Product Review and Giveaway: Soft Scrub Total Cleaners

One of the things I LOVE about being a Purex Insider is their commitment to work with quality brands, like Soft Scrub, to give us a chance to check out products we may have never used, and to be able to share that chance with our lucky readers.



We've used Soft Scrub for years for cleaning in the kitchen, but have never used it in the bathroom. So I was happy to be able to try two of the new 

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Celebrate Fall with Certain Dri!

Celebrate Fall with Certain Dri!






Summer is sizzling but it’s been no sweat with Certain Dri! Are you ready to fall back into autumn fashions without worry of embarrassing sweat marks? To celebrate the Labor Day 3-day weekend and Certain Dri’s 72-hours of sweat protection, Certain Dri will be launching a new giveaway on its  Facebook page to give 72 winners a jump start on their fall

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History Corner: Book Review and Giveaway: The King's Damsel by Kate Emerson

Well ya'll KNOW we love a good historical fiction book, and this one fits the bill!









Synopsis: Handmaid. Spy. Mistress.  Anxious to secure his own success at the glittering court of Henry VIII, heiress Tamsin Lodge’s ambitious guardian obtains her a position as maid of honor to young Princess Mary Tudor.  Tamsin soon comes to love the neglected child, but in the Tudor court, not even a

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Additional Accessories Tablet Owners Need!

One of the things that happens when you get one of the new 'smart' electronics, be it a smart phone, tablet, netbook, ereader or laptop, you know you'll be needing to buy accessories that apply to ONLY that item. Which of course means you may be putting out more money than you want to.

So if you can find items that can multi-purpose between your different devices, you know you'll not only save

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Want to Review Suspense/Mystery Books?

Partners in Crime is looking for a few good book review bloggers!






Are you interested in getting books to review on YOUR blog?



Their criteria:

Must be a fan of their specialty genre (mystery, suspense and crime)
Have a minimum of 100 followers
New host must complete and participate in 2 or more tours before November 30th.
Click this link & Complete the questionnaire 




So join the

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Book Giveaway: The Spy Lover by Kiana Davenport

Something different for today!



I couldn't get this book read in time for a review date, 

but it sounded so great I didn't want to let you all miss out, 

so Wunderkind PR was kind enough to let us giveaway a copy!



Read on!






Synopsis: Tapping into her family history, Kiana Davenport has written the defining novel of the Chinese immigrant experience during the American Civil War.


Era

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Giveaway: Diet Mountain Dew Crew Racing Merch

If you've paid attention this past week, you've seen that we're now a member of the Diet Mountain Dew Insiders Crew!

We have drank Mountain Dew for eons it seems, and we LOVE the new limited edition Dark Berry Mountain Dew, released in honor the latest Dark Knight, Batman movie!

And because it's our Blogiversary month, and we KNOW there are a lot of Dale Earnhardt Jr and Nascar fans out there

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Wordless Wednesday: Dress Up Time

Ballerina Dress Up Day!

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Blue Eagle Book Set Giveaway!

Blue Eagle Books is Giving Away 50 Award Winning Blue Eagle Book Sets



If you’re a parent of a young one in grade school, you know more than anyone that back-to-school time of year is just around the corner. What better way to get them inspired by getting them into reading early? And, what better books to have them read than Steven Jones’ Mom’s Choice Awards winning book series, Blue Eagle

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It's Not a Hurricane party...

Until the Scrabble board comes out !

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We joined the Drew Crew, How About You?

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trackingHost: "t.socialchorus.com",
clickthroughUrl: "http://apps.facebook.com/dewcrew?mcpArg_acquisitionSourceId=SCHORUS",
btype: "ot",

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Giveaway: Month's Supply of Contact Lenses from ReplaceMyContacts

While I wear glasses for reading, Suzanne has worn contacts for years. 



Having a comfortable set of contacts is important to wearing them all day, bad contacts can cost you money, you may not have to loose. Getting the right prescription and fit for your eyes is important. Just like with eyeglasses, contact lenses come in a variety of shapes and forms to meet your vision enhancing

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Hurricane Party: Kindergarrten Style

Crafting time!!!!!

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Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky : Aug 28- Sept 3, 2012

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Want to Win a $1,000?

As part of the Purex Insider Program, I wanted to share TWO great sweepstakes going on right now:



Check out the Purex Back to School Sweepstakes- win $1,000 for all of your Back To School shopping needs. While you're at it keep your clothes Bright, White and Clean with a FREE year's supply of Purex UltraPacks and fresh with Purex Crystals.


And then go and check out the 
The Soft Scrub Tough

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Guest Post: Does Your Child Need a Tutor?

Does your child need a tutor?



The hyper-competitive admission requirements of colleges in America are making it more important than ever that students are given the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to be successful. Being smart or talented is not enough. Chuck Cohn, founder of Varsity Tutors offers some insights into when a tutor can come to the rescue.



Families often rely on the

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Book Review: You Can't Make Me by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

When I read the title of this book in the press release sent to me, 

I KNEW I HAD TO READ IT!




Kiddo has always been 'stubborn'. As an infant we determined she met the criteria of a 'high needs baby' (thanks Dr Sears), and by determining that we understood alot more about why she was SO clinging and not letting us out of her sight. As she got older it helped us understand how she ticked.

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Updated Product Review: Nexus 7 Tablet

I really should title this one, part TWO of my original review of my new Nexus 7 Tablet (can I get a shout out to Staples for having an excellent electronics department?), as now that I've had time to play with use it. Now that I've gotten alot of use of it, I wanted to share some of the really cool things that I LOVE about it. 



First, it has really make me MISS my Android phone intently! For

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Recipe Weekend/ Pinterest Fail or no Fail : Peanut Butter Cake

It's time for Round Two in Our Pinterest Fail or no Fail Meme, and yes, it's another peanut butter recipe. It's not a criteria or anything, just where our interest ran this month! LOL







Peanut Butter Cake from The Caramel Cookie!





The cake is 'healthy' in that the original recipe calls for flaxseed, almond milk and PB2. 



Those are not items we have in our household on a normal

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Happy National Hot Dog Day from Frankenweenie!

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ebook Giveaway: Captive Heart and This Too Shall Pass by Cynthia Roberts

Last year I introduced you to Cynthia and her new book, The Wind Warrior!



She has since put her nose to the proverbial grindstone and written not one, but TWO new books, both of which just received a shining Blue Ribbon Review from RomanceJunkies.com and helow with the launching of both books, she is offering the opportunity for (2) of you lucky BTHM readers to win a FREE EBook copy, of one

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Book Review: Hello? Is This Grandma? by Ian Whybrow, Illus by Deborah Allwright

Kiddo's Grandma Pam always finds her the most fun and wonderfully illustrated books,

so we know when a package arrives from her, it's going to be wonderful!



Here's one of her latest gifts!








Synopsis: Logan wants to talk to Grandma on the telephone, but he keeps getting the wrong number. The youngster dials "Bee-bee-bee-bah-beep!" and waits expectantly. Lifting the gatefold reveals a

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Product Review and Giveaway: Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel and Bait

It's still Summer down here in hot and humid South, which means one thing: BUGS.

From wasps to mosquitos to love bugs to ants. They are abounding. So I was happy to get the chance to review the latest answers to removing ants from your home from Combat Source!

Combat Source has been a leader in pest control for the home for years and years, so you know it is a name you can trust! 



We have an

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Book Review: And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman

Welcome to our stop on the And When She Was Good book blog tour! 






Synopsis:


Perennial New York Times and nationally bestselling author and acclaimed multiple–prize winner Laura Lippman delivers a brilliant novel about a woman with a secret life who is forced to make desperate choices to save her son and herself.

When Hector Lewis told his daughter that she had a nothing face, it was

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Book Review: The Not So Wicked, Wicked Witch by Amy Purser Carter, Illus by Sarah Markham

As I mentioned earlier this week, we get alot of great books out of Mississippi, 

and I am thrilled to bring you another Southern children's author,

on our favorite topic: Halloween!











Synopsis: The Not So Wicked, Wicked Witch is a charming story about a witch that is wicked in image only.

After reading the story and getting to know Carter's witch, you realize that she has a heart of

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Black Licorice Recalled

I had not heard about this re all until Barbara's Beat ( http://barbarasbeat.blogspot.com/2012/08/red-vines-black-licorice-twists.html )  posted it on Re-Clip and I wanted to share it with you all.
"The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said some of our one pound (16oz.) bags of Red Vines® Black Licorice Twists contained traces of lead that were above the acceptable level for food

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Book Review: Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman

And now for something different....



When NetGalley sent me info on this book, 

I knew it was going to be a rollicking read...









Synopsis:  When Buck Schatz, senior citizen and retired Memphis cop, learns that an old adversary may have escaped Germany with a fortune in stolen gold, Buck decides to hunt down the fugitive and claim the loot. But a lot of people want a piece of the stolen

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Got a Tablet? Get FREE Ebooks!

One of the things having a tablet (can I say THANKS to Staples again!) has fostered is an increase in getting ebooks.


As they are so easy to read on it, I found myself subscribing to different blogs that s daily lists of FREE books available on Amazon (as I had already been using the Kindle app on pc and smartphone, it is my preferred app).


Yup, did you know that DAILY there are literally

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Wordless Wednesday: Hey Mom Your Tablet Has a Camera|||

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Book Review: The Last of the Seals by Greg Messel

Dad grabbed this book as soon as it came in and had it read in 3 days! Yup, it's a keeper!





Synopsis: Mystery, romance and baseball in 1957 San Francisco. Sam Slater is a lifetime minor league baseball player for the San Francisco Seals. The Seals have just one more season left as San Francisco is about to become a major league city. Sam has come to the end of his baseball career and is

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It's Back- FREE Museum Admission!

Make sure you take this great opportunity to visit a museum you haven't before, or go back and enjoy one you love! I am a firm believer in you never know what kids will learn, if you only expose them! This is also a great way to send the grandkid off with Grandpa/Grandma for a shared day of fun and memories (ie visiting the WWII museum).

The rules are:

Only an official Museum Day Live!

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Book Review and Giveaway: Confessions of a Control Freak by Priscilla Knox Morrison

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for

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Book Review and Giveaway: Ka-Boom! by Alyce Joy Rininger

Welcome to our stop on the World of Ink book blog tour for Ka-Boom!






The author hopes this will be the beginning of a series about Spritesville, 

and we hope so too!


Synopsis: Sprout is a fairy from Spritesville, Ohio. Her given name is Sprunetta Brunetta. She doesn’t like it, because she thinks it sounds too much like somebody’s wicked sister. Since she is only four inches tall, all her

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Book Review and Giveaway: The Things I Do for You by Mary Carter

Welcome to our stop on the The Things I Do For You Book Blog Tour!









Synopsis: Bailey Jordan has loved her husband, Brad, since they were ten years old. She’s followed him on every adventure–opening a sweater store in Seattle, a café in Colorado, a surf shop in Santa Monica. Each time, she’s picked up the pieces when things fell apart. But now, it’s her turn. Bailey has a successful real

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Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky : Aug 21- Aug 27, 2012

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Have you Tried Pillsbury Baguette Chips?

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, you can try them at 75 cents off!



Just click this LINK

and you can print a coupon for 75 cents off a bag!












Disclosure: this coupon link was provided by Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.

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Product Review: Nexus 7 Android Tablet aka My New Addiction

Ya'll heard my scream when my new tablet/toy/addiction came in this past week right?

This is the first of a couple different review posts coming up about it!




Our REALLY good friends at Staples asked us what time of electronic device we were looking for to meet our Back to School, Blogging, and Parenting needs, and as Dad had just bought the coolest bluetooth/wi-fi printer, so there was

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Kindergarten Here We Come....

ORIENTATION DAY:











and FIRST DAY:

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Book Review: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce, Illus by Joe Bluhm

As school is starting for us this week- BAAAAHHHH/ WHOOOPIE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!- I thought reviewing some great kids books we've recently discovered would make for a fun week!

Up first is a book that actually came about AFTER the Oscar nominated animated short movie and Ipad app that followed it! 







The animated movie in home grown, out of Moonbot Studios in Shreveport (can I get a cheer for

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Winners Starting School!

1. Truth be Told- #20   Natahsa HP

2. 5 hour Energy- #10 Yona

3. You Came Back- #35 Carole C



All winners have been notified via email. 

Thanks to everyone who entered!

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winners

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Book Review: Rip-Off by Mar Preston

Ya'll know I love police procedural series, so I was thrilled when Mar asked if I wanted to read the latest Detective Dave Mason novel! I loved book 1, No Dice!





Synopsis: A deadbeat burglar has been found in the upscale Santa Monica beach condo of a playboy studio exec. The dead body must link up with a string of high-tech burglaries. And do the Chechens Mason keeps meeting must link up

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Product Review and Giveaway: Pillsbury Artisan Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

As we've shared before, we LOVE the Pillsbury pizza crust- for awhile there we were having homemade pizza EVERY Friday! It is SO easy, inexpensive if you use what you have on hand and oh-so simple and quick to make (and eat, since it tends to vanish pretty quick once it hits the table!)



Now Pillsbury has come out with a new twist joining the regular and thin crust varieties- Artisan

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Book Review: Revenant by Allan Leverone

Earlier this year, we reviewed the first book in this series, Paskagankee, which we loved, and we're happy to be able to review book 2 in the ongoing series!





Synopsis: A sacred Navajo artifact, imbued with a shocking and dangerous power. 


An amoral con man, willing to stop at nothing to achieve his goals.


And a tiny northern Maine town, isolated and vulnerable.


Last November,

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Did You Hear My Scream??

When the box arrived in the mail from Staples today????











































Yeah, I LOVE you Staples!!!



Stay tuned for more posts.

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Book Review and Giveaway: Coastal Access by Walter Ramsay

Sports writer turned investigative journalist Tucker Lee Anderson

 (from Beneath The Dune) is back!  






Synopsis:  In Florida, Interstate 95 snakes from the Georgia state line to Miami in an uninterrupted run of coastal cities. The country that lies west of the interstate however is often referred to as a wasteland, a no-man's territory fit only for those who can stand the dank heat of a

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Wordless Wednesday Fluttered By on Wings....

As in the internet kept going down (thanks AT&T), 

so we took in the beauty of nature....



and this post didn't go up yesterday- I hope it gives you a smile today instead!

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Book Review:Tthe Stars Shine Bright by Sibella Giorello

Welcome to our stop on the The Stars Shine Bright book blog tour, which ends today!



The Stars Shine Bright is the 5th book in the Raleigh Harmon series 





Synopsis: After the FBI suspends her for bending rules, Special Agent Raleigh Harmon wants to redeem her career and re-start her life. But when the Bureau offers her an undercover assignment, she's forced to take on a double-life. Sent

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Book Review and Giveaway: Giving Up the Ghost by Eric Nuzzum

Synopsis: Eric Nuzum is afraid of the supernatural, and for good reason: As a high school oddball in Canton, Ohio, during the early 1980s, he became convinced that he was being haunted by the ghost of a little girl in a blue dress who lived in his parents’ attic. It began as a weird premonition during his dreams, something that his quickly diminishing circle of friends chalked up as a way

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Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky : Aug 14- Aug 20, 2012

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Pinterest Fail or No Fail: Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Welcome to our new feature- Pinterest, Fail or No Fail? new meme-

where we take things we find on Pinterest and test

them to see if they are as yummy as they look/sound,

or as easy to make!



For our inaugural post, the boys at work saw this pin of

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars and screamed for them to be made.

Aha, a challenge had been laid down!







The original recipe came from

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Guest Post; Think Brown-Bagging’s a Bore? by Mona Meighan

Think Brown-Bagging’s a Bore?Expert Offers Tips for Fast, Fun, Healthy Lunches-to-Go



It was a tragic lesson in the risks of consuming a fast-food, sugary diet:

Dr. Mona Meighan’s normally punctual 26-year-old son, Luke, did not show up for work one morning in 2009. A concerned co-worker stopped by Luke’s apartment and found the young man dead in his bed. An autopsy determined he died from

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Winners This Week Braving for Back to School!

1. Severed Threads- #110 Anita Y

2. One Good Friend- #45 Gail K

3. Carmex Summer Bag- #200 Amy H



All winners have been notified via email. 

Thanks to everyone who entered!

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Book Review: The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word by Joyce Meyer

As our faithful readers know, we love Joyce Meyers, 

so any new book by her we are VERY happy to review!





Synopsis: There are powerful promises in God’s Word, but how often do you speak them over your life? In this beautifully embossed gift edition book, you’ll find it easy to locate specific scriptures on a certain topic so you can speak them aloud when you need to. This little book of

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Guest Post: Why is White-Collar Crime on the Rise? by Rakesh Malhotra

Why is White-Collar Crime on the Rise?COO Advocates Values-in-Action Courses for All Students



It seems every time we turn around, another financial giant is accused of lying, cheating and stealing.



It’s not your imagination, says Rakesh Malhotra, a longtime COO who has worked in Asia, East Europe and United States and led cross-cultural diverse teams.



“White-collar crime convictions in

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Recipe Weekend: Back to School Easy Pizza Casserole

Chef Rory Schepisi, has graciously put her critically acclaimed culinary talents to work to bring parents her “Back to School Easy Pizza Casserole,” a quick and easy recipe sure to please even the pickiest of palates. 





Back to School Easy Pizza Casserole Ingredients:

1 pound pasta of choice (Rory uses Fusili or Spiral)

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 jar marinara/tomato sauce

½ cup

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Oh Oh- We FORGOT!!!!!!!!!! It's Our Blogiversary!

Apparently we've been having SO much fun this Summer that we totally FORGOT Bless Their Heart Mom's THIRD birthday!





Yup the blog turned the big THREE in June ! Wow, our third year, just doesn't seem like it's been that long! 

We're SO SO happy to have you STILL with us, newly on board, or thinking of following! We've had alot of personal changed this past year, and we're happy you guys

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History Corner: Book Review: The Second Empress by Michelle Moran

Michelle's new book comes out in stores on the 14th, 

so we were thrilled to be able to review it ahead of time!







Synopsis: After the bloody French Revolution, Emperor Napoleon’s power is absolute. When Marie-Louise, the eighteen year old daughter of the King of Austria, is told that the Emperor has demanded her hand in marriage, her father presents her with a terrible choice: marry the

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History Corner/ Book Review: Smeared by Mark Rogers

It's a good week and we've got not one, but TWO history based books for review this week!



First the modern one!


But first a warning- this is an HONEST review, there is NO slant here-I'm not Fox or ABC News- I've been an Independent Voter since I got my first Voter Registration card. I didn't want ANYONE telling me HOW I had to vote. I wanted to research, educate myself and vote accordingly.

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Wordless Wednesday: A Snowball and an Iphone....

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Top Shelf Giveaway- August 2012

Welcome to this month's YOU CHOOSE THE BOOK Giveaway!










The choices this month are:







Promise Me by Harlan Coben











The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls















A Little Ray of Sunshine by Lani Rich  (ARC Copy)











The Seven Year *itch by Jennifer Belle



















Hard Time and Nursery Rhymes by Claudia Trupp















A Cup of Jo by  Sandra Balzo

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Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky : Aug 7-Aug 13, 2012

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Book Tour: Section 132 by Helga Zeiner

Well last month I had a dyslexia moment and posted my review and giveaway of Section 132 (congrats to Wendy who won the ebook version).

Today is my actual day for the tour, so i am reposting info about the book, my review and links to the tour, so you can head off and enter to win on the other participating blogs! Sorry the mix up guys!









SYNOPSIS:  Lillian is only 13 when her parents

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Recipe Weekend: Primos Cafe Inspired Caramel Toffee Brownies

This past week we ran up to Jackson (MS) to visit friends and family, and had the opportunity to check out some delicious baked treats from the Primos Cafe in Flowood (south of Jackson). There caramel toffee brownie was SO wonderful that we had to come up with our own 'like it' recipe! 

Here's what the brownies look like:






And the OOOOOOOO pix:







(admit it, you KNOW you want to run and

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Winners this last Week of July!

1. Line between here and Gone- #172 Tiffany D

2. Lightning Fast French Strikes Again- #5 Natasha H

3. Top Shelf- #208 LaTanya T, who picked His Other Wife
(August's Top Shelf will be up in a day or two)

4.  Mystery Time- #12 Carol M

(5. Julep- winner was notified by Julep directly! )



All winners have been notified by email!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

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Book Review: Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child By Bob Spitz

As ya'll know I was a later arrival to the 'cult of Julia', but the more I learn about her, the more I really admire her and wish I had known her! So I jumped at the chance to read/review this new book about her!









Synopsis: It’s rare for someone to emerge in America who can change our attitudes, our beliefs, and our very culture. It’s even rarer when that someone is a middle-aged,

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Book Review:Zoe Gets Ready by Bethanie Murguia

Synopsis:  Each day is full of possibilities, and Zoe wants to be ready for everything this one might bring. But that makes getting dressed really, really hard! If it's a twirling day, she'll need to wear the purple skirt. But if it's a cartwheeling day, she'll want the polka-dot tights. Or it might be a hiding day, perfect for the flower crown that will help her blend into the garden . . .

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Product Review and Giveaway: 5 Hour Energy Drink

As a caffeine addict (there, I admit it!), energy drinks were not something I normally gravitate to. give me some shots of espresso and I'm good! 



But when the opportunity came from Smiley360 to try 5-hour Energy Drink,

i decided to give it a go!






5-hour ENERGY is a quick and simple way  to feel alert and energized for hours, in mere minutes, and on the go. And because the key

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Wordless Wednesday. Cat Days of Summer

Nope...not the proverbial porch dog, we have a porch cat....























(are you DONE taking my picture yet...is what the squinty eyes mean)

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Book Review: Hell or High Water by Joy Castro

Welcome to one of the TOP THREE books of the year, at least to me!




With the Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina upon us, 

the book has come out at a perfect time.



I hope you enjoyed Joy's earlier guest post as well!






Synopsis: Nola Céspedes, an ambitious young reporter at the Times-Picayune, catches a break: an assignment to write her first full-length investigative feature. It’s a

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