Giveaway!

No, not me, although I wish I could give away something every week!  That would be so awesome!  But, my bloggy friend, Kelly, over at Life in A Small Town is hosting  a sweet little giveaway today!  So hop on over there and play along!  I hope you win...wait, no, I don't...I hope I win!  Hee hee!! 

GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!!

Happy Thursday, Blends!  

I have a winner for my giveaway and I'm SO excited!  Just so you know everything was legit and on the up-and-up, here is a screenshot of the random integer generator I used online.  I assigned every commenter a number (and more than one if you also blogged about the giveaway on YOUR blog) and then used this fancy schmancy number thingy and VOILA...

The lucky winner is NUMBER 3!!  That would be Heather at Amazing Grace!  Yay, Heather!  Way to go!  I will send you an email and get your address so I can get your book to you, ASAP!  

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway! 

4-Year Anniversary Giveaway

I promised a few posts back I would host a giveaway for my 4-year bloggy anniversary.  My ACTUAL anniversary was the 19th of April.  Click here to see my VERY first post!  It was fun to go back and see how much life has changed for us in the last four years.

Now, to the giveaway.  When I first announced I wanted to host one, I actually had something very different in mind.  However, once I began reading the book I'm currently in right now, I realized I had to give one away to one of my faithful Blends.

So, I will be giving away a copy of Beth Moore's newest book, So Long Insecurity: You've Been a Bad Friend to Us.  Y'all, this book is phenomenal and life-changing, truly.

 Every woman I know deals with insecurity in their lives in some form or another.  Whether we don't like our bodies (or at least certain parts of it), are insecure in relationships, don't think we're good enough mothers, wives, daughters, or are insecure in our relationship with God...whatever the case may be...we all deal with one of Satan's greatest weapons...INSECURITY!

Even if you have already read it, and/or already own a copy, feel free to enter to win!  You can give a copy to a friend or loved-one!  

Even if you are convinced you don't need to read a book on such a topic because it's just not that big of an issue for you (like I was), rest assured you will be BLESSED by reading it nonetheless.  I'm reading it on my Kindle and have already bought one copy and given it to a friend in the hopes it will continue to be given away after each woman finishes with it. 

Here are the rules:

1.) Leave a comment here and tell me why you want to win this book.  MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A WAY TO CONTACT YOU IN CASE YOU WIN.  

2.) If you want your name in the "pot" more than once, write about this giveaway on YOUR BLOG and link back to it.  Please link back to this particular post and not just to my blog in general.  Oh, and make sure you TELL me you linked to it in your comment so I will know to go and check it out!  

3.) I will close the giveaway next Wednesday, April 28 at midnight, and will draw for a winner sometime the next day.  I will announce the winner shortly thereafter!  

You Like Me, You Really Like Me

Okay, so maybe you didn't like me so much, as you probably felt really sorry for me and decided to follow because anyone who would stoop to actually ASKING for followers must be really desperate. 

BUT WHO CARES? 

Because you did it anyway and now, my dear Blends (I'll get that in a sec), I've hit my goal!  I have 100 followers, and I am just tickled pink, y'all! 

I hope all of you who are now "official" will stop by my little rodeo every once in a while and comment.  Comments are love, Blends. 

Back to the whole Blend thing.  I've noticed recently that several of the blogs I read have some term of endearment created especially to address their readers by.  I loved this idea, but didn't want to just STEAL someone else's idea. 

So, I thought and thought.  If I can be called a Sunday, a Siesta or a Bleep (three blogger a.k.a's I can think of off the top of my head), then I think I can get away with using something as random and possibly strange as Blend (Blog + Friends...get it?  I knew you would).

So, to all my BLENDS, I say, THANK YOU!!! 

p.s.  Giveaway coming soon!  I told you I would, so check back in a short while. 

p.p.s.  I hit Hobby Lobby's HUGE sale this weekend and will have a new mantle set up, soon.  My SIL, Dawn and my MIL helped me pick everything out.  So, next post:  The Cowgirl's new mantle!  Stay tuned!  

Welcome to the Family, 400!

**added later**  

**WHOA, MOMMAS!!!  When I shouted out for followers to DELURK, boy did you answer.  In just a few short hours, I've gained almost 10 followers, if I'm not mistaken!  I LOVE it!  That made my day!  Keep it up!  I think I've come up with a GREAT giveaway, so come back to read all about it!**

I didn't realize until I started writing with a different intention, that this is my FOUR-HUNDREDTH POST!  Peeps, I am SO EXCITED!

Never would I have guessed almost four years ago, when I began blogging just as an outlet and as something that was easier than building my own website (thanks, Amy), how far blogging would take me and how many avenues it would open up for me.

I've been able to present about blogging TWICE now at the state technology convention, TCEA, in Austin.  I've been able to incorporate blogging smoothly into my classroom because I was already using it on my own.  I've connected with people who I've grown to love as if I knew them in person.  I've found virtual shoulders to cry on, and have connected with people who know people I know.

Blogging is a part of my life and those who don't understand its appeal or use, might think I'm crazy.  But when you go through things in your life that leave you feeling like you're alone and you need answers, like infertility, blogging is the outreach I so craved and needed.

Having said ALL of that, in honor of my 400th post and upcoming 4-year bloggiversary in April, I want to do two things:

FIRST...I'm setting a lofty goal.  By my FOURTH bloggiversary, I am challenging myself to have 100 Followers.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I know blogging isn't all about how many people read your writing.  However, I'm also going to try to keep it real and confess that I do get excited when I have a new follower.  I LOVE meeting new Followers.  Really.  I love clicking on their profile pics and visiting their blogs, reading about where they are reading about me from!  Did you get that? 

SO, if you are a lurker, and haven't chosen to FOLLOW ME, please do so!  If you follow me, I will return the favor!

I'm sitting at 74 followers right now.  That means, I only need 26 more to hit my mark of 100!  Can we do it, Bleeps (I LOVE that term, and will give ALL CREDIT to the most hilarious blogger I know, Busted Kate over at Busted Plumbing...it's a mashing of Blog and Peeps)...fun, huh?)?

SECOND: I'm going to host a giveaway soon, so keep checking back to find out what it is!  I'm going to wait until closer to my actual bloggiversary, so come back! 

It's a Giveaway!!!

No, not from me this time, from my friend Jerri over at Salty Sister! Go check her out! It is definitely a giveaway you'll be interested in!

Giveaway Reminder!

Hey y'all! Don't forget about the giveaway (see the post below)! Tomorrow is the last day to both leave a comment and to post the link back to my blog on your own so I can give you an extra chance to win! I'm so excited about picking a winner and see who will be sporting this SWEET shirt proclaiming the awesomeness of their hubby! I will be gone all day Friday, so I won't actually announce a winner until Saturday sometime! Good luck and spread the word!

It's A Giveaway...Marriage Style!

For several months now, I have felt the need, the urge to really do something to help with the sad state of marriages, young and old, in our little town (and from what I know around the nation and maybe even world). Satan is certainly finding weak spots in our marriages and relationships and has convinced us that the easy-way out is the best way.

Please know, I am not judging your situation IN THE LEAST! "Do not judge, lest ye be judged." Each of us has choices to make in life and in NO WAY do I know what is best for you or your family. And I also know there are some times when there is absolutely no choice but to leave the current situation you are in because it is dangerous and you or your children, or both, are in trouble. Just know it is on my mind because it is on my heart and it just makes me sad to my core.

I am daily thankful that I have never been in this situation in my marriage. I pray CONTINUALLY for marriages today, especially for those in trouble, on the brink of divorce, and even for those that appear strong; I pray for my own marriage, that God would continue to bless it and to show me ways to be a better wife.

Anyway, I have prayed for ways I can help with what I see as major spiritual warfare causing stress, sadness, depression and anger, among other things. Yet, I still really have no idea how I can directly help others than to pray! Then, I stumbled upon this website from another blog and thought it had been a while since I had done a giveaway!

SOOOOOOOOO...without further ado, here's what you're playing for:

Sorry guys, this one's for the ladies...but if you're interested you can visit the website listed on the tee for a My Wife Rocks shirt!

And here's what you have to do to win!!!

1.) Leave a comment and tell me where you are (just state is okay if you aren't comfortable with details) and something you have learned from your own marriage that has been positive, a piece of advice you would give, or just a short anecdote about marriage. You see my drift...

2.) Make sure you include your email address so I can know how to respond to you and I can get your t-shirt size and mailing address!

3.) I will pick a winner (using a random number generator) in ONE week, which will be May 8th!

4.) If you mention the giveaway on your own blog and include a link back to my blog, I will enter your name TWICE!!!

YAY! I ♥ Giveaways! Now, go give your hubby a kiss!!!

And the winner is...

...Sadie-Kate-08! She was #150, which was the number randomly generated at Random.org. She will be receiving a $25 Amazon.com gift card to spend on books or whatever she chooses! Congratulations!

I had SO much fun with this bloggy giveaway! Thanks to you all for commenting and playing! I can't wait to play again!

Happy weekend!

It's A Giveaway!!

***This giveaway will end Friday, August 1st at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. If you leave a comment after that time, I will not include it in the final count for the giveaway...thanks!***

Yes, blogger friends. I have been inspired. Ever heard of the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival? Me neither, until today and it is fantastic. So, here's how it works. If you click on the link above, there is a WHOLE LIST of blogs doing giveaways. I figure if you register for all of them, you have a pretty good chance of winning SOMETHING, right? There are some pretty awesome things being given away.

So, I was trying to come up with something really cool to give to a fellow blogger. "The Shack" giveaway is already being done by my friend, Trey, so that one was out. I had other ideas, but nothing was screaming, "That's it!," until now!

So, what is one of my VERY favorite pastimes, along with blogging? READING! There is just nothing like a really good book, don't you think?

So, as a lover of reading and a lover of all things books, I decided the perfect giveaway is a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com! WOO HOO!!

Here's what you have to do to enter. Just leave a comment on this post that includes your name and a way to contact you (if you aren't already a blogger or if your blog is private), if you are the winner. Friday, August 1st, I will get a total number of entries, and then use this tool to generate a random winner! I will then contact you. If you do not respond within 3 days of being contacted, I will draw for another winner. Easy as that!

I can't wait! Good luck!

Fun Giveaway...Check it Out!

There is a fun giveaway happening at this blog, Old Red Barn, Co. Even if you aren't interested in the quilt, go over and check out her site. You will enjoy it, I know!

Tomorrow I will post all about where I have been and what I have been doing. Let's just say you didn't know because I didn't know!

Details to follow...