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

Welcome to the February New Release Hop!  If you are looking for a thrilling, suspenseful read that leans more toward scary than gory, you’ve gotta pick up Friend Me. Psychological thrillers like this one tend to frighten me more than horror films because of the mere fact that they can actually happen. And once you read Friend Me, you’ll think about it more than once when you’re clicking away on Facebook or Twitter!  When I read this book, it reminded me of Fatal Attraction — remember that crazy lady who would stop at nothing to get the man she wanted? This is the 2014 social media version.  Totally worth reading!!!   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my favorite readers!  Welcome to the 2nd annual Handmade from the Heart Giveaway Hop. This event is hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network.  The hop was such a success last year that we brought it back for round 2 because beautiful handmade items are all the rage these days.  Be sure to hop around and celebrate handmade items because each blogger in this event has a handmade giveaway worth at least $25!  You’ll definitely want to catch the fantastic handmade goodness of the Grand Prize… a $150 Etsy Gift Card!  I can think of lots of ways to spend that, can’t you?  [Read more…]

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

My kids love bedtime stories.  Actually, they like any-time-of-the-day stories.  My husband is the creative one, coming up with all kinds of fun fiction that would make J. K. Rowling give up her firstborn for just a snippet of the plot.  On the other hand, my stories are very blah.  In fact, one night I informed my son I was going to tell him the shortest bedtime story ever.  It goes like this.  “Once upon a time, there was a boy. The End.”  It only took a few seconds for him to get it.  He laughed so hard that I started laughing and neither of us could stop.  It’s been an inside joke ever since.  But the issue remains…what’s the bedtime story tonight?

I’ll let you in on my little secret.

I tell my kids Bible stories at bedtime.  They have no idea that their bedtime stories are really biblical.  At least until they hear the story in Sunday School. [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received product samples; the opinions shared here are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links.

The year 2014 brings me one step closer to 40 years old. I’ve only got two years left to enjoy my 30’s and I’m going to make the most of it. My 20’s flew by in a flash and I can’t even say what happened to the last decade. Children?! I started out the year doing one thing that’s been on my To-Do list for months — read the book The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I’ve been holding off for a while because the summary sounded so depressing. In January I decided, to heck with it, I’m reading that book. And oh, what a sweet relief. The book is heartbreaking, yes, but it’s also so deeply satisfying and wonderful. If you haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favor and order it now. This is a story that will make you laugh, cry, and feel so glad to be human! Realizing that Valentine’s Day is creeping up on us, I decided it was a good time to add some new glam to my 30-something face. Try some new cosmetics to wow your Valentine this year! [Read more…]

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

As I read Prime of Life, the lyrics of this Matchbox Twenty song kept rolling through my mind.   How often do you see someone who seems just a little unwell?  Do you take the time to find out what’s going on with that person, or do you go on about your day hoping that they won’t respond truthfully to the “How are you?” question?   I’m ashamed to admit that I’m guilty of that walking-on-by-don’t-mind-me business.   Prime of Life reminded me to pause for a moment and get to know the people who share my air for a few minutes.  You never know, you might see a different side of that person!

If we had to go by Mr. and Mrs. Seinfeld, Del Boca Vista’s retirement community would be the height of a social party.  There’s a hot tub to enjoy and the fold-out couches are top notch.  But what happens when the kids aren’t visiting?  That’s when the real fun begins, I think.  In Prime of Life, Ben gets a dose of the retirement home lifestyle before he even hits age 40. You see, he’s the janitor in the complex.  As you read, though, you’ll find out that he’s not your typical handyman. [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received product samples; the opinions shared here are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links.

I have a four year old boy living in my house.  Dinosaurs have become a regular part of our family conversations.  Granted, we went through this with my daughter, too, when she was younger.   It’s kind of funny because I would expect kids to be afraid of dinos, what with all the teeth and roaring and hugeness.  Apparently not, because my kids can’t get enough of the Dino Dan video we received this month from NCircle.  Trek’s Adventures are really engaging for children because they involve a lot of imagination, creativity, and exploration.  Those are the extra senses that kids need to exercise when they’re little, right?  The Dino Dan DVD is available at Walmart stores and online. You have a chance to win a copy in this giveaway, just head down to the bottom of this post for the entry form!

[Read more…]

Disclosure: I received product samples; this post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

It’s a SNOW DAY!!  And it’s not even snowing outside yet!!  Later today our area is supposed to be hit with a huge slap from Winter Storm Pax (which seems like a crazy name for a storm that has potential to wreak havoc, but okay.)  In a preemptive strike against the snow, our school system was smart and called out today.  Which means the kids and I are hanging out in our PJ’s enjoying a much needed day off, since my son is still recovering from a chest cold.  We don’t have to worry about venturing into the bad weather and trying to make it back home.  Yay, school system officials!!  I decided it was a good time to celebrate by breaking out the new beauty goodies I received this week.  Since my new Nature’s Sleep slippers just arrived, it was a perfect excuse to have pretty toenails! [Read more…]

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

Have you seen 19 Kids And Counting? My daughter loves to watch that show but all I can think about it, how do the older kids feel about their family’s way of life. And will they follow in their parents’ footsteps? Exhaustion seems to be my middle name most days and I only have two children! In A Road Unknown, Elizabeth leaves the only home she’s ever known because she’s just sick of all the responsibility placed on her as the oldest child. In truth, she’s expected to behave as a mother to her siblings.  Would she have left her home if she’d had the opportunity to enjoy herself a bit, or perhaps to take a little break?  Whatever might have happened, she decided to leave and go to Paradise.   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.
Welcome to the Romance is in the Air Giveaway Hop. This event is hosted by I Am A Reader and Cohosted by Rachael Anderson.  The books in this hop applauding clean Young Adult and adult romance novels.  You have from February 8th to 14th to enter the giveaways linked in this post.  Good luck!

Shadowed by Grace is such a sweet WWII romance that I had to feature it for this hop.   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.
Welcome to the blog tour for Hopeful, the first book in Shelley Shepard Gray’s new series, Return to Sugarcreek.  

The bittersweet story in Hopeful reminded me about all those quips my grandmother told me during my pimply teenage years.  What’s on the inside is what matters.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Man looks at the outward appearance; God looks at the heart.  Although those sayings might be true in utopia, they really offer no consolation to a homely girl, even in an Amish community.  After being overlooked by all the eligible men in her town, Miriam was less than content to become the town spinster.  Who can blame her? [Read more…]