Changes a Comin'

Change is in the air, and it isn't just because it's Fall.

I'm trying a few new things here at THE REAL DEAL...

Beginning in October, I'll have a new Online Book Club feature on my blog. I'm so giddy to try this! There is just something super cool about reading the same book as women all over the place!

Here's how it'll work:

• At the beginning of each month, I'll choose a new title to read and post it on my site. I hope many of you decide to read the same book with me! (There might even be some more book giveaways in the future.) 
• We'll take the month to read and jot down some notes, thoughts, etc. 
• Then on a specified date (at the end of the same month) I'll post a review of the book and we can have a "discussion" in the comments. (Or if I really get things figured out...via Skype. Is that even possible with a group? Who knows...LOL) 
• And maybe even some Author participation
• Easy, peasy! 
• October's book club selection is Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz. So order yourself a copy or download it on your Kindle...

And finally, I want you all to mark your calendars for the week of October 8-12. Because I'll be hosting Kathi Lipp's 5 Day Husband Project. I'm a big fan of Kathi Lipp and her book, The Husband Project: 21 Days of Loving Your Man on Purpose and with a Plan looks like a great and fun way to surprise our hubby's with some extra special treats and attention. 

So if you're feeling like joining me in this mini-experiment (and I hope you will!) I'll post a homework assignment every day (from the book) and then we'll see if our husband's feel extra loved and appreciated by us at the end of the week. 

Sound fun to you, too? Good! :) I'll post more details on The Husband Project next week!

So what do you think?? Are you in for book club and husband project? I hope so!!! :) 

Joanne Kraft and Magic!

Joanne Kraft

The other day I saw a post on Facebook from the stunning, charming, and delightfully fun, Joanne Kraft. She is the author of Just Too Busy, Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical, a book that is nearing the top of my TBR (to be read) pile.

I can't say enough about her and how she has personally encouraged and motivated me to stay the course with my writing! I love her to pieces...even though she's betrayed all us Californians and moved across the country! :)

But I digress.

In this particular post, on Facebook, she shared her magic secret for a perfectly Fall-ish, homemade scent. She claims it even covers a multitude of unsavory scents...including teenage boy smell.

I'll give you a hint. It involves cinnamon sticks, cloves, oranges, lemons and a simmering pot of water. Go ahead and check it out! You know you want the recipe for Joanne's World Famous Simmering Potpourri.

That recipe and me have a date for later in the week...or as soon as I get my lazy self to the grocery store to pick up some cloves! :) I can only imagine how awesome it smells!

Share with me: What scent/smell do you love to have wafting around your home this time of year? Do you ever make homemade concoctions? 

And the Winners Are...

***Thank you all for your patience while Jenny and I chose our winners this morning!!***

Before I announce the winners...(tease, I know!)...I want to let you all know that I have a few fun surprises/new additions coming to my site in the next few weeks. So be looking for those. I'm really excited about what I'm hoping will be a fun and encouraging experiment! :)

I would also really love it if you would post your blog, Twitter, FB...URL's in the comments so I can follow you guys back! I've had a great time this week and want to keep the party going!

Next, I am beyond excited to announce the winner of Friday's prize basket: 

Debbie Parmer!!! 

After 2 hours of counting up entries and double checking to make sure I didn't forget any "shares" or "tweets"...I finally drew a winner for my GRAND PRIZE BASKET (my collection of favorite things!) 

And the winner is: 

Joanne Bischof!!! 

Congratulations ladies! Please email me your mailing address so I can get your *huge* prizes to you! (lacie0430@comcast.net)

And finally, I'm excited to announce the winners of the writing prizes! Email me to collect your prizes! (lacie0430@comcast.net)

Again, congratulations to ALL our winners! And thank you so much to all our commenters and new friends! We had a blast!!!! :) 

Almost!

Morning All!

I apologize that my results are late this morning! Unexpected delays...

But they WILL be up TODAY! Keep checking! And enjoy your Saturday! :)

Can It Really Be Over? - Day 5

***Don't forget to stop by Jenny Hale's site to enter her final giveaway, too!***

(I apologize for my daughter's entry into the last bit of that recording. I have no idea why she was wearing a beanie. Silly girl!) 

Okay, drum roll, please............................

The winner of my Teacup basket is: 

Vera!

The winner of my regular keepsake box prize pack is: 

Hannah Joy!

The winner of my Cookie basket is:

Melody! 

Congratulations to my three winners! Don't forget to email me your mailing address so I can get your prizes to you!! (lacie0430@comcast.net)

Today's final prize pack includes:

• A keepsake box
• Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Amant
• A Path Toward Love by Cara Lynn James
• Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz
• Ghirardelli Dark and Sea Salt Caramel chocolate
• Stationary Set
• Fall scented candle
• $10 gift card to Amazon

In order to be entered, answer the question I ask in my video! :) 

And don't forget the Grand Prize basket (many of my favorite things!). I will be drawing one lucky winner for that on Friday evening (tonight)! So be sure you enter by either leaving me a comment to today's post, follow me on any of my social media sites, including my blog, OR use the Share button in my sidebar to help me advertise!

***As a bonus entry to my Grand Prize basket, click over to Jenny's site and tell me what person she'd most like to meet. You'll have to hunt for it a bit on her site...Good Luck!!! :) :) 

New Possibilities! - Day 4

Grand Prize Basket. Read the previous posts to enter!

In yesterday's vlog, Jenny Hale talked about balance and the many hats we wear as women. She confessed to difficulty with balancing her many tasks as a mom, wife, writer, etc. Her vlog really resonated with me...especially yesterday! I'm in the same boat as Jenny. Only sometimes I feel as if my life preserver is busted.

Yesterday was just such a day for me.

It started brilliantly, as most Wednesdays do since I get to enjoy the weekly company of my women's Bible study group. We're working through Beth Moore's James study and it's inspiring...as all of them are!

But Wednesday's are also the day I work in my kindergarteners class for the afternoon. Which means I literally run from Bible study to school with no time to breathe...let alone grab lunch. Thanks to McD's (which I'm trying to eliminate from my diet) I multi-tasked. :)

Once school gets out, we only have time for a quick snack before jetting my son off to karate. Then home again for dinner and homework. Only yesterday, had to be more complicated. My youngest has a field trip today and my fridge looked pretty bare for lunch packing. Laundry was burying my floor and I couldn't find a window in which to accomplish anything. I was frustrated!

To add to my stress, I work in my son's class all morning today, I was supposed to film a vlog for this post and my son's timed math test is looming. The cherry on top?? My husband and I got in the most ridiculous fight so our treasured Survivor TV watching night appeared spoiled.

I literally wanted to pull out my hair.

When it occurred to me...that I must be doing something right and good. See, I believe that Satan doesn't waste his time messing with people that are already ignoring God. I think those of us that are trying...really trying...to get things right by being the best wife we can be, the most attentive mother we can be, giving our whole effort as if to glorify God in all our tasks...have his full attention. He likes to muddy the water. He likes to make us doubt ourselves and our efforts.

But I refuse to be one of his victims, so I prioritized my to-do list. Gave myself some grace where the vlog and the laundry were concerned. Focused on the homework and enjoyed the evening with my husband.

Praise God for new mornings filled with new possibilities! I know I've come to rely on them greatly! :) 

As part of Thursday's "new possibilities", I'm giving away THREE prizes today! 

 The Teacup basket includes:

• A decorative teacup
• A Bride's Portrait by Erica Vetsch
• Stars in Her Eyes by Erica Vetsch
• Erica's favorite reading treat: peanut M&M's
• A $10 gift card to Erica's favorite store: Amazon
• Three titles by Julie Jarnigan
• Julie's favorite reading treat: gummy bears
• A $10 gift card to Julie's favorite store: Target

The daily prize pack includes:

• A Stripped keepsake box
• Love Finds you in Mackinac Island by Melanie Dobson
• Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt
• The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen
• Ghirardelli Milk and Hazelnut chocolate
• Stationary set
• Fall scented candle
• $10 gift card to Starbucks

Photo used with permission by Glorious Treats!

The Cookie Basket includes:

•  6 beautiful fall cookies by Glory of Glorious Treats!
• A Bride's Portrait by Erica Vetsch
• Stars in Her Eyes by Erica  Vetsch
• An autographed copy of Apollyon by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye

To be entered to win one of these 3 prizes, leave me a comment telling me what YOU struggle with most, how you find balance, or what derails your day the fastest. 

Oh and before I forget...just kidding, I can't forget this part...I get to announce yesterday's winner!!!!! 

Congratulations, to Becky Doughty!!!! You are the winner of my "sunny basket". :) 

(email me your mailing address at lacie0430@comcast.net)

But Wait! There's More!!! Day 3

First of all...I apologize that I don't have a video for you guys today. We had one of those days in the Nezbeth household yesterday, and I just wasn't able to squeeze it in.

However, that doesn't mean that I don't have more treats for everyone!!! But before I get to today's prize pack, let me announce yesterday's winner!

Congratulations, Lori Dilworth!!! 

You are the winner of my "Ooh la la" basket. Send me an email with your mailing address and I'll get your prize in the mail. (lacie0430@comcast.net)

If you don't already know, Jennifer Hale is AWESOME!! And NICE! And she's giving away more books and goodies! Check it out!

Today's basket includes:

• A sunny keepsake box
• The Bride Wore Blue by Mona Hodgson
• Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble
• Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin
• Ghirardelli Milk and Caramel Chocolate
• Stationary set
• Autumn scented candle
• $10 gift card to Target

***In order to have your name entered to win today's prize pack, tell me who your favorite Bible character is. Even if you don't know much about the faces in the Bible, don't be scared away! I'm not here to test anyone on their Bible knowledge, I'm merely curious as to who you heard about most growing up, or who left the biggest impression on you.***

My favorite Bible name (apart from Jesus...) has to be Queen Esther. And I'll tell you why! Beth Moore's Esther study is the first Bible study I did as an adult...as someone who thought they already had all the Bible stuff figured out. And I'm here to tell you, that study knocked my socks off. That was the first time I realized that while God's name is never mentioned in the entire book, the book is practically drenched in His fingerprints.

And I like knowing that. That even when I can't see God, even when He feels far away from me, His plans, His workings, His fingerprints are scattered all over my life. 

Grand Prize Basket!

Apart from those sentimental reasons, I just love strong, beautiful, brave women! And it certainly doesn't hurt that Esther got to spend 12 months at a day spa! :) 

Okay, that's enough for today. Don't forget about my giveaway at the end of the week! Today if you leave me a comment answering the above question, you'll not only be entered for today's basket but I'll also enter your name in the final drawing TWICE!!! 

And writers...leave me your blurbs in the comments for a shot at some pretty amazing critiques. Read yesterday's post for more details. 

Have a Wonderful Wednesday...And safe travels to all my ACFW friends! :)