Take a Walk With Me

Book Review: A Sound Among the Trees By Susan Meissner

2012-02-09T16:13:00.000-05:00

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

About the book:
A house shrouded in time.

A line of women with a heritage of loss.

As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.

My review:

I was drawn to this book because I love Historical fiction. I know war is not romantic, but to be able to find love amongst the rubble just makes me ... SIGH! I really wanted to LOVE this book.

Overall the book is very slow moving, I really struggled to get through it. The most engaging part of the book is the letters. I found out so much about the character writing them and really felt a connection with her.

As for the characters, I have to say I wanted to really like Marielle but even after reading the book, I don't feel like I know her or Carson. Also, Adelaide, who I would have thought was a main character was more an "accessory" until the very end. I felt in the epilogue is where I had the most connection with her.

This wasn't an unpleasant read, I think I learned a little more about the time period. I recommend it for readers who like Civil War era fiction.

If you would like to learn more about this book, take a peek at Chapter One here.

Disclaimer: Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing this book for review.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

I Cheated...

2012-01-23T20:53:00.000-05:00

Sigh... I have a confession to make. I cheated... had an affair...

I feel terrible about it, but I can't take back what I've done. But at least if I share it here, I'll be held accountable.

It all started on Christmas. My husband gave me a surprise gift (we weren't supposed to be exchanging gifts). It was a Kindle Fire.

Picture courtesy of Amazon

Now prior to this gift, I mostly read Christian fiction, romance, cookbooks and Christian non-fiction. Sigh... this is so HARD! While I still read the aforementioned genres, I have branched out more into thrillers, murder mysteries, and ghost stories. I know, I know, how could I. I don't know, I just can't help myself! I found sites like this which feed my addiction:

Ereader IQ

Pixel of Ink and Pixel of Ink Young Edition

The Vessel Project

New Free Kindle Books Discovered for you Daily

They are all list of free books that Amazon has available. How could I NOT download them, they are free! So now my paperbacks are being ignored, I'm reading about trips to Thailand and unrequited love. Oh for shame for shame!

Please tell me I'm not alone! Have you ever "cheated" on your favorite genre?

Do you download a lot of free ebooks?

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Book Review: Code Blue by Richard Mabry

2012-01-23T10:15:00.010-05:00

Code Blue by Richard L. Mabry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Code Blue was a pleasant surprise. When Dr. Cathy Sewell returns to her hometown, she faces many challenges to becoming one of the local doctors, including overcoming the shadow of her father's betrayal. But she soon finds out that not everything is what it seems. The author takes you on a trail that has some twists and turns but the surprise ending will really get you!

I thought the book was well written. There was romance, thriller and mystery all wrapped up in one. It starts off a little slow but really draws you in as you get further into the book. I think the character of Dr. Cathy Sewell is believable. The author does an excellent job of sharing her emotions and allowing you to see inside her character.

What I learned most from this book is that the journey to faith is not easy for anyone, no even doctors who seem to have to "play God" sometimes. Past challenges and hurts can serve to keep us from our destiny but if we trust in God, He will bring us through. Dr. Sewell's reconnection with her faith, was real. She went through many emotions that some of us can relate to as we are making our own journeys. I appreciate the way the author handled this topic.

Overall this was an excellent read, not only for the Christian reader, but for anyone who love a good thriller with a touch of romance thrown in!

This book was from my personal collection and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

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Book Review: Beyond Molasses Creek by Nicole Seitz

2012-01-22T19:24:00.000-05:00

Beyond Molasses Creek by Nicole A. Seitz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

From the Book: Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship--he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she's stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn't through with her yet.

My review: I think this was a touching story with wonderful characters and a believable storyline for the time setting. I thought Ally was a little odd at first but as her story came out, I got a deeper understanding of her character. I believe the pain she felt was something that was not unusual for the time that she grew up, but it was still sad. I thought Vesey was a beautiful character and reminiscent of the way I viewed men from back then. He was strong and faithful and I loved him. He reminded me a lot of my grandfather. My heart broke for Sunila and then rejoiced for her! I would love to see a book about her "new" life!

Overall, I thought this was an interesting read. I enjoyed the characters and the settings. It's not one of the best of the recent books I have read, but it's a nice weekend read.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze program. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Christmas Singing: A Romance From the Heart of Amish Country by Cindy Woodsmall

2012-01-11T11:18:00.002-05:00

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Christmas Singing is a lovely story about an Amish young woman Mattie, who is torn between two beaus, the one that left her heartbroken and the one that would never hurt her. In the end she chooses between the two, but is it the right choice?

The character of Mattie was bold and creative. Mattie is a successful cake decorator, a business she started when Gideon broke her heart and she moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio. When Mattie faces a tragedy, she is forced to go back to PA and to face Gideon. Mattie's new love Sol, stands by her throughout it all, but in the end he knows that Mattie needs to make a decision.

This was definitely a quick and pleasant read. I love Amish stories, just the peaceful sense of life unencumbered. I think the author did a wonderful job of developing the characters and weaving them each into the story. What I enjoy most about Amish fiction, is the wonderful sense of family and community these books promote. I look forward to more books from this author! Oh and the recipes at the end of this book look wonderful! I'll have to try one or two!

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by Waterbrook-Multnomah as part of the Blogging for Books program. The opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

ShopRite Can Can Sale is on!

2012-01-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

If you are in the Northeast, you've probably heard of or shopped at a ShopRite store at some point. If you haven't, now is the time to go! ShopRite is having it's 2012 Can Can Sale from January 5 - January 21 and YOU are invited! Check the circulars from some great bargains for stocking up, then visit your local store.

Did you know that during ShopRite's Can Can Sale (1/5 -1/21) you can help donate to local food banks? Last year in 2011, ShopRite donated 40,000 cans of food to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Can Can sale. This year for the 41st anniversary, they are going BIGGER! For each NEW Like that ShopRite gets on it's Facebook page, during the Cans for Fans promotion, they will donate a can of food to a local food bank in the community it serves, up to 50,000 cans!! It's so easy to help the needy!

Disclaimer: The information and opportunity to win a prepaid ShopRite gift card was provided to me by ShopRite through MyBlogSpark.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Book Review: The Road Trip - Sidecar Adventures with God by Jo Lynn Crozier

2012-01-07T13:50:00.001-05:00

The Road Trip by Jo Lynn Crozier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the book:

Liz always felt God beside her, but she never imagined she would be in his passenger seat! In this humorous, heartfelt adventure story, God invites an ordinary woman to travel with him on a life-changing road trip. Along the way, they encounter fantastic beings, heavenly houses, and extraordinary communities that Liz could never have imagined. But this is no vacation. God has a lot to teach Liz, and behind all the whimsy is a deeper spiritual message with real-life applications. Buckle up and join God and Liz on the journey of a lifetime.

My Review:
The Road Trip was a delightful book reminiscent of The Shack by William Young. The main character (besides God) is Liz, who takes a ride with God on a motorcycle. Liz rides in the sidecar (kind of like our relationship with God right??), and God takes her on several "adventures." These adventures drive home key spiritual concepts like Financial Stewardship, Wisdom and Virtue, and Faith among others. The dialogue is fun and interesting but serious enough to let you know which points are being driven home.

Even though the tone of the book was very light, it really helped to clarify some spiritual truths. There were several Ah's and oh that's what that means (from me, not from the book). The scriptural references were right on and helpful. Make no mistake, this book is a Christian centered book and could easily be used as a devotional book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review. No compensation was received and the opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

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Book Review: Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl

2012-01-05T11:47:00.001-05:00

Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the book:

The Triple Threat Club novels follow three fiercely intelligent women-a TV reporter, a Federal prosecutor and an FBI agent-as they investigate crimes as current as today's headlines.
The Triple Threat women have faced intense situations before…but never such a cunningly cold-blooded murderer.
Elizabeth Avery is a stunningly beautiful woman. But her perfectly managed exterior hides the ice cold heart of a killer. She ingeniously manipulates everyone who crosses her path to do exactly as she wishes--from crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, who thinks Elizabeth is her new best friend, to a shy young man Elizabeth persuades to kill for her.
As Elizabeth leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, Federal prosecuter Allison Pierce and FBI agent Nicole Hedges must piece together clues from seemingly unrelated crimes. Can they stop her before she reaches her unthinkable, ultimate end-game?

My review:
All I can say is WOW! To me this was a true Thriller. Mystery, intrigue and a splash of romance just for fun. I don't know how many times I caught myself gasping or saying Oh No!

I love the character development, I could relate to each of them Allison, Cassidy, Nic (Nicole) and even Lindsay. My favorite was Nic, she reminds me a lot of myself with not wanting to cry or to ask for help.

The story lines were excellent and when they came together it was perfect. To be able to manage a thriller storyline, a health crisis, romance and issues of faith and then to make it all come together is amazing to me. It really worked here.

There was mention of faith throughout the book but it was not preachy in the least, I loved it. Definitely a must read!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as a Booksneeze Blogger for the purpose of review. Positive or negative, the opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret
View all my reviews

Book Review: Heaven is Real for Kids by Todd and Colton Burpo

2011-12-28T22:53:00.000-05:00

Heaven is for Real, Kids: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a synopsis of the Kids Version: Heaven is for real, and you are going to like it!

Colton Burpo came back from his trip to heaven with a very important message: Jesus really, really loves children. In effort to reach even more families with this eternally significant story, this runaway bestseller is now told from Colton-kid to kids! Children will receive the same comfort and assurance that so many adults have received from the trade book.

Beautifully illustrated, this book is uniquely written from a child for a child. Colton tells of his experiences in first person and comments on things that will be important to kids. A letter to parents is included to guide them in talking to their children about heaven, Scripture, Q&A pages with answers from the Bible, and a prayer of salvation.

My daughter (11) read the kid's version and I read the adult version and skimmed the children's version.

Her review:

The kids version was easy to read, probably great for kids from age 5 to 9. There are scriptures scattered throughout, the illustrations are gorgeous and the language is easy for a child to understand. Definitely a book that can be used for a bedtime story or in a children's Sunday School class. My daughter liked it and it was a very quick read for her.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

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Book Review: The Crossing by Serita Jakes

2011-12-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

The Crossing by Serita Ann Jakes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the book cover:
Imprisoned by memories, Claudia Campbell lives each day in the shadow of a ten-year-old murder. Who can set her free?

On the way home from a football game, a decade earlier, a masked gunman opened fi re on a Texas school bus. Cheerleading coach B.J. Remington was killed, but her murderer was never found. Claudia, who had a close friendship with the young, spirited teacher, constantly relives the anguish of that day, caught in one moment in time. When her husband, the assistant district attorney, becomes determined to uncover the mystery of that tragedy, the secrets buried over the years threaten to tear their family apart.

Officer Casio Hightower will never forget the day his dreams were destroyed. A star quarterback with a promising future, Casio was on top of the world—until one bullet changed everything. He is eager to help Victor Campbell find B.J.’s killer, the man who shot him. Maybe solving the case will help silence the demons driving Casio to hurt the woman he loves.

As the Campbells and Casio teeter on the brink of losing everything, will they be able to discover that what begins at the crossing ends at the cross?

My review:
I have to admit, I was skeptical of this book. I mean I respect Serita Jakes as a minister... but as an author??? I wasn't so sure!

Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised. The book had a great story line, fantastic character development and really drew the reader in. I loved following the thought processes of the characters and trying to put myself in their shoes. Ms. Jakes is off to a wonderful start!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret
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Book Review: Shadow in Serenity

2011-11-30T14:47:00.003-05:00

Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Carny Sullivan grew up in the zany world of a traveling carnival. Quaint and peaceful Serenity, Texas, has given her a home, a life, and a child. Logan Brisco is the smoothest, slickest, handsomest man Serenity, Texas has ever seen. But Carny Sullivan knows a con artist when she sees one---and she's seen plenty, starting with her father. As far as Carny Sullivan can tell, she's the only one in town who has his number. Because from his Italian shoes to his movie-actor smile, Logan has the rest of the town snowed. Carny is determined to reveal Brisco's selfish intentions before his promise to the townspeople for a cut in a giant amusement park sucks Serenity dry. Yet, as much as she hates his winning ways, there is a man behind that suave smile, a man who may win her heart against her will. Shadow in Serenity is a modern-day Music Man, penned by a Christy Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author.

I'm not familiar with this author, so I didn't know how much I would enjoy this book. But I did... enjoy it! There was mystery, intrigue, romance and most importantly forgiveness. I loved the two main characters, Carny and Logan. They way Carny was at him, you kind of knew where it was leading. But that's OK, sometimes you need the sappiness (or happiness!)! I love how the author described Logan and his change of heart. It was just a good book all around. I could see this really happening in any small town. The members of Serenity were real and believable. Just a nice, well-written book.

As a treat, here is the book trailer:

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book for the purpose of review. Opinions expressed are my own!

View all my reviews

Women of Faith Imagine! #wofimagine

2011-11-02T20:42:00.000-04:00

Well it's been over a month but it's still fresh in my mind!

On September 9th and 10th, I had the pleasure of attending the Women of Faith Imagine! conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My friend Lisa and I decided to attend both days. This was my first Women of Faith event and it was AMAZING!!

Throughout the weekend, these men and women, encouraged us, educated us, cried with us and helped us find restoration in Jesus Christ. We heard from Henry Cloud (funny and serious), Sheila Walsh (amazing!), Angie Smith (so sweet!), Lisa Harper (tough!), Luci Swindoll (no nonsense but a softy!), Nicole Johnson (funny, sweet, honest!). They each dug down so deep and shared with us. This encouraged me, because a lot of times I feel like I'm alone in a situation, but I'm not. Jesus never leaves me, even when I feel like I'm alone!

Dr. Henry Cloud


Sheila Walsh

Throughout the weekend, we were given scriptures and stories that allowed us to see that these strong women and men of God are just like us. Broken, betrayed hurt! We're all sinners and we all need Jesus!

Nicole Johnson did some amazing skits, I just can't even describe to you how wonderful they were! Each one had a message, some funny and some very serious. But when she spoke my heart broke for her and with her. Yet she stood professing her faith in God in a strong voice. Just amazing! Each woman shared from her heart, their time of loss, their time of betrayal and their time of fear. Even through it all, God restored them and brought them to NEW heights. I felt restored when I left this conference.

It was exciting to see Mary Mary, Natalie Grant and the hilarious comedian Tim Hawkins (really, he had us hysterical!). The entertainers we had were truly anointed. The Worship team was amazing too! There is so much to say but I really can't describe it in words, you really have to experience it for yourself.

What was my favorite part? I love music so Natalie Grant and Mary Mary were amazing to me! After that it was a tie between Tim Hawkins and Nicole Johnson! But believe me when I say EVERYONE was Great!! I can't wait until NEXT YEAR!!

Disclaimer: I was provided tickets as a Booksneeze Blogger to attend the events and share my thoughts! I shared on Facebook and Twitter while I was at the event and on my blog now!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Beautiful Christmas Ornaments at Zulily

2011-10-31T09:46:00.000-04:00

OK, I admit it... I LOVE Zulily. I think they just offer beautiful quality products at great prices! This is a completely unendorsed post, I really just love the site. Today they have some beautiful Christmas ornaments. I have a few of these pieces and I know they are high quality:


Christmas Angel from Zulily

Take a look and see all of the items that Zulily has to offer. You have to be a member to see it!Love and Blessings!Margaret

Book Review: Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin

2011-10-18T13:06:00.002-04:00

Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the book:

An internationallly famous photographer, he has traveled the world and seen both the serious and the strange. But when his brother escapes from a mental hospital and an old girlfriend appears with her son and a black eye, Tucker is forced to return home and face the agony of his own tragic past.

Back in rural Alabama, Tucker comes to terms with the ghosts he left behind. Miss Ella Rain once loved Tuck and his brother like they were her very own. Hiring her to take care of Waverly Hall and to keep them out of sight was the only good thing their father ever did. And though Miss Ella has been gone for many years, Tuck can still hear her voice.

My review:

The book starts off telling the story of a mental patient Mutt (the younger brother) until he escapes, then Tucker Rain (the older brother) takes over the story. The transition between storytellers was seamless though. It's a story about two boys who grew up with an abusive father and relied on Miss Ella for protection. Miss Ella was a deeply religious black woman who was a combination housekeeper/nanny. Although she wasn't allowed to take the boys to church, she manages to instill in them the love of God.

It's a question as to which character is the main character because they each play such an important role. The story wouldn't be complete without any of them. The author does and excellent job of weaving this story and bringing it to it's comforting conclusion. This book reads more like a biography than a fictional book. Although it started off slow, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to friends.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free of charge by Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze program for the purpose of review. All opinions are 100% my own!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

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Book Review: Waiting For Morning

2011-10-18T12:02:00.000-04:00

Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the descriptions:

Hannah Ryan is the mother of two adorable little girls and the wife of a doting husband. Her life is perfect -- until the night her husband and eldest daughter are ripped away from her by a drunken driver. Torn by grief and rage, Hannah finds her faith -- like that of Jeremiah weeping over Jerusalem -- tested to the limits. As she walks the long road of her own modern-day Lamentations, she must learn to forgive... and finally discover that God's mercies truly are new every morning. Sometimes the road home is only found by letting go.

My review:

Hannah Ryan is placed in a position that would cause many of us to "lose" our faith, to get angry with God... And she does for a time. But this is also a story of redemption, forgiveness and the love of Christ! Karen Kingsbury once again allows us to reach into the depths of our soul and draw out those "deep down" feelings. How would I react if I was in this situation? Would I be able to forgive? Would I be able to continue with life? Hannah Ryan had to face all of these questions and help her surviving daughter in the process.

I really cannot find all of the words I need to say how great this book was. As always, I found myself crying along with the characters, trying to place myself in their shoes while praying I never have to. I found myself wondering if I would reject my faith, or is it "strong enough" to go through a tragedy like this. What I love most about Karen's book is that you can't just read them and not make a decision about your faith and where you want it to be! Highly recommend this book!

Disclaimer: This ebook was provided to me by the Waterbrook Multnomah Blogging for books program for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret
View all my reviews

2011-10-09T19:03:00.001-04:00

The Truth About Butterflies: A Memoir by Nancy Stephan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the "book jacket:"

They belong to each other. Nancy and Nicole—mother and daughter. They’re two halves of a whole, two facets of the same breath—until the day Nicole exhales. . . and never inhales again.

After the death of her daughter, and quickly losing her own battle with grief, Nancy moves from the house she can no longer bear to live in. While packing, she finds a box in the attic. Inside she uncovers treasures she didn’t know existed and evidence that she and her daughter’s lives had been more divinely entwined than she could’ve imagined.

The Truth About Butterflies is a true story of grief, hope, and transformation, and a single enduring truth: Life cannot be restrained by death

My review:
The Truth about Butterflies is a heartfelt story of a mother and daughter, a story of life's challenges and a story of loss. I couldn't imagine the pain of losing a child. But Nancy shares the joy of raising her only precious daughter... and of losing her, first to her daughter's rebellion, then to death. My emotions were up and down throughout the book. I felt the joy when Nicole was born, I felt the pain when Nicole was "lost," I felt the sadness when Nicole took her last breath.

Nancy told her story with painful openness and honesty. She didn't withhold the things Nicole did to herself during her "lost" period or the pain of seeing her laying on the hospital bed not knowing if she could hear her. I love this in a memoir because it allows you to connect with the emotions of the author. I highly recommend this book for any audience!

Disclaimer: Nancy provided me with a free copy of this book for the purpose of review. The opinions are 100% my own!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

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SAVE THE DATE!

2011-09-30T16:07:00.004-04:00

Come Join us for some Scrapbooking Fun!!

Book Review: Sweet Sanctuary

2011-08-31T16:33:00.001-04:00

When I picked this book I thought it would be an emotional story. I was a little disappointed in that I couldn't really relate to the characters. I'm not sure why though, they were well developed and personable but they just didn't speak to me!

Here's the synopsis:

Sweet Sanctuary by Sheila Walsh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Out of the clear blue, Wren's Grandma Ruth arrives on her doorstep, dreaming of a grand party to celebrate her 95th birthday. Wren and her young son Charlie love the idea, but it quickly gets complicated: Ruth wants Wren's estranged siblings to attend and she wants Wren to sing her all-time favorite song: "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." It's the very song Wren sang one fateful day during her childhood . . . and Wren hasn't sung a note since.

Though she's glad to have Grandma back in her life, Wren's sleeping on the couch in her own house now . . . and worried about the expenses piling up. After all, her job at the community library is in jeopardy after budget cuts, and the fancy music program she wants for her son is getting farther and farther out of reach. What's more, Paul-the guy she's drawn to yet avoids-ends up being a major part of an important library project.

With family arriving and old wounds resurfacing, Wren's about to fly when she discovers something special-a gift of grace beyond her wildest dreams.

My Review:

Wren passed through life carrying a lot of guilt. While a sweet God-loving woman, she could not let go of her past hurts enough to forgive herself, her family or her ex-husband. She tends to put a shell around herself and her son to protect them from further hurt. As the story goes on and other characters are introduced, Grandma Ruth, Wren's sister Barb and brother Jack, Paul, the author does a good job of intertwining them and building the history. I'm not sure what was missing but this just didn't have the WOW factor for me. It was predictable throughout and maybe that was the issue. There's a little bit of anguish, romance, mystery of sorts so it was a pleasant read, just a little disappointing!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook for the purpose of review as part of the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

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Book Review: The Canary List

2011-08-31T15:31:00.001-04:00

The Canary List: A Novel by Sigmund Brouwer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description from the paperback edition:

Protected by the dark of night, Jaimie Piper runs. But is anywhere safe when Evil is hunting you?

She’s just a twelve year-old girl, bumped around between foster homes and relegated to school classes for challenged kids, those lagging in their test scores or with behavioral issues. But her real problem is that she can sense something the other kids can’t—something dark. Something compelling her to run for her life.

All Crockett Grey wants is to mark the anniversary of his daughter’s death alone.

But when his student Jaimie comes to him, terrified, her need for protection collides with his grief, and a tangled web of bizarre events sends them both spiraling toward destruction.

Crockett’s one hope of getting his life back is to uncover the mysterious secrets of Jaimie’s past and her strange gift. It isn’t long before his discoveries lead him to a darker conspiracy, secrets guarded by the highest seat of power in the world—the Vatican.

My Review:

I'll start off by saying I liked this book. I was worried that I wouldn't because I thought it was just another book about corruption in the Catholic church. It was not that at all! It was interesting and had an excellent plot, which I didn't find predictable. While there were a few parts that I think were dragged out, once you got past them the story picked up. There were some occult references that made me uncomfortable but they were necessary for this story to work. While this is comes from a Christian publisher, I didn't find it to be preachy at all, just a good thriller. I would definitely recommend this book if you like mysteries and thrillers!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook for the purpose of review. You can rate my reviews at
Love and Blessings!
Margaret

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Book Review: A Critical Loss of Balance

2011-08-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

A Critical Loss of Balance by Mark Shaver

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

From the bookjacket: Cliff Elliott thought he had endured the worst thing a parent could endure when his nine year old daughter was kidnapped, but he was wrong. The circumstances that led to her return were far worse than anything he could have imagined...

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me for the purpose of review. All opinions are expressed are 100% my own!

The storyline for this book was great and the characters were well developed. A family faces the unthinkable when their daughter was kidnapped. Although she was returned, there is so much more to the story than a safe return. The way Cliff executes a father's vengeance, it's gripping and keeps you interested. The supporting characters while bumbling at times, still are well thought out and likeable (or not).

This book had several spelling errors, which is a pet peeve of mine. One doesn't bother me so much but when you get up to 5 or 6, it's carelessness. But even more important than that, an important part of the story was inconsistent. One character found something and later in the book it was attributed to another character. That really ruined the book for me. Also, towards the end the writing got choppy and sloppy. I love to read and I really love to give the author the benefit of the doubt, but in this case I really think the book should have been edited a lot better!

I did finish the book and I did like it. However, the spelling errors and the inconsistent story cast a negative light.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

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Book Review: How to Reach Your Full Potential for God

2011-08-01T20:51:00.000-04:00

How to Reach Your Full Potential for God by Charles F. Stanley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In How to Reach Your Full Potential for God, acclaimed pastor and speaker Charles Stanley connects readers with the plan and purpose God envisioned when He created them.
"Things are never going to change" or "This is just the way I am--I'm never going to get better" are just a few of the damaging lies Christians believe about themselves, their situations, and their walk. But Dr. Stanley shares the real truth as God sees it. In this powerful and inspiring message, readers reconnect with the grand vision God had when He uniquely created them. They learn that regardless of setbacks, failures, and frustrations, there is a better path based in His Word, one that's full of freedom and purpose. This book takes them to their specifically designed path to become exactly who the Father made them to be and achieve exactly what He designed them for.

Charles Stanley has always been one of the foremost Christian teachers and this book is no exception. He breaks down the steps in the simplest forms and uses stories to reinforce. I find that I'm most receptive to this type of "self help" books. I found this book easy to read and follow. It took me a LONG time to read this because I would read a chapter, let it sink in, read it again while changing my thoughts and actions to reflect the teaching. If you are looking to take your walk with God a step further I highly recommend this book!

I was given a copy of this book for the purpose of review.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

I'm going!!!! Are YOU? #wofimage

2011-08-01T20:36:00.001-04:00

I'm SO excited!! BookSneeze (Thomas Nelson Books) invited ME to go to the Women of Faith IMAGINE! conference in Philadelphia, PA. I've always wanted to attend a Women of Faith Conference but could never manage it. Now I'm going and I can wait. If you want to see who will be there, you can check here:

Women of Faith

Has anyone been to one of these conferences? What was your experience like?

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: Sisters of the Quilt Books 1&2

2011-07-22T10:29:00.000-04:00

Sisters of the Quilt: The Complete Trilogy by Cindy Woodsmall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read books 1 and 2 from the trilogy in my personal collection and read the full edition of book 3 (reviewed separately) that I received from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of review.

This trilogy is the story of an Amish Girl named Hannah Lapp. Hannah faces a series of traumatic and life changing events in her life. After the first horrific event, Hannah turns to her parents for help. At first, they recognize the horror of the situation and do everything they can to protect their daughter. When the Elders become involved, their view changes and even Hannah's friends cannot help her. Over the next several months more and more comes to light and Hannah is left feeling all alone. In one final attempt to save her sanity, Hannah runs away to a long lost Aunt. Her aunt helps her overcome the trauma of the last year and helps her find herself outside of the Amish faith and Order.

Hannah's story is one of triumph over tragedy. It's heartwarming and encouraging to those who have faced trials in their life. The only issue I had with this series is that it's like so many other Amish stories that I read. They girls grow up and live to "escape" the faith. I would have liked to have seen some fresh views and storylines. Even so, it was a nice read with a solid storyline.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

Book Review: When the Soul Mends (A Novel)

2011-07-15T22:40:00.000-04:00

When the Soul Mends: A Novel by Cindy Woodsmall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the book:
The capstone novel in Cindy Woodsmall's Sisters of the Quilt trilogy places Hannah Lapp at the most difficult crossroads in an Amish woman's life. She must choose between her new love and contented life in the Englischer community or the renewal of ties with her Old Order suitor, Paul. Called back to the congregation that ostracized her, she struggles to find her heart's desire as she attempts to ease her conscience. A romantic novel woven deep with strands of faith.

My review:
I actually started reading this book first but realized I was lost without reading the other two books and getting the history. This is a series where a terrible tragedy occurs to an young Amish girl. Instead of embracing her, her parents and community turn their backs on her. Throughout the series, Hannah is able to overcome her setbacks and move on to a happy and fruitful life. While she ends up leaving her faith, she finds a path that brings out her true calling of helping others. In this book she has to choose between returning to those who rejected her and staying with those who freely accepted her regardless of her "past."

I rated this book high because I love these type of stories. While I enjoyed the storyline, I cannot honestly say there was a lot of depth. Once you get past the tragedy in the first book, the story loses it's steam. However, if you are looking for a book with and easy to follow story line and a happy ending, then this is the perfect book for you!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

Book Review: Journals of a Big Mouth Bass Book 1: Keeping Secrets

2011-05-17T20:00:00.002-04:00

Journals of the Big Mouth Bass: Keeping Secrets: Book One by Debbie Williamson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a guest review by my daughter who agreed to read and review the book for me.

Mom: What was the book about?
M: A girl named Debbie Bass who writes to God in her journal.

Mom: Do you think Debbie was a good character?
M: Yes, because she's different in her own way and she has spunk.

Mom: Can you tell me about some of the other characters in the book?
M: Debbie is the main character. There is also the Sunnyside Gang (Dell her brother, Bro, Jesse, Beamer), her Mother and Father, her dog Chopper, and Margaret a new girl from NYC.

Mom: What was your favorite part of the book?
M: My favorite part was when she made friends with Margaret because she found someone like her.

Mom: Why was that part special?
M: She finally had a girl to hang out with instead of boys all the time.

Mom: What did you learn from this book?
M: You can trust God with your secrets, and always love even if you don't like the person.

Mom: Is there any part of the story you would change?
M: No, it was too good the way it was.

Mom: Who do you think this book was written for?
M: Girls that have a broken heart and girls that are tomboys.

Mom: Why a broken heart?
M: Because at the end of the story something happens to Debbie. I can't tell you because it will ruin the story.

Mom: Anything you want to share about the book?
M: It definitely relates to me because she has a crush on someone.

Thanks dear for sharing your thoughts on this!

From an adult perspective, I've read a few chapters and I think this is written for the older elementary school student. It's written in a child's language and it's easy to get drawn into the story. There are some sad parts and your child should be able to handle emotional stories if they read this book. I really like how comfortable Debbie feels communicating with God. The one thing I have noticed though is that while the family seems to be of a faith that believes in God, there's not talk of bible reading, church or any type of fellowship. That could very well be because of the manner the book is written. The book teaches a lot about friendship, disappointment and choices. I highly recommend it!

Disclaimer: I received this book from the Cadence Group for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received. Opinions expressed are my own.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

Book Review: Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

2011-04-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

About the book (from Goodreads)

How do you know if you’ve found the one? Can you really love the one you’re with when you can’t forget the one who got away?

Ellen and Andy’s first year of marriage doesn’t just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she’s living is the one she’s meant to live.
At once heartbreaking and funny, Love the One You’re With is a tale of lost loves and found fortunes—and will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered what if.

My Review:

What I liked most about this book was the story development. I was drawn in from the beginning. I enjoyed the interaction of the main character Ellen and the other less important characters. I was wondering all the way through whether or not she was going to make the right decision. The ending, while a little surprising, was perfect!

If I could change anything about this book I would make the secondary character more of a jerk! As it's written, you can't help but like him a little!

This is a book from my personal collection. Opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Book Review: Judgment Day by Wanda Dyson

2011-04-19T13:21:00.000-04:00

About the book (from backcover): SENSATIONAL JOURNALISM HAS NEVER BEEN SO DEADLY.

The weekly cable news show Judgment Day with Suzanne Kidwell promises to expose businessmen, religious leaders, and politicians for the lies they tell. Suzanne positions herself as a champion of ethics and morality with a backbone of steel—until a revelation of her shoddy investigation tactics and creative fact embellishing put her in hot water with her employers, putting her credibility in question and threatening her professional ambitions.

Bitter and angry, Suzanne returns home one day to find an entrepreneur she is investigating, John Edward Sterling, unconscious on her living room floor. Before the night is over, Sterling is dead, she has his blood on her hands, and the police are arresting her for murder. [Correction, she finds her dead boyfriend's secretary] She needs help to prove her innocence, but her only hope, private investigator Marcus Crisp, is also her ex-fiancé–the man she betrayed in college.

Marcus and his partner Alexandria Fisher-Hawthorne reluctantly agree to take the case, but they won’t cut Suzanne any slack. Exposing her lack of ethics and the lives she’s destroyed in her fight for ratings does little to make them think Suzanne is innocent. But as Marcus digs into the mire of secrets surrounding her enemies, he unveils an alliance well-worth killing for. Now all he has to do is keep Suzanne and Alex alive long enough to prove it.

My Review:

This was a very quick read for me, I read it in about a day. The characters were nicely developed and interesting. The author provided "profiles" with out being too wordy about it. The main story was well written and easy to follow. The book was very interesting because there were several subplots. The author tied the whole story neatly together at the end. I tend to like this type of ending because I don't like being left with questions!!

My favorite character was Alex. She is a partner in the PI firm that takes the case. She was a tough as nails debutante but she didn't seem fake. Matched up with Marcus, it made for a great story!

I really can't think of anything I would change in this book. Just a nice, quick read. If you would like to read the first two chapters, you can go here.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book to review as part of the Bloggers for Books sponsored by Waterbrook Multnomah. My opinions are my own.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Tough Day for this Mom!

2011-04-14T14:17:00.000-04:00

You know your a mom when someone does something to your child and you just want to ~~shoot~~ tell them off!

Someone did something really terrible to my son. I won't go into details because it's his story to share. But these were people we trusted and we took them at their word. Obviously their word wasn't as important to them as it was to us. He's processed it and he's adapting. I'm so proud of him and the way he has handled this.

Mom is not doing as well though, I want to strike back. I want to hurt them like they hurt my son. But in Roman's 12:19-21, the Lord tells me that vengeance is His. Instead, I have to treat my "enemies" with kindness and caring. So I will, not because I want to, but because I know any small revenge that I could exact, would be disobedience. I will continue to pray and to leave it in the Master's hands.

What is one of the toughest moments you've had as a parent?

I posted this in response to a Social Mom's blogging prompt but it was something I needed to talk about. Love to see your comments!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Book Review: Jubilee by Margaret Walker

2011-04-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

Jubilee by Margaret Walker

Imagine waking up each morning, knowing that your life was not yours to live, that you were under someone else's control. Imagine waking up and knowing that you had a hard day's labor, and you weren't getting paid. Imagine if you tried to "quit" this job, you would be whipped mercilessly.

For Elvira "Vyry" Brown, this wasn't anything to imagine, it was her life. Born a slave to her white master and his black slave mistress, fate was not on her side from the get go. Oh her early life, up until age six was charmed so to speak. Her only job was to play with her half sister and keep her company. That was until she reached working age... seven! After that Vyry's place on the plantation became clear, first as a house servant, later as the head cook. The story, written by Vyry's great-granddaughter Margaret Walker, takes us from her birth, through her life as a slave, to her eventual freedom. Her path to freedom was not easy but Vyry demonstrated an unquestionable faith throughout. She also demonstrated a kind and giving heart by taking care of the very people who persecuted her throughout life.

Margaret Walker heard the story of Vyry from her grandmother, Vyry's daughter Minna. How precious the words must have seemed!! You can feel the love and admiration through each paragraph of this book. It's not just an autobiography, it a family history and it's wonderfully written. I was drawn into this book from the beginning. The way that the author described the emotions and the plantation activities was so vivid. Having read other autobiographies about this time, I found that Margaret Walker is a top storyteller in this genre. By the time I finished this book, I had no doubt about the character of Vyry Brown.

Definitely a great read for a lover of African American history, Civil War buffs, and anyone who is interested in learning more about that time frame.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

Book Review: When Sparrows Fall by Meg Mosely

2011-04-10T21:38:00.001-04:00

When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book. The story is engaging as Miranda (Randi) a mother of six struggles to cope with raising six children as a widow, her overbearing Pastor and the involvement of her brother in law that she doesn't know. I love how she sticks to her principles for the things she feels strongly about, as well as allowing some latitude on the things she's used to doing but are not written in stone. The author does a great job of describing each of the children as well as giving a great foundation for where the main character is in life.

The title of the book confused me. I'm not sure how it fit with the subject of the book. There were a few references to sparrows, but I didn't sense an underlying connection. It could have had something to do with a tragedy that occurred but that's as close as I can get.

What a liked most about this book is the way the author brought the whole story together. Throughout she alluded to deeper secrets but didn't give them away until towards the end. This kept me engaged and curious to know what happened. There was a Christian theme throughout the book, although in the beginning it leaned towards the fanatical and evened out towards the end.

Overall, a nice, easy read. I would recommend for anyone who has experienced children, tragedies and life in general!

Disclaimer: While the opinions expressed are my own, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

I have Sensitive Skin! #bMSkincare

2011-03-24T10:02:00.001-04:00

Since the time I was in my preteens, I found out that my skin reacted to cosmetics in weird ways! I get black marks on my otherwise smooth skin, I get dry rough patches and sometimes I would get this small breakout if there was something that didn't agree with my skin. So I've been VERY careful about what I use. Most of the time it was just water.

As I aged, I found that I needed something more than water to keep my skin happy. I tried several major brands of cosmetics both available in stores and through direct sales. While I had some good results, nothing seemed to provide the right combination. So I resorted to just using cleansing cloths to wash my face and that's it. But now I'm facing the same problem. It's not quite enough!

So when BareEscentuals approached me about trying their bareMinerals line, I visited their website and thought maybe this is what I need. Something doesn't have many of the impurities in cosmetics today:

RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex

This proprietary complex in our skincare line is composed of the Earth's most natural, effective and mineral-abundant soil containing a comprehensive blend of beneficial macro and micro minerals that exist in nature. When extracted through a unique method, these minerals yield a densely rich, efficacious concentrate clinically proven to deliver faster cell turnover, noticeably smaller pores, increased luminosity and softer, smooth, younger-looking skin.

Healthy Ingredients

There are no synthetic fragrances, no artificial oils and no parabens within bMskincare.

It seems to be just enough to address the problems I'm having without overwhelming my skin!

I think I would like to try the deep cleansing foam and the Purely Nourishing Moisturizer to see how they work with my skin. If the basics work well then I'll try the Blemish Therapy treatment to deal with the annoying black patches on my skin!

So if you had the opportunity to try the Bare Escentuals bareMinerals line, which would you choose?

Disclaimer: Please note, this is not a giveaway and I was not provided any compensation/product for this post. I may have the opportunity to try this line in the future and provide a review.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: Tandem by Tracey Bateman

2011-03-11T17:05:00.000-05:00

Tandem by Tracey Bateman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

From Goodreads:

As obsession and loss become dark partners, how far must the people of Abbey Hills go to survive?

Six months ago, brutal murders shook the small Ozark town—murders that stopped after a house fire reportedly claimed the killer’s life. Lauryn McBride's family auction house has taken responsibility for the estate sale of one of the victims—the enigmatic Markus Chisom. Submerging herself in Chisom’s beautiful but strange world, Lauryn welcomes the reprieve from watching Alzheimer’s steal her father from her, piece by piece. She soon realizes that centuries-old secrets tie Abbey Hills to the Chisom estate and a mysterious evil will do anything to make sure those secrets stay hidden. Even the man who grew up loving her may not be able to protect Lauryn from the danger.

When Amede Dastillon receives an unexpected package from Abbey Hills, she hopes it might be the key in tracking down her beloved sister, long estranged from her family. Visiting Abbey Hills seems the logical next step in her search, but Amede is unusually affected by the town, and when mutilated carcasses begin turning up again in the small community, the local law enforcement isn’t sure if they are confronting a familiar evil or a new terror.

Two women brought together by questions that seem to have no answers. Can they overcome the loss and darkness threatening to devour them—or will their own demons condemn them to an emotional wasteland?

My Opinon:

I'm torn about this book. First I want to say the book is not a bad read. It's not a GREAT read but it's not bad. The story is structured well and you can read this book without reading the prequel Thirsty (I did not read Thirsty). The story lines are good, the struggles about doing the right thing are realistic, I tried to think what I would do if I was in some of these situations.

What bothered me is that this is marketed as a Christian fiction book. I have no problem reading "non-Christian" fiction but I was expecting to see more about faith and victory. While this was alluded to, there was no really proclamations of faith, or demonstrations of God's faithfulness. There was a lot of darkness (think the Twilight series which I read entirely), much more than I expected. I would say I wouldn't let anyone under the age of 16 or so read this book, the material is too mature in the darkness sense (no sex or anything like that).

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

View all my reviews

Is there a Dr. in the House?!?!

2011-03-11T15:00:00.001-05:00

I'm thinking there is something seriously wrong with my 17 year old. He has cooked dinner three times in the last two weeks!!! OK, I admit the first time he grilled the steak because he wanted to go driving when I got home from work. But the other two time, there was no prompting!! Oh don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining and I wouldn't even be concerned really, except, he cleaned the kitchen too! Now come on parents, this is NOT normal behavior for a 17 year old boy. Should I get him checked out????

Wanna know what he made? On Saturday, it was actually lunch that he made. He grilled fresh fish and made Onion Rings on the side. The fish was seasoned perfectly!! Can you say YUM!

Then Wednesday, he made chicken (fried and grilled), his own version of creamed spinach (another YUMMY!) and a pasta side (from Knorr's). He had the table set and all of the dishes ready to serve when hubby got home! I got home later but it was still great to just come in and take my shoes off and eat! LOL!

I asked him why and he said he was bored! I wish he would get bored more often! It sure is nice coming home to a clean house and fully prepared meal!

Thanks B! You are a great son!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

The IPAD 2 is here!

2011-03-11T11:25:00.001-05:00

I know because I got the email this morning! I'm a little excited because I might be getting one!! I like that it has two cameras, I like that it's bigger than my Ipod Touch which I LOVE! It just sounds like something great to travel with and have fun with. So far the reviews from the beta testers is positive!

What have you heard so far about the IPAD 2?

Is now the time to buy?

Should I get the regular one or the 3G if I do decide to purchase?

I'll let you guys know what I decide. Oh and if you are purchasing one, don't forget to go through Ebates and get 1 % cash back at the Apple store!!!!

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, I really just want an opinion of whether I should get one or not.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Time to Hit the Road!

2011-03-10T11:36:00.000-05:00

March starts AAU basketball season for my son, and that means LOTS of traveling, very few free weekends and numerous hotel stays! It can get really expensive so I really need to focus on ways to save this year. I do have a few ways I plan to save that I’ll share with you! Who knows, maybe some of it will be useful!

1. First, with gas prices the way they are, we have to determine the least expensive routes to travel for our trips. This means minimal toll roads without adding a lot of miles. I invested in a new GPS system with current maps. I have the TomTom and I really like it! I will invest in updating the maps before our travel season so I have the most recent information available. This will save us time and money (as well as keeping us from wasting gas being lost!!).

2. For me anywhere I can save money is a deal to me. I am putting my car in the shop for maintenance, tire checks and anything else that needs to be done before we hit the road. This way we will not only be safe, we will safe money on gas and unnecessary repairs.

3. Since we don’t have a choice as far as when we travel, I signed up for the loyalty clubs for the major hotel chains (Marriott, Hilton and Sheraton). These points add up really quickly when you are doing a lot of traveling. Plus I have some classes scheduled for work so by the end of the summer, I should have enough points for a free room or two! Some of the rewards clubs also have “stores” where you can cash in the points for items.

4. I start looking for hotels early to try and catch a good deal. For instance we have a tournament in the Disney area this year. While we may not be able to enjoy the parks all that much, we can surely cash in on some of the hotel discounts that abound in this area. Since we will be there for a week, I plan to rent a vacation condo and hit up the nearby Walmart to stock the refrigerator! Some places I like to check for discounts in the area are Passporter.com and Deb’s Unofficial Walt Disney World Vacation sites. For other areas I like to check Expedia and Travelocity.

5. When I arrive at the hotel, after checking in, I look for the ad board. I don’t know the official name for it but it’s the place where all of the little pamphlets for local and area attractions are. There are usually some discounts for local food places.

6. I always visit the area’s Chamber of Commerce website prior to my trip. This is another place you can find coupons, and discounts for local businesses. Also if you are going to be in the area for a few days, you may find some local events that you can attend! Once we attended a local fair and had a blast!!

7. My son plays basketball so that keeps him pretty busy, however my daughter sometimes gets a little restless from having to sit in a gym all day. I shop ahead of time for little treats for her. Since I use Swagbucks as my search engine, I’m always accumulating Amazon gift certificates. I use these to purchase games for her DSi and also books and puzzles that she can do in the car. Saves a lot of grief and fighting over the laptop!!

8. My kids don’t like this one so much, but we gotta do what we gotta do. If the hotel where we are staying does not offer a continental or some type of breakfast, I get bagels and cereal for us to eat breakfast in our room. That’s one less meal that we have to pay for. They don’t like it but they know!

9. One thing I just started doing is checking to see what supermarkets are in the area. This way I can take my coupon binder with me and still save money if I have to shop for food or other necessities. Most areas have a Super Target or a Super Walmart so this is usually not too difficult. There are tons of coupon sites where you can find out what the best deals are too! I tell them I’m from out of the area and I don’t have their store card and most of the time the cashier will swipe their card for me. More savings!!

10. Last but not least! We have fun! Whatever the situation, wherever we are, we make the best of it and have a good time. Fortunately our team is very close knit so we eat most of our meals together and enjoy each other’s company. This is the cheapest form of fun there is!!

So there are my tips for a fun filled travel season! If you have any, I'd love to know what they are!

I’m looking forward to exploring some new places this Spring and Summer. If you see me on the road, be sure to wave!!

In the interest of disclosure, I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: It Looked Like Spilt Milk

2011-03-02T13:48:00.001-05:00

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a cute book to read! Great for new readers or younger.

The funny thing is the other night, my son was getting ready for bed. He had testing at school the next day so he had an earlier bedtime. He had taken his shower and was still putzing around. So I said in my best Mommy voice "B, it's time to go night night, are you finished getting ready for bed? Do you want Mommy to read you a story?" I didn't hear anything, then all of the sudden he comes tearing into the room with this book in his hand, lays on the floor in front of me and waits for me to start reading. So I read him the book and all throughout, he said "Mommy what is it?", "Mommy I wonder what it is?", it was VERY entertaining.

Why you ask? Only because my son is 17!! Yes I said SEVENTEEN! LOL! I was hysterical by the time we were finished!! It was a really cute book though!!

This is a book from my personal collection. I reviewed this book on my own and was not compensated in any way!

View all my reviews

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Make A Change - Make a Difference

2011-01-19T16:55:00.000-05:00

If you could make one simple change to improve your life, what would you do?

Sometimes a simple change can make a world of difference. It’s up to you to make the changes that will move you towards the life that you want for yourself, your family and the community around you.

I started this year off feeling a little down about where I am at this point in my life. I expected to be much further along in my life plan and it just hasn’t worked out the way that I planned… or should I say that I DIDN’T plan??

I am used to be terrible at setting goals and following through, but this year is different. I’ve made a list of some very simple changes to help me reach the goal that have been in my head, but need to be in writing.

I will improve my health this year. I’ve already started drinking more water and finding some fun ways to exercise. Did you know that Just Dance 2 for the Wii is a GREAT workout for couch potatoes? It’s hilarious too but that’s for another post!
I will make my family my priority. As a mom who works full time and has a side business, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all that. But that stuff is passing, my family is forever. I will sit and read a book with my daughter, even if she can read it herself. I will listen to my son when he tells me about his school day, and his friend issues, even though he’s almost an adult himself. I will stay up late once in a while to greet hubby when he comes in from a late night. I will sit and visit with my parents instead of running in and out. I will keep in touch with extended family using social media… or whatever means necessary.
My most important goal this year is to develop my relationship with my Savior. I believe that God loves me and that He sent his son as a Savior for me. But a lot of times I don’t act like it. I worry… A LOT, I get depressed… A LOT, and I just don’t trust Him to carry my burdens… A LOT. So I really want to work on trusting the Lord to be my Savior and to act like that is what I believe. I believe that if I make this commitment, my other two goals will fall right into place!

Why now? Why make these changes now? Because in the past 2 ½ years, I have seen too many young people pass from this world. They left so many things that they wanted to do undone. They ran out of time… That’s not the legacy that I want to leave, it’s as simple as that!

So I ask you again, what is your simple change?

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Simply Orange® blogging program. If I am one of the first 65 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 Target gift card and a gift pack that includes a Simply Orange® cooler bag and logoed fleece."

Love & Blessings!

Margaret

Well Hello and Happy New Year!

2011-01-14T16:21:00.005-05:00

Hello Hello Hello!

Jumping back in here to wish you all the most blessed of New Year's (somewhat late!). I'm just coming out of a period where I felt overwhelmed and out of sorts! Do you ever get like that? Needless to say, blogging was the last thing on my mind!!

I'm happy to say that TODAY IS A NEW DAY! My spirit has been renewed and I'm looking forward to sharing!

So let's get started! I have so much to catch up on. Some WAY overdue book reviews, a few giveaways (including another CSN giveaway, maybe with Spring on it's way you can use it towards an outdoor playset!) and some product reviews.

I'd also like to incorporate some new things, like how I saved TONS of money of Christmas and gift shopping last year, or sharing about how coupons have helped me keep my family in food, deodorant and lotion for a LONG time!

My goal this year is to provide helpful information to my readers and some fun stuff to. I'm also considering combining this blog with my business blog but I have decided on that yet. I will keep you posted.

So once again, Happy New Year and I look forward to chatting with you all!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Wishing You All A Very Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:27:00.002-05:00

May God's blessings rain down upon you! Click the picture for a beautiful card!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Whew! November is flying by! It's almost Holiday time!

2010-11-20T10:44:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

Just popping in to catch up here this month!

It's been a busy month! My son is wrapping up his high school football season. The Varsity football team lost in the game to reach the playoffs so their season is officially over. They do have a Thanksgiving Eve game though, I think I'll be missing that one! He also has one more Junior Varsity game so that's exciting!

On the daughter front it's been a REAL challenge. She's 10 and thinks she's the boss. We're nipping that right in the bud, any tips for the challenging tween phase will be GREATLY appreciated. My standard study verse is Colossians 3:21: Fathers, provoke not your children [to anger], lest they be discouraged. I do realize she's going through a lot of changes so I'm TRYING to be patient.

On a good note, my daughter made the honor roll for the 9th straight marking period. This was a challenge because adjusting to 5th grade was tough! She's in a very demanding class and has a lot more homework than last year. My son is also doing well and is happy this is his last year of high school math!! He's looking at colleges and preparing to take the SAT's. And just today he got his permit (But don't tell his friends! LOL! )! Yaay!

As for the blog. This week will be catch up week. I have lots of offers to tell you about as well as some sponsored posts and giveaways! Stay tuned and have a BLESSED week!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

CSN Giveway Winner

2010-11-02T22:52:00.001-04:00

Well here it is! The news you have all been waiting for! The winner of the CSN giveaway!!

I meticulously counted the entries... then I recounted... then I recounted again just to be sure! So now I'm sure... do you want to know? No, OK, see you tomorrow! Be blessed!!!

OK, OK! Just kidding... not about the Be blessed, I really want you to be blessed... the winner is...

Erin M said: Following the Dress my Doll blog via GFC.

Congratulations Erin!! I will be contacting you shortly!

Love and Blessings,
Margaret

Long time no see! Need suggestions!

2010-11-02T15:01:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone!

Nice to "see" you all again! I have to admit, I took a bit of a break because I was bummed that NO ONE entered my ending October 18 giveaways! One of them was a FREE outfit from my store! I don't get it!! But the good news is that my CSN giveaway got LOTS of entries and I got a bunch of new followers! Welcome!!

So here is what I need. I bought some pants and I don't know what kind of top to wear with them. They are brown pinstripe straight leg pants (which with my size means WIDE legged!!). What color top should I get and should it be a tunic? Here is a link to the pants. The color is brown with true camel pinstripes. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

My second dilemma is that I have about 3/4 lb of leftover pork roast, any ideas on how to stretch it to make a meal for 4 people? Again any and all suggestion are appreciated!!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

P.S. CSN Winner will be posted this evening!!

Winners!!

2010-10-18T19:58:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

Here are my winners from my 10/11 contests:

The Novica E-certificate winner was #3: Congratulations Karen!

The Start Here Book Winner was also #3: Congratulations Cosmopolitan Kids!

There were no Entries for Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze (too bad this was a GREAT book). I'll be donating the book to my local library!

Thanks to all who entered and congrats to the winners! Look out for an email from me!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Working Moms - Kids Turn out OK

2010-10-18T14:38:00.000-04:00

Not that I need an article to tell me that as I have two AWESOME children, but it's a breath of fresh air to see an article supporting working moms. I didn't have a choice to stay home or go back. Even if I did, I'm not completely sure I would have stayed home. I love that my job is flexible enough to be able to be there for my children, yet contribute to my household. Anyway, here is the article:

http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/18/working-moms-kids-turn-out-fine-50-years-of-research-says/?hpt=T2

What are your thoughts on this article?

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: Stolen by Jordan Gray

2010-10-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Stolen by Jordan Gray

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

About the book:
A cozy English seaside town built on secrets and smugglers, Blackpool is a haven for tourists and home to generations of locals who like their privacy. American Molly Graham and her British husband, Michael, are considered outsiders, but feel irresistibly drawn to this town…and its darker curiosities. Because Blackpool harbors dangerous mysteries.

And murder is just the beginning….

A shattering scream outside the old theater leads to the victim, a woman whose past in Blackpool is linked to a seventy-year-old train wreck, a lost child and a cache of valuable paintings smuggled out of London during World War II. After a number of frustrating missteps, can Molly and Michael discover the killer in their midst? In Blackpool they know secrets run deep. And some want them hidden forever—at any cost.

My Review:

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book! I say surprisingly because I saw it was a Harlequin and I gave up on romance novels a while ago! But this book made me rethink banning all Harlequin books. I like this new direction. It was an interesting twist as it combined a little romance, a little tech speak and a LOT of mystery. I thought it was interesting also, that Harlequin teamed up with Big Fish Games for this novel. I'd be interested to see how that plays into the other books.

Overall, I thought the story was good. I kept guessing on whodun'it and in the end I was very wrong! LOL! It kept me interested throughout the book and I loved the ending. My only caveat is that I thought the character's could have been developed further. I mean I like when they tell me the color of her hair or the shape of his eyes, you know stuff like that so you get to know the characters like friends. But overall it was a good read, a great start to the series!

Disclamer: I was provided a copy of this book as a giveaway on Twitter Moms with the promise that I would review it. All opinions expressed are my own and I received no other compensation!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

View all my reviews

CLOSED - Winners, Renovations and CSN giveaway!

2010-10-13T22:18:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone!

Thanks to all of you who entered my October 11 giveaways! They have ended now and I will be announcing the winners in the next day or so. I'm a bit MIA because I'm getting ready for a local vendor show on Friday afternoon (Yaay!). It's been a while since I've done one so I'm excited!

At the same time, I've been making a "honey do list" for my hubby. We're doing some renovations in our kitchen and the two bathrooms. Just mainly painting and stuff. But I had a really weird idea, tell me what you think.

My kids are not great about cleaning up after themselves when they eat. So I was trying to think of some ideas on what to do, and I think the best thing to do is have them eat in the kitchen. Now I don't have a big enough kitchen for an island, but I was wondering if any of you just keep bar stool or two on hand so they can eat at the kitchen counter. Does anyone do this? I figured at least they would be right by the sink, LOL!!

So anyway, in my search for bar stools (and purses and beds and bedding) I came across CSN stores. Man they have some really cool stuff there! I'm really eyeing this platform bed!

But I digress! I would like to spruce up my kitchen a bit and cut down on the mess in my dining room, so I was wondering about this bar stool. They don't have a cushion but they are nice and curved for the bottom. What do you think?

I really like this stool, it's small enough to be portable but pretty enough to leave out in the kitchen. HMM, I'll have to show it to hubby!

How would YOU like the opportunity to spruce up your place?

CSN has generously offered me a chance to do a giveaway for a $35 gift card to their site. You don't need furniture? No problem! They have over 200 stores for you to choose from! You can find pretty much anything you need from the bar stool like the one I linked above to beautiful purses and even toys!

Here's what you need to do:

Mandatory: Go to the CSN store of your choice and let me know what you would pick if you win the $35?

For extra entries, you can do any/all of the following:

1. Follow this blog and/or my business blog Dress My Doll (1 entry each)
2. Blog about this giveaway (3 entries)

All entrants must be US or Canadian residents.
All entrants must be 18 or older.

Giveaway will end on 10/31. Winners will be chosen using random.org

Good luck everyone!

Love and blessings!
Margaret

A Question For My Fellow Bloggers

2010-10-08T09:48:00.001-04:00

Short and Sweet Question:

When you read blogs, do you prefer blogs that stick to one subject (niche bloggers) or do you like the ones that are a Mish Mash of different topics?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: Choices by Katrina L. Burchett

2010-10-06T06:00:00.001-04:00

Choices by Katrina L. Burchett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm so glad I purchased this book, it had so much substance and situations that I could relate to having once been a teen myself (a LONG time ago). Before I get into my review, here is a summary of the book:

Choices is a thought-provoking story about five teenage girls in the city of York, Pennsylvania and how the issue of teen sex affects each of their lives..... Shauntice Johnston has faith in God but the world of domestic abuse she lives in has left her with very little faith in the male gender. And then comes Terry, and her obedience to God's Word (flee fornication) is tested. Angel Nichols doesn't know her earthly father, doesn't care about the heavenly Father and feels neglected by her workaholic mother. She has had numerous sex partners since she was thirteen, trying to fill the void inside of her. LaKeeta Wilson is a Christian, but instead of doing it God's way and waiting for marriage she purposely became pregnant out of wedlock. Bridgette Anderson practices abstinence in obedience to God, and, no matter what, she will not compromise her beliefs. But this saint still has her flaws. Hope Patterson is a plain dressing, soft-spoken timid Christian girl who lives a sheltered life because of her strict mother. The word 'sex' isn't in her vocabulary until she suffers a loss.

My Review:

I love that the author takes the time to develop each character so you get to know them. I love that this is about Christian teens who are not afraid to share their faith and about those who are frightened about what having faith means. I love that the author chose to share the characters' flaws and not make them perfect. The story is well written, easy to follow and as the summary says, very emotional. I think I read through this a few days but It was so well worth the read. After I read it, I just wanted to shout from the rooftops to these young women having unprotected sex but moreso I wanted to fall to my knees and pray for these young women. While this is a Christian book geared toward teens and young adults, anyone reading will not feel like it's preachy. It has a good rhythm and really keeps you interested until the end. I can't recommend this book enough! This is definitely a five reading glasses book!

Disclosure: This is a book from my personal collection and the opinions expressed are my own!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

Closed - Emily Rose at Home Giveaway!

2010-10-05T22:40:00.002-04:00

OK guys, you are going to love this giveaway. I mentioned on my VERSATILE post that I have my own business that my daughter and I run together. Well we have decided that we want to give YOU a gift from our Emily Rose at Home store!!! Our doll clothes are designed to fit the Madame Alexander 18" dolls (you can see them in our store here), the American Girl dolls (we are not affiliated) and other similar sized dolls. We also sell high quality furniture and accessories!

We have so many great products that even for us it's hard to choose what to order first. With Halloween coming up, I know our dress up items are going to be a BIG hit.

We have scrubs for the little doctor:

Or how about a Native American Princess?

Or maybe go back a ways have a medieval princess!

Or maybe your dolly just wants to be a Girl Scout just like Mommy!

Whatever your child's (or your) imagination is, we have the outfit for you! All of these outfits and more are available in our store! To see these outfits, check out this section. But take a look around at our other sections too!

Ok, so what are we giving away! Well we will be giving TWO winners a $10 Gift Certificate to our store! That is an ENORMOUS discount and we have never given it to anyone! You don't want to miss this! Can you say HOLIDAY SHOPPING???

Ok so here is how you win!

1) Mandatory: Go to our store at http://www.emilyroseathome.com/margaretrogers and tell me which Fantasy outfit you like best. Leave a comment with your email. 1pt

2) Mandatory: Become a PUBLIC follower of this blog 1pt

3) Become a PUBLIC follower of our business blog: www.njemilyroseathome.blogspot.com 3 pts

4) Blog about this giveaway on your blog (Please link your post) 3pts

5) Tweet this giveaway (provide the link below) 3 pts

The main rules are:

Entrants must be 18
We can only ship in the US at this time
Contest will end on 10/18/10 at 11:59 pm EST

Look for another BIG giveaway later this week!!

Disclosure: These are items from my personal store, I did not receive any compensation for posting this giveaway.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

CLOSED - Unexpected Break & Today's Giveaway!

2010-10-04T22:03:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! Well, I was planning to do a giveaway a day last week but life just happened so I fell off the giveaway wagon!! But I'm back!

My son is feeling 100% better so thank you all for your prayers!! I was not happy that he had to play a football game in the rain today but I gave him a nice hearty dinner of some Grillin' Beans and hamburgers... YUM!! Back to the football game, my baby got a sack and a tackle!! Go B Man!!!

On to today's giveaway! If you've read my blog you will know that I LOVE books. I mean I could easily sit and read for hours!! My daughter is the exact same way. She has been "sneaking" and reading in her room at night for up to an hour after her bed time!! No wonder she hasn't been able to get up in the morning! LOL!

So today's giveaway is for the tween girls in your life. My goal this school year is to read some of the classics with my daughter and the little book club that we've formed. The first on the list is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. While this is a pretty lengthy book, I think the girls will enjoy the antics and stories of the sisters. We'll see if my advanced preteens can hang! I haven't read it since I was in about sixth grade so I will enjoy reading it again.

Do you think your preteen/tween would like to read this? I hit the Scholastic Book Sale this summer and I picked up a copy. I'd love for you to win it! Just leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite classic is!

Here are the rules:

You must be 18 to enter the giveaway
You must be a follower of this blog.
At this time I'm only shipping to U.S. residents.
Giveaway will end on 10/18/2010.

Thanks for stopping by!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Not to BRAG but I'm VERSATILE!

2010-09-30T06:00:00.007-04:00

Says Melysah from the Quintessential Housewife! Thanks so much Melysah! I do like to talk about different things so I guess that fits!! OK So the rule is I have to tell you 7 things about myself:

1. I love to read... I guess you might have figured that out by the number of book reviews that I do (when I'm not to lazy to post them!)

2. I collect dolls... and I play with them too! I dress them for the seasons and do their hair real pretty! And I have a doll business to boot, check me out!

3. I've been married for 21 years!! Yes I know you couldn't guess because of my youthful glow... but it's true!

4. I have three beautiful children (two boys, one girl) and two grandchildren (one of each). My daughter and granddaughter are both 10 as of today!! Happy Birthday Gabby!

5. I tend to spoil my kids. I know I shouldn't but I can't help it.. they are really good kids!!

6. When you first meet me, I'm VERY quiet, but once I get to know you, I don't shut up! LOL!

7. I'm the only girl out of six children. My Daddy did NOT spoil me no matter what my Mom tells you! I'm in the middle and we are paired off. The two oldest are in TX, me and my middle brother are her in NJ and my two youngest are in AZ. Weird how that happened.

So that's some little known facts about me! Now I'm supposed to pass on the award!

Now for the rules for winning this award

Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
Share 7 things about yourself.
Pass the award along to 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are fabulous.
Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award.

1. Keep Me Curly
2. Big Mama
3. Happily Ever After
4. Living Rich With Coupons
5. A Mom After God's Own Heart
6. Black Doll Collecting
7. Cherish My Daughter
8. For the Little Doll in Your Life
9. Praise and Coffee
10. Roxanne's Dolls
11. Squarepeg's Misc Musings
12. The Holistic Health Maven
13. Mother of Pearl it is
14. Air Force. Wife. Life.
15. American Girl Doll Hairstyles

CLOSED - Don't You Love Me? And Day 3, Another book Giveaway!

2010-09-29T21:16:00.001-04:00

Come on guys, Make me feel a little bit popular!! Both of the giveaways I posted have VERY low entries, so do me a favor and tell your friends... PLEASE!

OK, enough of that. I have another book for you today! It's called Forget Me Not by Vicky Hinze. I reviewed this book here. It was a really good read!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Same rules:
Must be 18.
Must be in the US.
Must be a follower of this blog.

Thank you!

Disclosure: Waterbrook Multnomah sent me a copy for my review and a copy to give away. The opinions expressed are my own!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

CLOSED - Busy Day and today's giveaway!

2010-09-28T22:12:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone!

Sorry for being so late today but my son was sick and ended up staying home from school! I felt so bad for him! Anyway, I had to work from here and run him to the dr. and then pick up his meds and then pick up my daughter and her friend that I watch and then we had the school district strategic meeting and... well you get the picture! Time just got away from me!

If I can ask, please say a prayer of healing (sinus infection) for my baby boy! Here's a picture so you know who you are praying for:

Handsome isn't he??? Speaking of my baby boy, he's a teen now, and as a Christian parent, I know he's going to face a lot of challenges over his lifetime. He's going to make some HARD choices some right, some not so much. But even more importantly, there is an opportunity to do the RIGHT thing, even when it's hard.

This year, I had the chance to review the book Start Here: Doing Hard Things, Right Where You Are by Alex & Brett Harris. It's a very quick read (in other words short!). This book gave solid examples of teens who took a stand and did what they knew was right, what needed to be done. In fact, Alex and Brett were only 18 when they wrote the book! I was FLOORED by some of the accomplishments of the teens in this book.

In the near future, I plan to read this with my son and my daughter! I believe that the teens in this book are inspiring and it will help them realize that they can do just about anything they set their mind to.

I'm so happy to be able to offer one of you a copy of this book to share with your teen. Just leave a comment below and I will do a drawing on 10/11! Make sure to leave your email!

Just some quick rules:

You must be a U.S. resident
You must be 18
You must be a follower of this blog

Thanks so much for your participation in my giveaways!!

Disclosure: This book was provided for my review by Waterbrook-Multnomah and I received an extra copy to give away. The opinions expressed are mine alone!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

CLOSED - Novica Review and Giveaway!

2010-09-27T06:00:00.006-04:00

Since this is my birthday week, I'm doing a giveaway a day and I have some really special surprises for you! First up is Novica!! I was contacted a few months ago to do a review of their corporate gift section and I must say I was very impressed!

First let me tell you a little about the company, this is some information from their website. Here is a portion of the mission statement:

" We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow.
At the deepest essence of our philosophy, we want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe. We want you to know about who you're buying from. We want you to feel that attachment to the product and to the hands that created it."

Now I'm going to be real and let you know that to me Corporate gifts = $$$$$! Boy was I surprised. I found beautiful home decor items and jewelry for VERY REASONABLE prices. For example, this beautiful Soapstone Jewelry Box or this Ceramic vase are both outstanding pieces to give as gifts but they won't break the bank! And what is also unique is that when you visit the page to find out more about the item, there is a bio of the artist! You get to "meet" the person who crafted your item, I thought this was very cool!

It was a tough decision but I ordered the Purple Orchid earrings by the Thai artist Danai

These gorgeous earrings arrived in a BEAUTIFUL saa paper box with a decorative leaf insigna. Inside was a little booklet with a note from the artist and a description of the earrings. I LOVE the packaging and I wouldn't even need to wrap these to give as a gift!

The second item was also a pair of earrings from Thailand. This time they were Amethyst floral earrings by Narareet. The crafting is beautiful and I know whoever receives this as a gift will be thrilled.

Since I know your curiosity is peaked now, I would LOVE to give one of you a gift certificate to the Novica store!! Novica has graciously provided me with a E-certificate in the amount of $37.50. Here are the rules for the giveaway:

1) Visit the Novica Corporate Gifts section and tell me which item you would love to gift to someone, and maybe you can share who you would gift it to!

2) Be a follower of this Blog

That's it! That's all you have to do to be entered into the drawing for the E-certificate!! But you must do both steps to receive an entry!

Edited to add:

Must be a US Resident
Must be 18 years or older

This giveaway will end 10/11.

Disclosure: I was provided with a gift certificate for $37.50 to purchase and review products from the Novica website. The opinions expressed are my own.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

It's My Birthday!!!

2010-09-26T15:10:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone,

I took a little bit of time off, but I had to come back and let you know it's my birthday tomorrow!! Woohoo!! I'm 39 for the sixth time!!! I just keep getting younger looking everyday! LOL!

Anyway, even though it's MY birthday, the gifts are for YOU!! Starting tomorrow, I will be doing a week's worth of giveaways! I have some SWEET things to give away, I've been saving them up just for YOU! So tell your friends, tell your neighbors and don't forget to stop by yourself!!

Note: Digital elements are from Scraps by Jenn Sugarplum Princess (Sunshine Studios)

Love & Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review - I'm Down: a memoir

2010-09-07T06:00:00.005-04:00

I'm Down: a memoir by Mishna Wolff

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Summary of Book:

Mishna Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood with her single father, a white man who truly believed he was black. “He strutted around with a short perm, a Cosby-esqe sweater, gold chains and a Kangol—telling jokes like Redd Fox, and giving advice like Jesse Jackson. You couldn’t tell my father he was white. Believe me, I tried,” writes Wolff. And so from early childhood on, her father began his crusade to make his white daughter Down.

Unfortunately, Mishna didn’t quite fit in with the neighborhood kids: she couldn’t dance, she couldn’t sing, she couldn’t double dutch and she was the worst player on her all-black basketball team. She was shy, uncool and painfully white. And yet when she was suddenly sent to a rich white school, she found she was too “black” to fit in with her white classmates.

I’m Down is a hip, hysterical and at the same time beautiful memoir that will have you howling with laughter, recommending it to friends and questioning what it means to be black and white in America.

My Review:

It's hard to find the right words to describe this book. It seems to me that when the author was telling her "story," she picked out the worst things in her father to show how "black" he was. His womanizing and lack of work ethic were not funny. His attitude towards his daughters and how he let his women treat his daughters was not funny. Many of the things that black families are trying to overcome are hysterical to this author... they weren't to me. Now I do understand not fitting in with your community and being moved to different schools to be challenged and people's attitudes toward you when this happens. So I did appreciate those portions of the book. And some parts of the book were funny, like her stint with the basketball teams and some of her other antics trying to fit in. But overall, the book did not meet my expectations. Lucky it was a quick read!

Disclaimer: This was a book from my personal collection.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

View all my reviews

Ten Tips for Saving Money During Back to School Season

2010-08-12T16:48:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

I'm so happy to be participating in another TwitterMoms blog event. This one is sponsored by Staples and you can read more about it here.

Now on to the tips. To be honest with you, I began my school supply shopping in October of LAST year. So this year I had minimal shopping to do. With all of the great coupons, I'm already stocking up for next year!

Tip #1 Watch for all the after Back to School (BTS) sales in October and November to save even more money and to get a BIG jump start on next year.

My kids love to have new clothes to start the year. My daughter the fashionista that she is and my son, the "cool guy," know that if it ain't on sale, Mommy ain't buying it! So they are starting checking the mail for coupons and sale items!

Tip #2 Sign up for loyalty club's if your favorite store's have them. My son likes athletic apparel so I signed up for Bob's and Dick's loyalty cards. When my daughter was wearing Children's Place clothing I joined the Perks club to save money and get extra coupons.

I've gotten so I hate going to the store to find bargains. It's so much easier to do a search online! So in order to make it worth my while, I shop through the shopping portals. This way I'm getting good deals AND getting cash back in most cases. My favorite portal is Ebates. The cash back gets deposited right into my paypal account!

Tip #3 Shopping through portals can save you time and money. I mostly shop through Ebates, but there are other portals like Big Crumbs, Shop at Home, Upromise (money goes towards college savings), and so many others. Do a search and you'll find many!

Another way I save money is by doing surveys. How can surveys save me money? Why because I earn gift certificates in exchange for answering a few questions (well, some of them are long!). But the gift certificates add up! I recently cashed in enough points for a $50 Target gift certificate, several $5 Amazon certificates and a HUGE Walmart certificate! So it's worth the time to me!

Tip #4 Participate in surveys and save those gift certificates!!

I love CVS and Target for finding deals! They have great sales! But did you also know that Target has special deals where you can earn gift certificates? I found this out on CouponMom.com! I started looking at the circulars weekly and taking advantage on deals for stuff that I needed. The same at CVS, while they don't give gift certificates, they do give Extra Care Bucks if you have their card! Those babies add up! I've paid for whole orders using ECB's! Make sure you know the store rules!

Tip #5 Shop at stores that give "cash back" and/or gift certificates for future trips. In addition to Target and CVS, try Walgreen's, Rite Aid and even your local supermarket!

Along he same lines, Target issues it's own printable coupons that can be USED WITH MANUFACTURER COUPONS!! This usually doubles the savings you would normally get. You can check the target.com website and look for coupons. There are food, clothing and personal care coupons that could really increase your saving!! Match this up with one of the special deals for the week and you could end up with a "money-maker." This means you are making money to buy the products! This week I got two packages of pens for FREE by using this method of shopping combined with a sale!

Tip #6 Use coupons and check to see if the store has their own coupons that you can use to increase savings! Don't forget to check manufacturer's websites and/or email the maker of your favorite product to see if they will send you products or coupons.

Another of my favorite sites is Buy.com. I've purchased electronics, books and other items from there. Buy.com is a clearinghouse of sorts and you can save big bucks. And yes they are available on Ebates (see Tip #3).

Tip #7 Don't forget to check the clearinghouses like Buy.com and Overstock.com to save money on big ticket electronic items. Shopping through a portal may net you more savings in the form of cash back!

I'm in a cleaning out mode right now. I feel like my house is cluttered and I need space to breathe. I do give some stuff away on Freecycle but I also sell stuff on Craigslist.com. The money I make on the stuff I sell goes right into a "piggy" bank for unexpected needs throughout the school year!

Tip #8 Sell what you don't need to make extra cash for the upcoming school year. Encourage your kids to donate their old toys and tell them you will give them a certain amount towards a school outfit or supplies!

I'm not to proud to shop at thrift stores and/or gift shops. Especially now since the fashionista is getting more particular about what she wears. I have saved tons of money shopping this way and who knows, I may be saving clothes from the landfill!

Tip #9 Shop Thrift stores, consignment shops and second hand stores for great deals on almost new clothes!

My final tip sums up all of the above!

Tip #10 Don't wait until the week before school to shop!!! (I know, I've been there, this way is SO much easier!!). There are opportunities to save all year round. Big box office supply stores like Staples offer great deals and rebates all year round! Check the circulars and buy a little at a time. Then you can relax while everyone else is running around or standing in LONG lines!

BONUS TIP Check to see if anything you have purchased is eligible for a rebate. Rebates vary but you can end up getting your whole purchase price back with some!

Well those are my 10 tips, hope they help!

Disclosure: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book review: Pleading Guilty by Scott Turow

2010-08-06T12:57:00.000-04:00

Pleading Guilty by Scott Turow

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

About the book:
Mack Malloy is a partner in one of Kindle County's top law firms. An ex-cop who joined the firm on a wave of enthusiasm and optimism, he now feels himself to be on the way down, and possibly out. Bert Kamin, gifted, erratic and combative, is one of the firm's star litigators and he has disappeared.

My Review
I love legal thrillers as a rule. I just find it all very interesting to follow a case through to the end. However, in this case, I didn't enjoy it all that much. The story starts by giving some background on Mack, who is a mixed up guy and kind of bumbles his way through this case. In other words, he's not really supposed to solve it, but he does. I was a little disappointed in some of his actions along the way, but I guess that was supposed to make the storyline exciting. Even so, there are a few surprises but not that "I can't believe that just happened" kind of surprises. I would have loved to see more twists and more exciting sub-plots.

While the characters were pretty well-developed, the storyline was all over the place. The writer made the characters believable, and they really fit my impressions of big corporate law firms (haha!). The storylines however, did not seem cohesive. There was way too much going on! It was really very annoying.

The ending was a little unexpected (I really thought Mack would respond differently) but I guess that's where it was heading anyway. It took me a LONG time to read this book and that also frustrated me! LOL!

Overall, I just wasn't impressed. Would I read another book by this author... maybe, but it won't be a priority.

Disclaimer: This was a book from my personal collection, I did not receive the book or any form of compensation in exchange for my review.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

View all my reviews >>

If Anything is Excellent

2010-07-27T10:40:00.000-04:00

Have you ever read a Bible verse and said ahhh! I get that but then it turns out later that you didn't get it at all? All month on my desktop calendar I have read Phillippians 4:8:

...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I thought I understood what it meant, and perhaps I did at the surface level. But the TRUE meaning did not come to me until I read this blog by Julie @ Come Have A Peace. Go read it, I'll wait!

You're back... cool! This blog really touched my spirit because I have always though of myself as a positive person. However when I think back over the more recent conversations I've had with my husband, my children, my friends, with others about my children and husband... I've realized that I have NOT been positive at all. I've been harping on their so-called "failures" rather than focusing on what is excellent or praiseworthy. Talk about a knock in the head!!!

Rather than saying, he works too much, he's never home... I should have been saying, I'm so thankful I have a hard working husband. Rather than saying "arent' you upset you didn't play in that game" I should have been saying, "I'm so proud of the way you encouraged the players on the court. That really showed true team spirit!" Think of what is praiseworthy, what is excellent. What a concept! I love the way the Message Bible puts it:

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

I just love the understanding that God has given me, through Julie's post and of course, through His Word! Is there anything that you've read lately that has given you a "light bulb" moment?

Dear Lord,

I thank You Lord for your understanding and patience with me. I have not been true to Your Word, to look at the best, not the worse, to look for things worthy of praise, not the negative, to promote the peace that is so evident in the Word that you have given me. I humbly come before You, asking for forgiveness and praying that you will give me wisdom on these things going forward. In the name of your precious Son, Jesus Amen!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: At her Majesty's Request: An African Princess In Victorian England

2010-07-19T21:22:00.000-04:00

At Her Majesty's Request An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter Dean Myers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

About the book:

Sarah Forbes Bonetta was an African princess whose parents were murdered by enemy warriors. A British naval officer rescued her and brought her to England, where she became the protege of Queen Victoria herself.

My review:

This book reads almost like a real life fairy tale! A young girl is forced to watch her parents murdered and is then kidnapped for sacrifice by the enemy tribe. By fortune, a British Captain is there on the day of her scheduled demise and rescues her. She's whisked off to England where she becomes a prodigy, almost like a goddaughter to the Queen! The book follows Sarah from the time of her rescue to the time of her death.

I really enjoy biographies that are well written and this was no exception. It's written for Young Adults but even a middle school student will be able read this and understand. the beginning where her parents are murdered is the scariest part. I plan to have my 9 year old read it.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and learning about this "adopted" princess.

This was a book from my personal collection. I did not receive compensation for this review. As always, the opinions expressed are entirely my own!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

View all my reviews >>

Happy 4th of July!!!

2010-07-12T22:42:00.000-04:00

Oh darn, I'm late again aren't I???

Oh well, I still have to share with you what a wonderful Independence Day holiday it was for us!

The Friday before the 4th, our Girl Scout Leader emailed and said she was planning to attend the Independence Day celebration in front of our Borough Hall. It was at 8:30 am... yeah, well maybe we might see you there.. Uhm hmmm, sure! Well I had ever intention of "forgetting" and sleeping in. Well ~~unfortunately~~ fortunately my daughter's built in alarm clock went off and at 8 am she decided she wanted to go. My response was BUT I'M SLEEPING! But in the end, the educational experience won out. So after a very quick shower and tossing on the clothes ~~nearest to the bed~~ neatly folded on my shelf, we made our way to the borough hall.

The ceremony involves the Declaration of Independence being delivered to "Thomas Jefferson" aka Mr. Higgins (bet you didn't know that piece of history!). Our "horse" was actually a HOG! LOL! A member of the Blue Knights motorcycle club delivered the document to Mr. Jefferson.

Once Mr. Jefferson had the document in hand, he approached the podium and began reading the Declaration.

One by one citizens from the community read a line. My daughter was number 28. She did a fantastic job, even on the "big" words!:

After the individual readers finished, the community read the final paragraph together:

Then the names of the signers were read by state, and the bell rung each time a new state was mentioned. At the end of the ceremony, the bell rung thirteen times and a replica of the original flag was raised!

The whole ceremony was so moving and meaninful! At one time, certain peoples were excluded from that Declaration. What we experienced that day was the true meaning of the Declaration, everyone, treated equally and experiencing FREEDOM. I was so glad that I dragged my behind out of bed to attend and I was so proud of my daughter for volunteering to read and doing such a wonderful job too! And I was proud of my community for the awesome turn out!

To top it off, my daughter made the FRONT page of our local newspaper!!! Now that was VERY exciting!

I hope your Independence Day was as wonderful as ours!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Rayovac Powers Your (and hopefully MY) Summer!

2010-06-22T10:02:00.001-04:00

When you think about summer fun (it's officially summer! Yaay!), do you think about how you are going to POWER YOUR SUMMER??

Rayovac is running an awesome promotion right now where you can POWER YOUR SUMMER with one of their great prizes!! You can find all of the information here.
You'll answer an easy question and you'll be entered!!

Oh and I almost forgot!! For some LIVE fun, be sure to tune into the Twitter Party Next Wednesday!

Rayovac Powers Your Vacation Summer Promotion Twitter Event
Date: Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. CST
Location: #rayovac
Follow: @Rayovac_Battery, @5minutesformom, @CirclePRMary

Disclosure: The first 99 bloggers to promote the Rayovac Powers Your Summer Twitter Event won a prize package from Rayovac.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

The Runner by Cynthia Voigt

2010-06-21T12:56:00.001-04:00

The Runner by Cynthia Voigt

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Wasn't crazy about this on, it took a long time to read.

The storyline was just OK. It showed how preconceived notions about things like race can really come back to bite you in the end! (pun intended!).

I found the main character descriptions were good but the storyline left a lot to be desired. It was told from the viewpoint of a headstrong teenager and his thoughts on his parents, his schoolmates and of course running. I just didn't find it very interesting at all.

This was a book from my personal collection. Nothing was received for this review.

View all my reviews >>

Spell O B S T I N A T E

2010-06-17T18:05:00.001-04:00

That's the word that did it...

She was almost there, #3 out of 41 4th grade kids. She had already spelled words like A L L E G E and F A N A T I C A L (thank God she didn't get infinitesimal, that knocked about 10 kids out!!) ( but she probably would have aced it!) (but I don't know how well Momma would have handled listening to each letter!)

I always told her that being OBSTINATE would not serve her well...

But I really didn't think it would get her THIS way!

What did the champion spell... A D V E R S I T Y

Quite appropriate don't you think?

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

P.S. Her BFF was the champion so it was all good!!

Email Overload!!

2010-06-10T20:13:00.000-04:00

I had to do it, I had no choice...

I had OVER 9000 emails! Mostly from my Yahoo groups. I deleted them. I'm starting fresh! I had to be done... but I can't help wondering... what did I miss????

Have you ever had to do a mass delete of your emails?

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

BLOG Tour (late) - The Last Christian by David Gregory

2010-06-01T22:29:00.000-04:00

Run, don't walk to the bookstore, library, wherever and get this book!!

The Last Christian: A Novel by David Gregory

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow! I'm not a science fiction reader at all but this was EXCELLENT!

Synopsis of the book: In the future, it’s possible to live forever—but at what cost?

A.D. 2088.

Missionary daughter Abigail Caldwell emerges from the jungle for the first time in her thirty-four years, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease that killed her village. Abby goes to America, only to discover a nation where Christianity has completely died out. A curious message from her grandfather assigns her a surprising mission: re-introduce the Christian faith in America, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

But a larger threat looms. The world's leading artificial intelligence industrialist has perfected a technique for downloading the human brain into a silicon form. Brain transplants have begun, and with them comes the potential of eliminating physical death altogether—but at what expense?

As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father's unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals. Hanging in the balance—the spiritual future of all humanity.

In this futuristic thriller, startling near-future science collides with thought-provoking theology. The Last Christian is a provocative “what if?” novel from David Gregory, best-selling author of Dinner With a Perfect Stranger.

My Opinion:

When I agreed to review this book, I was not thrilled about it to be honest. I do not like science fiction, never have. But I have to say this book was amazing. They way the author tied together the past and the present was seamless. Abby Caldwell was the perfect leading lady and the flow of the story was excellent. From a Christian perspective, there are many lessons to be learned: Abby's bravery and steadfastness about confessing her faith, people making the ultimate sacrifice for others, the thought of what could happen if we remain cavalier about our Christian faith. I would highly recommend this book and I just may read it again myself!

This book was provided to me by Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of review. The opinons expressed are my own!

View all my reviews >>

I cannot say enough that this is a must read!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Conversations in the Car #3 That Song

2010-05-25T14:00:00.000-04:00

You know the song... the one that hits you in the deepest parts of your soul... every time you hear it! One of the songs that really speaks to me is Better than a Hallelujah sung by Amy Grant. She heard this song and it touched her so deeply that she had to record it. I found her podcast explaining her feelings when she heard it.

Anyway here is a Youtube video of the song:

There IS a point to me sharing this. I think children have a much more deeper understanding of spiritual things than we give them credit for. I had this conversation with my 9 year old daughter when she heard this song.

M: Momma?
Me: Yes?
M: Why are those things better than a Hallelujah? (She knows that in our faith, Hallelujah is the highest form of praise/worship when we speak to God)
Me: Well it means when we are sad and we cry out to God to help us, He likes that
M: OHHHHH! So you mean when I'm mad or sad I can ask God to help me be happy again!
Me: Exactly sweetie, that makes God happy because He knows that we know that He can fix anything that is wrong.
M: I really like this song!
Me: Me too!

Love & Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: Seventh Heaven

2010-05-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

I hope I don't bore you with my book reviews but reading is a big part of who I am! I've always loved reading and I'm so glad my daughter picked this up too! I'm always interested in your thoughts if you read the book I'm reviewing!

7th Heaven by James Patterson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
From Goodreads: A terrible fire in a wealthy suburban home leaves a married couple dead and Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner Rich Conklin searching for clues. And after California's golden boy, Michael Campion has been missing for a month, there finally seems to be a lead in his case--a very devastating lead.

As fire after fire consume couples in wealthy, comfortable homes, Lindsay and the Murder Club must race to find the arsonists responsible and get to the bottom of Michael Campion's disappearance. But suddenly the fires are raging too close to home.

Frightened for her life and torn between two men, Lindsay must find a way to solve the most daunting dilemmas she's ever faced--at work and at home.

My review: I'm really loving this series, each book is better than the last! At this point, I feel like I'm a part of the Women's Murder Club and Lindsay, Claire, Cindy and Yuki are my best friends!

What I like most is how there's usually several story lines, in the books in this series. In this case Lindsay and Joe, Claire and the baby, Yuki and Jason, Pidge and Hawk, Rich and Lindsay and Kelly. So many stories, yet they all tie together seamlessly! I have to admit, I fell for some of the twists they put in there, especially at the ending. I thought I was wrong in what I supspected!! But it ended up being what I suspected all along. I feel sorry for the relatives though, not knowing! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

View all my reviews >>

This is a book from my personal collection that I won in a giveaway. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

Love & Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: The Lovely Bones

2010-05-21T13:57:00.002-04:00

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To hear someone talk about the day they died is a little freaky! However, the author did such a great job of building the main character, it was completely believable! Then as she followed her family members through their lives, the one she would never have, it was interesting to see how she still managed to indirectly interact with them. Her father's pain, her sister's rebellion, her brother's hatred of his mother, the mother "finding" herself, the grandmother and her eccentricity. It all tied together and made sense.

When I read books like this, believability is a big factor for me. I found this book to be believable about what it would be like to look down from Heaven on your loved ones. It's sort of like the rich man who wanted Lazarus to warn his brothers. I think the story was told in such a way that made you want to reach out and hug each member of the remaining family. I think what was also important was the evolving (or dissolving) of the relationships between not only the family member, but the friends as well.

Overall, I thought this book had a well developed plot, had great characterizations and the ending was perfect (and it's not often I say that!).

This book is from my personal collection. I received no compensation for writing this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

View all my reviews >>

Giveaway Reminder

2010-05-20T18:17:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder I'm giving away Sugar Free Ring Pops here. There are no entries so you have a great chance of winning!

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Five Fun Family Vacation Activities Your Kids Will Love

2010-05-18T15:09:00.000-04:00

In an earlier post, I talked about 10 ways to save money on Vacation. Now in this request, Twittermoms is asking us to talk about vacation activiteis . My family loves to travel. In fact, I think my kids are a bit travel spoiled! LOL! But with the economic times the way they are, we've had to make some changes like bring breakfast from home, or eating sandwiches in the room rather than buying lunch out. Although it's difficult, my kids (and me!) have adjusted! This means we are still able to take the vacations we love! I'm going to list our favorites in reverse order:

5. My kids love to go camping with Dad (unless it's an air conditioned cabin, Mom sits this one out!!). My hubby takes the kids fishing and they eat what they catch. They go crabbing as well. They love to tell ghost stories and sleep in leaky tents! LOL! But they important thing is they are building lots of great memories.

4. We combine our vacations with my son's travelling for his AAU basketball team. It's like we have a vacation every weekend!! This past weekend we were in the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Me and my daughter took in the Baltimore Aquarium, while my son and the team took in an Orioles baseball game. We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe which has great atmosphere but mediocre food! LOL!

3. Sometimes we like to stay local. We are fortunate to live about 15 minutes from our local Six Flags. Once a year we will hit the Safari and the park. It's funny because this is something my kids talk about more than the bigger trips we take! At the safari, it's wide open and you drive through. You get close-ups of animals in their "natural" habitat. Last year the giraffes came right up to the car! It was so cool!!! My daughter talks about this more than the amusement park.

2. One thing that we like to do when we are in an area is take in a local carnival. A few times when we were out of town, we came upon a carnival and stopped. Now this is not usually inexpensive but it is usually lots of fun. We have had so many laughs playing the games and riding the rides. We love when the carnival comes to our town too.

1. Our favorite destination will alway be our visits to the "Mouse". This is the one hubby sits out but me and the children never have enough of it. My son is 16 and still enjoys going. Two years ago he was able to go twice in one year. In addition to doing the amusement parks, we try to find some offsite activities as well. Sometimes we'll take in a movie or just wander around a downtown area or a smaller park. Last time for the first time we stayed offsite. It was really a lot nice than I expected! Overall though, no matter where we go, no one does it quites as well as the Disney Parks!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the Williamsburg Tourism and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate click here. "

Whatever you do, enjoy some great family time this year!!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

If you shop at Children's Place

2010-05-13T16:50:00.000-04:00

You may want to take a look at this recall that was just posted:

Denim Shorts

The Snap can fall off and become a choking hazard!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

I don't normally do this...

2010-05-12T20:17:00.000-04:00

But I want to share with you about Ebates. Ebates is a shopping portal that gives you cash back for making purchases through them. I've been a member for some time and I go through peaks and valleys with shopping online. But when I do I go through Ebates. I tried the other portals but Ebates seems to have more of the stores that I like.

Ebates has a promotion going on right now where I could win an IPAD or $500 if I get 50 referrals. I would LOVE to have either so if you think this is something that would interest you, I would appreciate you signing up through my link! It's free and you get $5 in your account after your first purchase (plus whatever money you earned for shopping).

If you are already a member, share this with your friends, so they can join and you could win the IPAD or some other cool prizes. I really think it's worth it!

Check it out, and let me know what you think!

Love and blessings!
Margaret

CLOSED! Sugar Free Ring Pop Review & Giveaway

2010-05-12T06:00:00.005-04:00

Winner is mami2jcn! Congrats!!

Hello everyone,

I'm finally doing a giveaway! Yaay!

We were contacted and asked review the new Sugar Free Ring Pops and do a review. I said YUM! Actually I said, Sure, but can I try them first! LOL!

My daughter was at school when the Ring Pops arrived so I ~~volunteered~~ forced myself to try the candy first. I tried the Blue Raspberry and it was actually pretty good! I have always loved Ring Pops but the sticky sweetness would always make me gag. The Sugar Free Ring Pop has a different taste but it was good.

Now I have Mommy taste buds, so I had to have the expert on Ring Pops test it. So I handed it to her when she got home from school. I just said here, have a Ring Pop. Of course she was wondering why I was giving her candy since I usually limit it! Then she read the package, OH I CAN HAVE THIS BECAUSE IT'S SUGAR FREE! BUSTED!! She chose the Strawberry one and guess what? She LOVED it!!! Yaay! Score one for Mom!!

The people at American Pop Digital had this to say about the Sugar Free Ring Pop:

Parents can now feel even better about giving Ring Pop to their kids because Sugar Free Ring Pop won’t cause cavities, has no fat, and has only 30 calories per great-tasting, long-lasting pop! Sugar Free Ring Pop is the perfect treat and comes in Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, Strawberry!

Look for Sugar Free Ring Pop at Wal-Mart stores nationwide.

The almost perfect candy if you ask me!!

So now, I have something for your! American Pop Digital sent me the Sugar Free Ring Pops to try but they also sent me a pack to give away to you! How about that! I just have two simple rules!

1. Leave a comment here to tell me which of the three flavors you think you would like best:

Blue Raspberrty (YUM!)
Watermelon
Strawberry

2. Tell your friends so they can come enter too!

The giveaway will end on May 23, 2010 and I will pick a random winner on May 24th!

As mentioned above, I was sent one package of Sugar Free Ring Pops to try so I could provide an honest review.

Love and Blessings,
Margaret

He's a Star!

2010-05-11T22:22:00.000-04:00

I don't know if I mentioned this here but my sixteen year old son B attends a performing arts program at one of our district High Schools. B is a sophomore in the program and one of the activities he participates in is Chorus. The Chorus is made up of FPAC students (his program) and students from the mainstream who want to participate.

Last night was the Spring Chorus concert and boy were they GREAT! They performed about 16 songs but it wasn't a long concert (admit it, you know how school concerts can be!!). I loved the song choices and I was dancing in my seat the whole time! What I didn't know is that my son had a little surprise for me!! The Men's Ensemble sang "Kiss Him Goodbye" and my son had a SOLO!!! Well OK, it wasn't really a solo... ok, not a solo at all. But he did get to sing "Yeah" and "C'mon NOW!" during the song! And he was DANCING TOO!!! I tell you, look for his name in lights one day! This is the only video I can find and you can't see him because the chorus director is in front of him. But enjoy anyway (and listen for my son towards the end!)

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

My Top 10 Affordable Vacation Ideas

2010-05-11T21:49:00.016-04:00

Summer is approaching and it's time for fun getaways!! Twitter Moms challenged us to share some Affordable vacation ideas with YOU our readers. You can see the Twitter Mom post here.

I love to travel and so does my family. Money is a bit tight this year so here are some ways we are saving.

1. My son plays traveling basketball. A great way for us to save money is to make the tournament destination our vacation spot. We get a group rate on rooms so we save there. We pack a cooler with goodies so we also save on eating out!

2. Many times we will drive to our destination rather than flying. This extends our vacation time by a few days and we get to see new places. It's less costlier than flying and we can bring our own food and snacks.

3. My kids love to go camping. For an inexpensive "vacation," hubby will take them and camp out at our local campgrounds. They love sleeping in a tent and cooking over an outdoor fire or grill.

4. Instead of buying a new vacation wardrobe, repurpose what you have and/or hit the consignment stores. There are great bargains out there and it leaves you more money to spend on your trip.

5. Save your gift cards!! Places like Target give you gift cards for shopping special deals in their store. You can use these gift cards to shop or buy souvenirs once you get to your destination. Target and Walmart in tourist destinations carry many of the same souvenirs you will find in the amusement parks or other tourist locations. They are much less expensive and what kid would not love getting a gift card to buy souvenirs!!

6. Save money for you vacation by using coupons. You can make a deal to put any money saved into a "vacation account," and when you get enough saved you can start planning. Involve the whole family in looking for other ways to save as well.

7. Visit friends or family. Since I've been on the Internet, I've met people from all over the country. I also have relatives all over the country. What better way to connect then to spend your vacation with them! I love visiting my brothers and their families and I don't get to see them often. I also get free rooms! LOL!

8. Watch for discounts to the places you want to visit. We like to go to Disney World so I receive a newsletter called Mousesavers to help me find the cheapest rooms, tickets and airfare.

9. Visit local attractions. In the Garden State we are right next to NYC. There is so much to see between our state and NY. We plan to find discounted rooms and spend the night in the city, go see a show and do some window shopping. By going in the off-season because we are so close, we can save hundreds on rooms and Broadway shows.

10. Last but certainly not least, if you really cannot afford to travel, make your home a vacation spot! Ask the kids where they dream of going and convert a room of your house into a mock up of that place. We can't go to Disney this year but we have enough stuff to make our own Disney right here at home. It encourages creativity and imaginations too!

I hope my ideas are helpful to you!!

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the Toyota Sienna and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Affordable Vacation IdeasToyota Sienna

Toyota Sienna Vacation Tipsgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

BLOG TOUR: Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

2010-05-10T06:00:00.002-04:00

Indivisible: A Novel by Kristen Heitzmann

About This Book

An inseparable bond.
An insatiable force.

Battling his own personal demons, Police Chief Jonah Westfall knows the dark side of life and has committed himself to eradicating it. When a pair of raccoons are found mutilated in Redford, Colorado, Jonah investigates the gruesome act, knowing the strange event could escalate and destroy the tranquility of his small mountain town. With a rising drug threat and never-ending conflict with Tia Manning, a formidable childhood friend with whom he has more than a passing history, Jonah fights for answers—and his fragile sobriety.

But he can’t penetrate every wound or secret—especially one fueled by a love and guilt teetering on madness.

From best-selling author Kristen Heitzmann comes a spellbinding tale of severed connections and the consequences of life lived alone.

You can read the first chapter here.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. There was just enough intrigue, just enough mystery to keep you guessing, just enough romance, and certainly just enough about Christian living (without sounding preachy). I loved how the author described the characters in such a way that you knew them. I love how she dramatized the relationships weaving God into the everyday living. It's hard to describe everything I loved about this book. The struggles the characters in this book face are real. Alcoholism, selfishness, anger, unforgiveness. The author did a wonderful job of sharing their situations but also sharing how they relied on God to bring them through. This book definitely goes on my HIGHLY RECOMMEND list!

View all my reviews >>

Thank you to Waterbrook Multnomah for sending me this book for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are completely mine!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Blog Tour: Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze

2010-04-22T06:00:00.003-04:00

I'm a little late with this tour but I still wanted to share with you guys this wonderful book. Also be on the lookout for a giveaway!

SUMMARY OF THE BOOK:

THEIR ELUSIVE ENEMIES TOOK EVERYTHING. NOW THEY WANT MORE.

Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man—in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family.

Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace.

The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

About the Author:

Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of twenty-three novels, three nonfiction books, and hundreds of articles. Selected for Who’s Who in America in 2004 as a writer and educator, Hinze is active in Romance Writers of America and serves as a Vice President on the International Thriller Writers Board of Directors. Vicki lives in Florida with her artist husband, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Visit www.vickihinze.com

to learn more about Vicki’s books, blogs, and writing programs.

Forget Me Not: A Novel by Vicki Hinze

I really enjoyed this Christian thriller. It's a new genre for me and I think I will be reading more! The author does a fantastic job of building suspense, there are great twists in the plot and it really captivated me. I thought the ending was great. I have read so many books that were predictable in the last few months that this was a welcome change. Highly recommended for readers who love Christian fiction/thrillers. I would love to see this as a movie!

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah for providing this book for review!

I haven't quit!!

2010-04-21T20:26:00.000-04:00

I'm just coming out of my Winter Blues! Ready to jump back on the bandwagon! Over the next few days (weeks??) I will have a few book giveaways and catch up on some Conversations in the car. I'm sure I'll have other info to share too. Also check out my business blog Dress My Doll. There's lots of exciting stuff going on over there too! Hope you'll hang around!

Love and Blessings,
Margaret

Black History Month is over...

2010-03-13T19:24:00.000-05:00

Black History Month is officially over. But thankfully companies like Black Heritage Toys know that learning about Black History is a year long... no, life long experience. They are committed to provided quality educational toys to help children learn in a fun and relaxing setting. In fact, the whole family can learn together!!

One such toy is the President Obama 1000 piece puzzle. The puzzle comes in a beautiful box and has a wonderful picture that can easily be used as a guide when working on the puzzle.

The back of the box has great information about President Obama.

When I received the puzzle, I knew just the person to have test it out for me. My granddaughter G, is a HUGE Obama (and Michael Jackson) fan. She loves anything to do with either of them, and she LOVES puzzles. While this puzzle is for children 12 and above, I decided to give it to my 9 year old granddaughter (on the right, my 9 yo daughter on the left!) because I knew she would enjoy the challenge. I don't think she was very excited though (LOL!)

So far she has worked on getting the edges and center pieces separated. She said the puzzle is HUGE and she's loving it! Thank you Black Heritage toys for letting us try this out for you!!

While Black Heritage Toys, a division of GEEBEE Marketing, provided the puzzle to us for the purpose of review, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Love and Blessings!

Margaret

Blog Tour: Value Fiction "Grab Bag" Tour

2010-03-04T07:22:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of reading two books that were sent to me by Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of review.

The first book, Yesterday's Promise, by Linda Lee Chaikin, is set in Great Britain and South Africa during the diamond and gold rush in South Africa. From the book's cover:

About This Book

He fought to seek his fortune.
Would he lose a greater treasure: the love he left behind?

As the son of the squire of Grimston Way, aristocrat Rogan Chantry has fought hard to win his independence from Sir Julien Bley and the British South Africa Company. Now, his pursuit of a mysterious deposit of gold, marked on a map willed to him by his murdered uncle, Henry Chantry, is challenged by a new complication: the impending British colonization of South Africa. Can Sir Rogan find the gold in the midst of escalating tensions among the native tribesmen, the missionaries sent to win them, and the new colonists?

Meanwhile, Evy Varley, the woman Rogan loves back in England, is headed for a brave yet dangerous confrontation with Henry’s killer–but at what price? With so much against Rogan and Evy, a reunion seems improbable, if not impossible. Can yesterday’s promise hold them faithful to the hope of future freedom and a victorious love?

Imagine you are in love and the person you love is continents away. The challenges you face you have to face only with God. You hear vicious rumors about the one you love as if everyone is trying to turn you against them or them against you. You long to be with them but know that you cannot...

While it took me a few chapters to get into this book, once I was drawn in to Yesterday's Promise but once I was drawn in, I had to finish reading to find out what happened. I love that the author included a rich historical background to support the stories of the main characters. This was important since I did not read the first book in the series.

The only thing that bothered me a bit is that this is Christian fiction but it seemed like faith was an afterthought. It wasn't really apparent until later in the book that the characters were Christians.

Even so, I thought the book was well written and would recommend it to my friends. I give this book three pairs of reading glasses! \oo\ \oo\ \oo\

The second book I read was Deep Harbor by Lisa Tawn Bergren. This is book two of the Northern Lights Series. From the cover:

SOME TIES CAN NEVER BE BROKEN

As they build new lives in America, Tora, Elsa, Kaatje, and Karl each experience a personal tragedy that threatens to destroy everything they left Norway to find. Tora’s web of lies has cost her a successful future with the man she loves. When tragedy strikes, Elsa must draw upon her faith and the strength she can muster to discover who she is and the path she must follow. After her husband’s disappearance, Kaatje struggles to raise two young daughters and tend her farm, and Karl finds himself caught in a life of loneliness and emptiness. Only by placing their trust in God—and in each other—will they pass through these rough waters and find the safety of the harbor.

From the richly forested banks of the Washington Territory to the burgeoning city of Yokohama and across the turbulent, danger-filled waves of the open sea—experience the epic saga of perseverance, pain, faith, and calling in the Northern Lights series.

From the beginning of Deep Harbor you are drawn in with excitement and expectation. Even though I didn't know the story of how each character arrived at the starting points, it was easy to figure it out the more I read on. The author did a good job of making this a freestanding book, meaning you didn't have to read the first book to enjoy it.

I loved the characters in this story. Through the author's writing I was able to connect with each one. I felt sadness, hopelessness, hope and fear along with the characters. I loved that from the beginning, the characters showed a strong faith and it was apparent throughout, woven in as part of their stories. She did a wonderful job of weaving in challenges and demonstrating how God helped each of them overcome. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

This book gets four pairs of reading glasses! \oo\ \oo\ \oo\ \oo\

I hope you'll take some time to read these books! They are both available at Waterbrook Multnomah.

While Waterbrook Multnoma provided the books for the purpose of review, the opinions expressed are completely my own!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Wow! What a month!!

2010-02-25T19:17:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

I'm so sorry to have been missing in action!! It's been a challenging month between my daughter being sick, then me getting it, then my son getting it, then my daughter getting it back, then me... well you get the picture!!

But I'm back now and I have lots to share. I've done some reading and I have some book reviews to share, I got some goodies in the mail and I would love to share about those (and some giveaways too!) and I would love to update you on my "frugal" journey. It's been lots of fun and I'm starting to see savings already.

Anyway, I'll be popping in to check on you guys too! Hope you are all well and blessed!

Love and blessings!
Margaret

» Blog Archive » Fit Mommy Friday & Progresso Soup Pack Giveaway

2010-02-06T19:47:00.000-05:00

I found this great new blog today, I'm sure I'll be hanging around there for a while! Anyway, she's having a great Progresso soup giveaway. I would love to win this and maybe you would too!

Fit Mommy Friday & Progresso Soup Pack Giveaway

Check out the link above and let me know what you think!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

It's Friday Follow Time!

2010-02-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families , Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Here’s how YOU can join the celebration:

–Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.

–Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 2 slots. This week Hearts Make Families will not be participating due to technical issues. She will be back next week.

–Follow as many blogs as you’d like.

–Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow.

–Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one – but you can follow each blog. Follow a few or follow them all.

The list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. The list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

Please be patient with following or getting followers. With the tremendous response there are a lot to visit. The Mcklinky will stay here so you can visit blogs at your own pace.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Remember I told you about Coupon Mom?

2010-02-04T22:11:00.002-05:00

Well she loaded a great new episode last week to help get you ready for Super Sunday!! This is very timely for me since I'm heading to the warehouse store tomorrow! LOL! The current video is helping a SAHM stock her office for under $100!!! I don't get paid or compensated to share this. I just love Coupon Mom and I want to share what I'm learning!!

See what other shoppers are saying about the Coupon Mom Show and join in on the conversation at the official site: http://show.couponmom.com. Tune in next week to see how Coupon Mom conquers catering a party for only a few dollars per person!

I'm serious, I've been saving so much more money since watching her videos and following the tips I can use. I even got some great deals at CVS!!! And check out her (free) forums too.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Faith 'n Fiction Saturday: Why Read?

2010-01-30T11:51:00.000-05:00

I'm joining this meme over at My Friend Amy's Blog. (Well she's not really my friend yet because I don't know Amy yet, but I'm sure I will soon with the help of this meme!!).

So the question this week is Why Read?

I read for several reasons:

1. I read to know more about the Word of God. Each day that I read, I learn more and more about Him and what a loving, kind and merciful God he is.

2. I read to learn. I love learning about different cultures and traditions. I love reading the news to learn more about the world about me.

3. I read for enjoyment. I love all kinds of fiction, non-fiction, biographies, self-development books. I love them all. I can read pretty much anything (except textbooks!).

4. Most recently I started reading to review. This is a new thing for me and it's sometimes tedious, but on the other hand it's opening up so many new interests and paths of study for me. Lately I've been reading mostly books by Christian authors with a splash of fiction thrown in.

So there you have it! Those are some of the reasons I read!

Maybe you will join us next week for the next question!

Love and Blessings!

Blog Tour: Tea with the Hezbollah by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis

2010-01-29T21:08:00.000-05:00

Tea with Hezbollah: Sitting at the Enemies' Table, Our Journey Through the Middle East by Ted Dekker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
About the book:

Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.

Through powerful narrative Tea With Hezbollah will draw the West into a completely fresh understanding of those we call our enemies and the teaching that dares us to love them. A must read for all who see the looming threat rising in the Middle East .

My Review:

What a FASCINATING book. Mr. Dekker and Mr. Medearis, told the story in such an interesting way. The fact that two Christian's went to the Middle East to meet with Muslim and Jewish "terrorists" is just amazing to me. But what is even more amazing is the nature of the people they met with along the way. It was so interesting to read the transcripts from the conversations with Hezbollah and the Hamas as well as the Muslim clerics and Christian leaders. Also the story about Nicole that is told throughout the book really helps set the perspective of what the American perception is. The truth is, these are people, some are good and some are bad, just like here in America. They have families, they laugh at jokes, they cry at injustices, just like we do. This book has forever changed my perceptions of the Middle East and it's people.

Jesus told us to love our enemies. After a terrible act committed by a few, my fear of my enemies was much higher then my love (can you say non-existent?). But just like those Americans who commit acts of terror, we cannot blame a whole society. I will be more willing to study these other cultures more to learn more about them. This book was a great beginning. I give it 5 pairs of reading glasses!

Learn more about purchasing this book at http://www.randomhouse.com/. This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, the opinions are my own.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

View all my reviews >>

Friday Follow

2010-01-29T13:08:00.001-05:00

I found this the other day and told myself I needed to participate this week! I want to be able to "talk" to people about the love of Christ and my efforts in being frugal. I hope you will join me!

Copied from the One to Try Blog: Welcome to the Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families (currently not working) and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Here’s how YOU can join the celebration:

–Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.

–Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 2 slots. This week Hearts Make Families will not be participating due to technical issues. She will be back next week.

–Follow as many blogs as you’d like.

–Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow.

–Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one – but you can follow each blog. Follow a few or follow them all.

The list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. The list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

Please be patient with following or getting followers. With the tremendous response there are a lot to visit. The Mcklinky will stay here so you can visit blogs at your own pace.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Being a Good Steward

2010-01-27T19:58:00.000-05:00

We as a family are taking a new path with our finances this year. In the past, we have been very much "instant gratification" kind of people. This has not served us well. We find ourselves falling into credit card debt and with mortgage, car and credit card payments hanging over our heads.

I really feel in my heart, that God wants us to exhibit more self-control in our finances. The main reason for this is so that we are in a position to give to those who are in need, either locally or abroad as the spirit leads. Good stewardship is not easy, and I don't think God intended it to be. There are many verses that speak to this such as Luke 16 (the unjust manager), Proverbs 21:5 (can you say instant gratification!), Proverbs 27:23 (having so much you don't know what you have!), Luke 14:28-30 (proper planning!). Of course I could go on and on. The point is in our family, we definitely need to be better stewards.

One site that is helping me with this is www.couponmom.com.

I first came across this site a few months ago when I first felt the urging to cut costs. It was brought to my attention again recently so I jumped in with both feet! It's really been eye-opening on how much I can save by clipping coupons!! My first time out I saved $80 by using coupons and store discounts!! Now that was really a RUSH!!

The good news is that Coupon Mom (Her real name is Stephanie Nelson) has decided to share videos to help us novices make the most of our coupons (and our time!!). In the videos, she takes you on a virtual shopping trip where she's help real people learn to manage their shopping. Here's an excerpt from the release I received:

About the Coupon Mom Show
The Coupon Mom Show teaches viewers how to save money by watching Stephanie Nelson work with real families to solve their savings challenges in a fun and entertaining way. In each episode, Coupon Mom addresses different financial challenges, from families that want to slash their grocery bills to those hoping to save on holiday meals, birthday parties or even school supplies and provides saving solutions for them. New episodes of the Coupon Mom Show will be airing every Thursday on YouTube and on the Coupon Mom Show website. (Her latest episode talks about saving on school supplies! Whether your outschool or homeschool we all need that!! MR)

Have a question for Coupon Mom? Viewers can submit questions and challenges to the Coupon Mom Show forum.

You don't have to take my word for it, check it out for yourself! I'm so happy to be on my way to frugal living and finding bargains that I can use to help others. I already have an idea for all of the wonderful school supplies I will be getting!

I did not receive any compensation for this post. I was asked to share it by Social Media and after reviewing a few of the videos I agreed that you guys would want to know about this!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

I'm done with PG movies

2010-01-25T11:22:00.000-05:00

Or I'm a Prude.

Anyway you look at it, I'm DONE! Well at least done watching them with my 9 year old daughter. What caused this you ask? Well... ummm, have you been to see a PG movie lately? PG rating means Parental Guidance is suggested, I get that, really I do! BUT, why make your commercials so enticing to young children if the movie is not meant for them!!!

Take the recent rodent movie that came out around Christmas. These particularly loveable rodents, that apparently come in triplets, have mostly been for the younger crowd. We watched them in their mishaps... er adventures since they came to live with their human dad. So I innocently thought that even though the movie was rated PG, how bad could it be?

It was bad, in my opinion anyway. From the minute the video gaming, irresponsible "cousin" was left in charge, to the female rodents in their skimpy dress to them happily singing that catchy tune "Single Ladies" to the "happy ending" where the boyfriends and girlfriends happily went to bed... in the SAME room!!

Well call me a prude if you will but this is not the message I want to send to my young daughter (she gets enough of that from school!). As I sat there squirming in my seat I thought to myself, well at least this is going over her head. That is until I caught her side glances which told me that she KNEW it was inappropriate and she KNEW I was uncomfortable. What was I to do? My husband thinks I'm overreacting, and maybe I am a bit. But shouldn't I be able to watch movies comfortably with my children? Shouldn't I be able to watch with out worrying about sexual innuendos and curses disguised as "cute" phrases (that's another post altogether!). I really need help with this! I know that God has intstructed me to train my children(Proverbs 22:6), so how do I train them without them feeling like they are being punished?

How do you feel about PG movies for your young children? Does it depend on the subject matter? Do you wait until it comes out on DVD? I need help in this area because I know there are "fights" about this in my future.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Proud Parent Moment

2010-01-22T09:50:00.000-05:00

Oh I just have to share this!! My son made me so proud the other day!! He's a high school sophomore and he takes French as his World Language. He loves the class and really enjoys speaking the language.

The other day, his teacher pulled him aside (I admit, when my son told me this, I got a little worried!).

The teacher told my son B, that he really appreciates having him in the class. He said he notices how the other children look to him as a leader and that he appreciates that he sets a good example. He also told him that out of all of the students he's had, even at the (IVY LEAGUE) college level, that my son is one of the most intelligent and mature! Woohoo! You go B!!

I'm so thankful that this teacher took the time to share this with him, it's important to the kids to know this!

Thanks for reading and woohooing with me!!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Blog Tour: Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

2010-01-21T22:39:00.000-05:00

Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters by Joshua Harris

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"What is God like and how does he speak to me? What difference does it make that Jesus was both human and divine? How does Jesus's death on the cross pay for my sins? Who is the Holy Spirit and how does he work in my life? With grace and wisdom, Harris will inspire you to revel in the truth that has captured his own mind and heart. He will ask you to dig deep into a faith so solid you can build your life on it. He will point you to something to believe in again." This excerpt from the book jacket pretty much sums it up!

I have about 20 pages left to read but I can honestly tell you that what I have read has opened my heart to receive all that Jesus has for me and to give HIM all that I have in me. I certainly have a new perspective and I must say, a new attitude.

While I have always had faith that there is a God, that Jesus died for me and that His Holy Spirit dwells in me, I did not have a complete understanding. It hurts me that I have been so cavalier about the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross for me... FOR ME! I have a much better understanding and I can no longer make excuses.

Joshua Harris breaks it down so that the newest of Christians to the most mature, will have a complete understanding of how much Christ sacrificed for us and what our response should be. He explains the nature of God, His Son and the Holy Spirit in such detail, that there is no doubt that he is the Holiest of Holies! He provides scriptural references as well as insights and passages from well known Christian Pastors and theologists. Most importantly, he explains away all of the excuses and lies that belong in the world, not in the Christian life. There is no perfect Christian but there are many who are striving to live a life similar to Jesus. I highly recommend this book to help you answer some of the questions you might have on your path to having a truly fulfilling relationship with Jesus.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah. Please visit their site to find out where to purchase this book.
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.p...

View all my reviews >>

Book Review: What Seems Like Crazy on An Ordinary Day

2010-01-17T09:18:00.000-05:00

What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is not a book I would normally read. But I have to say it is well written, the characters are well-formed and it's engaging. The story is from a young woman who grew up in Idlewild, Michigan an idyllic town on the shores of the lake. It talks about how she couldn't wait to escape but when she faces challenges, she can't wait to get back there. She and her widowed sister have their own share of challenges back in Idlewild.

For fiction, it hit on a lot of issues with today's youth and changing times.

I recommend this if you like African American Urban fiction and don't mind a bit of foul language and sexual situations. In this rare case, I don't feel they detracted from the story.

View all my reviews >>

This is a purchased book from my personal collection.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Don't Forget to Wipe!

2010-01-14T19:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, just know that you are going to see a LOT of Cottonelle posts over the next few hours. I mean, who on Mom's Blogger Club COULDN'T use a month's supply! Cottonelle is offering 24 free rolls for the first 200 bloggers.

So in order to win, I need to pick whether I'm Team Under or Team Over. I am definitely Team OVER!!

I mean think about it... not to be gross but if you are a wrapper (the technique of wrapping Toilet paper around your hand to catch any overflow), the most efficient way to do this is by having the roll over on the spindle. Don't believe me, check out the poll at http://www.cottonellerollpoll.com. The majority agrees with me!

I'm so glad I could provide this valuable insight!

Oh yea, holla if you want to win a Cottonelle gift basket! You could win one of the 10 they are giving away just by leaving a comment. Why don't you tell me if you are Team Over or Under?? Winners will be announced on January 29 so don't delay!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T19:16:00.001-05:00

Hello to all of my dear readers. I do apologize for being slow to get back on the bandwagon this year. I just needed a bit more time I guess!

I’m looking forward to sharing a bit more with you all this year. You’ll see more book reviews (some giveaways), posts about events I think are interesting, and some personal stories that might encourage some. Sometimes I will just post a photo with a quote! Whatever it is, my goal this year is to serve YOU through this blog.

I won’t promise to post everyday, but I do plan to post at least once a week. I have few stories stored up, but I have to get them written. Anyway I’m looking forward to 2010 with anticipation! I can’t wait to see what God has planned for me… and YOU!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: The Quickie by James Patterson

2010-01-02T14:24:00.002-05:00

And this is a quickie review!

The Quickie by James Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked this book. Just when you think the story is over, a new one starts. The characters were great and believable, made you hurt all the more when one of them turned out to be rotten! The ending was great and well written!

View all my reviews >>

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: Knockout Entrepreneur by George Foreman with Ken Abraham

2009-12-30T12:17:00.000-05:00

Knockout Entrepreneur by George Foreman

Everyone probably knows that George Foreman was the heavyweight champion of the world... twice! What they may not know is George is a real heavyweight in business and in faith. Knockout Entrepreneur is a faith based business management book which takes you through the steps necessary to build and maintain your business. George does not shy away from telling how his faith plays an integral part in his business dealings.

I admit, it has taken me longer to read this book than it normally does. I have just started a direct sales business and read this book to get ideas on how to take my business to the next level. There was so much GOOD information to digest, I didn't want to rush through this book. George Foreman gives great tips for getting into the right mindset of being a reliable, smart, and trustworthy business person to what you should do once you reach your level of success. George ties in Christian Principles wonderfully, things like honesty, trust, generosity. At the end of each chapter, he provides you with a series of questions/prompts to help you think through what you just learned and apply it.

I enjoyed this book so much! I love that it's written from the perspective that everything we do is done to glorify God, I love that George gives examples of how his faith has sustained him, I love how the chapters are short but chock full of information, I love how George let's you know right off that there is no "magic pill" when you are in business. Sometimes you will do well, sometimes it will be lean, anytime when you put your faith in God, you will be successful. I highly recommend this book for those just starting out in business as well as those who have been in business for a while and need a fresh new perspective.

This book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson for the purpose of sharing an honest opinion.

View all my reviews >>

Book Review - Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwall

2009-12-14T15:49:00.001-05:00

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
From the summary:

"Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta accepts an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured man on Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric prison ward. The handcuffed and chained patient, Oscar Bane, has specifically asked for her, and when she literally has her gloved hands on him, he begins to talk—and the story he has to tell turns out to be one of the most bizarre she has ever heard."

I have to say this book was bizarre indeed and I did not enjoy it. I kept moving forward because I just KNEW it had to get better. Unfortunately it didn't. While the author did a nice job of building the characters, letting out little details as the book went on, they somehow didn't seem believable. The connection between the main characters was there but just seemed weak. The relationships were all a little weird. I was very disappointed in the ending as well, it really didn't pull it all together for me. Just disappointing all together.

I rarely rate a book this low but I just couldn't find much good about this one.

View all my reviews >>

**** This book was from my personal collection. I was not compensated for this review. ****

Big Apple Circus - Redux

2009-12-11T15:39:00.005-05:00

Hi all,

Remember this post where my family and I went to see the Big Apple Circus? Well we had a fantastic time and I HIGHLY recommend you go see it if you have the time. I was recently contacted again to share this great information with you! They have extended their discount days to include Dec. 13 at 4:30 pm, Dec. 20 at 4:30 pm, and Dec 22, Dec 23 - both shows !!

To purchase your discounted tickets to the Big Apple Circus:
Online: http://bigapplecircus.org/pop.aspx and submit the code POP10 in the Promotional Codes box
By Phone: CALL 888-541-3750 and mention code POP10
In Person: Big Top Box Office 10AM–6PM daily. No service fee. Bring a copy of this blog post

*Offer good on select seat locations and performances. Must present this blog post to receive discount at the box office. Performance schedule subject to change. Offer is subject to availability; not valid on prior purchases; cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. This offer can be revoked at any time. Discount amount varies. Limit 8 tickets per order. No refunds or exchanges. Telephone and Internet orders are subject to standard service fees.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Book Review: When Christ Comes by Max Lucado

2009-12-06T07:29:00.000-05:00

When Christ Comes by Max Lucado

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Christ Comes is about how Christ will arrive in His glory in His Time. In this book Max Lucado addresses our impatience to see Jesus and how awesome His return will be. He also touches on what Christians should be doing in the meantime. At the end of the book, there is a study guide which you can use to reinforce what you are reading.

I've always enjoyed Max's books and this one was no exception. I like the structure of the book, short chapters with insightful passages and personal stories. Max is pretty funny at times. I like that more often than not he is laughing at himself. But more important than the humor, is the truth he presents. He addresses difficult questions like when is Christ coming back? What should Christians be doing in the meantime? Is there really a Hell? What will it be like in Jesus' presence? Of course he does not know the definitive answer, but using biblical truths he gives us a pretty good idea!

After reading this book, I was encouraged to speak out more about my faith and share how Christ is working in my life. It also caused me to stop and examine how my activities are reflecting the love of Christ.

This is a book from my personal collection. I was not compensated or provided with a book for review.

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