Saved by Grace

Gettin’ my booty in gear

Published on April 13, 2024, by Christine in Uncategorized.

I started a program called “couch 2 5k” after being introduced to it by a friend from my church.

The idea behind the program is it will take you from a couch potato to a jogger in about 10 weeks, starting slow and working up your stamina. It’s normally a program that coaches you along the way via an app on a smartphone or a download for an ipod. Since my Ipod is older than dirt and I do not have a smartphone, I am doing it the more complicated way, (I am using a stop watch and get no guidance as I go.)

Now, I don’t know if I will be a champion jogger by the end of this, but after week one, I have to admit, I am intrigued and proud of myself. I am the type, when it comes to exercise, to do more talking about wanting to start a program than actually doing it. Can I just say I made a small victory this week? I finished week one. I finished it even though it hurt, it was hard and I didn’t always feel like it. That’s a victory for me. Trust me.

Now, for some about 35 minuets of exercise is NOTHING, for me, its a lot. I am very out of shape. I am overweight and I am not used to this.

I decided to try this because I have a great support system and I have gotten a few health scares in the last year or so that have really made me question my lifestyle. I am only 30 and I have type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and sleep issues that are kind of like sleep apnea.I need to do something about what I am doing in my life. Clearly, what I have been doing is not correct and I can no longer get away with eating like a teenager.

So, I will keep my readers updated, and please cheer me on in this journey. I could really use it!

photo by Whologwhy via Flickr “creative commons”

1 Comment.

EOS-The lip balm “egg”

Published on April 10, 2024, by Christine in Beauty, Giveaways, Product Reviews.

I love EOS. I love that EOS let me try three of their flavors! (In case you are wondering, EOS means “Evolution Of Smooth”)

If you haven’t seen these little “eggs” of lip balm at your local retailer, you need to look for them! (They are sold at Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and other major retailers)

Ever since I discovered them, I have been in love. They have wonderful flavors, moisturize really well and they are so unique. Getting a good lip balm is really important for Montana’s harsh winters and windy spring/fall.

I tried 3 flavors. They have several more though. These lip balms come is flavors such as Summer Fruit, Lemon Drop, Strawberry Sorbet, Honeysuckle Honeydew, Medicated Tangerine and Sweet Mint.

I tried the (clockwise from top) Summer Fruit, Honeysuckle Honeydew and Lemon Drop.

You can toss one in your purse and won’t do too much digging around for your lip balm because they are super unique in shape. The lid stays shut because it clicks shut when you twist it. I also love the soft feeling of the pod.

What’s awesome is my husband LOVES EOS. He has been taking it to work with him every day!

They are more hygienic than a lip balm pot because they do not require you to touch the balm and you can just apply directly to your lips.

What is really great about them is they are petroleum and paraben free. They are not tested on animals. They are gluten free.

The Summer Fruit, Strawberry Sorbet, Honeysuckle Honeydew and Sweet Mint flavors are 95% organic and 100% Natural.

The key ingredients are Jojoba oil, Shea butter and Vitamin E. These ingredients are responsible for long lasting moisture, antioxidant protection and smoothness.

This is such an earth friendly product, even the packaging is recyclable.

Please visit www.evolutionofsmooth.com for more information.

EOS is also wonderful because they have offered to let one of my readers win a lip balm in “Medicated Tangerine”! Please fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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23 Comments.

Easter fun!

Published on April 7, 2024, by Christine in Homelife.

My Church always hosts an awesome event for families the day before Easter. It’s an egg hunt, and free carnival. There is free popcorn, cotton candy, hotdogs and soda as well as games, and bounce houses. I have taken Jaeda the last couple years and she always has a blast. I wanted to share some photos of our good time with my readers. I invited my friend, Jenna to come and bring her children as well.

On a side note, I love my church and their mission. They are very much about helping the community and have several out reach programs. I love that they share the love God has for us. All their events are open to the public.

Jaeda in the bounce house with my friend Jenna’s little boy, Brayden:

Jaeda checking out the “loot” before the start of the egg hunt:

They had a fire truck for the kiddos to climb into:

“Look! I found a hidden piece of candy!”

It’s all gone!

Exhausted, but happy girl

I have to say, just like Montana weather, it started to snow just after the egg hunt, but it was fun!

Happy Easter!

6 Comments.

Let’s get ready for warm weather with some pretty nails!

Published on April 6, 2024, by Christine in Beauty, Giveaways, Product Reviews.

I was LUCKY enough to be given the opportunity to try the newest thing in nail fashions. They are called Jamberry Nails!

Jamberry Nails are nail shields that form a seal on your nails and give you the look of an expensive manicure, but for way cheaper. A set of Jamberry shields costs a mere $15 dollars (USD). When you consider the cost of a manicure or pedicure, this is a steal! AND you can use one sheet to apply to BOTH your fingers and toes and still have enough for another application on either toes or fingers in most cases.

My Consultant, Nicole Day, who sponsored this review was so kind. She welcomed me into her home to try this out and show me how to apply. It only took a short time and I was on my away! I tried the “Giraffe”.

The best thing about them is they really do deliver on the promise that they stay on and do not smudge or scuff. I have been wearing mine for about a week now and I love them. They look just as good as they did when I first applied them and I have only had to file the tips once since I applied. Sometimes you file them because you may have missed some rough edges during application.

I have had no lifting, personally.

These nail shields are great because there are so many styles, so there is surely something that would meet your tastes.

I love them, because as a mom, my hands take a lot. Dishes, cleaning, cooking-you name it. Even after a week of household chores, my nail shields are still holding up jkust like the day I put them on.

You do not need any special equipment to apply Jamberry Nail Shields. Just a heat source-like a blow dryer or a small tabletop space heater, nail file, cuticle pusher and nail clippers/nail scissors.

There is even an easy to follow video on the site for application and your nail shields come with application instructions. Couldn’t be easier!

If you would like to purchase these nail shields, PLEASE contact Nicole. She is very friendly, available to answer questions and easy to work with. You can browse the HUGE selection of nails and make a purchase here, on her website.

http://www.nicoleday.jamberrynails.net/home/default.aspx

You can also contact Nicole through E-mail desirabledigits@hotmail.com

and PLEASE check out her facebook fanpage at www.facebook.com/desirabledigits

And I am pleased to announce that Nicole has been AWESOME enough to offer one lucky reader of my blog a chance to win a set of Jamberry Nail Shields in “Black and Pink Argyle”!

Please, enter to win in the Rafflecopter forum below and be kind enough to visit her facebook fanpage and “Like” it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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12 Comments.

Looking for the best deals online?

Published on April 5, 2024, by Christine in Frugal Living.

Of the many years I have spent scouring the web for great deals, I have come across some interesting sites that help a person save.

I don’t know about you, but I want practical and easy savings.

I wanted to share the websites I personally love for savings.

photo by o5com on flickr

http://www.kraftfirsttaste.com/default.aspx Kraft First Taste program.

This is great! They give you a chance to try new craft products and have wonderful coupons. I just got one in the mail for a FREE “fresh take” cheese and seasoning kit.

http://www.thredup.com/ ThredUp

This is great for us moms that have kids. It allows you to purchase and sell your kiddo’s used clothing. The clothing sold and featured is free of defects, stains, tears etc.

http://www.freehotsamples.com/ FreeHotSamples

GREAT website featuring deals, coupons and giveaways as well as product reviews. Bloggers can even link up their giveaways on this site!

http://www.greatdepressioncooking.com/Depression_Cooking/Welcome.html Great Depression Cooking With Clara

I found this site and I am just in love with it. Clara, a 90-something year old lady has tips, videos and recipes of meals she grew up eating and making during the Great Depression.

http://www.freecycle.org/ Freecycle Network

This is a great website. Think of it as a free craigslist. You post what you are looking for, or post what you have to give away. If someone has what you need to giveaway, they contact you and you pay NOTHING. If you want to give away something, it must be 100% free. You only deal with people locally.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ Hillbilly Housewife

Many great recipes, frugal living tips.

http://www.redplum.com/ RedPlum

Great selection of coupons!

http://www.dealigg.com/ Dealigg

Shopper-run website with the best deals on the net. Deals are “voted on” by readers.

http://www.shesaved.com/ SheSaved

Blog about coupons, deals and giveaways

https://www.billshrink.com/ BillShrink

Compares services like cell phones and credit cards

http://www.allyou.com/ All You

All you is the website for the magazine, All You. It offers coupons, deals on the web, money saving tips and recipes.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/ Thrifty Fun

Provides ideas for free or cheap family fun, crafts and recipes. Also has contests.

www.nomorerack.com No More Rack

Create an account and get daily deals

http://www.faithfilledfoodformoms.com/category/money-saving-ideas/ Faith Filled Food For Moms

Provides money saving tips and recipes

http://www.squidoo.com/couponing-101-the-basics Couponing 101

Great website for learning how to coupon. Awesome for newbies!

http://howaboutfree.net/ How about Free?

TONS of resources for coupons, giveaways, online deals, saving money.

http://zombiemommysaves.com/ Zombie Mommy Saves

Fun website offering coupons and money saving ideas for families

If you have any other sites you use to save money, please feel free to leave them in the comments!

2 Comments.

Got Flakes? Get Suave!

Published on April 3, 2024, by Christine in Product Reviews.

I sometimes struggle with dandruff, (embarrassingly enough!) and I am always on the lookout for a dandruff product that doesn’t smell like medicine. Suave offered to have me try their new line of shampoos and conditioners made for fighting dandruff and I was thrilled. I love Suave products and have been using them for years and they promised their product would smell wonderful and it DID! It did not smell like other shampoos and conditioners designed to fight flakes. That smell is not only unpleasant, but lets others know you have a dandruff issue when they smell your hair.

I tried the new product line from Suave,”Suave Scalp Solutions” in the Coconut & Shea Butter scent.

I love this stuff! For once, I found a dandruff shampoo that smells wonderful! The scent is just like I have come to expect from Suave. No medicine smell at all. I do have to say though, I wish the scent was a bit stronger and stuck more after my hair was washed and dried. It did not leave a medicine smell after, but I could not really smell anything much in my hair after either.

It did deliver on it’s promise to stop itching and flakiness though. I have a lot of scalp itching and I have not experienced it since I started the product a few days ago.

It left my hair manageable and knot free, but it did not leave it as moisturized as other Suave products.

The shampoo lathers up great and cleans well.

Overall, I would say this is a good product. I really think the best part is not having to smell that awful medicine scent other treatments have and how it does work to stop the itchiness and flakes.

I recommend my readers check this product out! The scent is great because I think it would be gender-neutral.

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2 Comments.

Lasagna Rolls

Published on March 31, 2024, by Christine in Recipes.

I really like this fun take on lasagna. It is easy to serve, great for kids to help with and wonderful for a potluck because it’s individually set up

Lasagna Rolls:

You will need:

*a package of lasagna noodles

*1 cup of frozen spinach

*1 brick of neufchatel cheese (like cream cheese, only lower in fat)

*1 large jar of pasta sauce (I used A Spinach marinara from barilla) or equal amount of homemade sauce

*1 lb Ground Turkey

*Non-stck spray

*3/4 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese

*1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

*Garlic powder

*Italian seasoning mix

1. Brown ground turkey and start the noodles boiling. Par-cook the noodles. You do not want them too mushy, but they need to be cooked enough to be pliable. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. After the turkey is browned, add it to a bowl and add the nuefchatel cheese, frozen spinach, half the Parmesan, a sprinkling of garlic powder and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning. Mash it until it makes a paste.

3. Take a noodle and lay it out on a plate. Put a tablespoon of paste inside and roll it up. Place in coated baking dish. I used a large glass cake pan. (13 x 9). Repeat until the pan is full and add your jarred pasta sauce on top.

4. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and the rest of the Parmesan on top. Cover with tin foil. Put in oven for 15-20 minuets,checking. It is done when the cheese is melted and the sauce is boiling and heated through. Take off foil and turn on broiler to brown cheese. This should only take 5 minuets or so. Keep an eye on it.

5. Let cool for 5-10 minuets and serve!

Here is my Daughter, Jaeda, 9, helping out in the kitchen

15 Comments.

Don’t forget to vote for me!

Published on March 31, 2024, by Christine in My Blog.

I am a part of Top Mommy Blogs My numbers are going up, but I need YOUR help to get to #1

Please, if you like my blog, click on the banner on the top of my page or at the bottom of this post and vote for me! I really appreciate any votes! You can even vote once a day. All you need to do is click on the banner!

Thanks again to my loyal readers!

1 Comment.

March Into Spring Blog Hop Giveaway!

Published on March 29, 2024, by Christine in Giveaways, My Blog.

Welcome to the

March Into April Giveaway Hop

hosted by Planet Weidknecht and

Going Crazy!! Wanna Go??!!

All the bloggers participating in this hop are giving away prizes

worth at least $20 on their blogs. After you enter my giveaway,

be sure to hop around to all the blogs on the list below

to enter more awesome giveaways!

I will be giving away a package to get your feet ready for flip flop weather! It will include an Easy Feet exfoliator/scrubber, 2 Pure Ice Nail polishes and a Nail File

a Rafflecopter giveaway

60 Comments.

Drop it like it’s Hot blog hop!

Published on March 29, 2024, by Christine in My Blog.

Welcome to Drop It Like It’s Hot Hop! This hop is hosted by Charisma Media Network

Welcome to Drop It Like Its Hot, Hosted by Charisma Media Group. Don’t forget to look at Saved By Grace’s giveaways! One even ends TODAY! Let’s show some bloggy love!

Link up to our Drop It Like It’s Hot Hop! This hop is meant to help DROP our blog stats! Let’s flood each other’s blogs with love!

1. Add your blog link below.

2. Visit and open at least one page on each blog.

3. While you are there, follow via GFC/Linky Followers, Facebook, Twitter and Email!

4. Be sure to leave a comment so everyone can visit and follow you in return.

5. SHARE this hop on Facebook and Twitter, which in turn helps more bloggers find this hop and increase our followers!

Linky is open all week, so visit often.

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