23 Blast {Movie Giveaway}

Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing me with a copy of 23 Blast in exchange for my honest review. I received no further compensation for this post. Propeller Consulting, LLC is providing the prize for one reader as well.

As a typical teenager, Travis Freeman is a local hero both on and off the high school football field in his small Kentucky town. But in 1997, Travis contracts an infection that destroys his optic nerve and renders him blind overnight. With the loving help and concern of this parents, physical therapist, coach, and best friend, Travis demonstrates what true bravery is: He continues to compete on the gridiron and helps his team advance to the state finals.

Rated PG-13 (brief drinking of alcohol on school property) / 1h 42 m

I'm pretty much a fan of any movie that revolves around football. But give me a true-story-feel-good movie about football, and I just can't say no. So when the trailer for 23 Blast landed in my inbox, I knew I had to get my hands on this movie. I was not disappointed.

23 Blast is based on the real life stories of Travis Freeman and his best buddy, Jerry Freeman. The two met in peewee football and became best friends and teammates. Their high school careers were on the path to stardom when Travis woke up blind from an unusual sinus infection.

This movie goes on to tell the story of Freeman and his struggle to continue his life as a blind teenager. I was blown away with Mark Hapka's portrayal of the blind teenager during the entire movie.  We get to see not only the struggles that Freeman went through, but also feel the pain of his parents and the hurt and confusion of his best friends and teammates. 

It is coach who ultimately goes against most everyone in town to put Freeman back on the football field, and the real-life story that continued after that is one of ultimate faith and courage. 

This is an absolute must-see movie for anyone who enjoys football, or anyone who loves to see what God can do for those that put their faith in him and work hard to achieve their goals.

Take a look at the movie trailer, then scroll on down to get entered to win your own copy of 23 Blast. And be sure to check out the 23 Blast website where you can also enter to win the ultimate fan package, including an autographed football from Coach Tony Dungy.

Giveaway closes at 7pm CST on Tuesday, February 3. Good luck!

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On Turning 36

Well, I did it. I survived another birthday, and came out a year older (but not necessairly a year wiser).

The 36th year came without much celebration. I spent most of all last week at home sick, and seemed to be getting sicker as the week went by. The kids went to my in-laws so I could rest, and Hubby had to work out of town all weekend.

So I woke up on my 36th birthday at 10:30am, feeling yucky. My mom came over and hung out for a few minutes. Then I got myself ready, dosed up on some meds, and went to town and bought a pair of blue jeans. Y'all, 36 is exciting!

I did go pick up my kids Saturday afternoon, and had a late lunch with my in-laws. The kids had made me birthday cards and gave me a "get well" card also. I felt so sickly, but I wanted my babies home. We came home and went to the grocery store. Ting was upset that I didn't have a cake, so I let her pick out a cake and tell the woman what she wanted on it.

Apparently "Mommy" comes in all types of spellings down here in our part of the world, haha!

We came home and the kids entertained themselves while I rested (code: I have no idea what they did :/ ) And then we had cake for dinner!

I may have felt yucky, but being with my kids on my birthday made it perfect. We all went to be early, and Hubby came home the next day!

Happy Birthday to me :)

Five on Friday {Jan 23}

{One}
If it wasn't for Five on Friday, I wouldn't get any blogging done this week. Our lives are pretty routine right now: work/school, eat, sleep. There should be some fun blog worthy activities soon though.

{Two}
I may not be blogging here, but the book blog gets updated twice weekly. Head over there if you are just itching to read something I've typed.

{Three}
I take days to care for sick kids, and even took off when Hubby was sick, but I can't remember the last time I took sick leave for myself. But I have this sinus/cold stuff, and just feel yucky, so I've been home sick most of the week. Yuck.

{Four}
Our local consignment sale, Rhea Lana, is coming up and I am consigning again. However,  I'm taking the easy way out this time. I opted for the VIP option - I will get less of a percentage of my sales, but they do all the hard work. I spent my sick days getting everything washed and will drop it all off this weekend. With this sale, all of our kids' outgrown clothes are gone!

{Five}
My birthday is tomorrow (the 24th). I'm turning 36. I haven't decided yet how I feel about that. My eyes went bad, my hair started turning gray, and I gained a gazillion pounds when I turned 35, so here's to hoping 36 is uneventful.

5 on Friday

This year I'm going to try to participate in the 5 on Friday weekly linkup. It's basically just five random things each Friday. If you want to participate, go get linked up here. So here goes...

{One}
I've been a hard core Walmart shopper since the day I moved out of my parents' house. Then this past November I pulled into the parking lot for my weekly trip and It. Was. So. Busy. So I took my kids and headed to Brookshire's. Why didn't I do this years ago? It's quite, clean, friendly, and they take your bags to your car for you. Folks, I have a new grocery store!

{Two}

I've had so much back pain recently and finally saw a doctor. X-rays show I have pretty bad scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, and early stage arthritis - at 35 years old. I saw a Chiropractor for a few weeks, but can't manage that long term. After doing some research, Hubby bought me an inversion table. I love it! The first time I used it, I overdid it and was pretty sore the next day. But I'm in my rhythm now and it feels so good to be one it. I can feel every single problem area stretching out on it.

{Three}
I got a Keurig for Christmas and I'm in love. Interesting story about my Keurig - I hate coffee. I've tried it. I hate it. Because of this, I never had an interest in the Keurig products because I thought they were all about coffee. Then this past summer the Keurig folks had a big drink station set up at the Arkansas Women Bloggers conference. I was introduced to the many non-coffee products they have: teas, cocoas, juices, etc. Then I decided I had to have one. I started dropping hints around the house (I might have actually taken Ting to the store and pointed out exactly what I wanted), and Hubby and the kids got me one for Christmas. I love it so much.

{Four}
I have discovered online consignments sales, and my life may never be the same! I'm very thrifty and typically buy all my kids' clothes second hand. I've always had a hard time finding good stuff for me that way, but then I discovered ThredUp (referral link) and FlipSize. ThredUp is for women and children and features name brands at deep, deep discounts. I've ordered from them and the stuff I got was in perfect condition. I've also sent a bag to them, but it has not been posted yet. FlipSize is online consignment for kids clothes. I have also ordered from them a couple of times and everything has been in perfect condition. They are opening up their bag requests again later in the month and I already have a pile of stuff to send to them.

{Five}

Ting lost her third tooth this week. It was pretty loose and when she wiggled it with her tongue Tuesday morning it just fell out. It's one of the front ones on top. Her two bottom ones still haven't come in completely so she's pretty gapped in the front. Oh yea, her other top front one is loose as well!

Heart to Home Conference

Family Christian is among the sponsors of this year's Heart to Home Conference. I am writing this post on behalf of Family Christian for a chance to attend the conference. Wish me luck!

Wife. Mom. Daughter. Granddaughter. Aunt. Niece. Employee. Friend. Housekeeper. Chef. Laundry Girl. Grocery Shopper.

I'm guessing I'm not the only woman in the world that seems to go in every direction, every single day. We spend our mornings getting everyone out the door in time, our days in the office, and our evenings doing chores and meeting the needs of our family. We tend to put others ahead of ourselves the majority of the time.

Sometimes the best thing a mom can do for her family is to spend a little time for herself. Get a chance to refill her tank, and spend some time focusing on the number one hat we wear...

Child of God

The inaugural Heart to Home Conference is happening in Monroe in February, and I would love to be there.

True, this would require me to spend two hours in my car listening to non-kid music. It would mean getting three nights of the kind of sleep a mom can only get when she's alone in a hotel room. And then two hours in the car home to reflect on the weekend and get back in to mom mode. It would also mean spending some time in Duck Commander land, meeting some amazing authors and speakers, and partaking in some sure-to-be amazing meals that someone else will cook.

But I would also get so much more - the opportunity to delve into God's word and hear from some of the most amazing women (and men) who have a heart for God. I know from past experiences that sometimes a few days of truly focusing on what God has to say can do wonders for the wife and mommy. My family could benefit from me taking a few days to refresh and recharge.

When you attend a conference like this, you never know what it can do for your heart and soul. I would love the opportunity to experience the Heart to Home Conference and see what God has in store for me.

And being under the same roof with the Robertson ladies wouldn't be so bad either!

Update: I didn't win, but a very deserving blogger did. Go meet Laura and be sure to follow her online while she's at the conference.

10 Things You Probably Don't Care About

I'm fresh out of blogging topics this week, so instead I'm bringing you 10 things about me that you probably never really cared about. Sounds fun, right!?!?

1. I have a weird obsession with nail polish, yet I hardly ever paint my nails. I own a gazillion bottles in various colors and brands.
2. Before I had kids I only wore really high heels to work and church. These days I'm all about comfort and my "old lady" shoes.
3. I've never broken a bone.
4. Until I had kids, I had never had surgery.
5. When my husband isn't home, I sleep with a teddy bear.
6. I was a first-degree red belt in Tae Kwon Do in my junior high days. I gave it up when they told me I was going to have to break a board to move on. (My brother was a first degree black belt.)
7. I'm not a very good swimmer, and I have a huge fear of drowning. We have a pool in our back yard, and I freak out every time the kids get in it with us. They can only swim when Hubby can swim with them.
8. My dream job is to work in the public relations office for the Dallas Cowboys.
9. I function on five or less hours of sleep each day. If I manage to sleep five or more hours, I'm worthless the next day. My husband is the opposite.
10. Within a month of dating my husband I "just knew" there was something special going on. It took us four and a half years to get married.

Keepers of the Faith

I am so excited to tell you about something that we started with Ting for the new year. A few months ago my father-in-law told me about the Keepers of the Faith program. He had read all about it and thought it was something we would enjoy. He even ordered us the leader manual and the boy and girl books for the younger kids.

Keepers of the Faith is similar to what I assume the Scouts program is like (I was never in Scouts). There are two levels, younger kids and then the other kids. The younger program is for ages 4-6, so we are a little behind on getting started with Ting.

The program for the little girls is called Little Keepers of the Home. After I had read the leader manual and the participant manual, I got online and ordered Ting a sash and her first membership pin. We kicked off her program this past weekend with the presentation of her sash and pin.

After our little ceremony, she and I sat down and I explained to her everything that is involved.  The program includes Bible reading, scripture memory, life skills such as manners, family appreciation, songs, etc; and then home skills such as sewing, baking, cleaning, and so on. There are also crafting skills, outdoor activities, and then the option of adding your own hobbies.

Some of the skills we were able to check off already! She knows her ABCs and she is a coloring master. She has also memorized Psalm One as part of her school curriculum. Like many other programs out there, there are awards for each section she completes. I plan to order awards once a month or so. Then the awards go on her sash.

Once she completes the young girl book, she will move to Keepers of the Faith Girls. The older kid program is for ages 6-16. Ting is so excited and I really hope she keeps her excitement about the program. It has so many amazing features to it.

For Bug, there is the Little Contenders, and Contenders programs. We plan to start him next year when he is closer to four years old.

If you are looking for a great program you can do with your kids, why not check it out. I'll post once a year or so to let you all know how we are doing.