But I’m not the only one….
Photo by the fabulous @lifeonprint Cindy Hickman
Wordless Wednesday: You May Say I’m a Dreamer
Win a $100 Amazon gift card! Book Blast for Mrs. Tuesday’s Departure
Mrs. Tuesday’s Departure Book Blast – $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway – August 14th to 21st.
Meet Author Suzanne Anderson
I was born in Fort Lauderdale, attended the University of Michigan on an athletic scholarship for swimming and then worked on Wall Street. I left the bright lights of the big city fifteen years ago and traveled the world. I now live in the mountains of Colorado, where I pursue my dream of writing novels.
LINKS:
Website: http://www.suzanneanderson.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzanne-Anderson-Author-Page/201662786512944
Twitter: https://twitter.com/seakiev
Mrs. Tuesday’s Departure
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for…
Hungary’s fragile alliance with Germany kept Natalie, a renowned children’s book author, and her family out of harm’s way for most of the war. Now as the Führer’s desperation grows during the waning years of the conflict, so does its threat. Natalie’s younger sister, Ilona, married a Jewish man, putting both her and her young daughter, Mila, in peril; Natalie’s twin sister, Anna, is losing her already tenuous hold on reality. As the streets of Budapest thrum with the pounding boots of Nazi soldiers, danger creeps to the doorstep where Natalie shields them all.
Ilona and her husband take the last two tickets to safety for themselves, abandoning Natalie to protect Anna and Mila from the encroaching danger. Anna’s paranoid explosion at a university where was once a professor, sparked by delusions over an imagined love triangle, threatens their only other chance for escape. Ultimately, Natalie is presented with a choice no one should ever have to make; which of her family will she save?
An inspirational story of faith and family, strength and weakness, and the ultimate triumph of love over hate. Mrs. Tuesday’s Departure demonstrates the power of faith to light even the most harrowing darkness.
… faith is the evidence of things not seen.
Giveaway Details:
$100 Amazon Gift Code
Ends 8/21/12
Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Renting: The New Buying
There are lots of things you will need over the years, but only now and then. Maybe some power tools for working on your home, or a prom dress or tuxedo. Perhaps you want to throw a once-in-a lifetime party and you need some special audio equipment or lights. You could buy all these things, and fill up your house with items that serve only to take up space. In theory, you might need them again some day, and then you could dust them off and see if they still work, or, in the case of clothes, see if they’re still in fashion.
But, increasingly, as money and space get tighter, people are turning to renting all kinds of things to keep their storage spaces free and their lives simple. I find this idea very appealing! If you rent a car, for example, you can be sure that it will always be in decent condition, that you don’t have to worry about maintaining it and carrying the costs involved in car ownership. If you rent clothes or accessories, they will never go out of fashion, unlike the clothes sitting in your closet which look quite different to you than when you bought them ten years ago.
You can hire here: erento.co.uk to find a website carrying all kinds of different things for you to rent. From holiday homes to necklaces, you can have temporary ownership of almost anything you want. You can have it for less, and, because you’re sharing, it’s even good for the environment. The more things are used and maintained, the less they have to be manufactured, which means you are helping the planet too. So before you go to the hardware store to buy that machine, before you spend $1000 on a dress you’ll only wear once, consider renting these things, it might be a better option.
Zuuzs’ Back to School Giveaway!
Believe it or not, school is just around the corner! Whether you are shopping for your college dorm or trying to get your kids set for the classroom, zuuzs is here to help and to save you money as well! Here are all the details :
How to Enter: Sign up for zuuzs or use your active zuuzs account and invite friends to join also! For every friend who joins, you get an extra entry! BONUS: if a friend you refer to the contest wins, then YOU WIN TOO!
Prizes: The Grand Prize Winner(s) will win $1,000 in Back to School Gift Cards and the First Prize Winner(s) will win $100 in Back to School Gift Cards
Details: This contest is open to U.S. citizens only, 18 and over and ENDS SEPTEMBER 16TH
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN RANDOMLY ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH!
Be sure to enter today and invite all your friends to enter as well! Back to School shopping? Just zuuzs it!
Pirate’s Booty – Swap your Unhealthy Snacks for Delicious and Nutritious
When I was younger, we used to eat those cheesy puffs that were full of trans-fats and artificial ingredients and that turned your hands and whatever you touched bright orange. But, times have changed. There are healthier snacks that are good for your family and that, to me, taste much better.
It’s getting close to back-to-school time and a great time for healthy snacks that taste delicious. To me, that’s where Pirate’s Booty snacks come in.
My family and I really love these snacks. They go super fast in my house so I always try to keep a good stock on hand. The flavor is more subtle and lighter than the others and I personally prefer it.
It fills you up and makes you smile without giving you that heavy feeling. Good for you and taste great? That’s definitely a winner in my book.
The Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar is made of corn and puffed rice with delicious white cheddar. They are baked not fried. They also have a really cool pirate theme! They are a huge hit here and are constantly requested. In fact, I have a shopping list on my fridge and a pen and this one gets written in all the time.
Are you looking for some great tips for lunchboxes this school year? Something both nutritious and delicious that will get eaten and not traded or brought home? Something your kids ask for?
Emily Whelan Anschlowar, MS, RD, the in-house nutrition expert at Pirate’s Booty all-natural snacks, has created smart lunchbox swaps that are wholesome, fun and won’t get traded come lunchtime.
When it comes to school lunches, making simple swaps can make all the difference between an average meal and one that makes the grade. Here are a few tips on how your child’s lunch can earn high marks:
- Sandwich Substitute: Whole grain bread, wraps or bagels packed with lean cuts of meat or hummus for protein is the way to go. Whole grain breads are packed with fiber and protein that keep away afternoon hunger pangs! Don’t forget the mustard, which is loaded with antioxidants. Tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers are delicious ways to add crunch, fiber, plus vitamins and minerals.
- Snack Switch: This may be the most important part of the meal because it’s a kid’s favorite. Stay away from greasy, fried potato chips and artificially flavored cheese curls. Baked, all-natural snacks with less fat and calories are a much better alternative. You shouldn’t need Google to read the ingredient list!
- Drink Exchange: Avoid sugary fruit drinks loaded with calories and little to no nutritional benefit. Rehydrating with water or low-fat milk makes the grade! Low-fat milk is delicious and nutrient-rich; containing calcium and vitamin D which are essential for growing bones.
- Sweet Tooth Swap: Instead of something high in fat and sugar like cookies or snack cakes, try naturally sweet low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit. Yogurt is rich in protein, calcium and B vitamins.
Pirate’s Booty gets an A+ in my book for the “Snack Switch” ! Pirate’s Booty is a delicious baked, all-natural snack that kids love and moms can feel good about adding to their lunchbox. Pirate’s Booty is gluten and tree-nut free, so it’s safe for kids with allergies and their classmates too.
Pirate’s Booty is made without trans-fats and ingredients you can’t pronounce. Also, it’s more convenient than ever, as Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar now comes in half-ounce size multipacks that are only 65-calories per pack! Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar half-ounce 12-packs are available at retailers nationwide. The suggested retail price is $6.99.
Pirate Brands
Pirate Brands, a leader and manufacturer of all-natural snacks, is located in Sea Cliff, NY and has been creating healthier treasures since 1987. The company was founded on the belief that you shouldn’t have to “snackrifice” taste and fun for health. Pirate Brands produces deliciously baked, all-natural, trans fat and gluten free snacks that include Pirate’s Booty, Smart Puffs, Potato Flyers, and Tings. Pirate Brands’ snacks are free from fryers and ingredients you can’t pronounce, Arrrrrr. Products are sold in the US. For more information visit: www.piratebrands.com
Ready for some delicious lunch treats for yourself and your kids? We are giving away two great giveaway packs. Each prize will consist of two completely delicious Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar half-ounce 12-packs (that’s a total of 24 half-ounce bags – enough for a month’s worth of school lunches!) and some fun pirate swag!
Simply follow the Rafflecopter, and best of luck matey!
Disclosure: I was provided samples of the above to facilitate this review, however all opinions are strictly my own.
Say Goodbye to Lower Back Pain by Yamuna Zake – Guest Post
Say Good Bye to Lower Back Pain
by Yamuna Zake for Yamuna Body Rolling
It is almost epidemic in our society that at some point most people will suffer from some sort of lower back problem. Women can even be more susceptible to lower back issues from pregnancies and particularly post-delivery due to the fact that the abdominal muscles are no longer supporting the lower back from the front or the sides. Then add that suddenly a woman is carrying a baby, multi-tasking with the baby on one side while doing other things with the other side, in a body that has not yet reorganized itself after labor. A woman’s body undergoes tremendous changes throughout a pregnancy and then with the intensity of labor it is almost impossible to have the body you had before! Most people’s alignment is never perfect to begin with, but after pregnancy most women will have misaligned hips. Add this to not having abdominal muscles that are connected to the back and it is easy to understand why back pain begins very often during and post pregnancies.
I began to look at why so many women suffer from lower back problems one day when a woman of over 60 years old came to me for a treatment complaining about lower back problems. When I asked her when it began, she replied, “after the birth of my first son.” I asked her how old her son was and she laughed and said “40 years old”! I then began to ask every woman who had children who came to me complaining about lower back issues and almost half the time, they reported that their lower backs began to bother them after childbirth.
This led me to analyze why this is so frequent and what information do women need to have in order to prevent lower back weakness and discomfort.
Here are some particular things to pay attention to:
1. Most people are not aware that their hips and lower backs are misaligned. Find someone who can assess your pelvis, hip and lower back alignment and offer guidance.
2. It is important to keep the abdominal muscles long, toned and strong. This means that they keep the rib cage lifted so it does not come collapsing down into the pelvis putting unnecessary pressure into the lower back.
3. Make sure you’re keeping adequate length between your ribs and pelvis in the front, sides and back of your body. Many women expand their front ribs forward during pregnancy to make room for the baby. This causes a strong contraction in the lower back ribs. This causes pressure, upper body weight, and compression directly down into the lower back.
4. The importance of developing and restoring the abdominal muscle connection to supporting the spine is crucial for maintaining a healthy lower back.
5. Keeping the ribcage, shoulders, head, and neck well aligned and upright helps to keep pressure out of the lower back.
6. Many people stand more on one side of the body. Women with young children do this even more! This creates side-to-side imbalances that can cause lower back problems. Try to stay as equal as possible in your legs, hips, and back when standing and when picking up or carrying a child.
7. If your feet are collapsing in the arches, most likely this is contributing to your lower back problems. Check out Yamuna Foot Fitness and rebuild your healthy foot function after pregnancy!
8. Do not live with lower back discomfort! Don’t wait for it to go away on its own. This practice might work the first couple times, but when it stops working most likely the pain and problem will have reached a much more serious level and will be harder to fix.
9. Remember that after you have a baby, your body is not the one you had before. It has shifted and altered at every stage of the pregnancy and even more during labor. Take time to first let it rest. Then before running back to the gym go to have your body alignment assessed and corrected if need be.
If you are already experiencing lower back discomfort seek assistance in aligning and getting all your parts in working order.
10. After labor, all your internal organs have shifted. Very often the intestines, bladder, and uterus have dropped. This can contribute to lower back problems. Remember, you have 33 feet of small intestines, and 11 or more feet of large intestines. All of this weight drops down into the pelvis. Find a professional who can help you to lift the organs back up and prevent unnecessary bladder lifts.
For more information go to the YBR website or email yamuna@yamunabodyrolling for your specific questions.
Check out YBR here! Website: http://yamunabodyrolling.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yamuna-Body-Rolling
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yamuna-Body-Rolling
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yamunabody
Blog: http://yamunabody.tumblr.com/
Yamuna Zake is a master teacher and healer who has dedicated her life to understanding how the body works and helping others to strengthen and create positive change in their bodies through what she has learned. The benefits of the work include improved posture and alignment, increased range of motion, and increased muscle tone, flexibility and organ function.
YBR is a very powerful self-fixing and maintaining tool that everyone can do regardless of age or physical limitations. The method centers around the ball: the ball becomes the hands of the therapist and the person’s weight creates the traction, movement and release on the ball. Yamuna Body Rolling gives you the ability to “work on yourself ” anytime, anywhere.
Carmex Summer Beach Tote and 6 Carmex Sticks giveaway/review
Summertime means fun, sun and barbeques, long days spent at the beach or the lake. So, what could be better than Carmex Sticks with an SPF of 15 to protect your lips from the effects of the hot summer sun? They are also introducing the newest addition to their family of great products – Pomegranate stick!
I love being a Carmex Blog Squad member and recently received a gorgeous summer tote bag filled with 6 Carmex sticks just in time for summer.
The bag is a nice bright yellow canvas with a really cute and useful purse pocket inside. The purse is great to hold money, change, your cell phone, pens, and, of course, lip balms. The tote is summery and roomy with a nautical feel and rope handle. It’s great for a beach towel, water bottle, fruit, the latest paperback novel or whatever you like to take with you to the beach, pool or lake.
The flavors of the Carmex sticks are: Carmex Original, Cherry, Strawberry, Vanilla and Lime. All are super moisturizing and feel great on my lips. I also really love the new pomegranate flavor. Each has the original protective Carmex formula and its own unique smell. The pomegranate is really fruity as is the strawberry. I like all of them, though I prefer the flavored to the Original. You don’t get too much taste in the flavored ones, but the aroma is really pleasant.
I hate to go out with my lips unprotected in cold or warm weather and Carmex really fits the bill. Protective and light, not sticky or tacky, it really feels great on and it does a wonderful job of keeping my lips hydrated. Super easy to reapply as well.
One of my readers is going to win the very same summer tote and 6 Carmex SPF 15 Sticks of every flavor that I received including the new pomegranate! Just follow the Rafflecopter and best of luck!
Disclosure: I received samples to facilitate my review, however all opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Fairytales Can Come True – A review & giveaway of Fairytale Brownies
“Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you’re young at heart.” – Riley B King
Once upon a time in a land called Massachusetts lived a princess. She was feeling a bit sad. She had traveled the world in search of the perfect brownie. She tried so very many different ones. Some were too dry, some too sweet, some too artificial-tasting, some were too bitter, some had an awful aftertaste.
One day, when she was out exploring her kingdom, she saw that a new shop had sprung up. At first, she wasn’t sure if it was real because it was shrouded in mystery and seemed to disappear and reappear, but she took a leap of faith and jumped and found herself inside this heavenly shop. The smells were intoxicating as waves of chocolate surrounded her. A woman came up to her dressed in a gorgeous blue chiffon gown and held out a large plate. On it were a dozen delicious looking chocolate treats. “Go on,” she said, “take a bite.”
The princess took the one at the very top, a beautiful chocolate brownie with raspberry swirls. One bite and she was transported to a world of bliss and all of a sudden she began to laugh. She had found chocolate nirvana.
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This is similar to my experience with Fairytale Brownies. I do love chocolate with a passion, but I am rather picky about what I like. Good friends of mine know that fabulous chocolate is one sure way to my heart.
I always loved chocolate cake, ever since I was small, chocolate ice cream and chocolate bars, but I never knew how much I loved brownies until I tasted Fairytale Brownies. Probably because the ones I had were just not anywhere near as good. Now I am hooked!
These are phenomenal. I remember when I was in grade school, my friend’s mom used to bake delicious brownies and nothing has ever measured up to them until now. Seriously. Yes. They are THAT good.
If you ask me, they are just as good, if not better, than the best homemade brownies I’ve ever had. Rich, soft, fresh, all-natural and full of flavor.
Located in Phoenix, AZ, Fairytale Brownies bakes and ships over 2.5 million gourmet brownie and cookie gifts annually. They make anywhere from 7,200 to 26,880 brownies by hand per day.
Founded in 1992 by childhood friends Eileen Spitalny and David Kravetz, Fairytale Brownies began in a borrowed catering kitchen using a secret family brownie recipe. Their mission? Spreading joy!
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| Co-founders David and Eileen |
Every batch of Fairytale Brownies, Sprites, Morsels and Cookies is baked by hand using their 51-year-old family recipe and all-natural ingredients in small batches. They use rich, dark Callebaut Belgian chocolate, pure creamery butter and farm fresh eggs. Fairytale bakers take great care when creating each gourmet treat. No two brownies look exactly alike, because each topping is carefully sprinkled, swirled or striped by hand.
The brownies are individually wrapped, hand packed in attractive purple packaging and shipped worldwide. Mine were lovingly packed and had their own Fairytale ice pack to keep them cool and they arrived in perfect condition.
I was lucky to receive The Fairytale Dozen, one of every flavor!
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| Fairytale Dozen |
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To say I was in heaven would be an understatement. These brownies all use the highest quality chocolate and melt in your mouth. They smell and taste amazing, deliciously fudgy.
I shared them with friends and family and we had so much fun tasting each one. They were all very very good. If I had to pick my favorites, I would pick the Raspberry Swirl, The Walnut, The Cream Cheese and the Toffee Crunch! But, there was not one that wasn’t delicious. My mom’s favorite is the Espresso Nib. My sister loves the Mint Chocolate.
Fairytale Brownies also make half-brownies (Sprites) and quarter brownies (Magic Morsels). Some even are available sugar-free.
These make amazing gourmet gifts for just about anyone for any occasion and a most wonderful treat for yourself and your family anytime.
Would you like a bit of brownie magic? Check out Fairytale Brownies. In my humble opinion, they are the best brownies I have ever tasted.
Would you like to win some Fairytale Brownies and taste the magic?
One lucky reader of Strange Daze Indeed will win the same Fairytale Dozen I received with one full-size brownie in every flavor!
Just enter via Rafflecopter below and best of luck!
Disclosure: I received a sample for review purposes, however all opinions are strictly my own.
Nectresse – Sweeten Your Summer!
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nectresse™ Sweetener for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
To make it, use your favorite medium to dark roast coffee, add a teaspoon of unsweetend cocoa powder that has been pre- diluted in hot water (it tends to not mix well).
NECTRESSE™Sweetener is a new sweetener from the makers of Splenda that has zero calories per serving. Nectresse is the only 100% natural sweetener made from the goodness of real fruit – monk fruit extract! Monk fruit is a round green melon that grows on vines on remote mountaintops in central Asia. Monk Fruit Extract is about 150x sweeter than sugar and adds zero calories per serving of Nectresse Natural No Calorie Sweetener.
Lisa Ling is the Nectresse Sweetener spokesperson! Due to a family history of diabetes, she has always been cautious about her sugar intake and relied on no calorie sweeteners to satisfy her sweet tooth. However, she hasn’t liked any as much as Nectresse! Check out her video here:
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You can also try out your own FREE sample of NECTRESSE™Sweetener and use it for cooking, baking, on cereal, in beverages. In short, anywhere you would use sugar, you can try it. Nectresse comes in both convenient individual packets (40 servings) 
, which are super convenient, as well as in easy to use canisters (140 servings) for cooking, baking or just being more economical.
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Nectresse is available in grocery stores, drug stores, supercenters and online for the suggested retail price of $3.99 for packets and $6.99 for a canister.
For recipes, samples, more info and fun facts, visit www.NECTRSSE.com.
I love experimenting with mint iced teas and different coffees and hot chocolates. I tried Nectresse in all of these and found it to be tasty! It saved me a lot of empty calories and really was a great sugar substitute.
Lately, I’ve been enjoying a creation I call SPICY MEXICAN MOCHA JAVA.
To make it, use your favorite medium to dark roast coffee, add a teaspoon of unsweetend cocoa powder that has been pre- diluted in hot water (it tends to not mix well). Next, add your favorite creamer or half and half, sprinkle 1-2 pinches of cayenne pepper and cinnamon.
Add Nectresse to taste!
Mix and enjoy the slightly spicy, mocha java.
For an extra special treat, add whipped cream and a cinnamon stick!
This is wonderful for sharing with a friend with some great conversation, or serving at a dinner party!
Here is my creation!
Enjoy!
Wordless Wednesday: Beware the Chickens!
photocredit: my good friend, Cindy Hickman, Lifeonprint