“My husband is in Afghanistan and a few ‘favorite things’ would brighten my day!”
How about that, Sisters?!? OK, Edie, please contact Living Proof Ministries at toll free (888) 700-1999 and give us an address. Please ask for Kimberly or Susan. Knowing what we now know, all of us here would want so much to send you to the beach…but, instead, we’re sending the beach to you. ENJOY!!!
PROCEED WITH CAUTION: this post will embody most everything you anticipate and perhaps even despise about women’s ministry. There will even be pink nail polish. As the great Professor Thornbury said a few weeks ago on the Twitterverse “something is not a stumbling block if you can see it coming.” So, consider yourself warned.
Colin and I just returned from a week at the beach in Mexico. It was crazy fantastic. I slept. I read classic literature. I also swam with a dolphin named Duey. And on the day I returned home I was greeted abrasively by a stomach bug and a crick in my neck so bad I could barely move my head. Oh, and then my 100 lb puppy Winston ate my over-priced prescription eye-glasses. But how can I really be frustrated with this bad boy?
Anyway, since this weekend was the Memorial Day holiday I scrolled through numerous tweets from people who were somewhere fabulous while I was at home with a bag of frozen corn under my neck. And I began to weep for the serenity of the ocean and my dolphin Duey.
But enough about me.
I want to talk about you.
I got to thinking that there may be some of you who won’t get a break this summer. While nearly everyone you know is off to some fabulous island, you won’t get a moment’s rest. For whatever reason, you won’t be able to retreat to the beach or the mountains or to wherever else makes your heart happy. We want to send a little fun and lots of love your direction so we’re doing a random give-away. And it will not include commentaries, concordances, or anything super useful or meaningful.
This giveaway is simply full of some of my personal favorite summer things including: Bobbi Brown Beach parfum (seriously smells exactly like the beach!), classic Ray-Ban aviators, Votivo Candle in White Ocean Sands, a pair of bright yellow Moleskine notebooks, Tea Forte’ Pomegranate Blackberry Iced Tea, and America’s Test Kitchen Best Summer Dessert recipes. See the contents below:
There are really no conditions for this giveaway. My hope, of course, is that this gift makes it into the hands of someone who simply can’t get a break this year and not someone who is heading to the Maldives or Bora Bora next week to stay in one of those little huts with glass floors sprawled across sparkling turquoise waters. But truly, if this gift brings a big smile to a single one of your faces that is quite enough for me.
So, please enter your name in the comments section if you could use a little sunshine in your world. We’ll do a random drawing and announce the winner at noon on this Thursday the 31st.
You are loved.
Melissa
Please enter me. I need a getaway giveaway!
Keep up His good work!
Lois
This would be a fabulous way to start what promises to be a very uneventful summer. No beach, no trip home to Ohio, and probably not even a trip to the water park planned here.
Your to kind, looks like a lot of fun stuff!
I am taking two of my kids on a mission trip…but would still love a vacation!
Just reading your post and looking at the pictures felt like a summer vacation!
Glad you got a break!
Would love this!! Thanks for the chance at it!
Oh, how I wish to enter this drawing! Yet my conscious will not allow it since I do have a few fabulous trips planned this summer. While not Bora Bora (I’ll get there some day) – I am feeling pretty blessed. Hold another drawing in the winter when I am stuck trying to survive another Chicago winter. I can most certainly enter the drawing then!
I would love to receive this! My family and I haven’t been on a vacation in 6+ years, since my second child was born. We have three children now.
How lovely!!!
Kristen Oestreich 🙂 🙂
I am due with my first baby next week so I don’t see much sleep (let alone a vacation!) in my near future! This basket would be such a treat!!
Wow! What a sweet thing!
Oooooo! Love Summertime! And I could use to pamper myself a little bit 🙂
How sweet of you to put this amazing package together!!!!
Wow! What a great give away! I know someone will be very happy on Thursday!
(hope it’s me – ha!)
Wuld love it:)
Sharon Longo
Please enter me in the contest. I could definately use the sunshine!!
Thank you for this wonderful give away!!! My husband and I wore aviator sunglasses!
What fun! I just said to my husband, as we crawled into bed last night that I was trying to make the long weekend last as long as possible as we are some of the vacationless self-employed! 🙂 Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
Lauren DeVries
I would LOVE this!!!
I would totally love this gift!
No vacation for this single working gal! And after having to pay to fix my AC at my house last weekend, I’m back to doing my own pedicures instead for a while of my semi-vacay moments. Throw my name in that hat for sure!
Looks lovely!
Wendy Douglas
how fun!!! just the jump start to summer this teacher would love 🙂
If I win, I plan on giving the gift away to several amazing stay-at-home moms from my church. It would be fun to share a bit of sunshine with them as they do one of the hardest jobs on the planet.
Thanks for the possibility!
Sandy Daugherty
Winning this would brighten my day.:)Thank you,Melissa!
Who Hoo would love this beach getaway in a bag!
I’m at home healing from surgery. I had a very large tumor (benign), right kidney and gallbladder removed.. The hospital bills are coming in, so no vacation for me! With those goodies I could pretend!
AmandaJo_H
What a fun drawing! We are moving out of state this summer and the cheer would be gladly welcomed amongst all the cardboard boxes. Thanks!
enter me into the contest please 🙂
Our only vacation planned this summer is camping. While I do enjoy it and the kids love it, it is not quite the leisurely vacation for me…I still have to cook and clean up for the 6 of us.
I would so LOVE to win this giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity.
Amy W in Colorado
Ummmm…two little ones under two and a hubby having back surgery…this chica isnt going anywhere but the grocery store!!!!!
mmm, looks like a fabulous bit of summer sunshine. 🙂
Sarah Ross
My daughter is moving away with my grand-babies. This bittersweet summer could use some cheering up!
Love the tote bag and the “Oh so cute” nail polish!! Thanks Melissa for thinking of us…Julie Reynolds
I’m loving those shades. Have a great summer.
Mary Splawn
My name is Lina and I could really use a vacation-in-a-box. What a thoughtful and fun giveaway!
Could most definitely use a pick me up! But regardless of anything in this work going on – my heart and treasures are in Heaven! -Heather Wolfe 🙂
Ahhhhhh…so sweet of you!! <3
Ooh, pick me!!! I would love a virtual getaway. And one that doesn’t involve screaming kids or Mosquitos.
Well my husband is deployed so I’m single mama to our 4 awesome kiddos this summer. I think they are the world’s greatest kids, but sometimes I could use a break. And get this, my firstborn just got his driver’s permit. With Daddy gone, guess who gets to teach him to drive? Lord have mercy, please.
Winning this would bring a smile to my face! Thanks for doing this! : )
Oh, how wonderful a little prize could be! Any of them- they all sound fantastic!
Love a little sunshine!
I would love to win this and share it with my coworker. Your blog really helps us stay focused when the job become stressful – and we just found out that our two other coworkers are leaving for greener pastures. Please pray for us!
Yes. Please. Clinical rotations will not steal summer joy from me 🙂
Oh, what a fun siesta surprise! How thoughtful.
I have four kiddos ages 6 and under. We are doing a “staycation” to save money but it’s not much of a real “break” with all the work it takes to take a 6,5,3 and 6 month old to have some fun for 5 days. But still that is probably more of a break than some get so don’t know if I should even sign my name. Just a tired Momma who feels like a break from it all would be heavenly as dearly as I love all my peeps.
Thanks for thinking of us Melissa! Love you guys!!!!
Ruthie from KS
I’m not able to go on vacation this year due to finances. I’d love to win the goodies so that I can close my eyes while sitting on my porch and imagine I’m at the beach 🙂 Thank you and may God bless you for pouring into so many lives.