A Dog's Purpose

For the purposes of this post (and giveaway) I was asked to share what dogs mean to me. Well, as a cat person I don't a lot of personal history with dogs to share. However, as a special needs mom, I have been looking into options for the future and one of them that has perked my interest is Autism therapy dogs.

According to Project Chance: "Autism assistance dogs are unique to the world of dogs helping people. Unlike the guide dog who helps with physical tasks, the autism assistance dog is there more for emotional support. By simply being there, a solid, sound and reassuring companion can help ease sensory overload, which is a common challenge for those with autism. People with autism are often unable to filter out sensory input – these folks hear, feel and smell everything – all at once – and are usually unable to ignore or redirect those stimuli. With a dog by one’s side, an autism assistance dog can help by giving them a focal point, or a way to ground their random, unceasing environmental experiences."

Other Autism therapy dog resources include (but are not limited to):

United States Dog Registry

Autism Service Dogs Association

Autism Assistance Dogs - Paws 4 Ability

I am not a dog lover, but I am a movie lover. And to my surprise I actually was really moved by the trailer for A Dog's Purpose. Almost made me cry! Based on the beloved bestselling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A DOG’S PURPOSE, is a sweet and lovable family film that shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog (voiced by Josh Gad) who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.  Told from the perspective of “everybody’s best friend” the film highlights the importance of familial bonds, and the unconditional love we have for our best friends.  The movie stars Dennis Quaid, Britt Robertson, K.J. Apa, and John Ortiz.

Doesn't it look great?? Well, I'm going to be giving away a $25 Fandango card to one lucky winner! So, please comment on this post sharing your dog story and I'll draw a winner on Jan27th - which is when the movie is released!

Season of Giving

Proverbs 22:9 – "He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor."

A few years ago we started doing what we called "Sneaky Santa". We would make treats/goodie bags and drop them off at our friend's houses. Nate loves to "ring & run" trying not to get caught. 

Over the past couple years the outing has evolved into what we now call Random Acts of Christmas Kindness day. So, in addition to a few friends and family, we also take treats to our local first responders, widows in our church and even taking supplies to Ronald MacDonald House or Sheltering Wings.

While it seems to be a little more work each year as it has grown and changed, I love that we get to do this together every holiday season. It is so special seeing Nate get into the spirit of giving. 

Deuteronomy 15:10 – "Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."

There are SO many ways that you and your family can do random acts of kindness in your own community. Here are a couple of links to help you and your kids do your own "Random Acts of Kindness" and help to instill the spirit of giving into your children while they're young!

100 Acts of Kindness for Kids

Random Acts of Kindness - 25 Ideas for raising grateful and kind kids

Many more ideas on my Random Acts of Kindness Pinterest board!

AND.... in the spirit of giving... Grace Hill Media has sponsored another great giveaway! I have DVD copies of Greater and Hillsong.  

GREATER is a film about an unlikely young man who had all the odds stacked up against him when he tried out to play football at one of the most prestigious football programs in the country. Both films highlight the perseverance people can have when they lean on their faith and when they do that – God enables them to do extraordinary things in life.

HILLSONG – LET HOPE RISE was a phenomenon when it came out in theaters this past September and we’d love to continue the worship experience with everyone this holiday season. 

Both of these quality films release on DVD on Tuesday, December 20th. Please comment on this post with your idea of a Random Act of Kindness to be entered in the giveaway. I'll post the winner on Christmas Day!

Veggie Tales DVD review & giveaway!

As a homeschool mom I try to incorporate creative activities into our school days. Sometimes.  ;-) So, when we got the opportunity to review the new VeggieTales dvd I thought it would be a good chance for Nate to participate via his own blog: Nate's Movie Review. Here is what he had to say about the movie.

We sometimes get movies before they become available at stores so that we can "rate" them. To be honest, I strongly prefer the older kind of animation. If I were to "rate" VeggieTales Noah's Ark, I would say it was preeety funny.  Do you want me to spoil it?? Okay,if ya say so...

It starts with Shem and his new wife, Sadie, coming home from their honeymoon. When they return, Noah's building a gigantic orange slice ark!!!  Wayne Brady plays the voice of Shem, and it introduces 7 new songs!! I think this movie would be best for kids ages 2-5yrs.

 We have one copy of VeggieTales Noah's Ark DVD to give away.  Check out the Rafflecopter below to enter to win!


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The Good Lie Review and Giveaway!

I can't express how excited I am to share this giveaway with you all!! 

If you haven't heard about it yet, The Good Lie follows a group of children orphaned by the brutal Civil war in Sudan that began in 1983. As the tattered children make the difficult trek to Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, they meet other fleeing children, forging a bond with Jeremiah, who, at 13, is already a man of faith, and Paul, whose skills become essential to their survival.   Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America. Three brothers are given the chance to resettle in America arrive in Kansas City, Missouri.  
Upon arriving in Kansas, they are met by Carrie Davis (Witherspoon), an employment agency counselor who has been enlisted to help find them jobs—no easy task, when things like straws, light switches and telephones are brand new to them.  Together, against the backdrop of their shared losses, the Lost Boys and some unlikely strangers find humor in the clash of cultures, and heartbreak as well as hope in the challenges of life in America. 




I was seriously blown away by this movie. The heart and soul you see in these children as they go through such hardships and just keep going is amazing. The sincerity throughout the movie is evident in the excellent performances and direction. I was moved to tears more than once as I followed these endearing people on their incredible journey. Frankly, after watching the movie I feel I want meet them in real life to glean some wisdom from them! I left the theater feeling truly inspired by this true story of strength, sacrifice and loyalty.

I have the privilege to give one lucky winner a copy of The Good Lie DVD!! Giveaway ends at midnight on Christmas Eve! So the winner will have their prize by New Years! Take a moment to enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter below:
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Monuments Men Movie Giveaway!!

I'm excited about this giveaway!  Apparently I'm in WWII mode because I just finished The Book Thief (finally!), recently saw the Anne Frank section of the Power of Children exhibit at the children's museum with Nate and now this...  anyway... here is a bit about the movie:

Cowriter and director George Clooney adapts author Robert M. Edsel's book The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History to tell the incredible true story of the seven art historians and museum curators who went behind enemy lines during World War II on a mission to recover some of the world's greatest works of art. As the Third Reich begins to topple, the German army receives explicit orders to destroy every work of art in their possession. Determined to prevent 1000 years of culture from going up in flames, American president Franklin D. Roosevelt assembles an unlikely task force comprised entirely of art experts to enter Germany, recover the works of art, and ensure they are returned to their rightful owners. With little knowledge of modern weapons or warfare tactics, the ragtag squadron successfully makes their way into enemy territory before realizing they've got their work cut out for them. Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, and Jean Dujardin star.

What an incredible cast!  I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little excited to see Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey) in something else.  I am eager to see how this all star cast works together.  My husband and I don't always agree on movies but I think this is one that we'll both enjoy!  The Monuments Men comes to theaters February 7th!!


Check out the Rafflecopter below to see how you can enter to win!

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Grace Unplugged DVD Giveaway

I am excited to offer this special Valentine's Day giveaway!! Grace Unplugged is being released on DVD on Feb 11th.  I am always eager to see new family friendly movies.  This is one I've been looking forward to! 

Having just turned 18, Grace Trey aspires to more than just singing at her church, where the worship leader is her father—a former pop star. So, with the help of Mossy, her dad's former manager, Grace records a cover version of her dad's old Top-10 hit, runs off to Los Angeles, and begins to taste the kind of stardom she's always dreamed about. Yet with each rung of the ladder she climbs, Grace feels more and more pressure to compromise her values, further straining her relationship with her parents. Will everything she experiences lead her to reject her friends, faith, and family … or rediscover them?




I can't wait to give away a copy of the Grace Unplugged DVD to one lucky reader!!  Check out the Rafflecopter below to find the ways you can enter to win!

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Great Products Tshirt Review and Giveaway!!

I was recently contacted by Great Products to do a review and giveaway of one of their tshirts.  I debated on whether to get one of the awesome shirts they have for moms or to get one for Nate...  I figured most of my other giveaways have been ones that related to me, so I decided to let him pick one.  He was so excited to browse the wide selection of cool t-shirt designs but he picked the one that I had predicted he would.

If you can't read it, it says "Homeschooler by day, Ninja by night".  I mean, what 8yr old boy doesn't want to be a ninja?  ;-) Nate loves his shirt and would wear it every day if I didn't have to wash it every couple of days! Seriously.

I was impressed with a lot of the cool designs that Great Products has available.  They have Christian and homeschool specific designs too.  And the prices were surprisingly affordable!  Especially with their $5.99 tshirt special going on right now!


So,  don't miss out on this Labor Day giveaway!  There are several ways you can enter to win a Great Products T-Shirt via the Rafflecopter below.  Giveaway ends at midnight on Labor Day.

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*the shirt was given to us in exchange for the review/giveaway but the opinions shared are my own.

Well Planned Day Giveaway

Well, whether we like it or not we have to give some thought to what the fall semester will hold for our family's home school.  I have been working on getting a plan together for Nate's upcoming third grade year.

We have used Heart of Dakota since Nate started pre-K.  It is a great choice for beginner homeschool families because it has every day preplanned for you so there is not a lot of lesson planning, which can be very intimidating at first.

But we felt it was time for a change for us.  So the new school year's daily routine will look a little differently than last year's.  I am planning on using Singapore Math 3a&b (its what we have been using since be started homeschooling and we have really liked it), All About Spelling (heard great things from other families and we're going to try it out for the first time this year), and Nate will also be doing Easy Peasy All In One Homeschool for the rest of his subjects (science, English, history, bible & music). I've blogged about Easy Peasy before when sharing free homeschool resources.  It is a curriculum using nearly all free online resources from one homeschool mom.  I think Nate will really enjoy having school on the computer and I will like having most of the planning already done for me.  ;-)

Every family is different and each child is as well.  What works for one homeschool family may not be the best choice for another.  Its good to have a plan but its also a good idea to be flexible and be willing to make changes to your plan if you need to.  Curriculum Choice has a good post on How to Make an Overall Plan for The Year.  The Clutter-Free Classroom posted tips for planning short and long term goals.

Since I'm doing some mixing & matching with our curriculum this year its not all laid out for me in a teacher's guide as it has in the past.  I am going to have to be more diligent about planning and managing our school days.  A great way to organize your lesson planning and family schedule is with the Well Planned Day homeschool family planner.

Organize your busy days all in one place with this beautifully-designed planner. The Well-Planned Day is a family homeschool organizer, designed especially for moms. This effective, yet easy-to-use format will ensure that each day at your home is smooth and profitable.

I am new to Well Planned Day myself but I found this post from a fellow homeschool mom on how she uses her WPD planner to be very helpful.  She goes through and shows you exactly how she uses the planner to schedule and record family activities and homeschool information effectively and keep their schedule and school organized. I am looking forward to using it for our family's upcoming school year!

The flexibility of The Well-Planned Day is one of its greatest assets. - See more at: http://hedua.com/blog/how-i-use-the-well-planned-day-planner/#sthash.EDWWQWNw.dpuf

Now for the fun part!!  One lucky Wani's World reader will win their own Well Planned Day family homeschool planner.  Check out the Rafflecopter below to enter to win!

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This is a sponsored giveaway that includes affiliate links.   But all opinions are my own.  Thanks!  ;-)

Man of Steel Review and Giveaway

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a screening of the soon to be released Man of Steel movie.  I took a girlfriend with me and we made a night of it.  We felt pretty special when we got to skip the long line and saw our reserved press seats!  Good times!

I really enjoyed the first half of the movie.  In the spirit of the Dark Knight movies, Man of Steel did a good job of taking the cartoony-ness out of Superman.  While I understand that a huge amount of time couldn't be spent on Kripton's history,  I did feel like it moved so quickly that I didn't have a chance to develop any attachment to the people or care about the planet.  It jumped from the past to present day very quickly leaving me with a lot of questions but the flash backs to Clark's childhood answered most of those.  I appreciated getting a glimpse into how Clark learned to hone his super powers.  Kevin Costner and Diane Lane did well as Clark's loving earthly parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.





The second half of the movie felt a little bit forced.  It seemed like the writers left the room and the graphics guys threw all their CGI ideas into the rest of the movie.  It was overdone.  One action sequence after another, leaving the whole city in shambles.  I kept thinking "ok, now their going to move on..." and I was wrong... over and over again.  Don't get me wrong... the CGI stuff was well done.  It was just too much.

One of the things that I like best about the movie was the dynamic between Clark and Lois.  I was very pleased with the casting of these two characters in particular.  Henry Cavill was good as the brooding Clark Kent/Superman (thought I think he's giving himself premature wrinkles from the permanent furrow in his brow), and Amy Adams was excellent as the truth seeking Lois Lane.  And personally I like that there are not secrets between them in this twist on the Superman storyline.  I always hated that Clark kept his identity from Lois in previous versions.  So for the sake of their relationship (maybe in future movies?), I like that there is an openness there that hasn't been done before.  Plus, she's supposed to be a prize winning reporter, how dumb could she be to not figure out who Clark is?  So its good to see her portrayed in a way that shows Lois' intelligence and skill as a journalist and doesn't make her look stupid.

So, overall, it was a fun take on the whole Superman story.  The content was reasonable.  While there was the typical superhero violence it wasn't overly bloody and there was no sexual content.  There is definite potential for future movies there.  If they make another Superman movie with Henry Cavill I'd go see it.

So now for the fun part!  I am giving away an Official Man of Steel tshirt (pictured above on me... glamorous, I know ;-)  and key chain to one lucky reader!  The giveaway ends on July 4th!  Man of Steel opens on July 14th!!  Check it out!


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The Story of God Book - Giveaway!

We don't have cable so I have not been able to watch the Bible mini-series that is currently on the History Channel but I read online that over 68 MILLION have viewed #TheBible in 15 days making it the #1 cable series of the year!
 A STORY OF GOD AND ALL OF US is a sweeping narrative that dramatizes some of the most important events and characters in the Bible. The young reader's edition of the novel contains abridged action-packed versions of the Bible's most fascinating stories, featuring Moses, David, Daniel, John the Baptist and Jesus.

This edition includes an exclusive introduction by author Roma Downey and a photo insert including images from the companion epic TV miniseries "The Bible."

I am excited to be giving away a copy of A Story of God and All of Us Young Readers Edition.  Enter today to win!  Giveaway will be open through Easter.

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No More Perfect Moms Bonuses!

Ladies... I have been told that there are some awesome bonus gifts that you will get if you order No More Perfect Moms during release week (Feb 4-9).  You can order online or in a store to qualify.  Here is a rundown of the great gifts you'll get for being one of the first to own this powerful book:

6 Sixty Minute Audio Workshops (MP3 format) from Hearts at Home

• Desperate for Wisdom - Dr. Juli Slattery
• How to Fight for Your Marriage - Dr. Juli Slattery
• It is Well with Your Soul - Jennifer Rothschild
• Multiple Intelligences - Dr. Kathy Koch
• Ten Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs - Jill Savage
• The God Who Sees You - Tammy Maltby

4 Printables from Hearts at Home

• 10 Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs
• “Love Is”—I Corinthians 13 for Parents
• Mom Rules
• How to Fight Fair In Marriage

3 Free E-book’s (including PDF, Kindle, iPad, and Nook editions!) from Moody Publishers

• Live Free by Kendra Smiley
• Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larsen
• Real Moms Real Jesus by Jill Savage

1 Contest Entry

You will be entered in a drawing to win hotel accommodations and two Hearts at Home Mom Conference registrations for you and a friend at a conference of your choice! (If unable to attend a conference, a Hearts at Home Conference To-Go will be substituted for the winner and a friend.)

I don't know about you but I am excited to get my hands on those resources!  Motherhood is a hard job and we need all the help we can get!

Little Red Wagon Giveaway

I've been given the opportunity to host a dvd giveaway featuring  Little Red Wagon.  Its the true story of a young boy who sets out to change the world.  With nothing more than a blazing spirit of philanthropy and his beat-up red wagon, Zach sets out to help homeless children in America. In the process, he sweeps his fractured family - and ultimately the entire country - along with him.

I've had the dvd sitting on top of my tv for weeks... we kind of kept forgetting its there.  But when I sat down to write this post I actually watched the trailer for the first time.  It truly brought tears to my eyes.



 And then I watched the movie with my son.  Opened the flood gates!  I don't know what the deal was, I'm not usually this effected by movies...  ok, sometimes I am.  Anyway, it was a great conversation starter for my son and I.  He asked questions about homelessness and a couple of "what ifs" that led to some really good discussion. 

This film is an inspirational story for the whole family.  What a great way to start off the new year.  Maybe it will motivate us to make big changes in the year to come.

Giveaway info:  one lucky winner will receive a dvd of Little Red Wagon.  Winner will be chosen at random on January 19th.  Good luck!

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The Hobbit Movie Review

While I never read the books as a kid, I have really enjoyed the Lord of the Rings Trilogy movies.  When I heard they were doing The Hobbit I was excited (I thought it was weird to do the LOTR trilogy first, but whatever).  Just a few weeks ago we listened to The Hobbit audio book in the car on our road trip to visit family.  I may have fallen asleep, but I blame the long car ride, not the book!  But my husband said the book was very good.  And I liked the parts I was awake for.  ;-)  When I was invited to attend a screening of course I said yes!

In case you are not familiar with the story, here is what its about:
Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... Written by Production 



Isaac and I attended the screening together last night and both were excited to see it.  We consider ourselves to be a couple of movie buffs and enjoy critiquing whatever films we see.

I hadn't realized that the screening was in 3D until we arrived.  I was a little nervous because when we saw Avatar in 3D it kind of made me sick, at the very least was distracting and annoying throughout the movie...  however I was pleasantly surprised that it was not the case this time.  I found the detail to be amazing.  The images were so crisp and clear through the whole film.

My overall reaction to the film is very impressed.  I am a big fan of the LOTR movies and it is great to see them treating The Hobbit with the same respect and care to details.  The fantastical scenes they set completely came to life and the characters moved the story along beautifully.  The villains were evil and scary as they should be.  I jumped in my seat a few times.  While I found the ending to be appropriate... I was left wanting more!  I am thoroughly anticipating the next installment of the Hobbit movies. 

Here is a fitting quote from the book: "To say that Bilbo's breath was taken away is no description at all.".  That is how I feel about the movie.  The Hobbit is another wonderful adventure in Middle Earth that I could watch again and again!

Pink Taffy Designs Giveaway

 I love to decorate my kids rooms.  There are so many fun and playful things you can do in a kids room that might not work in other rooms of the home.  One thing that I love to do is have a statement piece spelling out the child's name (or their initials).  I have done this for each of my kids in various ways.

One great way to do this is with wall letters.  Not everyone is a DIYer so its great that there are baby boutique sites that offer the cutest things to help you decorate your baby or kids rooms. Posh Baby Blog is having a giveaway- the winner gets a set of their hand crafted wall letters!  You can enter via the Rafflecopter below!

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Hotel Transylvania Giveaway

I am so excited to be doing a giveaway for the upcoming family movie Hotel Transylvania!

Producer's Synopsis: Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free from meddling from the human world. But here’s a little known fact about Dracula: he is not only the Prince of Darkness; he is also a dad. Over-protective of his teenage daughter, Mavis, Dracula fabricates tales of elaborate dangers to dissuade her adventurous spirit. As a haven for Mavis, he opens the Hotel Transylvania, where his daughter and some of the world’s most famous monsters – Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more – can kick back in safety and peace. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem – but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.

I have been given a color-able t-shirt (kids XL), movie activity book, book cover and eraser set to give away!  What kid wouldn't like to win this great Hotel Transylvania movie gift pack?  I am sure that my son would love it!  Plus I'll also be giving away a one of a kind autumn accessory made by muah!  It'll be either a headband or cute clippie... not sure which yet.  But you can be sure it'll be fabulous!


To enter the giveaway leave a comment telling me your favorite family movie.  It can be from when you were a kid or something you like to watch with your family now.  Additional entries for following Wani's World, liking Wani's World on facebook.  Giveaway ends on October 5th (one week after Hotel Transylvania's release date on September 28th).

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Thirty-two!

I have been enjoying a lovely weekend celebrating my thirty-second birthday! On Friday night I enjoyed a fun night out with some of my girlfriends. We met at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. The wait was ridiculously long but the food was good. We had a nice combination of my different social circles. ;-) After dinner we went to see the movie This Means War (with Reese Witherspoon). It was great to spend the evening with my gals! Thanks for a fun night!

Then on Saturday night my hubby came through and put together a wonderful evening together! He was very mysterious about it all week. He would give very annoying hints that were not helpful at all! ;-) I honestly didn't have a clue what we were doing. He arranged for the kids to spend the night at my parents' house and borrowed their projector and movie screen. He cooked dinner for me (a first!) - it was a delicious dinner of marinated chicken on the grill, roasted vegetable medley and buttered rice.
After dinner we settled down for some good cuddling while we watched a couple of movies from the AFI Top 100 list. One thing on my bucket list is to watch a silent movie so I chose The General (which is number 18 on the top 100 list). We weren't sure what to expect but were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked it! It was different from what we are used to but it was very funny and kept our attention the whole hour. We enjoyed it a lot.
We followed it with Sunset Boulevard. It was an eerie story about a Hollywood has been turned recluse. It seemed Hitchcock-esque to me. Very captivating performance by Gloria Swanson. One of the best AFI movies that we've seen in awhile.


Today I got lots of well wishes from friends at church. The kids were still at my parents' so I was free to mingle and visit at church without anyone clinging to my leg or pulling my hair. ;-) Isaac and I went to lunch at the Mayberry Cafe. So cute and quaint! Its kind of an Andy Griffith Show themed restaurant. They have a down home atmosphere and grandma's cooking style food!
We got the kiddos back and laid them down for naps at home and watched a movie with Nate on the big screen. He loved it! Then dinner out with my family to celebrate my birthday and my mom's (her b-day is tomorrow).
Is it silly that almost all of our restaurant choices have been dictated by coupons? ;-) I'm on the email lists for several restaurants that send me coupons for free appetizers or desserts on my birthday. What can I say... I like free stuff! ;-)

I have enjoyed a great birthday weekend. And I am looking forward to my girlfriends from college coming to visit next weekend. I am feeling very blessed right now! So I want to spread the love by announcing TWO things!!
First is that you can use the code: BDAYSHIP on Wani's World Etsy store through the end of February and get FREE shipping on any order! Hurry up and check out the store before my birthday month is over!
Secondly, I need to announce the winner of my Valentine's Day giveaway. The randomizer has chosen Carol Wegs as the winner of The Vow movie soundtrack and some love Vow-chers! Yay! Congrats to Carol and thanks to everyone who entered the contest! Stay tuned! We'll be having more giveaways soon!


“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
James 1:17 (NIV)

Valentine's Day Interview & Giveaway!!

**scroll to bottom of post for giveaway info! ;-)

As you may know, I am a big fan of movies. I love to watch them, quote them, be captivated by them... while my movie tastes are broad I have a special place in my sappy heart for love stories. When I saw the trailer for The Vow I nearly cried. I told you I was sappy. Check it out:



Obviously I was easily taken in by the storyline. True love. Who doesn't love a good love story like that? But when I found out it was based on a true story, my heart skipped a beat. It completely changed the way I looked at the movie. This isn't just a cute heart-warming story made up by creative writers. This is the true story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter.

Their book shares about their unusual love story: Life as Kim and Krickitt Carpenter knew it was shattered beyond recognition on November 24, 1993, two months after their marriage, when their car was hit from behind by a fast-moving truck. A massive head injury left Krickitt in a coma for weeks.
When she finally emerged from the coma, she recognized her parents and everyone else-but she didn't know Kim. She had no idea who he was. The "Krickitt" Kim had married essentially died in the accident.
The Vow is the true tale of the reconstruction of two lives and a marriage after an event so shattering that most others would have parted ways long ago. Though it was not easy, and it tested every fiber of who they were, Kim and Krickitt fell in love all over again.

Here is an interview with Kim and Krickitt on the Today Show yesterday. And the one below is an older video of the two of them sharing about their unique story.



I was blessed to be able to do a phone interview with Kim and Krickitt today, Valentine's Day.

Wani - How do you feel about the way your story was adapted into a movie?

Kim & Krickitt - We we very happy with the way the movie turned out. We understand that there is a certain amount of artistic liberty that needed to happen but we felt that the studios (Sony and Spyglass) were very respectful of our requests. Originally the movie was supposed to be rated "R" and they were willing to make some changes to accommodate our desires for the movie, and we were willing to compromise on some things as well.
Both Channing and Rachel were very diligent in researching us, watching interviews and reading our book. They did a really good job in portraying us.

Wani -What kind of a role did your faith play in how you both handled the incredible situation you were in after the accident?

Kim - Between our two sets of parents they have celebrated over a hundred anniversaries. They set such an example of commitment and faithfulness. And I know without the Lord we would not have made it. We are strong in faith but we are weak.

Krickitt - Once I realized what had happened, that I was married to a man named Kim. I had made vows, "in sickness and in health". I knew there was no out. I would honor the commitments I had made. It wasn't easy. I started digging into and hanging onto scripture like: "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philipians 4:13 and "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. I knew God is true to His word. And after eighteen years of marriage now we have our two children (ages 11yr and 8yr) and they are the good that has come from this.

Wani - What advice do you have for married couples going through hard times?

Krickitt - I would say: get a support system in place, find a church and get counseling, watch your wedding video. You made vows to one another before God, we need to back our words with actions. Show our kids an example of faithfulness. Find ways to focus on the good in each other instead of the bad. And forgiveness is key.

Kim -Over time people change. As the years go by and you both go through changes, keep in contact with the things that brought you together in the first place. Find ways to stay positive and compromise. If you set an example of commitment and faithfulness in your life you can effect those around you.

W - What would you like for people to take away from your story/the movie?

K&K -Marriage is hard. We take these vows: til death do us part. Sadly our society has allowed our vows to lose their meaning and our foundations to be weakened. Through all of this, our experiences, writing the book and our story being made into a record breaking movie, we are just a normal couple and we hope that our story can inspire change and bring glory to the Lord.


What a huge blessing it was to speak with Kim and Krickitt this morning. I would have liked to sit down over coffee and chat some more! They do seem like a very normal couple who, through God's help, have overcome huge obstacles. What a refreshing change from the typical movie love story that is all about sex and instant gratification. The Vow is about faithfulness and honoring our commitments and working through hard times. Thank you to the Carpenters for being willing to share their story with the world. May God bless you with many more happy years together!

And now for the fabulous Valentine's Day giveaway!! I have some promotional items for The Vow that I'd love to share with some lucky winner: The Vow movie soundtrack and some love Vow-chers (coupons) to share with your special someone. If you would like to enter to win you must comment on this post with your email address. You also have five bonus ways to enter: 1) become a follower of Wani's World. 2) "like" Wani's World blog and Etsy store on facebook. 3) "like" Kim & Krickitt Carpenter on facebook. 4) "like" The Vow book on facebook. 5) The Vow movie on facebook. For each entry you must come back here and leave a separate comment on this post telling me you have done each one.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will be open until February 19th (my b-day) and then I'll post the winner! Good Luck and Happy Valentine's Day!!

**I'm linking up to a few of these great giveaway linky posts.

1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Contestgirl