Tweeting with God eBook for FREE

I don't consider to have it all together and I tell you why. There are days that I just can't seem to get my kids to behave well, the food won't taste right and let's not talk about the traditional devotional time. I wrote Tweeting with God for days and seasons like these. One thing is for sure, through the nuances of motherhood I have experienced God's amazing favor and love. When I can't seem to wake up early and get my day started as I dream I should (devotional, exercise, food) God is there to meet me. I believe He loves and understands mothers and the commitments that come along with this season of life.
I used to be the chick who would always wake up early to pray and exercise. I used to leave my house and "float" to work. Now that I am a mother I wake up with my kids staring at me while I can't possibly believe it's 6:30 a.m. already and I need to fix oatmeal in a hurry.
Hurry leads to worry. I worry about not having a "good witness" that day because I lacked in my Bible reading. What I find out is that even when all I have time for is to Tweet with God, He always meets me where I am and saves my day.
I realize that a so called "good witness" in my book includes being less than perfect while living life to the fullest. I have to let God speak through through me while He displays His grace and favor in my life.
I am aware that when I seek God first, everything works out (see Matthew 6:32-34). I also know that motherhood (the part when you have two busy toddlers and about to have a newborn to make life even more exciting) is only one season among many I will experience in life. I might not get the perfect devotional done every day and that really doesn't matter. As long as I "tweet" my prayers, worship and love for God throughout the day, I am usually okay. I also realize that when I do that, I'm teaching my kids not to put God in the morning only box but to walk with Him throughout the day. 

I want to give my eBook for Free to any of you who can relate to what I am going through. You are busy and you want to connect with God but these new demands of life seem to take up a lot of time and energy. Just leave me a comment and I'll get in touch with you. Have an amazing day and please let go of any shame or condemnation. You are loved by God, just as you are.

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Dayspring Recordable StoryBook Giveaway

SimplyCintia.com is giving away this amazing recordable storybook by DaySpring! Bedtime Prayers and Promises is the sweetest book ever. All of my family lives at least 12 hours away from us, so this book is amazing way to keep in touch with family. I really enjoyed all the prayers in the book and the possibility of having the sweet voice of a loved one reading it to the kids. This is an amazing Christmas gift!
Dayspring is giving the book for free, all you have to pay for is Shipping. Here's how you can win:
• Leave a comment telling me why reading to your kids is important;
This giveaway is open til Tuesday, October 1 at 12 noon (EST).
Disclaimer: I was given this book by Dayspring Corp. in exchange for my opinion of the book. App opinions are my own.

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A Pinterest-ing Life plus, Giveaway Winner

If you haven't heard, Pinterest is the cool thing to do. It is a virtual pinboard where you can organize the beautiful things you find in the web. My virtual friend girls have been spending hours in this social media platform lately. Me? Once I got the concept, I started to really enjoy this site. I do two major things with my Pinterest account (you can follow me here):
1. Treat it as if it was a magazine. I look at other people's pins and really enjoy it as if I was looking at a never-ending magazine. Pinterest has been known to put me to sleep a time or two. Not in front of the computer but with my iPad 2 before a much needed nap.

2. Dream about decoration projects. If you know me well you probably know that home decor is not my forte. I enjoy getting new ideas here. Last night for example as we were decorating our home, my husband asked what has been the trend at Pinterest when it comes to hanging pictures. There, my virtual hobby made it to my real life.

Pinterest is awesome for creative people. I learned that getting the Chrome plug-in helps me to use it more often when I'm sitting here with my iMac.
You do need an invitation to start using Pinterest, so if you need one, e-mail me at simplycintia at gmail.com and you got it. Happy Pinning my friend!

We have a winner

• Congratulations Vicki Mehaffey! E-mail me your address so we can get your books to you! Thanks for a fun giveaway everyone! I'll have another next week!

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Books for Toddlers - a Review

A family who reads together

Today we are reviewing four Tommy Nelson books for kids. I have toddlers who fall asleep 'reading,' so I was really excited to introduce these four titles to them. Enjoy!

Review: 

A Pumpkin Prayer by Amy Parker Illustrated by Kirsten Richards

• I found it to be very appropriate for the fall. The kids get a wholesome view of fall: the taste, the colors, the smell and the amazing feel of the cooler breeze. I like that the book teaches the kids to be thankful not only for the season but for the loved ones who are with us and make autumn even more special.

Night Night Blessings by Amy Parker Illustrated by Marijan Ramljak

• What I really liked about this book is that my kids can relate with the main character and the activities that she has throughout the day. It encourages them to be thankful for all they have and do. They really got excited about the bubble bath.

Thank You, God, for blessing me and Thank you, God, for loving me by Max Lucado
• The books are part of the Little Hermie collection. The first book teaches the kids how to look around and appreciate all that God has blessed us with: from nature to food and friends. I think this one is a good one to help with the concept of Thanksgiving (which will be here before we know it). The second book is a prayer of thankfulness for God loving the kids. I never thought about this concept but it's never too early to introduce to kids the many ways that God expresses His love and He cares for us each day.

Giveaway: 

1. Eligibility. Giveaways are open to readers with US shipping addresses only.

2. Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me something about the young reader who would enjoy these books.

3. For Extra Entries (make sure you leave a comment letting me know what you did):

• Like Tommy Nelson on Facebook  

• Follow Tommy Nelson on Twitter

• Like me on Facebook  

• Follow me on Twitter

• Tweet the Giveaway by saying "I entered to win 4 @TommyNelson books at @SimplyCintia Blog http://goo.gl/0j4mu #motherhood"

4. Entry Deadline Date. All entries must be received on or before October 10 to be eligible to win.

5. Winner Selection. A prize number will be assigned to your entry upon receipt of your entry. A winning number will be generated using Random.org. If your Prize Number matches the Winning Number, and you meet the eligibility requirements and otherwise comply with these Official Giveaway Rules, you win the prize.

6. Winner Notification. You will be notified here on the blog on October 11.

7. Claiming Your Prize. Winner must respond within 3 days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

Enter for a chance to win these Books

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Three 5Ks by July: Check!

3 just seemed like a good number, so I went for it. My goal was to run 3 5K races by the end of July. I figured that one race per month would be doable and affordable. I also realized it would be challenging enough for someone who was known to run one per year. As I come closer to reaching this goal, I am so thankful to God for the ability to simply put one foot in front of the other and running.

I was never known as the best athlete. I was not the fastest or fittest but an adverse situation taught me that I could run if I really wanted to. A desire was planted in my heart and persistence got me there.

I don’t think I am better than anyone else, as a matter of fact, I bet I have more excuses than the regular person. I have learned the value of knowing my minimum and knowing what I will not tolerate:

I won’t tolerate excuses;

I won’t tolerate self-pity;

I won’t tolerate self-defeat.

I will entertain positive and Godly thoughts such as ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ and ‘I will reap a harvest of blessings if I faint not.’ Meditation leads me to action which pushed me to three finish lines.

Barney Butter Giveaway Winner: Congratulations Rachel of Twin Tough! You must respond within 3 days of this notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate 
winner will be selected. Thank you Barney Butter for sponsoring the Giveaway!
Related Videos: • Journey to the Finish Line (first 5K) series • The Human Race (second 5K)

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Barney Butter Giveaway

"Are you Cintia and Zeke's neighbor? Give them this." 
This is all the explanation my next door neighbor had when he showed up at my door with a jar of the most amazing almond butter I have ever had in my life. It tasted too good to be true. I found this all natural almond butter to be an amazing addition to my healthy lifestyle.
After weeks of mystery and an empty jar, we found out Mr. Ernie Gentry, a friend of ours from church gave us that amazing jar of almond butter. Mr. Ernie was visiting my neighbor's church and decided to send us a gift. How neat is that?

I want to share this amazing product with you, my great reader. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a box of the NEW 1.06 single serve squeeze Packs of Barney Butter. My readers who want to order from their website, can use the promo code CoolMom15 to receive 15% off your order. Here's how to to enter:

1. Eligibility. Giveaways are open to readers with US shipping addresses only.
2. Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me what or who inspires you live a healthy life.

For Extra Entries (make sure you leave a comment letting me know what you did):

• Like Barney Butter on Facebook  
• Follow Barney Butter on Twitter
• Like me on Facebook  
• Follow me on Twitter
4. Entry Deadline Date. All entries must be received on or before July 5 to be eligible to win.
6. Winner Selection. A prize number will be assigned to your entry upon receipt of your entry. A winning number will be generated using Random.org. If your Prize Number matches the Winning Number, and you meet the eligibility requirements and otherwise comply with these Official Giveaway Rules, you win the prize.
7. Winner Notification. You will be notified here on the blog on July 6.
8. Claiming Your Prize. Winner must respond within 3 days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

Tomorrow's Post is called Marriage: 5 years, 5 lessons - the honeymoon is over and reality is on.
• Do you have a question for a Professional Counselor? I am working on a Podcast titled: "Counseling Demystified: Benefits for Individuals and Families" and I would love to ask your questions! E-mail me at simplycintia@gmail.com and your question may be answered in the Podcast!

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The Social Media Break

It sounds crazy but it worked for me. Here's what happened:

Who? Me
What? Took a Social Media Break for a Week
Why? To recalibrate
Where? Computer, smart phone.
How? *Logged off major social media sites. I still logged my miles (dailymine.com) but did just that, not much interaction. oh, also ignored FourSquare updates from friends.

* I still did Social Media consulting during that week but no mindless browsing. 

Benefits? I Checked out of intense social media usage and as a result I had a chance to:

1. Think Outside the Box • I had a chance to look from the outside in, evaluate my usage and go for effectiveness.
2. Take a New Approach to Life • when you find a new balance, it pays off to use it in your every day life. Some old habits had to go and the new habits are now a part of life.
3. Read More • My kids and I love books, so we read more real & digital books. Reading refreshes me.
4. Live a Qualitative Life • Because I wasn't 'numb' from my intense social media usage I had more intention to enjoy life without having to report on it. Smelling the rain for example was highly enjoyable as well as resting from all my activities.
5. Manage Stress • This is the story of my life. I really believe that if I manage stress well, the quality of my life in the next 20 years will improve a lot. I paid close attention to my stress level and for a whole week I found healthy ways to deal with it. I ate pretty well, rested more and I fought stress with exercise. Check out my miles from last week:

My mileage for the month of June. Take this stress!

Instead of eating my stress away, I made the conscious effort to run/walk it away. It seems to be working.
I want to encourage you to challenge yourself and look at every area of your life. Is there room for improvement? If the answer is yes, work at it. It's just June people. There is plenty time to work on adding more quality to your life.
News: • Tomorrow I will be hosting the Barney Butter Giveaway here on the blog, so come back for a chance to win! • Do you have a question for a Professional Counselor? I am working on a Podcast titled: "Counseling Demystified: Benefits for Individuals and Families" and I would love to ask your questions!

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The winner is...

The Winner of the Women of Faith Giveaway is Karen from Just Call me Grace blog. This is her winning entry in the Giveaway: 

"I didn't get to go this year in Portland, OR, because of financial constraints. But I would love to go with my newly pregnant daughter who lives close to Seattle... She's never been to a WOF program and I'd love to introduce her to those lovely, godly women! I've been in the empty nest season of life for 10 years and still married to my husband of 32 years. Every time I've been to a WOF conference, I've learned something that God wants me to learn about that season. I look forward to the possibility of that again, this time with my 28 year old daughter."

Karen was also nice to tell me she enjoyed my post Babies 101! I appreciate her for reading the blog!

Karen, you have 48 hours to contact us so you can claim your tickets.

I want to thank Women of Faith for giving me the tickets for the giveaway and thanks to everyone who was a part of it!

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Enter to win 2 free seats at Women of Faith

Women of Faith Giveaway details here

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Women of Faith Giveaway

All women, no matter their stage in life, could get a little encouragement. Women of Faith is a faith-based women's organization that does just that. I'm gonna get some MEGA encouragement by attending one of their events this year with a couple of friend girls and so can you! Enter to win 2 free seats to any of the remaining Women of Faith events!

Mandatory Entry:

• Tell me about your stage in life (motherhood, empty nester, college student, etc) and how a Women of Faith event would help your life journey. Also, tell me which event you'd like to attend and who is the friend you'd take with you.

For extra entries: 

1. "Like" Women of Faith on Facebook

2. Follow Women of Faith on Twitter

Participation into this giveaway indicates you accept the rules and guidelines stated here. Open to US Residents only. The winner will receive (2) free seats to any of the remaining Women of Faith events; the winner will be responsible for their own travel and lodging costs. The winner, chosen via random.org, will be announced on Friday, October 22 at 5 p.m. Eastern. The announced winner has 48 hours to contact SimplyCintia.com or a runner-up will be chosen.

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And the winner is...

Congratulations to Jessi! 

When asked 'why achieving a healthy weight is important for you?' she said: "I want to be healthy so I can experience all the fun life has to offer!"

Congratulations! you have 48 hours to claim your prize. Thanks for participating everyone!

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Book Giveaway and family update

I have a Book Giveaway starting today! Go to the Giveaway page to enter and for more details. I'm giving away 3 weight loss books (US only). I'm always interested in improving my health and managing my weight. Reading different books have made more knowledgeable of the subject and at least has given me options as far as what works for me and what doesn't.

Talking about health, we took a nice little walk after our Father's Day dinner. We parked a little ways from our destination (the ice cream store) so we got some photos of the babies and I. 

At 34 weeks I'm looking more like 38 :) You can see how big my belly is in the bottom picture. I never ask how much I'm measuring when I go to the doctor but this week I will. Just curious. You can see we all were wearing our Brazilian colors to celebrate our victory in the last game of the world cup.

We took daddy out to eat for father's day. Most places in town were full (of course) so we went to our favorite Indian Restaurant. We had the best time as a family celebrating Zeke. He's a great father and as I mentioned before, LP loves spending time with him. He'd be on his hip the whole time if he could. It's a man thing. 

I owe you all another exciting pregnancy update, it's been a month since I haven't done one so as soon as we get more belly shots we'll fill you in. Have an awesome week!

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And the Winner is...

And the winner of the Motherhood Book Giveaway is...
Kelsey from Green's Anatomy


Here is how she answered the question "How motherhood has changed your life?"

"I'm not a mother, but a very good friend of mine is expecting and I would love to be able to get these for her! I know being my mother's daughter has changed her life, and now we are truly bestfriends!"

CONGRATULATIONS to Kelsey!

Your response is required within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.

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Motherhood Book Giveaway

Because we love all things motherhood here at Simply Cintia, we are giving away 2 awesome books: 

What to Expect When You Are Expecting & Bouncing Back From Pregnancy.

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me how motherhood has changed your life. Please be sure to include your email address if it is not easily found on your Blogger profile.

Extra Entries: Once you have completed the mandatory entry you can earn more chances to win! Please leave a separate comment for each:

1) Become a follower of my blog. Already a follower? Just let me know!

2) Follow me on Twitter AND Tweet about this giveaway. You can Tweet once a day. Leave me a link to your Tweet!

3) Earn FIVE extra entries by blogging about this giveaway! Post about it on your blog and link back to this thread. Let me know where to find it on your blog! Be sure to comment five extra times for five extra chances to win!

Contest is open to US residents only (sorry International friends!) One winner will be chosen at 9 p.m. E.S.T. on Monday, May 3rd via Random.org. Winner will be announced here on this blog as well as be sent an email notification. Response is required within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.

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