Disclosure:  Post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.

We’ve only had a few cold mornings so far this fall.  On one such morning, I wore a lightweight top in anticipation of the warmer temperatures that were expected later in the day.  Upon entering the school building and finding that the heat wasn’t turned on until the morning, it was a shock to find my classroom so cold.  One of the ladies across the hall was wearing a cozy-looking blanket scarf.  It looked so warm and comfortable that I longed for one, too. So when I saw Cents of Style’s Friday deal — a blanket scarf for just $15.95 + free shipping — I had to snag one for myself and a couple for Christmas gifts!   Use code BLANKETGIFT to get that special pricing.

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Disclosure: I received these books to review. Opinions shared are mine; post contains affiliate links.

Remember my post about The Hardest Peace?  The author, Kara Tippetts, had a unique stronghold on life even as she faced death.  Although she passed away in March 2015, her book Just Show Up is a wonderful demonstration of the way that God’s spirit lives on through her words.

No matter what life has thrown your way, chances are good that you’ve needed help from a friend at some point.   In my case, we had a pretty big scare a few weeks ago when my husband went to the ER with chest pains. We were literally getting ready for work/school on a Monday morning when he announced (very calmly) that he thought he’d just head over to the ER and get it checked out.  In my desire to keep the children from being alarmed, I tried to keep things as normal as possible while I dropped everyone off, arranged for a substitute teacher, and headed to the hospital.  Meanwhile, my friends jumped into action.  Although it’s hard to accept help, it was such a blessing that they took care of me. Ali made plans to pick up my kids after school, Lori took care of lesson plans, and Cornelia visited me in the hospital.  Several people texted me with notes of prayer all day long.  Lori called me around dinner time to let me know that she was planning to bring me dinner.  All of these ladies heard me say, “No, no, no….” while my heart was so grateful for their willingness to just show up.  They took friendship into action, not content to leave it as a noun.   [Read more…]

Disclosure: This post and giveaway form contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are mine.

When I received a request to read Hey, God? Yes, Charles. I immediately jumped on the opportunity. The author, Becky Cooper, lives in Franklin, TN. I try to support “local” authors whenever I can! Additionally, the book is relevant to virtually every human. Whether it’s a spouse a child, a parent, or dear friend, we’re all at risk of having our hearts broken by loss. The main theme of the book is stated right in the prologue — “The connection with someone you love doesn’t cease with death.”   If your heart needs that message right now, or you know someone who is hurting from grief, consider reading Hey, God? Yes, Charles. [Read more…]

Post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.

Years ago, there was an antique shop in town that had an amazing assortment of Christmas trees displayed all year ’round. There was an upside down tree, which was rather odd. The corner Christmas tree was interesting, and would be awesome for a small space or an extra hall corner. My personal favorite, though, was the snowing Christmas tree. It was encased in a glass cabinet so that the “snow” wouldn’t be handled by curious customers. The snow fell all around the tree’s limbs and ornaments in a quietly beautiful way. It was simply mesmerizing. My husband and I loved to watch it, as we visited the store often just to look at it. The tree wasn’t for sale, and I’d forgotten all about it over the years. Moving into a new house meant that most of our belongings were stashed in a storage building over the summer. When it was time for Christmas decorating, we still hadn’t unpacked the big artificial tree and ornaments that were now in the far back corner of the storage unit. This gave me the perfect excuse to purchase a snowing Christmas tree, just like I’d admired all those years ago!

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We’re determined to commit to simplicity in our new, smaller home. That means reducing the amount of “stuff” we accumulate. We purged closets and toy boxes before and after the big move, and I’m not anxious to fill it all back up again with generic Christmas gifts. This year we’re continuing our tradition of giving our kids 4 gifts each. The gifts are based on a cute rhyme a friend shared with me:
Something You Wear
Something You Read
Something You Want
Something You Read

It’s really tough to find something for my daughter to “wear” that she would pick out herself. She’s old enough to care about style, and has personal tastes that I can’t begin to replicate. She’s been asking for a pretty necklace that she can wear on a regular basis. When Onecklace contacted me about trying some of their products, I knew they would have just the right piece for my daughter. Appropriate and unique, the sterling silver butterfly pendant with name necklace is a gorgeous gift.

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Now that winter looms around the corner, it’s starting to feel like soup season. We had a chilly day here in Northeast Tennessee, and the evening temps will continue to be low all week. Knowing that I’d have a busy day tomorrow, and not much more time today, I knew that it was time to make some soup that could be reheated the next day. Since time was tight, we ran into the local drugstore to get the one thing I needed to fill out the recipe — Ragu pasta sauce.  I used this as the base for my vegetable beef soup to give it the right amount of richness without needing to add a can of chopped tomatoes, which tend to be too watery.  My kids don’t like the chunk of tomatoes in canned versions, either.  Ragu’s pasta sauce has a depth of flavor that complements the beef in this soup.  You can serve it with any pasta of your choice.  We like to stir in macaroni, alphabet pasta, and even thin spaghetti. I’ve even been known to stir in a box of uncooked macaroni and cheese!  [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review. Opinions shared are mine.

There’s something about the bad boy that makes us turn to melted buttah.  Sebastian Marks is just that type of man in Whispers in the Reading Room.  The touch of shady character mixed with a prim-and-proper exterior provides a stark contrast for character building.  Lydia and Sebastian in Whispers in the Reading Room remind me of Jack and Rose from the Titanic movie.  Pride and Prejudice, or even Downton Abbey, also come to mind.  The critical point in society women’s lives was a concern for the right marriage partner (meaning, a match that would confirm or raise one’s station in life.)   Who wouldn’t want to find out if Lydia made the right one? [Read more…]

Finding contentment…… Isn’t that a goal that many of us have? In fact, we have an entire holiday centered around gratitude, happiness, and counting our blessings. I’m sure you’ve heard that statistic that X% of people are unhappy with their lives, blaming it on social media and their friends’ oversharing. Social media has become almost necessary in this era of insta-information. Everyone seems to use it; in fact, I’ve asked parents of a team I sponsor to register for a private site that will update them with practice information. Social media tends to draw out the best in us, yet results in the worst feelings. What gives? Kay Wills Wyma has a way of telling me just what I need to hear, when I need to hear it. She did it with Cleaning House (my sister in law still raves about that book), and she did it again. When I read my review copy of I’m Happy For You (Sort Of…Not Really,) I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at some of the situations she described. It’s SO ME!! Kay’s hilarious in a girlfriend chat kind of way, and understands the needs of today’s mom. [Read more…]

When was the last time that you bought a life-saving gift with a click of your mouse?

What gift do you give someone who seems to have everything? Or, for a person who doesn’t really want anything? Our family is so blessed that we don’t really need more trinkets or gadgets. Our basic needs are abundantly met every day. Not every family is so fortunate, though. There are mothers who struggle to find enough food to feed their children. There are children who don’t have access to clean water. These survival obstacles tend to happen in other countries, but some families here in the U.S. also meet tremendous hurdles. Thanks to World Vision, it’s possible to bless those families with much-needed supplies in honor of a friend or family member. I was invited to select an item from the 2015 World Vision Gift Catalog, I knew you’d want to know about this amazing opportunity to change a life.  Making a gift through World Vision’s Gift Catalog is so simple that you might never step foot in a crowded mall on Black Friday again. [Read more…]