Happy Easter!

Giveaway!

Congratulations Lin F - you're the winner! Check your email for details of how to claim your prize!

Valentine Cinnamon Rolls

Happy Valentine's Day!  Here's a super easy recipe for today....actually it's not even a recipe because you're just going to use store bought refrigerated cinnamon rolls (I used Pillsbury)




Just follow the directions for baking.  As you put the rolls in the baking pan, put a little "indent" at the top of the round roll and it will look like a heart.  You can even shape them by hand into a heart if you want.  Drizzle the cinnamon glaze on top when they're out of the oven and then top them off with cinnamon candies.  The heat might make them melt a little, resulting a red-colored glaze.  Or wait for the rolls to completely cool and top with sliced strawberries.  So easy and pretty too!  Enjoy!

Free Valentine Printables

Two more days until Valentine's Day!  Last night I helped my 8 year old address his cards for the party and Valentine card exchange his class is having on Friday.  Although we bought his cards, there's a lot of free printables you can find - one of my favorite sites is Free Printable Valentines. The card above is from that site.  So cute!  Not only can you find cards, but there's also Valentine memory games and puzzles you can download for free.  Have fun!

New Music Release by Loreena McKennitt

Have you heard of Loreena McKennitt?  She's an independent music pioneer who's celebrating her 30 year music career with the release The Journey So Far—The Best of Loreena McKennitt, out on March 4th.  She's probably best known for her song, The Mummer's Dance, which was featured in the movie The Mists of Avalon.

 

With 14 million albums sold, a pair of Juno Awards and two Grammy nominations, Loreena McKennitt is known for her groundbreaking blend of Celtic sounds and World Beat. Her career is now documented on this gorgeous retrospective album, with a deluxe edition including a second disc, A Midsummer Night’s Tour, featuring highlights from the live performance recorded at the Zitadelle in Mainz, Germany, in July of 2012—a return to the city in which the 2013 Grammy nominated Troubadours on the Rhine was recorded.

For more information about Loreena, visit her website , follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

National Wear Red Day

Did you know that today, February 7, is National Wear Red Day® with Go Red For Women?  It's to help fight women’s No. 1 killer—heart disease.  Why red?  Because it's the color of our hearts.  This year is the 11-year anniversary of National Wear Red Day®.    Here's my Etsy picks for ways to wear red today:

Eco-friendly Red leather cuff bracelet by missismiss on Etsy - adds an elegant touch to any outfit

Red mini stud earrings by wild juniper on Etsy - great for Valentine's day too!

Red infinity scarf by Forgotten Cotton on Etsy - perfect for the winter weather


Heart disease has affected my family (my grandfather died of a heart attack) so I'll definitely be wearing red today to bring awareness to this event.

Have a great day and great weekend!

Book Review - The Reason For My Hope: Salvation

The Reason for My Hope: Salvation is a book written by Billy Graham.  In what could possibly be his last book (he's 95 now), Mr. Graham is still leading people to salvation through his message and the true stories contained in his book.  The question Billy Graham asks throughout the book is: Who would refuse rescue?  There are actually people who refuse to be saved, even if they're in a hopeless situation.  Besides the question of why someone would refuse to be saved, there are thought-provoking questions asked of the reader in each chapter. 

There are 8 chapters:

1. Rescued for Something
2. The Great Redemption
3. Sin Is In
4. The Price of Victory
5. Where is Jesus?
6. Defining Christianity in a Designer World
7. No Hope of Happy Hour in Hell
8. He Is Coming Back

This is an outstanding book and I would highly recommend it to anyone, not just because it might be Mr. Graham's last book, but for the message of encouragement and hope in it which I think we all need to hear.  Thank you Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.