on mindfulness called Ollie's Treasures, as well as two non-fiction titles for adults, Best Start and School Start.

Illustrator:
Kirrili Lonergan is a children’s book illustrator and mother of four. She has illustrated several picture books (Lessons of a LAC, Perfect Petunias, Brave and Dandelions) as well as created designs for clothes, prints and pottery. She is passionate about illustrating picture books that have a ‘healing’ message and has a great understanding of the need for such books as a result of her previous work as a pediatric nurse.

My Thoughts:
I feel that "Perfect Petunias" is an adorable children's book! I like that it teaches children that it's ok to be themselves and to not be perfect all the time. Our children in kindergarten and first grade really need this message today. As the Common Core standards and tests make kids believe if they aren't perfect and getting their scores above a certain level, then the kids feel that they are dumb. And sometimes, there are teachers who tell the kids this because they feel that the child should have done better, instead of encouraging them to do so. My almost nine year old knows that when she takes her STAR tests, she's only competing against herself and her own scores, not against kids in the school or her class.

"Perfect Petunias" teaches us all that we aren't perfect, and that our work isn't always going to be perfect, and that's ok. I am me. I do me, you do you! And that's ok!


Disclosure: I received one copy of "Perfect Petunias" children's book from EK Books in exchange for my post. No other compensation was exchanged or received.

Thursday 7/5, Low Entry Giveaways!

Over 250 Entries:
The Dating Project DVD (2 winners) - U.S. - Heck of a Bunch *RC

Piccoli Horse - plush toy - U.S. - In Our Spare Time *RC

SIGNED Paperback of THE DISTILLER’S DARLING, a tote bag, and an artistic surprise from Rebecca Norinne & Jamaila Brinkley - U.S. - Susan Heim on Writing *RC

Prize pack includes: Water bottle, T-shirt, Wristband, Headband, Beach ball (basketball), UNCLE DREW bobble head, 2 mini posters - U.S. - Once Upon a Twilight *RC

Wednesday 7/4, Low Entry Giveaways!

Dinner for Dinos: Gulp, Guzzle, Chomp, Chew - children's book (4 Winners) - U.S. - The Simple Moms *RC

TRUWOMEN protein bars - U.S. - Give It a Whirl Girl

Living Lean 15-Day Natural Weight Loss Detox - U.S. - Embracing Imperfect *RC


Over 250 Entries:
Signed paperback of "Chosen," a handmade ribbon & charm bookmark based on the book (made by author!), a pack of m&m’s (Kaddy’s favorite candy from the book), & a Kindle copy of the sequel "Chances" - U.S. - Rockin' Book Reviews *RC

Get 300 bonus SB when you sign up for Swagbucks in July

All throughout July you can earn large bonuses when sign up as my referral on Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching the web, watching videos, shopping, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Target, or PayPal cash.

When you sign up through me this month, you can earn a 300 SB bonus! Here's how:

1. Sign up using this link 

2. Earn 300 SB total before August 1st, 2018. You'll get a 300 SB bonus for it!

3. That's it. It's super easy, and Swagbucks is for real. I use it myself, and I've earned so many SB's that I've helped pay for Birthday and Christmas presents for my children!

Tuesday 7/3, Low Entry Giveaways!

Young Explorers Science Set - U.S. - Purposeful Homemaking *RC

Hotel Transylvania 1 and 2 DVD - U.S. - The Mommy Factor *RC


Over 250 Entries:

"The Wife Between Us" - book, and a Lo & Sons weekender bag (@10:59pm CST) - U.S. - eat move make *GT

Arm & Hammer spray - U.S. - The Simple Moms *RC

Monday 7/2, Low Entry Giveaways!

Brave Beauty - book - U.S. - Lynn Cowell

Three NCircle DVDs for Summer Adventures - U.S. - In Our Spare Time *RC

"A Brush With Love" - book (U.S./Can ONLY) OR an e-copy Internationally - Rockin' Book Reviews *RC

Thermoflask Water Bottle - U.S. - Hungry Hobby *RC

Over 250 Entries:

TWIST OF FAITH, by Ellen J. Green (3 Winners) - All 50 U.S. States/Canada - Books I Think You Should Read *GL

My Grandfather's War - Children's Book #Review!

This is a sensitive exploration of the lingering cost of war and of the PTSD so many returned servicemen experience. Released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Khe Sanh (the Vietnam War’s longest battle), it also sheds light on a war that is not always remembered in the same way that the world wars and other conflicts are. Many who served experience a sense of betrayal at the treatment they received on their return, as the conflict came to be regarded as the ‘unpopular’ war, and this is covered in a child-friendly way in a note at the back of the book.

THEMES:

·         Family relations

·         The impact of war on people

·         Why people go to war

·         The cost of war

·         Growing through sharing the past

The award-winning team of Glyn Harper and Jenny Cooper share this poignant story about a Vietnam veteran and his relationship with his granddaughter. While the relationship is a positive one, the young girl senses her grandfather’s pain and is curious to find out the cause of it. As she innocently seeks answers, she unknowingly opens old wounds and discovers her grandfather’s sadness is a legacy of the Vietnam War and his experiences there. This is a sensitive exploration of the lingering cost of war and of the PTSD so many returned servicemen experience. Released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Khe Sanh (the Vietnam War’s longest battle), My Grandfather's War also sheds light on a war that is not always remembered in the same way that the world wars and other conflicts are. Many who served experience a sense of betrayal at the treatment they received on their return, as the conflict came to be regarded as the ‘unpopular’ war, and this is covered in a child-friendly way in a note at the back of the book.

SYNOPSIS:
My Grandfather’s War explores the relationship between a young girl and her grandfather. Sarah, who narrates the story, likes nothing better than being with her grandfather and they do lots of fun things together.

But Sarah senses a deep sadness in her grandfather and is curious about it. Her father tells her to leave him alone when he’s sad as he is thinking about a war in a place called Vietnam.

When she has the courage to ask him about his sadness, Sarah’s grandfather tells her about his time in Vietnam and the war he fought there. Though Sarah is aware that she has probably upset her grandfather she develops a deeper understanding of his past and the two remain as close as ever.

Age Range: 6 - 9 years
Grade Level: 1 - 4

Click here to read more about "My Grandfather's War" and to download Teacher's Notes! This is great for teachers, homeschoolers, and parents who want to help their children further their knowledge at home!

My uncle John, my mom's brother, was in the Vietnam War. We went to see him a few weeks ago, my first road trip with all three of my children, by myself. Well, I asked him, after he showed me a photo of him inside of a book that him and my aunt found at a yard sale, what was the most fun or cool thing that you learned while you were there? He had to really think about it. Later that day, he told me that the most fun thing that he learned while he was there, was how to fly a helicopter! He was medic in the Vietnam War, and also a cook. But they needed someone who could also fly the helicopter in case the pilot was shot. What a neat thing to learn! He even had his pilot's license for a while there.

My Review:
This is a great children's book that gently explains to children about the Vietnam War to children and adults alike. When I've asked my uncle about it, he wouldn't talk to me, and he would get a sad look on his face. He says it was awful. He doesn't talk about what happened over there except with men who were there with him or who were in the war also, probably not in his unit. He does have PTSD. He has sweet neighbors who will call him to let him know that they are doing to put a cottontail bunny out of it's misery because they accidentally hit it with the lawn mower. He also doesn't like fireworks. I don't know what his neighbors do about that. I really enjoyed spending time with him this trip, as he's getting older and all of his hair is white. He has had back problems since he was a teenager, and they sent him to war anyway. He shouldn't have been there. So now, the VA covers most all of his medical costs. But he can't walk or do the things that he used to do. He sits in his recliner a lot now.


Disclosure: I received one copy of "My Grandfather's War" children's book in exchange for my post, from EKBooks. No other compensation was exchanged or received.

Liv on Life: Read, Read, and Read - Children's Book #Review!

Liv On Life book series, written by the extraordinary mother-daughter team of Hollywood actress Elizabeth Gorcey (FOOTLOOSE, TEEN WOLF) and her amazing daughter Olivia (Age 11). In bookstores everywhere, Read, Read, and Read tells the story Liv's love of books, and proves that a book can be a friend and make a friend. This book is not only fun read for the kids, it also opens up a dialogue between young children and their parents on reading and friendship. The award winning Liv On Life Series features Olivia (aka Liv) and her best friend, Bowie, a Boxer dog. Liv is the go-to-girl for kids and parents looking for advice on how to navigate our modern, technological world. The series encourages dialogue between parents and children, and encourages kids to find and celebrate their authentic voices.

About the Author: 
Elizabeth Gorcey has been creating her entire life with paint, film and words. Her new book series is inspired and written along with her daughter, Olivia, who as a three-years-old began to spontaneously deliver wisdom and advice to anyone who was listening. Elizabeth dubbed her daughter's musings as "Liv-Isms," and each book in the series is based on these everyday insights. Sometimes kids are the best teachers, and in encouraging her own daughter to embrace and use her authentic voice, Elizabeth realized how much adults can, and must, learn from the purity and honesty of a child's perspective.

Their first two books Green is Good and Going to the Park are also based on the life philosophy of a very wise little girl, and the LOL Series has been honored with a variety of awards including the Beverly Hills International Book Awards finalist in Picture Books for Going to the Park, Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, first place for Green is Good in the category of green living and environmental excellence, Newbie Author Award from Royal Dragonfly for Going to the Park, and International Book Excellence Awards for Going to the Park as a finalist in picture books, and Green is Good as the Winner in the Green Living category. Green is Good was selected for "Great Kids' Gifts" in People magazine's holiday issue and Olivia attended the Global Green pre-Oscar party as a "Global Green Champion." Olivia also won the inaugural Gutsy Girls Educational Award. Olivia is a columnist for two magazines, Story Monsters Ink and ACT, writing her monthly columns under the banner of "Liv Says...". She is also in demand as a guest speaker at local schools, libraries, and book stores.

Click here for Free Printable Coloring Pages, and more: http://livonlife.com/games-stuff/

About the book (my own words):
This book is about Liv and her one day at school. At recess, her friend ran off with another friend to play tag, so she found a ladybug, and it flew away. Then she thought she'd go on the monkey bars, but the line was too long, so she ended up in the library where she found a bunch of books about all sorts of things. Then her friend Bella found her in the library and Liv and Bella read some books together. Liv took some of the library books home and her and her dog Bowie read them together until they fell asleep. Then Liv dreamed about all sorts of adventures that she read about in the books.

My Review:
This is a cute children's book aimed towards 4-6 year olds. It's a great introduction to books and the library. This would be a cute book to read to a kindergarten classroom and for the children to draw about an adventure that they've read about in a previous book.


Disclosure: I received one copy of "Read, Read, and Read" children's book from Anderson Group PR agency in exchange for my post. No other compensation was exchanged or received.

Sunday 7/1, Low Entry Giveaways!

Hotel Transylvania 1 & 2 on DVD - U.S. - GayNYCDad

BRIO Take Along Labyrinth Game - U.S. - GayNYCDad

T. Rex Excavation Kit from Thames & Kosmos - U.S. - GayNYCDad

Nella the Princess Knight: Royal Quests DVD - U.S. - GayNYCDad

"The Last Echo" by Kimberly Derting - All 50 U.S. States - The Book Bag *RC

Riley Knows He Can - Children's Book - U.S. - Here Wee Read *GL


Over 250 Entries:

Huge Incredibles 2 Prize Package From Fandango (2 Winners) - U.S. - GayNYCDad

$10 IHOP Gift Card - U.S. - GayNYCDad

Scratch & Draw Enchanted Animals book - U.S. - Creative K Kids *RC

hubMini from myCharge - U.S. - The Simple Moms *RC