Uprinting Flyers Giveaway (Ends 6/25) (Closed)

Are you familiar with the company Uprinting? They are a fantastic company that can handle all of your printing needs.  From business cards, to flyers, to postcards, to you name it!  They can do it!  And they make it easy.  (I speak from experience!)  You can go to their website and customize the product.  You can even call them if you need additional help and/or you are not as computer savvy as you would like to be.  I cannot recommend this company enough!

Well, do I have a special treat for you!  Giveaway Blogs has agreed to sponsor a uprinting giveaway for my readers!  They have agreed to give one person the following:


Nightclub Flyers / Flyers
250pcs. Flyers for one winner
4.25" x 5.5", 4" x 6"  
14pt Cardstock Gloss, Front Only Printing,
nightclub flyer templates and business flyer templates also available for download
3 Business Days Turnaround, *Free Shipping
Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only.


Pretty cool, huh?  If you want more particulars, be sure to check out the following links so you can see exactly what kinds of flyers you may want to create.




So now to the heart of the matter--how do you win?  Just follow the steps, and you will be entered into win.  Be sure to follow the steps carefully so you get all possible entries into the giveaway. 




Note:  If you have won the same printing giveaway from Uprinting within the last 6 months, you are no eligible to win this giveaway.  Winner will be contacted within 30 days by the company.


Disclaimer: Required as per FTC Ruling
This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive night club flyers for hosting. For more information about flyers, please visit UPrinting.com

Well-Spoken Wednesday--A Maze of Grace by Trish Ryan Book Review

Summary from goodreads:
In her first book, Trish Ryan chronicled the ways in which finding faith lead her to the happily-ever-after ending that had eluded her for so long. Only it wasn't an ending. It was a beginning.

In A MAZE OF GRACE, Ryan picks up where she left off, sharing the early years of her marriage, and the challenges that both shaped and startled her: temptations regarding fidelity, the anxiety of shifting body image, the awkward nature of following Jesus in a decidedly secular family and city, and struggles (depression, trying to conceive) that made her wonder if God had lost her file. 

With appealing candor, Ryan sweeps the reader into her life and ponders questions and issues that we all face, dropping nuggets of wisdom along the way that are sure to inspire, encourage and help readers from all walks of life. 



A Maze of Grace: A Memoir of Second Chances by Trish Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All right, I'm going to be incredibly honest.  I won this book from a blog giveaway.  I remember winning it, and I put it on my bookshelf thinking, "I'll read that someday."  I knew nothing about it--not even that it was a Christian book.  I had never heard of the author, and when I picked up the book, I doubted I would like it very much.

My mind changed in a relatively short period of time.  I discovered within a few pages that Trish Ryan was a Christian author, and this was a book that was going to change my life.  For the better.  And it did!  I think I have said before that I don't keep books very often once I read them, but this one is definitely joining the elite ranks.  The only way I would ever part from it would be if I were passing it on to someone else who needed it more than I did.  Fat chance of that ever happening!!

The thing I appreciated about the book so much was that Trish Ryan speaks so realistically.  She doesn't hide behind "Christianese."  She tells it like it is, and if she doesn't know something, she says so!  It was so refreshing to read about someone who hears God speak to her regularly and doesn't buy into religious claptrap.  And this woman has been through more than I probably ever will.  She sees her Christian walk as a process, not just a one-time thing.

I was able to identify with a lot of what she said since I myself am a divorced Christian.  I also loved the fact that she made me think about my Christian walk in new ways that made good sense.  I think sometimes it takes someone who did not grow up as a Christian to challenge us in our Christian beliefs.  I appreciate her perspective!

I cannot even begin to tell you all the things I learned.  There was far too much to remember!  What I will say is that she is a woman who follows Jesus, seeks His will, and still knows how to have a fun time.  She writes with humor and understanding in a way few Christian female authors do.  I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!


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About the Author (from her website in her words)

My dream, ever since I was a little girl, was to be a super hero.

 

Specifically, I wanted to be one of the Wonder Twins, meeting with

 

Superman and Wonder Woman at the Hall of Justice on Saturday

 

mornings to fight evil and save the world. Lacking a twin, I got a law

 

degree instead, thinking it would give me evil-fighting super hero powers.

As it turns out, I was wrong.

Shortly after realizing that I hated billable hours, I ended (read: fled) my career in law, and spent the next few years trying to make sense of the world.  I couldn’t shake the belief that things could/should/would be different – better, somehow – if only I could figure out what really mattered.  I wanted to know how things like spirituality and luck and intuition worked, and how I could make them work for me.  So I embarked on a quest to find the right God, but spent much of my time trying to find the right guy.  At a certain point, after accumulating a heaping pile of mistakes on both counts, I came to see that the two might be intertwined. 

The good news is, after much trial and error, I finally found them both: the God, and the guy. 

Now I live in Cambridge, Massachusetts with my super hero-husband Steve, and our genetically-improbable mixed-breed dog.  I wrote a book about my search, “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Hope, and Happily Ever After,”  published by Hachette Book Group in 2008.  The follow up, "A Maze of Grace: A Memoir of Second Chances" will be in stores in June 2010.  And while I sit at my laptop typing each day, the Wonder Twin dream lives on… 

(Of course, her book is out!  Go get it!)

My Birthday

No regular post tonight--it is my 37th birthday and my daughter's 8th birthday.  I will do my best to post tomorrow.  Thanks!

The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner Review

Summary from goodreads:
Using the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to symbolize the four Gospels, four transcendentals, and four forces of the universe (air, water, earth, and fire), Sweet and Wagner weave a fast-paced, end-times tale of good vs. evil and the promise of a new dawn for humanity.







Set in 2048, when planet Earth is suffering from the damaging effects of years of misuse and abuse, cultural history professor Paul Binder receives a mysterious letter that leads him to examine a lost 2nd-century Diatessaron manuscript. Ancient prophecies, cryptic letters, and strange events set him on a course to uncover the missing clues that could lead humanity into a new age. Each character embodies elements of the four horsemen in a race to save the world from total destruction. Layered with forgotten symbolism from the ancient, Jewish, and Christian traditions, the novel is a type of engaged fiction in which the main character's lost journal serves as a guide to the reader in interpreting clues and understanding the novel's conclusion.





The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I am not usually one that goes for apocalyptic books of any kind (I did get into the Left Behind series a litttle at one time). However, I decided that I would take my chances with this book. I have been studying the book of Revelation in the Bible, and this seemed to fit perfectly.




Almost from the beginning of the book, I was terribly intrigued. It was almost scary to read the first part of the book and then hear something on the news that was similar to what was happening. It made me realize that things can get a whole lot worse than they are now--and they will! And all I can say is that if half the things in this book were to happen, I can only hope and pray I would not be around to see them!




The book was very skillfully written, and I applaud the authors' research and fantastic imagination. I had never thought of the four horsemen of Revleation in just quite this way. And I will say that I could not read this book at night because I was seriously afriad of nightmares! In fact, as I read that part about an unexplained disease wiping out large sections of the population, the television news was just reporting about the strange ecoli breakout in Europe! Talk about realistic fiction!




Now to my reasons for the 3-star rating. Biblically speaking, I believe that the authors' interpration of Scripture was somewhat skewed. While I am not an eschatologist in any sense of the word, I have studied it. I struggle with a book being written about the last days and yet there is no appearance of Christ. I struggle with extra-Biblical prophecies and writings being used to back up end times prophecies not covered in the Bible. And the epilogue of the book confused me even more. It would seem that the authors have a very divergent view of the space and time continuum that I question whether it is solidly based on Biblical truths. I do not call the authors' faith into question--there seems to be no doubt that they are strong in their faith. However, I would have like to have seen some more Biblical quotations and prophecies being explicated in the book.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”






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Solution Sunday--Wanchai Ferry Dry Dinner Kit Review

Yesterday was my daughter's birthday party.  She and I have the same birthday (June13), but her party was on the 11th.  It went very well, but I knew I wouldn't be up for cooking after the party.  I had intended to make a crock pot meal, but I forgot to soak the beans.  Okay, I know I could have gone with a quick soak, but I also know that it is not the best way.  And anyway, I had some quick meals on hand.

I had bought a Wanchai Ferry and Macaroni Grill dry dinner kit a while back--I had some good coupons.  I just had not tried either of them.  That was until yesterday.

In the morning, I pulled out a Wanchai Ferry Cashew Chicken Dry Dinner kit from the pantry and some chicken that needed using up.  I am glad I planned ahead because after the party, I was so tired.  I almost thought about giving up and just going with a sandwich, but I decided that I would just get busy and cook it.

I was quite impressed from the beginning.  It was so simple.  I just dumped the water in the rice, and it cooked easily.  Then I had to cut the chicken up and put it in a bag with the seasoned cornstarch.  While I did that, put the oil in the skillet.  I poured the chicken in the heated skillet, and I was pretty impressed with how nicely the chicken seemed to cook.  And the aroma was heavenly.

Then the "piece de resistance"!  Following the directions, I poured the cashew sauce in the pan, and my thought was, "This is just like what you get in the restaurant."  I added the water.  The rice was already cooked.  I scurried to steam the veggies, and then the cashew chicken was done.  I topped it off with the provided roasted cashews.  

When I served the meal, I mixed my cashew chicken with the steamed veggies I had made (a frozen Normandy mix from Walmart).  I was absolutely amazed at the meal--as was the rest of my family.  And dinner was ready in less than a half hour!  

This is the first time I have ever fixed any kind of Wanchai Ferry dinner kit.  I have seen the ads, and I think I have even seen some  reviews on their products.  But this was a first for me.  And the only negative comment I had was that there was not any more of it!  I would have loved to have had leftovers for lunch today.  

So if you have not had a chance to try Wanchai Ferry meals, hurry out to the store and pick one up for your next quick meal!

By the way, I received nothing for doing this review.  All of my opinions are completely my own.

Satisfied Saturday (one day late due to computer issues)

My computer would not behave itself yesterday and last night (and this morning) so I am posting this now.  I planned out my meals using MasterCook Deluxe 9.0.  I used to use that all the time for meal planning, and it had some great meals in it.  Last week's meals are just about done and turned out rather well.  The lemon cake was good with cool whip, not without.  The Hoppin' John will get made this week.  I just realized I didn't make the pizza potatoes, but I have something better this week. The Cheese enchiladas were good, but I do prefer the crispiness of the stove on these.  They do get a little mushy.


So here is this week:

Meal 1:   

Tuna Melt Chips

Two 6-ounce cans tuna, drained
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1/3 cup drained pickled jalapeño chile slices, chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
One 9-ounce bag kettle-style potato chips
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1.    Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°. In a medium bowl, break up the tuna with a fork and stir in the celery, jalapeños, mayonnaise and lemon juice.

2.    Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the potato chips on the prepared pans, sprinkle the cheese on top and bake until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Dot the chips with the tuna salad; season with the chili powder.

Meal 2:   

Pizza Casserole

2 packages uncooked macaroni and cheese (7.25 ounce)
1 can pizza sauce (14 ounce)--using spaghetti sauce instead
1 package mozzarella cheese (8 ounce) shredded and divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
6 ounces pepperoni sausage, sliced

1.    Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or about 3 minutes before cooked; drain and place noodles in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3.    Stir in pizza sauce, powdered cheese packets from macaroni and cheese mix, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 the Parmesan cheese, pepperoni and any other pizza toppings that you want to add. Top with the remaining cheeses.

4.    Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly; serve.

Meal 3:   

Hungarian Goulash

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork, cut into 1" cubes
1 pound small new red potatoes, halved
2 medium onions, halved
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups shredded red cabbage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
Chopped parsley, for garnish
1.    Combine pork, potatoes, onion, water, ketchup, paprika, garlic, pepper and cabbage in 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7-8 hours or until pork and potatoes are tender.

2.    Combine flour, sour cream and caraway seed. Stir into pork mixture and blend thoroughly. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Meal 4:   

Cheesy Hash Brown Chili

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper
One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 1-pound bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1.    In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.

2.    Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Scatter the potato mixture over the chili. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, about 35 minutes.

My birthday cake: 

Tiramisu Bowl

1 8 oz pkg softened cheam cheese
3 c Cold milk
2 pkg vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling (4 servings each)
1 8 oz tub Whipped topping, thawed, divided
48 Nilla wafers
1/2 c Brewed coffee, cooled, divided
2 Squares bakers semi-sweet chocolate coarsely grated (we used mini chocolate chips)
1 c Fresh raspberries (I'm using strawberries)

1.    beat cream cheese in lg bowl with hand held electric mixer until creamy. gradually beat in milk. add dry pudding mixes; mix well. stir in 2 c of whipped topping

2.    place 24 wafers in 2.5 qt bowl. drizzle with half of the coffee. top with half each of the pudding mixture and chocolate. repeat all layers

3.    top with remaining whipped topping and fruit. refridgerate 2 hours

Extra Dessert:   

Fiber Brownie Cups

3 cups 100% bran cereal
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 box Betty Crocker low fat brownie mix
1/2 tbsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F, and spray cupcake tins with nonstick spray (don't use liners).
Mix water and cereal together, let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the brownie mix and baking soda, stir together well.
Bake 20-25 minutes and then let cool completely.

Serves 24

I wish I had pictures--I have a couple, but I can't figure out an easy way to get them in.  So you'll just have to read the recipes and see if they sound good!

Free-Wheeling Friday--Tom Tom GPS Review

I don't know about you, but I have come to rely on a GPS so much that I don't honestly know what I ever did before I had one.  I can remember printing out directions and trying desperately to read the directions while I went down the road.  And goodness gracious, if I happened to miss a turn or something unexpected occurred, it was all I could do to get back on track.

I have only had one GPS before this one, and it was a Magellan.  It worked fine, but it was often a pain.  It was stolen from my vehicle earlier this year.  The school district reimbursed me, but by that time, I was  using the google maps on my phone.  I can remember having issues with that, too, if I ever lost the signal.  But I was stubborn.  I wouldn't buy a new GPS.

Then about a month or so ago, my mom's was stolen in our driveway overnight.  She wasn't in a hurry to replace it.  That is until I saw a special deal on amazon for this GPS.

This fantastic GPS arrived last week.  I got it all set up this past weekend, and as I have used it this week, I absolutely fell in love with it!  Tom Tom has created a fantastic system!

Tom Tom Product Information

I cannot get over how large the screen is and how easy it is to read.  And for the most part, the maps are accurate.  I have found it tends to be more accurate in the city rather than the country, but it has more up-to-date  maps than any other GPS I have ever used.  And it has the options of map correction (still have to try that out) and a lifetime map subscription.  You can choose the voice.  I picked the male voice tonight, and my almost-8-year-old daughter called him "romantic."  The volume is the loudest I have heard from a GPS--that is good because I prefer to play my radio somewhat loud.  

I discovered something really wonderful today as I was driving to work.  It directs you to the correct lane, and it even shows you a picture of the exit lane--I loved that!!  It seems that I learn something new about it daily.

Now you may wonder what kind of job I have that would cause me to rely so heavily on a GPS.  I am a substitute teacher in 10 districts.  I drive all over the place, and I sometimes forget where some of the schools are.  Not having a GPS does tend to cripple me.

I will say one or two things I do not like about this system (nothing is absolutely perfect, after all).  I like the fact that it is portable, but the suction cup thing does tend to separate from the clip part when you are putting it on.  But once it is up, it stays put!  I also wish that it told you which side of the street your destination will be, but I do know that sometimes those are wrong anyway.  

I can't recommend this product highly enough.  If you want a GPS at a pretty good price, check it out!

By the way, I was not compensated for this post in any way.  All views are 100 percent my own.