Valentine's Day Reads: The Marriage You've Always Wanted Book Review{Giveaway}

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. “Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Are you looking for some peace, understanding and maybe some giggles in your marriage?  This is the book for you! "The Marriage You've Always Wanted" is a super book for couples. You can see the perfect marriage in your minds eye, but you know it is a challenge with kids, jobs and all the other responsibilities. How to squeeze in the time and effort to really have a wonderful marriage?  Where do you even start?

Trusted counselor and relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman reasons that the most sought-after ingredient in any marriage is true oneness.  In The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, he presents expert wisdom and simple but common sense methods to establishing that true unity on emotional and practical levels. He shares the wit and insight into marriage that makes his worldwide presentations and marriage conferences so popular. 

Some of the common mistakes and pitfalls are:

• Are you trying to change your spouse?
• Do you know what it means to really love someone?
• Do you feel ignored or even alone in your effort to improve your marriage?

Dr. Chapman has answers and action steps for you!  He addresses topics from expressing your emotions to managing your money.  There is a way to solve your problems and get past your issues all in a format that will have you and your spouse talking and learning with every page. 

His book is just out now from Moody Publishers. It retails for $15.99 and is an easy to read 144 pages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DR. GARY CHAPMAN
As anyone who has attended one of his marriage conferences knows, Dr. Gary Chapman’s expertise in marriage begins with the success and failures he and his wife Karolyn have experienced in their marriage for more than 45 years. He is just the man to turn to for help on improving or healing our most important relationships. His own life experiences, plus over thirty-five years of pastoring and marriage counseling, led him to publish his first book in the Love Language series, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Many of the millions of readers credit this continual New York Times bestseller with saving their marriages by showing them simple and practical ways to communicate love.

Since the success of his first book, Dr. Chapman has expanded his Five Love Languages series with special editions that reach out specifically to singles, men, and parents of teens and young children.  Gary Chapman is the author of numerous other books published by Moody Publishers/Northfield Publishing, including Anger, The Family You’ve Always Wanted, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, Desperate Marriages, God Speaks Your Love Language, How to Really Love Your Adult Child, and Hope for the Separated. With Dr. Jennifer Thomas, he co-authored The Five Languages of Apology.

Dr. Chapman speaks to thousands of couples nationwide through his weekend marriage conferences. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, A Love Language Minute, and a Saturday morning program,Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, both airing on more than 400 stations. Dr. Chapman and his wife have two grown children and currently live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he serves as senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church.

Dr. Chapman holds BA and MA degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively, MRE and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has completed postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University.

Visit the official website here.  You can also follow him via Facebook and Twitter
They even have small group curriculum available here. 

Don't forget to enter to win your own copy of his book in my Rafflecopter giveaway below!a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Fun Day at Sahara Sam's Indoor Water Park in Berlin, New Jersey! @usfg @saharasams {Giveaway}

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

We spent today having a blast at Sahara Sam's Water Park in Berlin, NJ.  Sahara Sam's is New Jersey's largest Indoor Water Park. They totally take fun to the next level! We arrived a few minutes after they opened at about 10:20 am today on Sunday and they were open and ready for guests to enjoy the day.  We were greeted at the door by a friendly young man who provided a quick bag check for safety.  He also politely reminded customers that New Jersey state law does not permit Sahara Sam's to allow outside food and drinks inside their facility. Good to know ahead of time. They also post this information on their website.

We passed through the turnstiles and headed into the water park for an afternoon of fun! I was pretty impressed right away. Their website boasts 58,000 Sq. Ft of Splashtastic Fun, SAMAZON Adventure The WORLD'S tallest Ropes Course (an outdoor attraction), A 3,000 Sq. Ft Modern Arcade with great prizes - no admission required.  They are not kidding. This is a nice sized park but not too big...just the right size to keep track of the kids but enough space to spread out and have a ball. The kids were super excited about  the FlowRider indoor surfing simulator too. My little one had done this a few years ago down at the shore but I didn't realize that Sahara Sam's had this ride too.  If you want to do the Flow Rider or the Ropes Course I suggest you print and fill out your waivers ahead of time.  You need to sign them and fill in your driver's license at Sahara Sam's so leave those fields blank.  It will save you a few minutes and you will thank me.

The Flowrider was a popular attraction and did not disappoint. Check it out in action above! It was a chilly winter day though so the outdoor Ropes Course was not open. We are going to have to return to go on that one when it is warmer.  It looked like fun but there was plenty inside to keep us busy all day long.  Inside, Sahara Sam's had several areas to grab a bite to eat and a bar area for the adults. They also had a bright and airy full-service restaurant called the Desert Palm Cafe with lots of seating.  It had plenty of options for snacks, soft drinks and quick meals.  Nothing fancy but fun foods appropriate for a day out and about. They did have some healthy salad options if you are trying to keep it light too.

I saw as I went in that they have an annual pass and membership deal going on now which you can take advantage of online or at the door. $59.95 per person for an annual pass which means you can pop by Sahara Sam's all year long as many times as you like for essentially the price of about two visits.  That is one great deal. If you live even sort of close by that is a perfect option for the spring, summer fall and winter....keep the kids busy and you can relax with a magazine while they have fun all day long rain, shine or even snow.  Check their website for coupons and deals.  Once the weather gets warmer they have a whole outdoor Beach Club where you can even rent cabanas. They do have a a few indoor cabanas for rental as well. Tons more rides outside too so a wonderful destination year round.

I was impressed as I walked through Sahara Sams because it looked extremely well maintained. It even smelled clean...not a chlorine scent, just clean and fresh.  The floors were clean as well. I was reassured to know that they seem to keep the facility clean.  You could be sure by the afternoon it was kind of wet but, well, it is a water park and with kids around and in and out of the water some water on the floor during the day is to be expected. So, expect that. It actually looked pretty decent even by the afternoon. I saw staff out there cleaning and tidying up all day long.

I suggest flip-flops or water shoes but I always like to bring them to any pool indoors or out. Good idea for when you have to go into the restrooms as well. Just common sense. By the way, the restrooms and locker rooms were very clean too. I am such a clean freak I always notice these kinds of things. The ladies room had plenty of soap, paper towels and tp thank goodness. There were even spacious private changing rooms outside of the men's and ladies room which made it so much easier to change into or out of the bathing suits! Lockers galore too...available for a nominal rental fee.

There were plenty of open chairs and we settled in for the day. We found a spot with some chairs by the Flowrider area. Several lifeguards were set up in strategic spots to monitor the riders. The kids hopped on the Flowrider line which was almost non-existent. They waited about 4 minutes and were on. We got some great videos of their surfing safari.  I liked that the lifeguards were totally all eyes on the the Flowrider and the kids.  Extremely attentive. In fact, I noticed lifeguards were out all over the water park and there were plenty of them too. It sure made me feel more secure. I saw tons of lifeguards pacing their assigned areas by the different water attractions including the lazy river.  They were all equipped with appropriate safety equipment in a fanny pack.

The kids and all of us enjoyed the NileMile body slide. 350 feet and tons of fun. The kids went on this a bunch of times after we went on it with them. I liked that the lines were very short even as the day went on. There was a good crowd but it was very well maintained. The kids said that everyone was very nice...no pushing or poor behavior by anyone which makes for a fun day for everyone.

Hubby got roped heehee into Mount Kilimanjaro--the family slide. A quick walk up the stairs and they were there. Good exercise too! The kids and hubby reported that it was fun but be ready for a little dark and twisty turns. Not for me who gets kinda motion sick...I have to pick and choose my rides. Fun for them.  I like a straight shot so the body slide was better for me.  Everyone gets inside a big round rafts for the family slide and holds on for fun. You can get up to four people in a raft. They just LOVED it.

My friend and I enjoyed a little relaxing run on the Lazy River with the girls. It can go faster or slower depending on how many people are in the water but it is a fun way to pass a few minutes.

I liked that the park was nice and warm all day long.  We have been to other water parks in the winter and I was always so chilly. I noticed that I was very comfortable the whole day.....I think they had the thermostat set perfectly.  We brought our own towels...if you forget you can buy them there.  They do have complimentary life vests and I saw a few of the younger children wearing them.

The kids had a super fun time and got to go on all the rides they wanted. The wait times were minimal to none which made for a pleasant afternoon. A really nice bunch of guests too. We can't wait to go back and are looking forward to another fun filled day! I have a giveaway if you want to see for yourself, you can enter here to win a Family 4 Pack of tickets to Sahara Sam's.

Campbell's Dinner Sauces Hosted Party via @crowdtap #SauceItUp

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

I was recently selected to host a Campbell's Dinner Sauces Hosted Party.  I have friends who love red meat and I have several guests who are vegetarians.  I decided to split the difference and do two different things to accommodate everyone.  Easy to do when you are using Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauces and Campbell's Skillet Sauces.  Really. It couldn't have been easier to make both the dishes.

On the left above I have my organic meat for the Campbell's Sweet Korean BBQ and on my right I have my tofu for my Thai Green Curry.

All you have to do is throw the meat into the slow cooker and empty the packet of sauce on top of it. Cook it on low for 8 hours and you are done. That is it.

I decided it would be fun to make Korean BBQ soft tacos so I picked up some napa cabbage and chopped it up and warmed up the tortillas after the BBQ had cooked for about 8 hours. 

 I love my crockpot!  There I am trying to squeeze in there. 

Meanwhile I put some rice up to cook for the Thai Green curry which was easy enough to do. Then I grilled some tofu and chopped it up. You can use chicken as well, remember I had to have some food for the vegetarians for this party.

I added the Campbell's Skillet Sauce in Thai Green Curry and mixed it in with the tofu. If you use chicken you want to make sure you cook the chicken first then empty the Skillet Sauce over the cooked chicken!

All ready for my guests!  Everyone loved the Campbell's Skillet Meals and could not believe I didn't make both of the entrees from scratch. 

Purex Crystals Natural Formula Fresh Mountain Breeze {Giveaway}

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I am a member of the Purex Insiders. I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I don't know about you but it is just freezing here in the mid-Atlantic.  Bone chilling cold that is just unrelenting.  Boy, I could really use a spring getaway, but that isn't happening anytime soon. You can imagine how I perked up when a package arrived from Purex in the mail today though!  

I found a bottle of NEW Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze along with some information about a terrific new giveaway.   That cheered me up a lot since I love the fresh scent of clean laundry softened and lightly scented with Purex Crystals.  I am one of those people who is always opening bottles before I buy things to make sure I like the fragrance. I really like laundry products with fragrance and one of the things I enjoy about Purex products is that there are always new scents.  The fragrances are always light and refreshing...never overpowering either.  I was excited to investigate this new scent.  

This new Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze scent is made from a natural formula that is safe for your family and the environment which makes me happy. I love how it keeps my sheets and clothes fresh for weeks too...just like the other Purex Crystals scents. Towels remain just as absorbent and plush as ever too! Purex Crystals are better than the standard fabric softeners out there.  They really work hard to freshen your laundry. Your clothes smell great and the crystals help to eliminate odor too.  I love this new scent. It makes me feel like I am escaping the laundry room for a bit and going on a little stroll in the warm, breezy mountains.  I can almost hear the little birdies singing and see the spring flowers, can't you?  Look for Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze and let me know how you like it.

Don't forget to enter my Rafflecopter giveaway below to win a free coupon to get your own Purex Crystals!a Rafflecopter giveaway