Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Kara Tippetts knows the ordinary days of mothering four kids, the joy of watching her children grow…and the devastating reality of stage-IV cancer.  One lucky winner will receive a copy of her book The Hardest Peace. [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Our sponsor for this giveaway is Tommy Nelson. We are giving away a copy of Man Stuff!

[Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review. The post contains affiliate links; the opinions shared here are 100% mine.

I want to be that mom who keeps everything. Movie ticket stubs, a lock of hair, and all the baby pictures set up in chronological order sounds like the perfect box to pull out when the kids grow up. Alas, that’s not me. When I do save stuff, it’s in more of a hoarding fashion. I stuff items in boxes with no rhyme or reason, then waste a whole spring break going through it all in 5 years. When it comes to weekend planning, our family tends to busy up the days with errands to run. We spend Saturday trying to catch a breath from the previous week, then spend Sunday trying to prepare for the upcoming week. Our family’s special moments come in the mundane, ordinary ways like blowing bubbles in the yard or riding bikes around the cul-de-sac.

[Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review. The links in this post are my affiliate links; the opinions shared here are 100% mine.

I don’t read a lot of books by independent authors. It’s not that I don’t value the effort that those books require, because I certainly appreciate the determination it takes to take that step. It’s just that there are soooo many indie authors who want/need/ask for a review that there’s just no way to be diplomatic about saying no. I’ve stuck with my regular publisher contacts and went on my merry way. When Courtney Farrell asked if I’d like to review BAIT, I thought about saying no. The cover didn’t wow me (it was a different cover than what is pictured on Amazon) and we all know how the cover affects me. Then I read the synopsis and thought, hey, it sounds pretty interesting. So I gave it a shot. I took the Bait. [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received these books to review. This post contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase through the links, I may receive a small commission.  The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

My body had a habit.  Every year around October, I experienced heart palpitations and dizzy spells.  Sometimes I had full-blown panic attacks.  After many visits to the doctor, tests at the ER, wearing a heart monitor for days on end, the doctors finally determined that my problem was stress.  The first time I really noticed the symptoms was during a particularly stressful time of my life.  My doctor offered some anxiety medication to get me through the tough spot.  My question — will the medicine get my house sold faster?  Take care of my kids?  Muddle through the paperwork for my student teacher?  Do my laundry for me?  Sarcasm aside, my point was that the stress wouldn’t go away with medication.  My reaction to the stress would change, though.  Stress isn’t something new.  I daresay that people in the past really struggled with the stress of survival more than we do today —  finding it necessary rather than therapeutic to garden to feed my family for the winter, for example.  Today, though, society is open and sometimes whiny about the stress we face in our lives.  We have to find ways to deal with it that can also eradicate the issue to a degree.

If you’re feeling stressed out, burdened, or just overwhelmed, maybe these books can help.   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review. The opinions shared are 100% mine.

When God Whispers Your Name was the first Max Lucado book I had the chance to read.  It was my freshman year of college and I was struggling with decisions about my future.  That book changed the way I looked at my faith, at my interactions with God.  Lucado has a powerful way of making a message go straight to the readers’ heart.  He doesn’t miss the mark with Before Amen.  [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received these books to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

My husband doesn’t like to watch chick flicks (although he will usually succumb to Downton Abbey or Pride & Prejudice) so my fallback is Christian romance.  These days, Christian romance takes a twist.  The stories are no longer sappy and shallow.  Instead, we get to read about strong female characters who change the face of history, at least in the novel!  One book I read this week was Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund.  Based in the Michigan territory in the early 1800’s, this story follows compassionate Angelique MacKenzie.  She sacrifices in so many ways to protect her childhood friend’s mother from starvation and loneliness.   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

When the whining starts, chocolate or some serious protein intake is usually required to curb my plaintive self. Yep, I can be whiny. My husband is truly a saint to put up with me all these years. That’s why I totally get it when my kids are whiny; they come by it naturally. It doesn’t excuse their behavior, though, and I definitely try to redirect that negative energy. Whining can often be a way to hide behind childhood fears or unsettled worry. That’s why Whiny Whiny Rhino is such an endearing book!

[Read more…]

Disclosure:  I received this dress as an exchange for another item. I was not asked to blog about it.  I chose to share my opinions because it’s a fabulous dress!

Somehow morning minutes are way more valuable than evening minutes at our house.  Perhaps it’s the whole supply-and-demand factor.  You know, we’re on a limited time crunch to get to work/school on time yet there are so many pressing demands for that time.  The buzz of activity in our home as everyone prepares for the day becomes a deafening roar within those last few minutes before stepping out of the door.   I’ve asked several friends how they minimize the morning chaos.  Many of them explained that they set out clothes the night before (people actually do that after the first week of school?) or have a little chart for the kids to follow.  They must use some Mommy Magic because at my house that type of organization doesn’t last long.  When it’s time for me to find something to wear, it is so discouraging when last week’s new pants don’t fit anymore, or that favorite top has a grease spot that I missed on laundry day.  This morning, I remembered this new dress from Monroe and Main and wore it for the first time.

[Read more…]

Disclosure: I received product samples. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Welcome to the It’s a Free for Fall Giveaway Hop! This event is hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network.  Now that fall is here, the days are getting cooler and our blankets are just a bit cozier! We’re celebrating the changing seasons with a fun giveaway hop. Each blogger in the hop has a prize for you worth at least $25; make sure you hop around to them all in the linky at the bottom of this post.

One lucky reader will receive a prize pack from Mrs. Renfro’s (4 products), a Room on the Broom DVD from NCircle Entertainment, and a copy of the book God Is Always Good from Tommy Nelson! [Read more…]