Oh, The Wonders of this Cake!

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.

I had some excitement today and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!

For the back story, I had a birthday several days ago and Pookie asked me what kind of cake or other dessert I’d like to have, but stipulated that since the restaurant they were taking me to for my birthday dinner wouldn’t allow us to bring in our own dessert, we would have to have a separate little birthday celebration just for that.  Well, I’m all for celebrating twice so that was fine with me. Then, as is the way with things, stuff happened and then more stuff happened and Birthday 2.0 seemed to get bumped and bumped and bumped some more and I finally received my delicious treat today.

THM Cake of Wonders www.midweststoryteller.com

What did I request, you ask?  As you may know, I don’t eat the SAD (standard American diet) stuff.  I know, I know, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I ate something hideously bad for me on my birthday, but I’ve learned that it’s not worth it.  It makes me feel rotten (now that I know what it’s like to feel good all the time) and then there are additional portions of it in the house for days.  After flipping through various Trim Healthy recipes, I suddenly remembered exactly what I wanted and told Pookie to make me the Cake of Wonders.

This recipe, from page 37 of the Trim Healthy Indulgence cookbook seemed to be the talk of social media, the podcast and all over the Trim Healthy community ever since the cookbook came out but I just hadn’t gotten around to making it.

I’m giving it an absolute 5-Star review.  Even though Pookie didn’t give it a topping of chocolate drizzle and an arrangement of fresh berries on top as shown in the photo in the cookbook, I don’t see how the taste and texture could be any better.  Esther Allison hit the ball out of the park with this recipe. This is fit to serve at any wedding.  It is that good!

Yes, I am a Trim Healthy Certified Coach, but no, I am not a retailer of their products.  When I recommend this cookbook and this recipe, I am not gaining anything from it but your smiles and happy tummies. 

Also, the pie crust recipe in that book is out of this world.  I think I’m going to bake one sometime and just eat it by itself!  That’s how good it smells while it’s baking. Right now, Esther’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake is featured as a free recipe on the website, so be sure to print that out.

If you do need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, blood sugar control, hormonal balance, etc., head to the Contact page or my Food Freedom pages on Facebook and Mewe and let me know.  I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person as well as details on private coaching in person or by phone.  Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!

The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and certainly to lose weight safely and sustainably if you need to do that.  I know that many people want to steer away from the standard American diet because they know it’s taking a toll on their health, but they just don’t know how to be happy doing it.  That’s what I teach. 

If you’ve tried Esther’s Cake of Wonders, leave a comment and let me know how you liked it.  I’m curious – what is your favorite dessert that you’d miss most if you decided to adopt a healthy eating lifestyle?

And (sigh), as is the way of things, I didn’t get to share my cake with Lil’ Snookie today. More stuff happened. But you know what that means? It means I’ll freeze slabs of it between slips of waxed paper and then we’ll have Birthday 3.0 in a few days. I know how to manage this birthday thing.

January’s Freebie Winner

It’s time to meet 2024’s first First Friday Freebie winner.

She’s local, so I got to deliver her gift to her in person at a luncheon we were both attending.

Let’s meet –

Freebie Winner Carol www.midweststoryteller.com

Carol from Boonville, Missouri!

Congratulations, Carol!  I hope you enjoy the bracelet set and find all sorts of ways to wear it, either all five pieces at once, one at a time or in various combinations.  Carol told me she has an upcoming special event that will be just the right time to accessorize with these pretty bracelets.

Carol had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post.  I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention. 

You don’t have to be in my neck of the woods like Carol to be a winner.  I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S.

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 Carol 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.

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. 

Coming up on February 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, February 2nd, 2024.

We’re heading not only for the next Freebie, but for the month of love.  I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to trade snowflakes in for red and pink hearts.  January around here was difficult to love in certain spots.  If you’re needing a mid-winter boost, try this quick read: The Underused Four-letter Word.  

The Underused Four-Letter Word

And so it goes on – winter.  The cold and snow can keep you homebound. Gray skies, when they don’t get the memo that enough is enough, can make you gloomy.  Christmas is over and sparkly decorations are put away.  Every other week it seems some new strain of crud is going around and doing its best to cancel events or make you wish they were canceled.

Then, those post-holiday bills arrive to remind us once again that next year the spending limit ought to be reduced.  Boosted by this bit of cheer, you hop online and print out your tax forms. Since you haven’t filled them out yet, you try to bask in a little ray of sunshine with the optimistic thought that perhaps, this time, Uncle Sam may have caught on to the idea that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Around here, Smuffy has always been the one to see the glass as half empty while I typically view it as half-full.  I have to admit, though, that gray days spent with tax forms can take their toll on me.  Sometimes, you just need a reminder or a little jolt to alter your outlook.  I got one last week.

As is my habit, I watched the Trim Healthy Podcast (affectionately referred to by us THMers as “The Poddy”) on YouTube.  Sometimes it’s full of rock-solid science to boost your health and well-being.  Sometimes, it’s full of rabbit trails that provide the silliness that you may be lacking in your life and sometimes it provides a level of encouragement that will rock your world.

This one, Change Everything In Your Life With A Four Letter Word! [Podcast] Ep. 365 , was just what I needed and I think you’ll benefit by watching it as well!

I love it when there’s science behind encouraging things!  Near the beginning of the podcast, Serene shared that studies have shown that in order to create a synapse in the brain where you know a thing – really know it and you’re not going to forget it – it takes 400 repetitions of the information.  However, if you are laughing and playing while learning it, the process only requires 12 repetitions!  P-L-A-Y is the four-letter word that can change everything.  They went on to share many ways their mom incorporated play and ways they feel like they’ve lost their sense of play and want to get it back again.

Just think of it – how many times did you labor over those multiplication tables until they finally got in your head, but then heard some silly TV theme song around that same age only a handful of times, yet you can still sing it word-for-word today?  Are you maybe just a bit too grown up for your own good?

Why do you consider cleaning house or preparing meals for your family some type of drudgery when, as a child, you had hours and hours of fun with a toy cooking set and thought it was great when you got your own little broom and dustpan for Christmas or birthday.  I think of our Lil’ Snookie and his love affair with all things lawn care.  His excitement over toy mowers, leaf blowers and weed eaters knows no bounds and his mommy and daddy will be delighted if this attitude continues for many more years!

Smuffy and I discussed the podcast and agreed that we needed to tackle all the everyday stuff with an attitude of fun and play.  It takes a little effort at times.  He’s been having his share of issues lately that all seem to revolve around vehicles needing repair and I am in the middle of edits on the first novel in my upcoming series.  We’re trying to remind each other that we’re having fun.

Some days you succeed.  Some days you don’t.  After a mad search through a cupboard the other day that resulted in what sounded like three quarters of the contents landing on the floor, he finally found what he’d been looking for, but looked a bit out of sorts when he came into the room where I sat.  I tried to remind him that not only did he find it, but he had fun looking for it.  He promptly informed me that he did not have fun looking for it.  But we did laugh. 

Famous industrial engineer and efficiency expert, Frank Bunker Gilbreath, always thought of innovative ways to help his twelve children learn.  The family always rented the same big, old lighthouse for summer vacations and no one really cared whether it was kept pristine.  He would write all over the walls in Morse code and tell his children to figure out what the messages said.  He would likely have been a frustrated teacher if he had not written such things as, “The candy bar is in the top left desk drawer.”  In no time at all his children were challenging themselves to learn the code because they never knew what fun or prize might be in store.

Cooking, Lizard Holes and Watering Cans www.midweststoryteller.com

Lil’ Snookie’s presence is a great reminder for us to P-L-A-Y!  You can see in the top photo that he’s excited about putting on the apron over his jammies and fixing food for everybody!  Give him a watering can and he’ll do his best, even if in reality he’s about a thousand cans short.  The middle photo was more of a safari (apologies for quality as I snapped it through the porch screen).  He asked if he could go out in the yard because he wanted to find a big stick and look for a lizard hole, after which he would insert the stick and then bend down over the hole and shout, “Hallooooo!”  Someday, he may consider that to be frustrating or fruitless, especially if the lizard doesn’t answer, but right now, it’s P-L-A-Y!

I’ve learned to approach cooking healthy meals for my family with a sense of learning, adventure and play.  It has made all the difference!  Now, I just need to find out how to play with these tax forms.

If it’s snowy, make snow angels or at least watch someone else doing it.  Put out some cute decorations for winter or Valentine’s Day, or start making homemade Valentines now.  If the day is gloomy, try new soup recipes, play games with the kiddos or watch a funny movie.  Call a friend who’s recovering from the crud and spread some cheer.  Challenge yourself to cranking out those tax forms with some fun reward when it’s all over.

Struggling? Catch that podcast! Change Everything In Your Life With A Four Letter Word! [Podcast] Ep. 365

How do you find fun and play in the ordinary or the necessary?  Leave a comment and share.  It might bless someone’s day.  Go ahead – make us laugh.

Laughter plays a huge part in this, so don’t forget to visit my “Life With Smuffy” page and my “Laugh!” page.  They’re full of adventure and fun.

2024’s First First Friday Freebie!

It’s time for my First Friday Freebie, of course, and I confess I nearly forgot it.  Maybe this one will serve as a reminder to both you and me to stop and smell the roses this year.

As I like to say every year here on the blog, I’m in protest about the timing of celebrating the new year.  Even though we are having a mild winter so far here in the Midwest (though I may have to scold the meteorologists concerning their loose talk in reference to next Tuesday), I am generally not in favor of having winter at all.  Aside from not wanting to deny Lil’ Snookie the joy of building a snowman and throwing himself into the stuff to make angels, I could skip the whole thing.  I think we’d all feel so much better if we could run around shouting “Happy New Year” around the third week in March when spring actually arrives, but one of you is going to have to be the one to bring this to the attention of the proper authorities.  I’m too busy with edits.

I can, however, have my say in regards to the First Friday Freebie, so here it is!

Rose Bracelet Set www.midweststoryteller.com

This set of five bracelets will bring sparkle and shine to your dull winter days.  It’s by Trelu Accessories and is great Factory Connection find.  All the  bracelets are stretch-to-fit and can be worn separately, mix ‘n match or all together.  Since all of them are neutral, they’ll go with any of your outfits and work for all seasons.   

To enter to win the bracelet set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Brighten my new year!”  You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, January 5th, 2024.

And fellas – you can enter also and gift this to your favorite lady!

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.

Haven’t subscribed yet?  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.

Be sure to share my blog with friends and family through all your social media.  They’ll never know about it unless you do.  If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Hey!  The world needs to know.  People have enough news every day to drag them down.  Give them something smile about.

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, January 5th, by leaving a comment which says, “Brighten my new year!” 

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Enjoy the season.  Play out in the snow if you can.  Stay warm and cozy.  Read books.  One of these days, you’ll be reading mine!   

2023’s Final Freebie Winner!

Greetings in this Bright New Year and all my hopes and prayers that yours is one to remember for all the right reasons.

I’ve been overwhelmed lately, as I’m sure many of you have been over the holidays.  Add to that some (well, lots) of attention that needed to be given to the publishing of my upcoming novel series and some other exciting things that have to do with the future of my book series and I feel I can safely say that I’m what they officially call frazzled.  There’s been no time for chatting with you here recently and that has made me sad.  We can, at least, find out who won December’s “surprise” First Friday Freebie.

Let’s meet –

DIY Holiday Gift Bags www.midweststoryteller.com

Francine from Boonville, Missouri!

Congratulations, Francine!  I hope you enjoy and made good use of my hand-made projects. The reason this had to remain a surprise is because I wasn’t finished with them when the First Friday Freebie offer was posted.  I told you I was frazzled.

Francine received her First Friday Freebie in plenty of time to put it to good use for its intended purpose.  I’m always itching to up-cycle something and when I have time, I pull out the craft supplies and my stash of “saved up stuff” and start making things.  This year, Lil’ Snookie and I made lots of homemade Christmas cards, using the pretty fronts I’d saved from cards over the years and adding his creative Nativity artwork (or as he called it, “a barn with statues”) inside along with a Christmas blessing.  Having plenty of cards left over, I decided to decorate gift bags!  Many of the cards had flocking, lots of glitter or sparkle or metallic enhancements even before I added my own touches.

Each bag has its individual Christmas card on the front which I embellished with crystals and metallic ink.  I inserted coordinating tissue and added one of my handmade tags which I also embellished the crystals and metallic ink.  After being pleased with my own bags, I decided that a set of five would make a great gift for one of my readers.

I do send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t let your location keep you from entering to win.  It seems that though I have many subscribers and followers, a relatively small percentage enter to win.  That makes your odds fantastic!

Francine had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post.  I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention. 

You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also.  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 Francine 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.

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

Freebies help me 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. 

Coming up on January 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, January 5th, 2024.

I hope you are beginning this year with bright hopes and high expectations.  After all, is there any benefit in going about it any other way?    

No Peeking!  (at least not until you win)

I love Christmas!  Gift-giving is a joy to me and I like keeping secrets until the big day.

Some of my family members are not so much into that.  They like to shop off someone’s wish list.  While I like to do that also – I find it hard to resist slipping in that one gift they weren’t expecting and hiding things. Since this is my blog and I get to make the rules – I say, “DO NOT OPEN THIS FREEBIE UNTIL CHRISTMAS” (or at least until you win).

On that very first Christmas, the world certainly got something it had long awaited but hardly in the form it had been expecting.  Well, let’s keep up that tradition!

Introducing the December First Friday Freebie!

Mystery Freebie December 2023 www.midweststoryteller.com

It may come to you in this box and then again, it may not.  I’m holding my cards close to my chest.  You’ll have to take your chances and enter to win by following the instructions. 

To enter to win the surprise Christmas Freebie, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love a Christmas surprise!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, December 1st, 2023.

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.

Freebies are for my email subscribers only. Haven’t subscribed yet?  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.

Bless your friends and family this season by introducing them to Midwest Storyteller  through all your social media.  They’ll never know about it unless you do.  If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. You surely know that the world needs a healthier lifestyle, creative ideas and a good laugh!  The world needs to know.  People have enough news every day to drag them down.  Give them something to lift them up.

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, December 1st, by leaving a comment which says, “I love a Christmas surprise!” 

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Enjoy the season.  I love this quote from Dr. Caroline Leaf:  “This is your reminder to stop stressing to ‘finish the year off strong’ You can finish it off grateful, relaxed, slowly, peacefully.  The idea that we always need to ‘be doing’ and ‘achieving’ only creates cycles of anxiety.  Rushing will not solve your problems.  Rest will.”

November’s Freebie Winner!

I hope this finds you filled with gratitude for all your blessings and ready to bestow them on others during this Christmas season.

I’m excited for you to meet the winner of the most recent First Friday Freebie.

Let’s meet –

Freebie Winner Pattie www.midweststoryteller.com

Pattie from Morristown, Tennessee!

Congratulations, Pattie!  I’ve known Pattie for a long time and am thrilled that she keeps up with my blog and entered to win!  Seeing her hold that sign seems so fitting as it’s her way of living life.

Remember that I do send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t be shy.  I seem to have many more subscribers than those who enter to win.

Pattie had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post.  I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention. 

You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also.  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 Pattie 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.  I’ve been a little lax lately due to working on edits for my publisher. 

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.

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

Freebies help me 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, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free. 

Coming up on December 1st, 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, December 1st, 2023.

I hope you are entering in to the full joys of the Christmas season.  After all, that’s when we received the greatest Gift of all – and it was also free! 

Time to Be Grateful (and time for a Freebie)!

It’s Time to Be Grateful!

I’ll admit it – the world is on fire.  We’re seeing and hearing more hate and discontent on the news lately than we’ve seen in a long time and it’s enough to get you down.

It is so important in this time to remember from whence cometh our help and to pause, lift up thanks to the Giver of every perfect gift, be grateful for all the things we do have and pray for those who are suffering.

This month’s First Friday Freebie might help you prepare for this season of Thanksgiving and serve as a reminder that others might wish they were in your shoes.

Be Grateful Freebie www.midweststoryteller.com

This hammered metal wall hanging with attached twine for hanging measures approximately 8 inches square.  Its “Be Grateful” sentiment is apt for the season and it will fit into any décor.  It’s a great find from Hobby Lobby

To enter to win the “Be Grateful” wall décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I’m grateful for every good thing in my life!”  You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, November 3rd, 2023.

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.

Haven’t subscribed yet?  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.

Be sure to share my blog with friends and family through all your social media.  They’ll never know about it unless you do.  If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Hey!  The world needs to know.  People have enough news every day to drag them down.  Give them something smile about.

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, November 3rd, by leaving a comment which says, “I’m grateful for every good thing in my life!” 

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

We’ve had a nasty little cold snap that felt like a harsh reminder that winter is about to hit the Midwest.  Then, things came to their senses and returned to where they ought to be, which is sweater weather.  I hope that wherever you are, you can enjoy the glory of the outdoors as long as possible.

Meet October’s Freebie Winner!

It’s time to see who won the most recent First Friday Freebie.  I promise I got it to her in plenty of time for decorating throughout the month, even if I am slow in posting this.

Let’s meet –

Freebie Winner Shirley www.midweststoryteller.com

Shirley from Boonville, Missouri!

Congratulations, Shirley!  This was my “two-fer”, so I hope you enjoy them both.

Shirley is a repeat winner.  She’s learned to enter every single month and that it pays off.  Remember that I do send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t be shy.  I seem to have many more subscribers than those who enter to win.

Shirley had her name drawn after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post.  I do have to make it just a little tricky each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.. 

You can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month also.  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 Shirley won here. 

Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller?  Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, will entice you to become one – freebies are for email subscribers only.

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.

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

Freebies help me 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, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free. 

Just a shameless plug here.  When my soon to be released novel comes out (the first in a three part series), it won’t be free.  Well…perhaps one special copy might just pop up as a First Friday Freebie?  We’ll see!

Coming up on November 3rd, 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, November 3rd, 2023.

Enjoy the glories of autumn.  Like the First Friday Freebie, it is fleeting – it’s not here to stay. 

It’s an October Two-fer and It’s Free!

I couldn’t resist.  My favorite season is spring, but my favorite season to decorate for is fall! So, when I found myself choosing a First Friday Freebie for you, I couldn’t make up my mind.  Take advantage of my indecision today because I got both!

Let’s take a look at them.

Fall Decor Give-a-Way www.midweststoryteller.com

The slatted wall hanging on the left measures 13.5” X 9” (not counting the twine hanger) and invites your guests to “Gather Here with Warm Hearts”.  The metal section adds some sparkle and shine against the rest of the rustic wooden slats which are all connected with twine, enabling the whole thing to collapse accordion-style for storage.  This is great if you have limited space as I do.  On the right you’ll see “Leaves are falling – autumn is calling” on a 6” square wooden box that can either perch on a shelf as it is 1.5” deep or hang on the wall.

When I say I was undecided, I really mean it.  I started out with three items and ended up falling in love with one and keeping it for myself. Just true confessions here.

To enter to win the “October Two-fer” wall décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Make mine a double, please!”  You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, October 6th, 2023.

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.

Haven’t subscribed yet?  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.

If you’ve missed my recent post, you’ll want to visit my Food Freedom page and get the recipe for “Lime Sillies” which only takes seconds to make.

ANNOUNCING: The September First Friday Freebie went to Ruth in St. Louis, Missouri! Ruth didn’t have a way of getting a photo to me, so if you’d like to see what she won, check it out here.  Congratulations, Ruth!  I hope this finds a great spot on your wall during “sweater weather”. 

Be sure to share my blog with friends and family through all your social media.  They’ll never know about it unless you do.  If you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Hey!  The world needs to know.  People have enough news every day to drag them down.  Give them something smile about.

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 6th, by leaving a comment which says, “Make mine a double, please!” 

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

We’ve been doing a few things to beautify our porch and also screening it in.  We’re thinking we may not see much of Phoebe June when she finds out she can get out there and glory in the fresh autumn air.  You get out and do the same and remember – October is a gift!