Category Archives: Bridget’s Birthday Bash 2013

Birthday Week Round-Up and Why Facebook Birthdays Are Awesome

Written on June 29, 2013 by Bridget in Bridget's Birthday Bash 2013
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I complain about Facebook a lot. The privacy issues are horrific. It’s gotten too cluttered with ads and junk. It’s a breeding ground for arguments about politics and religion and all kinds of crazy things. But it’s also a place where I can keep up with friends, see their kids grow, and maybe sometimes learn a little bit. You guys post some interesting and thought-provoking links. You also post lots of pictures of cats, but that’s not the point. The point is this: when your Facebook feed explodes with birthday well-wishes, you can’t help but smile. And y’all really made me smile. A lot! So thanks for that!

I know I’ve had a lot of stuff going on this week and I wanted to post as little round-up so you could make sure to enter all the giveaways I hosted this week.

Monday – Two $25 gift codes to mpix.com
Tuesday – Journal from Gadanke 
Wednesday – Praying in Color book and journal
Thursday – $50 Metropolis Restaurant gift card
Friday – $75 gift card to Studio Jewel

Go and enter today! All of the giveaways will end at 11:59 on Sunday night and I’ll email winners on Monday!

Thanks to all of the companies who helped me share the birthday love this week and to all of you for making my day extra special!

Bridget’s Birthday Bash {Studio Jewel $75 Giveaway}

Written on June 28, 2013 by Bridget in Bridget's Birthday Bash 2013
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Disclosure: This post is part of my week of giveaways.
I did not receive any compensation for this post.
The opinions below are all mine & I am thrilled to share about my favorite piece of jewelry.
Many thanks to Lisa, the owner of StudioJewel, for the $75 gift card to her shop.

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The first time I read this post by Lisa (the owner of StudioJewel), the story of this ring spoke to me. In it she told of her struggles with depression and said,

I realized He was holding me in the palm of His hand. He cared more than I could imagine. But I needed a daily reminder. I wanted to be reassured. I did not want to get so desperate as to do something stupid. So I gave myself a reminder. A permanent one.
I had the words tattooed to my wrist… CHILD OF GOD. I AM a daughter of the King. He created me. He cares for me. Even if NO ONE else does. And EVERY time I see my tattoo I smile and feel that reassurance.
Lisa created a ring that matches her Child of God tattoo and through that tiny piece of metal she shares her story and her heart with others. What a blessing! I’ve had my Child of God ring for about a year and a half and I can’t remember one day when I haven’t had it on. For me it’s almost a talisman of sorts, a tangible reminder that I am indeed a child of God. I touch it when I need to utter a silent prayer. I twirl it around my finger when I need encouragement. I roll my finger over the grooves of each Hebrew letter when I’m nervous. Each of those a reminder that I’m not alone. That I am loved. That I am a Child of God.
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But it’s not just the Hebrew letters or the simple and beautiful craftsmanship that makes StudioJewel jewelry so special; it’s the heart and passion behind each piece of jewelry that Lisa designs. She is an artist and each piece of jewelry is a masterpiece. Just look at all the beautiful pieces! Especially this one, the bracelet that will someday be mine. Someday! Think of how sweet it would be with a bit of Proverbs 31 on the bangle and a tag for each of my babies.

I’m sure you saw something you loved. What was it? Would you like to win a $75 gift certificate to Lisa’s store? There are 6 possible ways to enter, but you must do the first one for the others to count. Each entry must be in a separate comment. The giveaway will run until 11:59pm EST on June 30th. Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified by email. If winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Mandatory Entry:

  • To enter you must leave one comment (not on Facebook but in the comment section below) letting me know which Studio Jewel piece you love the most.

Additional Entries (must be entered separately to count):

Bridget’s Birthday Bash {Metropolis Restaurant $50 Gift Card Giveaway}

Written on June 27, 2013 by Bridget in Bridget's Birthday Bash 2013
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Disclosure: This post is part of my week of giveaways.
I did not receive any compensation for this post.
The opinions below are pure Bridget and are fueled by my love of hummus and falafel.
Many thanks to Metropolis Cafe for donating the $50 gift certificate.

metropolistrio.jpg Did your mouth start to water when you saw those pictures? ‘Cause mine surely did!

They hear us before they see us. The kids bound in the door and start running for the back room.  They love it there because there are no chairs, just bench seats and stools and plenty of room to flit around. They know us well enough to bring our drinks and a large hummus with extra pita, which we usually devour within minutes. I get one of the olives. The 6 year old gets the other.

The kids are fans of the grilled cheese, which isn’t your typical grilled cheese. Instead of sandwich bread they use pita and holy smokes it’s good!

Marshall and I both like the chicken kabob. The chicken is well-seasoned and served over basmati rice (my favorite). It also has grilled veggies on top and that broccoli? It’s my absolute favorite! I still haven’t figured out how they grill it and it doesn’t get mushy and it doesn’t get overly crisp.

We like the greek menu but we really love Thursday because on Thursday they also serve Indian food. We both fell in love with Indian food back in med school. There’s a funny story about that, but I’ll save it for another day. Marshall and I both really like the Chicken Tikka Masala or Chicken Makhni. Both of those dishes are creamy and spiced to perfection.

If you’re local and you’ve never been, it should be at the top of your list for the next time you go out to eat. If you’re not sure what to order, I’ll be happy to go along and help you out. 🙂 I actually wish I could take you all but since I can’t, I do have a $50 gift certificate for one of you to win!

You’ll have 3 possible ways to enter, but you must do the first one for the others to count. Each entry must be in a separate comment. The giveaway will run until 11:59pm EST on June 30th.

Mandatory Entry:

  • To enter you must leave one comment (not on Facebook but in the comment section below) letting me know which you like more: Greek or Indian food.

Additional Entries (must be entered separately to count):

  • Share about this giveaway on Facebook and leave your status url in the comments below. (Not sure how? Click here.)
  • “Like” Metropolis Cafe on Facebook and then leave a comment below letting me know that you did.

Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified by email.
If winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Bridget’s Birthday Bash {Praying in Color Book & Journal Giveaway}

Written on June 26, 2013 by Bridget in Bridget's Birthday Bash 2013
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 Disclosure: This post is part of my week of giveaways.
I did not receive any compensation for this post.
(As a matter of fact, this one came out of my own pocket).
I just really love this book & I hope that more people will discover the joy of praying in color.

I’ve written several times about praying in color. I discovered the book several years ago and it completely changed my spiritual life. Doodling is something I can do almost anywhere. With a swish of my pen, I feel more and more covered with grace. I settle into a rhythm and listen deeply to the sounds around me. Pen across paper. Air whooshing through the vents. Clocks ticking. Birds chirping. The chatter of children in the background. Oh, the beautiful sounds of everyday life.

As I start at one end and draw around in swishes and swirls until I find the other end and I am reminded that forgiveness can bring us back together and make us whole again. Lines both thick and then reminiscent of the ebb and flow of life. A curve reminds me that the straight and narrow road isn’t always the best way, and that the curvy parts are sometimes the most beautiful.

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As I fill it in with the tiny details, I find a hope that more beautiful things are to come. Swirling into a circle, I’m reminded that God’s love never ends. I especially love to write someone’s name and circle it, praying that they will feel God’s love surround them.

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And as I begin to color it all in, how could I not think of the gorgeous colors in our world as well as the colorful people in my life (and there are a lot of you people with colorful personalities, you know)?

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The Praying in Color book is an easy read and gives helpful hints on how to get started. The Praying in Color Journal is divided into sections like Intercessory Prayer, Lectio Divina, Making Amends, For Remembering, and more prompts to help you go beyond the basics.

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Entry for this one is simple. Just leave a comment below. Any comment at all.
One entry allowed per person. Comments will close at 11:59 EST on June 30th.
Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified by email.
If winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Bridget’s Birthday Bash {Gadanke Journal Review & Giveaway}

Written on June 25, 2013 by Bridget in Bridget's Birthday Bash 2013, Review
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Disclosure: This post is part of my week of giveaways.
I did not receive any compensation for this post.
The opinions below are all mine & I am excited to share about the unique Gadanke journals.
Thanks to Katie, the owner of Gadanke, for providing a journal to the winner of this contest.gadanke_become

I was sitting at lunch with a few friends and a few people I didn’t know at Blissdom this past year. We did a business card swap and one of the ladies passed out tiny little handmade journals for each of us. It was full of thought provoking prompts and pretty paper. (I’m a sucker for pretty paper, you know). When I got home, I checked out the website for the little journal and found that she had a wide variety of options. These journals aren’t bound like most of the ones I use, but held together with rings so that you can pop it open and add anything you like. I had a drawing from Lydia that fit one of the prompts perfectly so I took a quick shot of it with my iPhone, sized it down a little, printed it out, and added it right in. That was really nice. No glue. No tape. Just pop it right in.

Although I love the paper and the way you can add things, my favorite thing was the prompts. Katie has written prompts on many pages of the journal that can help get you rolling. Sometimes a blank sheet of paper is so intimidating! But to complete a sentence or answer a question seems much less daunting. Many of the prompts in the Become journal were about asking yourself what you really want and how to get that, how to unlock your dreams and begin making them a reality. I was surprised at some of the things that came from my pen.

And you’ll note that I got the white one especially because I wanted to doodle the whole cover. Doodling isn’t just mindless drawing for me(more on that tomorrow), so I really enjoyed the time I spent coloring the front. There’s just something almost magical about allowing yourself to swish and swirl all over the page.

I loved mine so much, I asked if I could give one to one of you! Don’t turn away just because you aren’t a woman or because you’re already livin’ the dream. Gadanke really does have something for everyone: women, kids, mother & daughter, baby books, and more ! So go take a few minutes to look around and see which one is a good fit for you! You’ll have 5 possible ways to enter, but you must do the first one for the others to count. Each entry must be in a separate comment. The giveaway will run until 11:59pm EST on June 30th.

Mandatory Entry:

  • To enter you must leave one comment (not on Facebook but in the comment section below) letting me know which journal you like most from Gadanke.

Additional Entries (must be entered separately to count):

Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified by email. If winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Bridget’s Birthday Bash {mpix.com review and giveaway}

Written on June 24, 2013 by Bridget in Bridget's Birthday Bash 2013, Review
64 Comments - Leave a comment!

Disclosure: This post is part of my week of giveaways.
I did not receive any compensation for this post.
The opinions below are pure Bridget and I am happy to have the chance to introduce you to one of my favorite companies, mpix.com.  photo (19)

I take lots of pictures. Lots of them. Sometimes I use my ‘big girl’ camera to take nice pictures, and when I do I use a professional printer. But I sometimes still just take snapshots of my kids and I like to print those at mpix.com. They have reasonable prices (not much  more than the big box store near you) and the quality is noticeably better. Sharper, cleaner, brighter, and not green-tinted. (Why are the ones from big box stores always greenish, anyway)? But even just taking snapshots with my ‘big girl’ camera can be impractical, and for the day-to-day operations of our house I find myself relying a lot on my iPhone. Imagine how excited I was to find out that mpix had a new TapToPrint app that would allow me to order photos right from my phone! The app is super easy to use. It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but I think that’s a good thing! Upload your image and zoom in if you need to, choose what size,  and decide if you want color or black and white. Then you’re ready to go! The only downside I’ve found to the app is that you can’t use discount codes yet. I’m hopeful that they’ll make that available in upcoming updates, because then this app would be perfect!

Before I found the square prints at mpix, I had to go to a lot of trouble to print my Instagram pictures. I had to either put several on one 8×10 sheet in photoshop and print those full sheets or move the images over individually to 4×6 or 5×7 and leave a white space to the side that I had to trim off by hand once they were printed. I rarely went to that trouble, so I rarely bothered to print any of my square iPhone photos. And often when I did print them, I’d be disappointed in the quality after all that work. But with mpix, I’ve been very pleased with both the easy of ordering and the quality of the prints. A few of them are grainy, but that’s because they were grainy when I took them. For most of them, you can’t even tell if they were taken with a phone or a point & shoot camera.

The last time I ordered, I decided to test the limits of iPhone prints. I ordered a few larger sized prints (8×8, 10×10, 12×12, and 20×20) and I was thrilled with the results. Can I tell that they weren’t high-resolution images? Yes. But is the quality still outstanding? Very much so. It’s hard to really tell here, but look at how these turned out. That bottom image is a 20×20 print. (I did not lay all the prints out on top of my sleeping baby for a size comparison like Marshall thought I did when he first saw the picture on the left. Haha!)

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That’s what a 20×20 iphone print looks like hanging above a little kid bed. I’m still trying to decide what to put around it. I’m thinking an oversized frame with a little space around it like my friend Kat did at her house. But that’s beside the point. Look at how clear that is. And I took it with an iPhone!.

 

I say all that to say this: I love mpix and I want you to love them, too!  I have two $25 gift codes for a couple of my readers and a 25% off (prints only) discount code for everyone! There are several ways to enter and you can see that below. If you want to go ahead and get 25% of your prints just use the code IVEY2513 between now and June 26th!

You’ll have 5 possible ways to enter, but you must do the first one for the others to count. Each entry must be in a separate comment. The giveaway will run until 11:59pm EST on June 30th.

Mandatory Entry:

  • To enter you must leave one comment (not on Facebook but in the comment section below) letting me know which camera you use most often: a real camera or your phone.

Additional Entries (must be entered separately to count):

Winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified by email. If winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Bridget’s Birthday Bash: Five Days of Fun!

Written on June 23, 2013 by Bridget in Bridget's Birthday Bash 2013
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I really, really love birthdays. Of course I like getting gifts (who doesn’t?) but I love giving gifts, so this week I’m going to have 5 days of giveaways. Five days of a few of my favorite things. And I’m not talking raindrops on roses. 🙂 Here’s a tiny sneak peek of what’s to come:

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