October:  Color (and a Freebie) Everywhere!

Here in the Midwest, we are in for a change.  October is the month of color.  While you’re waiting for all the beautiful colors outside, why not create your own colorful masterpieces inside?

Let’s take a look at today’s First Friday Freebie –

Amazing Grace Coloring Book  https://midweststoryteller.com/

Several years ago a new trend took hold – adult (or advanced) coloring books.  Some doctors even started recommending them for people who needed to de-stress.  Rather than chunky drawings or cartoon-like pictures, these contained trailing florals, word art and any number of other intricate designs that adults could spend time relaxing with as they let their mind focus on the beauty and their creative choices rather than the cares of this world.  You can settle into cozy fall days with this “Amazing Grace” coloring book.  It’s full of beautiful pages meant to inspire such as the one at the right in the photo.  Grab some colored pencils or markers and create some art to frame, give away, or just keep in the book to admire.

To enter to win the “Amazing Grace” coloring book, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Color my October!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, October 4th, 2024.

NOTE:  An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails.  Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.

If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win.  Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.  You’re not officially subscribed until you confirm by email.

You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages.  Fall is a great time to curl up with a good book, but since mine isn’t released yet, you might win this freebie and be able to color while you wait. Check out the latest updates on my “Morgan’s Landing” book series here.  Fall is also a great time to try a great recipe from my Food Freedom” page.

Remember to be sure to share the content you enjoy here on your social media such as Facebook, Instagram and “X”.  If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”.  Help me get the word out!

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, October 4th, by leaving a comment which says, “Color my October!”  

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

May your days ahead be filled with sunshine, rustling leaves and the laughter of children playing in them!

A Freebie in Blue Jeans

We’re due for cooler temperatures starting tomorrow and you know what that means – It’ll be blue jeans weather.  You can inch toward that fashion statement with today’s First Friday Freebie. 

Let’s take a look –

Denim Cross Earrings.  https://midweststoryteller.com/

These denim cross earrings feature are exactly that – made of denim.  They’re so lightweight, yet keep their shape.  That makes them so easy to wear.  I’m not sure why I’m on an earring kick lately as far as freebies go, but they just caught my eye.  The overall length is 3 ¼ inches from the top of the hook.  The cross itself measures 2 7/8 inches. They are by Accessory Connection and a great find from Factory Connection.

To enter to win the denim cross earrings, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I’m stepping into fall!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, September 6th, 2024.

NOTE:  An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails.  Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.

If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win.  Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.  You’re not officially subscribed until you confirm by email.

You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages.  Fall is a great time to curl up with a good book and my first novel is coming soon. Check out the latest updates on that here.  While you wait for the official release of the first book in the “Morgan’s Landing series, you can try a great recipe from my Food Freedom” page.

Remember to be sure to share the content you enjoy here on your social media such as Facebook, Instagram and “X”.  If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”.  Help me get the word out!

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, September 6th, by leaving a comment which says, “I’m stepping into fall!”  

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Enjoy these beautiful days ahead.  May your fall be colorful, peaceful and blessed!

Exciting Updates!

I may have given my readers the impression that nothing much is happening, so I thought it might be time for an update.  It will be the first of many, because things are hopping in my publishing and production world.

Here we are in September, pretending it is fall while waiting for the real thing. I was so excited and relieved last week to send in to my publisher the painstaking edit I’ve been working on for the second book in my “Morgan’s Landing” historical fiction series.  That certainly lifted a load of stress from my shoulders.  It has been one of the big factors in my not providing you with more content here as it has been top priority other than taking care of Lil’ Snookie and Fruity Pebbles.

Meanwhile, the first book in the series is on its way to you!  Artists are working on the final cover as we speak and I am expecting an email with some line edits.  As soon as I approve those, the book goes to print with a projected release date in October.  The photo above does not reflect the eventual book cover in any way other than the fact that it was taken in the location and era that the fictional town of Morgan’s Landing is patterned after.

In related news, you may recall my earlier announcement concerning a screenplay for “Morgan’s Landing”.  If you missed it, you can click here to see the announcement and brief video. This has been quite the adventure for me and it isn’t over yet.  It’s a bit like a road trip – you just don’t know how long it will take or where you’ll end up.  I have learned so much during the process and thought you might want to join me on the journey.  We are now entering a new phase.

I continually see the fingerprints of God all over “Morgan’s Landing”.  In the first place, I literally went to bed one night and dreamed this story, so I can’t help but feel that it was gifted to me.  Writing and editing did take a long time, but there was something about this story that kept pushing me forward.  I knew that if a publisher took the time to read it that it would be published.  I determined to do what I could to make that happen and make it a success, but my dreams for the books hadn’t taken me further than that.

Then, several months ago, the Lord saw fit to take the book in an entirely new direction when I had an unexpected opportunity to sit down and discuss the story in person with award winning Hollywood screenwriter, Alan Roth.  To my delight, he asked to read the book which, of course, wasn’t even out yet.  After reviewing the manuscript, he told me that he felt it had merit as series and that he would like to write the screenplay.  We began working on the pilot episode in April and finished it in July.  I have truly enjoyed working with Alan as we met regularly via Zoom to go over each and every page of script.

Now, the finished pilot is on the market!  Seven or eight studios (ones you would be familiar with) have been approached and now we wait.  Some have already agreed to appointments to consider the project and one has already met in person with the screenwriter, responded favorably, and asked for the book in addition to the screenplay, which is a great step forward.

As I stated earlier – what an adventure!  The feeling I get when I think of my project going into the hands of a studio is somewhat like I imagine I might have if, having tossed my baby up in the air, I had to fold my arms and trust a total stranger to catch it before it hit the ground!

Keep an eye out for more updates.  Soon the publisher will release an author’s interview as well as sneak preview of the actual cover.  I’ll soon be a guest on the Inspired Writer Collective podcast and I’ll post links to that as well.  Of course, when I know the book’s official release date, you’ll be the first to know!  Following the release, there will be book signing events and I hope to see you there.

If you have a story in you, and I’m pretty sure you do, my best advice is DON’T WAIT!  The road ahead of you will be a long one and it is best to start now.

Leave a comment and tell me what is stirring in your heart and mind to write.  It may be fiction or it may be a true story that you can’t bear the thought of being lost to the ages.  I know I have one of those and I hope to have the time to start on it soon.

August’s Freebie Winner!

As we’re entering into September, it’s time to meet the winner of my First Friday Freebie for the month of August.  If you take a moment to check out the First Friday Freebie Rules at the link below, you’ll find out how simple it is to enter to win.  This is a special monthly gift for my email subscribers only.

Let’s meet –

August Freebie Winner Shirley  https://midweststoryteller.com/

Shirley from Boonville, Missouri.

Shirley is modeling the sunflower earrings she just won and the more I see them on her the more I want a pair just like them.

Shirley was one of my very first email subscribers. She consistently enters to win and therefore she has had her name drawn more than once! She did have to comment as directed in the freebie post on the day it arrived in her inbox.  I require this tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention. 

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Shirley won here

If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today.  Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that.   

NOTE:  Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings.  This is my only means of notifying winners.  If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

We live in a life filled with gadgets and you’ll find that this blog can have a different appearance depending on whether you are on your computer, tablet or smartphone.  You can easily navigate in the menu under “CONTACT”, fill in your email and hit “SUBSCRIBE”.  Confirm your subscription when the email arrives.  If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”. 

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.  You’ll also receive encouragement, healthy recipes, short stories, lots of laughs and updates on the books I write.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win. 

Freebies enable me to reach more people.  I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family.  When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free. 

On September 6th, you’ll see the new Freebie.  Enter to win that day.  A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight.  Then, check your email in the days following. 

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, September 6th, 2024.

Smuffy always says that this time of year brings him into a seasonal shift even if the weather doesn’t have that hint of autumn crispness quite yet.  Thoughts of his pioneer ancestors fill his mind and he gets the urge to meander through forests and read the diaries of Lewis and Clark.  I’m sure Lil’ Snookie will want to spend as many days playing at the park as he can possibly manage.  What thoughts inspire you in the month of September?  Leave a comment.  We might get some interesting answers to that! 

It’s Never Too Hot for a Freebie!

I know I have readers all over the place, but if you’re in the Midwest or somewhere like it, these are the dog days of summer.  I’ve often wondered about this weird phrase and discovered that it’s been in use for centuries and has astrological origins that have something to do with the Dog Star bringing uncomfortable heat and suffering on humans but even more so on dogs that seemed to run a much higher risk of going mad from it.  I was surprised at this elaborate explanation.  All my life I had pictured nothing more than our farm dogs, using the sense God gave them, crawling under cars, trucks and machinery to roll in the cool fine dust and nap until the sun went down.

If you are so blessed as to have air conditioning, and I hope you are, you don’t have to go out and lie under your car when the temperatures are nudging themselves toward triple digits and the air is so thick with humidity you can chew it.  You can stay inside and get online to your favorite blog and enter to win a First Friday Freebie in cool comfort. 

This month’s Freebie is just the thing for August and into September.  Let’s take a look –

Wooden Sunflower Earrings https://midweststoryteller.com/

These wooden drop earrings feature a laser cut sunflower inside a teardrop loop.  The overall length is 3 ½ inches from the top of the hook.  I really like the look of them “as is” because they are raw wood, but I couldn’t help but think that it wouldn’t take much more than a steady hand for someone to take a bit of colored stain on a small brush and tint those petals gold and possibly the rims of the teardrops green.  Just a thought.  They are by Accessory Connection and a great find from Factory Connection.

To enter to win the wooden sunflower earrings, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Spread a little sunshine!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, August 2nd, 2024.

NOTE:  An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails.  Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.

If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win.  Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.  You’re not officially subscribed until you confirm by email.

You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages.  Summertime is a great time to read about Smuffy’s river adventures. Try a great recipe from my Food Freedom” page.

Remember to be sure to share the content you enjoy here on your social media such as Facebook, Instagram and “X”.  If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”.  Help me get the word out!

On the “Freebies” page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, June 7th, by leaving a comment which says, “Spread a little sunshine!”  

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

I don’t know how your summer is going, but I have given up on being outdoors much for now and am using the heat as my best excuse to stay at my desk and write.  The first book in my “Morgan’s Landing” series is coming soon and I am deep in the process of editing the sequel so I can get it to the publisher.  I’ll keep you posted on that as well as the screenplay, which is now finished.  Poor Smuffy is out in the miserable heat every day working on a number of projects.

Stay cool.  Enjoy indoor and outdoor activities.  Some great ideas can be found in my last post here. As my mother always said, “Come January, we’ll be wishing for this!”

It’s August. Now what?

If you’ve kept to more than a few of my posts here, I’m sure you’ve gathered that I love old things. Old books embrace me. Old movies draw me in. Old folks’ tales take me back, teaching me much and making me grateful. Old ways of life make me realize that not all things modern make life better. Old friends feed my soul. Old customs make me long for a time when, for the most part, we were a more courteous and honorable people.

A few years ago, my family (they know I like the old stuff) added to my Mother’s Day gift a copy of “Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy” by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Now, how did they know that was right up my rose-lined foot-path? It’s one of those books that is so full of beautiful artwork on nearly every page that turning the pages without even reading it brings you peace. I found it for you here on Thriftbooks for under six dollars! Of course, it’s also on Amazon for around twenty dollars.

Here’s an example of a page in my copy that depicts Victorian life in the month of August.

Victorian Life in August from "Mrs. Sharp's Traditions" www.midweststoryteller.com

As I flipped through it today, it struck me that we’ve come a long way from this scene and in some ways this is a relief! I thank the Good Lord for air conditioning, especially since my thermometer registered 99 degrees today. As a culture, we are far more likely to shove the kids (or ourselves) in the direction of the pool or the TV than we are to embrace nature or, if confined indoors, invent our own ways of having fun together. That causes us to miss out on a lot. Families thrive when they are together and engaged. Your children and grandchildren’s relationships with others their age thrive when they are doing something with each other besides texting and social media. It can be a struggle to get back to where we belong.

I thought I would review the book and offer you a glimpse of some of Mrs. Sharp’s ideas that might help you turn this last stretch of summer into something that draws the family together rather than apart. My apologies here to any artists or writers here if doing so violates any rules of the trade, but I fail to see what this review can do other than to promote the sale of more of your books!

Sarah Ban Breathnach created the fictional Mrs. Sharp sometime after a debilitating accident put her out of commission for quite some time. Mrs. Sharp then became so beloved that many readers became convinced she was a real person. It was a little disheartening, wasn’t it, when you found out Betty Crocker was – Oops! Well, I guess that was a spoiler for some of you, wasn’t it?

If you’re tired of being the family activities coordinator who can’t pull the participants out of their rooms and off their phones, you can start with something simple such as a Matinee Party. Pop the popcorn and gather everyone around (family members or friends) for a movie in the comfort of air conditioning. This is the modern version of getting everyone outside for a neighborhood stage production or puppet show. If you can handle the heat, choose the latter two! Your kids will remember it far longer than the movie. You could even hire a trustworthy teenager to be the director and oversee rehearsals.

She suggests a memory book party. Provide scrapbooks and glue and, set up a table and put out everyone’s photos and memorabilia in front of them. Soon they’ll each be creating their own special book and writing what they remember about the experience or items on each page.

If you’re like me, you might want to plan literary games. Kids can cook a meal based on their favorite book, such as the Twelve Oaks barbecue from “Gone With the Wind” or fried catfish and corn bread from “Tom Sawyer”. If that’s too complicated, consider a croquet game as in “Alice in Wonderland”. Mrs. Sharp recommends skipping the use of flamingos, however. Personally, I’d leave hedgehogs out of it as well.

Of course, in Victorian times, people made fun out of necessary work. Once the process of canning became widespread, there was hardly a household that didn’t fill a cellar with shelves bursting with jars of garden produce. Later, we all lapsed into buying all our canned goods, but now that we have better equipment in our air-conditioned kitchens, it it catching on again amongst those who want to grow their own healthier, tastier food and enjoy it throughout the year. Not only would your children learn much if you involve them in the process, but they might really enjoy it if you get some cute labels for the jars, let them label their own products with their name and then, of course, have the joy of delivering a jar or two of it to someone they’d like to bless.

Don’t forget about doing just what you see in the beautiful art here. Just enjoy nature on it’s own. Watch the weather forecast and when a slightly cooler or overcast day is expected, head outside or to a nature center and collect all sorts of leaves, seeds, pods and types of things other than ticks, chiggers and poison ivy. Peach pits can be carved into baskets and acorn tops can become dishes for dolls to eat from.

Planning the outing with family or friends can be just as exciting as actually going. I had to remind myself of this recently when Smuffy and I had planned to take Lil’ Snookie to a nature center for the day. There were trails, activities set up in clearings in the woods and surprises like a giant turtle to climb on and a very tall tower designed to prevent falls. Lil’ Snookie had a blast and just kept shouting out, “We’re hikers!” intermittently throughout the day. This grandma, however, had to adjust her attitude in midstream due to the fact that she had failed to notice that the inside of the place would be closed on that particular day. You see, the inside was filled with live animals, a giant fish tank and a further array of fun hands-on learning that would have delighted Lil’ Snookie beyond his wildest dreams. However, since he’d never been there before and had never seen the inside, the picnic lunch and outdoor attractions were more than enough and after ten minutes or so of wanting to stomp, spit and wave my arms in frustration, I joined in with a shout of, “We’re hikers!” and we had a great day. Smuffy, however, expressed the opinion that Raccoon Run was a far longer trail than necessary and I opted out of climbing the tower due to the fact that I felt I’d already climbed every giant fallen log in the forest.

There’s always the good old backyard campout. Smuffy knows that aside from preparing the food I’ll put him entirely in charge of a thing like that and he says he’ll wait until Lil’ Snookie and Fruity Pebbles are old enough to stay out there longer than five minutes once the coyotes start their evening concert.

Maybe you want to grab a copy of “Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy” and find out what you can do throught the year to draw your family together in positive ways. (No need to dress the part unless you absolutely thrive on that sort of thing.)

Whatever you do, enjoy the rest of summer! Leave a comment and tell me what kind of interesting things you’ve done that bolster family togetherness.

Take Charge and WIN!

I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle Coach I do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.

Denise's Diabetes Story  www.midweststoryteller.com

I am OVER THE MOON about Denise’s results and couldn’t wait to share them with you! This is another story from one of the members of my weekly group coaching sessions. Denise is an example of what happens when you make changes in your life and see the victory. We talk about those victories our members see on the scale and that’s great because losing excess body fat is so important. But those non-scale victories can be the ones you really want to shout about.

Denise is not someone special who got abnormal results that are not achievable for someone like you. She learned how to fuel her body and it changed her life. Your body is fearfully and wonderfully made and you can learn to treat it as it was designed to be treated.

Feel free to contact me about private coaching or if you are local, join us in person. We meet weekly. It’s a joy for me to think that I had a part in Denise’s journey to success and that I may be able to help you, too!

June’s Freebie Winner!

Time to meet the winner of my First Friday Freebie for the month of June.  I enjoy giving away a little something special every month and though it’s not cars or jewels, I hope it does bring you something to look forward to and a reason to share Midwest Storyteller with your friends and family. 

Let’s meet –

Liz the Winner www.midweststoryteller.com

Liz from Boonville, Missouri.

You can see that although the First Friday Freebie recommends staying home – Liz didn’t. Since she’s local, I caught up with her out shopping and took this photo.

For Liz, it was as simple as entering to win on the first Friday of the month and waiting to see if her name was drawn as the winner.  She did have to comment as directed in the freebie post that day.  I require this tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention. 

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

As long as you’re an email subscriber, you can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of each month.  That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win.  If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Liz won here. 

If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today.  Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that.   

NOTE:  Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings.  This is my only means of notifying winners.  If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

We live in a life filled with gadgets and you’ll find that this blog can have a different appearance depending on whether you are on your computer, tablet or smartphone.  You can easily navigate in the menu under “CONTACT”, fill in your email and hit “SUBSCRIBE”.  Confirm your subscription when the email arrives.  If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”. 

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win. 

Freebies enable me to reach more people.  I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family.  When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free. 

On August 2nd, you’ll see the new Freebie.  Enter to win that day.  A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight.  Then, check your email in the days following. 

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, August 2nd, 2024.

We’ve been in the grip of summer heat here, with temperatures around 97 degrees.  The leftovers of Hurricane Beryl are keeping us wet, wet, wet.  Though it is one bad hair day after another around here lately, we are blessed.  I can enjoy Lil’ Snookie and Fruity Pebbles in any weather!   What’s your summer been like? Leave a comment and tell me how you’re spending your days.

Elaine’s Story

I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle Coach I do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.

Here’s another story from one of the members of my weekly group coaching sessions. It’s so gratifying to see them learn about health, put their knowledge into practice and experience not only victories on the scale with weight loss, but NSV’s (non-scale victories) as well. This can end up being much more exciting than mere numbers. How you fuel your body affects all aspects of your life. How would you feel if you received a disheartening diagnosis from your doctor and then saw a total reversal in that condition after putting one foot in front of the other as you treat your body the way it was intended to be treated? Elaine didn’t have a whole lot to lose on the scale, but she lost it! She did have much to gain with getting her metabolism operating the way it should and she gained that!

Feel free to contact me about private coaching or if you are local, join us in person. We meet weekly.

Elaine's Story of Metabolic Syndrome

Please be sure to share this post on Facebook, X, Instagram or wherever you connect with people on social media. You may get to be the one who connects your friend or loved one to the answers they’ve been waiting for.

May’s SURPRISED Freebie Winner!

This announcement has taken a bit for a couple of reasons.  We can ignore the obvious one because, as you may have noticed, I can be a bit slow.  I have a “perfect” excuse this time because I’ve been busy welcoming my new baby granddaughter into the world.  Helping out and snuggling does take time and as they say – somebody’s gotta do it.  Lil’ Snookie is as smitten with his baby sister as his Grandpa Smuffy and I are.

May’s First Friday Freebie also had to journey west to the winner – Jan in Greeley, Colorado.  After that, Jan decided to surprise her daughter with it and here she is, showing it off alongside her other bracelet.

Re-gifting is wonderful when it brings a smile like you see here.  Jan tells me that her daughter was tickled with the gift and that it brightened her day.

I hope you enjoy your freebies whenever you win and if you give them away to bless someone and show a little love – well, that’s why I give them in the first place!

This is certainly stating the obvious, but Jan was able to win because she entered to win.  Her name was drawn at random after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post.  I do have to ask you to go to a tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention. 

I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.

As long as you’re an email subscriber, you can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of each month.  That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win.  If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out here on my Freebies! page.

You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Jan won here

If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today.  Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that.   

NOTE:  Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings.  This is my only means of notifying winners.  If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!

Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”.  Confirm your subscription when the email arrives.  If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”. 

Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win. 

Freebies enable me to reach more people.  I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family.  When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free. 

I’ll announce June’s winner soon and coming up on July 5th, you’ll see the new Freebie.  Enter to win that day.  A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight.  Then, check your email in the days following. 

Smartphone reminders help.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, July 5th, 2024.

May was such a blessing here.  We had beautiful weather.  The rain gave us a burst of green grass and showy flowers.  For us, the Lord topped off all these blessings with a brand new baby fresh from Heaven.  Now summer has set in and it is hot, sticky and outside chores are feeling very much like chores.  Leave a comment and tell me what you’re doing to keep cool.