• Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings

    Yesterday, we wrapped up our November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days, which was a great experience for the whole family. It was a blast finding different ways to say thanks and showing appreciation to many people over the entire month of November.  I think in a lot of ways we felt even more appreciative of the little things in life while we were doing this activity.

    Now we’re gearing to start our December activity, 25 Days of Christmas Blessings.  Last year was the first year we did it and I really think it will become a family tradition because it was such a big hit with our family.  I am super excited to start our Holiday B.L.E.S.S. activity and to find new ways we can be a blessing to others throughout this Christmas season.

    It is easy to get caught up with the shopping, parties, celebrations, and everything else that we lose sight of what’s really important.  I want the girls to experience the joy of giving and helping those around us so we are delivering special surprises over the next 25 days.  I came up with the acronym B.L.E.S.S. to help remind us why we are sharing these little blessings.

    • Blessing
    • Lives
    • Everyday with
    • Special
    • Surprises

    The plan is to deliver a small special surprise to at least one person every day from December 1st to December 25th.  Each bag contains an activity to spread cheer and a scripture verse to discuss.  At dinner we will discuss our current days activity, pray for the people that received our gift, and get our bag for the next day.   The girls and I have came up with a lot of great ideas of ways we can share blessings with people around us (some will go for people we know and others to complete strangers or people we will never meet).

    Here’s how we put our B.L.E.S.S. activity together

    Stack of B.L.E.S.S activities with scripture verses

    B.L.E.S.S. Cards to give out during our activities

    Getting ready to put the daily activities and cards into the bags

    All B.L.E.S.S. items are in the bags and ready to be hung up (Days 1 to 25)

    All the bags are up (all the way to Day 25) and ready for the activity to start!

    Here’s all the weekly update posts of the activities we did last year:

    It is our plan to do these (or similar items) again this year.  We are starting off with the list from last year and hope to continue adding to it by finding other creative ways we can be a blessing to the people we encounter.

    The girls are very excited about doing this fun 25 Days of Christmas Blessings activity.  I hope to share some of the stories, what we did, experiences, pictures and lessons learned as we go throughout the the 25 days.  It is my intention to update you at least once a week.  I will share as much as I can but the real reason for doing this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving to others.

    I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

    • 25 Days of Christmas Blessings – Acts of Service (we came up with more than 25 activities, around 40, then narrowed them down and decided as a family which ones to do together.  I decided to give you all the activities we had listed so you can choose which ones work well for your family from the list.  Just print these out on colorful paper, cut out, and place into your B.L.E.S.S. activity bags!)
    • 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S handout sheets to leave on an item or to give to the person you are blessing.

  • Free Audio Book: “God is In A Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

    For the month of December Christian Audio is offering a free download of an audio book .  This month the audio book is God is In A Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

    These stirring words are among forty devotions that guide and inspire readers as they move thematically through the weeks of Advent and Christmas, from waiting and mystery to redemption, incarnation, and joy. Supplemented by an informative introduction, short excerpts from Bonhoeffer’s letters, and passages from his Christmas sermons, these daily devotions are timeless and moving reminders of the true gift of Christmas.  (information from Christian Audio)

    If you have been wanting to a book to listen to throughout the day or while driving then this is a great opportunity to get a book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in December.   Make sure to submit your order by December 31,  2012  to get your free audio book.  Thanks Christian Audio!

  • Giveaway: $10 Kmart / Sears Gift Card

    I am thrilled to announce a new giveaway on Blessings Multiplied!   The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 Kmart / Sears Gift Card!  The best part about this card is you can use it either at your local KMart or Sears (or a little at both).  If you need to pick up a  gift, looking to score some bargains, or just need to restock your household items after house guests this is the perfect card for you.    The stores offer everything from clothing, toys, household supplies, jewelry, health & beauty, toys and more!  Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

    Enter the Giveaway (up to 4 entries per person)!

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  Put a separate comment for each way you follow Blessings Multiplied (Email, Twitter, or Facebook) plus an extra entry for your bonus answer!   Each comment counts as an entry into the giveaway.

    All comments must be made by December 31, 2012 at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.  Good Luck!

    The actual gift card may or may not be identical to the one pictured above.

  • The Big Book of Slow Cooker Casseroles & More by Betty Crocker

    The best part about using my crockpot is on those super busy days I can stick a meal in it and when we all come home at night dinner is ready to eat.  My sweet husband, for my birthday last week, got me The Big Book of Slow Cooker Casseroles & More by Betty Crocker and I LOVE it!

    After the Thanksgiving Holiday we had some leftover ham that needed to be eaten up.  So I grabbed my new book and found a great recipe to try “Ham & Wild Recipe Soup” and made it up on the cool Fall day.  The soup was delicious plus it helped me utilize some of the leftover ham.

    I already have several of the other recipes marked to try soon. I am thankful for quick easy meals especially on those crazy days.  This cookbook will come in really handy as we approach the busy Holiday season too.

  • New Upromise eCoupons for December 2012

    Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of December 2012. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.

    This month they have 26 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!

    You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.

  • CONGRATULATIONS to Our “Say Anything” Game Winner!

    The name has been drawn for the giveaway!

    CONGRATULATIONS to

    Theresa

    for winning a

    “Say Anything“ Family Game by North Star Games!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information*

    Enjoy your family game night!

    Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway (the next giveaway will be announced later this morning)!

    *Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced.  Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.  The actual gift may or may not be identical to the one pictured above.

  • November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Days 29 & 30)

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    As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough.  The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).

    It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day.  For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge.  It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days.  Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.

    How is it the LAST DAY of this activity already?!  It is hard to believe we just finished our last day of our November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days because it went by so quickly.  Doing this project these last few weeks have been a great blessing and wonderful experience for the whole family.  It was awesome seeing how doing the activity made us think more about being grateful and expressing our thanks to people around us.

    Many of the people were family, friends, neighbors, as well as people we interact with regularly while some we had met for the first time (store clerks).  The purpose of this activity was to focus on being thankful and to be a blessing to the people around us.  It was an activity that had a positive impact on our lives.  There were several times I walked away from a task feeling more blessed, it’s amazing how making the choice to positive and grateful to others can uplifts your spirits too.

    I have so much to be thankful for not only during this Holiday season but throughout the entire year.  May I continue to express thanks to those I encounter throughout my week.  Several of the days we actually did several thankfulness activities (a few we listed, but most we did not).  After the first week we had thanked over 30 people already (we have a big family) so it was neat seeing how many people we could touch with words and gifts of thanks throughout the month.  I hope that this activity will continue to be on our minds for a very long time as we interact with people from day to day.

    Day 30

    Who: Strangers

    The girls and I had to make a couple quick errands after school, including a stop at a store. We had the opportunity to help an elderly lady put some items into her cart.  She was in a hurry, but was having a hard time getting the items she needed at the store.  It was neat seeing the girls take initiative and help others from opening the doors, helping people get stuff from the shelf, and stepping aside so those in a hurry can pass.  We even let the person behind us go ahead of us in the line.  Sometimes taking a few minutes to show appreciation and kindness can make a big difference in the lives of others. 

    Day 29

    Who:  Bank Teller

    Today we didn’t have a lot of extra places we needed to be but we did make a stop at the bank.  The girls wanted to deposit the money they had earned over the past month into their savings account.  Usually I try to go through the drive-thru at the bank because it is much quicker, but the girls like to bring in their money and watch the teller count it out.  Plus, I needed to put items back in our safety deposit and make a deposit as well.  Today we smiled, sincerely thanked our bank teller for helping us, and ask her about her day.  Sometimes we get so busy with our lives and are in a hurrying to get to the next place we barely smile or talk with people that we encounter regularly.  Taking the time to smile, be pleasant, and ask about someone else’s day doesn’t take any extra time but can be a great encouragement for them.

    Day 28

    Who:  Jazz Instructor

    A few months ago I got a Living Social deal for the girls to take Jazz lessons.  We were within a couple miles of the studio several times a week already so we decided to try it out.  They LOVED jazz and look forward to it every week.  It is great exercise and has taught them some neat skills.  In the spirit of the Holidays (Thanksgiving) the girls wrote their instructor a note of thanks and I picked up some sweet treats for them to give to her.  She makes it a lot of fun and both of our girls really enjoy going to her class!

  • Celebrating Another Year!

    When I came home one day this tower of goodies from Harry & David was sitting on my front porch from my Mother-in-Law!  The girls were thrilled to help eat the goodies with me! 🙂

    I recently celebrated my birthday (on Thanksgiving Day).  The year flew by so quickly it was hard to believe I was yet again celebrating another birthday.    I have so much to be thankful for in my life.  What a wonderful day to celebrate and reflect on the many blessings over the past year.

    Cute candle from Karlie

    The night before Thanksgiving we had a Game Night with some family and friends.  That night my sweet husband brought out an ice cream cake to share.  I am not one that thrives on big celebrations and being put in the center of the spotlight so this was the perfect way for me to celebrate with close family and friends.

    Brina ready to play the new game (In A Pickle) her and Karlie got me for my birthday.

    On Thanksgiving day we had an amazing dinner and relaxed playing games (even a new game the girls picked out for me), reading books, and having fun together.  It was so sweet getting the phone calls, texts, birthday cards, and other goodies to remind me of yet another great year.

    My Handsome Man reading the directions so we can play the new game!

    Then this week once life had calm down (a little bit, maybe) a great of girlfriends got together for a Girls Night Out to celebrate my birthday.  It was nice to get out for a little bit and hang out with friends.  Thankful for the neat people in my life.

    Thanksgiving morning opening my gifts from the girls.

    They had a blast picking out their gifts and wrapping them all by themselves!

    It is my hope and prayer that this next year will be another year packed full of great memories.  May God use me to make a difference in the hearts and lives of my husband, kids, family, friends and people I encounter from day to day.  Even though I am another year older I feel like I still have so much to learn.  May it be a year of learning, growth, and wonderful experiences!

  • Love It – BluApple

    I am very excited to share with you a little item that has saved me a lot of time, energy, and money over the past year while helping our family eat healthier! I have been asked many times how I can purchase marked down fresh vegetables and fruits without them going bad within a day or two…..well, I am going to share my little “secret” with all of you.  If you love to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, but wish they would stay fresh longer I have stumbled upon something that will really brighten your day! 🙂

    When I got the BluApples I was a little skeptical, to say the least.  How can these little blue apples really help extend the life of my fresh fruits and vegetables?!  Do they really work?  Is it worth the cost?  And many more similar questions.

    I waited for a few weeks and found an amazing deal on these little BluApples.  I was able to get these free (only had to pay $3 shipping).  Unfortunately, I haven’t seen that deal again otherwise I would stock up on some for my family and friends.  Either way these little apples have more than paid for themselves MANY TIMES OVER!

    Our family loves to garden, buy fresh fruits and vegetables, however, when our fridge is full of produce sometimes fruits and vegetables would go bad before we had a chance to eat everything.  The BluApples extend the life of our fruits and vegetables (even ones that I buy which are already on the “edge”) for weeks!  These BluApples really do preserve the produce and help the items last much longer!

    I used to clean out my fruit and vegetable drawers out about once a week.  Now I do it once a month and sometimes longer because the items in the drawer are staying fresh. Enough of my raving, here are some more facts about this neat apple:

    • 2 Bluapples – Last for 3 Months Each – Additional Absorber Refills Available Separately (Our BluApples lasted longer than 3 months, typically lasted 5 to 7 months)
    • Prolongs freshness and storage life of fruits & vegetables
    • Made In USA
    • Put in refrigerator crisper drawers
    • Place in the fruit bowl on the counter or anywhere you keep fruit
    • Pays for itself dozens of times over in the the first year alone
    • Extend storage life of your produce (up to 3 times longer)
    • Average household can save up to $600 per year

    How Do The BluApples Work?

    • Ethylene gas is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism in order to coordinate uniform ripening. However, once concentrated in your refrigerator or other storage areas, the presence of ethylene gas continues to speed up ripening and hasten spoilage.
    • The BluApple is designed to provide effective ethylene gas absorption for three months in a typical home refrigerator produce bin or storage container.
    • The active ingredient does not “wear out”, but continues to absorb ethylene until it has reached its capacity.

    This would be a wonderful gift for any cook in your family.  It really does WORK (and BluApple is not paying me to say it either).  Your Mom, wife, sister, friend will probably come back to you in a couple months thanking you again for this gift.  Hey, they even make you a special meal out of some the fresh produce just to say thanks!

    You can pick up the BluApple Ethlylene Gas Absorbers – Starter Pack of 2 – Refrigerator Fruit & Vegetable Preserver on Amazon for around $9.95 with two packs of or many major retailers. If you have a Swagbuck Amazon Gift Cards you can even get this it for free!  You’ll love it!

    “Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love!  There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun.  I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list.  It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!