The Winner of the Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Is Organized Nutrition, commenter #47!

Comments, links and subscriber codes were all entered into random.org to choose the winner.

Congratulations, Organized Nutrition! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you so I can get your card to you ASAP! Enjoy shopping!

$25 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway: Springtime Blog Carnival

Image by jaycoxfilm

I'm so very glad that Laura took it upon herself to host a Springtime Blog Carnival! Woohoo!

Laura mentioned that she loves chocolate and aprons. Well, I've already given away a Marie Madeline Studio apron with the help of the lovely ladies there. And, I don't know about where you are, but here it's getting pretty hot, and chocolate would melt in the mail.

So, what to do? I decided on an Amazon gift card--that way the winner can get whatever suits her! (If it were me, I'd be going for books--but you probably already know that.) The giveaway is for a $25 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is open from now until this Friday, May 1 at midnight and is open to US and Canadian residents. If you're a Canadian, the gift card will be from Amazon.ca.

Some of you are probably new around here--just popping over from Laura's blog. If that's the case, welcome! I'd love to have you stay a while and poke around.

• You can read more about my story and the purpose of Heart(h) Management here.
• You can see some of my favorite posts here.
• And you can browse through the current Heart(h) Management series, Homemaking: It's a REAL Job! here.

Alrighty, girls, here's how you can enter!

There are three ways to enter the giveaway and you can enter up to three times.

1. Leave me a comment below--please only one comment per person even if you do the other two things to enter. And please, please be sure I have a way to contact you! You need to have a Blogger profile with a valid email address or link to your blog OR you need to leave your email address in the comment itself--not just the comment form. (I don't have access to those email addresses.)

2. For a second entry, subscribe to my feed via RSS or via email--the email box is up in the sidebar underneath the coffee cup. There will be a secret code in the footer of the post in your feed reader or inbox that won't show up on the site itself. Email the code to me at hearthmanagement (at) gmail (dot) com. Put the quote in the subject line--I won't actually read the email! For those of you who are wondering what it means to subscribe, here's a quick explanation. Please don't comment to let me know--I'll get your email.

3. For a third entry, post about and link to the giveaway post on your own blog. Email me with your link in the subject line. Again, please don't comment to let me know--I'll get your email.

And that's it! Have fun! I'm off to check out some other giveaways over at Heavenly Homemakers!

We have a winner!

And the winner of the Haircuts for Little Men e-book (chosen by a random.org) is Cynthia! (And if you don't think she deserves to win, read her comment--#10!)

I've contacted you by e-mail, Cynthia, and I'll let Nancy know that another desperate soul is ready for her e-book!

If you didn't win the book, never fear! You can still purchase the book from Nancy at her site. The price is only $14.99--that should save you a good bit of money over the next little while.

Congratulations, Cynthia!

Haircuts for Little Men Giveaway! Woohoo!

Last week I posted about my experience with home haircuts--along with a dire warning to attempt at your own risk. I stated that I cut my boys' hair because I can't bear to spend $20 a month on haircuts--not because I'm necessarily wholeheartedly satisfied with my haircutting skills. No indeed.

Well.

Melonie came to my rescue and mentioned a friend, Nancy, who not only cuts her children's hair successfully (and lives to tell about it), but has also written an e-book detailing how-to's!

Well.

Lo and behold, Nancy herself contacted me, and, perceiving my desperate straits, offered her kind assistance. (So, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but it appeals to my need for a good story, OK?)

Well.

Not only did she offer me a copy of her e-book for free, she also offered me one to give away here on my blog to one of my awesome readers!

How neato-mosquito is that?

Her book is entitled Haircuts for Little Men, and it's designed to help us poor, desperate mothers save a buck and still feel confident that we can cut our boys' hair and not leave them scarred for life. (Figuratively or literally!)

Now, I'll be honest. I had just cut my little guys' hair when Nancy offered to do this. So, I haven't actually tried out her techniques and instructions yet. But I have read it and the instructions seem pretty straightforward.

Plus, her website is filled with great reviews--including pics of first time cuts by previously inexperienced haircutting moms. I've seen the pics, and if seeing is believing, I'm pretty darn impressed.

So, if you're interested in attempting haircutting for the first time or improving your skills, here's a chance to win a great how-to book!

There are three ways to enter the giveaway and you can enter up to three times.

1. Leave me a comment here and include your funniest haircut story. Your own haircut gone wrong, or a haircut you did for someone else, or whatever!

2. For a second entry, subscribe to my feed! There will be a secret code in the footer of the post in your feed reader or inbox that won't show up on the site itself. Email the code to me at hearthmanagement (at) gmail (dot) com. Put the quote in the subject line--I won't actually read the email! For those of you who are wondering what it means to subscribe, here's a quick explanation. Please don't comment to let me know--I'll get your email.

3. For a third entry, post about and link to the giveaway post on your own blog. Email me with your link in the subject line. Again, please don't comment to let me know--I'll get your email.

The giveaway will be open until Wednesday, April 22 at midnight. The winner will be announced on Thursday the 23rd and will be notified by email. Please be sure that I have a way of contacting you. (Either a valid email address in your Blogger profile, a link to your website, or your email address included in your comment.)

Enjoy and happy haircutting!

For more money saving ideas, please visit Frugal Friday at LifeasMOM!

Another Giveaway: Cloth Diapers, Baby!

I haven't mentioned before that I'm a cloth diaper user--and have been from the get-go. Four years of cloth diapers. From the beginning, I've used Fuzzi-Bunz as my backbone of our stash. After four years of diapering, they're still hanging in there, but they are on their last legs. (Who can complain after four years?)

Lindsay, over at Passionate Homemaking, one of my all-time favorite blogs, just announced that she is hosting a Fuzzi Bunz giveaway! Woohoo! The giveaway is for three diapers. Perfect. If you're a cloth diaper user, hop on over and enter--just leave a comment with your favorite diapering tip or recommendation.

Oh, and while you're there, get to know her a little bit if you've never visited before. She's a woman is seeking to honor her Lord as she shares her knowledge about living simply, frugally, and naturally.

And the Winner of the Marie-Madeline Studio Apron Is......

Commenter number 43!

A big congratulations to Rona who blogs at BerryMorins Bits and Tips! I hope you have a blast picking out exactly what apron you want and then enjoy wearing that beautiful thing!

Woohoo!

This was so much fun--thanks to each one of you who joined in the contest!

For those of you who didn't win, put one of these fabulous aprons on your wish list for Mother's Day--it's not that far off, right? You can put Marie-Madeline Studio in your bookmarks and you can also subscribe to their blog to receive updates (hint: including other giveaways!).

Have a very happy Saturday!

Last Chance to Enter the Apron Giveaway!

This is it! The giveaway ends tonight. If you haven't entered for your chance to win a beautiful Marie-Madeline Studio apron of your choosing, visit this post. Have fun!

Dress for Success and a Giveaway--It's a REAL Job! Series #2

It's Monday morning and Jacob Eldridge pulls into his parking place at Carolina Place, Ltd. He reaches over to the passenger seat, grabs his briefcase, and then makes a quick dash inside the glass building. He's the CEO of this impressive place, and he's got an important meeting with prospective clients this morning.

His secretary Ellen hands him his schedule for the day without looking up. She lifts her head just in time to see him disappear into the conference room. Her jaw drops.

A group of men and women are chatting quietly as they wait for the big man to arrive. They hear the doorknob click and look up with anticipation. Eyebrows rise and more mouths hang open. Someone lets out a nervous chuckle. Is this some sort of joke?

Jacob Eldridge, CEO, had arrived for work in his pajamas.

While most of us would never consider showing up to an important business meeting in our PJ's, a sweat suit from high school, or the grungiest items in our closet, how many of us home managers have worn those things for most of the day on a regular basis?

I know I have.

I really think that one of the best things we can do as we pursue taking our jobs as home managers more seriously is to begin to dress well for our job.

Why? Why does it really matter what we wear in the comfort and privacy of our homes? Who really cares whether we get out of our jammies or not?

Here are two good reasons to get dressed properly for your job as home manager:

1. It has a positive effect on your motivation and effectiveness.
There are quite a few things I love about Flylady. There are also quite a few things about Flylady that don't work for me. But I think she's definitely on to something with her shoe kick. Except for the shoe part. (Call me a rebel, but I refuse to wear lace up shoes everyday.) Her argument, though, is that we feel better about ourselves when we get dressed. And that when we feel more pulled together we act more pulled together.

2. It blesses your family--especially your husband.
Though many of us won't take the time to dress nicely for a day at home, most of us don't want to be seen in public in our sleepwear with no makeup and greasy hair. When we're going out, we tend to perk ourselves up a bit, right? But are the random strangers in the world really that much more important to you than the people you hold nearest and dearest--your children and husband? Don't they deserve to see your pretty side, too?

Getting dressed, fixing our hair and faces--these all speak love to our family members. Especially your husband. I can almost guarantee that your husband will feel at least a small delight to come home to a woman who is dressed nicely, smells approachable, and whose hair is combed. Especially if he's been greeted by the opposite for quite some time.

So, what does this really mean? What does it look like to dress well for the job of home management?

1. Beauty
As women, let's embrace our femininity by being girls! Dress in clothing that flatters, fits well, pleases your sense of style, and expresses your personality. Getting dressed can be a creative outlet as well as something that gives you and your husband pleasure. Maybe you're saying, "But I don't have anything beautiful that fits me, and I sure don't have any money to buy a new wardrobe!" Be resourceful. Set aside a little bit of money and head to the thrift store--you can find some beautiful clothes for next to nothing there. No excuses!

2. Function
So, does dressing beautifully mean pulling out the pearls? Um, probably not. Personally, my two year old would rip those off my neck before the day was over. As home managers, we do a lot of moving. Bending, stretching, chasing wayward toddlers. Our clothes should be comfortable and suited to our tasks. Beauty and function don't have to be mutually exclusive, though.

This is where an amazing apron can come in. Aprons are so in, if you didn't know. They're coming back with a vengeance and there are some seriously cute ones out there. There are aprons made for every style and personality. They're the perfect blend of function and beauty, in my opinion.

Now for the fun part!

The lovely ladies at Marie-Madeline Studio have generously agreed to give away one of their beautiful aprons to one blessed winner! These aprons are just what I was thinking of when I mentioned the blend of beauty and function. I love, love, love their aprons! The best part is that the winner gets to choose not only the style of apron they prefer, but the fabric as well!

Here are the guidelines if you want to enter this giveaway:

1. Head over to Marie-Madeline Studio and decide which style of apron and fabric you would like, and post a comment with your selection. Only one comment per person, please.

2. For a second entry, subscribe to my feed! There will be a secret code in the footer of the post in your feed reader or inbox that won't show up on the site itself. Email the code to me at hearthmanagement (at) gmail (dot) com. Put the quote in the subject line--I won't actually read the email! For those of you who are wondering what it means to subscribe, here's a quick explanation. Please don't comment to let me know--I'll get your email.

3. For a third entry, post about and link to the giveaway post. Email me with your link in the subject line (for some reason my pingbacks aren't working right now). Please don't comment to let me know--I'll get your email.

The giveaway is open to US and Canada residents. The giveaway will be open all week long and will end Friday, March 27th at midnight. The winner will be announced on Saturday the 28th and will be notified by email. Please be sure that I have a way of contacting you. (Either a valid email address in your profile, a link to your website, or your email address included in your comment.)

Have fun!

Image by Playingwithbrushes

A great giveaway I wanted you to know about!

I've been posting this week about managing time from an eternal perspective--so how great did I think it was when a new blogging friend told me about a giveaway she's hosting for a planner that has that same focus?

Jenn @ Beautiful Calling is hosting a giveaway today for a Graceworks Planner. Here's their tagline:

GraceWorks: Purpose Planners. . .Where Beauty and Order Meet. ( Love it!)

And this is a line from their homepage:

"Do you struggle keeping up with your housework? Are you looking for a complete system that will walk you through each day? Try the Beautiful Life Management System, for practical help with a focus on eternity. "

OK, I'm in love.

All you have to do is visit Jenn over at Beautiful Calling and follow the very simple instructions. Can I ask that you get to know Jenn a little bit while you're there? Poke around a bit after you enter. She has a desire to encourage and inspire other women to live their lives to the glory of God and her blog reflects that.

Enjoy!