Rarely does good trump business, but in this case, good kicked business in the behind.
When my publisher, Revell, told me the release date of my new e-book, Surviving Summer Vacation: Plans and Prayers for a Mom’s Sanity (May 6th) I may have had a slight panic attack.
As much as I would love to tell you that I was able to have those Lazy Hazy days of summer laid back and unplanned for my kids, that’s just not how we could roll. Unplanned is not a good look on my family. Sure, we could have reading time every day, but to have the rest of our time be unstructured? While other kids may spend a whole afternoon looking at a roly-poly in the back yard, my kids took a more destructive route to life – cutting up curtains with a forgotten pair of scissors, devising ways to torture their sister, and so on.
You see, I’ve had (and still have) kids at home. I get the stress of summer vacation, and well, by May 6th, you’ve got to have at least a basic plan in place.
So I begged, and pleaded, and maybe groveled a little and beseech-ed (because it sounds biblical) my publisher to release the book a little early so that a mom could have a little time to prepare!
But Revell (did I mention I LOVE Revell) did me one better. They are letting me GIVE AWAYadvance PDF copies of the book FOR FREE. Did I mention that they are FOR FREE?
Let’s be clear: Publishers don’t do things like this.
Did I mention that I love them?
Here’s what you’ll get:
Surviving Summer Vacation is a fun-packed book with hundreds of ideas to make your summer spectacular. Along with all these mom-friendly kid ideas that are contained in this PDF preview, you will receive access to a free Kindle or Nook version (being released on May 6th) along with 10 PDF downloads to make your summer as smooth as possible. Here are just a few of the fun areas that are covered:
And Summer Begins
Responsibility
Mom Time
Gardening
Reading
Music
Creative Activities
Food
Adventure
PLUS! A Sneak Peek of my next book I Need Some Help Here! Hope for when Your Kids Don’t Go According to Plan
Now one caveat: Because it’s a preview copy, the links to all the free and wonderful downloads are not activated. But don’t fret. When you sign up to receive the free preview copy, I will follow up with an email on the eBook release date how to get your Kindle or Nook copy that includes all those downloads, again for FREE.
To get your copy, click on the button below, fill out the form (there are only two items of info we need) and you will get it in your email TODAY.
Happy Summer planning!
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Thanks for visiting me here. If you are an imperfect mom like me, you have found a home. (Or at least a place to have a lukewarm cup of coffee.)
For those of us who know it’s better to do things as a tribe than alone (cause what’s the fun in that?) Check out my Facebook Page and download the free ebook: Six Chicks Freeze and Fix – How to Start a Freezer Meal Co-op (look at the “Tabs” at the top of the page.)
And wait – there’s more!
Sign up for my monthly newsletter (filled with great tips about keeping your life in order!) and you will receive my free ebook THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MAN FOOD filled with great recipes to keep that man in your life extra happy.
Oh, and next week we are going to work on some Shame-Free Organizing of our lives – sign up for the blog (under the 15 Minutes to a More Organized Life sign in here on the blog.)
Thanks for being a part of my ministry – here on the blog, on Facebook, and through MOPS. You are each so precious to me. I just want to squeeze your cheeks.
Get your signed (or unsigned) copy of The Husband Project at Kathi’s Store
If you are here from Hearts at Home, WELCOME! I love Jill and the whole Hearts at Home team, so if you’re a friend of them, you’re a friend of mine. Glad you landed on my front porch!
Post-It Note Challenge – Write Something Fun or Flirty for Your Man!
Ladies- are you ready to show you man a little love today? If so, here are your instructions:
I want you to grab a Post-it (cause you know how much I love a Post-it!)
Write something, fun, flirty, or a little scandalous on it – I give you permission…
Put that Post-it somewhere where only HE will find it
Tell us what you wrote on it (or if it’s Too Hot to Handle, just write TMI in the comments below)
“A simple word can renew hope.”
Lois Mayday Rabey
It can be words of encouragement, something flirty and sexy, sweet whispers and so on. Leave the post it where only he will find it. It can be in his briefcase, wallet, on his car steering wheel, underwear drawer, tool box, whatever he is going to open or use today. Below I listed 21 ideas to get you started thinking. If you need to use one from the list below or make up your own Post-It greeting.
21 Post-It-Sized Encouragements
I’m praying for you today.
Those jeans are really working for you…
I love you.
You are the best dad!
You’re the kind of husband that makes the other wives jealous.
You rock my world!
Can’t wait to see you tonight – meet me upstairs…
Thanks for working hard to provide for us. I appreciate all that you do.
You make me feel beautiful.
I thank God for you everyday.
How did I get so lucky, being married to a guy like you?
You’re great!
You make everyday more fun.
Have a great day.
You’re hot!
I feel so safe with you.
Smart and good looking – I’ve got the whole package in you!
You can be very distracting, you know…
Our kids are so blessed to have a dad like you.
That smile I wear – it is all because of you.
God have blessed me in big ways by letting me be your wife.
Remember, you have more power than you know to change the direction of your husband’s day. Go grab that Post-it right now!
Let us know what you wrote in the comments below, and three of you are going to win THE HUSBAND PROJECT book and DVD set!!!
OK so 400 posts may not seem like a big deal, but for me doing anything 400 times that doesn’t involve Starbucks is an accomplishment.
The other big milestone around these parts is that my 3rd book, The Me Project, is being released in just a few weeks and I couldn’t be more excited.
If you would like your very own copy, (and since this is my favorite book ever, I hope you will…) you can get it – at a discounted price! – and see more about the book, here. (the book will be discounted until the end of the month.)
And, if your group is interested in finding out more about doing The ME Project, we have a whole leaders kit for you to use. (And of course, I would love to come speak to your group – I promise you we will laugh…)
We will be going through parts of the book on the blog. So if you’ve created a list of goals for the New Year, you’ve already taken the first step in the book. (Doesn’t it feel good to be ahead of the game…)
Thanks for helping me celebrate – and for all your contributions to the book. You are a blessing to me.
I just did some toy shopping. I ordered a big plush version of Dory from Finding Nemo.
And I bought it for myself. (And maybe, just maybe, I will let my two toddler friends play with it if they promise to be really, really careful.) Let me tell you why I had the sudden need to have a giant stuffed fish on my desk.
Last year, I made a huge list of all the things I wanted to get accomplished in 2010. And you know what? There weren’t a lot of checkmarks.
I started to get really depressed around June. Why wasn’t I getting things done? Why was I working so hard and I wasn’t getting the checkmarks I wanted – ney! – deserved?!?
Until I realized, even though I wasn’t getting the list done, I was getting other things done. God was taking me in new and unexpected directions – it wasn’t what I’d planned on, it was better.
I love how Dory just keeps telling herself, “Just keep swimming”. Don’t get distracted.
That’s my resolution for the year – to just keep swimming. Even if I’m not heading in the direction I though, I need to keep swimming.
So Dory and I are going to be doing 2011 together. I have some things I want to get accomplished (we already made our first Goodwill and dump runs this year – talk about a cleansing ritual…) but I am also going to just keep moving – not get bogged down when things don’t go the way I want them to. I’m going to keep learning, keep seeking God, and keep discovering His plan for me.
So tell me – what is your 2011 resolution this year?
There are just some things that make me feel like a grown-up writer. Having my book come out on Kindle is definitely up there.
I just found out that The Marriage Project (released this month) is now available on Kindle. And that makes me very, very happy.
I know, many of you think Kindle is the downfall of modern civilization. (Or at least the publishing industry.) In fact, when my friend Cathy was at a writer’s retreat and mentioned her Kindle, another author proceeded to give her a lecture about how she was contributing to the demise of independent bookstores everywhere.
Which is hilarious, because besides me, no one has contributed more to the success of independent bookstores that Cathy (as judged by her bookshelves…)
I “read” a lot of books every year. “Read” is in quotes because I also download a lot of books to my iPod to listen to while walking Jake the puggle (pug/beagle mix) or while driving to speaking engagements. (Roger is not a book on tape fan and therefore does not want to listen to anything while we are driving together, preferring meaningful conversation. Whatever.)
If I read 100 books a year (which, may in fact not be too far off…)I would guess that my breakdown goes something like this:
15 Audible Downloads
20 Amazon Purchases (of actual books)
14 Kindle Downloads
10 Gifts from other friends and authors (either purchased in a store or as a free copy from the publisher – and BTW – I receive a lot more books than I read…)
41 books from Brick and Mortar stores (these would include B&N, Borders, Christian bookstores, independent bookstores, airport bookstores, etc.)
.
So I am interested – what is your breakdown of what your read? Do you own an e-reader and if not – do you want one – or are you morally opposed to it. (Don’t worry, all opinions are welcomed – if not always embraced…)
