“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 am sorry you have been sick. Hope you are feeling better. I love the gifts that you are giving away. I have no money and am in a bad way right now and a vacation is definitely out the the question for me. The gifts would be a refreshing gift to receive. Take care/
Donna Hopkins
Donella Elshere
18974 Usta Rd.
Faith, SD 57626
Wow did you all get a lot of responses this time!
You SWEET thing! I LOVE all of those things!!
I linked to this from Ann Voskamp’s email update from @aholyexperience. What a nice suprise! Thank you for your generosity and the opportunity to win such a great summer gift! 🙂
Thanks for the fabulous giveaway. I won’t be vacationing due to the impending arrival of twins so a vacation-in-a-bag sounds heavenly.
Oooo looks so nice! My husband is unemployed and right now I am carrying the family best as I can with my income and insurance. So barring a miracle….no vacation for us this year. I also know a good friend who could use a break….maybe I will give it to her or we can share it!
Blessings!
Shannon
Thanks for the offer. I so enjoy the blog and all of you who are the authors. I’d love to be at the beach this year but circumstances will not allow for it. This would be a nice way to experience a taste of the ocean. Thanks again.
Wow sounds to good to be true just looking at the picture was amazing and a little bit of a get away. I love the picture of your baby Winston. Happy summer days.
Please pick me, Stephanie White! Love the idea of Building Sandcastles in My Head! That is only what my current schedule with small children will allow!
I would love to enjoy some of your gifts! Sounds like fun.
Thank you. Whoever wins I will be happy for her to enjoy such a lovely mini vacation. Happy summer everyone. Hope Hagan
Fun! Thanks!
Jen Harman 🙂
What an awesome giveaway!
Tammy Stephens
Can ALWAYS use some sunshine! Thanks for thinking of us!
No sunny vacation for me this summer but a summer of kids and books as a librarian is just as fun. Thanks for the opportunity to win some fun things. Working on the James study with ladies from my church and loving it.
No break for me….would love to win! 🙂
Thanks for the uplifting words this blog offers so many times! I could use a little sun in my life today!
You all are such blessings.
Chris Carver
I would love to have the summer package. I just sprained my ankle and was training for a half marathon. I would love to feel pampered while in my ankle boot!
Blessings to all,
Robin
Wow! That would be awesome!!!
Everything in this gift package says summer & beaches. Whoever wins will be happy and even if I don’t I’m going to look for this stuff and make a happy for me and a friend.
Thanks for sharing the beach with us!!
Since my father-in-law passed away, we have had to spend our summer vacation these last two weeks burying, grieving and helping my sweet mother-in-law get things in order. We do have one more week, but we will be coming back to Mississippi to help her again.
I would love to win any of these little treats.
Tammi Soles
What wonderful fun!
thank you for thinking of us!
Beautiful & loving – I would love to join in! I need to be working but balance is very important. As a single mom, that means balance on a shoestring, which can be a lovely thing. It puts the focus on quality time. Thank you.
I would love to be pampered! Doesn’t happen very often.
Blessing and have a awesome day!!!
What a fun idea! Thank you for the encouragement Melissa. I am an at home mom to 5 children. Never a dull moment, for sure! 🙂
-Melissa
That’s awesome! Super fun happy gifts. Thank you! 🙂
Jessica deLinde
No vacation this year. My son is finishing up his first year of seminary in NC (Praise the Lord!!!) Our summer is shaping up to the tune of school loans. But God is so good!!! And I can’t think of anything better than your child being called by God into full-time Christian Ministry.
Jeremiah 29:11
What a great idea! My hubby and I and five girls will be traveling this summer, but not for a fun-filled, relaxing trip to somewhere fun. We will be driving in a mini-van (all 7 sets filled with bodies) for two days from Minnesota to Virginia. Purpose of our visit is to see my mom who has Alzheimer’s. 🙁 Then a two day trip back to Minnesota. I will be seeing siblings and nieces and nephews, but the thought of driving for four days out of 10 with 7 people in close quarters is stressing me out a little bit. 🙂 Anyway, I hope that whoever wins the prize feels the love and enjoys their little “vacation in a bag.”
Wahoo! Let summer begin!
Thanks, brought back my beach memories
Katie White
WOW! I am one of those people that won’t be able to get away this summer so you can’t imagine how just the possibility of winning something fabulous brought a smile to my face! 🙂 Thanks so much for your sweet and encouraging words! May God bless and keep you always!
I grew up by the beach and married a farm country boy & moved away. Summers are the hardest but sometimes over the stench of cow manure I’m sure I can smell the salty sea air (or I wish at least!!).
Sounds delightful! How wonderful of you 🙂
Sign me up people. Andrea Helton
What fun! Our family may not be able to go on our usual camping vacation this summer. We recently moved into an old farm house, which is wonderful! However, our prior home has not sold yet, two mortgages is not so wonderful. But, God is faithful, even if we miss our annual family reunion! 🙂
What a blessing this will be for someone! The joys of feeling pampered even when life is crazy. Thank you for this give away!
I am so excited about the possibility of having any one of those super fun things… any of them would make a great day of work even better!
What a wonderful treat! Thanks for thinking of us staycationers. 🙂
Wow! What a great, happy giveaway. Will be painting our first house this summer 🙂
Hello Melissa,
What a fun give away! It sounds like you had a wonderful trip to the beach in Mexico. We live in the midwest and seldom get to the coasts.
Thank you for your fun, creative ideas! All you gals at LPL have so much fun! Thank you for your ministry! God bless you.
This is so fun. Thanks for offering it!
Thanks for doing this. It looks like a lot of fun!
This would be amazing. My husband and I were just saying we needed to see ocean. Maybe next year.
Not my name, but the name of my friend, Teresa Slaughter, just diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. She will be spending her summer fighting for her life, not anywhere exotic, just praying for a miracle. She has 5 beautiful children, younges being 2 1/2. She could really use a vacation. Thank you
Susan Johnson would love that STAYCATION IN A BAG, as that will be “it ” for me this year and I feel BLESSED go have even THST as an option!!