The insanely generous people from Precious Girls Club sent me a box of their products to check out and they instantly became favorites of my daughters. KG, 5, and Kat, almost 2, love to read and they included a hard back copy of the first book in the Precious Girls Series, A Little Bit of Faith, for each of them. They also sent 5 paper back copies for KG to give to her friends, who’s mothers were thrilled. We finished the book within 5 days of getting it (it’s a chapter book and perfect for KG to read before bed at night), and the girls and I loved it. It has a wonderfully inspirational story about a young girl, Katie, who overcomes her own fears with a little bit of Faith and gains a lot in return. We will definitely be keeping up with this series. It teaches young girls that they are precious in God sight, that God created them special, and that He loves them just the way they are.

They also sent me:

2 Precious Girls Club Charm Bracelet, 2 Packages of Filler Beads, 4 charms (Kind – Butterfly Charm , Loving – Heart Charm , Faithful – Cross Charm , Comforting- Bear Charm ) (We split these between KG and her best friend.)

2 Precious Girls Club Canvas Tote Bag (KG loves bags! We gave one to her best friend with all the accessories and a book.) These cute pink bags are perfect for packing things to take in the car, to a friends house, and just about any where else. They hold a surprisingly large amount of “girl stuff” and since they’re made of canvas hold up well to all a little girl can dish out.

1 Large Patches, Katie’s Dog, Plush Stuffed Animal (KJ sleeps with Patches every night) The dog is so cute! KJ likes to pretend to ride him and everywhere she goes, Patches goes too. Patches has been a wonderful, clean, pet for KJ. No mess to clean up:)

1 Faith Musical Waterball (KG collects Snowglobes, so it was like an early birthday present. We wind it up every night before she goes to sleep.) The Waterball plays “You are My Sunshine”. It was hard for me to get KG to understand that Faith would not come out of the Waterball and be her guardian angel like in the book. It’s so pretty and fits perfectly in any little girls room

- 1 Pure NRG CD “Here We Go Again“-This CD comes with 13 songs that any little girl will want to get and dance to, we play it when we’re cleaning house, playing with toys, or driving down the road. It has become a new favorite to listen to in the car, even dad can tolerate it.

- Plenty of Precious Girls Club Pens and Stickers-These were great for me. I use pens all the time and the stickers are a great incentive for getting KJ to do…well, anything. I gave many of the pens to the same girl’s mothers who got the A Little Bit of Faith books.

- Precious Girls Club Scratch Cards (We gave all of the little girls in KG’s class and her Sunday School class one.) The access codes included on the scratch cards and books will unlock a free month of premium Rainbow Club membership to access special content on the site, www.preciousgirlsclub.com. Visitors to the site will be able to design their own virtual character and room, earn Precious Points towards virtual items, and take part in a variety of games and activities. Premium Rainbow membership provides all of these same benefits, plus additional exclusive content and activities.Playing on the site is always free, but the access codes included on the scratch cards and books we send you will unlock a free month of premium Rainbow Club membership to access special content on the site. Visitors to the site will be able to design their own virtual character and room, earn Precious Points towards virtual items, and take part in a variety of games and activities. Premium Rainbow membership provides all of these same benefits, plus additional exclusive content and activities.

As a part of this review, The Precious Girls Club is offering a special access code to all of my readers, 3HWH-T9DX-RROK, so you can experience all the fun of a premium Rainbow membership to Precious Girls Club, www.preciousgirlsclub.com. KG loves this site and I love it because it can be used as a rewards system. IF she gets her homework done and her room clean (yes, we have to do this daily) THEN she can play on the Precious Girls Club site for 1 hour while I cook dinner. KJ loves to watch KG play, because the little girl is so animated and there are so many fun things to do on the site.

All of the New Precious Girls Club’s great products can be purchased at www.shoppreciousgirlsclub.com .

Precious Girls Club is giving one lucky reader their own set of fabulous Precious Girls Club products including the book, A Little Bit of Faith, a charm bracelet and charm, and a large Patches Plush.

Is that fabulous? What little girl wouldn’t want to win this? Even if you don’t have a Precious Girl of your own, I’m sure you know one…because aren’t all little girls Precious?

Here’s all you have to do to win:

* Head over to www.shoppreciousgirlsclub.com and check out all they awesome products. Come back here and comment on which is your favorite.

It’s that easy.

BUT if you want to gain some extra entries you can:

*Sign up for a free month of Rainbow membership at www.preciousgirlsclub.com.

*Grab a Mom of Faith Button and proudly display it on your site.

*Blog about this Precious Giveaway, more than a sentence and link is required. A full blog post only counts. (You will get 3 extra entries for this) Comment 3 times for your extra entries and include a url.

*Subscribe to Mom of Faith and don’t miss anything.

*Tweet this Giveaway (copy and paste): @MomofFaith Are your girls Precious? Win a Precious Girls Set Giveaway! Valued @ over $30 http://bit.ly/dKAV RT

Giveaway Ends February 20th @ 9pm!

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Now, as always, receiving a blog award means there are some rules to follow! The rules for the first blog award are; list 6 things that make you happy.

1. Listening to KG read out loud.
2. Reading to KG’s Kindergarten class.
3. Watching Life on Wednesday night (it’s awesome)
4. Making home improvements on our new house
5. Reading anything
6. Silence

The rules for the second blog award are to list 10 honest things about you.

1. If I don’t have to leave my house I usually wear my pajamas all day long.
2. I’m going to be 27 in April.
3. I spend way too much time on the computer, seriously. WAY too much time!
4. I am addicted to chocolate and McDonald’s French Fries.
5. I am a reformed drug user. Don’t judge me. I’m being honest.
6. I enjoy giving others encouragement. When I make someone else feel good, I feel good.
7. I am trying to get involved with Missions.
8. My natural hair color used to be blond, now it’s brown.
9. I was considered a FREAK in high school and didn’t much care for people.
10. My house is always a wreck after the weekend and it takes me til Wednesday to get it semi-clean.

Now, I have to return the favor and choose 6 blogs to pass these awards on to. Here are a few of my favs that I enjoy reading on a daily basis.

I was impressed by how quickly it soothed the burning/stinging from each burn and how clean, not sticky, it felt better immediately. It absorbed as quickly as it soothed the pain.  Made with Vitamin E, Chamommille Flower Extract, Aloe, and Arnica Montana Flower Extract, it cools on contact.  Using Burn Cream MD minimizes scarring and speeds up the healing process.  This has become a new ktichen staple for our family and I’m sure it will for you too.

Here’s an example of what my average week looks like:

Monday-Clean Kitchen, Sweep Floor, Vacuum, Make Beds, Dishes
Tuesday-Dust, Plan for Mission, Friends, Vac, Dishes, Laundry
Wednesday-Clean Bathroom, vac, dishes, laundry, Mission Friends
Thursday-Wash Girl’s Sheets, Clean Kitchen, Vac under couch, Sweep & Mop, Dishes, Laundry
Friday-Wash Master Sheets, Iron, Dust, Vac, Dishes, Laundry
Saturday-General Clean up (Family Room, Living Room, and Desk), Vac, Dishes, Laundry
Sunday-Groceries, Vac, Dishes, Laundry

Having this calendar on my fridge keeps me on track and helps me keep my house intact. For those of you who have trouble staying organized, there IS help.  Beverly Coggins, Professional Organizer, has created a series of easy to read and easy to follow mini books focused on helping you organize your life.  1-2-3…Get Organized offers more than twenty (20) products designed to help you organize your home, office, and life. With subjects varying from Time Management, Organizing your Office, Planning Children’s Parties, to Planning Your Dinner helps you organize your life in three (3) easy steps.  Beverly also offers books on Hassle Free Dinners, Cooking up a Family Cookbook, Writing Your Life Story, and Nature Photography Notecards.  All of 1-2-3…Get Organized’s books and workbooks are made of durable, laminated, bright, glossy pages with easy to follow instructions.  Beverly also has a great blog to help you stay organized!  Beverly sent me Time Management for Stay at Home Moms, Three Steps for Organizing the Office, and Three Steps for Clever Cleaning for me to try out and review. The books are so easy to use and follow along with and are full of great tips! I was able to implement the tips I wasn’t already using immediately, so I was tahnkful for that. With a two year old having books out is always a true test of their mettle and with the laminated pages these held up to the worst she could dish out.

Beverly Coggins has generously offered to give one of my readers a set of three (3) of her 1-2-3…Get Organized books: Time Management for Stay at Home Moms, Three Steps for Organizing the Office, and Three Steps for Clever Cleaning.

Entry is easy:

*Hop over to 1-2-3GetOrganized.com and check out Beverly Coggins great books. Comment here which are your favorites.

Earn Extra Entries:

*Subscribe to Mom of Faith

*Grab the Mom of Faith Button and display it on your blog.

*Tweet this Giveaway: Get Organized! Win 3 Organizing Books! http://bit.ly/17TPP RT!

Don’t miss anything from Mom of Faith, sign up for a subscription to this blog or to have it delivered right to your email…the sign-up link is on the left. Be sure to check out all the GREAT giveaways going on here at Mom Of Faith right now!

For more great Works For Me Wednesday, Hop over to Rocks in My Dryer and be sure to leave her a comment.

Money and Energy Saving Tips

One of the biggest energy and money drains in your house is your bathroom.  So let’s discuss how you can reduce the energy use and put some savings in your pocket.

*Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, which use only a third as much electricity and last ten times longer than a regular bulb. Replacing five (5) bulbs can save you up to $27 each year

*Lower your hot water heater to 120 and drain any sediment.  Almost 10% of a normal energy bill is due to heating the water used by the shower and faucets.

*Add an insulation jacket to hot water heater and pipes.  This can reduce the cost of heating water up to 15%.

*Install faucet aerators or low-flow faucets and shower heads(like the ones in the Niagara Delixe Water EcoKit).  These use less hot water and, therefore, save money and energy.

*Buy Energy Star items, such as water heaters and ventilation fans.  Through energy rebates or tax credits, you may be able to save even more money.

* Install a quick-delivery pump/control unit under the bathroom sink or install a mini-water heater in each bathroom.  Many of these units include everything you need for an easy do-it-yourself installation.  These tiny pumps consume only about $2 of electricity over a years time and have a lot of energy savings potential, especially with faucets that are located far from the main water heater.

*Unplug the hair dryer, electric shaver and other electronic grooming items to save on stand-by energy costs and help ensure safety in the bathroom.

Implementing these easy to do tips could save you some money and quite a bit of energy.

Don’t miss anything from Mom of Faith, sign up for a subscription to this blog or to have it delivered right to your email…the sign-up link is on the left. Be sure to check out all the GREAT giveaways going on here at Mom Of Faith right now!

Meeting Lizzy tells the story of Cy and Eliza, two teenagers from seemingly different worlds. Eliza is ultra popular, smart, beautiful, and dating the star football player; while Cy is a freak, doesn’t apply himself (though intelligent), and a loner by choice. Both are missing the love of their mothers and their fathers are not around nearly enough. By chance and horrible circumstance they meet and both of their lives are forever changed.

One evening while watching a tv police drama, Cy is sure he hears a terrible noise coming from upstairs and goes to investigate.  He knocks on the door on the upstairs apartment to find “Beef Man” standing behind the door and a young girl laying motionless on the floor.  What follows is Cy and Eliza’s versions of a story with heart-wrenching detail.  Cy struggles to help Eliza escape from the massive abuse she receives from her boyfriend while struggling with his own identity; Eliza struggles with the fear and pain caused by the abuse, trying to break free from the cycle, and being pulled back in by a boyfriend who contributes not only physical abuse, but also psychological.

Follow along with Cy and Eliza as they struggle with their own personal demons and some real life demons too. SaraBeth Carter meets the challenge of correctly depicting the gross abuse in enough detail to be believable and drives home the importance of talking to your children about abuse. I would recommend this well-written book to everyone and plan to read it with my daughters in a few years. If you know a librarian or are one yourself, be sure Meeting Lizzy is in the library. This book could save a young woman’s life.

Read the teaser 1st Chapter of Meeting Lizzy here.

Larry John Wright Publishing has graciously offered to give away a copy of Meeting Lizzy to one reader here on Mom of Faith.  The giveaway starts today and will run until February 14. A winner will be chosen at 10 pm, Saturday, February 14.

In order to enter:

*Send five (5) of your closest friends the link to the sneek peek for Meeting Lizzy and CC amanda(at)momoffaith(dot)com

Gain Extra Entries:

*Sign up for email delivery of Mom of Faith

*Tweet this giveaway

*Blog about this giveaway, more than just a sentence and a link is required.

Good luck!

Photos courtesy of Sara Beth Carter.

Don’t miss anything from Mom of Faith, sign up for a subscription to this blog or to have it delivered right to your email…the sign-up link is on the left. Be sure to check out all the GREAT giveaways going on here at Mom Of Faith right now!

#68-Lisa G.

Congratulations Lisa. You have received your email and your info has been passed on.  Please feel free to come back here and let us know what YOU thought about the kit.

Just to remind you what comes in the Deluxe Water Eco Kit:

* HANDHELD EARTH® MASSAGE SHOWERHEAD 2.35 GPM
* TEFLON TAPE
* LEAK DETECTION TABLETS AND TIPS
* KITCHEN SWIVEL AERATOR
* (2) BATHROOM AERATORS
* FLOW METER BAG
* TOILET TANK BANK
* TOILET WATER SAVER (Fill Cycle Diverter)

I urge you to head over to Niagara Conservation and order one for your house!

“Coombs Family Farms is a seventh generation small family maple farm that works with other small independent family farmers who share our commitment to quality, environmental stewardship, and sustainable forestry.” Coombs Family Farms uses tree-friendly spouts to to tap their trees. “A typical tree will be more than 10 inches in diameter and have one or two taps.  “Coombs Family Farms uses Energy saving reverse osmosis evaporators that reduce carbon emissions. In fact, by using this reverse osmosis process, we reduce our syrup-making energy consumption by 75%! As the water is boiled off, the liquid becomes sweeter (more concentrated), and begins to move towards the front of the pan. This is where we see the boiling sap turn golden. We frequently check the temperature of the boiling liquid. When it reaches 7.50F degrees above water’s boiling point, it has become maple syrup. What was 98% water and 2% sugar is now 33% water and 67% sugar.” It is then filtered and packaged. That’s it. There are added preservatives, thickeners, or artificial flavors added to their syrup, just straight out of the maple tree maple syrup. There are no pesticides used in or on the farm. That’s the best you can offer your family.

Now let’s get down to the taste, as this is the most important part of it all to a child and a mother. Delicious. We made pancakes, bacon, and eggs last Thursday just like every other week. The only exception was the addition of a new bottle of maple syrup. We put out the name brand” and Coombs Family Farms’ brand for a taste test, to see if we could tell the difference. The Coombs Family Farms’ syrup was smooth, just the right sweet and tasted so delicious.  My girls preferred the Coombs syrup over the “name brand” with all the foods.  We ate chicken fingers dipped in Coombs Family syrup for lunch on Friday and it was so good. I will never go back to “name brand” syrup again.  I love that Coombs Family Farms uses environmentally safe processes and still produces organic, delicious, maple syrup.

If you, too, are interested in feeding your family the best nature has to offer check out Coombs Family Farms Maple Syrup.

All photos are courtesy of Coombs Family Farms.

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In week three of the Money Talk Monday series, we are discussing visualizing your financial future.  A great way to start down the path to financial independence is to visualize your future. I want to start by creating a mantra for our financial future. It’s important to have a vision for your future and putting it in writing is a great way to affirm it.  So that’s what I want you to do. Think of a mantra for your financial future; make sure you keep it in the present tense and affirmative. Now write it down. I’m going to do it myself, right here for all of you to see.

I am making all the right steps to becoming financially independent.

Did you do it? Now put it somewhere you’ll see daily; even better, put it where it can be seen several times daily. For me this is taped to my computer screen so I’m looking at it everyday.

There are so many different opinions about the actual effects of visualization on your life, but my view is that it can’t hurt. You can’t become financially independent solely by visualizing it, but it is a part of the process. If all you are thinking about is how you are never going to become independent or how you’ll never succeed then all of your energy is going into that instead of making positive choices and changes in your life that will help you succeed.

Positive thinking is not wishful thinking. Positive thinking is a way of life.  Positive thinking requires you rid yourself and life of all negative thinking.  It does not promise that your life is going to be roses and perfect and when life isn’t perfect  it requires even more dedication and practice to continue your new way of thinking and living.  Positive thinking is only one part of what it takes to make a better life for yourself.

Dreams give you something to strive for, something to work for and without them we live a sad, fruitless existence. I chose the word existence because that’s what it is without dreams and hopes, not a life. Life is what you give everything into making better and what you work hard for. Instead of constantly worrying about money and financial problems, make a conscious effort to focus your thinking on wealth and the steps to creating that wealth.  I’m not suggesting you stop thinking about paying your bills, but focus your attention on creating wealth.

This week you have a little homework. Focus your thoughts on creating wealth and keep them affirmative.  If you didn’t already write down your mantra, do it now and please share it with us.

What is your mantra? What steps are you making to positively affect your future?

For more information on becoming financially independent, check out Dr. Lois Frankel’s Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich.

To catch up on what you’ve missed with Money Talk Monday, check out parts One and Two.

Don’t miss anything in this series, sign up for a subscription to this blog or to have it delivered right to your email…the sign-up link is on the left. Be sure to check out all the GREAT giveaways going on here at Mom Of Faith right now!

Priced very affordably, the white stone and turquoise jewelry could easily become a staple of any one’s wardrobe. Elizabeth sent me her 18 in. Blue Meadow Turquoise Necklace to try out and I love it! I wear it almost everyday, it looks good with blue jeans and my little black dress; priced at just $25.00 for the 18 inch collar necklace I’ll be buying one for each of my sister’s birthdays.

Short History of Abella Galleries

In May 2007, while traveling in China and studying Chinese language, Elizabeth fell in love with the beauty of Turquoise stones and decided to start her own online jewelery store. While researching and meeting with many different Turquoise manufacturers, Elizabeth decided to feature not only her work, “but also the creative works of other artists who might not have the time or resources to develop their own online gallery.”

Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Abella Galleries officially launched their online gallery in December 2008.  Abella Galleries has a fresh water pearls collection on the way in upcoming months and has just released some preview pictures on AbellaGalleries.com.

In the coming months Abella Galleries will be home to the works of a “skilled silversmith” and a beautiful bridal jewelry selection. To show their gratitude to their customers, Abella Galleries offers free gift wrapping and a personalized gift note, as well as, free shipping on purchases over $100.  In an effort to be environmentally conscious, Abella Galleries ships your jewelery to you in used or recycled cardboard boxes stuffed with shredded used fashion magazines.

Special for Mom of Faith Readers only! For a 15% discount, Mom of Faith’s readers can type FAITH in the special coupon box on the Shopping Cart page after an item is selected for purchase.

UPDATE! Elizabeth from Abella Galleries has just extended a giveaway offer to my SUPER lucky readers!

The rules for entry are simple:

* Head over to Abella Galleries, look around, learn something, and come back here and comment on your favorite item and why.

Earn Extra Entries by (remember to comment separately for each one):

* Subscribe to have Mom of Faith delivered straight to your inbox.

* Blog about this giveaway. More than just a link is required, at least a paragraph. (Worth 3 entries, comment 3 times)

* Grab my button and put it on your site.  Comment with the url where I can find the button. (Worth 3 entries, comment 3 times)

* Tweet this giveaway: Win a BEAUTIFUL White Stone/Turquoise necklace!! http://bit.ly/CEnJ RT

Good Luck!!

Head over to Bloggy Giveaways to enter tons more great giveaways!!

All Photos courtesy of AbellaGalleries.com