Spring Decorating Giveaway

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. 

First Friday Freebie: Rushing Spring!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 10 Comments

The March winds are blowing here in the Midwest and they might just be blowing a Freebie your way! They’ve certainly been howling around my house and doing this curly-girl no favors at all in the Good-Hair-Day department.

Spring-like weather puts a smile on everyone’s face and even thought there are over two weeks to go until it’s official, I say we should pretend it has arrived, put the turtlenecks and fleece away and decorate with pastels and things that remind us that we will soon be enjoying the outdoors and its “bloomery”.

Let’s get in the mood with March’s First Friday Freebie –

Linen Table Runner www.midweststoryteller.com

This 48”X16” table runner from Signature Collections by Sullivans will give you a start on your décor. It’s perfect to lie flat on a larger table or you can let the ends hang over on a smaller table as shown in the photo. Made of a soft green linen, each end is trimmed in burlap and embellished with embroidered patches that remind us of the garden herbs that will adorn our gardens and porch pots just as soon as we can get their little toes planted in the soil. The cute little button on the “herbs” patch is a nice detail. (See inset photo.)

If you’d like a chance to win the table runner, all you have to do is enter TODAY! You have until midnight to become a subscriber, if you are not already, and comment on this post, saying: “I’m ready for spring!”

For the complete Freebie rules, please click here. Winners are notified using the email they used to subscribe, so be checking that in the coming days to see if you’ve won.

Each month, I like to offer my readers something that makes life just a little sweeter and I always seem to find something that’s a little difficult to part with! This runner would go well in my dining room, but I’m sticking with my decision that it is for YOU!

Why not SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends who might like to enter to win?

Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies can be found on my “Freebies” page. Take a look. You’ll get an idea of the great gifts subscribers can win!

REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I’m ready for spring!”

Three simple steps – Subscribe, comment as directed and check your email!

Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, March 6th!

And April’s Winner is…

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 2 Comments

A month ago when I announced March’s First Friday Freebie winner, I was bragging on the gorgeous weather. Now we’re all back to shivering and walking around all scrunched up as though we’re afraid that loosening our muscles will allow our last molecule of heat to escape. To keep from pouting, let’s think happy thoughts! Let’s see who won April’s Freebie!

The winner is –

Jenny the Winner www.midweststoryteller.com

Jenny from Village of Windsor, Missouri!

Each freebie offer has a specific requirement and Jenny entered the drawing by leaving a comment saying, “Make the banner mine!” Smuffy then performed his duty and drew a name from the entries. He’s such a help!

With this banner, Jenny can now join the rest of us as we “fake it till we make it” by declaring that it is SPRING! If you’d like to see the original freebie offer and additional photos, click here.

Congratulations, Jenny! I hope it brings a little warmth and sunshine indoors even if you’re not experiencing it outdoors.

The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, May 4, 2018.

Share this post with all your friends so they can SUSCRIBE and enter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.

Take a look at our “Freebies” page where you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have been winning. It pays to SUBSCRIBE!

And now, here are the Freebie Rules.

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

Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for May.

“Share”, “like” and “pin” this post. Your friends deserve a Freebie, too!

Opinions on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.

Spring Is In The Air! And is That also a Freebie I See?

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 11 Comments

I’ll keep saying it until it happens! It just plain messes with my mind to go for a romp in the back yard yesterday and prepare for more snowfall and lows in the teens today. It’s only nine days till what should be our regular planting time. Brrrrrr….

Snow is free, but not the kind of freebie I had in mind.

Take a look at something a little more cheerful – Midwest Storyteller’s April Freebie –

Handmade Spring Banner www.midweststoryteller.com

This spring banner is bound to add the right touch to your spring décor. It’s hand-crafted by me (and my trusty Cricut machine) from cardstock and patterned scrapbooking papers in pastel shades of green, blue, pink and yellow.

Each card in the banner measures 2 5/8” X 4”, making it large enough to use on the wall alone or across your mantle. Banners are quite the rage right now, no matter the season. You might enjoy doing a search for “spring banners” on Pinterest to discover fun ways to display it. I left the jute string nice and long so you can have plenty of room attach it.

I see banners used in all sorts of ways –

Decorating with Banners www.midweststoryteller.com

Draped over a mirror looks nice and I thought it went well under my Aunt Martha’s crayon picture of the girl with the bicycle. (Yes, she really did do this on fabric with whatever quality crayons were available back in the 1920’s or 30’s.) There’s a real trend lately of using banners inside empty frames, too.  Never forget the fireplace option.

If you’d like a chance to win this spring banner, all you have to do is enter before midnight (CST)TONIGHT!  Become a subscriber, if you are not already, and comment on this post, saying: “Make the banner mine!”

(Complete rules are included at the end of this post.)

I enjoyed making it for you and I can’t wait to find out who wins!

Why not SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends who might like to enter to win?

Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies can be found on our “Freebies” page. Take a look. You’ll get an idea of the great gifts only subscribers can win!  The easiest way to subscribe is click here and fill in the into at the right sidebar.

REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Make the banner mine!”

And now, here are the complete rules:

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

Three simple steps!

Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, April 6th! 

If you do not, for some reason, receive a confirmation email, please comment and let me know.  I am trying to make sure that all technical difficulties are solved.

The Latest Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 2 Comments

I’m not gloating. I know parts of the country are still having quite a time with winter weather, but I just have to say that today has been glorious in my little corner of the world! I hope it sticks. I forced myself (and Phoebe June) indoors because it’s time to announce March’s First Friday Freebie winner!

Spread the word, because it happens every month. Our winner for March is –

Freebie Winner March 2018 www.midweststoryteller.com

Judy of Boonville, Missouri!

All Judy had to do is read the post containing the freebie offer and follow the instructions to leave a comment saying, “Send me the runner!” Her name was drawn in an impartial and scientific manner by Smuffy.

Now Judy’s ready for spring with this pretty linen table runner. If you’d like to have a better look at it, click here.

Congratulations, Judy! I hope it adds a nice touch to your spring décor. Have a wonderful day! 

Get outside if your weather permits.  I’m tellin’ ‘ya – around here is so nice it makes you want to climb a tree!

Phoebe on Birds www.midweststoryteller.com

The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, April 6, 2018. SUBSCRIBE and share this post with all your friends so they can enter. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.

First Friday Freebies here at Midwest Storyteller offer a variety of free gifts. Take a look at our “Freebies” page where you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have won over the last several months. It pays to SUBSCRIBE! – which is free – just like freebies. It’s easy to see why Midwest Storyteller is a place “where each day’s journey leads to a better place.”

And now, here are the Freebie Rules.

  1. First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
  2. IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
  3. To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
  4. Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for March. Spring is on the way and with this freebie, you’ll be ready for it!Why not “share”, “like” and “pin” this post so all your friends don’t miss out?Leave a comment! Scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking.