Pea of Sweetness

The Sparkle Egg Giveaway (ends 4/12)

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The Sparkle Egg Giveaway Hosted by Pea of Sweetness

Sponsored by Ideals Books

Co-Hosted by Deals of Sweetness

The Sparkle Egg
Easter is coming, and Sam loves Easter! But this year, he is upset about a lie he told his parents. Even though he apologized and they forgave him, Sam can’t shake the feeling that he is a bad kid for what he did. Meanwhile, his parents help him make a special Easter craft called a Sparkle Egg. His mom tells him to write anything he feels sorry about or ashamed of on a piece of paper and put it inside his Sparkle Egg.
On Easter morning, when he opens his Sparkle Egg expecting a surprise, Sam finds that it is empty! His parents explain that because Jesus died and rose again, we are forgiven. Like the tomb that first Easter Day, Sam’s egg is empty—and Sam’s wrongdoing is completely forgiven. Once he accepts this forgiveness fully, Sam realizes a truth: we can sparkle and shine with God’s light when we
let God’s gift of grace into our hearts. This touching story will strike a deep chord with readers of all ages, and the Sparkle Egg tradition will help readers and their families grasp the totality of God’s perfect grace.
I love resources that help children focus on the true reason we celebrate Easter. See what our family thought in our review of The Sparkle Egg.
One winner will receive The Sparkle Egg book (ARV $16.99). This giveaway begins on 3/29 at 7pm and ends on 4/12 at 11:00pm (times are Central) and is open to US and Canada (void Quebec) ages 18+. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools. All entries are optional, but completing more entries increases your chances of winning!

 
Disclosure: Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post as disclosed in my review. Pea of Sweetness, Deals of Sweetness, and any participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment.

The Sparkle Box {Children's Christmas book Review}

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The Sparkle BoxWhen the holidays roll around, our family truly wants the focus of Christmas to stay on Jesus. So, when we had the opportunity to review The Sparkle Box I so excited to share it with our kids. I think it is such a wonderful idea to share the true meaning of the spirit by giving to others because that truly is the best gift we can give Jesus.
In The Sparkle Box a boy named Sam is all excited about Christmas like most kids! He’s thinking about his Christmas list and looking forward to the parties. One thing has him curious, though, a sparkly box that is sitting on the mantel. Throughout the season his family did a lot of kind things for others, which that alone was helping Sam to learn a valuable lesson! When Christmas morning came, though, and he finally got to open the sparkly box he found slips of papers with writing on them. They were all the kind things they had been doing for others throughout the holiday season! His mom explained that doing nice things for others is our gift to Jesus.

THE SPARKLE BOX – Official Book Trailer from Ideals Books on Vimeo.

It’s such a beautiful message! I love how the book not only got our kids thinking about kind things they could do for others, but it also included a sparkle box, so we could start one of our own! So although it won’t be a surprise for them on Christmas Day, I love that we can now use the sparkle box tradition every year! What a great way to bring the focus back to Jesus! We actually like to have a little birthday party, and that would be the perfect time for us to open our sparkle box and read over the gifts we gave Jesus in honor of His birthday.
The Sparkle Box
I think The Sparkle Box has given us an invaluable gift in its message because now we are looking for ways to be more helpful and be a blessing for others. Plus even though we work hard to keep our focus on Jesus for Christmas it does get hard. The kids get excited and overwhelmed by the parties and the presents, and The Sparkle Box helped them to realize even more so that it’s important to bless others and that when we do we give to Him as well.
I want to invite you to share your slips of paper for your sparkle box! How did you serve today? I will be sharing ours in the comments as well! I hope in this way we can also bless and encourage each other and remind each other what Christmas is really all about!

For More Information:

Visit The Sparkle Box Website
Find more information on The Sparkle Box at Ideals Books
Connect with Ideals Books on Facebook
Connect with The Sparkle Box on Facebook and author Jill Hardie on Twitter

*Giveaway!!!* {Ended 11/30/13} For more chances to win check out our current giveaways or head over to my sister site, Deals of Sweetness, for even more great giveaways.

Would you like to bless someone in your life with The Sparkle Box? One lucky reader will win the book with the included fold out sparkle box! The giveaway will run from November 16, 2013 through November 30, 2013 at 11:00pm Central Time. It is open to US and Canada ages 18 and over. Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools. All entries are optional, but you can’t win if you don’t enter! Good luck!

 
review and giveaway
 
 

Audrey Bunny {Children's Book Review}

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Disclosure: As a member of the Flyby Promotions Blogger Network I received the product mentioned to facilitate my review. Regardless, I only recommend products I feel would be good for my readers. My opinions are my own and those of my family.
Audrey Bunny

From best-selling women’s author Angie Smith (I Will Carry You, Mended) comes this sweet children’s book about a stuffed animal named Audrey Bunny who fears her imperfections make her unworthy of a little girl’s love. She’ll learn the truth soon enough, and young readers will learn that everyone is special and wonderfully made by God.

In today’s society it’s hard to feel comfortable just being who you are – especially for young girls. They’re often told what to wear (and modest is NOT it!), “thin is in,” the hairstyle to have, etc. Even little girls as young as my daughter, who is only 5, start to feel the pressure! It wasn’t that long ago that she cut her hair because she has curly hair and “wanted her hair to be pretty.” I was heartbroken for her. I LOVE her blonde curly hair! I would love it if it were any other color and wavy or straight, too! What a wonderful book Audrey Bunny is to remind young girls that they are special just the way they are! God made them special, and they are unique and beautiful!
In the book Audrey Bunny has a mark that kept her from being chosen by other children, and once she WAS chosen she did everything she could to hide her mark. Eventually she discovers she was actually chosen BECAUSE of that mark! It is such a beautiful portrayal of how we see ourselves versus how we are seen – particularly by our Maker. At the end of the book there are even questions to spark a discussion about points in the story. Our boys sat in on the story as well, but unfortunately, they weren’t sure how to answer the questions. Because of our kids’ special needs social type questions can be harder for them to answer. It actually took us a while to discover the reason sweet Aurora had cut her hair all those months ago because she had a hard time expressing it!
Audrey Bunny
Do you know what else I love about Audrey Bunny? It doesn’t just have to be about physical appearance. It can also be a great reminder that our children are special and wonderfully made by God, too, even though they may not be like other children because of their special needs. God created them to be unique. In fact, each child is unique, aren’t they? That’s how God designed us, and this story is such a great reminder that it’s not only OK – it’s how it’s supposed to be!
We really like Audrey Bunny, and I think it’s a great book to share with young girls because I think it holds an extremely important message!

About the Author:

Angie Smith is the wife of Todd Smith (lead singer of Dove Award winning group Selah), best-selling author of Mended, I Will Carry You, and What Women Fear, and one of the most popular speakers and blog writers in the country. She holds a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Vanderbilt University and lives with her husband and daughters in Nashville, TN.

For More Information:

Visit the Audrey Bunny Information Page on B&H Publishing
Connect with B&H Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

*Giveaway!!!* {ended 11/9/13} For more chances to win great prizes check out our current giveaways.

Would you like to give Audrey Bunny to a child in your life? One lucky reader will have a chance to win the Audrey Bunny Children’s Book! The giveaway will run from October 26, 2013 through November 9, 2013 at 11:00pm Central Time. It is open to US and Canada ages 18+. Simply answer the first question in the Giveaway Tools to begin, and more chances to gain entries will open up! Additional entries are optional but may increase your chances of winning! Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools.

 
review and giveaway