Don’t you just love a children’s book that touches on a special subject?  When I saw this little sweetie, You Were Always in My Heart: A Shaoey and Dot Adoption Story, I knew it was just what I would send to my friend Judy.  She has been in Uganda for the past 8 weeks waiting through the adoption of beautiful two girls.

As I read her updates I am inspired by her willingness to go through anything for them. Will you pray with me for God to get the paperwork finished so they can all come home?!  I know Judy really misses her family!

This book illustrates the importance of the place an adopted child plays in the family and I want it to be waiting for her when she gets home.

I also read it to my kids and we got to talk about what it means to be adopted.  What a blessing since I have never really talked with them about it in any real depth.  Nothing sweeter than a child reading a book that opens their mind to the glory of God’s goodness!

You can win a copy of this darling book, You Were Always in My Heart. Keep it, share it, send it to a friend with adopted children.
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A few weeks ago there was a terrible smell in my bedroom.  I couldn’t tell what it was, maybe a dead animal in the wall maybe a teenager (Oh I’m kidding, they stink but not this bad).  It was so strong I couldn’t sleep, so I got up around midnight and looked for something to mask the stink.  I tried some essential oils, but they didn’t get rid of it completely.  I went into the kitchen and found an old scented candle, so I took it into my bedroom and lit it.  After about half an hour the sweet aroma was lulling me to sleep, so I blew it out and drifted off to dreamland.

The next day I lit the little candle again.  After all, if it’s good at night it would be great during the day, right?  Kind of a more is better philosophy.  And I liked it.  Everyone who came into my room would comment on the nice smell and I would reply, “Why thank you!  It’s my new perfume,” basically because I enjoy telling the same joke over and over.

Sadly my little candle only lasted a couple of days because it was old and didn’t have much life expectancy.  I decided I needed to find some new candles.  But I had a problem because I can’t use the ones from the super center or craft store.  They give me a headache.  I need quality people, quality.

I made a plan one morning to go out and scour the town looking for a really good candle.  Now here’s the part of this fascinating story you won’t believe.  That same day I got an email from a friend that lives here in town.  She told me that she and her husband recently bought a candle company!  Yes, it was a sign.  I need candles, she has candles.  What’s more obvious than that?!

I got some of their candles and they are absolutely lovely!  The company is called Circle E Candles and I am now completely obsessed with them.  They are hand poured and made from the finest ingredients.

Also Circle E Candles has monthly specials that are great deals.  This month one of the specials is a fragrance called Leather.  I’ll bet that goes over BIG here in Texas!  One of the others is called Peace, which I’m pretty sure I need a truck load of.

And then my friend, who I will now probably start stalking because, well, I liked her already and this puts it over the top, wanted to giveaway two of the 12 oz Circle E Candles to one of you!  You can even choose your own fragrances.  Just enter below to win:

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And if you’re ever in Fredericksburg, TX be sure to stop by the Circle E Candles showroom.  It is stunning!

The post My New Candle Obsession appeared first on The Pennington Point.

I really try to live life as naturally as possible and I am always looking for support and ideas.  It should be easy to live naturally.  You’d think things would just fall into place, but in today’s world it just isn’t that simple.

I haven’t talked much here about this part of my life, but we have birthed our children at home.  Yes, we are those crazies that use cloth diapers and don’t go to the doctor (unless there is an emergency of course!).  I am always keeping my eye out for new sources and information to make my potions and cure our ailments.

That’s why I have been looking forward to this ebook bundle coming out this week only, Natural Mothering.  It has 35 books in one bundle.  And the topics cover everything from pregnancy to natural health to depression.

For 1 week only, get a downloadable package of 35+ e-books specifically designed to encourage and equip mothers to nurture their families (and themselves!) naturally for just $29.97. Since these books together are worth more than $525, this is nearly a 95% discount!

Click to get your download of Natural Mothering now!

There are also more than a dozen coupon codes and FREE products worth nearly $200 included to help you on your natural living journey!

The eBooks:

Click here to read each author’s bio.

Natural Fertility and Pregnancy

Unbound Birth by Jennifer Yarbrough of Unbound Birth ($2.99)
Fearless Birth by Kristen Burgess of Natural Birth and Baby Care ($17)
Nourishing Foods for Labor and Childbirth (article reprint) by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($2.99)
My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy of Simply Designs ($9.99)

Fertilise Yourself by Natalie Kringoudis of Melbourne Natural Fertility ($19.95)
Eat Your Way to Parenthood by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35)
Protecting Your Fertility: The Dangers of Conventional Pest Control and Natural Safe Alternatives by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35)
The Awful Truth About Cleaning Products and Fertility Revealed by Gabriela Rosa, MScM, BHSc, ND of Natural Fertility Breakthrough ($35)

Natural Baby and Toddler Care

Breastfeeding Simply by Pinky McKay, ICBLC of PinkyMcKay.com ($25)
First Bites by Hilary Bernstein of Accidentally Green ($9.99)
Breast to Bib by Kate Tietje of Modern Alternative Mama ($8.95)
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin Odom of The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)
Creative Ways to Calm Your Baby by Justyn Lang of Creative Christian Mama ($6.99)
EC Simplified: Infant Potty Training Made Easy by Andrea Olson, MA of Go Diaper Free ($30)
oh, cr*p. potty training by Jamie Glowacki of oh cr*p. potty training ($15)

Natural Health and Healing

Therapeutic Parenting for Children Who Are Healing from Trauma by Tova Krause Grindlay, CPC of Parent and Family Coaching ($4.99)
Herbal Nurturing by Michele Augur of Frugal Granola ($8.95)
Herbal Remedies for Children During the Cold and Flu Season by Rosalee de la Forêt of Herbal Remedies Advice ($20)
Mother’s Little Herbal Helper and Home Remedies by Natalie Vickery of The Family Herbalist ($12.50)
Questions to Ask Your Dentist by Will and Susan Revak of OraWellness ($29)

Tips and Tricks to Remineralize and Repair Your Teeth by Ramiel Nagel of CureToothDecay.com ($12.95)
The Thinking Parent’s Guide to Vaccines by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($2.99)
Finding Balance with Attachment Parenting by Andrea Olson, MA of AndreaOlson.com ($17)
Pain Redeemed by Natasha Metzler of NatashaMetzler.com ($4.99)
The Curative Kitchen (updated version) by Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D. of SusanSmithJones.com ($19.95)
Rebuild From Depression: A Nutrient Guide, The Digital Abridged Version by Amanda Rose, Ph.D. of Traditional Foods ($12.95)

Teaching Our Children

Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh Harmon of GNOWFGLINS & Jami Delgado of Eat Nourishing ($30)
Kids in Training: Life lessons that will help lead to productive, responsible and grateful kids! by Rebecca Dulgarian of Blue Cricket Designs ($7.95)
Life According to Me by Stephanie Dulgarian of Somewhat Simple ($5.95)
The Family Dinner Project by Rebecca Dulgarian & Stephanie Dulgarian ($9.95)
Easy Peasy Chores: Homeschool Edition by Alina Joy Dubois of The Good Old Days Farm ($17.99)
Teaching Kids to Clean by Dana White of A Slob Comes Clean ($5)

Help for Busy Moms

Real {Fast} Food by Trina Holden of TrinaHolden.com ($6)
Crock On by Stacy Myers of Stacy Makes Cents ($5)
Creative Ways to Make Family Holiday Memories by Kit Singleton of Raising Small Souls ($25)

Non-Toxic and Natural Living

Natural Beauty Recipes by Katie of WellnessMama ($10)
Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford of Keeper of the Home ($12.95)
Restocking the Pantry by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($9.99)
Accidentally Green by Hilary Bernstein of Accidentally Green ($2.99)
Clean, Naturally! by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy ($4.99)

The Bonus Resources

Once you have completed payment for the e-book bundle, you will get access not only to the books, but to FREE products and coupon codes for mothering products that will support you in your natural, non-toxic lifestyle.

There are a few extras that you can get with is no purchase required – just click here to get your freebies!

The Fine Print:

While you must purchase the Bundle by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 17, you have until June 30, 2013 to download the books and redeem the bonuses. It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase by June 30, 2013. After that date, the books will no longer be available for download.

With proof of purchase, we can renew download links until June 30. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.

Please read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, deadlines to redeem your bonuses, and reading the books on your eReader device.

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase. You may purchase multiple bundles in order to redeem a bonus offer more than once.

For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.

All bonus offers are the sole responsibility of the bonus sponsors to provide and are subject to availability.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Some Great Information About Natural Mothering appeared first on The Pennington Point.

We read so many school books during the year that it is a fun change for the kids to be able to do more pleasure reading over the summer.  I like to encourage reading as much as I can and one way is to keep good books around.  I’m a sucker for a book.  I scour sale racks and garage sales and thrift stores, anywhere I might find a hidden treasure.  We have shelves full of them!

So I told 2 of my boys, the 10 & 12 year old, to go find 5 books each from our shelves that they would like to read over the summer.  Then I will go buy them one more making six books that they will have a goal to read by the end of August.  They can read other books too, of course!  But these 6 will be something they set as a goal.

They gathered their books while I prepared a little project for them.  I used a stack of vinyl I got from Expressions Vinyl. I love their vinyl and I have tried a lot of different brands.  It is my favorite!

We cut brown book covers using the big roll from the hardware store that is for protecting your floors while you paint.  It’s inexpensive and a roll lasts us forever.

Then we got to work decorating their book covers.  They used scissors to cut vinyl shapes while my older daughter Faith cut out some die cut shapes the boys chose our on die cut machine.

Several of their books were about mice, so they wanted to use the little mouse on their book covers.

We used the transfer paper from Expressions Vinyl to make a star bookmark.  We used the non sticky side of the transfer paper and peeled off the back of the stars (their red glitter vinyl makes perfect stars) and stuck them to the paper.  Now, when the boys finish a book they can peel off the star and stick it to the book cover to mark it as “read.”

The boys are excited about reading these books and I am hoping it will lead to more reading later in the summer.  If they finish these early I am always glad to get out the vinyl again and make some more covers together.

And guess what!  Expressions Vinyl is giving one of you a $25 gift certificate.  You can use it to make summer reading book covers or try something new!  They have so many gorgeous products you will have a hard time choosing.

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AND that’s not all!  This Thursday night I will be hosting a Twitter party for Tommy Nelson.  We’ll be giving away books and talking about ideas for getting your kids to read over the summer!  It’s going to be great!  Come on and party with us at 8:00 PM CMT following the hashtag #TNSummerReading

Linking to: Teachers of Good Things

The post Kids’s Summer Reading Project and a Giveaway! appeared first on The Pennington Point.

This post contains affiliate links, but I am genuine in my excitement over this conference and can’t wait to see some of you there!

If you’ve ever been to a homeschool convention then you know it can be a bit overwhelming.  So many books and ideas and people and curriculum choices.

But they are also filled with inspiration and encouragement and refreshment (by refreshment I don’t mean cookies and punch….although that is where my mind goes when I hear that word).  I love going to them and finding other homeschoolers who are in the trenches with me to talk with and ask questions.

And this summer there’s a new convention making its way around the country and it’s looking like it’s going to be exciting!  The Teach Them Diligently Marketplace is popping up in 9 different places and I am really excited about it!

It’s a one day market place with HUGE exhibit halls and promises to have more curriculum, books and displays than you’ve ever seen.  There will be workshops and hands on resources….I am seriously excited about going.

I got to meet the founders, David and Leslie Nunnery, at the 2:1 conference a few weeks ago and let me tell you….they were inspiring to listen to.  God is moving through them and I want to be a part of it.

My family will be making the trip to the Teach Them Diligently Marketplace in Houston, TX on July 6.  That’s the other awesome thing about it….the whole family is welcome!  And it’s only $15 per family.  No, I’m not kidding.  That’s a bargain.

Check out the website to see if there’s a Teach Them Diligently Marketplace coming to your area.  The Houston event is about 4 hours away from us, but I think it will be worth experiencing this new kind of convention and letting my family enjoy the day together.

The post Teach Them Diligently Marketplace appeared first on The Pennington Point.

When I told you last week that had some great giveaways coming up I wasn’t kidding.

I’ve teamed up with some amazing blogging friends from The Creative Circle to give you a chance to win a Mini iPad and Erin Condren Case!

Please join me in giving a shout out to the FAB 10 from The Creative Circle for offering the Mini iPad…

• Karly from Buns in my Oven
• Tiffany from Eat at Home
• Liz from Hoosier Homemade
• Amy from MomAdvice
• Kellie from Nest of Posies
• Amy from Positively Splendid
• Lisa from The Pennington Point
• Aimee from Shugary Sweets
• Chelsea from Two Twenty One
• Heather from WhipperBerry

AND to Erin Condren a BIG Thank you for the Mini iPad case! Check out Erin Condren’s creativity on her website, Instagram or Pinterest.

One lucky winner will receive a Mini iPad and Erin Condren Case sponsored by The Creative Circle and Erin Condren

Entries ONLY accepted in the Rafflecopter. Facebook, Twitter or email entries do not count.

Giveaway will remain open until April 21, 2013 at 10 p.m. CST. Winner will be chosen at random in the Rafflecopter, notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond. Contest open to US Residents ONLY

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The post Spring Giveaway! appeared first on The Pennington Point.

If you missed my HUGE giveaway yesterday then you must go back and enter.  Sure, there are thousands of entries so far, but someone has to win and it might as well be YOU!

If you have a giveaway going on, come link here with me, Connie from Smockity Frocks, Jill from Blessed Beyond a Doubt and Homeschool Giveaways to make your giveaway a big success!

Happy linking!

The post Giveaway Link Party! appeared first on The Pennington Point.

You know I’m a Texas girl and that means big and proud things happen around here!  Today I have a Texas sized giveaway that you are going to LOVE!

I’ve teamed up with 9 other Texas bloggers to bring you this incredible giveaway.  Come join me and Emily from 52 Mantels, Aimee from It’s Overflowing, Kristen from Capturing Joy, Abbie from Five days…5 ways, Samantha from Crafty Texas Girls, Holly from Holly Mathis Interiors, Kelley from The Grant Life, Lindsay from Makely School for Girls and Jamie from C.R.A.F.T.

We have 2 prizes and they are both fabulous!  There is even a little something in there from my shop!

GRAND PRIZE

A $100 gift card to Anthropologie:

{WHY, oh why, can’t I enter this giveaway???}

$100 to Lisa Leonard Designs

$100 shop credit to Jo Totes

$80 shop credit to Evy’s Tree

$75 shop credit to The Pleated Poppy

3 beautiful headbands from Samantha Conner Designs (Samantha just so happens to be one of our lovely hostesses as well!)

That’s over $500 of amazing-sauce handmade jewelry and accessories, bags, clothes, AND $100 to spend at Anthropologie.

RUNNER-UP PRIZE

Our “runner-up” prize is equally wonderful:

This “Nest” pillow cover from Dear Lillie

This fantastic custom-monogrammed burlap table runner from Shop 24 (ME!).

These two great books on photography from Kristen Duke (yet another wonderful hostess!)

And, last, but certainly not least, a mini-consult with Holly Mathis Interiors (also a hostess), which provides you with her decorating expertise via 3 emails and 3 pictures of one space.

So, there you have it, folks—a rock-your-socks-off AWESOME giveaway that will allow two lucky winners to spruce their wardrobes and their homes.

Here’s how you enter:

Follow all 10 of the hostesses on Pinterest, as well as the 5 additional sponsors who have been so nice to donate!  Receive additional entries by following our Facebook pages (it’s as easy as a little click of a button).

Also, sharing rocks! You can get an extra entry for sharing on Facebook, Tweeting and/or Instagraming/Pinning the giveaway image! Just be sure to let us know where to find your shares!

And that, my friends, is an easy way to be entered to win a passel of fun stuff!

So easy, in fact, that all you have to do is click through the simple Rafflecopter form below, and then you’re good to go!

 GIVEAWAY RULES:

No purchase necessary. To enter, participants must use the Rafflecopter form above.  This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Facebook. The giveaway closes on April 19th, 11 PM CST. The winners will be chosen via Random.org and will be notified by email on 4/21/13 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prizes or other winners will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US resident in order to win. Prizes are valued at approximately $700. Winners are responsible for paying any necessary taxes on winnings.

Feel free to grab a button and spread the love!

 <a href=”http://www.fivedaysfiveways.com” target=_blank” title=”texas spring mega giveaway”><img alt=”Texas Spring Mega Giveaway” src=”http://www.capitalhcoder.com/fivedaysfiveways/texasgiveawaybutton.jpg” style=”border-style: none” /></a>

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It’s that time again…another great giveaway!  I sure am enjoying giving things to y’all.  Congrats to Renee and Randi for winning my Mason Jar Straw Lids!  And thanks to all who entered….you can still get them in my shop anytime. 

For today I have a book review and giveaway.  My friend Gwen Toliver, who I met last year and is so nice it felt like we were old friends from the moment we met, has written a book that is just as nice as she is!

Her book, “Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures” is full of missionary stories, everyday people stepping out in faith, and their tales of adventure.  I read the book to my kids and we were all moved by the dedication and strength of these people.  The book is written in a way that a young child can easily understand but it’s still inspirational and exciting to the older children (and ME!).  To put it simply, we loved it!

And one of you can win her book!  I know you’ll love it too.  Buy some and gift them as gifts!  Don’t you just love receiving a new book as a gift?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And come link your own giveaway here with my friends Homeschool Giveaways, Smockity Frocks, and Blessed Beyond a Doubt for our weekly feature. And if you have a giveaway to share, grab the code and link it up here!

The post Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures Giveaway! appeared first on The Pennington Point.

I have such a hard time getting my younger kids to brush their teeth long enough to get them clean.  Unless I’m standing right there with them saying, “Nope, brush more,” they stop after about 15 seconds.

Levi, at 5 years old, is especially in a hurry to finish brushing and move on to the next chore so he can get to the fun part of his day.  I have to send him back 2-3 times before he gets all of his pearly whites squeaky clean.  That is, until I gave him a new Arm & Hammer Tooth Tunes Toothbrush.  He is cuh-razy about it!

It plays a song for 2 minutes and he sticks with it the whole time because he thinks it’s so much fun.  After each meal he asks to go brush his teeth….seriously!

The toothbrush Levi has plays the song, “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction and you can actually hear the music while you brush!

And Arm & Hammer Tooth Tunes is having a One Direction Sweepstakes that you can enter to win a trip to see One Direction in concert.  If you like them, you should enter…it looks like a fun contest!  I got so into reading about the Sweepstakes that I decided to make a practice video (Keep in mind, I didn’t follow the rules of the contest because it is supposed to be no longer than 30 seconds and NOT have any music.  I was just enjoying watching him play with his new favorite toothbrush.).

I’m not exaggerating.  He wanted to sleep with it last night.

Arm & Hammer compensated me for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions and toothbrush love are my own.  I proudly work with the Mom It Forward blogger network.

The post A Boy and His Toothbrush: a love story appeared first on The Pennington Point.