Just in time for Easter - Magdalena: Through Her Eyes from Campus Crusade for Christ. Review & Giveaway

With Easter fast approaching, we alwasy reflect back to the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us when he came to Earth and then died on the cross. The meaning of Easter has been lost behind Easter bunnies, Easter eggs and other "things". But we must remember that Easter is all about Jesus going to the cross but then rising again in 3 days!! If he had not come back to life, then we would not have anything to truly believe in.

As we read the Bible, we find many accounts of God and Jesus through the eyes of the writers. But how about seeing the story of Jesus through someone else's eyes, Mary Magdalene. The story Magdalena: Through Her Eyes, is the life of Jesus through the eyes of the woman that was once full of demons. When Jesus came by and released her from the bondage of the demons, she began to follow Him.  She is telling the story as the scenes go back to the time she is telling about.

I like the fact that this DVD shows the story of Jesus from someone else's eyes. Each time we read the Bible, it is the same. The word of God never changes. And in this DVD it still does not change, but we can see how the life, and death, of Jesus affected others. This is a great DVD for small study groups or just for families.

I was so grateful to be given the opportunity to review this DVD and also to offer a giveaway.  If you would be interested in receiving this DVD package, please leave a comment below. The first person that says they want this will receive the DVD along with some group study materials.

For more information on this DVD, visit the website http://www.magdalenatoday.com/

And you can also watch a preview

Preview: http://magdalenatoday.com/video/trailer.html?iframe=true&width=640&height=480
 
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this DVD and promotional materials in hopes that I would post a review and/or giveaway on my blog. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions expressed are 100% mine.

NMEDA - Finding independence again

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

Do you have a loved one that has a disability that keeps them from being able to get out and about like they would like to? NMEDA is here to help.  This is a non-profit company that helps to educate consumers about buying products from dealers. NMEDA DOES NOT SELL ANYTHING: NMEDA is the only association that promotes safe driving and equipment for disabled people. They are non-profit and their members are required to adhere to the safety standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NMEDA dealers (members) are the ones who sell handicap vans and vehicle modifications for disabled people.

No two people have the same needs, so it does not do a whole lot of good to buy  "generic"  products to take care of someone with a disability. That is why NMEDA offers a personalized "in person" evaluation to make sure are getting just what you need.

NMEDA has Dealers AND Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers.  The Quality Assurance Program (QAP) is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. It is based on the principle that in order to satisfy customers consistently, companies must have a systematic and documented approach to quality.

Even if you do not know someone that is disabled, how about an aging parent? The people at NMEDA can help you now to decide what kind of assistance you may need to help them out, even if they don't need the help right away. We all enjoy our independence, so why take it away from those we care about?

Memories from Coca-Cola

Coke® is a classic, all-American beverage that always stirs up memories of good times with family and friends no matter where you’re from. These kinds of memories are the glue that bring families and communities together.About Coca-Cola®


Created in Atlanta, Georgia, by Dr. John S. Pemberton, Coca-Cola was first offered as a fountain beverage by mixing Coca-Cola syrup with carbonated water. Coca-Cola was introduced in 1886, patented in 1887, registered as a trademark in 1893 and by 1895 it was being sold in every state and territory in the United States. In 1899, The Coca-Cola Company began franchised bottling operations in the United States.

 I have great memories of Coke from my childhood. I had an uncle that was a manager at the local Coca-Cola plant. Anytime that one of us kids would get sick, he would bring over cases of Coke.  I grew up thinking Coke was some sort of miracle medicine or something.  Recently I met one of my mom's cousins at a funeral and they were reminiscing about their youth days, and he said something about going to another family members house and seeing a garage full of Coke cases and he knew our uncle had been there. He also knew that someone was, or had been, sick. Now when one of my children get sick, I automatically want to get some Coke. I don't know that it makes you feel any better from the sickness, but Coke always makes you feel better when you drink it.

Several years ago after I had both of my children, I was on a weight loss journey. I had a friend that had lost a huge amount of weight by going to Weight Watchers, so I joined up and went to the meetings with her. I did really great, but had to quit near Thanksgiving. Weight Watchers is a great program and I recommend it to anyone that needs to lose weight but can't do it alone. I just wish I could afford to go back myself! But one of my favorite part of WW was the support and the recipes that are shared. I found a recipe on a website one day that my family has fallen in love with. This website, http://www.dwlz.com/ is  from a lady that lost an enormous amount of weight using the WW program, and she shares her success with others. She also has a recipes section that has the points and everything layed out for you. It is a wonderful tool. The recipe I got from her site is called Cola Chicken. Here is the recipe:
Cola Chicken

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 cup ketchup
12 oz can diet Coke

Put chicken in non-stick skillet. Pour catsup and diet cola over the top. Bring to boil.
Cover, reduce heat and cook for 45 minutes. Uncover, turn up the heat and continue to
cook until the sauce becomes thick and adheres to the chicken. It turns into the most
incredible BBQ sauce and it's only 4 points per serving. Yummm!

I have told others about this recipe and they turn their nose up at the thought of Diet Coke making a BBQ sauce but I tell you it is awesome! The first time I made this recipe, I made the chicken and a big pot of macaroni & cheese. I figured the kids would eat the mac-n-cheese and leave my chicken alone...but I was wrong!! They loved it!! I didn't have enough. It is a recipe that is good whether you are dieting or not, but it is great to know you can eat something that tastes so great and still lose weight!

So, do you have any memories of Coke or any great family recipes? If so, please share in the comments. I always enjoy reading the comments of my readers.

More info: http://www.cookingwithcoke.com/
Join Coca-Cola® on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cocacola
Join Coca-Cola® on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cocacola

"I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Coca-Cola® blogging program. If I am one of the first 100 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 gift card. For more information on the program, click here"

Don't forget to enter these giveaways

I have two giveaways right now that end next week and both have only a few entries:

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce (ends 4/15)

Rebecca St James Worship CD (ends 4/16)

Favorite PEEPS Moments

It is already April...wow where has the time gone?? That means it is also almost Easter and you know what that means>>>>Candy!! Do you ever notice how candy has become such a big part of so many holidays?? And the fun part is that there are different candies for each holiday so we can always have a variety! My kids get so much candy that we end up throwing away about half of it.  I cannot remember as a child ever getting so much candy. In fact, I had a friend at school that would bring me some of her candy to share. But I can say that the times that I did get candy and other treats, I enjoyed it more than my kids probably do today because of the fact that I did not get it as often.

One of my favorite candy as a child was the Peeps candies. They are so fun to eat and play with. I am the type that when I get any candy, I eat it layer by layer and as slow as I can so that I can enjoy it longer. With the peeps, they are fun to stretch and distort.  Then you have to eat off one ear at the time and pretend it is crying, so you eat the face. Am I the only one that plays with my food this way?? I am not completely crazy, I just enjoy to have fun with my food and everything else too!

Here are some fun facts I bet you didn't know about Peeps:

• In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one PEEPS® Marshmallow Chick. Today, thanks to advances in technology, it takes six minutes.
• Just Born produces enough PEEPS® Brand Marshmallow Candies in one year to circle the earth twice.
• In the late 1950's PEEPS® wings were "clipped" to give them a sleek, modern look.
• PEEPS® Brand Candies have been the #1 non-chocolate brand at Easter for over 20 years*. *Source: IRI Total U.S. FDMx.
• Yellow is America's best selling color of PEEPS® chicks and bunnies.
• Yellow and white PEEPS® chicks and bunnies came first, followed by pink, lavender, blue, green and orange.
• PEEPS® branded products have made celebrity appearances on many programs including: Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, The Early Show, Saturday Night Live, Martha Stewart, Ellen, South Park, and The Daily Show.
• If you had 8,000 PEEPS® bunnies, and you stood them in a straight vertical line, you could reach the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago.
• PEEPS® have become gourmet favorites as fondues, Crème Brulee ingredients and cappuccino toppings!

Wow, did you notice the one about makeing enough Peeps to go around the Earth two times?? That is a lot of Peeps!!  Check the Peeps mobile tour and see if they are coming near you.

Do you need some Peeps for your Easter baskets?? Shop online and use this promo code at checkout - SMSPRING11 for 20% off all of your purchases until 5/4/11!

About PEEPS & COMPANY®

In 2009, Just Born, Inc., maker of PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, HOT TAMALES® and PEANUT CHEWS® opened its first retail store named PEEPS & COMPANY®.

PEEPS & COMPANY® is located at the banks of the Potomac, minutes from Washington D.C. at the very center of National Harbor’s dynamic main plaza. Directly in front of the PEEPS & COMPANY® store is the Seward Johnson’s famous statue, The Awakening, along with sweeping views of the beautiful Potomac River. The store’s location is at a converging point for residents and thousands of visitors arriving by bus, car, and ferries, which dock at the piers in front of the store.

 Keep up to date with our friends at PEEPS and Company:
 http://www.peepsandcompany.com/

PEEPSandCOMPANY.com online store

http://www.facebook.com/PEEPSANDCOMPANY

http://twitter.com/#!/peepsandcompany

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and PEEPS blogging contest, for a chance to get a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Little Switches That Make a Big Difference

Have you noticed how so many times our lives will become so routine that we get bored and want a change? In 2008, when Barack Obama was running for president he used the slogan a lot about time for a change. So many things have changed over the years with technology and other things that we can't even keep up; yet, our lives still seem to be so routine and we become bored.

Well, I am a firm believer that sometimes you can make little switches that can make a big difference. I am not much of a cook, my husband is a great cook so I do not usually break that routine of him cooking dinner. Recently I was given the opportunity to review some Country Bob's all purpose sauce (see my review here). I cooked dinner one night while my husband was working and had dinner on the table for him. And it was wonderful!! I made cheeseburgers and they turned out so juicy and tender all because of a little change I made in an ingredient. But that little thing really made a big difference that night in our home....I now have more confidence in my cooking and am eager to try more new things, and my husband was glad to be able to come home like I do so many nights and just be able to sit and relax.

Another example of little switches with big differences is drinking water. We all have heard of the health benefits that water has on our bodies and we know we need to drink more water, and a lot of people did start drinking a lot more water over the last few years. But unfortunately, we are using way too many plastic bottles. If each person would use reusable water bottles, we could make a huge difference in the amount of waste we have. I have started using the recycle containers they now have at Rite Aid, and I am really surprised at the amount of recycling I have each week that was normally going in with the regular trash. Unfortunately, so many people have the mind-set that they cannot make a difference; but we all need to realize that it is the small things that each of us can do that in the end will result in a big difference.

There are so many areas in our lives that we can make little switches in as well. I would almost make a bet that most of the time when someone in a relationship has an affair, or even thinks about it, it is because their own relationship has become boring. Not that I am saying that makes it alright, but I do feel that we have to do the small things to keep our relationships alive! My husband and I have been married for 13 years, and this year we have gone out on 2 date nights.Those date nights have not been anything extravagant, but yet they have made a big difference in our relationship. All couples need to have time set aside that they can spend together without the kids. If everyone did this, I believe we would have fewer divorces.

I want to hear from my readers...What are some ways that you can make little switches that make a big difference? If you really think about it, I bet we can all come up with some great tips. And if we get these tips out to others, then maybe we can all really make a BIG difference!

Cottonell also is making little switches. The Cottonelle brand provides innovative comfort solutions for perineal personal care. Cottonelle toilet paper is available in three forms: Cottonelle Ultra toilet paper, Cottonelle Aloe & E toilet paper, and Cottonelle Premium toilet paper. To help people feel cleaner and fresher than with toilet paper alone, Cottonelle offers Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes and Cottonelle SoothingClean Flushable Moist Wipes enriched with Aloe & E.

More info about the Cottonelle Ultra Switch: http://www.cottonelleultraswitch.com/
Cottonell on Facebook
http://twitter.com/#!/cottonellebrand


“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Cottonelle blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Rebecca St. James CD review and giveaway

Rebecca St. James charts yet another new course with I Will Praise You, a new collection of worship songs she terms “ her most personal recording to date.” From the opening notes of track one, listeners are offered a welcoming connection with Rebecca’s recognizably authentic vocal warmth and delivery. More than anything, I Will Praise You represents the latest steps in Rebecca’s life long journey towards the presence of God.

I absolutely love to listen to good music, so when I was given the opportunity to do a review of Rebecca St. James' new CD I Will Praise You, I was ecstatic. I was looking forward to the mail arriving each day and when it finally came, I was not disappointed!

I work in an office at an assisted living facility. I am one of only a few Christians that work in this facility so I enjoy having my gospel music going on my radio at all times. I enjoy hearing preaching too, but when I am busy in my office I can't concentrate on what they are saying so it is hard to get into the preaching, so I really enjoy it when I can get a good CD to listen to so I don't have the interruptions. Sometimes I will have clients, staff or even visitors come in and catch me singing along too.

The new CD, I Will Praise You, by Rebecca St. James is great for listening to and singing along with. In only a few days, my daughter and I can sing along with a few of the songs! The songs on this CD are great easy listening, yet wonderful worship songs. And I absolutely love that each song has a Bible scripture that is coincides with. In the insert page, the words to the songs are written out, and at the title there is a Bible scripture.

This CD hits stores TODAY, April 5th!! If you would like to have a great worship CD to listen to at work like I do, or in the car or even at home, you can buy it starting today or you could win one!!

Be sure to check out Rebecca St. James on the web:
Website: http://www.rsjames.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rsjames
YouTube: http://rsjames.com/updates/2011/3/22/video-rebecca-explains-her-song-shine-your-glory-down.html
Amazon: http://amzn.to/gqOroA

On top of getting a CD to review, I have also been given the opportunity to give away a CD to a North Carolina Momma reader!!  If you would like to win a copy just follow the entries below!!

Mandatory Entry:
Go to http://rsjames.com/listeningparty and hear a preview of the songs on this CD, then come back here and tell me what your favorite one is.
That is the only required entry.

Extra Entries:
The extra entries are not required but will give you extra entries and a bigger chance of winning. Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.

• Subscribe to this blog through email or RSS feed (1 entry)
• Follow this blog through GFC (1 entry)
• Follow Southern Mom of 4 blog with GFC (1 entry)
• Follow me on twitter - be sure to leave your twitter name in your comment (1 entry)
• Tweet about this giveaway - be sure to include @shaffermom and a link to this giveaway in your tweet. Leave a link to your post in your comment (1 entry per tweet per day)
• Email a friend about this giveaway - CC me at gerrie.shaeffer(at)yahoo(dot)com (1 entry per person emailed)

Make sure your email address is in your comment. To protect you from SPAM, you may leave the email like this gerrie.shaeffer(at)yahoo(dot)com. This giveaway will end on April 16th and the winner will be chosen on April 17th.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for 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.”

SMB Super Miracle Bubbles

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce --- Review & Giveaway

Well I must start out by saying that I have heard all over the blogosphere about Country Bob's sauces.  I have entered many giveaways trying to win some of this sauce, because if what everyone was saying was true, I wanted to try some! But I also have to say that I am NOT a cook! I am very spoiled and anyone that knows me will tell you that. My husband does most of the cooking in my house, and my mother in law lives with me so she does the cooking when she is not working. Both of them have schedules completely different than mine, so they are able to have dinner on the table by the time I get home from work.

With that said, I was sent two (2) bottles of Country Bob's all purpose sauce.  I was thrilled to finally be able to try this sauce that so many bloggers we already talking about. And I wanted to cook something myself too. So I brain stormed about what a non-cook could cook and use this sauce in.  I decided on hamburgers. Easy enough right!?! The funny thing was that my MIL also picked up stuff for hamburgers the same night. I told her what I wanted to do so she stood back and let me fix the burgers! I thought, if my burgers turn out bad then we can always cook hers up; win, win!

I mixed some of the sauce in with the hamburger and then patted them out into patties. My MIL did not trust me enough so she did the cooking. OK so that is not completely true, she did trust me, but she is a natural in the kitchen so after I put my patties on the griddle she just kind of took over. I was completely OK with that anyway, that way I was not the only blame if the burgers were not good.

When hubby finally got home from work we sat down to eat the absolute best burgers ever!!! The Country Bob's all purpose sauce made them so juicy and tender and also gave them a little bit of a sweet taste. I was thrilled! Everyone loved them!! The only bad thing about these burgers....is now I am the official hamburger maker. But as long as I have Country Bob's, I am good to go!!

One of the best thing, to me, about Country Bob's is the fact that they are a Christian company. Here is a quote from their page "It would be nice if we could claim responsibility for the success of the company, however, credit must be given where credit is due. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." We have placed true ownership of Country Bob, Inc. in the hands of God. "Christ is our CEO" and He is an Awesome Boss!" 

So, what about you...how would you like to try some of this wonderful sauce?? You can go to their page and order some OR You can win some here!!

I have two (2) bottles of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce to giveaway to TWO (2) North Carolina Momma readers!!

Mandatory Entry:
Go to Country Bob's  website, and then leave a comment below with something that you learned! That is the first and only required entry to this giveaway.
Be sure to leave your email address in your comment. To avoid spam, leave it like this gerrie.shaeffer(at)yahoo(dot)com. I will not search for an email so please make sure it is included!

Bonus Entries:
Leave a seperate comment for each entry!! If it is worth 2 entries, be sure to leave 2 seperate comments.

• Become a follower of this blog through GFC - 1 extra entry
• Go to my sister's blog Southern Mom of 4 and become a follower of her blog with GFC - 1 extra entry
• Become an email subscriber of this blog - 1 extra entry
• Share this giveaway on facebook (leave a link with your comment)  you can do this once a day - 1 extra entry each day that you share
• Follow me on twitter (shaeffermom) - 1 extra entry
• Tweet this giveaway - be sure to include a link to this post and add @shaeffermom in your post - you can do this once daily for an extra entry each day
• Like Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce on facebook - 1 extra entry
• Email a friend about this giveaway  - CC me @ gerrie.shaeffer(at)yahoo(dot)com - 1 extra entry for each person you email

This giveaway will go through April 15th. Winners will be drawn on April 16th and notified via email. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be drawn!

Disclaimer: "I received 2 bottles of Country Bob's all purpose sauce for the purpose of this review/giveaway. I was not asked to make a positive review and I was not compensated for this review in any other way. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine and my family"

By Your Grace, For Your Glory

This is my baby girl and a young man from church singing their first duet together! They did a wonderful job...I may be a little biased but I am also a critic!!