“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
Yay! Summer in a bag, I can smell the beach already.
What a great assortment of things. Thanks for the opportunity!
How lovely! I could certainly use this wonderful gift…we just had our fourth child one month ago! As much as I adore being a mother, I would love to “escape” to a tropical island if only for a few moments! 🙂
I’m having a baby girl this summer after undergoing months of fertility treatments. No vacations for my husband and I for a long time.
I would love to win something. Today is my birthday, maybe it’ll bring me luck 🙂
What a wonderful way to jump start the Summer- Great Goody Give Away.What a sweet idea. Thanks for entering me in the drawing.
Hopefully submitting my name 🙂
Sherilyn Rank
I see no vacation in sight as I am now smack into my busiest time of year (I am the coordinator for high school summer ministry teams at a para-church organization), so this giveaway would be a nice blessing!
I love love love this! This is so fabulous. I won’t be going anywhere exotic this year! We have a daughter graduating on Sunday and a new addition to our family, with 2 kiddos in between as well, so our finances are a bit on the tight side right now! 🙂
Andrea Schlepp
Sounds wonderful 🙂
I’m Charlotte Donaldson and I’m OBSESSED with Votivo candles! Thank’s Melissa for giving away such delighful goodies! I wont lie, I’m getting 3 days in Panama City, FL with my inlaws (whom I adore) but with an upcoming move to another state, 3 days might as well be 3 minutes! Moving is so exhausting! Happy Summer ladies!
Vacation of fun & sunshine in a box – awesome give-a-way! Cute picture of Winston – such a face and those eyes! I had lost a pair of shoes to the taste buds of our Sheltie, Buddy.
Vacation? Whats that? One day when my kids are out of college I will be able to afford one 🙂 blessings to you Melissa, I am really enjoying your notes in the James study! Can’t wait till you start writing like your mom?!
Oh please count me in. And a big “Thank You” for your thoughtfulness. No vaca for me this year. Still praying and looking for a job.
How Exciting! But even more so to know that the Lord is
our refuge and strength!
I’ll be home all summer. This giveaway would put a great big smile on my face. Thank you for being so thoughtful.
The PERFECT Summer Staycation gift bag! Such a great idea! Would love it, but send blessings to the wonderful Siesta who receives it.
Would love love to get away to your beach retreat! My only summer vacation would be spent thanking you for the memories of a peaceful and no stress filled vacation.
What a GREAT give away!!! I, for one, will not be vacationing this year due to monies being spent on purchasing a home this past fall. So, it’s not all bad that I’m not getting a fabulous beach get-a-way, but I still can’t help want just a little one :-/
you know how to make a girl smile 🙂
I love giveaways! 🙂
Thanks for sharing the beach!
We will not be going to Destin, FL this fall as planned because my husband and I JUST decided (last night) that our baby girls (5 in 2 weeks) will be attending school and NOT staying home for me to teach them. My momma heart is being pulled and stretched and pummeled all at once but I know it is the right decision for our family. (I just wish I had 5 years to emotionally prepare but I don’t think that would be quite long enough for me!). SO I have decided to have a purposeful summer with my girls and their little brother!
Rachel
evienlizzie (@) g mail (.) com
Oh, What a season it has been! Thanks so much for offering this respite to the weary.
Much Blessings !
Tootles
Having another surgery this summer which is stopping me from going to my favorite place : ( Love the idea of a giveaway for no reason but LOVE!
What fun!! 🙂
a vacation in a basket…love it! Please enter my name.
Have a blessed day!
What a beautiful thoughtful gesture!
Yes, please!! A little dose of summer for this Montana girl would be appreciated.
Romans 15:13
Oooo. That is so neat you are doing that for someone. This year we can’t even afford a staycation. Ha ha. We do get to enjoy time together on the weekends just no trips planned. So I can’t complain I am still blessed to have time with my loved ones.
Wow! Put my name in!
Summers are tough on me– fighting a neuro. Disease.
Temps rise and I want to spend time by the seashore!
XO
Nancy Genova
908-296-7181
What a great idea for those us at home!
Bring on the sunshine!!!
Oh I could use a little whiff of the beach!
Fun! Some of my favorite childhood memories are of times spent at the beach with family. Thank you for the opportunity of a “really fun random-giveaway!”
Would LOVE to receive this little bit of summer blessing!
How sweet of you to do this! After a really hard loss last year, this basket would do much to lift my spirits!
Thanks, Melissa!
I’m in!!!
Moleskin notebooks? Luxurious as sand itself(almost)-thanks for your generous spirit!
Ooooh – pick me, pick me!!
Consider me a part of the entry team :)! If I don’t win, it’ll be good inspiration as a gift package for someone special some time in the future – Thanks!
I can totally relate to your post… my husband lost his job & we can’t afford to go out for dinner, let alone on vacation. I would love a little taste of summer relaxation!
Melissa this is soo fun!!! Thank You! I am a total BEACH LOVER. But hubby lost his job and is going to be deployed to Afghanistan after the new year…so jobs are hard to get. So NO Beach for us this year…didn’t get to go last year either….SO I’d be a happy camper with the Beach theme gifts!
Yes please!! That gift DOES put a smile on my face. 🙂
This looks wonderful, please enter my name in the draw!
First of all, the dog is A-dor-able! Second, we can all use a little pick-me-up! Finally, my family is growing through transition – ugh! need prayers!
I would love to have the beach getaway in my mind. Although I would like to see it be on the lake. Preferably one with alot of water in it. Anyway, please enter me in the drawing and I hope you, Melissa, are feeling a whole lot better.
Thank you for being so loving and generous!!
So sweet! Not big on perfume, but smelling like the beach…hmmm, the possibilities!
You all at living proof are so fabulous! Pick me! Pick me! LOl
Would love to have a little sunshine this way! Cannot get away this summer due to taking care of my mom who is currently doing chemo for breast cancer. Her “bucket list” includes seeing the ocean. Hope I can get her there one day! Thanks!