Book Review: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life by Crystal Paine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is authored by the author of the popular blog Moneysaving Mom. I've loosely followed her blog for a while, and I will say that a lot of the info I felt I had already read on the blog. However, I LOVE having a hard copy all in one place to work through.  i'm sure there is new information and it's expanded from what I remember reading on the blog. Its exactly what the title says, simple strategies.  It is doable and it will get your crazy house and life pulled back into a more doable, normal lifestyle. I love that she talks about doing what is right and enough for you, for example with housecleaning. I don't feel like i'm being pushed to turn into a crazy, OCD cleaning freak, but that she urges you to think about what is enough for you and your family. Throughout the chapter, she offers exercises and ideas to get your mind going, and at the end, always summarizes with a few thoughtful prompts or exercises to do.  While I don't feel like my life is out of control, I do struggle with motivation to get things done, and I think this book will be really helpful to read through a second time, and really think about and do the exercises.  As I said, I love that it's a hard copy all in one place and I don't have to go hunting for individual blog posts from series. I think this is a very helpful book for any homemaker at any stage of life, whether they are just starting out (how amazing to get on top of things from the beginning, before you get overwhelmed!), to working moms and stay at home moms of any number of kids (or  no kids!). I would definitely recommend it and plan to work through it again and apply principals to my own homemaking experience!
The author is a Christian and while she doesn't hide it, it is not overwhelming for those who are not of the same faith.  For me those parts add so much to the experience of the book, but one could easily skip over those sections if not interested.

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

View all my reviews

Book Review: Love and Respect In the Family

Love & Respect in the Family: The Transforming Power of Love and Respect Between Parent and Child by Emerson Eggerichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a spin off of the Love and Respect in marriage book. The premise as applied to the family is that kids need love and parents need respect.  The main points of the book make sense, though i don't really see myself sitting down and explaining the cycle to my kids as the book suggests.  For me, this book is better used as a reminder that i need to love my kids unconditionally and not react to their misbehavior in inappropriate ways.  It is an attitude check for me.  I think most kids know that parents expect respect and it seems unncecessary to have "the discussion" about it.  My favorite parts of the book were the chapters towards the end.  The author uses the acronym GUIDES to present the six ways of Godly parenting which i agree with.  If you want a book to tell you what to do in certain situations, this is not the book for you.  The book more presents general guidelines, even in the D section which is about discipline.  Chapter ten, about teamwork is a powerful chapter.  The author talks about the most important relationship in the family- the marriage!  He says that the relationship that most impacts the family is the parents relationship with each other.  He encourages parents to work as a team when parenting, and to put the marriage relationship first.  i agree that this is a vital point that so many parenting books don't even touch on.  The book also includes a chapter on "Parenting pink and blue" where the author discusses the differences when parenting boys and girls.  He suggests that boys need respect and girls need love reinforced in their interactions (just as men need respect and women need love with respect to the marriage relationship).  My husband and I found this book to be so true in our marriage, and it is interesting to see how it begins to play out at a young age as well. The part that was most convicting for me however, was in the section 3 about the family rewarded cycle.  The book discusses how parenting is more about our relationship with Christ, and having the right attitudes and responses because of our faithfulness to Christ and not necessarily because of how our children behave and respond to us.  It talks about how sometimes we get our self worth from how our kids behave (or misbehave!) when it should come from our worth as a child of God.  One particularly good quote was where the author states that our kids don't cause us to sin in our responses, rather they reveal the sin in us.  My takeaway from this book is most from those last few chapters- if I am having such a difficult time with remaining calm and loving, then my faith is not where it needs to be and I need to lean more on Christ and firm up my faith.  I would recommend this book to all Christian parents, and strongly encourage that you read through to the end, even if the first few chapters don't speak to you.  THe best in this book is at the end!

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


View all my reviews

Book Review: A Sound Like Fire

A Sound Like Fire by K. D. Veron
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, a novel about the great tribulation when God takes His church from this earth. the book follows Dax, a U.S. senator, who is living a worldly, luxurious life, devoted to his work and mistress and leaving his wife and 2 children to their own devices. At the beginning, we realize that Dax is imprisoned for religious dissidence and experiencing horrible conditions. the story is told in flashbacks as Dac shares his story with the other prisoners and other times that the story just jumps to a third person narrative about Dax's life. the writing is stilted and awkward and even being halfway through the book, I really don't care about any of the characters. Events such as the world uniting under one government are discussed as if sharing that the someone went out for groceries. Suddenly the government is openly against the Christian church and ignores any mention of any other religions.  The disappearance of the Christian church is barely reacted to except for Dax and his wife immediately believing in Christ though they had ignored his preacher brother for their entire lives. and they seem not to care enough to share the gospel with Dax's good friend and bodyguard, nor do they attend church or read the Bible until months later. The author's description of the believers being taken is interesting, and the premise is obviously excellent, however it seems very underdeveloped. charcters emotion and thoughts are ignored; no mention of his children is made after one dies during a drug deal and the other chooses the occult. Dax doesn't think at all of his wife when they are separated after being arrested. when they are executed with twenty pages left in the book, it is just matter of factly ststed that his wife's bloody head is placed for him to see while the executioner swings the axe for his own. this book has potential, but the author chose to treat it like a news story rather than getting the reader invested in the story and characters and living the amazing experience with them. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book.

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


View all my reviews

Book Review: Emma of Aurora

Emma of Aurora by Jane Kirkpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a set of three books set in the late 1800's about Emma, who starts out as a young woman with eyes for an older man in her colony.  They live in a cooperative community run by Wilhelm Keil, who is a thorn in Emma's side (and mine!) for the entire series.  Keil chooses to send her new husband, who she's had very little time with due to Keil's missions for him, as one of the scouts who go to the west coast to look for land to move the colony as Keil feels it is getting too many outside influences. Emma is a bit spirited for the community and talks her way into being sent along as well.  The series follows Emma and the scouts on their journey and the development of the new colony.  More details would give away too many surprises (not always good ones!), but the series was good. The historical details of the book are so interesting, and at the end of the third book we find that Emma and the colony are true historical characters fleshed out by the author, and that one can still visit the historical colony of Aurora.  Emma changes throughout the series through the hardships and joys she suffers in her life.  They were somewhat frustrating to read, as through most of the books, Emma separates herself and tends to think the worst of people as she struggles with being part of the colony and being dependent on others due to her circumstances.  It takes until the third book for Emma to return to her faith and find the joy in her life and those around her.  That is definitely the redeeming book for Emma as she takes the colony's initial mission of making other's lives better than one's own to heart and lives it out.  The things that happen to Emma definitely merit the frustration she has, though i would have liked to see her grow more as a person in the first two books as well as the third.  Perhaps that's more my (as the reader) desire to help her avoid the struggles her decisions lead her to.  I would recommend these books, and encourage the reader to read all of them, and the third book is definitely where Emma shines and shows her Godly character growth.  It is interesting to see the goals and lives of those in the colony grow and change as well from the picture we get of them in the first book or so.  I'd love to add the historical Aurora Colony to the list of sites to see if we ever travel to the west coast!

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


View all my reviews

Book Review: Martyr's Fire

Martyr's Fire by Sigmund Brouwer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The book Martyr's Fire, is an adventure type book set in the time of knights.  Main characters include Thomas, the Lord of Magnus who finds he is an immortal, Katherine, who is an immortal seeking to help him recover Magnus and the secrets of the Immortals, and Isabelle, a druid who wants to destroy them both and regain control of Magnus for her father who was "demoted" after Thomas took the fortress of Magnus from him.  This book took me a while to get into; it was hard to tell who were the "good characters" for a while.  The ending of books like this drives me CRAZY. If you aren't looking for a new series to read, than don't bother.  There is no conclusion whatsoever, except that Thomas begins to slightly trust Katherine.  If I'd have known it was this kind of teaser story, I wouldn't have bothered.  I much prefer books that actually give you a bit of satisfaction at the end, even if they have a teaser towards the next in the series to a book that's sole purpose is to get you to buy the next one.  I really can't rate this book very highly for that reason.  This book is actually the third in the series, which I did not realize when I began reading it. That may have something to do with my confusion at the beginning, though it still does excuse the lack of a complete storyline within this book. I actually find it astonishing that the third book in a series could feel so incomplete.   

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

View all my reviews

Quick wallet for L

It was my oldest's birthday on Sunday... Six years old!  We have decided to start giving her a little allowance and I thought a cute new wallet to keep it in was in order. I found a cute free pattern here at Modest Maven, and it is a pretty quick sew if you need a simple wallet!

 I added a little bow!  The outside is corduroy; and as I look at it I'm second guessing that white zebra... my white stuff never stays white...

 It closes with a simple little snap (though trying to get done I put it in wrong and had to cut it off and re-do... sigh.

I did change it up a little on the inside cause I wanted her to have a place for her change, and, really, the only card she might carry is her library card, so she didn't need two rows! 

super simple, and I think she will be excited!  We'll see how fast her little allowance blows out of there...

Book reviews: The Passionate Mom, The Quilted Heart series, and Bathsheba Bathed in Grace

The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today's World by Susan Merrill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Passionate Mom is a great book that challenges you to be passionate about your kids. The author studied the story of Nehemiah and relates that to a mother's work of raising her children. I enjoyed the details of the story of Nehemiah, and really appreciated the stories from the author's life as well. It makes the book even more readable and enjoyable and brings the ideas alive. I loved that the book was not just ideas, but also included practical application ideas.  When she discusses the importance of Prayer, she shares the 4 step pattern (I learned it as ACTS in high school) that Nehemiah follows (Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication). She discusses the story of Nehemiah, makes parallels to a mom's mission, gives concrete steps and suggestions and then makes it even more understandable with examples from her own family.  I recommend this book to christian moms who are passionate and intentional about raising their children and/or have a desire to become even more so!

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


View all my reviews

Dandelions on the Wind by Mona Hodgson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very quick read for me.  It was fairly simple and there was no huge drama, it was just a sweet simple love story. I enjoyed it as a nice quick getaway read.  Maren comes to Denmark planning to marry a man who is quick to run off when he realizes her sight is failing. She has settled in with Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, helping to raise the young granddaughter and do the farmwork.  A man shows up on the farm and turns out to be Gabi's father, and Mrs. Brantenberg's son-in-law, who left them in grief for the war when his wife dies in childbirth.  The story has a bit of romance, and grace and redemption. If you are looking for a book to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is not it.  But if you enjoy clean, sweet and simple romance to get away from the stress of life, then I recommend this book to you. This is the first book in a series, however, this book can be read as a stand-alone novel.  

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

View all my reviews

Bending Toward the Sun by Mona Hodgson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was another short and sweet novella in The Quilted Heart series by Mona Hodgson.  Similar to my review of the first in the series, this is a simple love story telling the story of Emilie, the shopkeeper's daughter, and Quaid, the son of Irish "teamsters".  Emilie finds that her father, who she always thought to be accepting of all people, is less than thrilled to see his daughter showing interest in Quaid (and vice versa!).  He asks Quaid not to "encourage her" and the story follows their response as a couple to this.  Similar to the first, it is a simple story, without edge of your seat action, but an excellent, quick, uplifting read.  I recommend it to those who enjoy a nice, clean romance.  As with the first novel, I felt it could stand alone as it's own story. It follows characters introduced in the first book, but one does not have to read the first book to enjoy the second.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher for review.  

View all my reviews

Ripples Along the Shore by Mona Hodgson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book was the one I thought looked the most interesting of the series, but disappointed me most at the end. The story was similar to the others, simple and sweet. This one did not have much romance in it though, but focused on the female character, Caroline, and also shared more of Anna's story as well. There was some romantic interest but it did not lead anywhere in this story; instead it focused on Caroline's feelings of being unwanted in her living situation (as well as not wanting to be immersed in the negativity there) and her dilemma as a single widow as to her plans for the future.  She decides to leave on the wagon train with other families looking for new opportunities, but is denied by the leader. While the other two books in the series offered complete stories for their characters, this one really felt like a "throwaway" book.  It felt like the author was just enticing you into the story to get you to buy the next series. It did not feel complete at all, and was really disappointing. I'm not a fan of the whole "novella" phenomenon. To me, its a money making ploy selling chapters of a book. It seems that the author is continuing with these characters, however, looking at the description of the first novel, it does not even continue with Caroline's unfinished story, but tells Anna's, which was a side story in the first book.  This makes this novella even more of a throwaway for me; what is the point of starting a story that she doesn't plan to finish... WHile i was interested in the story, i'm not really interested in reading more "novellas" so i'm not so sure that I will be reading this next series, which is disappointing as I did enjoy the first two novellas, and the beginning of Caroline's story.

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


View all my reviews

Bathsheba Bathed in Grace: How 8 Scandalous Women Changed the World by Carol Cook

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Bathsheba Bathed in Grace is a fictionalized account of 8 women in the Bible.  I was excited to read this but ended up a bit disappointed.  Granted, the author tells each story in one chapter so there isn't a lot of room to expand the stories, and I actually appreciated that she didn't go out of the way to invent details and what "might" have happened. However, I did feel that the stories were rather superficial and basic.  For example, in the first story of Bathsheba, I thought the author's covering o f the murder of her husband Uriah was very lacking.  She really didn't seem distraught at all, even though she was so in love with him at the beginning of the story.  She very quickly was grateful to David for taking her and her unborn son to the palace rather than leaving them to fend for themselves, instead of being angry that he'd killed her husband.  Perhaps she didn't know this, but still her grief for Uriah was very superficial.  I did learn more about the women and what their perspectives might have been.  She does give the reader new insight into some of the lesser known women like Tamar and their stories. Tamar was probably my favorite and I learned the most from that story.  I would read more from this author though I do hope her writing deepens a bit. 

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

View all my reviews