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

Thirteen-year-old Oksana lives on the streets of Russia with her pregnant mama and abusive aunt—both prostitutes. When Mama swells into labor, Oksana makes a decision to save herself from abandonment, a decision that torments her forever. But her plan fails when her aunt dumps her in an orphanage before she has the chance to say goodbye to her mama or tell her the secret that haunts her.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by If Only; it contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will make a small commission. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

April 1st marked the opening of the annual California auction. This event supports the American Red Cross in their efforts to promote earthquake preparedness.  I had a pen pal who lived in Los Angeles during the big 1994 earthquake.  She wrote to me and told me about the experience; her terror was evident even in a letter.  Supporting the American Red Cross in their earthquake preparedness quest is simple even if you don’t reside in California.  The Red Cross shop on IfOnly is home to some incredible experiences. Many of the packages carry a pretty price tag, but I found a few that seemed to be a relative bargain.  The purchases come with a a chance to benefit the American Red Cross while hanging with today’s top musicians, actors and entertainers. [Read more…]

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

How would you react if your world suddenly changed?  As I read Harp’s Song, I felt my loyalties careening toward the characters I didn’t like in the beginning of the book.  Young Harp has always wished for a mom who loved and cared for her the way a mother should, but it’s almost as if the reality of her mother’s behavior is worse than the abuse she faced before she knew “the secret.”    [Read more…]

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

There are some wonderful books on my shelf this week.  The first book, Guiltless Living, is an encouraging note to help the exasperated mom move on with her Christian life. Since walking with Jesus is one of my worthy goals in life, I was happy to give this book a spin.  Author Ginger Hubbard shares her secret obsessions and funny stories in a way that makes me want to write a fanfic.  I could so relate to her stories of being a bossy kid, laughed at the “Gin-Opoly” game she described, and cringed at my own impatience.   When I read her confession that her family panicked just a little for Y2K, it cracked me up because we also had a secret stash of bottled water and some food “just in case.”   Do you feel down and out as life pulls you in all directions?   Happily, Ginger shares how one can become new in Christ by learning to trust in God’s generosity and faithfulness.   This is an easy book to read (at only 100 or so pages) and would be the great backbone of a small group setting.

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Disclosure: This is a Fashionista Event; a promotional item was provided to me by Coupons.com. Hosts for this event are Still Blonde after all these Years and ModlyChic. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Making holidays special is one of my favorite parts of parenthood.  Easter frequently coincides with one of my kids’ birthdays (they are both April babies) so we always try to make it a fun spring outing.  We live in the city and don’t get to play with farm animals too often, so we enjoyed making a spring visit to the petting zoo for our Easter celebration.  There are a few ways to make this activity a bit more fun.  Read on to find my best tips! [Read more…]

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

It’s hard to walk into a restaurant, playground, or even my own living room without seeing people glued to the screens of various devices.  It really does take effort for most of us to forgo checking the phone for a text.  Adults and kids alike have become addicted to the technology that is supposed to make our lives easier.  Sadly, for many of us, we have to issue the decree that we’ll have a day (or hour) to “unplug.”  Would your own family take the challenge if you asked them to Unplug and Play, or would they run away with the device in hand?  Brad Berger’s book Unplug & Play! offers 50 games and activities that can help. [Read more…]

Our sponsor for this post is Winning Moves. [Read more…]

Welcome to the Raining Romance Books giveaway hop — hosted by Stuck In Books.  I’ve entered many book giveaways and love winning something new to read.  The best part is finding a new author or genre that I might not have tried before. [Read more…]

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

I’m not sure what I loved more about The Queen’s Handmaid. Was it the fact that we were in 39 B.C.? Finding ourselves in Cleopatra’s court? Traveling to Herod’s court to witness the coming of the Messiah? Or the fact that all this is in a Christian novel so that I didn’t have to worry about bad language or graphic bedroom scenes? All of the above. [Read more…]