Our family loves yogurt. A LOT. One of these days, I’m going to learn how to make it, but until then, we get by on store-bought yogurts. My favorite brand is Yoplait, so when I had the chance to sign up to try a Summer Cool Down gift bag, I jumped at it!
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn’s shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler. Calli’s mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter’s voice. Petra Gregory is Calli’s best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.
Growing up, I have always been a jewelry junkie. I used to wear several necklaces at one time, lots of rings, bracelets, and even toe rings. Decorating myself was a favorite past time. Since having children, I toned down my accessories considerably. I hardly ever wear earrings, the only rings I wear are my wedding ring and a beautiful emerald ring that Jamie got me for Christmas. Necklaces are rarely worn except on special occasions.
As for jewelry shopping, I haven’t done that in forever. A lot has changed since I used to shop for myself, and if I do shop for myself, I buy from retailers that are environmentally and socially responsible. It’s not hard to find stores that sell recycled and handmade goods. One shop caught my eye recently when I was checking out some of the newest lines of the season: Sentimental Silver. Their personalized pendants are pure silver, completely handmade using recycled silver. Read more…
One of the hardest things for me to do during pregnancy and breastfeeding is to eat right. In a perfect world, I would cook every meal. I would use fresh, homegrown produce and organic ingredients. I would eat a balanced diet throughout the day, totally eliminate artificial ingredients, HFCS, and still have time to shave my legs, mop the kitchen, and fold five loads of laundry every day.
Oh man. I just made myself laugh out loud. Read more…
Because I think this is such a great cause, I’m happy to share with my readers the opportunity to support Operation Backpack and win a personalized backpack for a loved one. I am a strong believer in giving back, and Presents For Purpose has many ways you can do that. They offer gifts for everyone, and with each purchase, a portion goes to a charity that you choose.
From Presents For Purpose:
Presents For Purpose is excited to put Operation Backpack, a Volunteers Of American project in the Spotlight with our colorful personalized backpack collection.
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We are delighted to offer a great way to get involved with “Operation Backpack,” which donates school supply-filled backpacks to school-aged children living in homeless shelters across the nation. Presents for Purpose is joining with Volunteers of America along with campaign spokeswoman Paige Davis (host of Trading Spaces) to support Operation Backpack. Personalize the backpacks by choosing a color, a designs (hearts, flowers, truck, baseball, soccer ball, ballet slippers) and a name or monogram. For each backpack purchased, $5 is donated to Operation Backpack to provide school-aged children in the NYC shelter system their own new backpack filled with grade-specific supplies.
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For more information on Operation Backpack please visit http://www.operationbackpackgo.org/.
Presents For Purpose is offering my readers a 5% discount on orders with the coupon code: SUZYQ
Win a personalized backpack!
To enter, visit Presents For Purpose and leave me a comment telling me what color backpack you would choose and for whom you would get it. Please make sure your email address is available in your profile or in your comment so I have a way to contact you if you’re a winner.
For extra entries (leave multiple comments for multiple entries, please):
U.S. Residents only. Giveaway ends July 25, 2009 July 26 at 11:59 p.m. Good luck!
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