Book Review: Brave Beauty

When the publisher offered me the chance to review Brave Beauty, Finding the FearlessYou 

by Lynn Cowell, I jumped. 

This is a lovely hard backed devotional for girls. Each devotional is just a few pages long, and ends with reflective questions, quizzes and prayers. I love the modeling of confident real prayers in the section they call Courageous Call. The devotions use engaging real life stories, Bible verses and Bible stories to help our girls grow into brave, courageous young women. 

There are three main sections: I am Loved, I am Brave and I am Confident. Those are broken up as well with four devotions in every subsection. There is a regular topical index in the back, but I love that the Table of Contents was also written so clearly with the themes of each devotional so that it becomes quick guide to finding something to speak to a specific struggle. 

I'm excited to hand this over to my (almost) ten year old daughter. I remember being excited for a new devotional as a young girl that would speak to my needs in that stage of life and I think this will definitely do that for her. I'd recommend it to young girls entering the Tween phase. 

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: the NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible

I was lucky enough to be offerered a review copy of a the NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible.  This is a beautiful Bible I can't wait to pass on to one of my children.  

This is a beautiful hardcover book with an attached ribbon bookmark and beautiful colorful pages.  The Bible text is in one column per page and along the outside edge of each page, is a colorful strip where extra notes are found near the relevant verses.  I love this part, they are so easy for the young readers to find more information on the culture. There are maps, photos, illustrations and explanations. Each book begins with a simple, easy to read chart explaining information such as author, why it was written, what happpens, what we learn about God, key people, etc.  These are simple 1 to 2 sentence descriptions, not long overwhelming paragraphs like some Bibles. Perfect for young readers. There is a simple table of context, alphabetical list of books and a short preface (aimed more at the adult reader detailing the translation) in the front, and then it jumps right into the book of Genesis. In the back are colorful maps and a simple index. 

Here's the publishers description: 

The NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible, for ages 8-12, brings the Bible to life in four-color illustrated splendor. This study Bible includes a spectacular full-color interior featuring over 700 illustrations, photos, infographics, and maps on every page that visually represent key Bible information. Each page also features important facts located near the relevant verse. Intriguing facts; colorful, engaging maps; photographs; and illustrations make this a Bible they'll want to explore.

Features:: Over 700 four-color photographs, illustrations, infographics, and maps throughout:: Full-color design:: Book introductions, including important facts and an image to orient the reader:: One-column format with side bar study notes for ease of reading:: The complete text of the New International Version (NIV) translation of the Bible:: Beautiful cover featuring gloss 

I would recommend this Bible to any young reader.  It's a perfect first full Bible.  

Pattern testing and RELEASE! Escapade by 5 out of 4

I had the chance to test again for one of my favorite pattern companies, 5 out of 4 Patterns. I love these patterns so much, Jessica designs patterns that are excellent for active moms to wear everyday or to dress up!

This pattern is an excellent staple for summer, the Escapade Top and Dress. It can be a bra, bikini, top, summer dress, swim top, swim dress... So many things!

I tested the dress and the top options. 5 out of 4 patterns are always easy to follow, with great links to help you hop right to the options you need. You can print only the sizes you need and my favorite part, NO TRIMMING necessary!! They go together so quickly and easily.

My dress is super comfortable for summer heat, I'm anxious for it to warm up!  I prefer skirts and dresses in the summer (rather than shorts) so this is perfect!

I also was able to test a swim top. A swim dress has always been at the top of my list for swimsuits, so I was planning to try one out for my final test. As I was rummaging through my swim stash I found a swim bottom I had never made a top for!  This is a perfect swim top pattern.

I will say that this suit is a perfect example of why the tutorial says DO NOT STRETCH YOUR FABRIC! You can see how it ripples below the bust. Lesson learned.

This is a very comfortable top and dress and I look forward to wearing it this summer! I may even wear it around when I'm not swimming!

Straps are another area that is versatile with this pattern. My suit I left as a halter, the dress I took down into a V (sorry, no pics...). You can also take them straight like traditional spaghetti straps or cross them.

I'm looking forward to playing more with this pattern! I have not tried using the optional bra cups, though I think I'll try those soon!  I'd love to sew my own bras!

(Links included in this pattern are my afiliate links!)

Book Review: The Artist's Daughter

The Artist's Daughter: A Memoir by Alexandra Kuykendall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the memoir of Alexandra Kuykendall, mother of four girls on staff at MOPS International. This follows her journey living abroad with her single mother, eventually meeting her Spanish father, meeting her future husband, and having her girls, all the while dealing with her feelings about her absent father. This is a really sweet book, I enjoyed reading her story. I especially identified as she struggled in her mothering to respond the way she wanted to rather than instinctively in a negative way. I loved her story of praying "change me", rather than "change my kids" or "change my husband". This is a great read for a mother or anyone else who enjoys a gentle memoir of love. I did hope for a little more at the end, it seemed a bit anticlimactic, I wished for a little more to this or all together. It was a lovely story.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


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DVD Review from FishFlix!

The people from FishFlix.com reached out to me and offered to send me a DVD to try out. Have you heard of FishFlix? It is a great online store of Christian Movies, DVD's's and Blu-ray discs and is full of great films for kids, families and adults. I browsed around a bit on their site and found lots of options including the "What's In the Bible" series for kids, God's Not Dead, and all kinds of other movies. There's a whole section of love and romance movies, a great kids section, a lot of movies on biblical characters, and wholesome family shows like Little House on the Prairie. If you are looking to bring Bible based, and family friendly entertainment into your home, this is a great way to do it! The pricing is competitive and there is a great selection.

We were lucky to review "Theo, Teaching Children God's Word." My kids enjoyed this story which is split into 3 lessons on saving faith, loving obedience and forgiveness. The teaching and story are told by Theo, an elderly gentleman and illustrated by his humorous mouse friends. He tells a bible story to help teach the concept. The animations are well done and colorful. My kids really enjoyed it. I love that they are entertained by something that is teaching them solid biblical truths! 

There is a whole series of these and you can see them here on Fishflix.com. Several of the dvds are only $5! The remaining ones are $7.97, or you can buy the whole set for $31.99!

I received this free DVD for my family in exchange for an honest review. You can find Theo DVD  and hundreds of other Christian Movies at FishFlix.com.

Book Review: Better Than Before

Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book. The author works through what she calls the four tendencies, or types of people with regards to habits. She describes each and includes lots of examples to help the reader discern which they are. There is also a chapter on distinctions that further separate different types of people within the tendency framework and discusses other ways people are different. For example morning person (lark, according to her terminology) or night "owl". Marathoner, Sprinter or Procrastinator? There are others, and she maintains and gives examples to support the theory that these further disctinctions shape the way we state and pursue our habits. She then steps into different strategies to establish or change habits, for example, monitoring the habit, or accountability. There are some interesting strategies that make sense as you read them, but I doubt I could have come up with!

So overall, I feel like with some time spent on introspection, this book could be helpful in choosing and following through on new habits. I enjoyed the book, but would definitely need to read it again and do some homework in order to really implement it well. It was easy to read, and engaging, but my style is not to deep dive on the first read, especially when I'm trying to read quickly (for a review.... ahem). I'd suggest reading through the tendencies and further distinctions and doing some journalling or thinking and applying that information, and then maybe identifying a few potential habit areas before jumping into the next section and figuring out how to best implement them.

I do wish she had maybe added a chapter to guide one through the process, but perhaps that will be so different for each reader that it isn't possible. I think this is an interesting concept and could be a helpful book to read and keep around.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


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Trim Healthy Mama Plan

After receiving and reviewing the Trim Healthy Mama cookbook and seeing the delicious looking recipes, I quickly snagged up a copy of the Trim Healthy Mama Plan.  The introduction of this book is so refreshing. It seems that most diets completely box you into certain rules, do eats and don't eats and are so frustrating to comply with. I love that the THM program is more of a lifestyle theory. The writing style is so easy to read and down to earth.  The authors are open and honest about the flexibility in the plan, for example, with regards to whole foods vs. convenience foods. I LOVE that they say "you don't have to get this down perfectly on your first day." It takes so much of the stress out of learning and starting a new program.

This guide is very complete and clear. The writing is so easy to read. Pearl and Serena write as though they are having a conversation with a good friend.  There is a bit of advertising in it for Trim Healthy Mama products, though what I very much appreciated was that the offer of their own products was always quickly balanced by the statement that you do not need to buy their products to be on plan. You can find these things in other stores as well, they offer their line as a convenience as they control the quality of the products.

The book addresses many different types who may be interested in the plan, pregnant and nursing mamas, men, working moms etc, and discusses how they might implement the plan differently. The plan stresses that the plan will work differently for each person and while offering suggestions and sample meal plans, they strongly encourage each person to make it their own.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to lose weight or even just feel better and be healthier. Its a big book, but is very easy and enjoyable to read.  I plan on trying this plan to see how it works for me!

Update 3/11/2016:  Just a quick update, I am really loving this plan. I love that there is such a variety of things you can have including sweets and shakes!  I don't feel deprived at all, if my family is having pancakes, I can whip up a single serving for myself with a plan approved recipe, or throw together a muffin in a mug recipe that tastes like a sneaky treat!  The shake recipes are delicious and I love having those quick recipes to for a quick breakfast or snack on the go. I have not bought a lot of the specialty ingredients, and there are still a lot of recipes you can use just with the things from the grocery store.  And if your budget doesn't even allow for those, you can still do the plan with very basic things. I have lost about 20 pounds so far in about 2 months. I'm sure it all won't drop this fast but it is so motivating to see the scale drop!

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book review: Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook

I have a friend who lost quite a bit of weight using the Trim Healthy Mama plan. And I have not lost the baby weight after baby four... So when I saw the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook as an option for a book to review, I snatched it up!  It has not disappointed either!

  This copy is a paper back, but it has such a quality feeling to it! The cover is sturdy with a matte feel and the binding has blue strips with a different texture on it that just feel great when you hold it.  This is not some scrawny cookbook either! It is over an inch thick, with 511 pages! Flipping through, you notice that the pictures are beautiful.  Not every recipe has one, but they are quite liberally scattered through out the book, both full page photos and inset ones. If I had to guess, I'd say that well over three quarters of the recipes have a photo with them. If you had handed me this book without showing me the cover, I'd never have guessed it is a cookbook for weight loss!

The book is nicely broken up into one-pot meals, hearty mains and sides,  sunrise eats, sweet treats, beverages, and all things smooth and crunchy. It includes crockpot meals, skillet meals, soups, salads. Each main category has several subcategories and many include both family size meals and single portions. The crockpot section has instructions to prep "from freezer to crock" which I LOVE. This is my favorite way to freezer cook. I think my first to try out of this section will be the Cilantro Lime-burst Chicken Thighs. Cilantro and lime are my absolute favorites! Scattered through with explanations of why they are healthy, or chats about the recipe's origin or a little story about the author's family.  There are so many recipes I want to try immediately. How about cashew chicken or Blackened Chicken With Mango and Black Beans? Chicken Alfredo or Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup? I feel like I'm gaining weight just looking at this book! Pancakes, waffles, french toast?! Donuts?! I feel like this may be an easy plan to give a go...

The authors also include a section of Sweet Treats! Volcano Mud Slide Muffin, anyone? Again they include single serving sweets as well as family sized ones. Now these desserts look amazing, and I have to keep asking myself... "in a diet book?" When you look closely at the ingredients however, you'll  notice that they aren't your typical ingredients.  Things like coconut milk and coconut flour, flax, and sweetner help make these desserts a bit healthier. 120 pages of sweetness people.  Cheesecake! Ice cream, creamsicles, ice cream sandwiches.  This book is LOADED. Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?  Found my favorite section...which may just be why I've not lost the baby weight...

Another favorite section is the Beverages!  It has options for healthy all day sippers, like Good Girl Moonshine (it gets its kick from apple cider vinegar!), a Singing Canary (tumeric!), Pumpkin or Apple Pie Sip. A whole section on shakes and smoothies... sigh. Key lime. Strawberry cheesecake. How am I supposed to lose the weight again? Frappacinnos! And then there's the hot drinks... Ginger Cream Trimmy...Chai Trimmy...Salted Caramel Creamy Oolong. There are cold drinks as well, like Iced Tea, Iced Coffee and Root Beer Float.

The last section is snacks like Swiss Crackers, Crunch Puffs, and Apple Dip. There are also quite a few dressings, as well as jelly, chocolate syrup, pancake syrup and ketchup.

Wow.  I feel I talk way too much about cookbooks, but man, I wanted to list tons more recipes! As a cookbook, I'd say this is a must if you are already trying out the Trim Healthy Mama plan. Even if you have no interest in losing weight and just want to have a great cookbook filled with some really amazing recipes filled with healthy, nourishing ingredients, it would be great for you!

Now, with regards to the plan. This book does not give you a whole lot of information about the plan, but suggests that one read the companion book. They do say that there are no "Spartan diet foods" because "Food Freedom is our mantra!"  They say that many of the sweets work great for breakfast (yay!). And most of the recipes are quick and easy (Yay, yay!). They share that you will learn to "tune in to your own hunger and full signals". And as I said, they do very much recommend their companion book Trim Healthy Mama Plan for the complete explanation behind the plan to help you be successfull. There is a very short explanation in the back of the different types of meals and suggested foods, but I still think it would be difficult to follow the plan only based on this information. I have to tell you, after seeing the recipes in this book, I'm off to find a copy of the THM plan! 

There is also a very nice section in the front that goes over the items that are helpful to have in your kitchen, and some of the newer, different ingredients in the book. What I love about these authors is that they don't set out to make you revamp your kitchen or spend a lot of money at the kitchen store on new appliances.  They will tell you what is helpful, but they will also tell you if it is necessary and whether its a big deal to go for the fancy expensive model or the yard sale special!  Similarly with the ingredients, they detail the ingredient, the healthy benefits and where you can find them (some items are found in their Trim Healthy Mama store, but most are available and most local stores as well), but they'll also tell you what you can substitute. I appreciated that this wasn't a cookbook written to sell their products or tools. The authors seem to genuinely want you the reader to be successful in this plan, regardless of your access to the specialized ingredients.

So in summary, if you love the Trim Healthy Mama plan already, then I'd definitely tell you to pick this book up.  But even if you've never heard of it, or you don't need to lose weight but just want to be healthy, full of energy and choose better ingredients, then it's for you too!

Update 3/11/2016: I have been using this cookbook pretty hard for 2 months now and have lost about 20 pounds! I am loving the recipes; I use the shake section almost every day and usually have a Good Girl Moonshine every day as well! The Skinny chocolate takes some getting used to (the Treeces -Faux Reeces- are great though!)but I used cheap cocoa so i'm looking forward to trying again with some Ghiardelli. So far I'm mostly using it for the sweets section, but will try some of the other recipes too!  My only complaint is that a few of my index pages have come out so its not as sturdy or well bound as I had hoped.  Maybe a coil bound book would have been a better option for the cookbook. 


I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Ragamuffin Gospel

"Many of us believe in grace, yet we live as if we still have to earn God's love."

I've heard about this book since college and never got a hole of a copy until now.  This book is a must read for all. Brennan Manning reminds us that we all come to God as ragamuffins.  There's no scale, some aren't better than others. We are all ragamuffins , yet He loves us and shows us His love.

In full disclosure, I am only about half way through. I sit down to try to buzz through it for review purposes, and find myself unable to. There is so much good Godly truth in each page, I want to savor and enjoy and let it marinate.  Growing up in the church, its hard not to try to do it on my own. This book is a beautiful reminder that what I do doesn't matter at all.  I can't ever be good enough. Praise God that He accepts me as I am, and loves me.

Definitely recommend this book to all who want to know more about the freedom of God's grace.



I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Forgiven, The Amish School Shooting, a Mother's Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace

Forgiven: The Amish School Shooting, a Mother’s Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace by Terri Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

T his book... Wow. I thought when I chose this book to review that it would be difficult to read. I spent probably 90% of my reading time in tears. This book is authored by Terri Roberts, the mother of the man who shot ten girls in an Amish school house and then shot himself. I grew up and still live (after a few detours) in another area in Pennsylvania with a large Amish population and I remember when this happened. We were shocked. Having grown up seeing the Amish daily, I couldn't imagine why anyone would choose to do this to them, and especially to a schoolhouse full of children. Also difficult was hearing that several of the girls shot were 7 years old: the age of my own oldest daughter now. So this part of the author's story definitely brought me to tears, the horror of the experience. But what also brought me to tears repeatedly were the expressions of grace brought to life. I remember hearing about the gracious response of the Amish population in Lancaster, but this book just brings it so vividly alive. It is amazing what a representation of Christ's grace these Amish families, the same Amish families who lost daughters, or watched their daughters suffer as the recuperated, or continue caring for daughters to this day who may never walk or talk or be as they were, what grace they extended to the author and her husband as well as the perpetrator's wife and children. I don't know that it ever crossed my mind, even once, how his parents would feel knowing what their son had done. She writes this story so transparently and beautifully. She shares her struggles of being a mother of faith who prayed fervently for her sons almost every single day of their lives and her anger at God for not stepping in and answering her prayers and changing the story. This story is full of grace, forgiveness, healing and God's love. If you have struggled with your circumstances, please pick up this book. It spoke to me as a mom of a boy born without part of his brain, who is severely developmentally delayed. It spoke to me as a mom who gets frustrated with her children and struggles with showing grace. No matter what your situation, this book is excellent and moving and beautiful.

I recieved a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. 

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Testing! Women's Ascent Pullover

I finally sewed something for myself!  

I was lucky to test the women's Ascent Pullover by 5 Out Of 4 Designs! I love that these are great versatile everyday patterns. My absolute favorite part of her patterns is that she takes the time to make them nursing friendly!  

Sorry, this one was a quick kid shot for a fit picture!

The only downside is that I'm finishing up nursing my last baby of 4... where were these patterns when I started?!  This is an awesome pattern for a nursing mama in the fall! You can make this pullover all one solid color, or add contrast panels like mine. The sleeves can also have the contrast panels, but as I ran out of the butterfly so I just added piping instead.

You can see the tab for the hidden nursing zipper above the pocket! 

The pattern also includes the option for these great hidden zippered pockets.  The pattern directions and line drawings are clear and helpful and the designer always adds helpful hyperlinks to help you jump quickly to the options in the pattern that you need without wasting time flipping through pages.  Another favorite thing is the no trim pages!  The patterns are so quick to put together since you don't waste time cutting off strips. The PDF sizes are also layered so you can only print the sizes you need. 

This pattern is great with just plain, cheap antipill or blizzard fleece (which is what mine is) or you can make it with microfleece, french terry or other snuggly fabrics.  One tester made one with cotton lycra (sized down) for a super cute top.  I think you could easily add a full length zipper for a great fleece jacket.  Tons of options and a great layering piece for fall and winter! 

Make sure you check out 5 Out Of 4 Patterns for this and other great patterns for the whole family. She already has the men's version for sale, and a kid pattern is in the works.   I LOVE her work out top, the Agility Tank and Dress, which I used to make a nursing swimsuit which was amazing to have during our week at the beach! 

Please don't laugh too hard at my swimsuit and jeans look... I was comfy. :)

Book review: Murder Freshly Baked

Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another fun, simple, clean mystery. I enjoy this series more than other Amish books I have read. The main character is Amber, who runs the tourist town, and her friends including Tate, her husband, Pam her assistant, and  her Amish coworker Hannah help solve the mystery of the murder of a young man from the community, as well as the "Poison Poet" who has been leaving pies along with poems about the poisons that are supposedly  lacing the baked goods. I think I have said about the first book, and I feel the same way about this one: these books are not for deep thinkers, they aren't going to change your life. They are easy to read, fun clean mysteries. Entertaining and enjoyable (And recommended) if that is what you are looking for!

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  

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Book Review: Samantha Sanderson, Off the Record

Samantha Sanderson Off the Record is another addition to the Faithgirlz series. This is the third book in the Samantha Sanderson books about a middle school girl who wants to be an investigative journalist. 

This is an entertaining mystery for young readers as Samantha tries to find out who installed a virus that changed grades in the school's system.  Along the way, she struggles with following the Bible's directive to love you neighbor, which she chose as a New Year's resolution at the encouragement of her youth leaders.  

It's great to have clean faith based books for my daughter to read without having to worry about what themes or values she's learning from them.  The main character Sam and her friend Macayla have lots of fun together and and strong and savvy girls, without all the typical middle school drama.  

I really enjoy reading kids' books and young adult books, however this is one that is aimed a little too young for adult readers to enjoy.  It is however great for younger kids, and I can definitely see my 7 year old advanced reading daughter enjoying this book and this series!  Recommended as a good, faith based, entertaining mystery for young girls. 

I recieved a copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is such an excellent book. I enjoy reading historical fiction, especially about the holocaust. This is one of the best in terms of how Corrie's and Betsey's faith colors their time in the camps. For those who aren't familiar with Corrie Ten Boom's story, it begins before the war has reached Holland and tells the story of the family's faith and how it is shown in all aspects of their lives. As e story progresses, effects of the war begin trickling down. For example, their business contacts in Germany become "out of business" and all of them are Jewish. As time goes on, Holland is taken by the Nazis and the family puts their faith into action by become part of the underground which hides the Jews.

I loved this beginning part, getting a peek into Corrie's lovely family and her life before the war. However, for me, the best part of the story begins when members of the family are taken into custody and sent into the camps. Most books on the Holocaust are so interesting to read, yet leave your heart aching at all the injustice and hate the Jewish people, and other minorities, endured. This book tells of Corrie and Betsey's amazing faith in God and how that affected their time in the camps. Corrie struggles at times, but ultimately follows her sister's example and they become such a light for Christ in the darkness of the camp. The stories of God's faithful response to their love for him are numerous. They show such grace in their journey, and frequently talk of how difficult and painful it must be for their captors! They share the light of the gospel with so many of their fellow inmates as well as with their guards.

The whole story is so inspirational to me. I think is how easily we are distracted from our faith by our silly problems and difficulties, and it is humbling to read of their faith in light of the terrible situations they went through. They did not become bitter or hateful, but showed so much love to fellow inmates and guards, even after the war.

This is the abridged young readers edition, and I felt it was very well done. These themes are so difficult to read in any book for young people, but I would definitely say this is an excellent first book for a young reader to jump into books on the war.  The focus is definitely less on the death and mistreatment and more on Corrie and her family's faith in action. That said, it is still a book about concentration camps so there are mentions of death, including brief mention of few instances of mass murder that we know to have happened in those times. They are not graphically depicted however, for example, they hear the waves of gunshots and then it is stated how many men were killed that day. Parents will have to gauge how ready their child is for these themes but the cover recommends it for ages 9-12. I would say that's a good starting range, though I would add that it is an excellent book for any age over that! It's been too many years since I have read the original to be able to compare, though I may have to look it up now! This is definitely a book I recommend to all readers who are ready to read about the war.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. 

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Book Review: How To Enjoy Reading Your Bible

How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible by Keith Ferrin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up this book thinking I would flip through, read enough to do a decent review, and stash it in the shelf for later thorough reading and study.  I ended up reading it cover to cover in a short time!  I tend to get frustrated with books "like this" as they are good at inspiring you to want change but not so great in the details of how to actually get there.  Not so here. This author has a very conversational and easy to read writing style. The best part though is that this book is so usable. He gives very concrete tips and steps on getting more out of your Bible reading time, and is good at inspiring you as to the why as well.  The book starts out with tip #1, "Remember Why You Are Doing This,"  and continues on to challenge you to read more and to read the whole story. He gives tips on keeping your focus during your Bible reading time.  He also convinced that this experience is designed to be done together, in community with other believers and urges the reader to find a partner or small group with whom to share the experience. He includes several challenges, such as a sixty day adventure, where one focuses on a book of the bible for sixty days. This chapter details this journey with a study/reading plan for 2 books of the Bible, Philippians and 2 Timothy. In this chapter he also lays out a brief description of his method for studying Scripture, which he states is also detailed in another book, which I would love to get my hands on! He also suggests two four month challenges, one being a Bible Read Thru.

This book is usable solo, though he is adamant that one should find a reading buddy or small group for several reasons which he discusses in the book.  He really encourages the reader not to miss this part of the experience.  To that end, he includes a discussion guide after each chapter in the book.  He also adds an appendix with a small group study on Ephesians, where he details how a group could go about studying the book together.  Another useful tool is a chronological reading plan so one can read through the bible chronologically, rather than just reading through the books.

I'd recommend this book for readers at all points of their Christian walk. The tips would be helpful to anyone interested in deepening their faith.  I'm definitely going to be passing this one on to our small group at church in hopes to use it together. I look forward to using the tips to go to another level in my relationship with Christ as well.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

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Book Review: The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book

I was intrigued by this book, The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book, for several reasons. First of all, I have used a pressure cooker before for canningbut for making a quick meal, its been many many years and even then, it was only with explicit instructions from my friend's mom!  I would have no clue now how to use one to make a meal, but anything that makes my life in the kitchen shorter and easier, I'm all for!  Secondly, I was lucky enough to review these authors' slow cooking cookbook, and remembered that they put some cool features into their cookbook, and am excited to find they continued them here! 

These books are so well laid out, with some great additions to help you be successful in your use of a pressure cooker! The book begins with an intro section (which as I perused seemed humorous as it included the four pressure cooker personality types: "the Nervous Nellie or Are you crazy? That thing's dangerous! I knew a woman...") and a brief troubleshooting guide. For example, the intro to each recipe includes such helpful information as effort (not much, a little, and a lot!),  and the specific pressure, time, and release needed. The ingredients helpfully stand out from the page with bold red print, and the numbered steps are also in bold red.  There are grey boxes that identify when directions vary for stove top versus electric pressure cookers. I really like the Tester's Notes at the end, where they offer tips, substitutions etc. 

There are recipes of all kinds, breakfast, soups, meats, vegetarian, desserts.  This cookbook is so diverse and I believe will really appeal to all types of cooks, foodies and people who prefer plainer food alike, as there is such variety. In the soup section, for example, you'll find simple recipes such as Hamburger Soup, Taco Soup, Tomato Soup and Broccoli Cheddar Soup, as well as more interesting recipes like Lamb Soup with Tomatoes, Cinnamon and Dill, Coconut Shrimp Soup or Cioppino. There are even basics like how to make soft, medium or hard boiled eggs. One of the complaints about the authors' slow cooker book was that the ingredients were strange. While there were a few strange ingredients to me (juniper berries? Game hens...), most were either things I cook with frequently, or would at least know where to find.  

If you are interested in learning about pressure cooking, this would be a great book to start out with the basics and then move into more interesting food, if that's your thing. If not, then stick to the "normal" recipes and you'll enjoy it too.  

One more note: this is a COOKBOOK. Not a coffee table book.  I frequently see people complaining in their reviews about the lack of pictures for each recipe.  Honestly, if you want that, then stick to blogs and online recipes.  If you want a real cookbook, chock full of information and recipes (500!!!), then try this one out.  Personally, I'll be looking for a pressure cooker to add to my kitchen!

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Case for Grace for Kids!

Case for Grace for Kids by Lee Strobel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an excellent book for all ages. Lee Strobel, author of the well known Case for Christ, etc books writes this book aimed at kids. The author explores different aspects of grace through interview with several different people. He first shares some of his own story, struggling with understanding Christ's grace. He then moves on to interviews with people he sought out because of their amazing faith in spite of their circumstances.  He begins with Stephanie, a Korean woman who shares how she was abandoned by her mother, moves on to Andrew Palau, son of the evangelist Luis Palau, and others.  I love that he included an interview with Craig, who is just "a nice person".  While the more intense stories definitely show the wonderful grace of God, his story was so relatable for me.  One of the more intense stories tells of Christopher, a young  Cambodian man who grew up in Phnom Penh and lived through the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. This was an amazing story, however, this would be the one reason I might wait a bit to share this book with my 7 year old, at least in its pure form. The book is not graphic, but I'm not sure I'm ready to share that kind of history with her. I would definitely read it while editing it down a bit for her.  Other than this, I though this was an excellent book for so many ages!  Even as a 30-something mother of four, I felt touched and inspired by this book.  It's not at all dumbed down for kids. It's an excellent presentation of God's grace in a very understandable way.  I loved that the author at the beginning of one chapter, went back through and reviewed what exactly each interviewee had taught us about grace. The book ends with the Gospel story shared including a prayer to accept Jesus and encouragement to share with someone if one prayed it.  This is an excellent book for elementary kids through adults, especially adults who don't love to read, or are very new to the faith and would like an introduction to the idea of grace. This book will be sticking on our shelf indefinitely, and I look forward to reading it with my kids!

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


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Book Review: Motivate Your Child

I recieved a review copy of Motivate Your Child by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller. To be completely honest, I haven't had a chance to read the book yet.  But from flipping through it, this looks like one I'm going to read next! In one of the first chapters, the authors, who write the book from a Christian worldview, discuss how the aim of this book is to raise kids who do things because of internal motivation, or because of what is right, rather than an external motivation more along the lines of Pavlov's dog and its bell. The book's chapters present a discussion on the topics presented and then bring it to life and let us see it in action with a story of a family using the ideas. The authors talk about taking the time to develop your strategies as a parent, and taking the time to choose your tone of voice, words and actions carefully, thus setting the example for our kids to think before they speak and act. This one hits a little close to home for me!

This book to me, seems to be one more about seeing parenting as teaching your child, developing character and spiritual growth. I am so looking forward to reading how to shift away from the frustration, repitition and behavioral change.  I'd definitely recommend this book to christian parents.

I will try to update again as I really dive in, but just flipping through has already convicted me of some of my parenting practices and excited me to have a different atmosphere in our home!

I recieved a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Q&A A Day

I reviewed Q&A A Day from Potter Style. I was excited to try it as I almost bought the kids' version to do with my children.  I love the idea of it, and the book is really cute. Its a solid little hardback, about 6 inches tall and 1 1/2 inches thick with gold gilted edges. Each page has the date and space to answer a question every year for five years.  Granted, you have to be able to write small, as the space given is pretty tiny.

The issue I have with this version is that the questions don't really inspire me.  As I flip through it, I didn't find myself looking forward to answering the questions.  They felt more like work, like something I'd have to spend time figuring out how to answer.  So if you are an artsy poetic lover of words who wants to be inspired to journal, this will probably be up your alley.  For me, a busy mom with too many hobbies already, I don't see myself spending the time on it.  I'd rather spend a few minutes jotting memories of my experiences with my kids than figuring out  "how my parents would describe me", or writing down the last fruit I ate.


I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: I Can Learn the Bible

I got to review this cute book from Thomas Nelson Publishers.  This is a great little hard backed book, an excellent devotional to work through with your kids!  Each devotional centers around a verse, explaining its meaning and encouraging memorization. It is intended for each devotional to be used over the course of a week, and in the introduction, the author gives suggestions for each day's activity.  The illustrations are darling, and the pages are thick and sturdy.  The verses chosen are excellent, encouraging our faith and walk with God.  I will definitely work through this with my children, these are excellent verses and devotions for children as well as adults! I would recommend this for families that want a devotional good for a range of ages, as it is simple enough for younger children, yet can spark discussion and conversation with older children.  It could easily be used for a child's personal devotions as well.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publishers in return for my honest review.