“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
I’ll be home with 4 kidlets! Would love to win!
Yes, please!
Thank you for making me smile today.
Israel E. Melloy
Cassandra Sines
First summer in a while that there will be no vacation for us. Thanks for doing this! You all truly do bless us!
I love summer! Thanks for this post.
Elizabeth Bouchillon
Melissa, you have the world’s greatest taste. These are great picks.
I’m up to my ears in job applications and interviews this summer…and have been for the past 6 months. This girl could use a little pick-me-up
Me, Me, Me!!!!
These look so neat 🙂 I may have to try the beach spray
Emilee Hall
Sarah G from KY.
Oh what lovely things! So fun. No summer vaca for me–we are saving money so we can hopefully take a spring break trip next year.
I’d love summer in a bag!!!
Oh yes please!
Megan Saville
Fabulous!
Please enter me 🙂 could use some sunshine! Wife of a bivocational pastor… We Just moved in with my mom as times are tough..and my baby’s leaving for college :/
Awesome! Thanks for the chance!
As a special education teacher and a mom of three I am so looking forward to the summer time and all the rest it brings to my soul
Ahh, a beach, quiet, calm. . .sounds really good right now! 🙂
Oooh! These will make my day to win!
I’m a church secretary, so I get to hang out at the church office and answer phones while sending many of our church members off to exotic locations to do missions! I love my job, but I could sure use a vacation!
Sarah Hunt
With 3 kids. A husband who works crazy long hours at church. And myself who works PT 3rd shift at a nursing home = a whole lot of not fun. We crave any time we can get together which we try and do in small snippets.
No Bora Bora for me – but I can dream!
How delightful! I’m a stay-at-home mom of 3 (one with spina bifida) and wife of a wonderful man who incidently has a newish job, commission only. He’s doing well, but until he is a little more comfortable with the highs and lows, no vacation for us for a while! (That’s ok, though, because I love being with my family wherever we are.) 🙂
Beautiful and fun and definitely will make me smile. 🙂
What a cool idea!
You are so great. Just reading this blog post is uplifting! 🙂
What a treasure!! And at such a time as this…thanks for the chance!
What a blessing!
What fun 🙂
I literally just got teary-eyed looking at this. Does full-time work plus full-time grad school and writing a Master’s thesis count as not getting a break? I love my life, but I am so. doggone. TIRED. Summer? What’s that?!
PS: Loved vacationing vicariously through your Instagram pics, Melissa! So glad you had a great getaway with your man. Hope you’re feeling 100% better soon!
This is so great!! Pick this broke college freshman!
What a wonderful treat! Joyously preparing for summer opportunities with international students and VBS in the Dominican Republic. Can’t wait to experience it and to treasure the time with my youngest son on his first mission trip!
Oh fun! If I get to go somewhere it will be a water park with my two teenagers and maybe their friends (all boys). Yes a WATER PARK. I am 44. I promise to smile if I receive one of your gifts but if I don’t your post made me smile already. Blessings to you!
Would love a summer special!
🙂
I am about to google those huts in Bora Bora so that I can dream of such a trip. Cause the only beach this year will be the sandbox and sprinkler in the front yard!!
But it’s all good….
I love the items in this giveaway, and also the intent behind giving them!
We all need a break sometimes don’t we? I am so there.
This looks fabulous!
Enter me…
the thought of winning this makes my eyes twinkle with joy! i’d LOVE this blessing, it’d definately encourage me in the daily grind of my life! How fun! 🙂
This is just like Living Proof to package up a little bit of summer and send it along to someone!!
Please enter me. Unfortunately we will not be heading anywhere this summer (and haven’t actually in about 13 years) as my husband suffers from severe depression and it’s too difficult for him to travel. This gift pack, if I win, would be so very much appreciated.
Love and thanks for the thoughtfulness. What a sweetie!!!
What a fun and sweeeeet giveaway! Please enter my name into your drawing!
I can just see my pink fingernails through those cool sunglasses- sipping on a blueberry iced tea! 🙂
Such fun summer stuff….thanks for the summery fun posting
YAY! Summer fun!
Melissa, you an your Mother are simply amazing! The two of you remind me of my daughter and I! I really enjoyed your teaching of the James book! Thank you for all that you do!!
Many Blessings and lots of Hugs,
Melissa
I was JUST saying how badly I wish I could be on the beach relaxing… this would be PERFECT!
I am a teacher with two kids under two that would absolutely love this bunch of goodies!! Thank you!!
Oh YES! This looks so fabulous. I can almost hear the waves crashing!
Please count me in, too. I just started a new job and will not be getting a vacation this year; and silly me, I didn’t take one last year. Thanks! 🙂
Love this! My whiteness is here to stay this summer, my friends. Unless I can figure out how to singlehandedly haul my desk outside…
hmmm…