Friday, February 5, 2021

Under The Barnyard Light Review And Giveaway

 ** I received a copy of this book for free in return for my honest review. ** 




We are very grateful for being given the opportunity to read, Under The Barnyard Light! This is so beautifully written and with such magical illustrations, you will surely be reminded of some of your favorite stories when you yourself were little. Of course, there are a number of children's books that are worthy of mentioning when it comes to recommending to family and friends. But, there is something about this book that makes it oh so special! 

Under The Barnyard Light was written by Carla Crane Osborne and illustrated by Brandon Dorman
Carla grew up on her family farm and also tended to the animals. (Yes, she also has red hair. Much like the little red-haired girl in the story!) 

Children will enjoy following this little girl while she's taking care of her chores which involves preparing her farm animals for bed. This includes feeding the calves and taking care of her horse, Dandy. It is written in verse which fits so well with the enchanting illustrations. 

We especially enjoyed this book because it includes 2 of our most favorite things! Little cows and snow! Well, I usually love snow quite a bit however, we've been getting hit with snow almost every day for a couple of weeks, I'm starting to get a bit anxious for spring! It's actually snowing right now as I type this...

While we don't live on a farm, we visit local farms quite frequently and purchase a majority of our groceries from local farms, farm stands, and farmer's markets. I am very thankful that we are so blessed to be surrounded by so many farms! We see the hard work and dedication involved with running a farm and appreciate every one of them. (We also get to see lots and lots of cows along the way!) 

You can enter below to win 1 of 2 copies of Under The Barnyard Light, for your own bookshelf! 

Good luck!

Creating The Perfect Backyard Paradise

 



There’s something about the appeal of a beautiful backyard. It’s relaxing, it’s beautiful to look at, and more importantly, it’s much easier to get a backyard oasis than most people think. In fact, with a few simple tips and tricks, creating a backyard paradise can be done in one weekend or even less.

If you have a pool in your backyard, you’re already one step closer to your perfect backyard paradise and with a few tweaks, you can make it just right.

Install a screen. Pools are fantastic, but one thing that they all need is a screen surrounding them. This is for a couple of reasons. First, you don’t want random things like leaves and twigs getting into your pool, it’ll make it more difficult to clean, and you’ll have to clean it more often. Second, a screen will help to keep your pool cooler during the warm summer months. A good pool screen will help block some of the UV rays and ultimately keep the pool temperature lower during those warmer summer months when you’ll really want to use your pool. Third, it’s a good safety measure. In many states, you’re required to have a fence or screen around a pool to ensure that no one will accidentally drown, and having a screen means that no one outside of your household is using your pool unless you let them. This cuts down on liability for you. Finally, it keeps bugs out! Sadly, as much as we love summertime, it’s also when all the bugs come out in full force and mosquitos can definitely interrupt a fun summer night in the water. This patio screen from Quality Window Screen is a great option to use for a quick DIY screening. It’s a fiberglass screen, making it good for a high-frequency area, which we know your pool can and backyard can be, especially during summer. It also is heavy-duty, so you can rest assured it will hold up during bad weather.

Add greenery. If you find that your backyard is a bit…boring, then add some plants and flowers to really bring it to life. A pool is nice, but it can look even better if you add some plants around it and have some plants on the patio area as well. A few trees in large pots can look wonderful near the back edge of the pool, and some flowers can be just the right pops of color necessary to bring your patio to life.

Choose comfortable furniture. The furniture needs to be comfortable, while also looking great at the same time. Depending on the available space, a small patio set for two may be enough whereas if the space is larger, that and lounge chairs or small poufs can be added for a lovely touch. The poufs can be moved all around the patio, making it easy to chat with friends and family. A fire table is a great addition as well, making the patio area work for all seasons, rather than just catering to the warmer weather that summer brings.

 Add lighting. Adding some simple string lights can take a patio and backyard from basic to amazing with very little effort and money. Edison bulbs are very popular right now and look fantastic strung up around a screen porch area. By adding these, the variability of the backyard can be expanded, as it now can be the perfect setting for a romantic date night, as well as work for a poolside movie night for the kids.

Create an outdoor cooking area. Whether you build out a firepit outside of the screened patio area or you have the ability to add a kitchen area complete with a built-in grill and mini fridge, you’ll want a small area for outdoor cooking. With a firepit, hot dogs can be roasted along with s’mores for a fun family night in the great outdoors, while still staying in. With an outdoor grill, whether built-in or not, burgers, brats, and hotdogs can be grilled up quickly and easily, allowing the family to get the most out of the great outdoors. With a mini fridge tucked away, drinks can easily be grabbed without having to worry about wet feet from the pool going in the house.

Working with a large or small budget, all of these can be completed, it’s just a matter of the budget and space. Each one of these tips is designed to update a backyard space into a true paradise. 


Thursday, February 4, 2021

Jordan's Skinny Mixes Margarita Collection Giveaway

 

Jordan's Skinny Mixes Margarita Collection Giveaway

Welcome to the Jordan's Skinny Mixes Margarita Collection Giveaway

3 Winners will Jordan's Skinny Mixes Margarita Collection

Sponsor: Skinny Mixes

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Host: Michigan Saving and More

A big THANKS to all the promoting Bloggers!

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Now is a great time to start planning for any picnics and backyard parties! (I know, some of us are still buried under quite a bit of snow and some of us have some dismal spring outlooks!) But, nonetheless, sometimes planning can help lift your spirits!

February 22nd is National Margarita Day, and we feel like celebrating! Three lucky winners will each win Jordan's Skinny Mixes Margarita Collection, a delicious assortment of their best-selling non-alcoholic Skinny Mixes in a delightful gift box containing (3) 12.7 fl. oz bottles of each flavor- Classic Margarita, Strawberry Key Lime & Blood Orange. Plus, a 32 fl. oz. bottle of Jordan's Skinny Margarita Mix! Just add your favorite tequila or drink it as is!

Jordan's Skinny Mixes Margarita Collection

$12.99

32 fl. oz. bottle of Jordan's Skinny Margarita Mix

$6.99

With only 5 calories per serving and zero sugar, Skinny Mixes are the perfect way to enjoy Margaritas-On the Rocks, Frozen, Virgin & more! Each flavor has been lightly and naturally sweetened with no artificial sweeteners and no artificial flavors. Gluten-free and Kosher. Made in the USA.

To discover all of Jordan’s Skinny Mixes and Syrups, please visit www.SkinnyMixes.com.

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THE GIVEAWAY

This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 2/26/21. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to las93063 at gmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void where prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the Giveaway Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Laura Smith at las930 (at)gmail (dot) com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.