Win "The Husband Project" & 4 tickets to a WOF event

Want to win 4 tickets to the Women of Faith "A Grand New Day" event coming to a city near you?
Go here to find out how to win.

Edited to Add: The start of the 5 Day Mini Project will NOT be July 13. I need to pull 2 names from the hat and send them the books before we begin. Please continue to leave a comment if you want a chance to win and post about the book give-away/mini project on your blog. Even if you do not win a book, you will be able to participate in the 5 Day Mini Project. I can't wait; It's going to be fun, fun fun!
Just leave a comment on my latest post for a chance to win a book. If you are blogging about the give-away on your blog, leave me a comment so I know to enter you twice. I'll draw 2 names this Wednesday (July 15) and get those books in the mail to you asap!

Next Monday, July 13, I will be starting a 5 Day Mini Project from Kathi Lipp's book, The Husband Project.
I would love to have lots of you join me next week as we take our marriages from "ordinary to amazing."


I have 2 copies of The Husband Project by Kathi Lipp to give away! A couple of you have already expressed interest in winning a copy and I have taken note of that so your name is already "in the hat." If you want the chance to win a book, simply leave a comment indicating that and if you want two chances to win, post about this giveaway AND the 5 Day Mini Project which begins July 13. Let me know in your comment (or in a 2nd comment) that you blogged about the book give-a-way and mini project.

To read more about The Husband Project, go here.

An Artistic Give-A-Way

Check out this artistic give-a-way! To see what I love go here.

To find out how to enter, visit Purple Lemon Designs.

Living La Vida DIVA! & 3 Matters of Bidness: a prize, a shortcut & a cut-out

My other blog found here is where I am now writing my teaching posts. (photograph by Linda Charlene)

If you are curious about this speaking topic: Living La Vida DIVA, click on the link!

WARNING: You are about to read an eclectic post.


First matter of bidness is the give-a-way from A Roof With A View! A Roof With A View is a fresh blog with several contributors, one of which is my blog buddy, Angela, from Crumbs In My Butter. Check out her blog and her spring nail polish picks & the cute, cute scarf that is included in the give-a-way.


Second matter of bidness is a shortcut when you make Chicken & Dumplins. (Yes. I know it's actually dumplings but I like to say dumplins. I also like to say bidness.) Although I can and do make dumplins from scratch meaning I mix the dough and roll it out and cut it into strips, sometimes I take this shortcut.

Instead of the delicious but time consuming art of dumplin' makin' I sometimes use a can of refrigerated biscuits for my dumplins. I flatten each biscuit in my hands, and using a pizza cutter I cut them into quarters (or more depending on the size of your biscuits). When my stock is at a rolling boil, I drop the "dumplins" into the pot. I never stir the dumplins as they may fall apart. Just lift the pot from the burner and swirl it to submerge the dumplins.
If you don't already have a good recipe for chicken & dumplins' let me know and I'll share mine. For now...I just thought I'd give you a delicious time saving tip!
Chicken & Dumplins ~ it's what's for dinner at my house tonight. And I served it early so I could take a walk after dinner. Because even though I will not be having dessert, I had chicken & dumplins for dinner. With cornbread. So, you know, I might need a walk. *

Third matter of bidness is I have decided to take a vacation from what may be the only junk food I eat: chips - wonderful salty, crispy tortilla chips or sour cream and onion potato chips, or original sunchips...

Mr. Chips will be going the way of sugar & the fake sweetener (except stevia). I am on day 15/21 of my sugar/sweetener free ride. Whee. My ride has lost it's ! because One Fine Man brought home a BOGO yesterday. Pecan Sandy and her luscious twin sister - Dark Chocolate & Almond Sandy. I say she is luscious but I'm only surmising as I have nibbled nary a crumb! NOT. ONE. CRUMB.


I'm going to give myself a vacation from Mr. Chips for 21 days. That is the same amount of time I picked for the sugar/sweetener. Why 21 days? The whole habit thing.


Eventually I will post on why I am taking a vacation from the sweet stuff and now the chips! It may not be why you think. Then again...it may.

Have you ever "disciplined" yourself for 21 days in hopes that it would become a habit? Were you successful?

Eclectically Yours,
Bella~Mella

* I took that walk and now I'm ready for my Florida ruby red grapefruit ~ chilled and sprinkled with sea salt. Ahhhhhhhh as good as the Sandy sisters. At least that is what I tell myself!

Cool Christmas Give-a-Way!

Angela at CrumbsInMyButter inspired me to do a post on Christmas aprons! I wear aprons on a daily basis. This is because I am a messy cook and bottle washer!

One Fine Man says I am a gulper not a sipper when it comes to beverages. Sometimes when all of the Tervis Tumblers are in the dishwasher I have to drink my iced tea from a grown up glass. My tervis w/lid and straw is my sippy cup. Oh...I am so serious!

I have several aprons to choose from when I cook and clean the kitchen. Most of them are the chef style apron with full coverage. Again, it's the gulper vs sipper thing.

When Angela posted here wearing her cute Christmas apron while baking with her boys, I decided to share a picture of me wearing my Christmas apron.

I, however, am not baking cookies. No. I am boiling shrimp and frying catfish & hushpuppies for our Sunday dinner. Because what says Southern Christmas better than fried catfish?

But I am not just going to show you a picture of my Christmas apron. I am also tying in a give-a-way with Lysa Terkeurst' Cool Christmas Give-a-way Day!

I have an identical apron to the one I am wearing in this post. It is brand spanking new...never been worn before. I found them at a good deal so I picked up two. Good for me and good for you!

If you would like to be entered in the Cool Christmas Give-a-way to win this Christmas apron, just leave a comment. If you want to be entered twice, include in your comment that you are linking to this Cool Christmas Give-a-way post. If you want to be entered three times, post your own picture wearing your Christmas apron. Be sure to let me know!

I'll pick a winner later this week and contact you for your mailing address.

Merry Christmas and Happy Baking or, if you're like me, Happy Frying!

(Be sure to check out the latest post from Crumbs in My Butter. It's a "bucket" of laughs!)