Shabby Chic Treats for the Summer Giveaway Hop

This week I'm joining several other bloggers in a Summer Fun Giveaway Hop!  This hop goes on all week long, but my giveaway won't end until midnight on the 4th of July!  

I've put together this "Shabby Chic Home Package" for you---a great collection of some pretty things for you to enjoy.  Included in this package are:

A Shabby Chic Tote I made from some gorgeous gifted fabrics, ribbon, and a button.

A Mini Mirror made from a beautiful antique saucer and some found things.

A Depression Glass Sherbet Cup Pin Cushion.  These fabric and notions were gifted to me from a friend in Germany.

You could win the whole thing!  Just complete the steps in the Rafflecopter widget below (might take a minute to load---please refresh if you don't see it).  One winner will be drawn on July 5th.  Giveaway is open to residents of the USA and Canada.

Make sure to visit the other blogs in the Giveaway Hop as well, to see what great things they're giving away this week!


  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

Linking with:
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Simple Living Wednesdays @ Our Simple Farm
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Shoe Lace Linkup @ Living In the Shoe
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows
Craft-o-Maniac Monday  
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Matrimonial Monday @ A Proverbs 31 Wife 
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
Better Mom Mondays
Manic Monday @ Cupcake-n-Bake
Mommy Mondays
Making Your Home Sing Monday

Family Movie Time with the Berenstain Bears

The Coller kids were thrilled to receive these two Berenstain Bears gift sets to watch and enjoy.  Thanks so much to kaboom! Entertainment for sending us these two free sets in exchange for our review.  All opinions are honest and are our own.

Liam (3) and Kynthia (2) could not wait to open up these boxes and hold their new bears!  We've all been fans of The Berenstain Bears series for awhile now, though the kids all just call them "the Brother Bear and Sister Bear shows."  The Golden Brother Edition and Golden Sister Edition are limited edition packages that have just been released at Walmart and Sam's Club stores across the US.

Once we gave the littler ones a chance to open up the special boxes and hold their bears, Avalon (4), Selah (7), and Cainan (9) decided to join in the fun.  We are a homeschooling family that schools all year round, but we're currently on a little break.  The kids were happy to have a couple hours this morning to just relax and enjoy these wholesome cartoons.

The Berenstain Bears family consists of Father, Mother, Brother and Sister Bears---a loving and loyal family who helps kids remember important life lessons like kindness and good manners.  I was doing housework while they were watching and overheard something that really blessed me.  Mother Bear told the cubs, "Instead of complaining about all the things you don't have, be thankful for what you have.  It's called, 'counting your blessings'."  What a wonderful supplement to what we're already trying to instill in our kids!

It wasn't long before the rest of the kids joined these five for a few more episodes.  My 11-year-old, Michael, said he really liked how the bears were such a fun family and that the stories were positive.  Cainan liked the fact that when the cubs find themselves in trouble and try to work it out alone, things don't go how they're hoping.  But, when they go and ask their grandparents or parents for help, everything works out good.  He also liked that each episode opens with a little saying to help remember the theme of the story.  It reminded him of the Bible study lessons Daddy does for us.  Selah said the show was, "kinda like, Leave it to Beaver."  Ha!

Be sure to visit kaboom! Entertainment online to keep up on all the newly scheduled releases and pick up your limited edition gift sets at Walmart or Sam's Club.  Wholesome entertainment for kids is a good investment!


Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

4th of July Trivia, Games and Treats: Family Fun for the Fourth

America's Independence Day Bash is coming up soon!  I made these cute cupcakes for my family to celebrate.  I was inspired by Keri's Red, White, & Blue Cookie Cups on her blog, Shaken Together, and I used Kendra's cream cheese frosting recipe from Living in the Shoe.  Red Velvet cake mixes are coming out my ears, thanks to a couple great weeks of coupon deals, so I was thrilled to find something yummy to do with them!

I love learning interesting facts about history---do you?  Here are some trivia questions to share with your family:

Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, but it wasn't until 1804 that the first public Fourth of July celebration was held at the White House.  (That might surprise you, unless you know that the White House wasn't completed until the year 1800!)  Modern day celebrations there include barbeques, kids' activities, fireworks, and the USO show in remembrance and honor of veterans and troops.

The legal separation from England actually occurred on July 2nd but American's began celebrating it from the start on the 4th because that was the date written on the Declaration of Independence.

The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did not all sign on July 4, 1776.  Most signed on August 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it then.  The others signed at various times afterward.  The names of the signers were not released to the public for six months.  If we hadn't had won our independence, the signers would have been killed for treason.

Congress didn't declare the 4th of July a legal holiday until 1941 and it's one of the few that have not been moved to a Monday.

The major reason American colonists wanted freedom was because of the practice of taxation without representation. There was no Colonial representative at Parliament to help decide on fair taxes.

More 4th Fun:

Declaration of Independence Quiz

4th of July Crossword

Patriotic Baby Names

4th of July Quiz for Kids
4th of July Fonts

Make sure and stop by the Summer Fun Giveway Hop!  I'm giving away a gorgeous Shabby Chic package---and there are many more prizes from some other awesome bloggers!
Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

Linking with:
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Tutorial Tuesdays with Hope Studios
Courtship Connection
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
Domestically Divine @ Far Above Rubies
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
Tending the Home Tuesday
Tuesday Link Up Party 
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz
What's Working Wednesday @ NextGen Homeschool 
Watcha Work-Up Wednesday 
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Simple Living Wednesdays @ Our Simple Farm
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows
Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop 
Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits @ Stone Gable  
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Create It Thursday
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Beverly's Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound
Family Fun Friday @ Happy and Blessed Home
Farm Girl Friday @ Let This Mind Be In You
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
From the Farm
Blue Monday@Smiling Sally
Craft-o-Maniac Monday  
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Matrimonial Monday @ A Proverbs 31 Wife 
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
Better Mom Mondays
Manic Monday @ Cupcake-n-Bake
Mommy Mondays
Making Your Home Sing Monday