My Blogoversary Giveaway: A Summer-y Cache of Goodies~Plus an Awesome Book!

Hello friends! 
Welcome to my corner of the web on this gorgeous, early June day!
I hope this finds you all well!
If you are new here, welcome! 
Please feel free to click around and make yourself at home.
Return readers, welcome back!



As mentioned  a few days ago,
this month is a blogging milestone for me.
I know. I know.....
Many bloggers  have been at this forever.

So although my blog is still a baby,
<<SIX MONTHS OLD!>>

I feel so blessed to have met the most wonderful people 
along my blogging journey!
Truly wonderful.
I need to celebrate by giving away 
  a few goodies and a wonderful new book!

So far~~~

six months of blogging,

  19,000+ page views,

 200 posts, 
repeat visitors who've become friends.
 from not only the USA, Canada and Mexico, 
but four other continents as well.
Wow.
Thank you.
All is grace.

Dear readers,
 you have blessed me beyond what I ever expected or imagined!

You are true friends who have taught me and inspired me.

Not what I envisioned when I opened up my  blogger page on 
the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December.

At all.

Expecting  simply to chronicle my family's  journey 

and hold myself accountable to my own writing.... 

...those were my goals.

Thank you for broadening, illuminating and enriching me beyond.

Really beyond.

With knowledge.

With kindness.

With faith.

You rock.

SO.

Here is the  fun, get-ready-to-pamper-yourself-because-you-

are- awesome

 stash of goodies that  one lucky reader will win:

OP flips flops and comfy beach towel

sunscreen: lipbalm and facial stick

Neutrogena  towelettes 

( I love these! They are facials in a wipe! 

Not that I ever had a facial. But still.)

Pond's face moisturizer and Jergen's body moisturizer

(sorry-I even tried retaking this shot and 
mixing up the spacing of the items. 
Can't get it right side up.
If anyone knows how to conquer 
this maddening picture turning Blogger quirk,  please LMK.)

Conair salon hair clip 

(Isn't it  lovely?)

AND all of your items will be packaged in this adorable pouch

 along with a Loreal nail polish, "Wishful Pinking."

PLUS.......

on the way to the beach, 

the pool, 

or maybe you're just grabbing a few minutes of relaxation in your own yard:

Grab an iced coffee or tea from 7-11~

There's enough on the card for two large iced coffees!
I was thinking of including a really cute mug as well...
Buuuuut, I'd worry about it breaking en route.

I had sooooo  much fun picking out these gifts for you, 
 my reader friends.

Now,  southern hemisphere readers, if one of you wins, 

I guess you'll just have to put this all away for a few months 

until your summer rolls around!

( I mention the brands of all the above, BTW, 

so that if you have any allergies to an ingredient or a product, 

you are aware of what you're entering to win. ) 

Okay, last but certainly not least:

One  item left in our gift cache:

The Catholic Baby Name Book, which I review here

If you are  not expecting,

 I'll bet you have a  daughter,  sister, Mom or friend who is! 

She will love it!

But, I warn you: 
You'll be hooked and might not want to give it away!
The research and details within on name history are gripping!

Here's how to enter:

1. If you are not already, become an email subscriber.

 (Go to the left sidebar all the way at the top of this page.)

Get ready for the cute verification note in the email you will receive. My son added that into my feedburner. He's a good kid to have around!

DO NOT FORGET to check your email after you subscribe so you can click to verify! If you do not do this, you will not receive posts by email.

2. Share this giveaway post on FB, Twitter, G+ or Pinterest.

Blog it or email it.

3. Leave me a comment letting me know you'd like "in" on the giveaway package. Let me know how you shared the post, okay?

In so doing, please let me know, if it is not obvious,  who you are, by stating in your comment, the first few letters of your email address. 

4. Head over to Patrice's to subscribe to her inspirational  blog as well.

After all, she did author one of our giveaway prizes!

Leave her a little comment love too!

That's it!

Four easy steps!

The giveaway begins immediately and runs for one week,

 until midnight EST June 15, 2013.

The winner will be chosen at random, the old fashioned way.
All names in a basket, one pulled out.

There are so many lovely benefits to giveaways that I have held in 

the past....

developing friendships with new readers 

and 

deepening friendships with those who return......
I wish we could all gather at my kitchen table for a chat and a cup of tea.....
but since that's not possible, I guess this is the next best thing.

Thank you for stopping in, friends!

And while you're here, 
why not click over to my son's guest post from yesterday?
He demonstrates  balloon crafting in a "how-to" video.
East, quick kid fun!

I wish you a wonderful, happy, peacefully productive day!

Until next time,

~Chris

Blog post dividers courtesy of Cutesify