You may have noticed that things have changed around here. Especially yesterday when the blog was looking a bit wonky.
When I found out that I won a blog design from Jacqui at Wacky Jacqui's Designs, I was so excited! While I loved my sunflowers, I was itching to try out something new.
I used my birthday money (thanks to my in-laws!) to purchase an istock image and Jacqui ran with it. And I love the final product!
Jacqui has some mad skills! She can do designs for Blogger and Wordpress. And her prices are really reasonable for all of the features that you receive. So if you're looking for a new design, or just need to add a few touches to your blog, you should check her out! She made the process very easy and had everything installed all in one afternoon. You can check out some of Jacqui's designs here. You can also find follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
You know that song from Sesame Street..."I've Got a New Way to Walk, Walk Walk...." Ever since I saw my blog, this popped into my head except it was changed to "I've Got a New Way To Blog, Blog Blog..." (Can you tell I've been around a baby a lot?)
If you are a blogger, you will definitely want to check out MyBlogSpark. It is a fun program that gives you the chance to get the inside scoop on the latest products and sample them for yourself. You can also host giveaways and connect with other bloggers through their events.
It's easy to sign up! Just provide your email address and they will send you a survey to find out a little about you in order to send opportunities that will interest you.
Rebecca St. James' new album I Will Praise You hits stores tomorrow April 5th. It is her first studio project since 2005 and is well worth the wait!
I have been a Rebecca St. James fan for a long time. I love her beautiful voice, her personal testimony, and how she has been a wonderful role model for young women.
Her latest album is a collection of worship songs that she calls "her most personal recording to date." She co-wrote 5 of the 10 songs on this project.
"Shine Your Glory Down", the first radio single, was co-written with Jason Ingram(Tenth Avenue North's By Your Side). She also covers Jennie Lee Riddle's When The Stars Burn Down (Blessing and Honor, "I Will Praise You").
I love the Celtic flavor to "The Kindness of our God" and the beautiful lyrics of "You Still Amaze Me." These are songs that will touch your heart. Rebecca's voice reflects her sincerity and passionate desire to bring others to a deeper relationship with God. It is an album that I will continue playing during my quiet times .
Rebecca said, "Listening to the songs now that the album is completed and thinking on the meaning of some of the lyrics—themes like joy in the midst of pain, God redeeming challenging seasons in our lives, surrendering all to Him, opening our hands, how He’s making all things beautiful in His time, I realize the very threads that run through I Will Praise You are all very poignant and personal to me through the journey of the last five years of my life.”
You can preview Rebecca's album and share it with friends and family at Rebecca's Listening Party. To find out more, you can connect with Rebecca on her Website, Twitter, and on Facebook.
This giveaway ends: Monday April 18th at 12:00 Midnight EST and is open to US Residents 18 and older only. Winner will be chosen randomly, emailed, and will have 48 hours to respond or another will be drawn. This prize will be directly shipped from the sponsor.
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"
Thank you to Safety 1st for providing me with an UltraMax Air 360 4-in-1 Car Seat for review. All opinions are my own and you should try out the product for yourself.
One of the most important pieces of equipment you buy for your children is their car seat. I have had various car seats over the past seventeen years as a mom of three. The main things that I look for in a car seat are: safety, comfort, affordability and longevity.
I have spent lots of time researching specs and making lists to compare seats in my price range over the years. Today's technology makes it less intimidating and time consuming, since now they are making seats that can grow with your child. That means only needing one seat for each stage! {I wish they had this when my son was born}
I was recently asked to test out the Safety First UltraMax Air 360 4-in-1 car seat. It can be used from 4 to 120 lbs. It can be used as a rear facing seat for babies 4 to 22 pounds, an extended rear facing seat for children from 15 to 50 pounds, a forward facing 5- point harness car seat from 22 to 65 pounds, and as a seat belt positioned booster seat from 40 to 120 pounds (and 57 inches tall). Simply put, this seat is amazing!
As soon as I got it out of the box, I was impressed with the construction of this seat. Its steel reinforced frame is a bit heavier and wider than I am used to, so my hubby installed it for me. Installation was fairly easy and didn't take much time at all {especially since hubby is now a seasoned pro at car seat installation}.
The heaviness and bulkiness of this seat does make it difficult to take in and out of the car. If you need a seat that is more transportable between cars {or for field trips} that might be the only down side to this convertible seat.
There were a few simple adjustments in head height and strap height that we made to fit my toddler. The head rest lifts up and down with one hand and the straps are also easily adjustable. The seat is deep with lots of padding for comfort. "Cushy" is the word my five-year-old used to describe it when she tried it out before we put it in the car. {She's a bit jealous that sissy gets the cushy seat!}
One thing to note: the safety strap pads come off a little too easily; little miss has already taken them off several times since they have small velcro to attach them. You may just want to remove them altogether if your child keeps playing with them like mine does.
There is a really neat feature with the ClickClean™ seat pad/cover; push a yellow button to lift it off, and voila, you can throw it in the wash. We haven't had any messy spills yet, but you know how dirty car seats can get. This is an awesome feature for a busy mom who doesn't want to wrestle her car seat to get the cover off! It also has two cup holders that are removable and dish washer safe. AB likes to use it not only for drinks, but for holding her favorite small toys as well.
Most importantly, this seat has been tested for safety. The Safety 1st UltraMax Air 360 car seat has 360 Protect™ for 6 layers of proven safety. These seats go through rigorous safety testing and are crash tested at every angle. These angles include rollover, front impact, rear impact and side impact testing. Knowing that my precious cargo is protected from every angle definitely puts my mind at ease!
While the cost might seem a bit daunting at first, the longevity of this seat is well worth the investment. We are very happy with the design, safety, and features of the UltraMax 360!
We're eagerly waiting for When Calls the Heart season 4 to arrive on the Hallmark Channel. In the meantime, you can watch season 3 all over again on DVD. The third DVD for season 3, When Calls The Heart: Heart of a Hero, is now available.
New arrivals bring excitement, love and danger to Hope Valley. Pastor Frank has been reinstated following the revelation of his criminal past, but the arrival of his old cohorts, the Garrison Gang, are making life - and his relationship with Abigail-very tense. Bill Avery has his own debt to settle with Jake Garrison, and Jack intends to stay Bill's hand from killing the man. Meanwhile, Lee's foot injury brings a pretty nurse, Faith Carter from Hamilton... and soon after, her possessive fiancé. And Jack rises to the defense of new settlers on Gowen's land when Gowen abruptly raises their rent.
Things are pretty tense in Heart of a Hero for many people in Hope Valley. The Garrison Gang brings an element of danger for both Frank and Jesse. Both have to choose to do the right thing, whether it puts them in more danger or not. Bill Avery decides to settle the score with Jake Garrison, but Jack intervenes.
The tension eases a bit as conflicts get resolved. I can't tell you what happens, but you'll find that it comes to a satisfactory ending.