It’s Freebie Day – Oh, The Joy!

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s August and the weather has been fabulous!  I’m told it’s to be short-lived, but here in the hot, sticky Midwest, we take relief any time we can get it.  To find myself looking in the mirror all throughout the first week of August and not muttering about the frizz and general icky-ness of my mane is almost miraculous – and welcome.  It’s almost as nice as a First Friday Freebie!

The year is now well into its second half and most of us will be glad to see 2020 and its ridiculousness go and we won’t even bother to tell it not to let the screen door smack its fanny on the way out!  Oh!  Wait a minute – I know what we need to do –

My first Friday Freebie is a great reminder to (as the old song goes) count your many blessings and name them one by one.  Or, as the Scripture says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2)  We definitely need reminding. My general tendency right now is toward muttering to myself throughout the day, rehearsing a list of world events and news reports that are stepping on my last frayed nerve.  You know the one.  It’s the nerve that (if I may borrow a phrase from P. G. Wodehouse) is already sticking out an inch and curled on the end.

This 6” X 6” reverse box-top framed word art by “Sign of the Times” has metal lettering and will easily fit into that little nook in your décor that just “needs a little something”.  Right now, we all need a little something.

To enter to win this “Find Joy in Everything” décor, leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight, August 7th, 2020 and be sure to say, “Freebies bring me joy!”

First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so subscribe now over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already.

Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.

Subscribers win every single month!  On the “Freebies” page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.

Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Freebies bring me joy!”

Click here for complete First Friday Freebie rules.

Four simple steps!

If you don’t do it now, tomorrow will dawn and you’ll have missed your opportunity to enter.  Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! 

Spend the rest of your summer counting your blessings, even if is something as trivial as a week without frizzy hair!  I have so many things in my life to put on my blessings list.  We are all enjoying good health, this frightful kitchen makeover has made a giant leap forward and my sweet grandbaby is all laughter and smiles as he learns to sit up by himself and eat from a spoon.  He certainly seems to find joy in everything – except pears – and he would have you know that pears are disgusting.

An update on Smuffy’s grand kitchen remodel is coming up soon!

Comments or questions?  What have you done in the last few months to keep the joy alive? 

November’s Freebie Winner! You might be next!

I’m excited to announce the winner of November’s “First Friday Freebie”. A fabulous free gift is offered each month, on the first Friday, to a faithful subscriber. (Hooray for the letter, “f”!)

Subscribe now and you’ll be ready to enter to win in December! Instructions on how to do that are below.

Our November winner is…

November 2017 Freebie Winner www.midweststoryteller.com

Ginger from Prairie Home, Missouri!

Ginger left a comment on the post, saying, “I’ll take the Blessings Jar!” and she won!

You can see the Blessings Jar and it’s contents a  little better in this photo –

Free Blessing Jar www.midweststoryteller.com

I’m also announcing a change-up in the rules. From now on, the Freebie winner will be chosen from a drawing of the subscribers who leave a comment before midnight on the day the post appears.

I’m following the suggestion of subscriber, Liz, who was feeling that perhaps people who are busy or at work may not be able to comment until later in the day. So, a drawing will be!

If you’d like to enter the monthly give-a-way, do a few things to be sure you don’t miss out.

  1. SUBSCRIBE! On your computer, you can do that in the right side-bar. On a phone or tablet, you may need to go to the “Contact” page. Only subscribers are eligible to win. If you do not confirm your subscription by clicking on the confirmation email you receive, you are STILL not a subscriber, so don’t forget that. You’ll get an email when there’s a new post or freebie.
  2. Follow” Midwest Storyteller on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Even if you forget to check your email on the first Friday, the offer will show up in your feed.
  3. Spread the love – and the FREEBIES! “Share” Midwest Storyteller with your friends on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. Pin this post to Pinterest and send the pin to friends you’d like to see enter to win.

You’ll be eligible to win if you are a subscriber at the time of the offer and if you live in the continental United States. Then all you’ll need to do is read the post and leave a comment as instructed!

Simple, right?

Get ready! The next free gift will be given away on Friday, December 1st!

How are you liking the freebies so far? Please scroll back up and click on “Leave a Comment” under the title of this post and let me know.

If you’d like to see who won the First Friday Freebie for October, click here.

First Friday Freebie! Blessings Abound!

My, how time flies! Today is the first Friday in November and time for Midwest Storyteller’s First Friday Freebie. If you missed seeing my last freebie give-a-way, you can take a look at it here. If you’re wondering who won, check it out here.

Each month, I offer a gift to one of the loyal and loveable fans of Midwest Storyteller. It’s absolutely free and the rules are, oh, so simple.

This is truly the season to be thankful. As we all prepare our hearts and minds for the holiday season ahead, we know what makes us thrive! It’s our family, friends and the simple things in life that make us rich.

I’ve chosen this gift to help you and your family remember what matters most.

Free Blessing Jar www.midweststoryteller.com

I just want you to know that I had a pretty tough time not keeping this gift for myself!

This beautiful Blessings Jar is perfect for this time of year. Included is an organza bag filled with blank “My Blessing” cards for family members and guests to fill out and drop into the jar. Also included are ten additional cards with inspirational quotes such as the one you can see in the photo by C. S. Lewis which says, “When we lose one blessing, another is often, most unexpectedly, given in its place.”

Wouldn’t it be great to have each of your Thanksgiving guests drop their card into the jar when arrive? Later, gathered at the feast, you can draw the cards out of the jar and read them aloud.

Another great idea is to place the jar in a prominent place this month and have family members jot down a blessing every day to add to the jar.

And the Number 1 thing to be thankful for? The Blessing Jar is FREE!

Another thing I loved about this gift is that it matches any décor and is not limited to seasonal display. It serves as a year-round reminder and can always be used to store a few other things you’re thankful for.  Hmmm… Let me think… Cookies… Vacation money… the list goes on and on.

Ooooh! I almost forgot – it would make a lovely gift, wouldn’t it?

And now, here are the rules.

  1. First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the helpful, fun and FREE stuff! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
  2. IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you are not eligible to enter.
  3. You’ll need to scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. The first subscriber to comment with, “I’ll take the Blessing Jar!” will win, provided that you’re already on the subscribers list and that you live within the continental United States.

Three simple steps! Have a wonderful and blessed First Friday of the month!

Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe, Confirm and Enter!  Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and let’s get the word out!  It’s crazy not to spread free stuff around!