Weight Loss- Week 6

The Wii Active did indeed pay off with an additional -2lbs. Yippee. My mother has informed me that I look 'firmer' which ,I suppose,is mom-speak for less jiggly. She is so politically correct :) The hubs said I've gone from potato-shaped to more of a yam- yes, he REALLY did say that- which is Husband-speak for smaller. He is less P.C. than Mom-obviously. I did try on 3 shirts that prior to this journey looked like they were Saran-wrapped on me. They are less snug. I'll take this as a sign of progress. To be continued.....

Perky Jerky Giveaway

THE ACTION PACKED SNACK^TM It's real, and it's spectacular! "Perky Jerky is an all natural, ultra premium jerky that is unlike any other! It's made with a seven ingredient marinade, which includes Guarana, a little berry from the Amazon that is commonly found in energy drinks. Our fans (aka "Jerkaholics") are addicted to the awesome flavor, the tender texture, and its healthy perks! Because it's The Action Packed Snack^TM, Perky Jerky powers you from workout to night out. It's great for a quick pre-game boost, busy moms on-the-go, or a mid-mountain hike snack. It's a functional morning desk snack and the perfect munchie to survive a long road trip! Satisfying and portable, it's perfect fuel to do, well, whatever it is that you do... (we don't want to know!) " - from the Web site.

I have always been a beef jerky lover and when I read about Perky Jerky, I had to try it. When I opened the package they sent me, I was in awe!! There was a slew of beef and turkey Ultra Premium Perky Jerky! The best thing about this jerky, besides the taste, is the nutrition factor. Although it contains a decent amount of sodium and cholesterol, it’s low fat, low carb, low cal, and high protein. It has no preservatives, no nitrates, and no added MSG. It's a great snack, especially the 1 oz. packages. A 1 oz. package of beef jerky contains only 90 calories and the turkey jerky is just 50 calories!

Top photo: Ultra Premium Turkey Jerky Bottom Photo: Ultra Premium Beef Jerky

The taste is awesome. I love a little spice and Perky Jerky has just the right amount. It is sweet and peppery, tender and chewy. I couldn't resist downing an entire 1 oz. package. Purchasing Perky Jerky also contributes to a great cause. A portion of their proceeds goes toward Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Down Syndrome causes. The customer service is another positive of this company. Working with them has been a great experience. They are quick to respond to any comments or questions you might have and are very friendly! You can purchase a 1 oz. bag for $2.99, a 2.2 oz. bag for $4.99, or a 5 oz. bag for $9.99 via their online store.

Now for the giveaway. One lucky winner will receive 6 1 oz. bags of Ultra Premium Beef Jerky and 6 1 oz. bags of Ultra Premium Turkey Jerky. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and ends on August 8th. Please enter on the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway DMO3 received no compensation for the post & is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Kara's Steals & Deals received a product in order to facillitate her review.

Headline T-Shirt Giveaway

Here is another terrific givewat from Saralee's Deals & Steals. She is a busy bee, isn't she?

This Giveaway is done by SaraLee's Deals Steals & Giveaways

The Usual Suspects T-Shirt
OK, Mrs. Johnson, I know you've been through a lot today, but right now I need you to be brave for me. I want you to look through this window. Now, tell me: Do you see the -- uh -- "man" who broke into your kitchen?

Nothing? Maybe we can jog your memory. Do you remember any strange behavior? Like -- oh I don't know -- maybe he was riding a skateboard and speaking in rhymes? Or maybe he was looking for the great taste of cookies and milk? Or maybe he was bouncing on a pogo stick looking for pizzas to crush?

What's that? Hmmm. And you're certain it was a "robble robble" noise? That's all we need to hear.

Number 3, step forward! The rest of you are free to go.

Ordering from HeadLine Shirts was very fun and easy to do. I was on the site for over an hour trying to deiced what shirt I wanted. I found a few but they were out of the size I wanted so I finally settled on the above shirt The Usual Suspects. My husband loves the shirt and our friends like it too. My son didn't get the shirt and it made me feel old. Wait did I just say that? When did the tables turn and I am the old person lol. You will be busy checking out the selection of shirts they have.

Now for the giveaway: One lucky person will win a code for a free Shirt of choice. Some of the T Shirts are not suitable for persons under 18. This is open to US & World Wide and ends 8/13/12 @ 11:59 pm est. To enter, simply do the tasks on the Rafflecopter widget below and you're set to have a chance to win! 

DMO3 isn't responsible for prize fulfillment. a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Fall Into Beauty' Giveaway Hop!!!!

<center><a href="http://devotedmommyof3.blogspot.com"><img border="0" src="http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w442/DevotdMomO3/imagesCA69CYK9.jpg" /></a></center> This Hop is brought to you by Charisma Media Network! Charisma is your go-to for book tours, product giveaways, & great reviews. Visit us at www.charismamedianetwork.com! Charisma Media is offering a $15 Bath & Body Works Giftcard and Eclos Beauty Products. THAT'S 2 WINNERS!!! *US only* You can see a review of Eclos here :)

Each of the blogs listed on the hop are also offering their own beauty-related prize. If you are a blogger looking for a place to share ideas, participate, and of course, have a little fun while getting support from other bloggers, we hope you'll stop by the website & give us a chance. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blankz Giveaway

I am pleased to be apart of this adorable giveaway! How cute are these?!

This is a guest post brought to you by Beth Ann & Jessica's Helpful Savings

BlankZ has recently been awarded the 2012 Creative Play of the Year Award, by Child's Play Magazine!

I was given the opportunity to review and giveaway a Blankz toy.  

We received Bare Hare (the bunny rabbit)

attached to each toy is a card with a cute story about your animal.

"Bare Hare" Says:  This is the tale of Bare Hare... I have no color as I'm sure you're aware.  But you can change that with a stroke of your pen, And in no time at all I'll be the star of my den!

Now before you get started I'd like to say thankz.  Because the magic cant happen until you fill in the blankz.

How cute is that!

Each Kit comes with a set of 

5 Blankz Special markers, 

1 Animal, 

1 set of instructions, 

1 Blankz display board.

 

Its Simple and Easy to do.

Start with a Blankz Animal, Color with the markers provided, Create your master piece, when your done with your creative play, simply wash & dry, then Create again!

 

DS 3 hard at work coloring his Bare Hare. not only did our son enjoy using his creativity designing bare hare, our daughters 6 & 8 also got in on the action.  We took turns, let one child color, give them a day or so to play with the animal, wash dry, and on to the next child.  

The Blankz is currently available at a limited number of stores in the US, but expanding everyday!  Before they hit shelves in your area you can visit www.theblankz.com/ and grab this super hot toy before everyone else does.

You can also find The Blankz on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter,  View their YouTube Channel, and now on Pinterest! 

NOW ON TO THE GIVEAWAY! one winner will win CHOICE of 1 Blankz Animal Kit. it is important that you fill in the animal of choice when entering the giveaway. Giveaway will start July 30th, Ending Aug 8th, Winner will have 48/hrs to reply via email claiming your prize.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. DMO3 is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kitty A Go Go Giveaway

This Giveaway is done by SaraLee's Deals Steals & Giveaways

For cats who believe in going in style...

• Pullout litter tray drawer for easy cleanup
• High quality, high impact stain-resistant plastic
• Large capacity litter tray
• Replaceable liner included
• Built-in ventilation slots
• No disassembly required to clean litter tray
• Cleans in just seconds
• Built-in sifter rake basket
• Hand scoop storage
• Portable with convenient grab handle

I was able to have another review for the cats. I had been talking to my mom and she was saying she wanted a litter box that would like nice and not look bulky. When I got the Kitty A Go Go I knew this was perfect for her. I surprised her one night by bring this over to her. My mom's cat Taz was all about the box.

Taz played in the shipping and the Kitty A Go Go box all night lol. After we got the Kitty A Go Go out and set up all of my mom's cats were checking it out. They weren't afraid of it at all. My mom loved the wood grain look of the Kitty A Go Go and it matches her basement decor. Just by glancing at the Kitty A Go Go you wouldn't think of it as a litter box. My mom's cats after 2 weeks still love using the Kitty A Go Go more than their other litter boxes and my step dad said it is very easy to clean.

  Taz is a big cat and has no problem fitting into the Kitty A Go Go as you can see.

Now for the giveaway: One lucky person will win a Kitty A Go Go. This is open to US and ends 8/12/12 @ 11:59 pm est. To enter, simply do the tasks on the Rafflecopter widget below and you're set to have a chance to win!

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Fusion Tea BrewT & Loose Leaf Teas Giveaway

This Review & Giveaway is done by Colleen at My Vegan Gluten Free Life

  I absolutely adore, love, am fond of, fancy, like and have a huge passion for TEA! Get the picture? I like the smell of coffee but can't stomach the taste. But Tea....oh it is my passion. I have had to switch to decaffeinated teas because the caffeine will give me cardiac arrhythmias and that doesn't feel too very good. Some oolong teas I can handle and some light green teas as well and thank goodness because their flavors are divine. Fusion Teas has a fabulous selection of teas such as black, green, oolong and more including Tulsi, Rooibos and Herbal. They were kind enough to let me sample a few of their teas. I was sent 4 looseleaf tea variety collections to sample: Acai Berry Blend Oolong Collection, Super Fruit Sencha Green Tea Collection, Lemon Rose Bud Oolong Collection (pictured below) and Chamomile Vanilla Bean Herbal Collection.

  Upon opening the package, the Super Fruit Sencha smelled very much of a raspberry/blackberry blend and I wasn't sure I would enjoy it since the fruit smell was very strong but after brewing it the fruit flavor was slight and the green tea flavor very light. It was very refreshing and would be delightful cold as well I would think. The Acai Berry Blend smelled like a musky currant when I opened the package but I loved the flavor. I thought the muskiness would be overpowering but it was wonderful without being heavy and the oolong came through with a slight tang. I would use this tea for everyday drinking. The Lemon Rose Bud definately had the fragrence of roses upon opening but the flavor was very faintly rose with the oolong flavor very light and a thought of ginger? It was a delightful tea and I would also think this would be great iced. The Chamomile Vanilla Bean immediately filled the air with the aroma of vanilla upon opening and the chammomile flowers looked lovely amidst the other ingredients. You definately need a strainer for this one to drink since it has lots of floating ingredients. Mmmmmm this was lovely. I can envision this tea before bedtime or curling up with a book or in front of a fire or for a tummy ache! It is sweet, flowery, yet distinctly vanilla with a hint of licorice. Do I have a favorite of the group? I love them all! But I could drink the Acai Berry Blend daily anytime! I think Fusion Teas has a lifelong customer here!

Fusion Teas is offering the following BrewT along with your choice of 2 Fusion Tea blends (3 onz each).

Info from Sponsor on BrewT: The BrewT infuser is a revolutionary method for making your preferred hot or cold beverage through the ingenious combination of properly steeping premium loose leaf tea with fresh hot water. This patented process for making exceptional tea is so popular with people on the go, college students and office professionals that it allows for a quality drink within minutes of mixing the ingredients together. The BrewT is brilliant. Using the BrewT The infuser is equipped with a unique shut-off valve invention that controls the flow of liquid from the Teaze to the cup through a specially designed filtration screen intended to prevent large particles from reaching your cup. With the placement of the brewer on the cup, the weight of the unit will open the valve and allow the infused liquid to flow into the cup. Once lifted from the cup, the plate falls and forces the shut-off valve to close the infuser opening thus preventing further flow. The impact resistant high grade polymer used in the manufacture of the BrewT allows for safe and easy use for its intended purpose.  

Fusion Teas also have other wonderful gift sets you can purchase.

This Giveaway is open to US only and begins 7/28/2012 at 12:01 am EST and ends 8/11/2012 at 12:01 am EST

To Enter this Giveaway fill out the Rafflecopter below and Good Luck :

  DMO3 is not responsible for prize fulfillment. We love helping friends promote :) a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Rx Factor Book Giveaway

This Review/Giveaway is done by Kathy's Freebies & Savings

About the Author: J. Thomas Shaw was born in Quincy, IL, and attended college at Illinois State University in Normal, IL. He co-founded Guaranteed Rate, INC. He now lives in the San Diego area with his wife and two children.The Rx Factor takes place in the various locations that the author lived or experiences in his travels.

If there were a drug to cure for cancer, how far would you be willing to go to get that drug? I have had the opportunity to review the book, The Rx Factor by J. Thomas Shaw.

Five years after the death of his wife and children, Ryan Matthews is living at home with the memories of his failed cancer research. Along comes a scientist, Jordan Carver, who catches Ryan's eye. Jordan has been preparing to move to Mexico, to open up a clinic. She wants to be able to have a clinic for patients to be able to have affordable access to experimental medication. A violent explosion leaves a small island of Exuma on edge. This will forever chance Ryan's life.

This book was not what I expected. I honestly didn't think I was going to like this book. I'm happy to say that I loved the book. For me, this was one of those books you just couldn't put down, and I found myself thinking about the book even when I wasn't reading it. Before Ryan's wife and children passed away, Ryan had discovered a drug that was suppose to cure cancer. Unfortunately the drug didn't work. Now years later Ryan and Jordan go undercover to discover the truth about a clinic and it's secret drug. This is the same drug that Ryan had discovered years earlier. So, why would they want to sell a drug that didn't work years ago? Does the drug really work, or are they just trying to create bigger problems? You will have to find out for yourself. This is a great suspense, thriller, and mystery book, and much more. If your looking for a great book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this would be a perfect book for you. You can order the book on Amazon for $23. Would you like to win an autographed book? Well here's your chance. Just enter in the rafflecopter below!   DMO3 isn't responsible for prize fulfillment. However, Kathy is an established blogger who will take good care of the winner.

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Zuo Bar Stool Giveaway Event!

Welcome to the Zuo Turbo Bar Stool Giveaway sponsored by AtoZStores.com and hosted by Children Teaching Mama. The winner will receive 4 beautiful Zuo Turbo Bar Stools that retail for $1600! The Turbo stool has a cozy seat molded from ABS plastic, and  a sturdy chrome steel tube frame. These are perfect for commercial or residential use! Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter & let them know Devoted Mommy of 3 referred you to enter! There are several daily entry options, so be sure to come back each day to get those entries! The giveaway will end at 11:59pm on Wednesday, August 15th and is open to United States residents 18+! DMO2 isn't responsible for prize fulfillment. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Flowers Giveaway

This Giveaway is done by SaraLee's Deals Steals & Giveaways

Item Description

Your recipient will celebrate the day when they set their eyes on this divine bouquet.  Roses and carnations along with fuji, alstroemeria and gerbera are presented in a purple passion vase. Same day delivery available. Measures 15"H by 12"L.

Includes:
• Pink Roses
• Orange Daisies
• Hot Pink & Light Pink Carnations
• Purple Alstroemeria
• Purple Passion Vase 

 I was surprised at 10am with a bouquet of flowers at my door for a review. The bouquet was gorgeous and smelled heavenly. I love bright and funky flowers and this bouquet has them. All my friends who came to my house commented on how beautiful the bouquet was and how they wanted one. Hint to the men out there lol. The flowers in the bouquet lasted for 2 weeks and that has been with my house at being at 75 degrees or lower at times.  I really loved this review as I felt special having flowers delivered to my door.

Now for the giveaway: One lucky person will win a ‘It’s a Beautiful Day Bouquet’ retail value $39.99 arranged with bright Summer flowers. A local florist will arrange and hand delivery this Summer arrangement to you.. This is open to the US only and ends 8/11 @ 11:59 pm est. To enter, simply do the tasks on the Rafflecopter widget below and you're set to have a chance to win! 

DMO3 is not responsible for the review or prize fulfillment. We are promoting to help a friend. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Smoobee No Cry Hairbrush Giveaway

  Welcome to the Smoobee Magic No Cry hair brush giveaway! 

Hosted by A Dollar Saved and sponsored by Smoobee!

One winner will receive a Smoobee Magic No Cry Brush!

*Please note, all entries will be verified*

DMO3 is promoting to help our friend. We are not responsible for prize fulfillment.
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Bath & Body Works Giveaway

Devoted Mommy of 3 is joining Optimistic Mommy to present this awesome giveaway from CouponCabin.com. Optimistic Mommy is a known & trusted friend who I know will take good care of her readers. I am proud to be apart of this giveaway. Stop by to visit her & thank CouponCabin.com for this giveaway! "CouponCabin.com works directly with Bath and Body Works and more than 3,700 other retailers to offer incredible savings on quality goods. Our Bath and Body Works online and printable coupons save shoppers $8.34 on average. Users can grab a code quickly (less than 90 seconds on average), or sign up for CouponCabin Rewards to earn points toward gift cards. CouponCabin has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, O, The Oprah Magazine, USA Today, Good Morning America, MSN Money, Good Housekeeping and Yahoo! Finance, among many others." "In addition to any disclosure required by applicable law, Promotion Partner shall include a full release of CouponCabin by each entrant or participant, with language substantially similar to the following: “By entering this promotion, each participant agrees to release, indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor and its parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective representatives, officers, directors, shareholders, agents and employees from and against any injuries, losses, damages, claims, actions or liability of any kind resulting from or arising from participation in this promotion.” DMO3 is not responsible for prize fulfillment. I have in no way, shape or form been compensated. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogger Opp: Diamond Candle Bonanza

Who doesn't love diamonds? Many readers have requested a worldwide Diamond Candle Giveaway and so Starting August 3rd, Rita Reviews along with some blogger friends, will be hosting a Diamond Candle Bonanza Giveaway Event. We will be giving away a set of 5 Diamond Candles ($100 Value!) Diamond Candles are these really cool earth-friendly soy candles that are made in the USA and contain a surprise in them. You see, in each candle there is a ring worth anything from $10 to $5,000! That's right, you could have a diamond ring worth $5,000 inside of your candle! So mark your calendars, you don't want to miss it! If you are a blogger and want to participate in this event and potentially earn thousands of new followers, you can sign up HERE Please tell them I sent you :)

By Nature Pet Food Gieaway

This Giveaway is done by SaraLee's Deals Steals & Giveaways

By Nature Seven Seafood Platter is available in a 3.5 lb. bag and is a unique combination of seven seafood sources that provide more of the building blocks of lean muscle.

We are dedicated to the humane treatment and care of pets. All of the research we do for our pet foods is done with dogs and cats in either homes or shelters. We taste test our products on our own pets, as well as work closely with local humane societies to ensure that we bring you quality foods that adhere to the highest standards of pet nutrition.

 

I was happy to be able to review a product that was healthy and all natural for my cats. I have four beautiful cats that I think of as my kids. Ghost is 11, Princess is Ghost's daughter and is 8, Gizzy & Honey are 6 and sisters. My cats love eating and sleeping. I got the By nature Seven Seafood dry food for them and when the box with there food got here I swear they knew the box was for them before I even opened it. I got the bags out and set them in a chair for a picture and the cats kept trying to get into the food while I was trying to take the picture. I then opened a bag and gave them some like I would with cat treats and they loved it. I then put the cat food in a dish and put it next to the cat food I already put out. The By Nature Seven Seafood dish got empty before the food I was feeding them. I can tell they like the By Nature Seven Seafood better. I then took a bag over to my mom's house and she has four cats too. I know her cats are picky eaters so I put some of the By Nature Seven Seafood down and her cats liked it too. We both are over a week in feeding our cats By Nature Seven Seafood and we can feel a difference in our cats fur. My mom just ordered more of the  By Nature cat food for our cats.

Now for the giveaway: One lucky person will win a bag of dry pet food of choice. This is open to US & Canada and ends 8/10/12 @ 11:59 pm est. DMO3 isn't responsible for prize fulfillment. But, Saralee will take good care of you! To enter, simply do the tasks on the Rafflecopter widget below and you're set to have a chance to win! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Zoobies Giveaway!

This Review/Giveaway is done by Kathy's Freebies & Savings My daughters are huge animal fans. They both have there own stuffed animals that they sleep with at night, as well as there own blankets. You try to take either away from my youngest daughter (Tesla) and she gets very upset. I don't think my kids will ever be able to part from there stuffed animals and blankets. I'm sure you have all heard of the pillow pets before right? Well, the zoobies are similar to the pillow pets, but in my opinion they are much better. Zoobies blanket pets are pets, blankets, and pillows, all in one. They have a huge selection of pets to choose from. I chose Pugs the Pooch to review. Both of my daughters really love dogs, so I thought this would be the perfect choice for them. The pet is very soft and the head is very squishy. It's actually made out of microbeads, which would be why it's so squishy. The pooch has a zipper pouch that keeps the blanket inside. I was extremely surprised at the size of the blanket. I thought it was going to be small. It was actually a decent size. Sizing of the blankets are about 44" by 34", perfect for nap time. My oldest daughter (Mercades) sleeps with the blanket pet at night. I would have to say that she really loves the pooch. This will make a perfect travel buddy for my kids, when we take long trips too. Zoobies have more then just the blanket pets. They also have Book Buddies, Duffel Dogs, Storytime Pals, Blankie Babies, and Slumber Pets. You can purchase one of the Zoobies HERE. Right now they are offering 20% off with the coupon code: PARENTHOOD. But wait, there's more. Zoobies is offering one of my readers a blanket pet of there own. Just enter in the rafflecopter below! DMO3 is not responsible for prize fulfillment. We're helping a friend promote!   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Drop It like It's Hot Hop!

Welcome to Drop It Like It's Hot Hop! This hop is hosted by Charisma Media Network

<a href=" http://charismamedianetwork.com" target="_blank”"><img src="http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t406/StressedRach/dilih.png" alt="Drop" border="0" /></a>

Mothering College Kids

One of the greatest gifts a mom can give her child is a quality education. With today’s economy, jobs are hard to come by & college degrees give an edge in competition. But, moms are also very smart people. We know when we send our children off into the world; they don’t always make the choices we taught them to make. Do they eat right? Mostly likely, no, as drive-thru’s & delivery are much easier than cooking. Are they prepared for class every day? Not if the majority of their evening was spent on ‘leisure’ activities! How can we, as moms, make sure they have the tools to remain the productive people we raised them to be? We can’t be everywhere- especially not if you have more than one child out in the big, bad, real world. But, we can use resources available to us to give them a fighting chance. I introduce to you: mygofer.com I was asked to review the infographic for the site. At this time, no compensation was provided. I was under no obligation to write a positive reiew. Further down, you can read the benefits Moms can provide on the infographic. It is possible to provide necessities to our kids while saving time, money, & having less anxiety attacks. Making repeated trips to the dorm or apartment to check-in with your child is expensive not to mention near impossible if you work full time (in or out of the home). But, with mygofer.com, you have a full stock of resources at your fingertips. On the website, you’ll find weekly deals and a plethora of choices for just about all you would need. I was pleasantly surprised at the competitive pricing and the number of items. Prefer mobile shopping, do you? There’s an app for that! All moms want to care for their families and still be frugal. Let mygofer.com help you do that. Give them a chance. You’ll be glad you did!
Campus Delivery

Drink Chia R&G

I am helping to promote this giveaway in conjunction with Saralee's Deals & Steals. This Giveaway is done by SaraLee's Deals Steals & Giveaways

We are guided by the relentless focus to inspire people to be engaged in their health, try new things, seek adventure, and be active in their communities.

Everything begins with our “Shake it Baby” concept. It implies two things:

1. To shake the drink up, and
2. To get out and make things happen, to do something productive and meaningful, to make a difference.

We don’t want the seeds to settle in the bottle…settling implies going nowhere, being complacent. So…

Be active, be mindful of your health, your family, and the world around you!

I want to say my husband was very surprised over the Drink Chia. At fist my husband crinkled his nose up and was like oh boy this isn't going to taste good but as soon as he took a sip he smiled and was said "Wow this is really good." My husband drank the bottle before work and called me on his first break saying that he felt really good and liked the way the Chia drink made him feel. On the forth day of drinking Chia he was in a better mood at work and he felt a little more energized in the morning. Now this week he is grumpy and you can tell so I went and ordered more for him. I wish they sold this in health stores buy me.

Now for the giveaway: One lucky person will win a Drink Chia Prize pack ( 1 of bottle of each flavor & a T-shirt). DMO3 isn't responsible for prize fulfillment.This is open to US & World Wide and ends 8/09/12 @ 11:59 pm est. To enter, simply do the tasks on the Rafflecopter widget below and you're set to have a chance to win! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weight Loss- Week 5

This week was not as fab as last week. We did find the Wii Active Bundle at GameStop for 75% off. It was priced because the bands were missing. No matter. Middle son & I tried it out. Let me just say, it kicked my butt- big time. You’d think when you enter all that personal info into the system- your height, weight, etc- that the system would be merciful. Even after I created my plus-sized avatar, the Wii decided it would be great fun for me to do things like jumping lunges. Thank the Lord that my floor held up! At the point where I couldn’t feel my thighs, we were blessed, I mean, oh, no *sarcasm*, we had a power outage. Darn! I so wanted to jump & lunge more. Not!

          Regardless, I weighed in for week 5 prior to the purchase of Wii Death, I mean, Active. I had lost 1 pound. So as we continue with week 6, I am hoping this Wii torture will pay off. Right now, my thighs aren’t speaking to me or each other. Sigh. I also washed all the walls in my house which was still not as torturous as a jumping lunge. Who invented these? I’d have rather washed walls in 3 houses!

To be continued……..

Book Review: 'Experiencing Spiritual Breakthrough' by Bruce Wilkinson

Experiencing Spiritual Breakthrough by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson

            According to Dr. Wilkinson, there are 3 stages of faith-committed, compromise, & conflict. In his newest book, he discusses how whichever level an individual is on, impacts that person’s family.

            Although he does explore both the Old & New, more time is spent in the Old Testament. Joshua is used to show the committed level. Then, we travel through to Judges as the levels decrease. There’s also discussion on how knowing, relating to, & serving God shape us.

            I teetered back & forth with this book. I wholeheartedly agree that our loyalty show lie with God & not man. If the elders in the Old Testament fell spiritually because they followed Joshua more than God, it makes perfect sense because then their spiritual balance is off. I agree that just repeating the same prayer word for word results in a poor prayer life. I also agree that spiritual growth is attainable & that there are many Undercover Christians (those whom no one else would know were Christians).

            My misgivings in the author’s thoughts arise in lumping ALL mankind into 3 states-periods. The author allows no wiggle room. You are either a 1,2 or 3. Isn’t that a little too cut & dry? Perhaps there are millions of people who do fit the mold. I find, though, that I am somewhere between 1 & 2 & wonder how many others would feel that too. I am dedicated to Jesus & devout in my faith. I am also human & flawed. But, Dr. Wilkinson believes you can’t be in between. There are too many unique circumstances & extenuating circumstances in life. Furthermore, confusion mounted when Dr. Wilkinson states the impact that God-fearing parents have on their children then promptly dismisses how David produced a child such as Solomon who backslid. If we follow his concise guidelines, then Stage 1 parents produce Stage 1 children. But, David didn’t. What went wrong? How can we not replicate King David’s parental boo boos? I would have appreciated a chapter on that. I just don’t see how certain Christians I know could be considered compromisers or Stage 2’s by these standards. They’ve just had a really rough go in life. It strikes me as simply unfair.

            I’m not sure what ‘it’ was that I was looking for from this book. But ‘it’ wasn’t there. If I’m to learn & incorporate principles from a book, then I need tools I can understand & work with. Ultimately, I came out confused & baffled at his numbers game.

            When it’s all said & done, ‘Experiencing Spiritual Breakthroughs’ equals 3 of 5 stars for having our Christian interests at heart, but teaching us little.

            I received 1 eBook to facilitate the review. No other compensation was provided. To find more info on this book, visit the publisher’s website www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

Dog Trots Globe - To Paris & Provence Book R&G

We're grateful for another great giveaway from Saralee. This Giveaway is done by SaraLee's Deals Steals & Giveaways

Experience France from a whole new perspective! Wag your way through Paris with Chula, a 9-year-old Sheltie, on her travels from California. Follow Chula in Provence as she sniffs around the boulangeries, lavender fields, and big outdoor markets. Get the dog's-eye view... and a fun read!

• More than 150 vivid color photographs of Paris and Provence
• Anecdotes on French life and info on everything from cheeses to the Eiffel Tower
• Helpful Afterword on pet travel
• 4 bonus videos (available online)

This book was a very fun read. I loved seeing the trip from the dog's point of view. I have often wondered what my dogs are thinking or feeling and this book kinda lets us know. I found this book to be very uplifting and I even shared it with a little boy. I was getting my nails done and there was this little boy who was about 5 and he saw me reading the book and said he had a dog like the one in the book. I let the little boy look at the book and we even read about some of the pictures in the book. He liked the book so much I gave it to him. The smile I got was ear to ear and it made my day.

Now for the giveaway: One lucky person will win Dog Trots Globe - To Paris & Provence book. This is open World Wide and ends 8/8 @ 11:59 pm est. To enter, simply do the tasks on the Rafflecopter widget below and you're set to have a chance to win!

DMO3 isn't responsible for prize fulfillment. a Rafflecopter giveaway