Today marks a very important day: the unofficial start to summer.  I know, I know.  Summer doesn’t technically start until the summer solstice on June 21st, which is why I was very careful to label today as the unofficial start.  Everybody knows that June ushers in a new season, and with it, a new mindset.  Our minds wander to casual things, like cookouts and lemonade.  We daydream of lying on a white sand beach, tropical drink in one hand and a great summer read in the other.

Do you have a beach vacation planned?  If so, I think I can help out with the great summer read.  The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen releases today.  It’s the perfect book to toss into your beach bag along with that tube of sunscreen.

The Mailbox is set in the charming North Carolina coastal town of Sunset Beach.  In a story that spans nineteen years, we meet Lindsey Adams, and her summer love, Campbell.  Campbell introduces Lindsey to a real-life symbol of folklore that has long been a part of the Sunset Beach community: the Kindred Spirit mailbox.  It’s a place where residents and tourists alike flock to, leaving behind heartfelt letters about their lives, love, and sometimes loss.  The identity of the Kindred Spirit is a mystery, but somehow visitors to the mailbox take comfort in knowing that someone–somewhere–not only reads the letters, but also lifts the letter writer up in prayer.

As summer loves often do, Lindsey and Cambpell’s fizzles and fades.  Both move on with their lives, eventually marrying and having children.  And when–some twenty years later–Lindsey returns to Sunset Beach as a soon-to-be divorcee, she sees firsthand the beauty of second chances.

The Mailbox is an uplifting, refreshing novel that explores the emotions of lost love and the desire–the hesitation–to trust again.  What I loved most about the book was that though it is Christian fiction, it sheds light on the struggles of divorce, without a pretentious air.  It’s honest and real–very relevant to today’s Christian woman.

Marybeth Whalen is a mother (of six!) and writer from Charlotte, North Carolina.  I had the pleasure of meeting her in the spring of 2008 during a blogging event at Walt Disney World.  I fell into easy conversation with Marybeth and immediately took a liking to her down-to-earth demeanor and subtle confidence.  She’s good peeps.  And her book, The Mailbox, is a reflection of that.

I’m giving away a copy of The Mailbox.  To win, leave a comment telling me what you would most like the postman to deliver to your mailbox today.  I will close entries on Monday, June 7 around 8 pm, Pacific time and will randomly choose a winner from all eligible entries received.

***UPDATE: Mandi #19 is the winner!***

Heads up!

O, The Oprah Magazine is just $5 for a one-year subscription today (and until Dec. 19th) at Amazon.

Can you say “stocking stuffer?”

*This is an affiliate link. I do stand to make a few cents should you decide to click through this link and drop the five bucks.*

Check out That Family for other holiday ideas.

Heads up…

Amazon is offering some kick-butt magazine subscriptions again at rock bottom prices.  Snatch ‘em up now.  These offers expire Dec. 1st.

Real Simple (1-year)

Sports Illustrated Kids (1-year)

Food & Wine

Travel + Leisure

House Beautiful (1-year)

Cosmopolitan (1-year)

Southern Living (1-year)

SmartMoney (1-year)

PEOPLE StyleWatch (1-year)

Popular Science (1-year)

*And yes. These are affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase using these links I do stand to make gobs and gobs of money from Amazon for helping to spread the word. And by gobs of money, boy do I mean gobs. Enough for Jeff to retire early for sure.*

Okay.  I know that I’m running the risk of becoming known as the magazine queen.  But I can’t help it.  When I find fabulous deals I feel inclined to pass them on to my friends.  And I found some serious deals this week. All of the magazines below have instant discounts ranging from $3-$5. Once you add them to your cart on Amazon, each subscription (all 12 months with the exception of Redbook & Marie Claire which are a 2 year subscription) will show up for $5 or less. For real. Talk about great holiday gifts! Act fast though – you never know how long these will last. 

*Oh yeah.  And it is my duty to inform you that should you decide to click on the provided Amazon affiliate links and purchase a subscription, I will earn a few odd cents off of your purchase.  You know.  In the interest of full disclosure and all.  Carry on.*

I still have a lot of Disney trip stuff to tell you about.

However…

I’m interrupting Disney talk for deal talk.

Because great deals on magazines work for me.

And I’m willing to bet they work for you too.

If so, click your way over to Amazon (via this affiliate link, wink wink) and take advantage of the chance to get a one-year subscription to Good Housekeeping for 7.97.  {Insert my best interpretation of an infomercial voice here}.  But wait!  There’s more!  Enter the code OCTMAG50 at checkout for an additional 50% off.  Do the math my friends.  That is a one-year subscription for $3.99.  Tough to beat, no?

Go ahead.  Click on over.  Thank me later.

Oh yeah.  And head over to That Family for more Works For Me Wednesday ideas.

I don’t know about where you live, but where I live, it feels like it’s currently a gazillion degrees outside.  I happen to live in the Sonoran desert so it actually is pretty darn close to a gazillion degrees.

What better way to treat yourself on a gazillion degree day than to an ice-cold smoothie?

I can do you one better though.

Click here for a buy-one-get-one offer.  And might I recommend their all fruit smoothies?  So good and better yet – so good for you!

But hurry.  It expires on August 9th.

And for more great Works For Me Wednesday ideas go check out We Are That Family!

*Looks as though this sale has ended.  It was a great deal while it lasted!*

Two years ago my sister-in-law gave me a gift subscription to Real Simple magazine for my birthday.  I liked it so much that she renewed my subscription last year.  After two years of admiration I payed it forward and gave my mom a year-long subscription for her most recent birthday.

But talk about pay it forward.

Cuz’ I’m gonna pass along a really, really great deal.

Psst.  Come closer.

Not that close.  Sheesh.  Whadya do, eat a chili dog for lunch?  Have a breath mint why don’t ya.

Okay.

Much better.

As I was saying.

You should cruise on over to Amazon and pick up your own 12-month subscription.

But instead of paying 24.95 like I did for my Mom’s subscription (hi mom-you’re worth every penny!)…you can score a year’s worth of great articles, great tips, and yummy recipes for $5.

Yep.  Five bucks.

Go.  Quick.

I can’t guarantee this deal will last.

*This is an affiliate link. If you click through this link I will earn a few odd cents off of your purchase. If you’d rather I not earn a few odd cents off of your purchase then don’t purchase through this link.*

It’s a big day in the Spot household.

These are being delivered.

At long last.

I’ve got a wall to paint.

And bins to order.

I’m on my way to the most chic laundry room on the block.

Pictures to follow.

For now, though, I’ve got dust bunnies to clear.

Happy Friday.

Last night, as the results of the election became a reality, Jeff, my mom and I sat in utter silence.   Each of us did our own thing on our laptops with FOX news on in the background.  Not a one of us really had much to say.

That somber mood continued through to this morning when we opted not to watch the news.  No sense in pouring salt into the wound.  For anybody who might wonder, that is also why I closed comments on last night’s post; I was too depressed to deal with any gloating.

The sun came up this morning, though, to another beautiful day in Southern Arizona.  I’ve spent the day trying to pull myself from a post-election funk.  And I figured that I’d pull out a post that will surely help lift my spirits.

It’s my Christmas favorite things list!

Yes, I too am annoyed with the Christmas trees that have popped up in the aisles of my grocery store.  And the holiday-tune infused QVC commercials that aired today while we were watching GAC (avoiding the news remember?).

But….

I don’t know about you.  Maybe I’m only speaking for myself when I say that I’m in holiday shopping mode.  There really is no time like the present, though, to give you all some great ideas that will surely help stuff those stockings and fill the space underneath that hopefully-yet-to-be-chopped-down tree.

So without further ado:

Technically, this is an Envirosax reusable sack {38.00 for a set of 5}.  But if you ask me, it’s more like a fashion statement.  Now, personally, I use boring old black canvas bags with the grocery store logo splayed across the front of them.  But if I had these, I’d feel like the Posh spice of eco-friendliness each time I whipped them out for use.  They come in a variety of bold designs but this is my personal fave.

You’re going to both love and hate me for this.  You’re welcome and I’m sorry.  These are melt-in-your-mouth southern pecan pralines [starting at $26} that come straight from an honest to goodness old-fashioned candy kitchen in Savannah.  I’ve been there myself and I can assure you that if you are a fan of pecans, or pralines, or really any form of sweet, buttery goodness you will, undoubtedly, fall in love with these.  There isn’t a single thing about them that can be considered good for you, but the folks in Savannah love them and considering what a happy, charming bunch of folk they are how could they possibly be bad?

This is the Beautiful Faces calendar {$15}.  It’s a must-buy for me year after year.  It’s filled with truly beautiful images of children and teens who have Down syndrome.  It makes a lovely gift for anyone and everyone who has been touched by someone with Down syndrome.

Aren’t these charming?  I think so.  These dish towels {$18} feature hand-embroidered detail. Order whichever of the fifty states you hold most near and dear to your heart.  I loved them so much when I first saw them that I bought one for both my grandmother and Jeff’s grandmother for Mother’s Day.

This is the coolest thing since the photo book.  It comes from Flip Clips {starting at $9}.  It’s a way higher speed version of those little flip books our needle-nosed art teachers forced us to make while they sipped away at a cup of coffee and did a little flipping of their own (through the pages of a geeky romance novel no doubt).  Oh, didn’t you have an art teacher like that?  No?  My bad.  Anyway, what a perfect gift this makes for a geographically removed grandparent who misses out on the fun day-to-day experiences of a little one.  The latest Karate achievement?  A hip-hop version of the Macarena?  You name it, Flip Clips can put it into action.  Just upload a 15 second digital clip and they’ll turn it into a book.  How cute is that?

See there?  I feel better already.

I’m going to hold off on the remainder of my list for now.  But don’t worry.  I have plenty more suggestions where these came from.

Happy shopping.

I have a little anecdote to tell you.  But you have to promise you won’t think less of me once I do.

Promise?

Okay then.  Here goes.

My mom gave me the cutest shirt for my birthday.  Very befitting for a girl like myself who likes to indulge in a glass of vino from time to time.

See?  Told you it was cute (pardon the wrinkles – I wore it to dinner last night).  Anyway, I opened her gift yesterday while Jayce was napping.  Based on the size and feel of the package I had a hunch as to what might be inside so I went ahead and opened it with nary a soul gathered around to see what I got.  And, wouldn’t you know it was precisely what I suspected?  So I, of course, proceeded to change out of my workout clothes and into my chic new t-shirt that speaks volumes is the latest trend.

Jayce woke up a couple of hours later (yes he sleeps for 2 hours – SCORE!) and I went in to rescue him from the confines of his crib.  He’s usually a cheerful waker and yesterday was no exception.  He stood right up to greet me with his customary, bleary-eyed “hi mommy.”  His cheerful little greeting never fails to brighten my day.  I reached my arms out to him and instead of reaching back he pointed to the ”Y” on my shirt and, clear as day, he says, “wine?  Mama’s wine?”

Uh-oh.

This is the child, mind you, who receives weekly speech therapy.  I wonder if the fact that he can not only identify but also clearly speak “wine” should tell me something.

Anywho…

I don’t want to be presumptuous here but I’m thinking that you all know who would make an ideal write-in for the mother of the year award.

And hey, you promised remember?

(If you want a chic t-shirt of your own email me and I’ll let you know where you can get one).