Freedom Giveaway Hop - $25. Amazon.com Giftcard

I'm excited to participate in the Freedom Giveaway  Hop hosted by Simply Stacie and I am a Reader, Not a Writer.

There are over 200 blogs participating, all with book related prizes. All the blogs are listed in the linky below, so after you enter my giveaway, click over to the other great blogs and enter their giveaways, too.

My Giveaway:


$25. Amazon.com gift card (emailed to the winner) to buy books


I know I could find some great books to buy with $25. Do you have an eReader? Buy books to download! I don't have one, but Amazon.com has an app you can download to read eBooks on your computer. I'm loving it! They have a numerous free books, and lots of books are only $2.99 each. That would certainly stretch $25  into lots of books!

Paper books or eBooks, the choice is yours!  Here's how to enter:



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Once a Month Cleaning Update

I mentioned back in May about being interested in once a month housecleaning. Well, I'm back with a report.

I started out going only two weeks between cleanings. By cleaning, I mean the list of weekly cleaning chores, such as mopping, dusting, wiping down cabinets, etc. Not the daily chores.

After doing bi-weekly cleaning a couple of times, I tried going the full month. I really love it!

The most obvious clue that I was going longer between cleanings was dust. Which, by the way, I use the crochet dust mitt I made. It works great!



So, like I was saying, it really wasn't that obvious that I was going longer between cleanings. Really, what makes or breaks a cleaning schedule is the daily work.

If I see that someone got something on the cabinet in the kitchen, I wipe it while I'm wiping the counters off. If I see that someone let the bathroom sink dirty, I rinse it out when I'm there. It's those sort of things that make a difference in your cleaning, regardless of your cleaning schedule.

Will I continue once a month cleaning? Yes! It frees up an hour or two every week that I can spend on other tasks. But yet, it doesn't take any longer to clean on cleaning day!

Although, I will vary the cleaning schedule according to our family happenings. We're having company at the end of this month, so it makes sense to wait and clean right before they get here. If it works out better for us and our schedule to do a 3 week schedule, I will be flexible.

So what do you think? Do you think a monthly cleaning schedule would work for your family?

Thursday's Giveaways

I love entering giveaways, and have even won a few things. I really love hosting giveaways on Linda's Lunacy. It's so much fun to give stuff away! Now, with Thursday's Giveaways,
you can find lots of great giveaways to enter!


While your here, check out my current giveaways!




                             


  You Can Do a Graphic Novel Book and Hens and Chicks Handmade Soap

And I have another awesome giveaway going up Thursday night! Check back to find out what it is!






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The posting of my button is not required, but help in spreading the word that Linda's Lunacy has a giveaway linky is greatly appreciated! So thank you!

Adding your giveaway to Linda's Lunacy Thursday's Giveaways is very easy! Just use this format, please.

Blog name - name of item being given away - ending date

See? Easy!

Please, only link family friendly giveaways. My kids read here, and anything not family friendly, will be promptly deleted. Sorry, but it's for my kids. :)

Have fun, and I hope you win something!

Fiber One Cereal Giveaway WINNER!

I used Random.org to select the winner of the Fiber One Cereal Giveaway. The winner has responded to my email and My Blog Spark will be shipping the prize shortly.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:136Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Congratulations sewmuchstuff!

Wordless Wednesday - No, I'm not!

No, I'm not petting the dog!

For more pictures, visit Wordless Wednesday,
Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom ,
Say "Cheese" at It's a Blog Party
A Beautiful Mess,
Live and Love Outloud,
Mama to 4 Blessings
Wordy or Not So Wordy Wednesday
Frugality is Free
Dear Crissy
Baba's Farm Life
Mrs. Mama Hen

Hens and Chicks Soap Giveaway

I love handmade soaps. To bad I'm too much of a chicken to make my own. lol I'm afraid of the lye. Maybe in a couple of years when my youngest is 13, and old enough to know to stay far away, I'll make some. In the mean time, I have to buy it from others who make handmade soap.

Hens and Chicks makes awesome handmade soap. For about a week now, I've been using their Oats and Honey bar soap. I love it! You can see and feel the oats in the bar. However when your washing your hands, it doesn't feel gritty. It has a great lather.

An actual picture of me washing my actual hands with the Oats and Honey soap

The Oats and Honey soap has great fragrance, you can smell both the oats and the honey, but it is not an overwhelming fragrance. That would make it a perfect soap for a man, too.

My skin is definitely softer than it was before I started using this soap. This would be an awesome soap for dried, cracked winter hands.

Do you like hand made soaps, too? How would you like to win a bar?


The Giveaway:


Enter to win ONE bar of Oats & Honey Soap from Hens & Chicks Soap

To Enter the Giveaway:

Do any (or all!) of the following:

1.Follow Linda's Lunacy with Google Friend Connect and leave a comment on this post saying your following. If your already a follower, just leave a comment saying so.
2. Subscribe to my blog by email, leave a comment and don't forget to confirm the subscription
3. Follow Linda's Lunacy on Twitter and tweet the giveaway. You can tweet once per day, just leave the link to your tweet every day.

Sample tweet: 
Enter to win a bar of Hens and Chicks soap at Linda's Lunacy http://bit.ly/mIPz3R   #giveaway 

5. Like Linda's Lunacy on Facebook and leave a comment on this post.
6. Follow Linda's Lunacy on Networked Blogs and leave a comment on this post.
7. Like Hens and Chicks Soap on Facebook and leave a comment on this post.
8. Follow Hens and Chicks Soap's Blog with Google Friend Connect and leave a comment on this post.
9. Visit Hens and Chicks Soap's Blog and leave a comment here saying what other of their soaps you would like to try.


That's right, no mandatory entry. You choose how you want to enter! 


*This giveaway ends on Tuesday, July 12th at 11:59 pm  Open to US only. The winner will be selected by random.org. I will notify the winner by email. The winner must respond within 48 hours to claim their prize, or another winner will be chosen. I will verify entries.







*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. I received one bar of soap for me, and one bar of soap to giveaway. 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."

Great Coupons From MyCoupons.com

The challenge is on; find a way to save the most amounts on your purchase.  Where do you start?  Many sites have coupons, but what about double or even triple dipping on savings.  Check out this idea!  Go to MyCoupons.com.  They have hundreds of online coupon codes and discounted gift cards.  Here is what you can do!  Click on the discounted gift cards tab.  You will find gift cards for purchase at a price below face value.  Here is a quick example.  Need to send flowers or a gift?  You can buy a 1800Flowers gift card with a $50 balance for $40.  Instant savings of $10!  Then grab 1800Flowers Coupons for 15% off your purchase.  That will save you $7.50 off your purchase and add that to your instant savings with a gift card and now you saved 35% on your order.  How great is that?  Plus, if 1800Flowers is offering any type of online promotion, you might be able to get an additional bonus or further discounts.  This is only one example of the savings at MyCoupons.com.  They have tons of offers, so make sure to start your online shopping at their site.  Pick up the coupon codes to use at all you favorite merchants and they even have exclusive savings like Drugstore.com Coupons and Harry & David Coupons.  Have fun shopping and if you come across a great deal, let us know, we love to hear about the best ways to save money using coupons.  

Monique Rowe is a guest writer for My Coupons.com and writes about being thrifty and doing product reviews at The One Income Dollar.

 

This is a sponsored post, but I do use coupons, and the picture is my actual coupon binder. :)

Making a Home

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This week has been a little rough, as I haven't been feeling well. It's hard trying to run a home while being sick.  One of the hardest parts is keeping the kids on task. If I'm sitting around a lot because I don't feel good, they want to sit around a lot. If we're all just sitting around the house, not working, it makes for a very messy house.

So on bad days, I just concentrate on keeping the kids on task, meals and dishes. That doesn't mean I even accomplish that small list, but I try. And pray that I feel better soon.  :)

There's a great article over at Raising Homemakers, Dispelling Myths About Homemaking. Go check it out.

While your here, don't forget to enter my latest giveaway a book,  You Can Do a Graphic Novel. Great for kids and adults!

What did you do last week to make your house a home?

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Where we share all aspects of Making a Home. Share your posts about homemaking ideas, recipes, crafts, decorating, cleaning tips, basically anything that has to do with caring for a home and family.

Making a home for my family is very important to me and I'm always looking for tips and ideas.

So, link up your posts, and let's all support each other in making our homes better for our families.

Please provide a link back to me. A text link is fine. Of course, family friendly posts only.

Yahweh

Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is coming
In a manger, our Lord is coming
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is coming
Born in Bethlehem, born in Bethlehem
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is teaching
In the temple our Lord is teaching
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is teaching
No one speaks like Him, no no one speaks like Him


Chorus
Hosanna He comes in the form of a man
Jehovah the great God of Abraham
He lived just to die for our sin, Yahweh, for we sing

Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is praying
In the garden, our Lord is praying

Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is praying
'Let this pass from me, let this pass from me'
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is dying
On the cross there, our Lord is dying
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is dying
Dying for our sin, dying for our sin
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is buried
In a rich man's tomb, He is buried
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is buried
But He will not stay, no He will not stay
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is rising, our loed is rising
From the grave there our Lord is rising
Mmm Yahweh, Jesus is rising
Now He lives again, yes He lives again


Chorus 2
Hosanna He comes in the form of a man
Jehovah the great God of Abraham
He lived just to die for our sin
He rose from the grave, and He lives again


Tag:
He rose from the grave
He lives again
He arose, He arose
Hallelujah, hallelujah
He lives again
Our Lord lives again

Saturday On The Farm

The Glads are blooming this week!

These are in the a/c garden. They are all across the back of the garden. That's the Iris's in the front, they only bloom once, unfortunately. That is an almost finished trellis made out of branches in front of the a/c.

Hannah planted Purple Hyacinth under the trellis. They are growing, and will soon grow up the trellis and hid the a/c. Of course, we must finish the trelllis first. lol

Purple Hyacinth

Our Mimosa tree had a run in with some visiting kids who thought the branches were nice for sitting and swinging. We're trying to prop them pack up in the hopes they will stay up and we won't have to cut them.

The tree is blooming. I just love the fluffy pink blossoms.

Below is part of the Mimosa tree. It's so big now, it won't all fit in the picture. The grapes are to the left of the tree, and you can see the Rose, the Passion Flower and a glimpse of the yellow Day Lily's in the Bible Garden on the right.

Speaking of grapes, we have a lot on the vine this year. And a trellis that really must be replaced in the fall when we prune the grapes.

See all the grapes? We are planning on making grape juice this year. That is, if the birds leave us some grapes. lol

And the Butterfly Bushes are getting ready to bloom! Always an exciting time around here. We just love these and all the butterflies they attract.

The Hostas in front of the house are blooming.

The apples are getting big, and weighing down some of the branches. Can't wait to cook with these! Applesauce, Apple Pie. And I really want to try my hand at Apple Cider, saving some to make my own Apple Cider Vinegar. 

Hope you enjoyed my little tour this week. How are your gardens growing?


Here are some links I found interesting and helpful:

Introducing Herbs to Your Kids
How to Make Lemongrass Oil
Video - How to Prune Grapes
How to Make a Mini Rain Barrel
Harvesting and Cooking Garlic Scapes
Useful Weeds
Organic Gardening Tips
Amish Pest Control for "All Bugs"
Passion Flower





Grab The Saturday on the Farm Button!

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Saturday on the Farm is a blog carnival that lets us share links to our blog post. It's fun to visit each others farms.

To participate in Saturday on the Farm:

• Write a post about your homestead, farm, farmette, or the tomato plant on your deck. Your cows, goats, chicken, or your favorite kitty cat. 
• Add the link to your post (not your main page) below. 
• Please link back to me so others can join the fun, too.

For more Farm & Garden posts, please visit:
Homestead Barn Hop
Bloomin' Tuesday
Frugal Gardening 101
Fertilizer Friday/ Flaunt Your Flowers

Sunny Saturday

Welcome to Linda's Lunacy Sunny Saturday!

Sunny Saturday is a fun way to find new friends and followers for your blog, Facebook page, Twitter, and Networked Blog.

Joining Sunny Saturday is as easy as 1, 2, 3!


1. Follow me, Linda's Lunacy, your hostess.

2. Leave a comment, letting me know your a new follower, and I will follow you back.

3. Include the Sunny Saturday button in a post, and link that post in the linky below. Also link up your blog's Facebook page, Twitter and Networked Blog in the linkys below.


Have fun, and please help spread the word about Linda's Lunacy Sunny Saturday!


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Our Homeschool Week in Review

The kids are starting to finish a lot of subjects now that we're getting close to the end of our school year. Those taking a summer break start that break on July 1st. Hannah 15, has opted to not take a break. I'm sure she will take days off during the month of July. Especially when we have relatives visiting from out of state.

All the kids have math left. And all the kids have finished history and science. Hannah learned how to cut her brothers hair this week. Exciting for her, a little nerve racking for her brother. lol

So they are mostly finishing up math. I have one doing an intensive spelling unit, using the Natural Speller. In this case, intensive means 20 words a day, a pre-test in the morning and a re-test of the words missed in the afternoon. So far, they have gotten all the words right by the end of the day. I told this child that if they didn't get them all right, they would get homework over the weekend. Another kid asked, "Don't we always have homework?" lol

They recently found a tree frog and a turtle.




This coming week will find all the kids anxious to be on break, I'm sure. I don't normally like taking a summer break, but I'm looking forward to this one. I really need to sort through all the books in the school room and downsize.


Here are some links I found helpful:

Torah Homeschool Links
Handbook of Nature Study: First Day of Summer Activity Page
Large Family Homeschool Form
How to Regrow Store Bought Celery - looks like a good summer project!
Want to learn more about edible wild plants & mushrooms? Visit Wildman Steve Brill
Quizlet - has flashcards and quizzes on a variety of subjects. I'm looking specifically at the Hebrew flashcards, they are even printable. And the quiz looks hard! lol






Please visit:
Weekly Wrap Up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Wrapping Up The Week
Weekly Homeschool Highlights

This Weeks Favorites

I found lots of new favorites this week.

Ever Feel Like a Referee?
Why a Salad Costs More Than a Big Mac
How to Read and Understand Food Labels

Homemade Natural Bug Repellant
Homemade Herbal Salve

How to Make a Couch Slip-cover
How to Make Your Own Rose Water
How to Make a Tire Track Shirt

Homemade Ho-Ho's
Homemade Cold Breakfast Cereal - Grain Free
Eskimo Cookies - no-bakes!
Machine Free Dairy Free Ice Cream
Gluten Free Whole Grain Olive Bread
Chicken Parmesan in the Slow Cooker - I made a version of this, just the chicken and the sauce, no coating on the chicken. I served it over pasta (quinoa for me) with Parmesan cheese. We all loved it.

My Favorite Summer Recipes from Gluten Free Goddess - lots and lots of great gluten free recipes

Hope you find some new favorites, too!

These Hearts - Music Review

These Hearts

"Forever Ended Yesterday"

Release Date: 6/21/11

About These Hearts

In a time when an infinite amount of genres seem to be concocted daily, it takes quite a bit of creativity to blur the lines across so many.  These Hearts understand that it takes that dash of ingenuity paired with an innate desire to put forth the hard work that comes along with being a band in this day and age.

Among a sea of like-sounding music, These Hearts have raised the bar and then some by bringing a fresh, upbeat rock sound to ears everywhere in strong conjunction with a meaningful, church-based upbringing that has everything to do with the quintet’s musical and writing process.  The band’s unquestionable commitment to their faith in Christ is present in all aspects of their musical journey.  With an urgency to declare to fans, friends and family that “they are loved, and there is hope,” These Hearts demonstrate the ever-present effect that faith plays in the group’s life.

While it’s understood that hardships are an unavoidable bump in the road, These Hearts note that they solely rely on their faith for guidance.  “Whether it's the loss of a loved one, a previous band member leaving, or even being in financial trouble, friendship and having Jesus in our lives has played a pivotal role in getting us through these tough times,” says guitarist Daryl Van Been. 

The group has certainly put their own blood, sweat, and tears into creating and sharing their music with the masses.   “Being in a band is about the most unstable job you can have but we want to glorify God with the gifts that he has blessed us with,” says Van Been.  Impressively touring across the US while unsigned,  they performed with notable acts such as MXPX, Bouncing Souls, The Devil Wears Prada, Silverstein, and Four Letter Lie, and selling over 3,000 copies of their self-produced EP Mistakes and Second Takes on their own gives some insight into the band’s dedication to their craft. 

These Hearts was formed in August of 2007 by way of Fargo, ND. Consisting of Ryan Saunders on vocals, Isaiah Folk on drums, Kyle Colby and Daryl Van Beek on guitars, and Tyler Rice on bass, the band began playing shows in October and quickly began establishing a name for themselves in the upper Midwest.

The Christian, post-hardcore group has no intention of slowing down any time soon; recently signing to the legendary Victory Records, These Hearts will release their debut album Forever Ended Yesterday, produced by Craig Owens (Chiodos), on June 21st.  These Hearts have graced the stages at festivals like Cornerstone, Agape, Ichthus, and Sonshine, and it will be hard to miss the band out spreading their positivity and faith-based values to the world in the coming year, as they intend to continue touring and playing music for fans new and old.

MY REVIEW:


Up until now, I have mostly listened to Christian rock when my kids play it for me. Some I like, Some I don't like. I can say I haven't listened to any screamo before. Well, ok, I guess I have listened to it for the 2 seconds it takes me to turn it off.

These Hearts are classified as Christian Rock/Screamo. If you've never heard the term Screamo before, it just means they scream a lot. lol

I have to say I did enjoy some of these songs. There is a range to them. They are not all loud screaming. I am not a musician. Well, unless you count clarinet in the 5th grade. lol  I, however, thought the guitar work in some of these songs was amazing. The drums were pretty cool, too.

Do I wish they screamed less? Yes, but that's just my style. Their style is rock and screamo. Nothing wrong with different styles. And it's good for us to expand our horizons sometimes, and listen to music that we don't normally listen to. Plus, I can now talk about it with my teenage and  young adult children.


Here are a few links:

These Hearts on Facebook
These Hearts on Myspace
These Hearts on Amazon (not my affiliate link)

There are These Hearts videos on YouTube. I, however, can not link to them as some of the comments are really bad. So, if you do look them up, please, don't read the comments!


If you, or your teens, like Christian Rock and/or Screamo, I suggest listening to These Hearts. You just might find some new favorite songs.

*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. I received one CD w/ paper case for review purposes. 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."

Thursday's Giveaways

I love entering giveaways, and have even won a few things. I really love hosting giveaways on Linda's Lunacy. It's so much fun to give stuff away!

So I thought I'd start a giveaway linky to make it easier to find lots of giveaways.

While your here, check out my current giveaways!


            


Fiber One Cereal Giftpack   and   You Can Do a Graphic Novel Book






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The posting of my button is not required, but help in spreading the word that Linda's Lunacy has a giveaway linky is greatly appreciated! So thank you!

Adding your giveaway to Linda's Lunacy Thursday's Giveaways is very easy! Just use this format, please.

Blog name - name of item being given away - ending date

See? Easy!

Please, only link family friendly giveaways. My kids read here, and anything not family friendly, will be promptly deleted. Sorry, but it's for my kids. :)

Have fun, and I hope you win something!

Cutting The Guys Hair

I've been cutting my sons hair for over 15 years. I don't remember exactly when I started but it was at least that long ago. A couple of years ago, my husband had me start cutting his hair, too.

The nicer clippers that I had broke over a year ago. We didn't have the extra money at the time to spend on nice clippers, so we bought a cheap set for about $10.

I knew they were bad, but I didn't realize how bad until I bought a new set. I bought these Wahl Hair Clippers (affiliate link)  from Amazon recently. Oh my, what a difference good tools makes!

My daughter has expressed an interest in cutting hair, so when we cut all the guys hair the other day, I let her help. Here she is doing her older brothers hair. This was her first haircut. Do you think he looks scared? lol

She ended up cutting her Dad's hair, too. I only had to do the one! I just might turn over the guys hair cutting to her!