Bathroom Organizing Tips and Purex- Jockey Giveaway Ends Tonight

I just added this photo to see if it would show up on my reader.  One day my reader photo shows up, the next it doesn't.  I don't know what's going on.  I've tried everything.  It's just being weird and stupid and I'm just frustrated.  Uggghhh.

With things heading back to somewhat normal here, I can share some of the things that I've done over the past few months but never had time to tell  you about.

To make a box to hold my cotton pads I just cut the lid off an face cream box and wrapped it with scrapbook paper.  I cut a flower shape out with my cricut, glued some twill seam tape around the edge and added ribbon and a button to finish it off.  It's just the right size.  Not a dime spent.

Like the photo above.  When I was organizing my medicine cabinet, I stopped to think about what I could reuse or recycle to keep money from being spent and to put creativity to use. 

I hated to throw away this plastic air freshener when it was empty, especially since the blue and the little design on the front reminded me of the beach.  Being small made it just the right size for Q-tips.

Now everything in the shelf is neat and organized.  Even though this is our guest bath, I like to have everything I need in this bath too.  There's a lot of times I'll wash up and brush my teeth in here.

It's a very small room.  The picture above and below is what you see when you walk in the room.  Pretty simple and what more would you want for a 1/2 bath between the kitchen and the living room.  You can see a little of the larger shelf I made from our old picket fence in the photo above.  The pic below shows the reflection of the two smaller shelves I made. No money there ~ woo-hoo!    

But then I needed some new hand towels that match the new look.  I remembered that I had a set of brand new bath towels that I bought years ago and was waiting, and waiting and waiting for our master bath to get to a  decorating point.  Yeah, I'm still waiting.  It's going to happen this year, I just know it. Sooner than later.  These towels had gotten some weird red stain (probably from the liner paper) so no harm, no foul in cutting them up.  I searched through my fabric stash and found the beachy striped fabric. Really it was originally a shower curtain.  Great tip, if you need fabric you can save money by using a tablecloth, bedspread, sheet or shower curtain.  Much cheaper by the yard, especially when you get it at the thrift store.

I used an old hand towel to determine the size to cut my towel. I then cut the striped shower curtain/fabric 5" wide and double the width of the towel so I could pleat it. After stitching I added the brown grosgrain ribbon.  Can you guess how much I spent on the towel?  $0.00, yep.  You're catching on.

I received my choice of  stencils to do a review and giveaway for Cutting Edge Stencils.   I didn't want an overall pattern so I decide to just add a little scroll work on the walls. You can see that makeover post here.

It took less than one picket of the fencing to make each shelf.  After cleaning them, I dry brushed them with some white paint.  I love the little bird cage candle holders I had in my stash of what-nots, so I just painted it an turquoise shade and added a little battery operated flickering candle.  You can pick those up at Dollar Tree.  They come in packs of 2 or 3 for $1.  And then the little vintage planter, I think it's Mccoy or Hull is so sweet.  I've used it to hold some decorative beachy soaps.  I had all these things on hand too.  Sooo another $0.00 added to the budget.  That makes me sorta giddy!

I did update my vase with a new batch of dried, scented flowers and some shells.  After using a 40% off coupon at Joann's I spent about $6.00 on them.  And they smell so good.  I couldn't throw away the pretty ribbon they were tied with so I added it to the vase too.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the bath redo.  Come back soon and see what else I've been up to around here.

Don't forget tonight is the last night you can enter the Purex - Jockey Sports Bra giveaway.  Just click the button at the top of my right sidebar.  There are two other giveaways ending soon too.

See Liva's Crafts Giveaway - It'll Bring Out the Artist In You

I wanted to share a new blog giveaway.  Liva @ Liva's Crafts just reached her 50th follower and she wants to celebrate with us! She's giving away all the goodies you see in the picture above.  She has such a pretty blog too and makes wonderful, fanciful creations.  Stop by and make a new friend today.  I know Liva would be happy that her blog is continuing to grow with new friends.

Purex Triple Action Detergent Review

It's no secret that I'm a Purex Insider and that gives me the opportunity to review the Purex laundry detergent products and share my results with you.  This time we're going to take a spin (yes, I did say spin) with Purex's new Triple Action liquid detergent.  This can be used in all machines including HE.

Since Neil's been working in the cottage shed all week, you can see that post here, I thought it would be a great time to put Purex Triple Action formula to the test.  I was sent the Mountain Breeze scent again.  You already know from my last post just how much I loved that.  But how did it clean?  Well I am absolutely happy with it! 

• I found it simple to use with the easy to read cap of measuring the detergent.
• My clothes came out clean and really bright with a wonderfully fresh smell.
• It's a great value.  I've seen this same 33 load bottle in stores on sale for around $3.00.

Would I recommend Purex Triple Action Liquid detergent?   No only am I recommending it but I telling you I'll be buying it myself.  I love both the Purex Triple Action Liquid and the Ultra Packs and I wouldn't hesitate to buy them without a sale or a coupon and that's saying a lot.  Of course, if I find a sale or some coupons, I'll be stocking up.

For more information on this product and other Purex products, check out the Purex Website, or visit Purex on Facebook, or follow Purex on Twitter


Disclosure: I am a Purex Insider. I was not compensated monetarily for this review. As always, all of my opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by the brand reviewed.

SImplify Your Laundry by Using Purex UltraPacks Review

Being a part of the Insider's group with Purex, I'm lucky enough to get to try their new products first.  In reviewing products to post on Cotton Pickin Cute my first concern is finding things that I know my readers will be interested in.  My second objective is to be honest and let you know what I think of these products.  After all that is what a review is for, right?

Well I know ya'll are interested in laundry detergent because, I haven't seen any photo's on your blogs of ya'll naked.  Thank goodness!  Also I'm happy to share this reveiw because I love these.  I'm probably the last person in blogland to not have tried the individual laundry packs yet but when Purex sent me these I thought I'll give it a try.

 

And Whoa,  I love them.  They are so easy.  Just toss one of those baby's in before adding clothes and that's it! 

• No more mess.
• No more spills.
• No more heavy jugs.

 How simple does that make laundry! 

• New Purex UltraPacks are convenient pre-dosed liquid detergent packs that make doing laundry easier than ever.
• Purex UltraPacks manage to squeeze all the performance of the new Triple Action liquid formula into just one powerful pack.
• Each Purex UltraPack contains powerful 2x concentrated liquid detergent, giving each UltraPack double the cleaning power in every drop.
• Purex UltraPacks deissolve quickly once the washer is started-even in cold water.
• Purex UltraPacks are formulated and safe for all machines, including high effieciency (HE).

Now how does well does it clean? 
When I opened the package I could smell the wonderful clean scent of the mountain breeze scented pack. 
(It's also available in Free & Clear).  Plus 1 for me, I love me so good smelling laundry.  Add another star for ease of use.  It can't get any easier and I love that.  It's all premeasured in one easy to toss in pack.  Finally add another star because I loved the way it cleaned!  My clothes came out looking clean and bright, no fading here and they smelled fabulous.  What more could I ask for. 

I give Purex UltraPacks 3 out of 3 STARS

The official launch for the Purex UltraPacks is in February 2012.

Beginning mid February 2012 FreeSamplePurex.com will be back up and running. Stay tuned for the dates that you can get your own sample to try out.

Disclosure:  Purex UltraPacks laundry Detergent was provided to me as a sample so I could write an honest review. However, all opinions are totally my own.

A Simple Money Saving Tip In My Kitchen

Our lifestyle has changed a lot over the past 5 years.  Gone are the days and nights of going out to eat more than eating at home.  We gradually started cutting out the number of times we ate out to now rarely eating out, even fast food.  Now in these hard times where every dollar penny counts, we are stretching the grocery budget too.  I'd thought I'd share one of the ways I save.

I only buy my meats when they are buy one, get one free.  And even than you can search the ads and save by carefully watching the per pound price.  It's a little more work than the days of absent mindedly buying it conveniently wrapped in the per use size packages but the savings are so worth it. On my latest shopping trip I purchase one package of boneless pork chops and, one package of boneless chicken breast at the buy one, get one free price.  I also bought the hamburger in a three pound pack because it was on sale. 

I separated the hamburger into 1lb packages which will make 3 various meals.  We had hamburgers and homemade french fries last night.  One night will be spaghetti and one night will be hamburger helper, which I only buy when I can get it for $1.00 a box.  Not my favorite but it's a must because Neil likes it.

I separate the pork chops into packages of 2 each, so that gave me 7 more meals.  One package ended up with 3 chops.  You can see our favorite pork chop recipe here.

The chicken breast are so big that I usely cut one in half for my meal and a whole one for Neil.  A lot of time I grill the chicken for salads, so once it's cooked it just gets cut up to top the salad with anyway.  That gave me another 4 meals.

I use glad cling wrap because I think it does cling better than some of the others, although I'll try anything else once.  I wrap each piece of meat separately because I'm notorious for taking the meat out of the freeze at the last minute and I can easily separate the pieces for faster defrosting. 

Then each nights meat gets put inside a plastic bag, cheapest wins here.  Squeeze out the air and they're almost freezer ready.

I use a permanent marker to label each bag with the number of pieces of meat, the name of the meat and the date.  We have lots of Fed Ex sticky printing labels that we use to ship with.   They're free by the way. 

Be sure to rotate your meats as you add them to the freezer by pulling the older ones out and adding them to the top.  I stake like meats together and it makes it so easy to see exactly what I have at a glance. 

So now I'm set with 14 package meals, for 14 nights worth of dinner.   We'll see what meat's on sale next week to add to the freezer.

P.S.  Don't forget to enter my 3 giveaways listed on my right sidebar.  Just click the button.  But hurry the Purex/Jockey giveaway ends Monday night.

Publix $25 Gift Card Giveaway - The Best Meals Happen At Home

I love that I have a Publix store just a few blocks from my home. It's always a pleasant experience when I go in to shop. I've always found the store clean and the employees pleasant. 

I look forward to receiving their weekly sales flyer so I can plan my meals. They always have great sales and I love there Buy 1 get 1 free's.


Each week Publix offers simple meals, which are featured at the Apron Meals Center. The Apron Meals Center has simple recipe cards. Each free recipe card features a picture of the finished meal, a shopping list, and step-by-step cooking instructions and many more tips and suggestions. Another wonderful feature is all the cards fit in and Apron binder so that you can keep the recipes together.


Now at select times during the week a meals expert is there, preparing the featured recipes, answering any questions and best of all sharing samples. If you like what you taste, all the ingredients and tools you need to make the meal are organized right there, in one convenient spot. It makes shopping and meal planning so easy!


So stop by Publix during their “Best Meals Happen at Home” event to find great savings on some of your favorite products. Be sure to visit BestMealsatHome.com to find fantastic recipes, which can be cooked in 30 minutes or less, and your family is sure to love.


Take advantage of great savings on some of your favorite participating brands during the “Best Meals Happen at Home” event at Publix from January 26th through February 1st


As of Jan 26th look for in-store for coupons that will be valid through February 15th


Visit BestMealsatHome.com to sign up and receive emails with weekly recipes and coupon offers that will help you save up to $200 this year.


To kick-off the great savings and enjoy valuable time around the dinner table with your family, Publix invites you to try one of the delicious recipes that you can find at BestMealsatHome.com, which uses Cheerios® to make Crunchy Chicken Nuggets: Prep time: 15 Min Cook time: 25 Min Makes: 4 servings Ingredients:


2 cups Cheerios® cereal


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon pepper


1/4 cup milk


2 tablespoons honey


1 tablespoon mustard


1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces


2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted


Directions:


Heat oven to 400°F. Spray with cooking spray or lightly grease 13x9-inch pan.


Finely crush cereal. Stir together cereal, salt and pepper; set aside. In medium bowl, stir together milk, honey and mustard until blended. Dip chicken into milk mixture; coat with cereal mixture. Place chicken in pan; drizzle with melted butter.


Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden and chicken is no longer pink in center.


My Blog Spark and General Mills would like to give away a $25 Publix Gift Card to one lucky Cotton Pickin Cute reader, so that you can purchase a few great meals for your family! 
Giveaway ends Feb 1, 12:01 am EST
And I've made it easy for you to enter with the simple Rafflecopter giveaway form below.

Daily Gifts From God Devotional Review

One of the things I love about the start of a new year, is the freshness of it.  A fresh new desk pad calendar, a new fridge calendar and my favorite, a brand new daily journal.  I just love seeing all those blank calendar pages waiting with a whole year of new possibilities.   I love to start each of those days out on a positive note.  What better way to do that then  by reading a scripture verse with a collection of devotional stories from various Christian writers.  It helps me set the tone for the day.  I keep mine in my kitchen.  I even like to have one for my bedside to read before going to sleep.

I was so excited to received the 'Daily Gifts of Grace'  from Book Sneeze to review  in December.  I wanted to wait until after reading some in January before sharing my thoughts with you.  I love the bright cheery yet peaceful book cover.  The magnetic flap closure is a great design and of course it has a matching ribbon book mark.

Lets talk about, beyond the design.
These Women of Faith contributors reads like a who's who of Christian writers.   It includes the following writers:
Jenna Lucado                   Patsy Clairmont                                                          
Mary Graham                   Natalie Grant
Lisa Harper                      Barbara Johnson
Carol Kent                       Marilynh Meberg
Sandi Patty                       Lori Robertson
Luci Swindoll                    Kim Cash Tate
Joni Eareckson Tada         Donna VanLiere
Sheila Walsh                     Lisa Whelchel

Now, a little about the content of 'Daily Gifts of Grace'. 
Daily Gifts of Grace left me a little empty.  All that each days writing was 'nice', it didn't leave me satisfied.  I felt like I'd been given a very small appetizer and was left waiting for a meal that never arrived.  When reading my daily devotional, I want something that is thought provoking or encouraging for my soul.  Something to ponder over for the day or to rest in thought with in the evening.  This isn't to say that there aren't some very good devotionals listed.  I'm just looking for something a little more satisfying.

Here is today's devotional - January 25th.
     A merry heart has a continual feast. ~Proverbs 15:15

When was the last time you went on a picnic?  Last week?  Last year?  Perhaps it's been so long you can't remember.  Well, don't put it off a moment longer.  Pick up a few goodies, pull out a basket, and get ready for some fun.  If the weather isn't agreeable, spread a cloth on the family room floor and see life and lunch from a new view.
    I suggest attending your picnic via bicycle.  By the time you arrive, the aromas emitting from you lunch will stimulate your saliva glands.  You could motor to a mountaintop, but I suggest a fertile valley, even if it's your backyard vegetable garden.  What could compare to a vine-ripened tomato or a freshly pulled carrot?  Give it a healthy squirt under a hose, and you're good to go.  A picnic menu doesn't have to be complicated.
     In fact, part of the joy of picnicking is imbibing in the simple pleasures of life:   slurping chilled watermelon while being serenaded by the brown thrasher on yonder limb.  Just make sure you're not sitting under the feathered songster, lest some of the notes he hits cause an unseemly splash.
     You might want to bring a friend, a journal, and a New Testament.  Jot down inspirations and ponder valley life and the shepherd who walks with us there.  A meaningful conversation makes a meal a memory.
     We may live in the valley, but we can find myriad ways to make mealtime divine.  Bon appetit!
                                                                                                                     - Patsy Clairmont

My rating would have to be 3 out of 5 stars.
Are you reading this devotional?  If so I'd love to hear your opinion.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. The opinions I have expressed are my owncopy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

General Mills Whole Grain First Ingredients Giveaway

I don't know a single person who doesn't have cereal in there house.  It's a staple in every home I know.  It's one of my earliest childhood memory.  Not only for breakfast but each night my daddy, sister and I would sit down for a bowl of cereal before we went to bed.  Lucky Charms was one of my favorites.  As I grew older my pick was and is Honey Nut Cheerios.

Cereal is a quick and  easy way for me to add whole grain to my diet.  Which as I get older I know is really important.  Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing products with whole grain listed as the first ingredient. 

General Mills is making it easier for you to find the cereal with whole grain as the first ingredients in their cereals! You will see a white check mark on the General Mills Cereal box that has the Whole Grain labeled as the first ingredient. Now every cereal with the white check has more whole grain than any other single ingredient with the same great taste. You will see “whole grain” as a part of the first ingredient on the ingredient list, indicating that whole grain is the first and most prevalent ingredient.


Make a commitment to add more whole grain to your diet by simply pouring a bowl of cereal with the white check including Cheerios®, Lucky Charms®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch®, Honey Nut Cheerios® and Total®.




For more information on the importance of whole grain and a chance to enter the “Fast Lane for Whole Grain” sweepstakes, visit http://www.wholegrainnation.com/.



• Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day’s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.

• Make Simple Swaps. Choose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.

• Don’t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don’t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

• To help with choosing products with whole grain, General Mills developed “Fast Lane for Whole Grain,” an online educational game. Consumers can navigate virtual grocery store aisles and identify products that have whole grain as the first ingredient, with the option to enter a sweepstakes to win one of each of the 50 cereals with the white check.

Make a commitment to add more whole grain to your diet by simply pouring a bowl of cereal with the white check including Cheerios®, Lucky Charms®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch®, Honey Nut Cheerios® and Total®.


For more information on the importance of whole grain and a chance to enter the “Fast Lane for Whole Grain” sweepstakes, visit www.WholeGrainNation.com.
http://www.wholegrainnation.com/:

I have been given the opportunity to host a giveaway where one lucky Cotton Pickin Cute reader can win the prize pack below. 

Prize Pack Includes:

■5 boxes of General Mills cereal with the white check

Giveaway ends February 10, 2011 at 11:59pm EST.

**This is my first giveaway using the Rafflecopter.  Please let me know if you have any problems.  Rafflecopter makes entering giveaways easier for you, my readers but I'm not sure if I've filled out my first form correctly, so your input would really help me out.

Can You Help Me? - Dashboard Reading List Problem - Missing Photos

I've been noticing that my photos are missing from my dashboard reading list.  Does anyone else have this problem or better yet know how to fix it.  I've only got about 3 strands of hair let of my head and would really appreciate it.

I've already made sure that my feed setting is at full and my redirect url setting is blank.  I've tried taking pics from my photo bucket acct and directly from the web.  No luck.  PLEASE help me. 

I need a blog mentor, a in home personal computer class, a bloggers retreat, and a personal computer programmer.  My computer seems so slow and yes I'm on high speed.  URRRGGGHHH!

Where's my dashboard pics????

Uggghhh, I hate computer problems!!!

Testing - Please Ignore

Still having problems seeing my photos on the dashboard and working on it.

Cleaning Up and Cleaning Out!

Whew!  We've been busy.  I don't know who's more tired Neil or me.  Neil suddenly seems to have more energy them me.  I'm so grateful that he's up and outside and busy.  Our poor cottage shed has been neglected.

He really tackled a big project this weekend.  A project that's going to be a weeks worth of work.  You can see from the door above just how neglected things are.  Believe me we never painted the door blue. 

This is the storage shed Neil (I helped) built about 5 years ago.  The area you see him in is where we stored the riding lawn mower.  Since then we've bought a bigger one and it doesn't fit in there.  Don't worry we have plenty of other junk to fill it up.  The area with the now blue/green door is stack to the hilt too with Christmas and a ton of Neils stuff.  I was planning on using the main area as a pool house but it doesn't look like we'll be getting a pool. 

Bikes, pressure washer, self propelled push mower, table saw, tool boxes, gardening tools, even an old leather seat chair, I found and drug home.  Oh' and see my grapevine.  Jan and Feb is the time to cut it back, when it's dormant.  No dormancy this year.  It's already got buds on it.  Maybe it'll freeze in Feb and I can cut it back.  It's going to be 77 degrees tomorrow.

There's things going all the way up to the rafters.  Neil decided to pull it all out to build some shelves.  He started by just crawling over it all and taking measurements Saturday.  Then he spent the rest of the day pruning all around the back.  He worked so hard.  It did my heart good to see him out there.  I've really been worrying  about him.

Then on Sunday he drug it all outside and started building shelfs.  The day ran out way to soon and we had to shove it all back in just to lock it up for the night.  We unfortunately had someone steal a lot of our power landscaping items a few years ago.  I still miss my tiller and my rolling gas edger.  GRRRRR!!!   I have a feeling it was the neighbors landscape crew that saw me go in and out all the time. 

Yep it's a pretty big mess in there.  I like things really organized.  Neil does too and it's makes both of us sick just to open the door.

Poor Neil.  I think he was feeling a little weak here.  You can see from the picture that it's really only big enough for the old lawn mower.  Since the new one doesn't fit he'll use it more for a tool work shed.

This has been my main project for the last week.  Taking down 2 full Christmas trees.  I finally got all the ornaments and decorations, with the exception of whats on top and a few little others boxed up and ready to go back to the shed.  The box that's open in the front are things to sell and get rid of.  I've already put one tree away and just have to box up the other.  I'm passed tired and so ready to get this stuff out of my sight.

I was all excited about the possibility of getting to do some fun crafting this week and then remembered all we've got to do.

Monday, I've got a Dr's appt with the ENT Dr. and Monday night we go to the viewing of our friend.  Tuesday is the funeral.  Wednesday we both have go to the eye Dr.  Looking forward to that since I lost my glasses a 2 weeks ago and can't drive or hardly see without them.  I still have thank you's to mail to friends and family for Moms funeral.  Plus, I have 2 more giveaways to post on Tuesday and Thursday.  Not to mention a ton of ironing and general cleaning.  Oh' well staying busy is a blessing when you compare it to being depressed.   So thank you Lord for keeping me busy and letting me sleep well at night.

What's your week look like?

P.S.  Don't forget to checkout my Purex/Jockey Giveaway here.

Florida Does Have It's Benefits

I love the way the light plays in the water.  Even after dark the lights across the river sparkle like rays of light across the water.

I love the weather we're having. Such clear sky's without the summers heat putting a big ole' haze on it.  I had to grab my camera when I saw this beautiful view out my window.  I really enjoy getting a few cold days before summer but it's days like today that are really beautiful.  It's 66 degrees now and only went up to 72.  Just gorgeous.  Especially when I think of my sons family in N.Y. experiencing a high of 27 degrees.

I rushed out to the porch and just in time to get a couple of quick shots before it faded away.  I took deep breaths looking at, suddenly realizing how fleeting it was, never to be seen again.  Just looking at it made me relax and think about how every day is unique with it's own special blessings.  All we have to do is look for them.  The photo below is the reflection of the sunset on the water.

Neil called some friends today to thank them or just check on them and it made me smile to see him doing something for himself and reaching it just to say hey.  Then he went outside to measure the cottage to see what he needed to build some shelves and get it organize again.  I smiled!  I don't know if I mentioned it but he's lost about 40 lbs in the last couple of months.    Oh' and last night we went for a walk together and it was so relaxing.  Laughing and talking, I loved it.

Yeah, I know, I was blessed.  

Did you notice something beautiful in day?  I'd love to know.

Purex Crystals and Jockey Sports Bra Giveaway

It's January again and one of the first things that comes to mind when is new years resolutions. Being women, I think pretty much everyone of us has added "get fit" or "lose weight" to our resolution list at one time or another. I don't even think of making one about joining a gym but I do think I can manage to walk in my neighborhood once a day. Here in Florida, heat and moisture are two of our big concerns. That's why I'm happy to share these two products with you, Purex Crystals and Jockey. After reading more you'll understand why these two are connected.

We all know that you don't want to use the normal liquid fabric softener on towels because it inhibits their ability to absorb moisture. How do you dry off if you can't absorb moisture, right? That's why Purex Crystals are so special. For years I've missed being able to have that super soft feel and the wonderful scent that comes from fabric softener on my towels. Not anymore.

Welcome back delicious smelling towels Purex Crystals is an innovative freshening product that doesn't use oil for softening, so it can be used on all types of laundry. Purex Crystals is the more natural way to freshen your clothes for weeks not days.

Purex Crystals are 92% natural crystals that go in at the start of the was so they spend more time with your laundry infusing them with long lasting freshness. And no more softener balls and messy liquids that can sometime stain you laundry.

Purex Crystals do not contain oil, so it can safely be used on all laundry including:

• Athletic wear
• Towels
• Children's sleepwear
• & everything else!

That brings me to my letting know about the 2012 Jockey Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra. Just the thing to help me with my Get Fit new years resolution.

Just seeing the Jockey active wear sitting there is incentive to get me going. Just check out these features:

• Moisture-wicking sports bra helps keep you cool & dry
• Convenient key pocket so you can take your workouts anywhere!
•  Reflective logo at the back
•  Breathable mesh panels
•  Soft bottom band for comfortable support

With Purex Crystals it's safe to use on performance sportswear. You couldn't do that with traditional fabric softener because the oil content would prevent the wicking process. Purex Crystals are also safe use on flame retardant fabric like children's pajamas.

Having your choice of three difference scents is an added plus. The hard part is deciding which one to get.

• Fresh Spring Waters
• Lavender Blossom
• Tropical Splash

Purex Crystals are priced just right for my budget at $3.99 (pricing will vary by location and store).

Buy it now: Click here to sign up for a 20% off coupon for a Jockey sports bra.

  Thanks to Purex and Jockey one lucky Cotton Pickin Cute reader is going to win a their own bottle of Purex Crystals and a Jockey Sports Bra.

REQUIRED ENTRY:

Become a google friend connect follower of Cotton Pickin Cute (on the right sidebar) or let me know if you already are

and tell me, which scent do you think sounds the yummiest? – Fresh Spring Waters, Lavender Blossom, or Tropical Splash? Leave a comment on this post with your answer.

BONUS ENTRIES:

(must do mandatory entry first- post a separate comment for each optional bonus entry)

**If it says 2 entries, please leave 2 comments.

{2extra entries} Post a link back to this giveaway on your blog and come back and leave me the link.

{1 extra entry per tweet per day} Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter with @cottonpickincute. (see button at the bottom of this post)

Follow Tracysuz (that's me) on Twitter (see button at the bottom of this post)

Like or Friend Tracy Suzanne (that's me again) on Facebook (see button at the bottom of this post)

{1 extra entry per post per day}Share this giveaway on your facebook page.

*Be sure to leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win. Please don't forget to leave a comment for each entry.

Giveaway ends on Jan 30th, at 11:59pm EST. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification with shipping info and claim prize – if no response, another winner will be chosen .

Disclosure: Jockey and Purex provide free samples of their products so I could review them. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

Can You See My Pic On Your Dashboard Reader?

Can you help me?  I just put a new post up but the photo didn't show up on my dashboard reader.  Ugghhh!!!  Please let me know did it show up on yours?

Thanks ya'll

***Never mind (in that Gilda Radner Emily Litella voice - you know from SNL - okay so I'm old - just check out the video below) this photo showed up. It must have just been the other photo that wouldn't.

Enjoy Emily anyway!

Testing Please Ignore

My last post picture didn't show up on feed - so ignore this while I'm testing.

Do You Ever Feel Like When It Rains It Pours?

I've decided to take a decidedly positive tone with my blog.  Well - I guess that that may have to start tomorrow.

Do you ever have that feeling?  You know the one I'm talking about.  The, when it rains it pours feeling.  That's the way I'm feeling tonight.

We just received a not totally unexpected phone call about someone we love.  One of Neil's closest friends father died.  He was more than just Neil's friends father though.   I was working for Fred and his wife Madeline when I met Neil.  Neil came by to see Fred, well maybe me - the new girl, when Madeline did a little match making.  (Thank you Madeline).   Fred and Madeline were the sweetest older couple.  It hadn't been long since my own parents had passed away and they made me feel a little protected, even if it was in my own mind.  Madeline passed away a several  years ago.

Fred had one of his longs removed a year or so ago and seemed to be doing well.  Then his other long collapsed the same week mom passed.  His daughter Linda has been involved with Hospice for years.  She was so good to us.  Even though she'd been at the hospital with her own dad constantly she left him to be with us when we met with Dr's about the next move to make with mom.  Then she met us again the next day to be when her life support was removed.  I don't think I could ever repay her for the strength and comfort she provided.

The last time we saw Fred was when we left mom after she passed away.  We went to the other hospital to see visit him.  He looked so good you never would have know how close he was to the end of his earthly life.  I'm so glad we got to see him smile, to hug him and to say I love you.

A half an hour before that phone call I received a call from my sister in Texas.  She was at the hospital.  My 16 year old nephew was being admitted for a few days for test.   He'll be okay but he still could use prayers.  I can't help but cry, I worry about him and want the best for his life.

The night before last my son called.  His wife's17 year old nephew was in a head on collision with a school bus.  He was driving himself and a friend home from wrestling practice in upstate N.Y. when his car lost control on the icy roads when coming around a curve.  They had to cut the roof of the car off to get him out.  He's alive - Thank you God!  He got very banged up but was released from the hospital today.

After a day of calling moms Blue Cross Blue Shield provider, social security and the court house, and seeing Neil not want to get up and face the day I'm starting to really feel worn out tonight.  I don't feel like I've done much but I think emotionally maybe I'm a little more worn than I thought.  The tears keep wanting to come.  Having 8 huge plastic storage bins scattered around my living room with Christmas ornaments strewn about isn't helping.  But I did get one tree down and in the shed.  Once these ornaments get put away I can take the other one down - Oh' Joy!

The important point here is that even though today might not go like we planned ~ by the grace of God we get another chance tomorrow.

Even though I feel like there's going to be a rain shower of tears any minute I can't help but smile.  Because I know tonight there's another amazing reunion going on.  Madeline was waiting for Fred and they are having their having a long awaited dance in the rain.  I bet it's at the same dance with Neil's mom and Dad.

(If you see a ton of mistakes just overlook them, I'm too tired for editing -lol)

Did You Join Scripture Memory A To Z

I just wanted to remind you about The Scripture Memory Challenge. 

It's not too late to get started if you haven't already.  It's a fun and simple way to memorize scripture.  Everything's more fun when you do it with friends right!  Every other week Cindy @ She Sparkles will post a new scripture to put to memory starting with A and ending with Z.  No big long verses, just some good old heart of the Bible scriptures, and at a nice comfortable pace.

Cindy's such a sweetheart and has a great blog that you'll  enjoy visiting over and over. 

This week we're on "B".
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved".  ~ Acts 16:31


You can click the button above to read more about Scripture Memory A to Z, or click here to go straight to this weeks verse.
I'd love to hear from you if you decide to join in on the fun.

Hugs...Tracy :)

Fierce Beauty Review

I just finished reading the book Fierce Beauty by Kim Meeder.  When I chose this book I was looking for inspiration, maybe even a little toughness training.  Once I received the book I had a little trouble getting into it.  The beginning seemed to be full of extra words, more than were really necessary.  Kind of like gilding a rose that's already beautiful.  It just didn't need it.  But I kept reading.  I wanted to know more about Kim and who the heck knows with all my family was dealing with maybe it was just overload for my brain. 

Fierce Beauty has a lot to offer.  Kim has been through so many trial and tribulations of her own, she can share these  experiences with others and we can all learn something from them. 

Kim's inspiring true stories come from her own life of adventure, love and loss - including her parents' shocking death when she was nine years old and her struggles with self acceptance, knowing God and standing for him.

Kim discusses many issues that face young women today.  From the lies the media tell us, such as, what is beautiful and what's not, to encouraging us to run the race and never give up.  She reminds us to answer the call of our Heavenly Father and give whatever is asked.  There are passage of sadness throughout this book but there is also words to inspire you.

"You were not created to be a princess of entitlement but a warrior, fighting to bring love and hope to the world." ~ Kim Meeder

Thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging For Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book.  I received this book free  to assist in my review. 

God's Amazing Timing

God's timing is amazing.  Big surprize there, right.  On New Years Eve I recieved an email from Janet @ Along the Way.  She told me I had won her giveaway.  I was thrilled but to be honest with all we've had going on I forgot all about it. 

 Then wouldn't you know I recieved the my prize just after mom died.  It was Angels True Stories by Robert J. Morgan.  What a way God has of comforting us.  It seems he had set his plan in place even before he took our mom home.  Thank you Lord for loving me.  And thank you Janet for being the instrument that he used.

Click here to stop by to visit Janet @ Along the Way, where she enjoys blogging about book reviews, giveaways and random thoughts.