Author: Midwest Storyteller

When Life Gives You Lemons, It’s a Freebie!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 7 Comments

It seems we careened past Memorial Day and now have come to a pleasant pause with our toes on the edge of summer.  There’s a freshness to this new beginning that makes me want to plan outings or just sit in the back yard chaise and watch Phoebe June chase bugs and lizards and give squirrels a piece of her mind.  The planting is finished, the weeds are pulled (for a while) and blooms are popping. 

A little summer citrus fits in just perfectly with the season, so let’s have a lemon First Friday Freebie!

Lemony Kitchen Linens www.midweststoryteller.com

These lemony additions to your kitchen by Home Collection are both useful and pretty.  Included are two 7” potholders and a 15” X 25” microfiber dish towel.  They’ll freshen up your décor with a summer feel while you’re preparing all those trim and healthy summer recipes to nourish your family.  Wink!  Wink!

To enter to win the lemon kitchen set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I’m squeezing the best out of summer!”  You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, June 4th, 2021.

NOTE:  There seems to be an occasional problem with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails.  If this happens, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.

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

Let’s get the word out!  I love it when people enjoy my blog stories and recipes and get excited about winning freebies.  Share with all your friends and family through all your social media. If you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to hover over the photo and “pin it”.

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

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, June 4th by leaving a comment which says, “I’m squeezing the best out of summer!” 

After you do that, fix a lemonade, go outside and dream up your plans for a fun summer!

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here. 

Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?

Leave a comment.  What are your plans for making Summer 2021 lots more fun than last year. That’s not a very high bar to set, now is it? 

The Phoebe June Diaries: (Stolen Entry #3) “Phoebe June on Babies” – Part 1

~ Midwest Storyteller

My “job” keeps me hopping and a bit too busy to come up with new ways to sneak into Phoebe June’s diary without getting caught.  The grandma life is sweet, but with my Sweet Boy here almost every day, I have to be sure that Phoebe June gets the attention she demands.  That’s right – demands!  She’s fully aware that she’s grown into her title of “Queen of All Cats”, and still prefers to spend plenty of time practicing her hunting skills (even if she has to do it by murdering catnip mice, leaping onto house flies and basement crickets and slamming me with surprise attacks).  In Phoebe June’s mind, I am the other kitten in the barn loft, just waiting for the next big surprise as she spikes up her fur and advances toward me with “Let’s rumble!” written all over her face.  I have the scars to prove this.

You can imagine my concern over introducing a baby to such a needy cat who thrives on rough and tumble human interaction.  Should I expect jealousy?  Fury?  Or, perhaps most worrisome, an attitude that if Mommy loves this new critter, it must make the perfect plaything!

Well, she’s had over a year to adjust and I think Phoebe June’s handled it fairly well, considering.  I thought it might be time to take a peek at some of her observations on those first days.

Monday, February 10, 2020

It arrived not long after Christmas – The Snookie.  I was familiar with Pookie and she’s all right by me as long as she resists the urge to tweak my nose, but after all these months and months of talk about Snookie coming, I started to wonder if Mommy intended to trade me in for it, whatever it was.  Then came the socks.  They looked just my size, but Mommy stuck them on her thumbs the other day and (she’s done strange things before) massaged my cheeks!  They smelled funny.  She said I could expect Snookie to smell the same and that I would just adore him.  Well, he showed up today, socks and all, taking up a large portion of Mommy’s lap that I required for other purposes.  I jumped in and tried to be sociable even though he does smell funny.  He’s got to learn – the red furry thing is mine! 

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Pooh Bear is Ready www.midweststoryteller.com

Mommy says tomorrow’s the Big Day.  Snookie will be all ours – all day!  She got excited and fixed his cage.  He must be pretty puny if he can’t jump out of that.  After festooning it all over with soapy-smelling soft stuff, she put a critter inside, smiled at it and called it Pooh.  She pulled the thing on its head and the minute I heard the noise, I knew that the Pooh varmint must die. I hunkered low and went in for the kill, yanking him through the bars.  Just as I was showing him what real cats are made of, Mommy said I mustn’t and put him back in the cage.  She just doesn’t understand some things.  I tried my best all day to murder that thing, but finally she stuck him on top of the wardrobe.  I can jump up there, but she’d take it personally.  I’ll bide my time.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Phoebe June teaches Self-Soothing www.midweststoryteller.com

Sometimes the noise is almost unbearable.  How Pookie stands it in the middle of the night at her house is beyond me.  I get a strong feeling that Mommy wouldn’t like it much if I just popped him on the snoot when he makes that racket, so when Snookie got all fretful today, I decided to help out.  I jumped up next to him and demonstrated how to self-soothe. Cats know these things.  Step 1:  Find the furry thing.  Step 2:  Give it a thorough stomping, giving care to exercise the toes and claws.  Step 3:  Purr very loud.  Step 4:  Curl up on it and konk out and stop making noise!  Did he listen?  No!  Did he make the slightest effort?  No!  And so I suffer.

Friday, April 10, 2020

He isn’t always noisy. The endless snuggles Mommy gives The Snookie can really get on my nerves sometimes.  She thinks he’s darling.  I suppose he’s tolerable.  He still smells funny, but she doesn’t seem to mind, even when he spits.  I’ll forgive her for acting goofy over him today.  She’s been telling him how it’s his Great-grandma Emmabelle’s birthday today and how she’s looking down at him from Heaven and loving him.  All pretty drippy stuff, but that’s how Mommy is.  I’ll just be glad when she gets back to snuggling me and calling me all my sappy nicknames.

 Monday April 13, 2020

Snookie All Smiles www.midweststoryteller.com

I have to admit, The Snookie has his moments.  I’m starting to see why they take such a shine to him. Of course, he’ll never be as cute as me – he’s far too furless – but he has perked up and started to act like something I might want to play with someday.  He also looks like something that’s going to try to pinch my fur.  Those fists clutch at everything, including my tail if I let my guard down. There is a twinkle in his eye.  He does stuff now.  He moves, but I can move faster.  If I stay a couple of feet away, I can study him without getting nabbed.  I have a funny feeling Mommy would take his side if I had to pop him one.  What worries me is that he learns a new trick every day.  It’s such a relief that walking is never going to be one of them. And note the absence of any teeth – the advantages are all mine!

That’s only the beginning of Phoebe June’s observations on babies.  More to come in the days ahead, so subscribe now so that you don’t miss out on what she has to say about crawlers and toddlers!.

Our Phoebe June – lovable and opinionated!  “Share”, “Like” and “Pin” her thoughts and adventures with the cat-lovers in your life.

If you missed the first installments of “The Phoebe June Diaries”, you can catch up by clicking here and here.  Check out everything on her page here!

Announcing May’s Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller

May is known for being merry and for the flowers brought on my April’s showers, but let’s not forget the First Friday Freebie.  Meet the winner – 

Ruby from Boonville, Missouri!

Congratulations, Ruby!  Thank you for the photo and I’m glad you like the reminder that “Everything is ‘figure-out-able’”.  It may not win any grammar prizes, but it does help us take a deep breath in the midst of the stuff of life and let our worries go.

Ruby has been a winner here at Midwest Storyteller before and that’s because she is faithful to enter the drawing each and every month. 

This little wooden block was a Hobby Lobby find.  If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here. 

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.

Ruby is a long-time subscriber.  All she did was enter her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirm her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.  It seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”. 

Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

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

Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more.  When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free.  Are you catching on this is a free thing?

Coming soon:  June’s First Friday Freebie in celebration of summer!  That takes place on Friday, June 4th.   You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win at any point all day that day.  Don’t forget to check the email that you used to subscribe for notification that you’ve won.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing. 

ONCE AGAIN:  Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe.  That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.

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

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, June 4th, 2021. 

I can only hope that June in your neck of the woods is as beautiful as it is here right now.  Perfect temperatures, lush greenery and beautiful blooms are all around.

Of Course, You “May” Have a Freebie!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 7 Comments

I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.  There would come a month that I would go straight from First Friday to First Friday with nary a post in between.  All I can say about this regrettable situation is that this is what happens when your daily charge is 16 months old, walking and talking and it’s also weed pulling/planting time.  I had loads of fun this week, but most of it was spent as being Lil’ Snookie’s on-demand playmate.  I didn’t bother to count, but today it felt like we played 4,672 games of “Pi!” (his way of saying “Surprise!”).  This involves running around to opposite sides of the bed, ducking down, popping up with hands in the air to say “Pi!” and then ducking back down to crawl/toddle around the end of the bed where we meet to giggle and tussle. 

One of us is thrilled to no end with this and the other is overwhelmed by the cuteness but not getting to the computer to be much of a storyteller.  My apologies, but I’m not gonna quit my day job.

Oh, well, as my mother used to say, it’ll all come out in the wash.

I love the sayings people have that serve as a reminder to shrug off worry.  The Scriptures tell us not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough troubles of its own.  How true!  Worrying today about tomorrow only piles more troubles onto a day that already is bound to have its own share of ups and downs.

At various times when I listen to the Trim Healthy Mama podcast, I’ve heard Serene and Pearl share that their mother often says, “Things come and things go” when asked about life’s difficulties.

Perhaps it’s weed-pulling season that brings these sayings to mind, for it does give me time to ponder and pluck up not only the weeds from the ground, but weedy worries from my mind.  The beauty of spring helps with that – everything’s starting over.

That’s why this month’s First Friday Freebie caught my eye.  I thought it might serve as a great reminder to one of my special readers who needs to pluck up some worries and toss them out.

Everything is Figure-out-able www.midweststoryteller.com

This inspirational table or shelf décor will help you do just that.  While I’m not sure that absolutely everything is figure-out-able (because there are just some things we are not meant to know), I love this saying.  It’s another phrase that will stick in your head to remind you that your sticky situation is going to go just as it came, or come out in the final wash or you’re going to be granted a solution.  The wood block from The Spring Shop is one of my Hobby Lobby finds and measures 4” X 3”, so it will tuck in perfectly amongst your other décor.  The white lettering and painted floral accent bring the message with a hint of summer.

To enter to win the “Everything is Figure-out-able” wood block, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “This may be the best day ever!”  You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, May 7th, 2021!

NOTE:  There seems to be an occasional problem with subscribers not receiving r confirmation emails.  If this happens, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.

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

Help me get the word out so that more people can enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through all your social media. If you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to hover over the photo and “pin it”.

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

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, May 7th by leaving a comment which says, “This may be the best day ever!”  After you do that, you can go out and have fun, smell the flowers, pluck a weed or two and toss them out with your troubles. It’s spring!  Sow a little positivity.

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here. 

Those four steps are simple and quick! Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?

How are you enjoying this most beautiful month of the year?  What new things and old favorites are you growing in you garden? I’d love it if you’d share in the comments. 

April’s Freebie – At Home in the Sunshine State!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 1 Comment

If you’ve been a regular here at Midwest Storyteller, you can’t help but be familiar with April’s winner of my First Friday Freebie.  I was so happy to send it on its way to – 

Diane Yates in Lake Alfred, Florida!

Congratulations, Diane!  I hope you enjoy this little birdie as you stroll along your garden path.

Diane has made previous appearances here on the blog.  She’s a fellow writer and great friend and I know that some of you have either won as a freebie or purchased one of her great books.  You can find them all at dianeyates.com

If you missed my interview with Diane, check it out here.

This garden pick by Spring Shop was a Hobby Lobby find.  I love a great excuse to visit that store (as you can probably tell).  If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here. 

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.

Diane entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.  It seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”. 

Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

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

Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more.  When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free.  Are you catching on this is a free thing?

Coming soon:  May’s First Friday Freebie!  That takes place on Friday, May 7th.   You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win at any point all day that day.  Don’t forget to check the email that you used to subscribe for notification that you’ve won.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing. 

ONCE AGAIN:  Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe.  That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.

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

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, May 7th, 2021.  And, by the way, welcome to the most beautiful month of the year!  Well, at least if you live in the Midwest.

It’s Freebie Time – No Foolin’!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 11 Comments

That was yesterday.  And I didn’t play a prank on anybody, although I did have a really good laugh at Smuffy’s expense, but that’s a story for another day.

April has arrived and I’m so excited.  March consisted of winter, false spring, scenes from Wuthering Heights, Spring Glimmer, See One Bloom and Dance Day, followed by Curly Girl Wind Alert Week and then Sunny Winter.  April, though often rainy, brings a slight reduction in meteorological mood swings.  (Except for those tornadoes and we try not to think about those.)

And, of course, it brings to those who are subscribers of Midwest Storyteller, a First Friday Freebie!  Today’s the day, so let’s look at what you can enter to win –

Hobby Lobby Garden Pick www.midweststoryteller.com

This garden pick by The Spring Shop is yet another great Hobby Lobby find.  It will not only add some whimsy and color to your flower bed or pot, but also a faint tinkle should the wind set the little bell in motion.  A cute little bird and red flower adorn this metal pick and will draw the eye to whatever plants you want to accent.

To enter to win the bird and bell garden pick, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Let’s get outside!”  You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, April 2nd, 2021!

NOTE:  There seems to be an occasional problem here on the blog with subscribers not receiving their confirmation email.  If this happens, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report these instances and have the issue resolved.

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

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 all your social media. If you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to hover over the photo and “pin it”.

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

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, April 2nd by leaving a comment which says, “Let’s get outside!”  After that, please, go outside!

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here. 

Those four steps are simple and quick! Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?

Much more important that this being Freebie Day, it is Good Friday (or God’s Friday).  I pray all the blessings upon you that the Messiah gave His life on this day to bestow upon you.  Spend these Holy Days with your family and enjoy one another.  Sunday for us is the grandest, happiest day of the whole year as we celebrate that fact that the tomb was found empty and Jesus is ALIVE! 

Comments?  How are you celebrating this glorious weekend?  I’d love it if you’d share. 

Say Hello to March’s Freebie Winner – AGAIN!

~ Midwest Storyteller

Disclaimer:  Lest you think this drawing is rigged, I hereby announce that this is a first in my First Friday Freebie world. 

Our February winner is also our March winner!  Let’s meet the two-in-a-row winner – 

Christine in Boonville, Missouri!

Congratulations, Christine!  Christine has certainly found out that it pays to subscribe and then enter to win – maybe not early, but certainly often. Thanks so much for sending me this photo.

This adorable bunny pillow cover is a great Hobby Lobby find that will bring Christine’s décor right into the spirit of spring.  If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here.  If you’d like to see what Christine won last month, click here.

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.

Christine entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.  It seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”. 

Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

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

Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more.  When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free.  Are you catching on this is a free thing?

Coming soon:  April’s First Friday Freebie!  That takes place on Friday, April 2nd.   You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win at any point all day that day.  Don’t forget to check the email that you used to subscribe for notification that you’ve won.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing. 

REMEMBER:  Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe.  That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.

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

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, April 2nd, 2021.  No foolin’!

You Don’t Have to Be Irish to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

~ Midwest Storyteller

After all – and I hate to burst your little green bubble – St. Patrick wasn’t Irish.

No! Wait… What?

If folks could take a moment from pinching one another, guzzling green beer, searching for leprechauns or perhaps, more profitably, for pots of gold, they might be able to get down to the historical facts of the matter. So, now that you’ve taken the deep dive into your closet and found a green outfit for today, we can settle down to find out how the real story went down. We thrive on truth!

I like true stories, especially when I have a personal link to them. My mother loved keeping the family history and her side of the family is full of Irish, Scots and Brits. The more I learn about my fascinating ancestry, the more the British Isles move to the top of my list of places to visit. I don’t know about kissing that Blarney Stone, though. It looks mighty precarious and apparently some ancestor of mine must have kissed it long enough and hard enough to make it last because I’m already blessed with the gift of gab. My time in Ireland would be better spent trying to find and position the perfect headscarf in order to keep this mane of mine looking anything close to reasonable in that amount of wind. If all the hairdressers in Hollywood couldn’t keep Maureen O’Hara’s hairdo looking decent in all those movies, there’s little hope for me on a trip to Ireland!

Back to Patrick, now that I’ve taken the blarney detour. Let’s see, where were we?…

Oh, yes! Patrick wasn’t Irish at all. He was born in Roman Britain. His real name, according to my limited study on that point, was Maewyn Succat, which he wasn’t so fond of, so he called himself Patrick. Can’t say as I blame him. Imagine us all celebrating St. Maewyn’s Day. Nah!

He has nothing to do with leprechauns. Probably, if he ever encountered one, he would throw a few choice verses of Scripture at the vertically challenged little guy and it would go “poof” and disappear. He has nothing to do with pots of gold. People just associate that with leprechaun lore. I’m pretty sure that pinching people lay somewhere outside his personal boundaries, especially if it involved being so petty as to base it on the color of a person’s clothing. Leprechauns – now that’s another story. Should you encounter one, they are the ones who pinch you for not wearing green. The moral here is: Stick with Patrick. Avoid leprechauns.

I have no idea whether Patrick drank beer. He probably did, because he neither grew up nor spent his adult life in the land of teetotalism. I doubt that he bothered to color it green. Somehow, I think (and I’m pretty astute in these matters) this custom seems to be to be one of those that can be attributed to human nature. People who are looking for a great excuse to consume way too much of something will certainly latch on to any novel way to get the party started.

This brings us to snakes. Ireland is one of a handful of countries, including New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland and Antarctica, where snakes are not native in the wild. No snake with an ounce of sense would want to go to these places without a good, warm sweater and you’re probably less likely to meet up with that sight than you are a leprechaun. Saint Patrick had no need to drive snakes out of Ireland because there weren’t any. However, since the Scriptures refer to Satan as “the serpent”, the visual picture brought about by this mythical story is more than appropriate. Patrick, throughout his life, certainly dealt a blow to the wiles of the serpent.

Shamrocks? Yeah, you might want to pin one of those over your heart if you identify with the real Saint Patrick. Read on to discover why you might want to honor Saint Patrick on his special day.

The Real Saint Patrick www.midweststoryteller.com

I’ve heard it said that “the best revenge is a life well lived”. Joseph, after all his trials in Egypt, spoke these words to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20 NKJV). Jesus said, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:44 NIV).

Tough stuff, but Patrick, by faith in the One who saved him, was able to do it. What an example!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Hop Into Spring with This Freebie!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 11 Comments

March can be cold.  It can be dank.  It can be way too windy.  We shall see what the rest of the month brings here in the Midwest, because March has certainly come in like a lamb so far.  Glorious days with just a light jacket or no jacket at all have been perfect for getting outside again.  It makes you feel almost as happy and carefree as if you’d just won a First Friday Freebie!  That’s something to relish in case it decides to go out like a lion. 

Winnie the Pooh observed that no one – not even Eeyore – could be un-cheered by a balloon.  I feel the same way about bunnies and tulips, so cheer up and enter to win –

This 16” spring pillow cover made me just a little sad, however, but only because there was only one and I wanted one for myself as well.  As I wrench it from my grasping fingers, I declare today that it’s all yours!  The cute, brown bunny amidst the eye-popping tulips in all their various spring colors should go wonderfully with any décor that needs that added spring touch.  (Note:  Pillow not included.)  A handy zipper along the bottom edge allows you to slip it on over one of your other pillows for the season. My pillow in the photo was less than 16″, so you can fatten up your bunny more with a bigger, puffier one.

To enter to win the bunny pillow cover, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Spring is my thing!”  You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, March 5th, 2021!

NOTE:  There seems to be an occasional problem here on the blog with people trying to subscribe and not receiving their confirmation email.  If this has happened to you, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report all these instances and have the issue resolved.

First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on 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.

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.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, March 5th by leaving a comment which says, “Spring is my thing!”

The complete First Friday Freebie rules are found here. 

Those four steps are simple and quick! Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?

Enjoy this month that carries the promise of spring!  Many scientific studies have been done on the benefits of humans being outdoors.  Most of us probably didn’t need science to tell us that.  Our own common sense and instinct tell us to get out and enjoy creation.  The benefits of deep breathing, walking, “grounding” yourself by wiggling your bare toes in the grass are all a part of restoring our physical and psychological well-being after going through the long winter months.

My tulips are up!  So are my hyacinths!  That goes a long way toward making me feel like God’s in His heaven and all’s right with the world, even if I don’t spy any snails and thorns. 

Comments?  I’d love to hear what’s pushing its way through the earth in the place you call home. 

Announcing February’s First Friday Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 1 Comment

My February Freebie got all caught up in the snow, snow and more snow, which had me confined more than usual.  Once things finally cleared up, I was able to get it to the winner –

 Christine in Boonville, Missouri!

 Congratulations, Christine!  Enjoy your gift and thank you for subscribing and entering to win.

If you’d like to find out what’s inside the cute, sparkly box Christine is holding, see the original freebie offer here.

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.

Christine entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that. 

Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

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

Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more.  When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free.  Get the idea?

Coming up:  March’s First Friday Freebie!  That takes place on Friday, March 5th.   You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win all day that day.  Don’t forget to check the email that you used to subscribe for notification that you’ve won.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing. 

REMEMBER:  Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe.  That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.

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

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, March 5th, 2021.

Are you ready to hop into spring?  March’s Freebie will put you in the mood!