Accessorize Yourself--or your kids! (Giveaway)

Kimiko Gifts has generously offered to sponsor a giveaway here. My girls were just as excited about this as I was. Minutes after we received the wonderful gifts they immediately put them on and then began trading back and forth because both wanted to a turn to wear each headband.

These beautiful pieces are super affordable! Prices start at $3 and last I checked nothing in the store was more than $16!

You could win one! Here are the details:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Go check out kimikogifts etsy site HERE and come back and comment telling me your favorite item(s).

Additional entries:

+1 for making Kimiko Gifts a favorite on Etsy.

+2 if you facebook about it (please include a link).

+1 if you tweet this (you can copy/paste this): I want to win a cute headband from Kimiko Gifts Etsy @cranberryfries blog http://bit.ly/9VXX5W #contest #giveaway

+2 if you blog about it

+1 if you email 2 friends about it.

+2 if you email 3+ friends.

+5 entries if you purchase any item (tell me what you picked out, completed purchases only)

You can leave one or several comments for each entry, just let me know how many entries you have gotten. Contest closes on Novemeber 8th. I'll put all the entries in a bowl and let me kids pick a name so go rack up the entries!

Boo!

May you enjoy all the candy your tummy can handle. I know we will! :)

One Reason Halloween is My Favorite

Nine years ago, instead of Trick or Treating I was out for a walk. He stopped under a lamp post and recited a sweet poem he wrote just for me. The last line was, "Will you marry me?"

Happy Halloween everyone.

First I was afraid. (The beginning of NaNoWriMo)

If there were ever any doubt this might just seal the deal that I am crazy. For the whole month of November I am going to be trying my darndest to write a lot of words. If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo before you can go read about it.

I first saw friends participating about two years ago, and obviously by then it was too late to get in on the action. Then last year we went on a big family vacation for a week and a half during Nov and I was pretty sure that meant I was missing out then too. So I thought well maybe this year.

Now it's here and I kept trying to tell myself there is just no way I could make it all work. I heard stories from friends about how TOTALLY crazy the month was (for them, their families, their houses cleanliness, etc). I'm not sure my family is ready for this. To take over what I will inevitably be lacking in November. I dont know how this will work. But you know what I thought?

Why not try?

I'm signed up and ready to go. If you're doing it to be my buddy! I'm, originally enough, Cranberryfries.

Wordless Wednesday: Halloween Haunted House

(This photo was taken by me at Disneyland in Anaheim California. Oct 2010)

Who Doesnt Love Free Books?

The winner of my Defensive Tactics giveaway is

(by having my daughter pull an entry out):

LoveMy2Dogs

Be on the lookout in the next few weeks.

I'll be giving away some fun things!

Halloween Here

Hubby cut out the pieces to put this together later and instead we found my daughter had glued this together.

The kids even carved pumpkins. Can you tell which one is my 3 year olds?

Then the kids surprised us by decorating the living room with their own Halloween signs.

Do people still trick-or-treat in your neighborhood? I sure hope we get lots. Our house looks awesome and it'd be a shame not to have any kids get to see it.

How Many Blogs?

On Saturday I'm going to talk to a huge company about the pros (and cons) of social media, networking and advertising in places like Facebook and Twitter. I thought it'd be interesting to take them a small sampling of what I could find on short notice. Leave your answers in the comments.

1. Do you blog? (if you are so inclined, could you leave your url(s))

1a. If yes, how many blogs do you have?

1b. Do you accept sponsors or do reviews of companies?

2. Do you have a Twitter account? (if you want, you can leave this info too!)

2a. If yes, do you follow companies or just people?

3. Do you have a Facebook account?

3a. Do you 'like' or 'friend' companies?

4. Do you live in Utah?

Thanks for your help in answering these questions!!!

The Healing Group

It's Mental Health Awareness Week and I wanted to feature a fabulous company.

A few weeks ago my husband and I (and my sister and her hubby) participated in a class at The Healing Group called The Power of Positive Parenting. I'd heard such remarkable things about this technique that I knew I wanted to hear the more.

I'm all for things that promote healthy, strong relationships and this class (based on the book) had a lot of great ideas. It was created by Glenn Latham a professor at Utah State University (if I remember correctly) who, through research, states practical application of getting the behavior you want from your children. I believe this is the sorta thing that you can do over and over and still gather a lot of helpful information.

The Healing Group is planning on teaching these classes a few times a year so if you're interested, contact them to get on the list so they can notify you when the next class is offered.

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The Healing Group Center for Women's Wellness and Family Counseling's mission is to contribute to our greater community by offering support to women and families during the reproductive and family building stages of life. We hope to strengthen the family by helping to facilitate the healing process with individuals, couples and families from all walks of life, circumstances and stages. We provide counseling, education, groups and community outreach programs.

Programs:

• Individual Counseling
• Depression
• Grief and Loss
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Addiction
• Sexual Abuse
• Spiritual Crisis
• Crisis
• Stress Reduction
• Eating Disorders
• Men
• Coaching

• Relationship Counseling
• Premarital Counseling
• Marital
• Relationship Difficulties
• Challenges with postpartum, infertility or postpartum
• Divorce

• Women and Young Adult Women
• New marriage adjustment
• Self Esteem
• Identity and Sense of Self
• Boundaries
• Sexuality and Intimacy
• Spiritual Crisis

• Women’s Postpartum and Pregnancy Wellness Services
• Postpartum Blues, Depression, Anxiety, OCD, PTSD
• Pregnancy Ambivalence
• Miscarriage
• Still Birth
• Infant Loss
• Fertility Challenges
• Unplanned Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Depression and Anxiety
• Postpartum Prevention
• Pregnancy after prior postpartum depression
• Motherhood Adjustment
• Childbirth Fears
• Traumatic pregnancy or birth experience
• Anxiety during pregnancy due to prior pregnancy loss
• Memories surfacing during pregnancy or child birth

• Parenting
• New infant adjustment
• Parent-infant attachment
• Support for Adoptive Couples
• Parenting difficulties due to postpartum, infertility or loss

Additionally we offer home studies for couples looking to adopt and couples pursuing surrogacy.

We offer unique programs, groups and classes year round.

Find them on facebook here.

Defensive Tactics (+Giveaway)

Defensive Tactics by Steve Westover is a story that follows Jimmy, Emily and Paul as they all try to wade through their personal and professional struggles. Jimmy is trying to figure out what to do with his life, Emily has recently been transfered to a new job and Paul thinks he's got life figured out.

This was a fun book about a corrupt judge and FBI steak outs. Westover does a great job at leaving you wondering who you can trust. You'll also find an old friendship, a new romance and lots of mystery, suspense and action. I'm looking forward to seeing what's up next from Steve Westover.

From the Back Cover:

Paul Stephens has it all--a wonderful job at the FBI, a new girlfriend, and a great apartment. Even when Jimmy, a friend from his past, unexpectedly ends up on his couch, Paul has no worries. But when arresting a corrupt judge puts his girlfriend's life in danger, Paul and Jimmy will do anything to save her. How far will Paul go to protect the ones he love? Filled with suspense and action, Defensive Tactics shows just how much the bonds of friendship can endure.

Buy it here:

A few more details:

Title: Defensive Tactics
Author: Steve Westover
Genre: LDS Fiction
Release Date: August, 2010
Publisher: Bonneville
ISBN: 1599554453
Pages: 256

Buy it: The Kings English | Amazon | Indie Bound | The Book Depository

Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

Win it:

Here's your chance to win a copy!

(Leave one or several comments telling me what you did to enter)

+1 comment

+1 if you're a new follower

+2 if you're an old follower

+1 twitter follower (@Cranberryfries)

+2 facebook friend (Debbie Cranberryfries)

+1 for each place you spread the word (up to four entires)

Giveaway will close Oct 11 at midnight and a winner will be chosen. Please be sure your profile links to an email or leave it in the comments or I will choose a new winner.

*I was given a copy of Defensive Tactics to read and give my honest review.