The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit

I am so excited about the upcoming Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit.  Last year, I won a ticket to the conference in Oklahoma and was looking forward to attending.  I even had a ride lined up with my friend Lisa from The Pennington Point, but I wasn't able to attend.  It turned out, my daughter had a very important piano competition that happened to be the same weekend.  I had to give up my ticket, that I pray blessed another mom.  Oklahoma is a long way from San Antonio, TX.  But I'm SO excited to announce.......

The Summit is expanding to Texas! 

The Texas Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit will be in San Marcos, Texas at the beautiful Embassy Suites on January 24-25, 2014.  Woot!

And to kick off The Summit's maiden voyage in Texas, we are having a giveaway for fellow bloggers to help spread the word!

We would like to give away a Summit pass PLUS your hotel stay.

Here's how you can enter to win a trip to The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit:

• Write an awesome blog post about The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit by Friday, Oct. 11th. Be sure to mention the date and place of the Texas Summit!
• Include the button above.
• Include links to The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit website and registration page, and the Facebook page.
• Encourage comments BECAUSE ONE COMMENTER WILL WIN A SUMMIT PASS, TOO!
• Link back to this post so others can enter too!

When you have published your post, come back here and submit your link. The Summit team will choose one blogger to win a room and a Summit pass based on the following criteria:

• Creativity of post
• Number of comments

See you on January 24-25 at The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit in San Marcos, Texas!

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Our Family Photo Plight (and a Giveaway)

I don't know about you, but trying to get a family photo is an exhausting job. Even the thought of it overwhelms me!

There are clothes to gather, hair to fix, poses and locations to consider. Then, there's trying to get everyone to smile, get the little ones to be still, and get the baby to not spit up all over her outfit!  Sometimes it's all just too much!

The proof of my plight hangs on our wall in the family room. Our last family photo was taken SIX years ago. Oh, the shame of it all!  We've had FOUR children since then!  Thankfully, we did get a wonderful photo of our nine children at my daughter's wedding.  (Somehow, we missed the photo that includes mom and dad!)  But now, with sweet baby Grace here, we're behind again!

After being inspired by some of my bloggy friends and Shutterfly, I've decided to take the plunge again. I've realized that I don't have to go to the ends of the earth to get a family photo. We  don't all have to have coordinating outfits or a pricey photographer.

No siree, Bob!

I am simply going to drag my kids, with my trusty inexpensive camera, out to our walking trails and get some shots in front of the beautiful oak tree, or on the rustic bridge, or in front of the pond. I'm just going to DO IT!  We'll make do with what we have, and not make it bigger than it needs to be!

What's important is capturing the NOW of our family!

We're much better at getting candid shots of life.  Well, sometimes.  Maybe.  Anyhoo, Shutterfly has a wonderful video showcasing many ideas for a great family photo as well as candid shots.  So, even if you don't get that whole family photo you hoped for, you can 'collage' your candid shots onto a beautiful card.

Are you inspired to get out there and take a family photo?  If not, I've got a great Giveaway to really motivate you!  I am giving away a $50 Shutterfly credit.  How's that for inspiration?

There are several ways to enter.  Begin below.  The Giveaway ends December 14th.  Good luck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to also enter Shutterfly's Cardworthy Sweepstakes, which runs through the 9th, so hurry!


*This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

And the winner is.....

Jar-O-Entries

Our highly scientific method for choosing a name......grab a cute little boy and have him stir up those names well!

And the winner is......

Joni O.

Congratulations Joni!  I'll be contacting you and sending out your brand new, shiny, gorgeous cookbook!  I pray that this book blesses you and inspires you in the kitchen! :)

Thank you ALL for entering.  My first Giveaway was a lot of fun.  Check back regularly for more Giveaways in the future!

GIVEAWAY! The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Be the winner of my first GIVEAWAY!

Who wouldn't want to win a FREE copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. 

This collection of scrumptious recipes and beautiful photography is a must-have in your kitchen.  And I haven't tried a Pioneer Woman recipe that I didn't love! 

Own a copy already?  No problem.  It would make a lovely Christmas gift.

You may enter up to FOUR times.  Here's how:

1. "Like" Sacred Mommyhood on Facebook
2. Write a quick blog post announcing my GIVEAWAY...and link to this post.
3. Link this post to your Facebook status
4. Follow Sacred Mommyhood on Twitter and tweet this Giveaway

Choose one...or do all four to increase your chances of winning.  *Just be sure to leave a comment in the comments section below letting me know in which ways you entered.*

This GIVEAWAY will run through Friday (9th) at 10:00pm.  I will announce the winner here on Saturday.  Please be sure there is a way to contact you.