Family Christian Stores: Power of Prayer

Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

I'm on vacation this week and it has been a much needed break for me. We aren't going anywhere and we haven't had any definitive plans. It's basically been a lot of hanging around, going to the fair, packing and cleaning (yay!), and running errands.

One of the fun errands we had a chance to run was visiting our local Family Christian Store to use the $25 gift certificate I was given by them. I used to go in there all the time when I was the Youth Minister at our church, but I haven't visited in a while. They have made a lot of really great changes in the their store!

They've opened up the store so you can see from one end to another. It makes the whole place look a lot more inviting. One of the other things you can see are their signs for their awesome Buy One, Get One 50% Off promotion! What a great deal; it works for books, movies, and music and it's mix and match!

Ken looked through the movies and music, while I looked at their home decor. I also found some fun stuff the kids would love, like this Minecrafters Bible.

Whether you're buying for yourself or for a gift, Family Christian Stores has you covered. They have a great selection of cards and gift bags so you don't have to make a separate stop for those things.

I was also pleased to discover their Catholic section has expanded. That's a section I have need of frequently with Baptisms, First Communions, and Confirmations for friends and family. How cute is that Pope Francis doll??

I found my new favorite verse on a few things, too. I need this reminder frequently.

Ultimately, we decided on a few shelf sitters for the house. They aren't part of the BOGO deal, but they are the kind of reminders we all need lately. The sign about my front door reminds me that "Worry ends where faith begins." as I leave the house each day. 

And the boys are reminded to "Pray without ceasing" in their room. Frances has one that says "When worry makes it hard to stand, kneel to pray."

Family Christian Summer Sale

•  Make the most of your summer with Family Christian’s unbeatable Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off sale on ALL Books, Movies and Music for the whole family!
•  Shoppers can mix and match products to get the deal, which means they don’t need to shop within the same department. 
•  The sale is going on now through August 25, so visit your local store today or shop online at familychristian.com.

About Family Christian

• Family Christian is a Christian retailer, operating in 250 stores across the country. They are committed to helping you find, grow, share and celebrate your faith through a wide selection of Christian books, music, Bibles, DVDs, gifts and more. 
•  When you shop with Family Christian, your purchases support their efforts to unite with ministries that are helping children and families around the world.

You can win a $25 gift certificate to Family Christian Stores by entering below. Visit their page and tell me what you'd buy with $25 and BOGO 50% off! Your certificate is good online or in stores. This giveaway ends Monday, August 22nd, so act quickly!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Bloomin' Apples from Kauffman's Fruit Farm

Disclosure: I am partnering with Kauffman’s Fruit Farm as a blog ambassador. I have received these Kauffman’s Fruit Farm products for free; however, all opinions remain my own.

Growing up, my family always had a garden. It's a tradition that we've tried to keep up with in our home, but it doesn't always work out. While we can't always get fresh fruits and veggies from our own yard, I do make the effort to purchase them at the grocery store. 

I was recently given the opportunity to partner with Kauffman's Fruit Farm to highlight their offerings. Not only was I excited, but the so were the kids when I told them. They love fruit and I love to offer it as a snack or with a meal.

The gift box of orchard samples included 2 red apples, homemade apple butter, and apple schnitz. They were packaged very nicely and arrived quickly.

I was just home from work when I got the package, so I was tempted to eat an apple while I made dinner, but I quickly reminded myself that you lovely readers deserved more than that, so I waited. I did let the kids try the apple schnitz. Watch out! I turned my back and those things were gone! I ate enough to know they were delicious, and evidence from the kids seems to support that as well. They are chewy, sweet, dried apples that can be used for lots of yummy desserts...unless you leave an open bag near my kids!

As the kids were getting ready for bed, I had an idea of something I'd seen online at one point and I realized that I had the ingredients for it already in the house. As soon as I shut the bedroom door, I ran to the kitchen and called Ken to come help me. 

 

You work with what you've got, right?

Using a recipe I found here, I had Ken unwrap some caramels and mix up some sugar and butter while I got to work prepping those two red apples. We made bloomin' apples and ate them after the kids were asleep. #sorrynotsorry

To make your own, you'll need

• two apples
• four caramels
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Cut the tops of the apples off and scoop out the seeds with a melon baller. While you are cutting the apples, have your husband mix the butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together and microwave them for about 30 seconds. Mix well. 

Cut two deep, concentric rings around the core of the apple. Then turn the apple over and make narrow cuts all around the center of the apple. (see picture below, top right)

Add two caramels to the center of each apple and then pour the sugar mixture over top of them. Bake the apples for about 25-30 minutes at 375. Baking time will depend on how firm your apples are to begin with, so check them frequently after about 20 minutes.

After you take them out of the over, scoop each one into a bowl. You can top them with ice cream if you choose, but we didn't. Make sure to enjoy them quietly or you might have to share!

Many thanks to Kauffman's Fruit Farm for provided me with the apples and apple products. You can visit them here:
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I received compensation (free items and/or cash) in exchange for writing this review.
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