Can it possibly be 2012 is already more than a week gone!?  We’ll be into 2013 before we know it… even with having an extra day this year.  (It’s Leap Year! )

I still have the same work schedule as I did when I last posted on my blog.  It’s become almost a way of life… I guess it IS a way of life… for me.  I love the people I ‘serve’ in my job.  If it weren’t for them, I most likely wouldn’t continue doing what I do.  They each hold a special place in my heart.

I still listen to the CD I mentioned in my previous post on a regular basis, and it continues to minister to me.  Thank you, Selah, for listening to the Lord when you produced that album.

Where did the Summer go?!  That’s what I’d like to know!  I’ve been working 12 hour shifts… One week, I work Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Then, the next week, I work Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Then, it just keeps repeating.  So, I get a three day weekend off every other week… and I work a three day weekend every other week.  Whew!  Makes me tired just thinking about it!

Just recently, I went to a concert at a church.  The group who performed is one of my all-time favorites… Selah.  Here’s the video of the title cut for their newest album which was just released on Tuesday (Aug. 23).  This album, Hope of the Broken World, has already been very healing for me.  Thank you, Selah, for allowing the Lord to minister to me through you.

And now… I’m off to try and catch a bit of a nap before my long three-day weekend of work. 

Life has kept going at the speed of light, or at least it seems like it.  I now have a full time job and live in a two-bedroom house at the end of dead-end street.  My ‘husband’ and I have still not filed for divorce.  Some people seem to think, “what’s taking so long?”  Others seem to think, “are you planning on reconciling?”  And further still, there are other reactions that seem to have me re-thinking things… as if I needed a reason to THINK more! 

I tend to self-analyze and psycho-analyze myself quite a bit.  Some would say I need to just ‘chill’ and NOT think so much.  So, what IS the answer?  I’m a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, so I know what THE answer is.  (I hesitate to call myself a Christian lest someone think I’m one who thinks I’m “holier than thou’.  But, that’s a whole other discussion.)  However, just knowing THE answer doesn’t always answer all of the other questions.  I feel that some of my fellow born-again believers would disagree with me.  And, that’s fine.  We each have our opinions.

Soooo… why am I blogging at this particular moment?  I don’t really know.  I would like to see what others’ opinions are of what I write.  I enjoy blogging and writing in general.  I sometimes long to be a writer or author of books, or at least magazine articles.  I don’t know if I ‘qualify’ or if my writing would be considered article-worthy or book-worthy.  But, thanks for reading my blog at least. 

I enjoy so many things from Veggie Tale videos with Mike Nawrocki’s quirky creation of Larry the Cucumber to Peter, Paul, and Mary’s “If I Had a Hammer” to Tim Hawkins’ “Do You Hear What I Hear” to Katy Perry’s “Firework” (which incidentally has a very (imho¹ controversial video) to Twila Paris and Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Faithful Friend.”  And yet, I also enjoy being silly with my children, sitting and being quiet (yes, I am quiet… at times ), contemplating life, going for a swim at the Y, sipping hot tea, drinking ice cold Dublin Dr Pepper, traveling, …

So, what do I like the best?  Good question!  If you figure it out, please let me know. 

(back)
¹imho= in my humble opinion

• Empowering Mommy – ends tomorrow! (11/8)
• The B Keeps Us Honest – ends 11/10
• Kindred Spirit Mommy – ends 11/15
• Mama Knows – ends 11/18
• Three Different Directions/Play That Now – ends 11/19
• Simply Stacie – ends 11/19
• Coffee With the Mrs. – ends 11/20
• Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House – ends 11/22
• Sami Cone – unsure of ending date

Seriously, life has been traveling at the speed of light, or seemingly so.  I was hired on for a really good job near the end of September, but by the end of the fourth day I was fired.  Yes, apparently they forgot to issue duct tape to me before letting me loose to the dogs.  LOL!  Because of the way things get around the Internet, I will unfortunately be unable to share the details.  (Sorry!  I’m not as brave of a soul as my ‘sweet’ friend Tricia is.  Love ya, gal!  BTW, I picked a totally random post (to link back to) from my list of 3,000 something faves of yours.)  Needless to say (or perhaps is warrants mentioning), I’ve been kinda down and out about that.  I’m not too happy with the nationally known temp agency that rhymes with smelly, nor do I appreciate the amount of ‘power’ given to trainers at a major health insurance company that wants to cross their hearts and shield me from the blues.

To quote my favorite VeggieTales character Larry the Cucumber, enough of that!  (Actually, it was Larry Boy who coined the phrase in his Super Hero Slim Down video.)

• Simply Being Mommy -  ends 9/15
• As They Grow Up – ends 9/16
• For the Love of Baby! – ends 9/16
• Brain Foggles – ends 9/28

Did you know that September is National Pet Health Insurance Month?  Neither did I.  Apparently, Kroger is a sponsor of this ‘event’ because several blogs are giving away a $20 Kroger gift card in conjunction with this promotion.  (They all end on 9/30, unless otherwise noted.)

• Adrienne’s House (ends 9/29)
• Chaotic Mommy Reviews
• Coupon Clippin’ Mommy
• Growing a Baby in Seattle Reviews
• Just Another New Blog
• Simply Being Mommy
• Thrifty and Chic Mom

And finally, what’s the newest ‘rage’ in little girls’ toys for this Christmas?  Teacup Piggies!  Go to these blogs and enter to win a Teacup Piggies Set…

• The B Keeps Us Honest – ends 9/17
• Mama Dweeb – ends 9/22
• As They Grow Up – ends 9/27
• Blommi – ends 9/28
• Firefly Blog – ends 9/30
• Kindred Spirit Mommy – ends 9/30
• Minnesota Mama’s Must Haves – ends 10/4

First  off, I want to say thank you to all of you who entered my first ever giveaway!  I was so excited to finally host a giveaway but was a little nervous that not very many people would enter.  However, quite a few people entered.  So again, thank you.  (And, congratulations to the winners!)  I hope to soon have my next giveaway ready… featuring JumpStart.  So, be on the lookout for it!

Secondly, my sister and her family came for visit, so it was fun for all five girls (the two of mine and the three of hers) to get together and enjoy some cousin time!  They range in age from 23 months to 10 years, so you can imagine the giggles. 

Finally (at least, for now), I’m on the job hunt.  People ask me what my skills are and what background I have.  What does a former homeschool mom and stay-at-home mom say?!  Yes, I’ve read those ‘mom resume’ emails, but seriously… I don’t know how to ‘sell’ myself.  Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks, friends!  And, I’ll try not to wait so long in between blog posts next time.

A few weeks ago, I received several coupons from Mom Central for a free Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Multipack… one for me to enjoy and some others to share with you, my reader(s)!  Not only am I excited to host my very first giveaway on Anita’s Antics, but I am also excited that it is for a company whose products I’ve always enjoyed.  Breyers has long been a favorite of mine for their yummy ice cream (and other products).  I also like that their much of their ice cream is all natural.  For example, the ingredients listed on the side of their All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream are Milk, Cream, Sugar, Natural Tara Gum, Natural Vanilla Flavor.  Compare that to a leading slow churned vanilla ice cream’s list of ingredients: milk, skim milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, whey protein, egg yolks, tapioca maltodextrin, cellulose gum, natural flavor, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, carrageenan, dextrose, annatto color, vitamin A palmitate.  I know which one I pick!

Anyways, this review/giveaway is for one of Breyers newest products, their Smooth & Dreamy treats — YUM!  There are several flavors to choose from, and I decided on the Triple Chocolate Chip since I love chocolate and chocolate chips.

Wow!  One bite, and these bars had me hooked!  They literally melt in your mouth (duh, it’s ice cream!).  But seriously… the smooth, creamy texture is very well-blended and oh so good!!  If you’ve not tried these, go get some now!!!  Breyers is offering a $1 off coupon!  If you don’t want to hassle with printing out the coupon, enter HERE to win a coupon!  Believe me, it’s very difficult for me to not just keep all of the coupons for ourselves.  These bars were that tasty!  Even my kids were arguing over who got to eat the last one.  Speaking of which, that’s my only “complaint” — that there are only six bars per box.

Onto the giveaway!

Wanna win a coupon to try out these luscious treats?  Just head over to the Breyers website and pick out which Smooth & Dreamy treat you’d most like to try.  Then, come back here to this post and leave me a comment letting me know which one.  This is your MANDATORY entry which must be completed in order to qualify for any extra entries.  FIVE winners will be chosen!

For an extra entry into this giveaway, you can do one or more of the following.  However, you must leave a separate comment for each entry to count.

• Follow me on Twitter (@HSBSuzanne) — [2 ENTRIES - leave 2 separate comments] — You must include your Twitter username in both comments.
• Follow Breyers on Twitter (@Breyers) — [1 ENTRY] — You must include your Twitter username in your comment.
• Subscribe to my blog (Anita’s Antics) via email — [2 ENTRIES - leave 2 separate comments including the email address you use to subscribe] — This will be verified!
• Tweet daily about this giveaway using the following (copy & paste) { Win @Breyers Smooth & Dreamy ice cream! http://wp.me/pkXmF-u8 @HSBSuzanne ends 8/10 #giveaway }  — [1 ENTRY per day] — You must have at least 25 followers and a direct link to your tweet must be included for this entry to qualify.
• Blog about this giveaway including a link to this post and to Breyers (http://www.smoothanddreamy.com/). — [5 ENTRIES] — You must have been blogging fairly actively for at least the past six months in order for these entries to count.  (The definition of ‘fairly actively’ shall be at my discretion.)  Also, you must include the link to your blog post in each comment for it to count.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and APO/FPO addresses only.

The giveaway will end on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. mountain time.  Comments left after that time will not be included in the random drawing.

If you do not understand the giveaway “rules,” feel free to email me (roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com) for clarification.

———-

Also, you might want to check out these other blogs who recently hosted (or are still hosting) a giveaway for the same thing — FREE ice cream!

Other Breyers blogs…

• Spend Freely – ends 7/18
• Thrifty Maven – ends 7/18
• Stockpiling Moms – ends 7/21
• Living & Loving Life As a Mom – ends 7/23
• The Winey Mommy – ends 7/23
• Mommy 2K – ends 7/25
• Days Like These – ends 7/26
• Free Sample Momma Blogs – ends 7/26
• Frugal Coupon Living – ends 7/26
• ‘Cents’able Momma – ends 7/27
• Champagne Living – end 7/27
• The Funky Monkey – ends 7/27
• Hall of Fame Moms – ends 7/28
• Mom Most Traveled – ends 7/29
• My Little Patch of Sunshine – ends 7/29
• Welcome to the Motherhood – ends 7/29
• “Deal”ectible Mommies – ends 7/30
• Robyn’s Online World – ends 7/30
• I Like It Frantic – ends 7/31
• Kiddies Corner Deals ends 7/31
• Minnesota Mama’s Must Haves – ends 7/31
• 24/7 Moms – winner chosen 8/1
• Autism Learning Felt – ends 8/1
• Keeper of the Cheerios – ends 8/1
• A Shopper’s Quest – ends 8/1
• All Because Two People Fell In Love – ends 8/2
• Barefoot Mommies – ends 8/2
• The Black Cell – ends 8/2
• Couponing 101 – ends 8/2
• From One Mommy to Another – ends 8/2
• Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls – ends 8/2
• Grammy Janet’s Place – ends 8/2
• A Happy Hippy Mom – ends 8/2
• Here and There – ends 8/2
• Just Julie’s Kitchen – ends 8/2
• Katie’s Nesting Spot – ends 8/2
• Lisa Cooking – ends 8/2
• The Mom Reviews – ends 8/2
• Mom Start – ends 8/2
• Mommy’s Hangout – ends 8/2
• Real Simple Saving Methods – ends 8/2
• What Mommies Need – ends 8/2
• What’s That Smell – ends 8/2
• Book Room Reviews – ends 8/3
• Frugal Plus – ends 8/3
• Heck of a Bunch – ends 8/3
• Mama Dweeb – ends 8/3
• Susan Heim on Parenting – ends 8/3
• Three Different Directions – ends 8/3
• Mommie Daze – ends 8/4
• Shop with Me Mama – ends 8/5
• Did You See That? – ends 8/6
• Blogfully – ends 8/7
• Happy Healthy Families – ends 8/7
• An Island Life – ends 8/7
• My Silly Monkeys – ends 8/7
• A Nut in a Nutshell – ends 8/7
• Annies Home – ends 8/8
• The Mommy-Files – ends 8/8
• Simply Being Mommy – ends 8/8
• The Angel Forever – ends 8/9
• Babes and Kids – ends 8/9
• Babies Gotta Have It – ends 8/9
• Busy Mommy Media – ends 8/9
• The Dirty T-Shirt – ends 8/9
• Frugal Creativity – ends 8/9
• Jolly Mom – ends 8/9
• Brain Foggles – ends 8/10
• Flying Giggles and Lollipops – ends 8/10
• A Simple Kinda Life – ends 8/10
• Wisconsin Mommy – ends 8/10
• The Suburban Jungle – ends 8/12
• Go Graham Go! – ends 8/13
• Koupon Karen – ends 8/13
• Piece of Me – ends 8/14
• Slice o’ Heaven – ends 8/14
• Mama’s Money Savers – ends 8/15
• A Mom’s Impression – ends 8/15
• No Time Mommy – ends 8/15
• Double Bugs – ends 8/20
• Coupons and Freebies Mom – ends 8/30
• Mommy from the Midwest Reviews – no ending date indicated

–  review only, no giveaway –

• Guessing All the Way
• Hip Mama’s Place
• Mommy Mandy
• She Scribes

FTC Disclaimer:  I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Breyers and received a coupon for the products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I will receive a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.