Disclosure: I received a book from Tyndale Bloggers. Post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.

In the church, small group ministry can be a powerful way to build relationships.  If you’ve felt led (or you’ve been asked) to host a small group in your home, you might feel overwhelmed with the idea of the commitment.  We’ve hosted small groups  in various ways over the past 20 years, and it’s always been a wonderful experience.   Here are 4 things to consider when you’re hosting a small group. [Read more…]

Is your kitchen gear starting to look a little tired? Make a fresh start in the new year with fun new kitchen accessories and some meal ideas!  We received two Krystal packages (one is shown above) and one lucky Savings in Seconds reader will win some goodies for the kitchen, too!  [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book from BookLook. Post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope this is a blessed year for all of you.
My new year started with a broken tooth, a Smallville Season 1 marathon, and a delicious chicken pot pie from my BFF’s mom.  I’m not a big one for resolutions at New Year’s.  There’s nothing wrong with setting goals….it’s just that getting through the day without any major catastrophes is usually all I can get done.  However, this year I would like to focus on one thing.  I’d like to reconnect with old friends and show love to new friends. [Read more…]

Disclosure: BookLook sent me this book, and the post contains affiliate links. Opinions shared are mine.

I tried, I really did.

My heart wanted to love A Portrait of Emily Price.

It’s hard for me to admit that I didn’t really like it because there was so  much to love.  Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me.   [Read more…]

It’s been a few days since my daughter and I binge-watched Stranger Things. The Netflix show centers around an adolescent cast, much in the same way as Stand By Me and Goonies. In some ways, it reminds me of a teen soap like Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill, with some added horror elements. It was extremely addictive, though.  After we finished watching Season 1, there were some lingering questions that kept me awake most of the night.  (Spoiler alert….though I’ll try to keep the details to a minimum!)

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Disclosure: I received this book as a Tommy Mommy blogger. Opinions shared are mine.

Many people have asked me how my daughter was able to read from such an early age.  They look at me like I’m lying when I tell them the real truth.  Honestly, she learned to read because of the frequency of our times reading together.   I think most of her early reading developed from memorization and picture recognition. As time went on, she learned to recognize the words in place of the pictures.  That’s why Read and Share books held such an important place on our family bookshelf.  An example can be found in this Look I’m Reading Bible Storybook from Tommy Nelson. [Read more…]

I received this book as a Tommy Mommy. Opinions shared are mine.

For our family, one of the most wonderful moments of 2016 was the day when my son was baptized.  He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  As we praised that decision with him, it also became clear that I need to provide him with spiritual guidance.  Now that he’s a strong reader, he can explore God’s word on his own.  A kids study Bible like the new Airship Genesis is perfect for providing him with support, yet allowing him to be an independent learner.  [Read more…]

Disclosure: We received three sample kits. Opinions shared are mine.

Our family celebrates Christmas each year. While we don’t go all out with bells and whistles (a Christmas tree and some fudge marked the holiday for us this year), many families do many Christmas crafts and prepare baked goods just for the holiday.  Some people opt for ways to make the traditions a bit easier on the time schedule and budget.  For instance, a gingerbread house might seem like a daunting task but a premade kit could simplify the process.  It never occurred to me that those who celebrate other holidays, such as Hanukkah, would want similar convenience kits.  For example,  Manischewitz offers fun, delicious interactive kits that make a DIY Chanukah project possible.

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A wonderful thing happens over Christmas break every year — I get to read those books that have been stashed away for a rainy day.  Yesterday, my husband had a doctor’s appointment that took a couple of hours, so I tagged along with Everything We Keep in hand.

I won this book in a blog giveaway (thanks to Just Commonly!), and hadn’t heard anything about it aside from that blogger’s review. I opened the first page without even reading the summary on the back (glad for that.) Immediately, the character and situation drew me in. [Read more…]

This summer my grandfather passed away, leaving my grandmother alone with no one nearby.  She attends several church functions every week.  I know it will be difficult for her to zip up dresses, especially those that have full-back zippers.  When Ms. Dress Up shared their unique zipper pull with me, I knew it was the perfect gift for any lady who faces the difficult task of zipping alone!  [Read more…]