Friends You Love Twitter Party & Blog Hop

Starting October 1st Friends You Love will be in full swing! It’s the first day you can learn about the BFF Contest which starts that day! Here are the details for Saturday’s kick-off day:
To enter:

~Write a post about your BFF.

How do you know her? How has she been there for you? Tell us about the things you've been through together, through thick and thin. Why is YOUR BFF The World's Greatest BFF?

~Come back here and link your post up

Entries accepted 10/1 - 10/22

On 10/25, we will post our Top 5 favorite BFF posts.

~Beginning 10/25, the public can come back and vote for their favorite!

~Voting will close at 5 p.m. CST on 10/30

~The winner will be announced at here on 10/31 and will receive and amazing gift for herself and her BFF from our friends at Earth to Alice!

<center><a href="http://www.friendsyoulove.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Friends You Love"<br /> src=""/></a></center>

Then, on Monday, each participating blogger will have a guest post! I’m still looking for a couple of bloggers in case you’re interested in being featured discussing friendships!

<center><a href="http://www.friendsyoulove.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Friends You Love" src=""/></a></center>

And Tuesday…TUESDAY…I’m so excited that we’ll be having our first #FYL Twitter party! If you follow me at all, you should know my love of Twitter. It’s somewhat of an obsession!

One2One Network will be sponsoring this twitter party! Isn’t that exciting?

What: Friends You Love Kick-Off Twitter Party
When: Tuesday, October 4th, 7:30PM CT
Where: Twitter! #FYL & #FYLKickOff

If you grab the O2O badge and place it on your blog during this event, there could be some rewards during out event! I know, the excitement never ends!

I want to introduce you to some of the companies who will also be participating throughout the month of October at Friends You Love:

I’m so excited for the next month as we get to know each other better and have some great times together! Hope to see your BFF posts and to see you at the Twitter party on Tuesday!

Wordless Wednesday: Indoor Picnic

My Doodle decided we would have a picnic for lunch since we were all too lazy to make anything. He went gathering and then declared some “rules”. We couldn’t eat Doritos until we had a fruit. Ooooo-k. So, we ate fruit. At least I did. Buddy didn’t so he wasn’t allowed Doritos, until he snuck them.

Be sure to check out these other Wordless Wednesday participants:

Nomad Footwear Rain Boots Giveaway

Living in Minnesota, you have GOT to be prepared for the rain. Nomad Footwear literally has us covered!
We had the craziest Spring this year. Well, it spilled (no pun intended) into Summer as well. Baby asked for rain boots for her birthday and I didn’t hesitate to contact Nomad. I’ve seen their boots before and knew the only issue would be narrowing it down to one pair.I called in her roomie and asked her to go thru the site and tell me which ones she thought my girl would like. I already had a couple pairs picked out in my mind.Turned out after talking to my daughter in passing, her roommate was out of the country. Not helpful. I decided to bite the bullet and order the Black Bursts Rain Boots.
They arrived in quick fashion and I fell in love with them. I have to be honest with you. I’ve never had rain boots and if it wasn’t for the fact that these boots weren’t my size, I’d probably have kept them for myself!
 
I finally heard from Baby’s roommate and guess what? She picked out    the same exact rain boots that I ordered for her! Thank goodness I still know my daughter even though she hasn’t lived at home for three years.

She finally came home and I was able to give her her birthday present. Excitedly she opened the box and immediately put them on. She loved the design, but I ordered the wrong size. What I didn’t know is that rain boots can run large. Now, fair warning, Nomad Footwear tells you that this style runs big. I wasn’t worried thinking that she wore big shoes! Clearly I don’t read or listen well.
So, I figure I’ll wait for a rainy day and at least grab some photos. So I waited…and waited. It decided not to rain and if it did it was late at night or I was at work. I wanted to show the boots in use. That was not to be.

I love everything about these boots and my daughter is hoping I’ll get her a pair that will fit her, preferably before next Spring!

Make sure you check out the fantastic selection of other footwear. Look at some of what they have to offer:
 
Now’s your chance to win one free item up to $55 for Nomad Footwear!!
I received a pair of boots from Nomad Footwear for review. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.

#BlueBloggers Raising the Stakes for #SuicidePrevention

During National Suicide Prevention Week, a fellow blogger Cristi of Motherhood Unadorned dyed her hair blue after raising over $1,600 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She's a survivor of suicide and is very passionate about the cause, so much so she inspired others to join her effort and get blue streaks when she reached her goal. Check out photos of some of the #bluebloggers!
I was also inspired.
So I've decided to help take her team's suicide prevention fundraising to the next level. As of today, Team Purposeful Practices/Motherhood Unadorned has raised over $2,100. If they reach $5,000 by their Out of the Darkness Walk in Seattle on October 1st I'm dyeing part of my hair BLUE too ... along with other blogger friends.
Now, you’ve got to understand, this is stepping TOTALLY out of my comfort zone, but this topic is so very important to me. I’ve never known someone to personally commit suicide, but last year my life was directly affected by someone I love who considered it.
To even imagine NOT having this person in my life is beyond belief! When I saw this discussion come up on Twitter asking if we thought those who committed suicide were selfish I knew I needed to jump into the conversation.
I’m so thankful that Cristi has allowed me to jump on the fund raiser at the last minute. Folks, I really don’t want to dye ANY of my hair blue, but for this cause, I will absolutely do it!
Kimberly of All Work & No Play Makes Mommy Go Something Something
Zoie of TouchstoneZ
Amber of Thrifty Ninja
Sadie of Randomosity
Jessica of Punk Rock Momma
Brooke of Untrained Hair Mom
Wendy of Super Saver Mama
Jennifer of Makobi Scribe
Becky of What You Talking Bout Willis
Amanda of Midwestern Moms
Darcy from Tales from the Nursery
Jamie of Maxwell’s Mommy
Jen of Life with Levi
Mimi of Woven By Words
So please donate today HERE to any member of Cristi’s team!
This is such an important cause. Over 35,000 people in the U.S. alone die each year by suicide, and worldwide it's estimated at one million lives lost. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is at the forefront of research, education and prevention initiatives designed to reduce loss of life from suicide.
Your donation is 100% tax deductible and you'll get me closer to blue! I KNOW you want to see that. Don’t worry, there will be lots of photos.

Participating in Boy Scouts of America

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boy Scouts of America for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When my oldest son was old enough, he joined the Boy Scouts of America. Right away he loved it and jumped in feet first. We're in a small town and that meant he knew most of the kids and adults in his Den and Pack. I had been a Girl Scout leader for 5 years with my girls. This was meant to be dad and son time. Well as things turned out, I was the one going to meetings with him.

We would go once a week and the boys would learn so many great things! The leaders were so encouraging and for my son he needed some strong male influence in his life. Sometimes I'd drop him off so he could soak in the strength of the men who were involved.

This was definitely something that I really appreciated. The dads would bring their kids and stay for the meeting. Sometimes I think they enjoyed the activities and learning more than the boys! I was thankful that they taught the boys about respecting the flag of the United States and to be proud to be a Boy Scout!

I also love that Cub Scouts teaches the boys involved to dig deeper into their beliefs and values. What kind of character do they want to have? What kind of man do they want to become? And at the same time, they get the families involved and strengthen those bonds as well.

Have you been to a Boy Scout meeting before? They start out with the Pledge of Allegiance. Then the leader would go thru each boy's book to see what activities had been finished over the past week. From there they'd do an activity or learn something new. These kids never had a dull moment and never were bored.

Some of the best parts of Scouting were the camping trips (which I never went on, but Buddy did), end of the year crossover, and Pinewood Derby Races. All these the dads were all so excited about.

I wish Buddy was still in Boy Scouts. As a single mom I just couldn't do all the activities that we had scheduled in our lives. Right now he would really benefit from the new STEM curriculum. STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. He loves most of those, aside from science, and I think he would've soared in this section. Today's world is so competitive and this would've given him a definite edge!

Maybe this mom should look into getting her son back in. My Doodle has talked about being in Scouts for the last 2 years and brings it up randomly at times when I least expect it. After attending meeting with his brother and going to all the family activities, he really feels like he's been missing out. Another reason to take a second look at our schedule! I guess I should ask the boys again if they want to Be A Scout!

Are your boys involved in Boy Scouts? What do they love about it? 

A Heart Revealed by Julie Lessman

A Heart Revealed
by Julie Lessman
Publisher: Revell
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3416-9

About the Book:

Ten years ago, Emma Malloy fled Dublin for Boston, running for her life. Her emotional wounds have finally faded, and her life is now full of purpose and free from the pain of her past. But when she falls for her friend Charity's handsome and charming brother, Sean O'Connor, fear and shame threaten to destroy her. Could Sean and Emma ever have a future together? Or is Emma doomed to live out the rest of her life denying the only true love she's ever known?

Filled with intense passion and longing, deception and revelation, A Heart Revealed will hold you in its grip until the very last page.

My Review:

If there were ever an author I absolutely adored, it would be Julie Lessman. She has created an entire cast of characters whom I’ve come to love and feel as tho they’re family!

My first introduction to Julie’s newest release was when she shared a snippet from Chapter 17 in her newsletter. Oh my word. With just a couple of pages read I knew that I was ready to read Emma and Sean’s story!

Reading A Heart Revealed was a pull on my emotions. One minute my heart is being wrenched for what they’re going through, the next I’m laughing at their interactions.

Julie takes on quite the tough topic of abuse. Emma has experience the abuse from a man she believed she loved. Throughout this story we see the ramifications of what that has done to her: emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Not only are we sharing Emma’s life in this story, Julie manages to keep us entwined in the lives of Charity, Faith and Katie. And of course along with the ladies come their husbands who always seem to be playing keep up with their wives in this book!

There’s a twist towards the end of the book that really grabbed my attention and it will grab yours as well. Julie doesn’t mince words and when she tackles a topic, she does so straightforward, but with tactful fashion.

If you have ever wanted to love characters and be drawn into the story of their lives, you will get a heaping dose full with A Heart Revealed.

About the Author:

Julie Lessman is the popular author of A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, andA Passion Denied, as well as A Hope Undaunted, which was one of 2010's Booklist Top Ten Inspirational Fiction winners. Lessman has garnered several writing awards, including ten Romance Writers of America awards. She lives in Missouri.

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I received this book in exchange for a review. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.

Fall Into Friendship: Friends You Love Event

I am so excited and honored to be participating in the amazing 2nd annual Friends You Love event! Friendship makes the world go round. How could we survive without it? Women have a special connection and this event is geared towards those connections!
Begins October 1st!
Want something to whet your appetite for what’s to come next month? You know you do! Check this out:

• Friends You Love Kick-Off Twitter Party Oct 4th 7:30pm CT
• World's Greatest BFF Writing Contest
• Besties Photo Contest
• Friends You Love Scavenger Hunt
• Friends You Love Twitter Gala

and the weekly

• Friends You Love Blog Hop

I’ll also give want to give you an idea of a few companies (but not all because this IS a teaser) that we’ll be working with:
One2One Network
Bare Escentuals
Godiva Chocolatier Coffee
and yes there are more! You’ll have to go check out our side bar to see who else is in the line up!! Woo Hoo
I’m so excited working on lining up my guest posters! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at who’s dropping by for a visit. They’ll be linked up to our blog hop and hope they’ll be able to get blogging buddies to post on their sites as well. What a fun friendship train to jump on!
So, grab your girlfriends, visit our site, follow via GFC and Twitter and make sure you keep up-to-date with our activities!

Going To Far ~ The Doctors

I’m not a big daytime tv watcher, but sitting here today I wanted to have something on in the background. I landed on The Doctors and there’s a lady on here talking about plastic surgery.

Her views, in my opinion, are so skewed. She is so staunch in position when it comes to her having surgery on herself and she's had over 100. She doesn’t see any issue in what she’s done. She keeps laughing in a way that’s condescending to the doctors and Jillian.The Doctor's are really concerned about her health and the mental and emotional health of the children.

What concerns me, and the panel, is that she’s subjecting her daughters to lives full of plastic surgery. She has a 7yo daughter who she and her husband gave a gift certificate to have plastic surgery when she’s 18 if she wants. The little girl's response, she's glad that she can have a boob job if she wants.

Sorry guys. I had to delete the video I had on here. It started automatically not giving me the option of auto start or viewer start. I would highly suggest visiting The Doctors site to view the video I was talking about.

To me, this mom, Sarah, is telling her daughter that she will want to change something down the road because she isn’t already perfect. So many of us as moms are trying to prepare our daughters to be confident in how they were created, that beauty isn’t about what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside, and to cancel out everything they see around them that says the opposite. Here this lady is reaffirming what media tells girls and women that you’re only beautiful if you’re fake or try being “perfect” on the outside.

Sarah kept saying that we can’t make our kids do anything these days. Basically that we have no power to control our kids. Well, she is clearly having a profound influence on her daughters. All you have to do is watch the spots on The Doctors.

Watching Dr. Travis Stork, during this spot, you can see that he is exasperated and befuddled. Jillian seems like she’d like to shake some sense into this woman. Well, watching this show, I’d have liked to get in line for that!

Watching this woman leaves me stunned. I am so thankful that my girls are beautiful naturally and have never considered having a procedure done. I felt it was my job as they were growing up to encourage them to be confident on the inside. Let me tell you, their beauty comes through to the outside. I cannot imagine suggesting to my girls that they might need any work done.

What would you do if your daughter wanted plastic surgery for elective reasons?

4th Annual Paws for a Cause Shelter Makeover by P&G Pet Care Dayton, Ohio

This year, over 175 P&G Pet Care employees will head to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton to spend the day painting, landscaping, adding agility equipment for the Community Dog Park, adding climbing areas & perches for cats and even adding cabinets for “pocket pets”.


On 9.22.2011 we are planning a “One Day.  10,000 Bowls” donation campaign.  We will start posting special pictures that will direct fans to like/comment on the Facebook pages at 8am on Thursday. For each comment and like on those pictures, we will donate 1 bowl of food to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, up to 10,000 bowls.   The donation will be a mix of Eukanuba, Iams, and Innova Pet Foods.
We are going to ask not only our fans to like/comment the “One Day. 10,000 Bowls” picture that we post, but we are also counting likes/comments on these pages as well, all of which are contributing to the Shelter Makeover and will post a similar picture that fans can like and comment on:

• Eukanuba
• Iams
• Innova Pet
• Humane Society of Greater Dayton
• PetSide

Of course, we can’t leave out Twitter!  We are also supporting the donation campaign on 9.22.11 on Twitter.  We are donating 1 bowl to @HSDayton (Humane Society of Greater Dayton) up to 10,000 bowls for each tweet that mentions ONE or ALL of these accounts:

· @Eukanuba
· @Iams
· @InnovaPet

AND uses the hashtag #ShelterMakeOver:  Here is an easy one:

1 Day. 10,000 bowls~ Use #ShelterMakeover & mention @Iams @Eukanuba or @InnovaPet = 1 bowl food donated to @HSDayton 9.22.11 only! RT
* I have not been compensated in any way for sharing this information

Wordless Wednesday: Time With Dad

Boys got to hang out with their dad last week and make model cars!


Make sure you check out these participants also:

Women of Faith IMAGINE Conference #wofimage

I love attending the Women of Faith Conference. I’ve attended a handful of events of the years and it’s always such a wonderful time! Last year I won tickets and was able to take my oldest daughter.

She and I had a great time. I went down on Friday to catch the evening conference and then we went back to her dorm room so I could spend the night with her and her roomies. The next morning we headed back and it was wonderful.

Women of Faith always has the best speakers and musicians. Last year Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife MaryBeth were there. I have to say, that was probably my favorite conference I had attended. Of course Mandisa was there, too. Remember her from American Idol?

There are Women of Faith conferences held all over the United States. They’re already gearing up for the 2012 conference year! Make sure you check out the Events page to see if there’s a WoF Conference in your area.

This year I’ll be going as a Book Sneeze blogger! I’m so excited and honored to have been chosen to blog about the event. You can follow Women of Faith on:

Twitter

Facebook

If you’re interested in following the conversations on Twitter, make sure you follow these hashtags: #wofimage and #wofott

If you’re in the Minnesota area, I hope to see you there!

#Footloose Screening Tickets ~Minnesota

Hey ladies! Looking to get a sneak peek at the new Footloose movie? If so, here’s your chance because it doesn’t release until October 14th!
I can’t wait to share my thoughts on the movie when it premiers. Want a glimpse of me meeting Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, and Craig Brewers? Check my Wordless Wednesday from 2 weeks ago!

Girl's Night Out FOOTLOOSE IMAX Screening

Tuesday, September 20th
FOOTLOOSE Happy Hour 6:30-7:30pm at Biaggis (Located outside next to Barnes and Noble on the south west side) Show up and receive fun FOOTLOOSE promotional items. If you wish to attend the happy hour, please emailcvoigt.allied@gmail.com so we can have your seats reserved at the theater!
Screening will begin promptly at 8:00pm
Get Your Passes!
1. Click on link: 
2. Enter RSVP code: YB0TMA8V
3. Print your passes!

UPrinting Brochure Giveaway

I was looking through UPrinting’s Brochure online printing ideas trying to get an idea for how I could put them to use with my blog. As I was flipping the pages, I realized these would be great when meeting with PR contacts or blogging conferences.
Not only could I give these to people I connect with a blog conferences, I know the bigger ones have numerous businesses in attendance.
With a brochure, I’d be able to show how they would benefit by working with my blog Woven by Words. It could pretty much be my Media Kit on paper. Of course, I’d have to create a media kit and that’s something I’ve been looking at doing!
I also love that if you want to mail your brochure you have the option of a tabbed postcards! You know those brochures that come in the mail with your address on them? That’s what they have available! So awesome!
I’ve never created a brochure before and I love the options for paper folding. Who knew there could be such an array of ways to fold a brochure. I also like that they give you an idea as to what the popular sizes are. Personally, I think I like a shorter, more square shape. We shall see when I finally order mine!
My head is beginning to spin with ideas!
Have you considered brochure printing? If so, what would you use them for? Hey, that’s the perfect idea for a required question is.
Prize details
50 pcs Brochure printing for One (1) Winner
8.5" x 11"
100lb Paper Gloss
With Folding (Half Fold, Trifold/Letterfold, Z-Fold, Roll Fold, Accordion Fold)
Outside and Inside Printing
2 Business Days Turnaround
*Free shipping
Required: If you won the Brochure giveaway, what would you use them for?
Giveaway open to US residents only 18 yrs or older. Please leave your email in the required entry or have it available in your profile. No email/contact = No entry. Winner has 48 hours to respond. Giveaway ends 926/11 at 11:59 PT NOTE: You can NOT have won anything from UPrinting in the last 6 months to be eligible. This will be verified!
Extra Entries:
Follow Woven by Words via GFC (1 entry)
Subscribe to Woven by Words via RSS or email (2 entries, comment 2x)
Click the +1 Button at the bottom of the post (1 entry)
Follow me on Twitter and leave your twitter handle (1 entry)
Follow UPrinting on Twitter (1 entry)
Tweet this giveaway & leave a link 2 your tweet (1 entry daily) “RT #Win a 50 Pcs Brochure printing from @UPrinting & @MimiBakerMN  http://bit.ly/pJl20p“
Like UPrinting on Facebook (1 entry)
Like me on Facebook and leave your FB name (2 entries, comment 2x)
Click the "Like” Facebook button at the bottom of the post and leave your FB name (1 entry)
Enter any of my other current giveaways (1 entry each)
*This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting.com, an online printing company. No monetary compensation was given and I will receive brochures for hosting. See more information about brochure printing and other brochure information on UPrinting.com

#Mompact: Review & Giveaway of Strap Tamers

I am part of an amazing event with Mompact. This event is to have moms helping moms. All of the products involved in this wonderful blog hop were invented by women!
Here’s a description of Mompact:

“Welcome to Mompact! Are you ready to rock this economy? Moms are not only responsible for over 80% of consumer spending, but they are also starting new businesses at a faster rate than any other group.

It’s time for moms to support other moms in business the way we do in motherhood. The compassion we feel when we meet a mom in need of encouraging words at the check out line, or struggling to quiet a fussy toddler at a restaurant, is the same kind of compassion and connection moms have in business. We know what the other mom is going through: how she has to juggle work and family, sacrifice financially, and learn along the way. We’re here to provide a platform for that support.

Mompact is all about moms supporting moms in business. If you want to support other moms by being a customer of a local mom business, buying products invented by moms, or contributing to mom charities, we can connect you.”
I was given the opportunity to work with Strap Tamers and with today’s fashions, hiding bra straps is a necessity! This is where Strap Tamers comes in so handy!
Noel Goldman decided to do something about bra straps showing after watching her daughter leave for school with hers showing. That would be inspiration enough for me! “Strap Tamers were introduced to the market in March 2006.” What’s really cool, is Noel was invited to be part of Oprah Winfrey’s Moms Who Made Millions episode!

Honestly, which of us ladies really wants our bra straps to be showing under our tops? So what IS Strap Tamers?

“Strap Tamers consist of a clip (to hold the bra strap( and pin, which is fastened to the inside shoulder seam of a garment. The pin attaches to the clip to your garment and the clip allows you to slip your strap in and out of the confinement easily.”

I just received mine in the mail and only had a few moments to try them out. Took me a second to figure out how to get the pin part out of the clasp. I put the clips on both sides of my tank:
I put the tank on and secured my bra straps to the Strap Tamers. Super simple! I slid the back of my bra straps underneath the tank and tried it out for a few minutes.

Since I’ve only had these for a day or so (I’ve been gone all weekend) I haven’t got a very good feel from them. The only concern I have is how the bra strap is supposed to stay tucked in when it goes down my back. Seemed like it was working its way out. I’ll have to use it more to get a better feel for it.

This is my before photo. I should’ve used a darker bra but the strap is just above my shoulder, definitely sticking out of the tank.
Here’s what it looked like after the Strap Tamer was put on the tank:
There are over 120 blogs involved in this Mompact Blog Hop with different products throughout the blogs. Follow us Candyland style. Each blog is part of a path to the last one! We will have evening Twitter parties with additional giveaways on Thursday (15th) and Saturday (17th) evenings. Follow the #mompact hashtag to learn more. On that note, head on over to the one after me:NEXT Mompact Giveaway: Make sure you check out Mommies Being Mommies who is doing a review and giveaway of BeeStractors!
I’d like to thank Noel for sending me her mom invented product to try out for this review & giveaway!