Now closed GIVEAWAY: "Creating With God: The Holy Confusing Blessedness of Pregnancy"

Winner has been notified. Thanks!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Creating with God by Sarah Jobe is a boldly truthful, sometimes funny, and deeply spiritual account of where babies come from and where babies take us. Jobe reads the Bible through the lens of her back-to-back pregnancies and finds that God shows up in pregnancy when we least expect it. Weaving together biblical reflections, her own story, and the stories of the moms around her, Jobe reveals the ways in which pregnancy is at the heart of God's work in the world. She invites her reads to see the image of Jesus in pregnant women, feel God abiding in the work of pregnancy, and to consider the ways that pregnancy can train us in the very practices we need to live a life of faith.

GIVEAWAY!

You could win a copy of Creating with God.

Open to Canadian and USA address only. 

Just leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite pregnancy book along with an email address (or way to contact you) if you win.

That's it! If you want to Tweet it or Facebook the link or otherwise share it for this giveaway, that's great - just leave another comment telling me that you did so and you'll get another entry.

Contest closes December 1 at midnight. I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Good luck!

Contest Closed // GIVEAWAY: "Theo: Teaching Children God's Word"

Winner has been chosen. Thanks!

From the Publisher:

Theo Presents is centered around the adventures and teachings of the main character, Theo, a student of Godʼs Word. Theo lives in a cozy corner of a quaint English village, in the heart of the Cotswolds, and entertains many guests, including two mice, Belfry and Luther.

The animation series of Theo guides children and adults through a careful study of systematic theology. Theo discusses doctrines about sin, Godʼs character, the Bible, salvation and godly living with easy-to-understand illustrations that make children want to learn more about the Christian faith.

GIVEAWAY
I have one copy of "Theo: Teaching Children God's Word"to giveaway.

Open to Canadian and USA address only. 

Just leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite kids' movie along with an email address (or a way to contact you) if you win.

That's it! If you want to Tweet it or Facebook the link or otherwise share it for this giveaway, that's great - just leave another comment telling me that you did so and you'll get another entry.

Contest closes 1 December at midnight. I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Good luck!

GIVEAWAY: Roll Play to Live Animal Party - 4 tickets plus more!

Would you like to tickets to the Roll Play Live Animal Party concert tour? It's featuring live music  from Canadian Children's Music Group of the Year, Splash n' Boots!

Based on the TV series, the Roll Play Live Animal Party will inspire kids to sing and dance along to their favourite music from Roll Play, including musical hits written by well-known Canadian artists such as Broken Social Scene, The Guess Who and Kardinal Offishall. As well, fan favourites like Alice the Elephant, Felix the Frog, Dolly the Dolphin, Frank the Crab, Lola the Mermaid, DJ Robot, Jippy Dog, Furry the Flying Squirrel and a jungle of others will join in the fun.

They are about to embark on an 11-city cross-Canada tour with Treehouse LIVE entitled "Roll Play Live Animal Party" (based on Treehouse TV's award-winning show "Roll Play") from October 12 -- November 13.

Tickets are on sale now at www.rollplaylive.ca.

In addition, they have just released their highly-anticipated second full-length DVD "Act 2" available at www.splashnboots.com

GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the tour and help you get moving, I am giving away 4 tickets to one of the Roll Play Live Animal Party Shows as well as a Roll Play DVD and CD and Splash'N Boots' new DVD, "ACT 2". 

Open to Canadian mailing addresses. You are responsible for getting yourself to the concert closest to you, parking and all of that stuff. 

Just leave a comment on this post telling me what your music your kids like to listen to these days. 

That's it! If you want to Tweet it or Facebook the link or otherwise share it for this giveaway, that's great - just leave another comment telling me that you did so and you'll get another entry.

Contest closes 12 October at midnight. I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Good luck!

CLOSED //GIVEAWAY: Healthy Families BC and a $250 Gift Card to Lululemon

Contest is now closed. Thanks everyone for entering!
The winner is:

Glogirl said...

We enjoy walking outside and enjoying all the sights, sounds and smells of summer!

August 19, 2011 5:26 PM 

****

A day at the spray park with my older tinies and one of my little nieces.

Given how long it took for summer to arrive here in the Lower Mainland, we have jumped in, cannon ball style straight into the deep end of summer fun. Every day, we are outside and when its time to go in for bedtime, my inner voice is echoing the tinies moans of "awwwww, Mum? Already?" and then once they're sleeping, I'm on our back deck, exhausted, counting new freckles. 


We spend our days swimming usually. My five year old learned how to swim this summer and the sight of her in her goggles - well, it just makes me shout with laughter. 

My nearly-three-year-old is absolutely fearless in the water and flings himself in, belly flop, coming up sputtering and laughing. And Evelynn is usually along for the ride. 


This has been my favourite summer so far because the tinies are really able to run and play and swim. The pool is the best baby sitter I ever met in my life because they jump in with their life jackets on and swim until they are wrinkled and even then, they'd stay in forever if I let them. 


And then there is the summer garden suppers! I despise cooking in the heat and so we end up eating a lot of garden suppers, sandwiches of cucumbers and tomato with a bit of cream cheese, carrots, grilled corn on the cob. We have been making blueberry and peach crisps lately as well and oh, gracious, summer just shows off on those days.


There is a new resource called Healthy Families BC  that the province of BC has launched to help families eat healthy and live well. This online community which is hosted on the Healthy Families website, blog, Twitter (@healthyfamilybc) and Facebook Page looks to help BC citizens make the informed and positive lifestyle choices. Healthy Families BC offers everything from healthy recipes to dietitians blogging.

GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate Healthy Families BC and help you get moving, I have a $250 Lululemon gift card to give away!

Open to Canadian mailing addresses. 

Just leave a comment on this post telling me what your family does to keep active during the summer. 

That's it! If you want to Tweet it or Facebook the link or otherwise share it for this giveaway, that's great - just leave another comment telling me that you did so and you'll get another entry.

Contest closes 26 August at midnight. I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Good luck!

GIVEAWAY: "The Help" Movie Prize Pack

CONTEST CLOSED! Thanks to everyone for participating!


Winner is:

Elizabeth said...

I read The Help twice last year and bought it to read again-loved it! I hope the movie is half as good.

August 4, 2011 7:38 PM 


******
One of my favourite books this past year was "The Help." I know it's not every one's cup of tea but I truly loved it. I missed the characters when it was over, felt sad when it slid down the return chute at the library  and then promptly bought it just to read it over again.


I'm headed to the advance screening tonight with my sister. The movie opens on August 10th.

If you do go to see the movie next week, you can tweet your thoughts using the hashtag: #TheHelpMovie #Canada

-Watch THE HELP trailer: http://youtu.be/KJiBqBB413c

-Watch THE HELP behind the scenes featurette: http://youtu.be/he9IB5g4yxw

-Watch THE HELP Mary J Blige featurette:  http://youtu.be/J5fGmnT_d84

GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the release, I have a movie prize pack to give away. 

The prize pack includes:

·         THE HELP hand held novelty fan

·         THE HELP nail file

·         THE HELP bookmark

Open to Canadian and USA mailing addresses. Just leave a comment on this post telling me the last movie you saw (and liked). Thats it! If you want to Tweet it or Facebook the link for this giveaway out, that's great - just leave another comment telling me that you did so and you'll get another entry.

Contest closes 15 August at midnight. I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Good luck!

GIVEAWAY: "Jesus, My Father, The CIA and Me" (Updated with winner!)

Giveaway now closed! 

Winner is 

Norse, Jesica, and Boden said...

Wow, how lame am I that I can't think of a memoir I've read. Maybe this book will be my first! Here's hoping.

July 14, 2011 7:59 PM 

Thanks everyone!

******

Reviewing: Jesus, My Father, The CIA and Me: A Memoir ... of Sorts by Ian Morgan Cron.

Publishers Summary:
An entertaining, touching memoir of life with an alcoholic father who secretly works for the CIA, a dark pilgrimage through the valley of depression and addiction, and finding a faith to redeem, and a strength to forgive. At the age of sixteen, Ian Morgan Cron was told that his stockbroker father actually worked for the CIA. The story of this world-rocking discovery is the stepping-off point into a fascinating exploration of one mans alternately heartbreaking and humorous journey to faith and spiritual growth. Born into a family of privilege and power, Ians life is populated with colorful people and stories including the account of an alcoholic father who takes his family on a wild roller-coaster ride through wealth and poverty and back again. Includes tales of a nearly blind English nanny who teaches him what love means, a famous New York radio personality who saves his life, a simple carpenter who leads him to faith in Jesus, and his own personal journey from addiction to twenty-three years of sobriety. Believers and seekers alike will be moved by how Ian uncovers and honors what is sacred in his story, how he discovers God in the struggle to find redemption, and how the mysterious movement and presence of God is woven throughout the adventure of his life.


My Review:
Excellent, excellent book. I like to read memoirs quite a bit but this is one of my favourites so far. It's funny, sad and universal in its longings. The book is beautiful but last three or four chapters in particular tell such a gorgeous, God-breathed story of redemption that it takes it from being a good book to being a great book. I liked Ian and his voice is crisp and funny, self-deprecating and full of pathos without being sappy. He writes without a lot of sentimentality but with tremendous feeling - a hard line to walk. 


And the writing - the writing is fantastic. Even the most mundane things are infused with a different view: for instance, he describes feeling suffocated as "having a dry-cleaner bag over his mouth" and it just locks into your mind and you get it. He does that throughout the book. He's relatable and yet a fresh writer. And the story is beautiful and sad.


Verdict:
Highly recommend.

Read an excerpt here.

GIVEAWAY!
I have one copy to giveaway!

Open to Canadian and USA mailing addresses. Just leave a comment on this post telling me the last memoir you read (and liked). Thats it! If you want to Tweet it or Facebook the link for this giveaway out, that's great - just leave another comment telling me that you did so and you'll get another entry.

Contest closes July 20 at midnight. I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Good luck!

GIVEAWAY: Toys R Us and Air Miles Prize Pack

CONTEST NOW CLOSED: Thanks for entering
Winner is Comment #5: Hippie Housewife.

You guys are going looooove this one.

Toys R Us and Babies R Us are celebrating a new partnership with the Air Miles Reward program here in British Columbia (and in Alberta!).

Now you can earn Air Miles Reward Miles while shopping for your kids (and their friends' birthday party gifts - not that I'm bitter....).

You will now receive 1 Air Mile Reward Mile for every $20 spent at Babies R Us or Toys R Us in B.C. and Alberta. Bonus offers will come up now and again, of course.

GIVEAWAY
One lucky winner will receive a head start on their summer shopping – AIR MILES and Toys”R”Us are offering Emerging Mummy Reviews readers the chance to win one $100 Toys R Us gift card and 250 bonus AIR MILES Reward Miles.


To enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post. That's it, nothing fancy. Please include an email address so that I can easily contact you if you are a winner.

Contest closes on June 13, 2011 at midnight. I'll draw the winner using Random.org. Only for Canadian addresses.

Thanks, Toys R Us, Babies R Us and Air Miles!

Winners

I drew these winners using Random.org.

The winner of "Half the Church" is: commenter #15

redandhoney said...

looks VERY interesting... i'd love to read this one!

May 9, 2011 1:41 PM 

The winner of Lime Daisy pads is: commenter #6

Mooney Family said...

Whoa, wish I'd had these when my two were still breast-feeding. They sound great. My sister-in-law just had her second and is trying to stay away from disposables, so they would be fantastic for her.

May 8, 2011 9:06 PM 

Winners if you haven't received an email from me, go ahead and send me an email at sarah (at) emergingmummy (dot) com with your shipping address.

Thanks everyone! More giveaways coming up soon so stick around.

GIVEAWAY: "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" Movie Passes

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

This giveaway will include one double pass to the advanced promo screening of Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer good for Saturday June 4 at 10 am at Silver City Metropolis theatre in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Based on the best-selling books by Megan McDonald

Judy Moody (Jordana Beatty) is about to begin what she believes will be the best summer ever.  But that was before she found out that her mom (Janet Varney) and dad (Kristoffer Winters) were heading to California and her Aunt Awful (Heather Graham) was coming to stay. Not to mention, her two best friends—Rocky (Garrett Ryan) and Amy (Taylar Hender)—were going splitsville on her, for the whole entire summer!  Will she be stuck entertaining her little brother Stink (Parris Mosteller)?  Stink, who has Bigfoot on the brain?  Just when summer is starting to look Bor-ing with a capital B!, Judy, with a little help from Aunt Opal, comes up with the most thrill-a-delic plan ever.  She challenges her friends to a thrill-point race for the most mega-rare, NOT bummer summer ever. Can her pal Frank “Eats Paste” Pearl (Preston Bailey) help save summer?  The race is on!  All she has to do is…learn to walk a tightrope, surf a monster wave, ride the scream monster—no hands, natch—at the local theme park, make it all the way through an Evil Creature Double Feature and survive…a poop picnic!  Add in a few thrills and chills, a treasure hunt for Judy’s teacher Mr. Todd (Jaleel White), a midnight stakeout in the backyard, a runaway ice-cream truck and a chase scene with a dash of Bigfoot.  What have you got?  The Judy Moodiest summer ever!"
 


Opens nationwide June 10, 2011.

GIVEAWAY

This giveaway will include one double pass to the advanced promo screening of Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer good for Saturday June 4 at 10 am at Silver City Metropolis theatre in Burnaby, British Columbia.

To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post. That's it! I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Contest closes 1 June 2011. 

Shipping: Online.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for posting this giveaway.

GIVEAWAY: In which I review "Half the Church"

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. Thanks for entering!




Reviewing: Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women
By Carolyn Custis James

Publisher Summary:
Women comprise at least half the world and usually more than half the church. But so often Christian teaching for women either fails to move beyond a discussion of roles or assumes a particular economic situation or stage of life. This shuts a lot of women out from contributing to God's kingdom as they were designed to do. Furthermore, the plight of women in the Majority World demands a Christian response, a holistic embrace of all that God calls women and men to be in his world. The strongest voices speaking into women's lives in the twenty-first century are Islam and Feminism--systems that reside at opposite ends of the spectrum. Does the church's message for women stake out the middle ground or lead the way to something much better?  Is that message strong enough to withstand the worst realities women suffer in this broken world?  Carolyn Custis James unpacks three transformative themes the Bible presents that invest the lives of every woman and girl with cosmic significance that nothing can destroy.  These new images of what can be in Christ come with a blazing call for them to join their brothers in advancing God's gracious kingdom on earth.  Carolyn offers readers a positive, kingdom approach to the changes, challenges, and opportunities facing women throughout the world today.

My review:

Most of you know that the issues of women in the church is of particular interest and passion for me. It's something I've written about at Emerging Mummy often. So I was a bit nervous when I received the book for review.

But by the time I was finished the first chapter, I was nearly standing on my couch, waving my little charismatic white hankie and shrieking "Preach, sister!"

For instance (from page 40-41):

"Instead of addressing the wide range of questions and situations women are facing today, we focus mainly on marriage and motherhood, and that within a two-parent, single-income family. We overlook all the other seasons of a woman's life - which impacts every girl and adult woman, and excludes entirely women whose lives follow a different path."

It was equal parts inspiration and challenge. Myself, I felt convicted at how narrowly I had been looking at the issues for women in the church (my view being decidedly western and particularly north American). This book helped to open my eyes and my heart.

My interest and focus in social justice has primarily followed a feminine projection - my work with Mercy Ministries as well as other advocacy, giving and time for other ministries has focused almost entirely on women and children. And yet, I felt like this book was eye-opening, challenging, sobering and inspiring.

I'd like to hear what Idelette or Rachel have to say about this book.

Fortunately, better reviews were also done by two of my other favourites: Megan and Nish. So you can also check there if you aren't quite sure.


Verdict:
Highly recommend. Especially if you have been discouraged by the tone of the debate regarding women in church/leadership/the home/the world lately. It will broaden your views in the best ways possible without degenerating into nit-picky text-proofing.


Giveaway!
I have one copy to give away, courtesy of Zondervan.

To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post.

That's it (I'm not too into making things complicated these days.) I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Contest closes: 1 June 2011
Shipping: USA or Canadian addresses only please.



** Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for review purposes as well as one for giveaway. I am paying for shipping to the winner and no monetary compensation was exchanged. 

GIVEAWAY: In which I review Lime Daisy

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. Thanks for entering!


My friend, Aileen, moved away to Australia. *sob* I can't feel too sorry though as she's happily married with two beautiful children in Australia. Plus she's incredibly talented and creative.

She started a handmade company called LimeDaisy Design a few years ago. Specialising in Mum-friendly products, she sent me a couple of her bamboo breast pads called Daisy Pads and, friend, let me tell you: if you are a breastfeeding mama or know one, you need to GET THESE.

And you may because I'm giving away TWO sets of Daisy Pads!

Here's a quick intro from Aileen:

Hi, I'm Aileen a Stay at Home Mum of two little ones.  I love to sew and create.  LimeDaisy Design was born many years ago and has developed over the years.  The main focus of LimeDaisy Design is now Daisy Pads - Bamboo Breast Pads.  I started making them with my second child as I could not find anything that was capable of keeping up with the milk I was supplying.  So after a little research into the best materials to use, I started making Daisy Pads with a bamboo core.  They are super absorbent and super soft on your skin.  What makes them unique is the fantastic range of fabric covers that they come in.  You no longer have to limit yourself to just white pads from the chemist!  Try them, you will fall in love with them and never go back to disposables again!

Seriously.

I can't bring myself to use disposables.  I have tried every kind of breast pad out there and have half-heartedly settled on a basic cotton brand and it seems that they always leak through or suffocate the area.

But when I received Aileen's breast pads, I was converted. These are amazing - soft, absorbent, large enough for us large breasted women and, of course, handmade.  The bamboo core makes all the difference in the world.

Plus they're pretty darn cute.

Daisy Pads Breast Pads

• Bamboo inner absorbent core
• Waterproof yet small amount of breathability layer to keep you dry
• Super soft wicking layer to keep you from feeling wet against your skin
• approximately 11cm diameter

Bamboo has amazing aborbent qualities, said to be anti-bacterial and loves to be washed.� Pads will reach a maximum absorbency.�

Aileen has graciously provided two sets of Daisy Pads for a reader here. (The designs are Hibiscus Pink, pictured above, and the Dr. Seuss style.)

To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post.

That's it (I'm not too into making things complicated these days.) I'll draw a winner using Random.org.

Contest closes: 1 June 2011
Shipping: USA or Canadian addresses only please.

Thanks, Aileen! As one of her customers says, LimeDaisy boobs are happy boobs. Ha!

** Disclosure: I received two sets of Daisy Pads for review purposes as well as two sets for giveaway. I am paying for shipping to the winner and no monetary compensation was exchanged. Also, Aileen rocks.