One part history lesson, one part girlfriend beauty tips, this was a book I couldn’t put down. In her book Biblical Beauty: Ancient Secrets and Modern Solutions Weisberger describes ancient beliefs about beauty topics from sun worship to keeping fit. Weisberger is a licensed cosmetologist, makeup artist, and skincare specialist so she definitely knows her stuff. She incorporates Biblical facts and characters in her writing. Each chapter begins with these women, including notorious beauties like Bathsheba and Esther. This helped me see these women as real moms like myself. I wish there had been a bit more closure about each character though. A quick summary of what happened to each character would be great especially for readers who are unfamiliar with the women of the Bible. Some of the stories provide this information but others didn’t. Perhaps the author thought those details would distract from the purpose of the book.

The chapters go on to give modern solutions to timeless issues. This isn’t your typical beauty book, though. Biblical Beauty gives detailed information about each topic, such as choosing different types of metal for jewelry and how to make your own fragrance blends using essential oils. The focus of the book is on natural beauty and how to use beauty tools to enhance it. The resource guide at the end of the book is a wonderful supplement. Because it reaches so many audiences, this would be an excellent Christmas gift for any woman (any age) who is interested in beauty tips as well as Biblical characters. It’s definitely a book that you’ll find yourself reading time and again.

You’ll have an opportunity to win your own copy of Biblical Beauty in the Very Merry Christmas giveaway in December.  In the meantime, be sure to visit author Rachelle Weisberger’s website and connect with her on Facebook.

I downloaded this one right away. My mother-in-law loves Beverly Lewis books. I’m going to see what all the fuss is about.

Here are some historical fiction books for you.


We are watching Lord of the Rings right now and getting excited for the upcoming release of The Hobbit.  Are you?  Here’s a cool free download for the Nook that will have readers and teachers alike abuzz about The Hobbit.

Another freebie…..a thriller about serial killers.  Not sure if I could read this one at night, but it might be good for Halloween reading!

I couldn’t resist this one. Who doesn’t love a good “Yo Mama” joke?!

Written by a licensed clinical social worker, Ricky, The Remarkable Raccoon is an excellent guide to help children realize that they are loveable and wanted.   In his search for a place to call home, Ricky seeks love and acceptance by a human family. Unfortunately the humans don’t react the way that Ricky anticipates and they lock him in a cage.  In a twist of fate, a seal named Mr. Whiskers helps Ricky to escape from the cage.  He does more than that, though…he gives Ricky the home that Ricky has always wanted.   This book reminds the reader that all children are loveable.  For those little ones who are in foster homes or waiting to be adopted, it gives the hope that there is a family out there somewhere who has been yearning for them.   It can also be meaningful for those who are adopted into diverse families.

Ricky is an adorable raccoon and my kids loved the story. A parent guide at the end of the book would be a great addition to help parents and teachers field the inevitable questions to follow when reading this book to young children.  Ricky found his family, he wasn’t born into it.   My children are unaware, I think, that other types of families exist.   Part of it is our fault because we do shelter our children to a large degree.  My daughter has one friend who was adopted.  However, the little girl is so perfect in her family that one would never know that she was not the natural child of her parents.    I felt like it was necessary to remind my children that they shouldn’t talk to strangers (even kind ones like Mr. Whiskers) unless I am with them.  Also, they should never allow a stranger to take them somewhere.  Yes, it’s probably overprotective of me to mention this to them, but I feel that I must always send that clear message to my kids.  The way that Ricky is treated by the humans is somewhat disturbing in a children’s story.   Thankfully the book has a happy ending.  I realize that the goal of the story was to help children in transient situations have hope and faith that they will find the perfect family.  But for some kids, this story could send a mixed message.

Disclosure of Material:I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Welcome to the Fall Into Green Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and Happy Green Mama through the Green Moms Network. Each participating blog is hosting a green or eco-friendly giveaway worth at least $25. You can find the list of participating blogs at the bottom of my post.

We also have a fabulous Grand Prize for this giveaway hop, sponsored by Maggie Bags. Two lucky winners will each receive The Tote of Many Colors in The Fall of Leaves or Camo – Maggie Bags’ most eco-friendly bag! Made of super durable recycled seat belt webbing, this roomy tote will hold everything you need and want, even that extra pair of shoes!

Savings in Seconds is pleased to recommend Trekker Cups to you as our first sponsor for this event. Contigo makes these cups with kids in mind.  They are truly leak-proof and spill-proof.  Believe me, my kids tested them!!  My son took his Trekker cup on a trip to Dollywood a couple of weeks ago.  My husband put it on top of the van as we loaded the kids and gear into the van, then drove away forgetting the cup.   It rolled onto the driveway and down the hill…..but not a drop spilled!!  It suffered a couple of scratches but I was SUPER impressed with its durability.  I have seen Trekker Cups at Sears and other retailers but they are much cheaper online.  I know that I’ll definitely be buying more of them in the future!!   My kids take their reusable water bottles to school each day to sip during school.  I like knowing that their Trekker cups won’t make a mess.   They’re also BPA-free and come in really fun colors.   Plus, they’re dishwasher safe!  Money-saving and time-saving are always good at our house.  These would make a great stocking stuffer, too, if you’re already thinking along those lines.  I would even tuck inside some fun flavor packets that all the kids like these days.   Contigo’s Trekker Cups make going green actually fun!!

Our second sponsor for this event is KleenSlate.   You know when you see a product and say, why didn’t I think of that?!  KleenSlate was that product for me.  In my classroom I have a crate full of dry erase boards. I won them as a door prize a few years ago at an inservice.  My students love using them; writing on a dry erase board can make even mundane skill and drill seem like fun.  After my students use the boards, my classroom looks like a storm blew through.  The markers and their lids are scattered about.  Whatever we used to clean the boards (tissues, clean socks, etc) are randomly tossed aside.  Sixth graders just don’t have the same “cleanup” standards as adults.  One of my colleagues suggested having my students turn the boards over and rub them on the carpet to clean them, which works but I fear that it leaves that black residues on the carpets.  That also doesn’t solve the marker issue.   The folks at KleenSlate clearly thought all of this through.  The paddle-style boards are easy for children to hold.  Even my three year old was able to handle the boards. The boards are double sided so you can use the grid side for math and have students write a response or reflection on the handwriting lines on the reverse side. So convenient!  The handle has a little grooved spot for holding the marker (which, incidentally, has an eraser in its cap).  The best part, though, is the little ring that holds the microfiber cloth in place.  Genius!  With everything right on the board, passing out supplies is a snap and ceanup is a breeze.   This tool makes it so easy to use formative assessment.  Just ask students to write a response and hold it up.  This is so non-threatening and sill encourage all students to engage in the activity.  Additionally, it makes it easy for the teacher to observe mastery within seconds.  Even if you only have a center with a few slates, you could use them for small groups or centers.  Students could use the boards for quick response.  KleenSlate offers additional board templates and  I think it would be really easy to create more based on your classroom needs by laminating papers such as maps and graphs you are using in your lesson.  Can’t you just imagine the possibilities!  Homeschooling parents can use these too.  They would make a cute stocking stuffer, too.    Heck, we’ll even be taking these along on our next roadtrip!   I just hope my kids don’t hold them to the windows with a big HELP message.

One lucky Savings in Seconds reader will receive a Trekker Cup prize AND a KleenSlate package. How fun!!!   This is open to US readers; please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

Tee hee.

This book gave me some good chuckles.  Written from the perspective of a creative and intelligent teen, How to Rule the World
is a lesson in small town life.  The story depicts the main character, Wendy, as a bored teen who makes some fun by coming up with a hoax that gets the town going in a tailspin of funny. I loved the personalities that were displayed in this story. The character interaction was great, too.  My husband is a Pennsylvania guy with a really dry, quirky sense of humor.  I could envision him saying some of the things that Pop said throughout the story.   The final two or three chapters fly through in more of an epilogue fashion.  I think the story could have ended with Chapter Thirty and then been picked up in a second book. I would have liked to see the main character (Wendy) return again in a sequel.   How to Rule the World was a clean, quick read that I truly enjoyed.

Learn more about author Jade Heasley on her website.

Enter to win your own autographed copy of How to Rule the World! The giveaway will be posted on October 1 as part of the Harvest Halloween giveaway event.

We’re always looking for fun, educational apps for our kids.  My 3-year-old son loves animals and Guess Moo is now one of his favorites.    Guess Moo has bright, child-friendly colors and happy music to accompany the games.   The app will play a sound and your child must guess which animal is making the sound.   It’s simple enough that even young kids can click on the animal.  If your child guesses incorrectly, he/she will have extra chances to figure it out.    Although it’s easy enough for children to use this app independently, it’s fun to play along with your kids.

  The app has enough challenge to entice both younger kids and their older siblings.   You can click here to check out the app.

 
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

What does daycare have in common with your prescriptions?  Well, one would think the answer would be NOTHING!   But I am here to tell you that your childcare costs and prescription medications can both save you MONEY! 

One thing that I’ve realized over the past few months is that few people at my workplace take advantage of the Flex Spending Account or Dependent Care accounts that our employer offers.   Basically the way this works is that the money is taken out of my paycheck pre-tax.  I pay up-front for the service and submit my receipt for reimbursement.   (Even better…..I do a one-time request for the childcare account and the check is sent automatically.)  This is a big savings for my family because it enables us to stay in a lower tax bracket.   For us, the limit for childcare is $5000 per year (we pay at least $7500 each year)  and $2400 in medical bills.  We take out the maximum for each and use it every year.   That is approximately $7400 pre-tax dollars that we are able to spend.  The money is direct-deposited into our account just a day or two after we request it so it’s very convenient.  I would do this no matter the amount I needed to take out.  It’s totally worth it!   Having the money set aside for medical expenses makes it much less stressful when the kids need to visit the doctor.

One pitfall to avoid in this situation—make sure that you don’t take out more than you’ll actually use.  The daycare expense is fairly easy to estimate since we pay the same amount each week.  For medical expenses, however, you need to consider all areas of your family’s needs.   When I decide how much to take out, I consider (1) prescription medications for the year, (2) planned medical expenses such as co-pays for annual physicals and vision exams, etc., and (3) any extraneous expenses such as dental work or optional surgery.   In the past over-the-counter items were eligible for reimbursement; now only prescription medicines are considered.  If we get to the end of the year and I realize that we have some money still in the account, I will order contact lenses or something so that I don’t lose that money.   Last year my husband had over $3000 in unexpected dental expenses and fortunately we had this money set aside for the Flex Account so it wasn’t an issue for us.

The sign-up period for our employer is usually around October.  I’m not a certified financial adviser or anything, but I’m happy to share my experience to help you save money!  If you are interested in learning more or finding out if your company offers something similar, be sure to contact the Human Resources department at your work.   If you have experience with these programs, I’d love to hear about it.

I heard it from the doctor this week…..gotta limit the sugar. Although I don’t currently have a problem, I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with my son so I am at higher risk for diabetes as the years go on. My daughter lectured me last week about soda and my addiction to cola.  Sigh.  From the mouths of babes……  I received the book Beyond Sugar Shock to review and it was an eye-opener. [Read more…]

So lately I have been on the lookout for DVDs that are appropriate and interesting for my 3 year old son.  Aside from Diego episodes, there isn’t a wide range of movies to choose from.  Rock ‘N Learn recently launched value-priced preschool DVDs at Sam’s Club stores. Priced at $7.98 for a limited time, these videos are geared toward the interests and developmental levels of preschoolers. From tying shoes to getting ready for school, this series gives kids a boost of independence and self-confidence so they can walk through the classroom door with a smile. With at least four titles to choose from,.I am sure that you will find one that’s perfect for your child.

You can visit Rock ‘N Learn on Facebook and on their website.

When The Seasons Change giveaway hop is hosted by And The Little Ones Too and Taking Time for Mommy.   We hope you’ll find lots of great prize packages to enter!

The sponsor for the Savings in Seconds giveaway is RediScan infrared thermometer.   I reviewed this handy gadget and let me tell you, I know it will be a priceless treasure in our house this winter.  It seems that if my kids spike a fever, it will almost always be at night.  The RediScan has so many convenient features like NO-TOUCH and the handy nightlight…..it just makes a tough time a little easier.   It also has a recall of the last 10 readings so if you need to keep track of your child’s temperature through the night, you can just check the record.   It comes with its own little storage bag and even included batteries, which is always nice.   Read my review of the RediScan to learn more about it.

One lucky US reader will win a thermometer.  Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

And The Little Ones Too, Taking Time For Mommy and the When Seasons Change bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prizes.