My Birthday, You Get the Gifts! (Bloggy Giveaways Carnival and more.)

I promised you a July full of give-aways. Well, today's my birthday, so I want to give out some gifts! Let's end this month on a really high note, and start out the new one with a bang!!!

First of all, tomorrow marks the 2-year anniversary of Affordable Mineral Makeup™ (click link for 15% discount code!) and my consultant page at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com has undergone a "face lift" so please drop by and take a look. I also want to offer a hearty "Congratulations!" to Tara, our company founder, for starting and growing a wonderful business these past two years. If you would like to join us, today's your last day to get started with Affordable Mineral Makeup™! for just $12 instead of the normal $30 enrollment fee! Deadline for this offer is midnight EST tonight (July 31). To get $18 off your sign up, go to http://affordablemineralmakeup.com/bizopp.html and select the Consultant option, then click the pay now tag and at checkout put the word christmasinjuly in the coupon section. The computer system will automatically take off $18 of your sign up fee. Please list Jenni Saake as your sponsor on the sign up form.



Have you seen the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Giveaway Carnival yet? It's an amazing gathering of nearly 1,000 bloggers, all giving away free stuff through today and tomorrow (some even into next week). Much is parenting related, several jewlery companies, some web designes offering blog make-overs and much more. If you like contests and freebies, check them out.

For my own gifts in the Bloggy Giveaway, I'm offering gently read copies of:

1. Vonda Skelton's Seeking Through the Lies: Unmasking the Myths Women Believe, and

2. Tricia Goyer's My Life Unscripted.

"Who Put a Stop Payment on My Reality Check?" and "I checked my Bible concordance... 'easy' and 'fair' are not there." are phrases that describe Vonda's book, while Trica writes a "play script" for teen girls.

3. I will also throw in a couple of samples of Affordable Mineral Makeup™!

To enter, all I need is a comment left here on my blog, US mailing addresses only please. Be sure to leave me an email address to get ahold of you if you win. I'll be drawing my winner on Monday morning, so you have until midnight (Pacific time) Sunday night to enter. Winner will have 1 week to respond with mailing address in order to claim prize.

While you are here, don't forget to check out the links to other great drawings and contests I've offered this month:

Book of Names contest for FREE Wii or iPod

Summer Skin Care Give-Away

Win a FREE Wii™ System, iPod™ Nanos or signed Book of Names

(If you are reading this via email and can't view the video, be sure to drop by the Inner Beauty Blog to see this amazing video for yourself.)

I'm stepping a bit outside my usual offering with this one, but the prizes (a FREE Wii™ System!, an iPod™ Nanos, and signed copies of THE BOOK OF NAMES, by D. Barkley Briggs of http://hiddenlands.net where you will find contest details) are just too big to ignore. So I emailed the author and asked if his book touched on true beauty in any ways. Here's Mr. Briggs' reply, along with a short passage from his book.

"The central theme of my book is about the power of identity, and where true identity originates. While the tone is geared more towards boys, I've heard from plenty of girls about how much they love the fantasy genre (as well as from their moms and grandmas who are buying it for them)."

The following scene involves Hadyn, the older brother, being captured by the Nameless. He is being hauled away in the hold of a ship along with many other Nameless/Lost, on their way to the island of the sorceress Nemesia. They go to her to forget themselves and their pain:

"I don't know what Kyra means. I just know I don't like it. I never have."
"Why? It's very pretty."
"That is why. I am not nearly so pretty as my name."
Hadyn, taken aback, quickly realized he needed to be careful. He did not want to risk offending whatever new friend or ally he had just gained. Kyra had smooth skin and bright eyes flecked with mischief not yet lost to Nemesia. Like all the Lost, she was dirty and worn, but most anyone seeing her would have thought her attractive. Not beautiful, but cute. And feminine, with a girlish, fluttering voice.
"I don't much like being a girl," she said, as if reading his thoughts. "Always guessing what other people think about me. I grew up watching the Revlon Cirque in Portaferry. Now those are women! So beautiful and graceful, with those huge feathers in their long, twirling hair."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what that is."
"The Cirque? Are you even from here? You talk funny."
"To be honest, I don't know how to tell you where I'm from."
"Well, everyone here loves the Revlon Cirque," Kyra smirked. "They are the most marvelous carnivale in all the world. Men desire them. Women envy them. Paintings of them hang in the streets. They are rich and famous." She lowered her eyes. "I do not have their shape, their face, or their fame. I never will. When I told a friend once how I wished I could be a Revlon, she laughed at me."
Hadyn spoke gently. "Not much of a friend, I'd say."
Kyra was unmoved. She pulled out a small round mirror from the folds of her gown. It fit in the palm of her hand. She gazed into it sadly. "That is only because you do not see what I see every day in the looking glass."

- from THE BOOK OF NAMES, by D. Barkley Briggs. Used by permission from NavPress. Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. www.navpress.com


So I leave you with this simple question... What do you see every day in your looking glass?

Tweeting on Twitter

If you have a Twitter account, feel free to follow me there at http://twitter.com/InfertilityMom.

Don't know what Twitter is? Neither did I until my dear hubby introduced me to this "mini-blogging" network where users post messages of no more than 140 characters at a time. Great way to keep up with friends without being bogged down in long posts. And for long-winded writers like me, a fun challenge to get to the point quickly and creatively. :)

I'll be posting a really exciting book promotional tomorrow or Thursday, with an amazing grand prize, so you'll want to be on the lookout for that. And if you haven't entered our Summer Skin Care give-away be sure to do so before it's too late! In fact, most of the specials, discounts and promotions that have been posted this month end within the next day or two, so be sure to check them out!

6 Days Left to Join AMM for $12

For the month of July only, you can get started with Affordable Mineral Makeup™ for just $12 instead of the normal $30 enrollment fee! In the year I have been following AMM, this is the lowest consultant enrollment fee I have ever seen offered, and it’s only available through the end of this month. This is a great way to save yourself at least 25% on each future purchase (with the possibility of earning up to 40% discounts as your business grows).

To get $18 off your sign up, go to http://affordablemineralmakeup.com/bizopp.html and select Option #5 Consultant.
Click the pay now tag and at checkout put the word christmasinjuly in the coupon section and the computer system will automatically take off $18 of your sign up fee. Please list Jenni Saake as your sponsor on the sign up form.

Quick Links to Free Stuff :)

Today's post will be quick, but it's a fun one. There are several great websites offering fun drawings, contests, or simply great beauty tips this month and I wanted to share a few links with you. :)

As highlighted here in the past, Ginger Garrett (author of "Beauty Secrets of the Bible") is always offering great, free beauty tips on her blog. Recent posts include Fast Fixes for Summer Stress, surprising uses for V8 juice, and a slew of great summer tips and tricks. Check out Ginger's site at www.GingerGarrett.com.

Christian Work at Home Moms is hosting a 30-Day give-away through the entire month of July. You don't have to be a mom or work at home to enter, but you do have to enter if you hope to win any of the fantasitc prizes offered there. Enter daily at http://cwahm.com/wordpress/30-day-contest/.

For my scrapbooking buddies (I never find the time anymore) my friend Holly at www.Scrapallier.com is offering $20-value daily scrapbooking prizes on her blog between 7/18 thru 7/24 and one grand prize for a Cricut Storybook cartridge (or $60 in other products if you don't have a Cricut)! Find Holly's blog at http://blog.scrapallier.com/.

And there's still time to enter my Summer Skin Care Give-Away here at http://InnerBeautyGirlz.com

Beauty Rest - Travel and Staycation tips

Vacation! Don't you love to "run away" and be refreshed? Even God rested on the seventh day of creation and condones our season of rest (Gen. 2:3). Jesus also took time for refreshment, inviting His followers to join Him: “He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (Mark 6:31b). When you get to the end of today's tips, share with me your favorite ways to get some rest!

With the price of gas I know many of us are opting for "staycations" this year, but if you are venturing into the friendly skies, don’t forget to review the Transportation Security Administration guidelines for packing! Here are a few tips to help make your travel a bit easier.

I am happy to report that mineral makeup is "airport friendly." While moisturizers and even mascara count as liquids, and are limited, mineral powders don’t cause such problems. You might also want to consider replacing your regular toothpaste in your travel bag with tooth powder to avoid yet another liquid limitation.

The 3-step travel size Natural Skin Care System from May Flowers Naturals that is featured in our Summer Skin Care Give-Away this month is also a handy travel solution, packaged in 2 oz recycled plastic bottles that are well within airline guidelines for carry on luggage. (The summer give-away hasn’t had many entries yet, so be sure to register today for great odds of being our winner!)

On the subject of vacation, why not celebrate Christmas in July? For the month of July only, you can get started with Affordable Mineral Makeup™ for just $12 instead of the normal $30 enrollment fee! In the year I have been following AMM, this is the lowest consultant enrollment fee I have ever seen offered, and it’s only available through the end of this month. If you are making regular purchase from me already, this is a great way to save yourself at least 25% on each future purchase (with the possibility of earning up to 40% discounts as your business grows).

To get $18 off your sign up, go to http://affordablemineralmakeup.com/bizopp.html and select Option #5 Consultant. Click the pay now tag and at checkout put the word christmasinjuly in the coupon section and the computer system will automatically take off $18 of your sign up fee. Please list Jenni Saake as your sponsor on the sign up form.

How do you relax and refresh? What is your favorite kind of vacation? I would love to hear from you in the comments section! Do you crave full-fledged travel, staying quiet near home, or a mini-retreat like a nice soak in the tub or a few hours with your favorite drink and a good book? If you can't take a full vacation right now, try to find a quiet place to rest, even if only for a few hours this week. It will do you good, both body and soul!

Honey Words, Honey Beauty

For the rest of July I’ll be posting pretty frequently because I have too many links to freebies, give-aways and discounts to share in just this one post. To give you a taste for what’s to come, take 10% off all products in your Affordable Mineral Makeup™ order from now through 11:59pm (EST) on Sunday, July 13, buy using the code “aser” in the coupon section at http://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com. Offer good one time per customer, good on all products. :)
Don’t forget about the Summer Skin Care Give-Away we have going this month. Today’s post will offer a huge hint to the answer of the contest question!

“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). I look forward to sharing some amazing things about honey with you today. This verse has become increasingly meaningful to me as I've learned more about this golden substance. But before I get too far ahead of myself, I would like to ask you to think of a time when someone made a simple comment or exhibited a gentle act of kindness that’s had a lasting impact on you.
Proverbs 25:11 describes such treasured moments as “apples of gold in pictures of silver,” or as stated in The Message, “The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry.” Several such priceless memories stand out to me, though probably long-forgotten by the people who touched my heart. May I share a few snapshots with you?
- “God has made you a mother to all those women,” (referencing the ladies of Hannah’s Prayer) said my friend one day, in the midst of my deep struggle through infertility. It was shortly before Mother’s Day and I was desperately grieving, but her encouragement gave new purpose and perspective I desperately needed at that moment.
- No words, but the simple gesture of “two thumbs up” concerning her recent reading of my book, Hannah’s Hope. What made this simple act significant was that it came from an author friend and writing professor whom I highly admire and respect.
- “Please go ahead of me in line,” was the unexpected invitation from a stranger at the grocery store on a day I was feeling quite ill and wanting nothing more than to get home and into bed.
- “You are exactly the woman God planned to be her mother since before He laid the foundations of the earth. He will equip you with everything you need to parent her because you are the one person in the whole world, in all of history, whom He chose for this job!” encouraged a friend over the phone as I shared with her my struggles and doubts in my abilities to parent my spark-fire daughter.

All of these sweet words have stayed with me because they met me at a point of need, sometimes a need that wasn’t even obvious, and lifted me up, bringing healing to my heart. Honey too has surprising healing properties. I often reach for honey to treat acne, mild burns and scratches, and other skin irritations. In fact, after washing my face, I rub a couple of drops of raw, organic honey right into my face as a great moisturizer/toner that preps my skin beautifully to receive mineral makeup and adds to the longevity of my makeup application.

If you are interested in learning more about honey for yourself, along with trying a few delicious and delightful honey-based beauty recipes, try these links:

Honey Is A Sweet Treat For Skin - http://www.honey.com/consumers/honeyhealth/beauty.asp

Culinary Sleuth Beautifoods: Foods and Recipes that Enhance Beauty - http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/sleuth/2000/0900/

Honey: Can it Heal Wounds?- http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/honey/AN01796/METHOD=print

I look at honey as so much more than a sweet flavoring now. And I hope that the next time you see or taste honey, it will be a reminder to say something sweet or encouraging to someone else. You never know when your simple words might become “apples of gold” as treasured memories of encouragement.

Summer Skin Care Give-Away

This week our neighbors to the north celebrate Canada Day (July 1) as we prepare for Independence Day (July 4) here in the USA! To celebrate, we're giving away a 3-step travel size Natural Skin Care System from May Flowers Naturals. Keep reading for details on how to enter this drawing. :)

Summer fun, food, and friends are such a blessing. While you are out in all that sun, be sure to take good care of your skin. Sun block is a must (I love that mineral makeup offers natural SPF protection)! Keeping your face and all your sun-exposed skin clean and toned and moisturized is important too. With this in mind, I am thrilled to introduce you to May Flowers Naturals, a brand new line of natural skin care products created by a friend of mine.

For the entire month of July, May Flowers Naturals is offering Inner Beauty blog readers an incredible 20% discount on your purchase from her website. (Please note, this discount is for products purchased through the May Flowers Naturals site only, not my Affordable Mineral Makeup lines.) To redeem this specials savings, visit the May Flowers shop and enter the coupon code "spirit" at check out.

Our July contest for the 3-step travel size Natural Skin Care System from May Flowers Naturals involves a bit of an online scavenger hunt. First you will need to visit the May Flowers Naturals site, then return here and post a reply to the Inner Beauty blog with your answer to the following question:
According to the May Flowers Naturals website, what is “Nature’s Ultimate Beauty Product”?

When you submit your answer, please include your mailing address and contact information (email and/or phone number) so that we may contact you if you are selected the winner. Blog replies will not be posted live to the site until the end of the contest and all personal contact information will be removed before replies are publically posted. Around August 1, one winner will be selected from among all correct answers. Entries submitted without contact information will not qualify for the drawing.