Happy July 4th!

Saved By Grace would like to wish all of my readers a happy and SAFE 4th of July!

I want to make sure you have a safe Independence Day and I have included some tips!

• When  outside for long periods of time, make sure to apply sunscreen, even if it looks a bit cloudy or overcast. You skin will thank you!

• Stay hydrated! You don't want to end up with heat exhaustion on such a fun day. One way to make sure is to stay away from too much alcohol and soda. These are not hydrating and will actually dehydrate you. Stick with water or add a lemon or a splash of juice to your water to mix it up a bit. A good rule is to drink 8-9 cups of water/fluids if you will be out all day. You should rarely feel thirsty.

• Be safe with fireworks! Follow all instructions and make sure to light them away from trees, buildings and dry areas. Light quickly and walk away. If one is a 'dud', leave it alone. Do not attempt to light a shortened fuse. Never light them in your hand.

• Be careful with food at cookouts. Food safety still applies at the BBQ. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold and use clean utensils and cutting boards.

• Be water smart. Never leave children unattended near water for even a moment. Do not rely on older children to watch the young ones.

With just a few precautions in place, your family can have a great holiday and avoid incidents that can be easily prevented.

Happy 4th of July!






picture via flickr by bayasaa

Hammock Pack- a new surprise awaits you each month!

Do you love surprises? I know I do, especially when its a gift!

Hammock Pack is a new monthly subscription service that features a theme and gifts of artisan products. These products include food, accessories, housewares, beauty and more!

I have to begin by saying that the customer service at Hammock Pack is excellent! I got my Hammock pack very quickly. It only took about four days. I was able to reach someone on twitter very easily as well with questions.

I got some wonderful products in my Hammock Pack. The June Theme was "Day at the Beach".

Let's take a peek inside, shall we?

Butter + Love Jam Cookies. These cookies came in two awesome flavors and I got two of each cookie. The flavors were Marrionberry Rosemary Sea Salt & Strawberry Balsamic Marjoram. I admit, I was a little leery of trying them because the savory flavors did not initially appeal to me. After one bite, I was persuaded that these were a little bite of heaven! Each cookie had a savory, buttery flavor and the sweetness of the jam inside complemented them perfectly. Butter + Love is located in Brooklyn, New York and they pride themselves on making inventive and quality baked goods. These cookies retail for $5.00.

Another great item I received was a head wrap made my Etsy shop owner Melissa from Grace and Lace Co. This handmade quality item is perfect for someone like me who tries to practice Christian head covering. I was struggling to find a wrap that would be light enough for the summer and this is perfect! I was very excited to see it in my Hammock Pack. I love that no two are the same and it fits comfortably. This wrap retails for $10.00.

I also was given Lollypops from This Charming Candy. I got the Fruit Basket set, which features four flavors; Guava Colada, Triple Berry, Watermelon Basil and Pineapple Heaven. I loved the quality! They were uniquely flavored and delicious. I can honestly say that I didn't much like the watermelon basil flavor. It tasted too strange for me. It had a funny aftertaste. This Charming Candy is located in the state of Washington, and they craft all thier goods in The Wandering Cafe. The Lollypops from This Charming Candy are dairy and gluten free. The Fruit Basket Set retails for $13.50.

To get myself smelling like a day at the beach, I was sent Sea Kelp Ginger Lime Coconut Milk Soap from Theme Fragrance. I loved the fresh, summery scent, but was honestly a tad disappointed in it's sud action. I like my soaps to sud up well, and this did not. Theme Fragrance also makes other products including oils, candles and Lip balms. I was a tad disappointed when I went to their site and could not find out about the soap as they must not sell it any longer or they are currently not featuring it on their site.

I love lip balm and my Hammock Pack came with some included. I was very pleased to receive Coconut Vanilla Lip Balm from DressGreen. DressGreen makes an array of products including body scrubs, shampoo bars, bath soap and perfume. The products are hand made and include high quality essential oils. The Coconut Vanilla Lip Balm glided on smooth and stayed on for quite a long time. The lip balm retails for $6.50.

My favorite product by far was a handmade soy candle in Hawaiian Breeze that I got from Motor City Creations. As you probably guessed, they are located in Michigan and all the ingredients used in their candles are 100% vegan. The scent was noticeable but not overpowering and the soy melted evenly. This candle retails for $4.00-$10.00. I was unsure what size my candle was since it did not say on the product.

I highly recommend Hammock Pack as a gift or even a one time mailing. Hammock Pack is only $25.00 a month and you clearly get more value than that in it. It was so fun to be surprised!

I have to mention, as well, that I loved the way my Hammock Pack was wrapped and packaged. I felt like I was being treated to a little bit of luxury! I really appreciated that the theme flowed well with the products included but also color coordinated well!

Garden growing!

I have been posting a lot about my garden since the start of spring and I wanted to update everyone on how it is coming along.

Of all the vegetables, the beans are taking off! They seemed to sprout overnight.

In the flower section, I am losing hope that they will ever grow. Seems like just a bunch of green.

I have several pots on my steps and they seem to be doing well. My cat will be happy when I hand over the catgrass to him.

Look at the pretty flowers! I just love the lavender! It smells divine.

And finally, our cilantro....

....and basil is sprouting!

I can't wait to harvest this fall! I am going to attempt canning for the first time!

H2O Hydrate!

Just about anyone has tried a drink that is meant to be a sports drink and replenish vital things your body needs, but I wanted to introduce my readers to a new product on the market; H20 Overdrive Hydrate!

What is different about this sports drink? First of all there is ZERO sugar. This is excellent for a diabetic like myself.

Second, it not only replaces electrolites, but also gives you energy!

There are also 30 vitamins and minerals in H20 Hydrate.

I got to try all three flavors.

~Lychee Lemon Rush

~Tangy Tangerine Freeze

~Jostaberry Grape Explosion

Truthfully, I didn't really like two of the flavors, but I really liked the Jostaberry Grape Explotion. I do think they made me feel more energized and ready to work out, though.

The reason I didn't like the other two flavors was because I think they both had a funny aftertaste.

I would however reccommend them as it could be just a personal prference in taste.

You can purchase H20 Overdrive Hydrate on the website' store!
Make sure you also keep up with them on Facebook and Twitter!

Delicious Tuna Melts!

I make this often for myself for a quick lunch. I can't ever just leave a traditiona recipe alone, so I jazz it up a bit ;) Enjoy!

Jazzy Tuna Melts

~can of tuna, drained

~Horseradish sauce (I used Kraft brand, but you could just use a bunch of packets of Arby's horsey Sauce. I won't tell) or mayo and horseradish mixed together to taste

~Onion powder

~Chilli Powder

~Seasoning Salt

~Mayonaise or miricle whip

~Sweethot mustard (I use Beaver Brand)

~pickles, sliced

~white cheese (I use Velvetta Slices in Queso Blanco)

~Bread

~Butter spread


Simply mix all the ingredients (except for the cheese, bread, butter spread & pickles) together to taste.

Spread butter spread on two slices of bread. place one down in a flat pan and put about a 1/2 inch of tuna mix on bread. Top with cheese slice and pickles.

Cook on med heat and flip. It's done when each side is golden brown and cheese is melted!

Serve up with some more pickles!

We have moved!

I am excited to announce the launch of our new site, with our own domain name! While we will still be here on Blogger, we will no longer be posting here, so make sure you come visit us at our new location. You are welcome to delete any bookmarks you had for us here, but please remember to bookmark our new page before you do! Without further ado, I bring you - Saved by Grace!