Sharing Giveaway News - Apples and Cinnamon - YUM

Well it seems my body clock is totally off kilter along with my feet.  It's almost 8 am and I still haven't been to sleep.  But my insanity should go for something good so I'm passing along a giveaway that I found out about.  Jennifer over at the Dirty t Shirt has a giveaway with not 1 but 6 winners.  One winner will get the prize package above and 5 more will win is giving away a box of Apple Cinnamon Chex Cereal.  Just click here to enter.

And Thank You everyone who's asked about Mattie.  You're well wishes have meant so much.  She's doing great!  She is eating really good and gaining weight.  She's happy, we're happy and the world feels good again.  We've adopted 2 of the kittens out and now only (and I use that word loosely) have 3 kittens, 2 cats and a dog in the house.  Lots of running and the patter of many feet.  Plus mama cat is annoyingly very vocal.  But I'm happy to say, I've finally got a computer companion.  Izzy loves sleeping on my desk and I love him.  He makes me smile!  :)

I hope ya'll have a wonderful and blessed day - OX's...Tracy ♥

We Have Another Winner - Fiber One Chewy Bars Prize Pack

Congratulations to Julie @ Mamawj's Moment Away.  She's Cotton Pickin Cute's newest winner and will be receiving the Fiber One Chewy Bars Prize Pack.  I know you're gonna love 'em Julie.  I'm a huge chocolate feign those were my favorite.  It worked out perfect because Neil's favorite were the peanut butter and jelly.

I can't say thank you enough to all my old and new followers alike.  Ya'll have made my giveaways such a success lately.  I'm on the lookout for some fun summer prize packs.  So cross those fingers and keep checking back.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark for being such a great sponsor of Cotton Pickin Cute!!

Farm Fresh Southern Cooking - A Must For Lovers of the Farmers Markets

No big Italian meals at our house.  No French cuisine either.  Not that I don't like both of those.  But I'm a Southern girl born and raise and Southern cooking is an art form in simplicity. 

Southern cooking was a learned art of  "make do" with whatever was plentiful. Women like my grandma would use mostly home grown foods and dare I say even hand slaughtered.  Nothing went to waste back then.  If it was left over it was recreated.  Everyday she prepared breakfast, dinner and supper.  There were rarely meals away from home.  But her loving hands created the best meals I've ever had.  Even though my grandma died in the 70's when I was only 15, I can almost taste those dishes when I think of her table.

 Those memories are what made me want to review "Farm Fresh Southern Cooking" by Tammy Algood so much.  With today's busy lifestyle and quick meals I never got to learn all I would have liked to about home cooking in that old tradition.  

Tammy Algood's book is a celebration of Farmers Markets.  Farm Fresh Southern Cooking honors these growers and craftsmen with a selection of recipes created to showcase the flavors of the Southern earth.

This book will especially appeal to vegetarians since it's all about food grown from the land.  You will find meat in some recipes but most are without it.  Just a few of the recipes that sounded scrumptious to me are:

• Coconut Fried Shrimp and Florida Citrus Dip
• Cheese~Filled Banana Peppers
• Balsamic Grilled Eggplant
• Vinegar~Splashed Bacon Butter Beans
• Easy Crust Chicken Pot Pie
• Traditional Southern Pot Roast
• Skillet~Fried Chicken
• Orchard ~Fresh Peach Cake
• Bourbon Pecan Clusters

I wasn't disappointed in this cookbook one bit.  I think we're all looking to go back to the basics in this recession era we're living in.  Farm Fresh Southern Cooking makes the basics seem like anything but.  I'm proud to have Farm Fresh Southern Cooking in my cookbook collection. 

Disclosure:   I received a copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own and were NOT influenced in any way.

Winner of The Voice New Testament Giveaway

Random.org chose #1 (who says #1 never wins) as the winner of the New Voice New Testament giveaway.  Number One is Cindy @ Creations By Cindy.

Congratulations Cindy!!! I know you're going to enjoy it.

Thanks to all the readers that enter the giveway.  If you'd like to meet a very special person and read a wonderful blog click here and go meet Cindy, the gal with the heart of gold.

3 Lucky Readers Are Honey Bunches of Oat's Winners

Three winners were chosen by Rafflecopter for the HONEY BUNCHES of OAT'S CEREAL Giveaway.

And the winners are...

1. Entry #708Jenny '.
2. Entry #228Amanda S.
3. Entry #479LaTanya T.

Congratulations Girls.  You have 72 hours to email me your name and address to @ cottonpickincute(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Thanks to all my readers.  Ya'll have been making these giveaways a real success!  You taking part and your comments are what make all the work worth it.  I'm always on the search to find items that I know you can relate to and that you'll enjoy learning more about.  Please share my blog with your friends!

Love Ya'll....Tracy ♥

Computer Goblins, Tropical Storms and Giveaways - Whew!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. 

We didn't do a whole lot of celebrating.  I also didn't get to spend a whole lot of time on the computer either.

My computer got attacked by a virus or high jacked.  Either way is wasn't pretty.  It took days to fix.  I think I need to name my computer.  It's like having a kid.  Worrying what's going to happen next?  Is is going to get sick or attacked today?

On top of that, we were having some really strange weather here in good old Florida.  Here it is 2 weeks before the start of hurricane season and we had a Tropical Storm bearing down on us.  I usually don't put too much stock in these things because of where Jax is.  We're kinda dipped in and the storms tend to turn with the currents and pass us by.  This one, however was heading dead on into Jax. and it was only 2 points from being an official hurricane.

You can see Jacksonville is in the upper right hand side of the map. Jacksonville is really large.  Land based it's the largest city in the U.S.  - land based is the key word.  I was raised 15 miles North of Jax and 20 miles West of Amelia Island, where we spent absolutely wonderful summers as kids.

Fortunately, we didn't have a hurricane this time--just a tropical storm. This is very unusual weather for this early in the year but then again it was a very warm winter with the waters staying very warm.  Jax had to cancel the last celebrations of the Jazz Festival as well as all the Memorial Day celebrations but prayers of gratitude went up for being spared a tragedy.  As you can see from some of these pictures the weather was scarey and some people did get some damage but there were no deaths I'm happy to report.

We were especially lucky at our house.  Not so much as a big limb down.  Oh you see we'd had so major winds with all the moss and branch tips scattered all over the yard but that was it.  Other parts of our area had whole trees down and plenty of flooding too.  Even though we're on the water our property sits high.  In all the years we've been in this house I've never even had a standing puddle.  I call it Blessed.  And even odder, we never lost electricity or digital.  We usually have the lights go out in an afternoon shower.

You might know, the one time the lights don't go out while be forced to stay inside, the computer gets hacked.  Such inside and can't use the computer.  AAAKKKK!

I finally got it up and I have 2 new giveaways listed. 

• Land O' Lakes All Natural Eggs Prize Package Giveaway
• Lady Anti Monkey Butt (I laugh every time) Powder Giveaway

Be sure to click the links above and enter.  And don't forget there's another giveaway ending soon.

• Fiber One Chewy Bars Prize Pack Giveaway

Have a great week ya'll.  Hey it's already starting out a short one.

♥...Tracy :)

Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder Review and Giveaway

Anti Monkey Butt Powder.  It makes me laugh just to say it but I'm not laughing at the protection and comfort it provides.  This is one hard working powder.  I've been using it for a week now, you know in all those lady places, and I'm really happy to say those spots are staying nice and dry.  For someone living in Florida that's saying a lot! Now not only am I Anti Monkey Butt but I'm also silky smooth.  Have you ever used talc or even a cheap brand of baby powder that felt kind of coarse or chalky.  Not Lady Anti Monkey Butt - it's soft and silky.

As the mercury rises, be prepared to protect your lady nooks and crannies from sweat, irritation and friction with Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder®. Sprinkle between and under breasts, on your inner thighs or rear end to stay dry and comfy during the hot weather and while you’re working out. Lightly scented and satiny smooth, Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder boasts the dynamic duo of calamine and cornstarch, something that that no other body powder can claim! These unique ingredients are specially formulated to quickly absorb sweat and relieve friction…even itching…and provide cooling effective relief to all your body parts that are prone to rubbing. Plus, Lady Anti Monkey Butt helps to prevent other ladylike issues—like keeping stockings from sticking!


Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder can be purchased at Walmart, Ace Hardware, True Value, Drugstore.com and www.antimonkeybutt.com for just around $5.95.

Since May is all about ladies in our lives, we’re going to celebrate our approaching 80,000 Facebook fan milestone by giving 1,000 random fans a sample of Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder! LIKE the Anti Monkey Butt Powder Facebook page for details: www.facebook.com/antimonkeybutt. We’ll launch the sign-up form when we hit 80,000 fans!


And, Anti Monkey Butt isn’t just for ladies, either! Mama, Papa, and baby can stay comfortable, and fight their own irritation and friction from work and play, with original Anti Monkey Butt Powder and Baby Anti Monkey Butt Diaper Rash Powder and Cream. Learn more about the complete line of Anti Monkey Butt products, including where to buy, at www.antimonkeybutt.com. We have a monkey for everyBUTTy!

Would you like to win your own Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder?  I knew you would.  That's why I asked the makers to share one with you.  One Cotton Pickin Cute reader will be chosen to get their own.  All you need to do is enter below using the Rafflecopter form.  Hurry before you get chapped and before June 8th when it ends.  Good Luck Ya'll!  Lady Anti Monkey Butt, I'm still laughing over that and I can't get that crazy pink butt monkey out of my head!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure:  I received the product for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner.

Land O Lakes All Natural Farm Fresh Eggs Giveaway

Finally after days without a computer I'm up and ready to share a new review and giveaway with ya'll.

Are you scrambling to crack the secret to the perfect brunch? This spring, entertain with LAND O LAKES Farm-Fresh All-Natural Eggs in a variety of ways. From a Mother's Day celebration to a weekend brunch with friends to a springtime gathering, eggs are a tried and true favorite ingredient. Land O'Lakes would like to offer a simple way to make brunch fun and fresh. Bite-sized egg dishes provide an unexpected way to easily serve your guests.

LAND O LAKES All-Natural Farm Fresh Eggs

The hens’ vegetarian diet consists primarily of whole ground corn and soybean meal, with no added hormones, antibiotics, animal fats or animal by-products


Eggs are gathered at the peak of the hens’ egg-laying cycles, which can make the eggs more delicious and nutritious

Enhance your favorite egg recipes for entertaining with more than a dozen simple ideas for delicious dishes at www.landolakes.com. Prepare these recipes for your next bite-sized brunch and watch your guests begg for more. Here is a collection of bite-sized treats that are easy to make and easy to serve.

Bacon Topped Deviled Eggs - Bacon adds a flavorful twist to traditional deviled eggs

Breakfast Biscuit Bakes - Turn scrambled eggs into a fun and tasty meal the kids will love

Mini Mexi Bites - The hot pepper cheese adds a subtle spicy flavor to these mini-quiches

You can find Land O’Lakes on: http://www.landolakes.com/.

Land O' Lakes wants to help you prepare some recipes for your own Spring Brunch by giving one of the Cotton Pickin Cute readers their own prize pack!

Your gift pack will contain:

VIP coupon for Land O Lakes Eggs


Egg Tray


Mini Frying Pan


Mini Muffin Tin

Just enter using the easy Rafflecopter form below. Now how simple is that!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 “Disclosure: The gift pack, coupons, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Land O’Lakes through MyBlogSpark.”

She's Got Issues Review (and so do I)

She's Got Issues.  Never heard that one before, right?

I've not only heard it before, but I have to admit that I've said it about people a time or two.  But hey, I've said it about myself, to myself, maybe a gazillion times or two.  Admit it, you know you've got issues.  Who of us doesn't.  If you don't have any, please email me,and let me know.  We’ve all got our issues!  Most of us just don't let people know about them,  if we can help it.

In "She's Got Issues" author Nicole Unice explores five (and a half) everyday issues that can hold you back from living free and loving well: 

• control
• insecurity
• comparison
• fear 
• anger (along with its cousin, un-forgiveness) 

Nicole is a mom, ministry leader, counselor, and friend, who has spent over a decade studying and teaching about the way women relate to God. 

I wanted to review this book because of the topic and the author.  I like the fact that she's not a clinical psychologist but a Christian woman, and a blogger who reminds you more of a next door neighbor.  Someone who shares her issues and discoveries with you.

These issues steal our joy and keep us living in self-doubt and confusion.  Who needs that, right?  Nicole reminds us that the power of Christ can transform us.  As Christians, we don't face these issues alone, we have access to the power of Christ.  
The important, game changing point is that we decide to face them.  We teach our children that ignoring a problem never makes it go away.  Isn't it time we followed our own advice.   We don't have to keep feeling like we're never living up to what others think or even what we think, we should be.  Nicole shares with us, her search in dealing with her issues.

My hope is that other women, like me, will pick up a copy of this book and use is a guide tool.  Sometimes the problems we think we have are so overwhelming because we've spent so much time wringing our hands over them.  If we could just step back and look at them through someone else's eyes, we'd be able to see how insignificant they really are.  Let's take the power away from the mind gremlin and give it to Christ where it belongs.

I also, really like the quizzes and other personal assessment tools that were included in this book.  I recommend it for anyone who struggles with self-worth issues.  Yeah, I'm talking about you.
 
Disclosure: I received this complimentary copy of She’s Got Issues, for reviewing purposes from Tyndale House.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Want Some Giveaway Gossip?

I've got a friend (don't act so surprised), that's having a great giveaway to help you get your summer decorating on!


Traci @ Beneath My Heart has teamed up with Pier 1 Imports fir a chance to win a $100 gift card!  How awesome would that be.    Traci picked out such pretty things for her patio.  I love her new table setting and pillows.  I just wish I was close enough to have lunch and spend an afternoon ewing and awing over all her clever DIY projects.

Pier 1 is also providing Beneath My Heart readers, an exclusive $10 off of a $50 purchase to help you achieve your own backyard makeover.  That's 20% off, if I've got my math right! 

So you're probably are in a hurry to head over to Beneath My Heart and snatch that giveaway right away from me, right?  That's what I get for sharing such juicy news.  Be sure and tell Traci I sent you, but before you go make sure you check out my giveaways that are ending soon.  Just click on the buttons on the right sidebar - easy as you please.

Ya'll come back soon.....♥ Tracy

We Have 3 New Winners

The Great Clips Mother's Day Giveaway winner is Christy Ann @ Hardly a Housewife.

The General Mills Curvy Straws Prize Pack Giveaway winner is Melissa Brander @ http://womeneverywhere.wordpress.com/

The $25 Burger King Gift Card winner is Tammy Wolaver Laney.

Congratulations Ladies!  I've sent the emails out to the winners and I've already heard back from Christy.  So Melissa and Tammy, hurry and email me back within 48 hours or another winner will have to chosen.

While we're talking about giveaways don't forget to check out these other ones that will be ending soon.

The Voice New Testament Giveaway - Ends 5/23/12

Honey Bunches of Oats Giveaway - Ends 5/27/12

Fiber One Chewy Bars Prize Pack Giveaway - Ends 5/31/12

Be sure to drop back by this week for the next new giveaway.

Wishing ya'll a happy start to a brand new week.

Hugs...Tracy ♥

Prayers Change Things ~ My Heart and Home Are So Full

Have I got good news to share with you on this beautiful Sunday!!

I know I'm only able to report this good news because of all the Many Prayers that ya'll have prayed.

Mattie is home! She home!!!

It feels so wonderful to say that. I have to admit my faith came and went. I would lose hope and then one of you would share a wonderful story about your pets with me. You encouraged me and consoled me. Those thoughts and prayers gave me hope which, I in turn, shared with Neil to give him hope.


What in the world did I ever do before blogging? All our neighbors and most of all our family, (Thank you Joni and Greg) shared our pain and anguish over losing her.


Our poor little baby is worn out. She had a huge adventure, one that I don't think was so wonderful. She was gone for 14 and a half days. That had to seem like forever for her. She lost more than 5 pounds and now only weighs 10 lbs. You can feel every rib and every bone. It just breaks my heart. She was covered in fleas and filth. The day before we found her she was brought into the animal shelter. I half heartily thought that it wouldn't be her but it was. She was a little confused at first but after filling out the paperwork and stopping back by to see her again she knew exactly who we were. She was jumping and barking louder than she ever had.


I'm really upset with the process that she went through at the shelter. I know that there are a lot of pets there and it's not a boarding kennel but I think they totally missed the boat on this one. They said we weren't allow to get her back without her being spayed. She's 12 years old!!! It's obvious that she's never been bred and had babies, so we weren't neglecting her by letting her get pregnant all the time. Why was it necessary? The employee said she could be exempt if I got a letter from her vet saying it was not in her best interest because of age and the heart worms that she has. I went to the vet immediately and got the letter on the vets stationery with a copy of her vet records. They said because her last visit was over a year ago, (it was April 2011) that they thought the letter wasn't relative and if she was not up for it they would not do it, but they would not go with the vet recommendation. The vet told them that it would be risky to do the surgery and would require closely monitored EKG. She told them that Mattie was 12 years old, we also had told them Mattie was 12 but they wouldn't change their paperwork saying their vet would changed it after determining her age from her teeth. They never did change it from 8.

They even said was blind with cataracts, underweight, with poor teeth, and cysts etc...   They went through with the surgery anyway.  She was sent home with no medication and no bath and believe me she was horrid and told us not to bath her for 10 days.   How do you put a poor little thing like her through all that and seeing she's filthy and not bath her first, especially knowing we were coming to take her home and not supposed to bath her.  She has a terrible cough now but she sounds so weak and can hardly get it out.  It sounds like fluid in her lungs.  She's so weak she couldn't even squat to have a bowel movement, though she tried twice.  She feels like she has a low grade fever and is very weak and shaky.  I'm furious that they put her though this unnecessarily.

We plan on loving her, babying her and getting her back to being our healthy Mattie.  Our hearts and home are full again...

God Bless all of you for you love and prayers.

I hope each of you are feeling as blessed as we are today.

Love....Tracy ♥

Dr. Scholl’s® For Her High Heel Insoles BzzAgent Review

I haven't written a BzzAgent review in awhile and the latest one couldn't have come at a better time.  BzzAgent, more on that a little later, partnered with Dr. Scholl's to get the word out there.  What word, you ask?  The word, that women don't have to suffer with painful feet, every time they wear their favorite heels!

Admit it girls, it's all about the look when it comes to shoes.  Especially high heel, special occasion, dress up, look hot shoes.  We women have suffered for the sake of looking good for too long.  Dr. Scholl's wants to help you get a little relief.  So BzzAgent sent me a pair of Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles to try out myself and review.

If you've been reading my blog, you know I recently had foot surgery, on both feet.  Not highly recommended, maybe I'll feel different when the pain finally goes away.  Anyway, I want be wearing any high heels any time soon.  Never fear, I still tried them out.  

The package says "Fits comfortably in all open-style shoes:

• Sandals
• Slingbacks
• Slides
• Strappy dress shoes

Well that's just what I did.  I tried them out in a pair of thong sandals.  Did it work?  Boy, did it ever. It seemed to take the wait off the ball of my feet. That's really been an issue with me lately too. It's been feeling like I'm carrying 300 lbs on my feet lately. The gel inserts were cool and so comfortable.

The ultra-soft gel arch shifts the pressure off the ball of your foot, leaving you with all day comfort.  I haven't worn them for a full day and granted I didn't get to try them out in heels but they definitely live up to their words about comfort.

Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles help prevent foot aches and pain caused by wearing high heels two inches and higher.  Here are a few ways they help:

• Unique design is clinically proven to help prevent high heel pain.
• Ultra-soft FabuSTEP Gel Arch shifts pressure off ball of foot.
• Immediate and long lasting comfort guaranteed, or your money back.
• Practically invisible, even in stappy heels.
• Slim design won't make shoes feel tight.
• Insoles stay firmly in place, and are easily removable without damaging shoes.
• Made to fit women's shoes 6-10, including all open-style shoes.

Thanks to BzzAgent and Dr. Scholl's, I have some $4 off coupons to give out to my Cotton Pickin Cute readers - that's you!  Some stores like Walmart have them for $8 a pair, so that is a 50% savings!  If you are would like one of these discount coupons, leave me a comment letting me know.  I'll be glad to send one to the first 4 readers who respond.  Please only request one if you think you'll use it.

If you are interested in trying great new products and would like to blog about them you should checkout BzzAgent for yourself.  Just click here @ BzzAgent.com to learn more.

As a BzzAgent, I received a free pair of Dr. Scholl's for Her High Heel Insoles, as well as coupons, to review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Printable Green Giant Boxed Vegtables

Green Giant wants to help you save a little money while helping you eat healthy.  To do that they're sharing a money saving coupon that you can print right at home. 

You can visit http://bit.ly/greengiantcoupon to download a printable *coupon for $0.60 off the purchase of two boxes of Weight Watchers® endorsed Green Giant Boxed Vegetables.


Disclosure:  This coupon offer was brought to my attention by Green Giant via MyBlogSpark.

Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snack Coupon

Looking for a snack that your kids will love and you can feel good about? With new Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks, you need not look any further and we want you and your family to give them a try.
 

Available in two delicious varieties and made with real fruit juice+ and natural colors* and flavors, Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks provide kids with the great tasting snacks they crave and parents with the confidence that they come from a good place. Not to mention these fruit flavored snacks contain 100% daily dose of your Vitamin C, are gluten free, contain only 80 calories, and are available with double Box Tops all year long!


Want to check out Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks?  You can click here to download a printable coupon to save $1.10 when you buy any TWO boxes of Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks. 

Disclosure:  I received this information and the coupon offer from Ocean Spray® through MyBlogSpark.

Fiber One Chewy Bars Prize Pack Giveaway

Looking for a snack that combines the taste kids’ love with the nutrients they need? Be one of the first to try new Fiber One® Chewy bars, the perfect wholesome snack that the whole family will enjoy! Available in Chocolate and Strawberry PBandJ varieties, these chewy bars are perfect for in-the-house, on-the-go, and everywhere in between. Complete with a peanut butter or chocolate bottom and yummy drizzle in every bite, kids won’t be able to resist the taste and parents won’t be able to resist the nutrition of this enjoyable snack.

I'm always looking for a delicious way to add fiber to our diets and this is a yummy way to do it.


•Fiber One Chewy bars contain 20% of the Daily Value of fiber and 10% of the Daily Value of calcium


•These 100 or 110 calorie bars contain no high fructose corn syrup, and only 7 or 8 grams of sugar


•According to the results of a recent taste test*, kids prefer Fiber One Chewy Chocolate bars over Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars


Want to know how new these are? The final packaging has yet to be produced, so in order to offer a true sneak peek, we will be sending plain sample boxes in your gift packs! And soon they will feature the added bonus of Box Tops for Education on-pack, truly making Fiber One Chewy bars an ideal snack for school-aged children.

Win it: One lucky Cotton Pickin Cute reader will win a Fiber One Chewy Bars Prize Pack, which includes all of the following:




•(1) Box of Fiber One Chewy Chocolate Bars


•(1) Box of the Fiber One Chewy Strawberry PB&J Bars


•Drawstring Sack Pack


•Water Bottle


•Flexi Flyer


•Soccer Ball


•Sidewalk Chalk

Entering is so easy with the Rafflecopter form below.  Just follow the simple instructions and you could be the next winner.  This giveaway will end May 31th at 12:01 AM EST.

The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If no response, a new winner will be chosen. Open to residents of the US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  The product, gift pack, information, and additional sample have all been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.  All opinions are my own.



Susan's Disney Family: The Pajama Shoppe – Review and $100 GC Giveaway

Susan's Disney Family is having a great giveaway.  One that I would really like to win but I'll share the news with ya'll too.

You can check it out here:
Susan's Disney Family: The Pajama Shoppe – Review and $100 GC Giveaway

Good Luck Ya'll. 

Oh' yeah.  Don't forget to checkout and enter my giveaways on the right sidebar.  just click on the pic.

I'm a New Mother This Year But I'm Always Proudest to Say I'm An Old Mother

Thank goodness for the small things.

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of the family and the co-editor of Cotton Pickin Cute.  His name is Izzy (pronounced 'is he').  As in - Is he cute? or - Where is he?

I'm in love with him because he has the sweetest personality.  Out of 5 kittens I fell in love with his sweet loving personality right off.  Though he can't take the place of Mattie, he is helping my heart feel a little better.  God is so good to provide me something to love just when I've lost my baby.

I want to thank everyone for all the comforting words.  There have been so many of you, Deb, Debbie and so many more, that I wanted to contact this weekend but haven't.  The fact is my feet look like they are heeling on the outside but someone forgot to tell the inside.  It's been a rough weekend with them.  Lots of meds and sleep and whining. 

I've tried to get up a few post that needed to go up but that's all I've managed to do.  I still have winners to announce, hopefully this afternoon.  Don't forget to enter my giveaways.They're listed on the right sidebar, just click on the photo.

I hope you all had a beautiful Mother's Day yesterday.  I thought a lot about my own mama, grandma's, aunt and  mother-in-laws - both past and present.  All these women are gone now but each left a big imprint on my life.  I also thought about how lucky my Grandchildren are to have such an involved mother, who devotes so much love and time to them,  I've said that I was blessed with my son, since the day he was born.  God gave me child that was so easy to raise.  Always a good boy, he made my job so simple.  I am so, so grateful to be called his mother.

Have a blessed week Ya'll...♥ Tracy

GIVEAWAY: FREE HONEY BUNCHES of OATS CEREAL COUPON! 3 WINNERS

Do you have cereal in your house? What a silly question, of course you do. We've all ate cereal since we were kids. The problem is as we get older it gets harder to choose something a little more healthy with a taste we really love. And now Post Honey Bunches of Oats has improved their cereal! They've added more of those delicious granola bunches we love to each box!

It tastes so good it's easy to forget why it's good fore you too. So here's a little about the cereal: (per serving)

• 10 Grams Whole Grain
• 6 grams of sugar *Compare to Honey Nut Cheerios' at 9 grams!
• 9 essential vitamins and minerals
• Heart Healthy!
• 0g Trans Fat
• 0g Saturated Fat
• 0mg Cholesterol

We tried the Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted and we both loved it. It had enough sweet flavor to satisfy my sweet tooth and the crunch was better than ever. We've got a winner! 2 Thumbs up from the two of us!



Best of all Honey Bunches of Oats comes in several different flavors. The winners can choose what kind - and there are 10 to choose from! Something for everyone in your family.



To save you money Post is offering you a $1 off coupon at the Honey Bunches of Oats Facebook page. While there, you can get also enter to win a sweet yellow bicycle! There's plenty plenty of information about Honey Bunches of Oaks too.

3 Winners will receive a coupon for a FREE box of Honey Bunches of Oats! Valid only in the USA,FPOs, and APOs.

This giveaway ends on May 27th at 11:59 PM (EST). To enter just use the easy to use Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Post provided me with a free box of Honey Bunches of Oats for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Hawaiian Tropical Splash Giveaway from Purex

As a Purex insider I get word about all the newest products and promotions to share with my readers.  Like the 25 Days of 25 Crystals Promotion.
The Grand Prize is a 3-night stay on the beautiful beachfront hotel – Outrigger Reef on the Beach, in Waikiki. There will also be 500 2nd place winners that each receives a coupon for a free bottle of Purex Crystals! Be sure and Like Outrigger Reef on the beach hotel here first than enter the giveaway by clicking on the below.

Enter the Hawaiian Tropical Splash Giveaway  giveaway here.

I can't think of anyone that deserves a vacation more than mothers, but don't worry you don't have to be a mom to enter this awesome giveaway.  You have the chance to win either a coupon for Purex Crystals or the grand prize of a vacation.

Disclosure:  As a Purex Insider, I receive this promotional information.  I was not paid and always share my own honest opinion.

Purex Let's Be Honest - Win Purex For A Year

More BIG news from Purex!

Purex recently launched their new Let’s Be Honest promotional campaign featuring Second City Comedian Molly Erdman. Purex has created a funny series of short videos sharing honest moments that reflect honest everyday Life, Laundry, and Whatever.

Check out http://www.purex.com/ to watch these funny videos!


Every day one lucky entrant will win a year’s supply of Purex detergent!

How huge is that! 

The daily sweepstakes will run through July 24th.


Stay tuned for more info!

Get O Magazine For Just $10 Thanks To Purex

Being a Purex Insider has it's advantages.  Like getting to share great deals and opportunites with Cotton Pickin Cute readers like you.

Now Purex has teamed up with Oprah Magazine to bring you a Hot deal!

1-year subscriptions to O Magazine for only $10 - Delievered right to your mailbox!

We believe this will be the lowest price for O Magazine available anywhere on the internet!

Think what a great Mother's Day gift this would make. A gift that would keep on giving all year long. Remind your Mom (and Grandma) that they're the best every month when they open their mailbox.

Hurry this promotion won't last long.  The promotion ends May 25th at 5pm PST!  Be sure to click the underlined link above to order you $10 subscription today. 

*Be a good friend and share this email with your friends today!

Disclosure: I received this information from Purex as a Purex Insider. My opinion is 100% my own, I may be compensated for this information.

Mattie Update

Oh' my goodness!  What a difference prayers can make.

I know that God and his angels are hearing your prayers. Though we didn't find Mattie, we did get some hopeful news.

**I got confused yesterday.  I said we had Mattie since she was 6 months old.  That was wrong.  We've had her since she was 8 weeks old.  Our other dog Tess, who's passed and lived to be 17 was the one we'd had since she was 6 months old.

Okay now that we've got that straight - back to the story.

Two teen girls called and said they had seen her (pretty sure) in the neighborhood and we told them we were on our way. They were going door to door with one of the posters when we got over there. Then another woman stopped Neil and said she was sure she saw her behind a laundry mat. She could tell she was an indoor dog even though she was so dirty. Mattie was up by a busy street but didn't go near it and was acting very timid.

I really had lost hope and even though I'm disappointed that we didn't bring her home and that she's not safe inside somewhere, it makes me think that at least no one picked her up and planned on keeping her. We plan on heading back over there tomorrow and hopefully I'll have good news to share with you. 

Just when you think all hope is lost, you find out it's not. 

That one call today was like a message from God saying "The many prayers shared have been heard.  Do not be of little faith".

I wish I could give each one of you a hug in person. 

BIG HUGS......Tracy♥

ENTER MY GIVEAWAYS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE - HINT - THEY'RE AWESOME

Guaranteed to make you smile :) ~ I have 3 great giveaways for you to enter now.  And there are more to come.

Just click on the photo below to enter the giveaway.

Great Clip Gift Basket includes a $100 Visa Gift Card, Free Hair Cute and 6 Hair Products - ends 5/11. 

The Voice New Testament ends 5/23.

Burger King $25.00 Gift Card ends 5/21.

I'm linking up to the following Giveaway Linky Parties.

Born 2 Impress
Cuckoo For Coupon Deals

Eighty MPH Mom

Fab Finds by November Girl XOXO

Blessed Beyond Words

Coupon Geek 

For the Love of Baby

 Give Me Neither 

Look What Mom Found & Dad too!
The King's Court IV
Koupon Karen
Pink Coupon Cafe
Thrifty Jinxy
Giveaways4Prizes

  

Good Luck Ya'll........Tracy♥

P.S.  Thank you all for the kind and caring comments about Mattie.  Your prayers mean so much and they're what's helping me keep faith that she may come back to us.  I love you all.....♥

Where's Our Baby?

Our hearts are breaking.  Our baby "Mattie" is missing.

I'm going through the 'what-if's' now. 

• 'What if '.... I wouldn't have taken Mattie with us?  It was just supposed to be a short visit to see my cousin since he wasn't feeling well.
• 'What if '... I wouldn't have gotten so involved in our greeting that I didn't lose track of her?  I sat her on the driveway and told her to stay but then I got out of the car and walked to the house.  She never followed.
• 'What if '...I would have realized that she didn't come in the house with us sooner? We walked through the house talking and looking and it wasn't until I sat down that I realized she wasn't there.  She's usually under our feet and I never even realized she wasn't there until then.  I just assumed she walked in with us.

If only we have realized sooner.  It had been more than 20 minutes.  It was going on 9:30pm.  She was nowhere to be found.  We spent the next 2-1/2 hours looking for her.  Wandering the neighborhood in 3 directions.  Going to Walmart to buy a flashlight only to get it home and realize it didn't work and having to go back again.  More time missing.

It killed us to leave that side of town knowing there was nothing else we could do until daylight.  Feeling like we left our child who's  lost, missing all night.  Rescue mission on hold.

We got home and I went to the animal shelter websites to post missing notices.  Neil worked on making a flyer.  It was 6am before he could bandage my aching feet.  I had just had the stitches removed on Tues.  and now one cut was coming apart again and the they're swollen and hurting.  What bad timing.  I couldn't not look for her.  When she went missing all the foot pain went away - I was running on nervous adrenaline and didn't feel it. I was feeling it now.

Saturday it went up to 92 degrees and all I could think about is I hope someone is keeping her safe.  I hope she's cool, full and not scared.   Is she thinking "how could they abandon me like that"?   

The poor little thing is losing her eyesight and hearing.  She has allergies and itch's all the time if she doesn't have her medicine.  Will the people who picked her up just toss her back out when they tire of her scratching?

  She's over 12 years old, with heart worms.  We've had her since she was 8 weeks old.  I don't want her to not be with us in the end.  I miss my baby.

My cousin Greg, who we went to see because he wasn't feeling well spent the whole time Friday night helping us search despite how he was feeling.  Saturday he printed the flyers Neil designed, went to buy supplies with us and stayed out in the heat again all day posting them. 

Greg and I grew up more like brother and sister than cousins.  Only 2 months apart in birth and the children of 2 sisters, we spent a LOT of time together growing up.  Thank you Greg, for being there and  helping us, like you always do.

It's sad to think that out of these 3, Mattie's the only one who hasn't passed away.  Bugger our cat died about a year ago.  We had him for about 10 years.  Tess the black dog was the sweetest rescue dog that we had gotten when she was 6 months old.  We had her for about 17 years before she passed away.  She was blind by then and Mattie was her guide dog.  We miss them all. 

We still haven't heard from anyone saying they have our baby.  All that's left to do is PRAY.....