Footprints in the Butter

The End of an Era

2012-01-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Trina -- my baby -- is growing up.

And I have proof.

And another shot...

How can it be?

FIRST Wild Card Tour: The Juice Lady's Weekend Weight-Loss Diet

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Cherie Calbom, MS

and the book:

The Juice Lady's Weekend Weight-Loss Diet: Two days to a new dress size

Siloam (December 13, 2011)

***Special thanks to Jon Wooten of Charisma House for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cherie Calbom, MS, is the author of The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet, The Juice Lady’s Living Foods Revolution, and Juicing for Life, which has nearly two million books in print in the United States. Known as “The Juice Lady” for her work with juicing and health, Cherie has worked as a clinical nutritionist and has a master’s degree in nutrition.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Jump-Start Your Diet…

Detox Your System…

Lose a Dress Size…

Shrink Your Love Handles . . .

…with this two-day diet program that helps you get healthy for life.

Start Friday night with a juice or green smoothie dinner. Then have an all-liquid Saturday and Sunday breakfast and lunch, followed by a raw food dinner Sunday night. It’s easy, delicious, and requires only a weekend commitment!

Look and feel great for a special event

Motivate yourself for continued weight loss

Cleanse your system after a stressful week

Jump-start your living foods lifestyle!

My take: I fully intended to read this book and actually try the two-day juice diet before this posted. But being sick, and then just a ton of other stuff happening... and I have not had the opportunity to actually try this.

The book, however, was encouraging, motivating... and I know from doing a juice diet in the past (that relied on purchased juices, not making-it-yourself stuff) that the concept works. There are suggestions in here for doing a one-day detox, or the weekend one advertised in the title, or even going longer (and that incorporates more than "just" juice).

The other thing I really liked was that there was definitely the advice to pay attention to how you are feeling, and to incorporate food into your diet if you are experiencing problems -- that maybe a one-day option would be better for you.

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Siloam (December 13, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616386568
ISBN-13: 978-1616386566

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Weight Loss on a Mission

The World Health Organization estimates that by 2015, there will be more than 1.5 billion overweight consumers, incurring health costs beyond $117 billion per year in the US alone.1 It’s obvious that we need to do something differently. We need a new way of life—a revolution in how we eat, one that we adopt for the rest of our lives.

What if you found a weight-loss program that could help you lose weight more effectively than anything you’ve ever tried? And what if that program didn’t involve expensive meals you had to order, pills you had to buy, or anything other than great whole foods you prepare in your kitchen? What if that program helped

you look and feel better than ever? And what if it was such an energizing way of life that you wanted to follow it for the rest of your life? Are you interested?

The Juice Lady’s Weekend Weight-Loss Diet is a fast track to just such a program. This two-day jump start can lead you into a transformative lifestyle that is helping thousands of people lose weight, keep it off for good, and completely revolutionize their health. This is what I call weight loss on a mission—the mission is to help you become healthy, happy, and filled with life, as well as slim and fit. (You’ll find a complete weight-loss juicing program in my book The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet.)

Freshly made vegetable juices are at the center of the weekend weight-loss diet. They provide concentrated sources of very absorbable nutrients. They are low in fat and calories, so replacing higher-calorie foods with fresh juice is a shoo-in for weight-loss success.

But the benefits of juicing don’t stop there. Vegetable juices help curb cravings because they satisfy your body’s nutrient needs. They’re alkaline, which is very helpful to balance out a system that’s most probably too acidic. They’re also high in antioxidants that are antiaging and immune enhancing—that means you’re giving your body the things it needs to start looking and feeling younger.

Fresh Juice—a Cornucopia of Nutrients

Every time you pour a glass of juice, picture a cornucopia of nutrients cascading into your body, promoting health, revving up your metabolism, balancing weight, and increasing vitality. This melange of nutrients can change your life—completely change your life—as it completely changed mine! Here’s what every glass of juice provides.

Amino acids

Did you ever consider juice to be a source of protein? Most people would say no. Surprisingly, it does offer more amino acids than you might think. We use amino acids to form muscles, ligaments, tendons, hair, nails, and skin. Protein is needed to create enzymes, which direct chemical reactions, and hormones, which

guide bodily functions. Fruits and vegetables contain lower quantities of protein than animal foods such as muscle meats and dairy products. Therefore they are thought of as poor protein sources. But juices are concentrated forms of vegetables and so provide easily absorbed amino acids, the building blocks that make up protein. For example, 16 ounces of carrot juice (2–3 pounds of carrots) provides about 5 grams of protein (the equivalent of about a chicken wing or 2 ounces of tofu). I don’t recommend drinking that much carrot juice because of the sugar content, but that’s an example.

Vegetable protein is not complete protein, so it does not provide all the amino acids your body needs. In addition to lots of dark leafy greens, when you finish your weekend weight-loss kick start, you’ll want to eat other protein sources, such as sprouts, legumes (beans, lentils, and split peas), nuts, seeds, and whole grains. If you’re not vegan, you can add eggs and free-range, grass-fed muscle meats such as chicken, turkey, lamb, and beef along with wild-caught fish.

Carbohydrates

Most vegetable juice contains good carbohydrates. The exceptions would be carrots and beets, which have higher sugar content. They should be used in small quantities and diluted with low-sugar vegetable juices such as cucumber and dark leafy greens. Carbs provide fuel for the body, which it uses for energy, heat production, and chemical reactions. The chemical bonds of carbohydrates lock in the energy a plant takes up from the sun and soil, and this energy is released when the body burns plant food as fuel.

There are three categories of carbs: simple (sugars), complex (starches and fiber), and fiber. Choose more complex carbohydrates in your diet than simple carbs. There are more simple sugars in fruit juice than vegetable juice, which is why I recommend you juice primarily vegetables, use low-sugar fruit for flavor and a little sweetness, and in most cases drink no more than 4 ounces of fruit juice a day.

Both insoluble fiber and soluble fiber are found in whole fruits and vegetables—both types are needed for good health. It’s amazing how many people still say juice doesn’t have any fiber. It contains the soluble form—pectin and gums, which are excellent for the digestive tract. Soluble fiber also helps to lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, and improve good bowel bacteria and elimination.

Essential fatty acids

There is very little fat in fruit and vegetable juices, but the fats juice does contain are essential to your health. The essential fatty acids (EFAs)—linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids in particular—found in fresh juice function as components of nerve cells, cellular membranes, and hormonelike substances called prostaglandins. They are also required for energy production.

Vitamins

Fresh juice is replete with vitamins, but heat and processing destroy vitamins. We need these organic substances because they take part, along with minerals and enzymes, in chemical reactions throughout the body. For example, vitamin C participates in the production of collagen, one of the main types of protein found in the body that keeps your skin looking fresh and youthful rather than sagging and aging. Fresh juices are excellent sources of water-soluble vitamins such as C, many of the B vitamins, and some fat-soluble vitamins such as E and K, along with key phytonutrients like beta-carotene (known as pro-vitamin A), lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin. They also are coupled with cofactors that increase the effectiveness of each nutrient; for example, vitamin C and bioflavonoids work together synergistically to make each more effective.

Minerals

There are about two dozen minerals that your body needs to function well, and they’re abundant in fresh juice. They make up part of bones, teeth, and blood, and they help maintain normal cellular function. The major minerals include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. Trace minerals, which include boron, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, selenium, vanadium, and zinc, are those needed in very small amounts.

Minerals occur in inorganic forms in the soil, and plants incorporate them into their tissues. As a part of this process, the minerals are combined with organic molecules into easily absorbable forms, which makes plants an excellent dietary source of minerals. Juicing is believed to provide even better mineral absorption than whole vegetables because the process of juicing releases minerals into a highly absorbable, easily digestible form.

Enzymes

These living molecules are prevalent in raw foods, but heat, such as cooking and pasteurization, destroys them. Enzymes facilitate the biochemical reactions necessary for life. They are complex structures composed predominantly of protein and usually require additional cofactors to function, including vitamins; minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron; and other elements. Fresh juice is chock-full of enzymes. Without them we would not have life.

When you eat and drink enzyme-rich foods, these little molecules help break down food in the digestive tract, thereby sparing the pancreas, liver, and stomach—the body’s enzyme producers—from overwork. This sparing action is known as the “law of adaptive secretion of digestive enzymes,” which asserts that the body will adapt or change the amount of digestive enzymes it produces according to what is needed. According to this law, when a portion of the food you eat is digested by enzymes present in the food, the body won’t need to secrete as much of its own enzymes. This allows the body’s energy to be shifted from digestion to other functions such as repair and rejuvenation.

Fresh juices require very little energy expenditure to digest. That is one reason why people who start consistently drinking fresh veggie juice often report that their digestion and elimination improve and that they feel better and more energized right away.

Phytochemicals

Plants contain substances know as phytochemicals that protect them from disease, injury, and pollution. Phyto means plant, and chemical in this context means nutrient. There are tens of thousands of phytochemicals in the foods we eat. For example, the average tomato may contain up to ten thousand different types of these nutrients, with one of the most famous being lycopene. Phytochemicals give plants their color, odor, and flavor. Unlike vitamins and enzymes, they are heat stable and can withstand cooking. Some of them, such as lycopene, appear to be more effective when cooked.

Biophotons

There’s one more substance abundant in raw foods that is more difficult to measure than the others. It’s known as biophotons, which is light energy that is found in the living cells of raw plant foods. These photons have been shown to emit coherent light energy when uniquely photographed (Kirlian photography). This light energy is believed to have many benefits when consumed, such as aiding cellular communication and feeding the mitochondria and the DNA. They are believed to contribute to our energy, vitality, and a feeling of vibrancy and well-being.

Now that you’ve learned about the powerful nutritional punch packed inside each glass of juice you drink, let’s consider how this applies to weight loss.

Power Foods That Give Your Weight Loss a Big Boost

In addition to some of the basic steps you can take to achieve weight loss success, there are specific foods you can add to your weight-loss program that will make a huge difference in assisting your body in burning fat. These super foods can help you succeed and give you super-size health dividends at the same time. Be sure to add them to your weight-loss program.

Green juice: the number one fat cure. In honor of his hundredth show, Dr. Oz served on the set his favorite green juice drink to one hundred people who had lost thirteen thousand pounds combined. This blend of cucumbers, apple, and leafy greens started a new wave of interest in green juices for weight loss. So why do green juices work so well? Dr. Oz cites the fact that they compensate for the fact that most of us are simply not getting sufficient nourishment from standard diets. He says, “We know we have to have at least five fistfuls of leafy green vegetables and fruit every day, so we make a morning green drink.”2

There’s evidence to suggest that even if we took the time to chew up five cups of green veggies each day, we wouldn’t get as much benefit from them as we would from juicing them. The mechanical process of juicing the vegetables breaks apart plant cell walls and makes absorption better than even when the best “chewers” chew their food at least thirty times before swallowing. It has an effect like throwing marbles at a chain-link fence rather than tennis balls; their contents are going to go through in a way that tennis balls can’t.

The juices contain easily absorbed micronutrients that will do more than slim you down—they’ll optimize your overall health and wellness. There’s science behind the green juices transformative powers and a number of reasons why the juices, along with a high intake of living foods, energize your body, fire up your metabolism, speed slimming, and overhaul your health. Here’s the evidence as to why it works.

Green Veggies Help Lower the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Because of their high magnesium content and low glycemic index, green leafy vegetables are also valuable for persons with type 2 diabetes. One study revealed that an increase of just one and onehalf servings a day of green leafy vegetables was associated with a 14 percent lower risk of diabetes.3

Magnesium-rich greens ramp up your energy. A British study comparing the metabolism of female twins found that magnesium intake was the most important dietary variable that determined adiponectin levels.4 Adiponectin is a fat cell hormone that promotes insulin sensitivity. This hormone has recently gained attention from researchers because of its regulation of glucose and fat metabolism. Elevated levels of adiponectin are associated with increased insulin sensitivity and fat burning. Adiponectin also seems to work closely with leptin—a hormone that helps control the appetite. As you lose weight, this hormone gets a boost. Fresh fruit and vegetables have a positive influence on this hormone, which is made in fat cells. It boosts metabolism and helps regulate inflammation, which, consequently, helps to prevent weight gain, becoming a type 2 diabetic, or developing heart disease.

This new study shows very clearly that adequate magnesium is imperative to maintaining adiponectin levels. This means that a deficiency of magnesium, which is common in America, is a clear contributor to the problems people have with weight management. Magnesium also plays a key role in fighting off stress and anxiety, supporting restful sleep, preventing restless leg syndrome, and boosting energy.

Further, magnesium helps prevent fat storage. When magnesium is low, cells fail to recognize insulin. As a result, glucose accumulates in the blood—and then it gets stored as fat instead of being burned for fuel. Green plants, which are rich in magnesium, are far superior to magnesium supplements because the supplements’ particles are a bit large for the body to entirely absorb. (I’m in favor of taking magnesium supplements, if they are needed, but as an adjunct to a magnesium-rich diet.) Green plants take inorganic minerals from the soil through their tiny roots and incorporate them into their cells. They become organic particles that are much smaller and easier for the body to absorb. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of a plant’s minerals is delivered to the cells when you juice the greens. So juice up those leaves—chard, collards, beet tops, parsley, spinach—the five highest in magnesium, plus kohlrabi leaves, kale, dandelion greens, lettuce, and mustard greens.

Here’s the good news—you’ll increase your energy with this highoctane fuel! That means you’ll get more done and feel more like working out, so you’ll burn more calories and build more muscle.

Enzymes Speed Fat Burning

Our bodies produce enzymes that are used in digesting the food we eat. They can be found in the saliva, small intestine, stomach, liver, and pancreas. These hardworking little catalysts break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into fatty acids, amino acids, and forms of glucose that feed your cells.

Enzymes are responsible for a host of reactions in the body. All the minerals, herbs, vitamins, and hormones we take can’t do their jobs without enzymes. When your diet is deficient in enzymes from live foods (uncooked, not processed), your body has to work harder to produce the enzymes it needs. If you’re deficient, you may experience weight gain, depression, and many other maladies that plague modern society.

Enzymes are truly weight-loss supermen. But these magic bullets start decreasing as we age—by age thirty-five most people see a decline in their enzyme production. Still, we need them for weight loss and good digestion. It’s enzymes that assist in the breakdown and burning of fat.

This is where juices come to the rescue—as I mentioned earlier, they’re packed with enzymes. Eating a high percentage of raw food is important because cooking and processing our food destroys enzymes. When you drink fresh, live juices and eat plenty of living foods, the enzymes they contain kick your metabolism into gear by helping to spare your liver and pancreas from working so hard. Then these organs can focus on their metabolic tasks of burning fat and producing energy. And your digestion will improve. This affects your whole life, your whole being.

Three Super-Hero Enzymes

• Lipase. Lipase is a fat-splitting enzyme that is abundant in raw foods. It assists your body in digestion,

fat distribution, and fat burning. However, few of us eat enough raw foods to get sufficient lipase

to burn even a normal amount of fat, not to mention any excess fat. Without lipase, fat accumulates.

You can see it on your hips, thighs, buttocks, and stomach. Lipase is richest in raw foods that contain

some fat, such as sprouted seeds and nuts, avocado, and fresh coconut meat.

• Protease. As your body burns flab, toxins are released into your system. This can cause water retention and bloating. Protease is a digestive enzyme that helps to break down proteins and eliminate toxins. Eliminating toxins is essential when you’re burning fat. If your body is storing toxins, it’s very difficult to burn fat. But protease comes to the rescue and attacks and eliminates toxins. So, as you can see, it’s crucial to have plenty of protease during weight loss. Protease is richest in the leaves of plants. So juice up those

green leaves and burn fat. Plus, the greens are also rich in antioxidants that bind up toxins and carry them out of your system so they won’t hurt your cells. That means you’ll get double action with green juices.

• Amylase. Amylase is a digestive enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. It’s also present in saliva. So while we chew our food, it goes to work on carbs. That’s why it’s recommended that you chew each mouthful of food about thirty times. The pancreas also makes amylase. And amylase is plentiful in seeds that contain starch. (You can juice most seeds of fruits and vegetables.) Its therapeutic use is in regulation of histamine, which is produced in response to recognized invaders to the body. Histamine is a responder in allergic reactions such as hay fever and is what causes hives, itchy watery eyes, sneezing,

and runny noses. Amylase breaks down the histamine produced by the body in response to allergens like pollen or dust mites. Some health professionals believe it may help the body identity the allergen as not being harmful so it doesn’t produce the histamine in the first place. This is one reason that people on a high raw plant diet often experience improvement in their allergies. For the most effective approach to increasing

enzymes, you may also want to take an enzyme supplement. I especially like an enzyme formula that

is taken between meals—it cleans up any undigested particles of food floating around the system and

greatly improves digestion. A popular side benefit is that your hair gets thicker and your nails grow

stronger. (For more information on these enzymes, see Appendix A.)

Greens Alkalize Your Body and Promote Weight Loss

Many people eat a high-sugar breakfast consisting of foods and drinks such as orange juice, toast, jam, honey, sweetened cereal, sweet rolls, doughnuts, muffins, waffles, or pancakes. All this sugar and simple carbohydrates (which turn to sugar easily) promote acidity and cause yeast and fungus to grow. They also produce a lot of acid. Traditional high-protein breakfast foods such as omelets, cheese, bacon, sausage, and meat promote elevated acid levels in the body as well. Add to that highly acidic drinks such as coffee, black

tea, sodas, alcohol, and sports drinks, and acidic foods for lunch and dinner, and you’re consuming loads of acid-forming foods throughout the day. Keep in mind that acid-forming food does not mean the state of the food when you eat or drink it but the final ash residue after it is metabolized. As a result of this style of eating, along with not eating enough green veggies and other living foods, many people suffer from a condition known as mild acidosis, which is an out-of-balance pH leaning toward acidity. This means that the body is continually fighting to maintain pH balance.

One of the symptoms of acidosis is weight gain and an inability to lose weight. That’s because the body tends to store acid in fat cells and to hang on to those cells to protect your delicate tissues and organs. It will even make more fat cells in which to store acid, if they’re needed. To turn this scenario around, it’s important to alkalize your body. Greens are one of the best choices you could make because they’re very alkaline. And juicing them gives you an easy way to consume a lot more than you could chew up in a day.

To give your body a great start in rebalancing your pH, make 60 percent to 80 percent of your diet alkalizing foods such as green vegetables, raw juices, grasses such as wheatgrass juice, fresh vegetables and fruit, raw seeds, nuts, and sprouts. Greatly limit or avoid your consumption of acid-forming foods such as meat, dairy products, chocolate, sweets, bread and all other yeast products, alcohol, carbonated drinks, sports drinks, coffee, and black tea. When pH balance is achieved, the body should automatically drop to its ideal, healthy weight unless you have other health challenges. (But those should heal too over time.) As the acidic environment is neutralized with mineral-rich alkaline foods, there will be no need for your body to create new fat cells for storage of acid. And since the remaining fat is no longer needed to store acid wastes, it simply melts away.

This is also a great way to restore your health. Many diseases such as cancer thrive in an acidic state. Take away the acid, and they don’t do as well. An alkaline diet also boosts your energy level, improves skin, reduces allergies, sustains the immune system, and enhances mental clarity.

Thermogenic Foods Rev Up Your Metabolism

Thermogenesis means the production of heat, which raises metabolism and burns calories. Thermogenic foods are essentially fat-burning foods and spices that help increase your metabolism. This means that with some of your kitchen staples, you can burn off fat during or right after you eat and increase your fat-burning potential just by eating them. So include these super foods often in your juices and recipes.

Hot peppers. Imagine eating hot peppers and revving up your metabolism enough to lose weight. A study in 2010 found that obesity was caused by a lack of thermogenic response in the body rather than by overeating or lack of exercise. “The animals developed obesity mainly because they didn’t produce enough heat after eating, not because the animals ate more or were less active,” said Dr. Yong Xu, instructor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and co-lead author of the study.5 Another study found that hot peppers turn up the internal heat, which helps in burning calories.6 You can add hot peppers or a dash of hot sauce to many juice recipes or almost any dish and make it taste delicious.

Garlic. When it comes to weight loss, garlic appears to be a miracle food. A team of doctors at Israel’s Tel Hashomer Hospital conducted a test on rats to find out how garlic can prevent diabetes and heart attacks, and they found an interesting side effect—none of the rats given allicin (a compound in garlic) gained weight.7

Garlic is a known appetite suppressant. The strong odor of garlic stimulates the satiety center in the brain, thereby reducing feelings of hunger. It also increases the brain’s sensitivity to leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells that controls appetite. Further, garlic stimulates the nervous system to release hormones such as adrenalin, which speed up metabolic rate. This means a greater ability to burn calories. More calories burned means less weight gained—a terrific correlation.

Ginger. Ginger contains a substance that stimulates gastric enzymes, which can boost metabolism. The better your metabolism, the more calories you’ll burn. It has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory—

inflammation is implicated in obesity. Ginger helps improve gastric motility—the spontaneous peristaltic movements of the stomach that aid in moving food through the digestive system. When the digestive system is functioning at its best, you’ll experience less bloating and constipation. It has also been found to

lower cholesterol. And ginger is the top vegan source of zinc, which gives a big boost to your immune system. Top that off with the fact that it tastes delicious in juice recipes, and you have a super spice. I add it to almost every juice recipe I make.

Parsley. This dark green herb offers a great way to make your dishes and juices super healthy. Parsley helps you detox because it’s chock-full of antioxidants, like vitamin C and flavonoids, and it’s loaded with minerals and chlorophyll. It’s also a natural diuretic, which helps you get rid of stored water. That means thinner ankles, feet, and fingers. And it improves digestion and strengthens the spleen as well. You can add a handful of parsley to almost any juice recipe and you won’t even know it’s there.

Cranberries. Studies show that cranberries are loaded with acids that researchers believe are useful in dissolving fat deposits. When fat deposits settle in the body, they are hard to get rid of, so it’s best to get them before they get “hooked on” you. Some studies point out that the enzymes in cranberries can aid metabolism, which gives a boost to weight loss.8This tart little fruit is a natural diuretic, helping you get rid of excess water and bloating. Of all the fruits, cranberries rank number two for antioxidant content, which helps detoxify the body. And they promote healthy teeth and gums, fight urinary track infections, improve heart health, and keep cancer at bay.

Kathy, who was featured in my “Holiday Fat Buster” article in the December 27, 2010, issue of Woman’s World, issue, lost 5 pounds in seventy-two hours drinking a cranberry, pear, cucumber, and ginger

cocktail along with the rest of the Turbo Juice Diet Program. Within a week Kathy’s tummy was down 5.5 inches—she said she had to keep measuring to make sure it was right. Regarding the juice diet program, she said, “Overall, I had a lot of energy and no hunger.”9 You can add cranberries to many recipes for a delicious enhancer to your juice drinks and a boost to your weight loss at the same time. If you buy these berries when they’re in season, you can freeze a few packages to have on hand for seasons when they aren’t available.

Blueberries. A 2010 study found that blueberries can help you get rid of belly fat, thanks to the high level of phytochemicals (antioxidants) they contain. The study also showed that blueberries are helpful in preventing type 2 diabetes, and the benefits were even greater when the blueberries were combined with a low-fat diet.10 Moreover, blueberries can also help fight hardening of the arteries and improve the memory.

Lemons. Adding just a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to your water, salad, or soup will help ward off cravings, alkalize your body, and keep your insulin levels in check. Hot lemon water with a dash of cayenne pepper is a great way to start your day—it gets the liver, your fat-burning organ, moving in the morning. It’s also a natural diuretic and helps clear out toxins from your system. Further, it aids the digestive process and prevents constipation. It can also help alleviate heartburn—just add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to water and drink with your meal. Limonene, a compound in lemons, helps short-circuit the production of acid in the stomach—lemons are very alkalizing. Meyer lemons, my favorite, are sweeter and are available in the winter.

The Low-Glycemic Benefits of Juicing

The glycemic index has become a popular weight-loss tool based in part on the fact that high-glycemic foods raise blood sugar levels, cause the body to secrete excess insulin, and lead to the storage of fat. Originally developed to help diabetics manage blood sugar control, the glycemic index has become popular in the weight-loss market largely because it works so well. Researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that patients who lost weight with a low-glycemic diet kept the weight off longer than patients who lost the same amount of weight with a low-fat diet.11

The glycemic index (GI) diet refers to a system of ranking carbohydrates according to how much a certain amount of each food raises a person’s blood sugar level. It’s determined by measuring how much a 50-gram serving of carbohydrate raises a person’s blood sugar level compared with a control.

Virtually all carbohydrates are digested into glucose and cause a temporary rise in blood glucose levels, called the glycemic response. But some foods raise it more than others. This response is affected by many factors, including the quantity of food, the amount and type of carbohydrate, how it’s cooked or eaten raw, and the degree of processing. Each food is assigned an index number from 1 to 100, with 100 as the reference score for pure glucose. Typically, foods are rated high (greater than 70), moderate (56–69), and low (less than 55). Low-glycemic foods, especially raw carbohydrates, can help control blood sugar, appetite, and weight. Though helpful for everyone, they are especially helpful for people with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.

Low-glycemic foods are absorbed more slowly, allowing a person to feel full longer and therefore be less likely to overeat. Raw food experts such as Dr. John Douglass have found that raw carbohydrates such as the raw juices are better tolerated than cooked carbs. They don’t elicit the addictive cravings that cooked foods cause. Douglass believes, as does the Finish expert A. I. Virtanen, that the enzymes in raw food play an important role in the way they stimulate weight loss as they do in the treatment of obesity.12

When you get to chapter 6, “Beyond the Weekend,” you will be encouraged to choose most of your carbohydrate foods from the low-glycemic index and a large percentage of those foods as raw. The foods I recommend eating after you’ve completed your weekend weight-loss diet (see Appendix B) are for the most part low glycemic and are nutrient-rich, not refined, and higher in fiber—like whole vegetables, fruit, and legumes (beans, lentils, split peas).

Not All Carbs Are Created Equal

Different carbohydrates take different pathways in the body after digestion. For example, some starchy foods are bound by an outer layer of very complex starches (fiber) like the legumes (beans, lentils, split peas), which increases the time it takes for them to be digested. So even though legumes are relatively high in carbohydrates, they have a lower glycemic response because of their complex encasing.

There is also the antioxidant potential of foods to consider, meaning the amount of antioxidant nutrients a food contains, such as beta-carotene and vitamin C that are abundant in many fruits and vegetables. In Chinese culture, carrots are often used as cooling medicine. Carrots, beets (both very rich in beta-carotene),

and other brightly colored vegetables are especially important to include in our diet to prevent disease. These days many health professionals suggest we eliminate carrots and beets because of their glycemic rating, but the weekend weight-loss diet does not exclude them because of their high nutrient and fiber content. But I do recommend that you use them in small amounts because they are higher in sugar.

Also, please keep in mind that not all low-glycemic foods are healthy fare. Low-glycemic foods include candy bars and potato chips. These foods are very nutrient depleted, contain sugar or turn to sugar easily,

and lack fiber. You need to get the best nutrition for your choices. With this plan, there’s no obsessing over the glycemic index either, just a basic understanding of the principles. Keep in mind that certain factors can change a score, such as the riper the fruit, the higher the glycemic index score. But always choose ripe fruits and vegetables over unripe; they are healthier by far. Adding good fat to foods can lower the GI score. And keep in mind that the GI response to any given food also varies widely from person to person.

It can even vary within the same person from day to day. So it’s important to listen to your body and determine how the foods you are eating are affecting you.

More Than Weight Loss

Years ago when I was taking prerequisites for my master of science program in whole foods nutrition at Bastyr University, I worked for a weight-loss center part time as a nutrition counselor. I noticed that a number of people who entered the program looked healthy, meaning they had good skin color and tone and vibrancy—they were just overweight. Soon into the program, I noticed that though they were losing weight, they weren’t looking healthier. I observed a loss of skin tone, skin color turning a grayish pallor, and a loss of energy and vitality. I was alarmed. Even as a student I knew that it was not just about dropping weight; it was about getting healthier. I quit the job, unable to promote something that I felt did harm.

When you embark on a weight-loss program, it should be about getting healthier along with losing weight. Whether you want to lose 10, 20, 50, 100, or even 200 pounds, it isn’t just about getting the weight off any way you can. I know people who have lost weight through drastic means and ruined their health in the process.

Losing weight with vegetable juices and kicking off your program with the Weekend Weight-Loss Diet is the first step in choosing a weight-loss regimen that doesn’t sacrifice your health. That’s why I’m excited about introducing you to the Weekend Weight-Loss Diet. I know what it can do for you. So many people have praised this program and my other juice diets because of the increased health and energy they experienced. And if they can experience these great results, you can too. You’re off to a great start and a

lifetime of fitness!

Book Review: Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go

2012-01-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Naomi Dathan

and the book:

Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go

Kirkdale Press (November 27, 2011)

***Special thanks to Ryan Rotz, Publicist, Kirkdale Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Naomi Dathan has been fascinated with prairie life since her third grade teacher read Little House in the Big Woods to the class. She finally indulged this fascination with her fourth novel, Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go. She lives in Ohio with her two daughters and two undersized beagles with oversized egos.

Check out her witty blog http://naomidathan.com

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

For everything there is a season. A season for joy. A season for sorrow. A season for testing.

Jem Perkins has it all – money, a fine house, a handsome husband, and a new baby boy. But when her family fortunes turn, Jem’s husband Seth leads her to a new home: a sod house on a Nebraska homestead.

It is a season of growth for Jem as she reluctantly confronts her new realities: back-breaking labor, dangerous illness, and mind-numbing isolation. She learns to embrace her new role as a capable woman and marriage partner and discovers an awareness of God’s hand in her life.

Then, on January 12, 1888, the history-making Children’s Blizzard sweeps across the land, ushering in a season of hardship she never expected. Can Jem’s confidence, marriage, and new-found faith weather the storm?

My take: First off, I love using Vyrso. But this review isn't about that.

The book: I started reading and really struggled. Jem is a spoiled brat and totally unlikeable at the start of the story, which takes place in St. Paul. Normally, just the location would grab me, as I lived in St. Paul (or suburbs of St. Paul) for quite a few years. But something just didn't feel all that real to me.

Then situations change, and Seth & Jem pack up for Kansas and ultimately Nebraska. Pampered Jem starts having to deal with the reality of being a frontier wife, and she really begins to grow. Somewhere in there is where the "new-found faith" mentioned in the blurb above develops. What is fantastic is that Jem doesn't find God and suddenly become an amazing perfect person. She continues to scream at her husband about things, she continues a lot of her selfish behavior... but she is clearly a different person and is obviously growing.

I also loved Seth. Without giving away too many plot details, he starts off as the knight in shining armor -- confident, good-looking, great provider, good relationship with God -- and he goes through his own set of trials on their Nebraska homestead. He turns into a real, flawed, selfish husband instead of the dreamy fantasy husband he was back in their civilized life... when he was away working far more than he was home.

I read somewhere last night that the author has never been in Nebraska, and reflecting back on the book, that tidbit of information doesn't surprise me. I've never lived in Nebraska either, to be honest, but from my experiences living in North Dakota, Minnesota and the plains of Colorado -- and from frequent travels across Nebraska -- there were some things that just didn't quite feel authentic about the setting. Not that I can point to anything specific. It was clear she has done a lot of research about the time and place, and it wasn't that the setting didn't seem accurate. There was just a certain "spark" of, well, something, that wasn't quite there.

But it was also clear that she knew a bit about what a real marriage is like, as that just popped into most of the marriages presented. She also clearly knows a lot about caring for a critically ill spouse. That "spark" of something was definitely in that part of the story.

I truly loved this book. She says that there will be a sequel (or sequels) and I will purchase them if I don't have the chance to review them.

And at $.99 right now... well, here's the details on that:

$.99 Sale!

Buy the ebook Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go from Vyrso for $.99. Use the coupon code WILDCARD at checkout or simply click HERE.
Offer ends this Friday.

Whither is also available for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, and Google Books.

About Vyrso
Vyrso is a new Christian ebookstore and reader app from Logos Bible Software. You can read Vyrso ebooks on your iPad, iPhone, Android tablet or phone, and online at Biblia.com.

Product Details:

Kindle Price: $6.15

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 382 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage:Unlimited
Publisher: Kirkdale Press (November 27, 2011)
Sold by:Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B006FK72QE
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Lending: Enabled

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

January 12, 1888

At midnight, Charley woke shivering in his trundle bed. “Ma?”

He rose, but couldn’t see his mother’s form in the faltering lamplight. “Ma? Mom-mom?”

Still no answer. The cast iron stove was dark and silent. The wind outside howled like a wolf, and caught at the door of the sod house, swinging it open and shut.

Where was Ma? Why wasn’t she making the stove hot or snuggling him warm under the covers? Was she outside with the wind-wolf?

Charley went toward the door. Ice blew into his eyes, making them water. But he wasn’t crying. Not yet. Warmth brushed his legs, a wetness caressed his cheek. The big dog, Zeke, curled his shaggy body against Charley, pushing him backward—away from the open door.

Charley pushed back and shook his finger at him. “No! Bad.”

Zeke whined and pressed harder. Charley fell, landing on something warm and solid. It didn’t hurt, but he set to wailing anyway, protesting his alone state, his empty belly, and the bitter cold that bit at his eyes and ears and nostrils like fierce ants.

No one came to comfort him, so his cries soon dried up. He scuttled across the still form on the floor, pausing at a tinkling sound. “Ging,” he said, remembering. “Ging, ging, ging.”

The bell. Pa had rung the bell today. Ding, ding, ding. He’d stoked the fire high and hot, gave Charley cold mash to eat, and clung to the doorframe, ringing and ringing the bell. Once, Pa had fallen to the dirt floor, but after a long while, he pushed himself upright, clutched the doorframe, and rang the bell again.

Now Pa was on the floor again, unmoving.

Charley stepped on Pa’s head as he went to look outside “ Ma!” The storm sucked his voice away so fast that he didn’t even hear himself. The winds answered in high voices, scared and scary at the same time. Was Ma out there in the black with the wind voices?

At last, Charley made up his mind. With Zeke making little worried sounds close beside him, Charley stepped out into the blizzard to find Ma.

***

August 14, 1886 (Seventeen months before)

The Reynolds’s tea was well attended, but the August heat oppressed the guests, subduing the conversation to a languid pace. Servants discreetly watered—and even fanned—the profusion of roses arranged in vases through the room. Ladies and gentlemen sipped English tea and nibbled at scones and trifles to be polite, waiting for the blessed moment when they could return home, untie their cravats and corsets, and have a cool bath.

Jem Perkins had nothing but sympathy for the wilting flowers. She sank onto a thickly upholstered chair next to her sister and fanned herself.

“Can we go home now?” she whispered.

“Hush!” Sally hissed, shooting a worried glance toward their hosts. “Mrs. Reynolds has been planning this tea for weeks. And we haven’t even greeted the guest of honor yet.”

Hiding behind her fan, Jem peeked at Mrs. Ashley Grayson, seated near the window. She couldn’t hear what Mrs. Grayson said, but it drew appreciative laughter from the surrounding crowd. Jem smiled at her sister with her eyes. “She does feed off the adoration, doesn’t she?”

Sally frowned. “Oh, Jem, I’m sure that’s not fair. Mrs. Grayson deserves credit for starting the Children’s Board.”

“Of course she does! But don’t you think she has a bit of the look a cat gets when he’s found a sunny spot on the windowsill?”

Sally pursed her lips. “You could have worked with her, Jem. I know she asked you to. Then you’d be right up there beside her.”

Wasn’t that just like Sally, to make out that Jem was jealous. What had she to be jealous of?

Jem fanned herself again, waiting until her irritation ebbed before answering. After all, it wouldn’t do for Jem—the married woman—to engage in sibling squabbling with her poor spinster sister. Once satisfied that there would be only kindness in her voice, she answered. “I was hardly in a position to take on an outside project right then, was I? A woman’s first responsibility is to her family. Perhaps you’ll understand … one day.”

Sally’s cheeks went pink as the arrow found its mark. She was Jem’s elder by three years, poor thing, and she didn’t even have a serious beau. She sniffed. “I’m sure that was it. I’m sure it wasn’t because you discovered that setting up a charitable foundation actually requires a great deal of work.”

That stung. Jem lowered her fan. “Now you’re just being cruel. You know I work very hard, Sally. Look at how many hours I put into the flower garden last year.”

“And then you lost interest and Rogers had to take it over.”

“And think of all the poetry I’ve written. You’ve never written a poem in your life!”

“And I’m better off for it.”

“At least I’m trying things. Maybe I haven’t found my true calling yet, but you shouldn’t fault me for trying.”

Sally opened her mouth, but then shut it again, holding up a restraining palm. “Oh, we’re quarreling like children.” She sighed. “I apologize. I’m sure you have found your true calling, Jem. I’m sure your true calling is motherhood. You’re wonderful with Charley, and what’s more important than raising a happy, healthy child?”

Jem settled back in her seat, buying herself a minute by sipping her iced tea. Sally would never have apologized a year ago, would certainly have never offered a compliment. It was disconcerting, really. “It is hot,” she offered.

Seeing Sally relax, she did too, leaning forward to whisper to her. “And boring. I know Mrs. Grayson deserves all of our admiration. I do, truly. But I’m so tired of seeing all the same people and having all the same conversations, day after day. This city is chockfull of people, but you couldn’t tell by us.”

“There’s the doorbell,” Sally said. “I’m sure it will be someone fascinating.”

“Like Mark Twain?”

“That’s right. Or Buffalo Bill.”

Jem giggled. “How about Jesse James?”

“I think he’s dead. Wasn’t he killed? Oh—” Her tone changed abruptly. “Look. It is someone new.”

Jem looked. Her fan froze. The tall man stood in the entry to the parlor, his bearing military even out of uniform. He bowed slightly to Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, shook Mr. Reynolds’s hand, and exchanged greetings with surrounding guests. Feminine eyes followed his progress as he strode in, but he didn’t seem to notice. His pewter gray eyes scanned the crowd, and landed on Jem.

She returned his gaze, then lowered her attention to her skirts. “Well, now. The new guest is dashing, wouldn’t you say, Sally?”

Sally made a haughty harrumph. “Oh, Sister, he looks to be a bit of a ruffian to me. Like someone who spends time in the Wild West. You’d do well to stay away from him, I think.”

Jem murmured her agreement and peeked at the man over her fan again. His eyes were still on her. “I believe I’ll have some refreshment.”

She approached the buffet table, turning her back on the man. Her sister was at her elbows, but when she felt Sally withdraw, she knew the man was approaching. She peeked at him over her shoulder while she ladled pink punch into a glass. He removed his derby and offered a slight bow.

“Ma’am.”

“Lieutenant.”

His lips twitched at her return address, or perhaps at the Virginia drawl that had crept into the single word. “I wonder if I might join you for a beverage.”

“Why, sir, as a guest of this tea party, you are as welcome as anyone to partake, I daresay.” Yes, the drawl of her childhood was definitely back, sliding through her words like sugarcane molasses.

“Indeed,” the man said. He poured himself punch and downed it in a single motion. The glass looked ridiculous in his large hand, like a child’s play teacup. “I have to say, ma’am, that the scenery in St. Paul has certainly improved since my departure to Washington. I don’t remember such fine, dainty creatures as yourself frequenting the Reynolds’s teas in the past.”

Jem smiled at that, but flushed a little, too. “Perhaps, sir, you are mistaking me for one of the young ladies playing Botticelli in the next room. I’m afraid I don’t particularly”—she took her time with the word, savoring each syllable as she hadn’t in years—“qualify as dainty anymore.”

He imitated her accent, exaggerated it into a parody of a Virginia gentleman. “Why, ma’am, you are very mistaken, I’m sure. Why, you are the … the epitome of feminine beauty and delicacy. Your eyes are as blue as cornflowers. Your lips, well, they’re two precious little, uh, roses. In fact, I wonder if we could step out into the gardens and take a stroll together? Just the two of us?”

“Why, sir! Surely you don’t expect me to leave this tea with you, unchaparoned. Think of the scandal.”

He pressed his hand to his chest, gave her moon eyes. “Nothing of the sort, ma’am. I cherish your reputation as I would cherish, well, the soundness of my horse’s legs. I would die before compromising your honor. In fact, in order to protect your good name, I am willing to go this far: I will tell these people that we are married.”

Jem started to giggle, then; she couldn’t help it. He grinned back at her, and the game was up. She threw her arms around his neck, in spite of all the company around. “Oh, Seth. I’m so glad you’re home. I thought you wouldn’t be back for two more weeks.”

“Jem.” He put his arms around her waist and let out a long breath, letting his rigid stance relax. “This was long enough. I missed you. Can we break away from this tea? How is the baby?”

“Oh, I hated to leave him. I think he might be getting diphtheria.”

“Diphtheria?” He didn’t sound worried. In fact, he sounded a little amused. She backed out of his arms a little to frown at him.

“Diphtheria is very serious.”

“You’ve had the doctor by, I take it?”

“Of course. Twice now.”

“And he said?”

“Oh, you know how Dr. Hollister is. You’d have to lay an egg for him to agree you have chicken pox.”

Seth took her elbow lightly and led her through the parlor, nodding to the ladies, offering greetings to a few of the men. “Jemima, I’m sure Dr. Hollister would know if Charley had diphtheria. It’s very distinct.”

“You know I worry. He coughs continually—all night long. And his nose is running.”

“Darling, it sounds like he has a cold.” He led her to the front door, where they made their apologies to the Reynolds. “Come,” he said, as he led her to the carriage. “I’ll have a look. I certainly know what diphtheria looks like.”

Before they’d stepped through the French doors of their home, they could hear Charley’s outraged screams ringing through the house. Jem dropped Seth’s arm and ran up the long, curving staircase, allowing him to follow when he would. “Charley! Oh, dear, what’s happened?”

She stopped when she entered the nursery. Her boy was upright, clutching the bars of his crib with chubby fingers, red-faced and tearful, but otherwise apparently fine. “Oh, dear.” She hurried to lift him and snuggled him against her bosom. “What’s the matter, you poor little boy? Are you hurt?”

Charley’s cries subsided. He rested his nearly bald head against her, hiccoughing.

“Poor boy,” Jem crooned. “Mama’s here, now. Where’s Nursie, hmm? Didn’t she hear you cry?”

“He has grown.” Seth’s voice came from the doorway. “Was he standing? When did he start that?”

“Last week.” She smiled up at him, keeping her cheek pressed against the peach fuzz of Charley’s warm head. “I wrote to you about it, but I suppose you didn’t get the letter.”

“No, but I haven’t stayed in one place for more than a night.” He sighed, came and wrapped his arms around Jem, enveloping her and the baby in a hug. “My family.”

“Oh, no, ma’am!” Sophie’s voice was sharp. “He’s supposed to be napping.”

Jem and Seth turned to look at the nurse. Her hands were closed into tight fists, pressed against her stout body as if she were restraining herself from snatching the child and putting him back in his crib.

“Oh, but he was crying so hard. Poor boy.”

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant. Welcome home,” Sophie said, then firmed her voice to Jem. “No, ma’am. Colonel Wilkinson was clear on that. The boy must stay in his crib for his nap. The colonel don’t want him spoiled.”

Seth’s voice was pleasant. “Sophie, I believe you work for me, not Colonel Wilkinson.”

“No, no.” Jem hurried to the crib. “It’s fine, Seth. Really. My father is right—you know I’ll spoil him.”

She peeled Charley off her chest and set him in the crib. His screams renewed, broken by sobs. He rolled and pulled himself back up to his feet. Seth picked him up. Charley reached for his mother, but Seth didn’t hand him over.

“Oh, Seth, really. My father is right.”

“I haven’t seen my son in two months. I believe he and I will take a walk around the nursery.”

Sophie gave Seth a long, tight-lipped look, and retreated from the room.

“Oh, my,” Jem said. “She’ll let my father know. She always does.”

“Darling, this isn’t your father’s child. It’s ours. Why does he have anything to say about when we hold him?”

“You know how he worries. He wants the best for his only grandson.”

Charley stopped reaching for his mother and stared up into Seth’s face.

“Look, he remembers you.”

Seth made a scoffing sound, but Jem saw he looked pleased. “He’s far too young. I’m glad he’s letting me hold him, though. So, other than this dire illness that has him at death’s door, he appears to be thriving.”

Jem sighed. “You shouldn’t tease me, Seth. Ima Caldwell—do you remember her? She said her sister’s husband’s niece lost both of her little boys last winter—one to diphtheria, and the other to pneumonia. And Amy Wiley’s whole family is ill.”

Seth sobered and kissed Charley’s head, holding him a little closer. “It’s terrible. I can’t imagine what they’ve suffered. But Charley is healthy. God has blessed us. Let’s thank Him for it, instead of borrowing trouble.”

“Y—yes. I do, of course.”

She shook her head. It was the sort of comment Sally had been prone to make lately. Seth had been no believer when they met; he’d gone to church only to please Jem and her family. But something had changed over the last year. Seth had changed.

When he was home, he attended church on Sundays as well as a Bible study on Wednesday. He led prayer at mealtimes, even if it was only the two of them sitting at the long polished dining table. She tried to act like it was normal behavior—after all, she was the one who’d been brought up in the faith—but it was really rather embarrassing.

“There, you see, Jem? He just needed a little walk.” Charley was settled against his father’s chest. His face had relaxed, his eyes closed in sleep.

Jem plucked a cloth from the chest of drawers and swiped at the path of drool running down the baby’s chin. “You do remember about this part, don’t you?”

Seth gave her a wry smile. “I tried to forget. I go through fewer shirts riding on top of the stage coach. Well, I suppose I should put him down.”

Jem arranged the soft blankets in the crib. After Seth laid Charley on them, they stood side by side, admiring their little boy. “Isn’t he beautiful? I think he’s the prettiest baby in St. Paul.”

Seth slid his arm around her waist. “By far the handsomest, anyway.” He sighed then. “Is your father at home today? I need to discuss some things with him. I didn’t see him at the Reynolds’s tea.”

“He said he had business to attend to today. I’m not sure whether he’s at home or at the office. But, Seth, can’t it wait? You’ve just gotten home. Can’t we spend the rest of the afternoon together?”

She looked up at him as she finished the question, and was surprised to see the grim expression on his face.

“I’m afraid not, Jem,” he said. “I’m sorry; I know I just got home. But I have to handle some business.”

She gave him a quick pout, making sure to smile with her eyes so he knew she was teasing. “It’s a shame, when a man would rather spend his homecoming with his father-in-law than with his wife.”

Seth didn’t smile back, but he kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be home in a couple of hours. We’ll have dinner together—just the two of us, all right?

Jem wrapped her arms around his waist and accepted his embrace. “Hurry back. I’m sure my father will be glad to see you, anyway.”

Review and Giveaway: Mornings With Jesus

2012-01-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

This year, I've been fortunate enough to be blessed with a devotional called Mornings with Jesus: Daily Encouragement for your Soul.

Written by seven women, including at least a couple authors I've reviewed before (Judy Baer and Tricia Goyer), this is a devotional that I actually do keep reaching for. With different people writing the entries, there is just enough of a change of approach day-to-day to keep me interested and coming back.

From the publisher:

"Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life. With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes:

a Bible verse

an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity

a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives

I love the format. It is so very easy to read, and the "faith step" part often leaves me pondering the message for a good part of my day.

Take this morning, for instance. The Bible verse is Galatians 6:2. Keri Wyatt Kent talks about how she is able to easily avoid "the oppressed" in her everyday life... but then goes on to talk about how her life -- and that of her entire family -- was "forever changed" when they did step out and reached out to the oppressed. Touching story. Part of the faith step suggested that you "figure out ways in which you avoid those in need, and ... begin to change that."

Ummmm. Yeah. How do I avoid those in need? Let me count the ways...

This one is going to stick with me for more than just today.

Now, normally I am not a big fan of dated devotionals. They tend to make me feel guilty. Because invariably, I'll miss a day or two and then feel hopelessly lost. I only received this book a week and a half ago, or so... and I found it pretty easy to "catch up" by reading today's passage in the morning (because even before I have coffee, I can usually figure out which day today is) and then reading one of the passages I missed around lunchtime. As of yesterday, I was completely caught up...

And I can see ignoring the days of the week on this, and re-reading it in 2013 or 2018 or whenever. The sections may start with a day and date, but they certainly appear to be timeless. I will be continuing to read this throughout this year.

You could too. I was generously given two copies of this book so that I could share one with one of you...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received this book and a book to give away through LitFuse Blog Tour. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Book Review: Unhallowed Ground

2012-01-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last March, I reviewed a book called A Trail of Ink by Mel R. Starr. I loved it. My question then was "What would CSI look like in 1365?"

Well, Unhallowed Ground gave me another chance to visit CSI Medieval England. This is "The Fourth Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon" and is every bit as wonderful as the third. I have to get my hands on book two (I read the first one, The Unquiet Bones, after reviewing #3).

From the publisher:

The fourth adventure of Hugh de Singleton, medieval surgeon and detective, finds Hugh investigating what seems to be a suicide of one of the town's scoundrels and his longtime enemy. Though at first reluctant to pursue a mystery that no one else sees, Hugh and and his new wife Kate set out from the town of Bampton only to follow the clues back in order to discover which of their friends committed the murder.

These books are fabulous. Starr taught history for years and years, and is a public school teacher I would have loved to have... for me or for my kids. I just know that, even though I've certainly never met him. So this book just has that authentic feel that totally draws me in.

Part of the authenticity, though, is in the language used... like the very first sentence of the book: "A fortnight after Hocktide, in the new year 1366, shouting and pounding upon the door of Galen House drew me from the maslin loaf with which I was breaking my fast."

The very beginning of the book has a 5 page glossary, where words like Hocktide and maslin are defined. I found myself referring back to the glossary frequently in the first couple of chapters, and then being sufficiently "into" the story to not need it as much. But the writing style makes it so those first few chapters do take a bit extra mental energy.

I love the premise of this book. A horrible man has died of an apparent suicide. Hugh has suspicions that it is murder made to look like a suicide. Everyone would prefer he just leave it be, as the neighborhood is just relieved to be rid of this despicable man. Hugh struggles with this -- does he pursue the killer, even though it very well could be a friend? Especially given all the horrible things this man had done while alive?

A lot of this came down to integrity. Do you do the right thing, even though it is inconvenient? Do you do the right thing when it hurts people you like/love?

Another thing I love is that Hugh has just a "normal person" feel to him. He's smart, but not necessarily brilliant. He has personal feelings about the stuff he's involved in. He makes mistakes and backtracks to figure out where to go next. He's just a real guy next door type of character. You can just see him as a fairly ordinary guy.

One thing to note... in my last review, I talked about using this series with my kids. This title does have a few issues that are brought up that may not be appropriate for younger readers... such as a rape that leads to a pregnancy (the rape occurred roughly 9 months ago and isn't described) and discussion about whether or not rape can lead to pregnancy... the generally accepted theory was basically that if the woman is unwilling, God will not allow conception to occur. So pregnancy proves the woman was willing. Of course, all of that is using "old" words, not words like "rape"... and I though it it was really interesting to think about. But since I mentioned using this with kids, I thought I better bring it up.

I am looking for book #2 now...

Oh, and you can read the first couple chapters here.

Disclaimer: I received this book through Kregel Blog Tours. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review and Giveaway: Wall Timelines from Grapevine Studies

2012-01-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I reviewed the Old Testament Overview from Grapevine Studies, and we loved it. One thing I said in that review... talking about the introductory timeline that you do before you get into the meat of the study...

The study starts with an overview of the entire timeline of the Old Testament. That was a bit overwhelming to think about... go through a few thousand years of Biblical history in three days. Yikes! But when we actually started to do it, well, it was actually a lot of fun. I lost the five year old though, he just couldn't keep up past the stories he knows so well already. I'm not going to talk about the overview much more, though, because it isn't exactly typical of the bulk of the study.

Well, now Grapevine Studies has a product that is very much like that overview part... their Wall Timelines. And I have totally fallen in love with this product...

Since we have used the Old Testament Overview, I'm going to talk about the Old Testament Wall Timeline, just as a way to compare the two products a bit, so you can figure out if one would be the right thing for you.

The intro timeline in the Overview is meant to whet your kids' appetites and give them a feel for what they'll be studying in depth over the next months. As such, it is pretty much a whirlwind tour of the Old Testament before you get into the actual study. The study part has you going into much more detail and using resources like a Bible dictionary and maps.

The Wall Timeline is very cool... you are ending up with basically the "overview" timeline from the big study... but you are going at a more reasonable pace that allows for a bit of extra study. And the timeline is pretty... so it is, in fact, suitable for putting up on a wall.

What I really love is how this would work so well with other Bible study materials... you could do a page a day, four days a week of the Old Testament, and finish the overview in three weeks... and then have it displayed on the wall (like a wallpaper border) while you use whatever to study the O.T. during the remainder of the year. As you go, you'd have an easy reference to put things into a time perspective. Or the same would go for the New Testament (except if you do five days a week, it would only take two weeks).

Here's a screen shot from the Teacher book (not a full page-- the text includes the full "scroll"):

And the price is fabulous... right now, you can get the ebook set (teacher and student) for $8.20, or $16.40 to do the books for both Old and New Testaments. The physical copies are only slightly more. I love the ebook option, as I purchase it once and can print it for all my children. These sale prices are good through the end of January... after that, the price for the ebook set is closer to $10.

These sets are also a great way to get a feel for how a Grapevine Study works, without spending much. Just keep in mind that the actual Bible study programs also include memory work, mapping, some research using materials like a concordance, and review.

Right now, though, with the code JANFS, you can get free shipping through Jan. 31. With that, I'd be really tempted to purchase the hardcopy of the teacher books and get the ebooks for the student ones.

Would you like to win a set (your choice of which testament, and your choice of physical or electronic books)?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I receivee these ebooks, and the giveaway items, in exchange for my review of the product. All opinions are my own, and receiving complimentary products does not factor in to my opinions. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.

Bountiful Baskets: January 21

2012-01-21T20:48:00.001-07:00

Oh, what a day. It was nice to not be sick this time... so I headed in with the three big guys to volunteer and pick up our pounds and pounds of produce.

Pictured is one basket, without any of our extras for volunteering. The color isn't so great...

In our two baskets, plus extras, we got:

two bunches of broccoli
two heads of cauliflower
two bunches of red leaf lettuce
14 ears of corn
32 Brussels sprouts
8 tomatoes
14 bananas
8 Bosc pears
8 kiwi
8 pomegranates
4 3-lb bags of apples
6 oranges

Plans?

Lots of Apple-Pomegranate Crisp. Yummmm. The rest of the fruit will "just" get eaten.

Two meals of corn. Two meals of broccoli. A meal of cauliflower fritters, and something else with the cauliflower. A couple salads, one undoubtedly with pomegranate seeds. And the Brussels sprouts? Well, I've been given a lot of suggestions on Facebook... so I'll be experimenting. I've never eaten them before...

I also bought a box of tomatoes from Bountiful Baskets... and headed to Safeway and purchased a bunch of peppers (jalepeno, Anaheim, bell, and something else... a hot one, but I forget what). So I'll be canning some more salsa, and probably some pizza sauce...

Book Review: The Shadow of Your Smile

2012-01-20T10:26:00.002-07:00

I don't even know where to begin. Except to tell you that Susan May Warren has done it again... The Shadow of Your Smile is simply wonderful, and this is a book I most definitely recommend. Especially to any woman who is in that roughly 40something age range (like the heroine of this story), as there is just so much that you can relate to.

Okay, so let's back it up. Susan May Warren has earned a place as probably my favorite contemporary author for a number of reasons. I've talked about them in other books I've reviewed. This series... the Deep Haven series... takes place in northern Minnesota, and she writes Minnesota so incredibly well. Unlike the first Deep Haven novel, My Foolish Heart, this one also spends a fair amount of time in Duluth and down in the Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, for those not from the area!)

Okay, so the basic plot blurb from the publisher:

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here.

I'll confess, I read that and rolled my eyes a bit. Amnesia? Puh-lease... I don't watch soap operas, never truly have, and I don't want to read them either. But as I mentioned before, Warren is an author I love... and this one takes place in Minnesota... so I went for it. In spite of the lame amnesia bit.

I shouldn't have rolled my eyes. Once I was reading the book and not the publicity, the idea of soap opera amnesia never again crossed my mind. (Until now. LOL)

Instead, I was totally sucked in. Warren's characters are so incredibly real, and so complex, and the plot never goes totally as you'd expect...

And it was so easy to "become" Noelle. You know, mid-forties, waking up in a hospital thinking you are a 21 year old student at the U (that'd be the University of Minnesota. The one in the Cities, just to be clear.) and being a bit intimidated by this old dude claiming to be your husband, and also the adult and near adult men claiming to be your sons. Craving a sub from Big Ten (and so, naturally, I have been craving Big Ten subs ever since. Thanks, Susie. I needed a craving I can't fulfill.) and worried about why your parents haven't been called or whether or not you are going to miss class.

Warren makes it easy to relate... 21-year-old me would be oh, maybe a little bit surprised to find out how her life turned out. FIVE kids? Homeschooling? Living in the middle of ranchland-nowhere? Not a partner in an international accounting firm? Driving an SUV? Blogging book reviews? (Okay, now with a basic description of blogging, THAT one really wouldn't boggle 21-year-old me's mind! She'd find that amazingly cool.) No longer completely confused about whether or not God was real? (and that one would probably relieve 21 year old me.)

Noelle tries to settle into her not-remembered life, interacting with her sons and her husband... all of that is absolutely fabulous. But of course, with a Susan May Warren book, that's not all. There is the plot involving her oldest son, or the plot involving the robbery that landed Noelle in the hospital to begin with. Or the plot involving her husband and "another woman." Layers upon layers, all incredibly well-written, involving people who feel real, and definitely describing real snowstorms and real places.

If you have read My Foolish Heart, there are even a couple of appearances of characters from that novel. This title stands alone, however. And I think this one is better (and I really enjoyed My Foolish Heart!) I think this is a complete must-read for anyone with Minnesota ties. But I also highly recommend it for people with no connections to the area. You won't have the same thrill of picturing exactly the apartments being talked about... and you may not enjoy her incredibly real description of driving in a snowstorm... but the basic storyline is "place-less."

You can read what other bloggers thought of The Shadow of Your Smile at the LitFuse page... or just head to Amazon and buy it.

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Disclaimer: I received this book through LitFuse Blog Tour. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Book Review: The Keeper

2012-01-16T11:52:00.001-07:00

I read my first ever Amish fiction title a bit over a year ago... That book was The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher, and while this has not become my favorite genre, Fisher is definitely an author I watch for. (You can read my review here.) Every book of hers that I have read has featured characters who feel oh-so-very-real. Every books has characters who face real-life situations... good, bad, or painful...

And each book features characters who learn and grow and teach me something in the process.

The Keeper is the first title in a new series... Stoney Ridge Seasons... and it is fabulous.

Here is the blurb from the publisher:

Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

I had a hard time initially getting into this story. Too much going on in my life, maybe, with car shopping and then illness hitting everyone. I probably should have started the book over, as maybe the first two or three chapters would have seemed better if I was able to focus...

But once I got past the whole setting up the characters and situations part, I had a hard time putting the book down.

The basic storyline is that Julia -- the oldest in a family of four children -- has a whole lot on her plate. Her dream-man has "postponed" their wedding again, and she has to handle that hurt along with everything else she is doing. Her mother died a few years ago, and her father is pretty much an invalid... and not getting better... as he has been for the past year when he suddenly started having problems with his heart.

Julia and her siblings are trying to run the farm and care for their father, but they are barely getting by. Early in the story, an uncle brings Fern, a housekeeper, into their lives... and the Bee Man returns to Stoney Ridge... and the arrival of these two is really where the story begins.

And where I get lost in the story and feel like I'm watching real people... and even though I don't personal know anyone who is Amish, these "real people" do remind me of people I do know...

There is just so much in here to really chew on. How often do I spend my prayer life telling God what I want, instead of asking if he had something better in mind?

Suzanne is hosting a "honey of a giveaway"during the blog tour for The Keeper! During 1/3-1/17 you can enter to win an iPad2 from Suzanne and connect with her on January 17th at The Keeper Facebook Party!

During the giveaway one Grand Prize winner will receive a Prize Pack valued at $600:

A brand new 16 KB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi
A $25 gift certificate to iTunes
A copy of The Keeper

But wait there's more! Just click one of the icons below to enter, then on 1/17 join Suzanne for The Keeper Facebook Party! During the party Suzanne will announce the winner of the "Honey" of an iPad Giveaway and host a fun book chat and give away some fun "honey" inspired prizes - It'll be 'sweet"!

RSVP early and tell your friends!

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 17th!

Disclaimer: I received this book through LitFuse Blog Tour. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Book Review: Then Sings My Soul, Book 3

2012-01-15T17:14:00.001-07:00

A bit over a year ago, I reviewed a book called Then Sings My Soul, by Robert J. Morgan. I loved it... and somehow had missed out on the fact that a second volume had come out (I will be looking for it!)

But when Then Sings My Soul Book 3 came up at Booksneeze, I knew I had to have it.

It is just as delightful as the first volume.

This book is split up into four sections. The first is a history of hymns, with each section being a few pages talking about Biblical hymns or those from certain time periods or regions.

The bulk of the book is Part 2 -- with over fifty hymns each having a two- to three-page spread -- one page of text about the hymn, plus the printed music. I love this, simply love it. This works great as a devotional for my kids, and having the music makes it easy for me to use even if it is something I don't own a recording of.

Part 3 includes slightly longer stories for six hymns... "Six Hymn Stories I Love to Tell" is the title of this section. This includes some great stories, like the one behind "It Is Well with My Soul," or the story behind "How Great Thou Art," or the one behind "Jesus Loves Me."

The final section has to do with hymns use in private and public, which is interesting, but the rest of the book is what I love.

Like I said above, I will be buying Book 2...

Disclaimer: As a Booksneeze Blogger, I did receive this book for free from Thomas Nelson. No other compensation was received. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.

FIRST Wild Card Tour: The Gospel Story Bible

2012-01-13T07:39:00.002-07:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Marty Machowski

Illustrated by:

A. E. Macha

and the book:

The Gospel Story Bible:

Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments

New Growth Press (December 5, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings – The B&B Media Group – for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for twenty-three years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the children’s ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He is also the author of Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the forthcoming Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Visit the author's Facebook Page.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

I have never been the best at anything. This has given me the freedom to really enjoy alot of things; perfection is not on the line. So my drawing is not clean, my patchwork corners don’t really match up, and my cooking is always an adventure. I was raised by a single mom who has an exhausting amount of creative energy. My brother and I were taught how to create our own entertainment and seek adventure in the everyday.

When I was in Jr High, both my parents remarried and let’s just say things have never been boring. A foster brother, two step sisters, and a half brother were added to the mix. I have aunts and uncles who have been beyond generous and helped raise me in many ways. I have been blessed to travel overseas and even live in Prague for six months. My dad and stepmom run a special needs home in Guatemala where I have spent time and really fallen in love with the culture. My brother and his wife run a shoe company out of Guatemala. Everywhere I have been, even a dirt floor hut in the hills of Guatemala, there has been art: design and color. I believe as humans we are created in the image of The Creator, and so we all have some creative effort to put forth.

I have a BFA in Illustration because after all the studio classes one takes to finish an Art Education degree, I found what I really like to do is draw. I doodle. Alot.

Presently, I am married with two little ones, living in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. I teach art part time at a sweet little christian school, grow tomatoes and beets, and sew or draw when I get the chance.

My first illustration project is coming out in the fall, 156 illustrated Bible stories in the “Gospel Story Bible” by Marty Machowski, published by New Growth Press.Visit the illustrator's Website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Sometimes it’s easy to forget Jesus in the midst of frantic schedules, family squabbles and conflicting priorities. For many Christians, God often becomes little more than an afterthought after days absorbed and depleted by the busyness of life. But the truth is that he is the hero of every story—including the mundane, ordinary ones we experience on a regular basis. That is why Marty Machowski beckons families to take time out from the daily grind to be transformed by the message of the Good News in his latest release, The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments (New Growth Press, November 2011).

Based on the ESV Bible, this uniquely illustrated Bible storybook uses 156 stories to present God’s plan of salvation in Christ from its opening narrative in Genesis to its finale in Revelation. This easy-to-read storybook written for children from preschool to high school introduces readers to many captivating people, places and events from the Bible’s Old and New Testaments. At the same time, Machowski skillfully connects the individual stories to the overall gospel narrative of how God redeemed a broken world through sending his son Jesus to save his people. Each story ends by connecting to Jesus and his gospel of grace. By sharing these Bible stories with each other, young and old will learn together the life-changing habit of recognizing the presence and workings of Christ in every moment of their day.

“The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to change the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read,” says Machowski. “That’s what makes The Gospel Story Bible ideal as a storybook for a preschooler, a devotional for a grade school student, a refresher for the adult believer or an introduction for the new one. Parents and children will learn together to read the whole Bible as one story, with one hero—Jesus Christ.”

Vibrant illustrations by A. E. Macha, child-friendly discussion questions and Scripture references accompany each story to help lead families in exploring the Bible. Parents and teachers will be delighted to discover how easily even a young child can understand the original text of a story that he or she has already come to love. A companion to the family devotional Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the soon-to-be-released Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum (February 2012), The Gospel Story Bible is also a great resource for churches, Sunday school classes, home-schoolers and Christian schools who want to teach their children to apply the gospel to every situation and make Jesus the most important part of their everyday lives.

My take: We are loving this Bible. First, ESV is my preferred translation, so I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I was to find a children's story Bible that is based on it.

But it is way more than that. The illustrations are fabulous and just so FUN. And the discussion questions are really great.

I've seen lots of story Bibles over the years. This one is a keeper. Check out the sample pages below...

Product Details:

List Price: $29.99
Hardcover: 328 pages
Publisher: New Growth Press (December 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936768127
ISBN-13: 978-1936768127

AND NOW...Some Sample Pages (click images to see them larger):

Review: Maestro Classics ~ Swan Lake

2012-01-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to post this review! Two years ago, I was introduced to an amazing company, Maestro Classics, when I had the chance to review The Tortoise and the Hare. Last year, I was able to review Peter and the Wolf.

This year... This year, Swan Lake is what they chose to send to the TOS Homeschool Crew. So I've been listening to my copy extensively over the past few weeks.

Like every single Maestro Classics title, this one includes simply amazing music, some great music history, more great music (it is worth the price of the CD just for the Speed Metal Swan track), some great information about the music, and then some fun stuff geared to the younger set.

The booklet that comes with the CD also includes some great stuff... bios, little activities, a discussion of acoustic vs. electric guitar, discussion of major and minor with a chance to try to figure out the differences for yourself.

What I love about Maestro Classics -- every single title we've tried (and, ummm, we own them all... or we did!!! Guess what, there is a new one. Oh, be still my heart...) -- is that it is appealing for everyone in the family. My daughter was 3 when we first started listening and she loved them. My two teen boys (13 and 14) both really enjoy them as well.

So now for my kids' words:

Trina (5) -- the best part is dancing to all the music. I get to twirl. The worst is "all that talking stuff." Oh, and I like that I get to color too. (See here for some bonus extras... including the coloring page Trina likes so well.)

Richard (7) -- I like the cool crossbow in the story. And Speed Metal Swan is really great. (Click on the CD image above, and listen to the 30 second sample of Speed Metal Swan. Richard is right. It is a favorite of his dad too...)

Thomas (11) -- I like the music. I like the way the narrator tells the story.

William (13) -- It has lovely music.

Connor (14) -- my favorite part is Mr. Simon explaining about the music. For instance, he talks about how the ballet consists of music they can dance to and music to help tell the story, and then explains more about the Waltz and the Polonaise.

Available for $16.98 for the CD, or $9.98 as a download, these are something I recommend very highly. I'll be spending the $10 to get The Soldier's Tale next week, when it is available for download. Then we'll again own them all...

There are also sets available, and occasional sales. Right now, when you purchase Swan Lake you also get a free mp3 download of the orchestral version of Swan Lake.

Other titles I haven't mentioned are Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (the hands-down favorite of 80% of my children), My Name is Handel: the Story of Water Music (my favorite), Casey at the Bat, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Juanita the Spanish Lobster.

Worth every penny.

You can read what other crew members had to say about Maestro Classics Swan Lake here:

Disclaimer: As part of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I was asked to write a review of this product. I owned it already, so no compensation was received. All opinions are my own. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.

Review: Z-Guides to the Movies: The Hiding Place

2012-01-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I had the chance to review a cool new product from Zeezok Publishing -- The Count of Monte Cristo in their then brand-new Z-Guides to the Movies series. We had a lot of fun with that! So when I had the chance to try another one, we didn't have to think about whether or not we wanted to... we just had to think about which movie we'd prefer to do.

Connor chose The Hiding Place.

You can read what Zeezok says in answer to "What, exactly, is a Z-Guide?" by going here. My quick and dirty answer is that a Z-Guide is an e-book used to help you use a movie in your schooling, mostly for high school level, though they are expanding to have more available for younger ages. The Z-Guide provides some overview information and ten activities that help you and/or your child explore the history, geography, philosophy/worldview and literary aspects of a specific movie. My summary is that a Z-Guide is a fun supplement to your school!

So what did we think?

Connor & I both love the concept of these guides. And the individual activities are well thought-out and really serve to make us think, or to guide us to more information. Connor's favorite activity in this guide was either the mapping one (he commented on how he really didn't get a feel in the movie for just where the concentration camp actually was) or the one that had him designing a hiding place. Personally, I would have hated the design your own hiding place one when I was in high school... but I'd have loved the one where I was to interview to become a part of the Dutch resistance.

As a parent, I appreciated the activities that had to do with 'what would you do?' and some of the 'is it ever right...?' ones. We had watched The Hiding Place before with Connor. We had some good discussion then, including the BIG -- "would you hide Jews?" question. That question is obvious.

The Z-Guide for The Hiding Place brought out a lot of other questions and discussions though. Is it okay to lie? Corrie says it isn't... but is she consistent about that? Is stealing always wrong? Fabulous conversations.

The one frustration I had with both of the Z-Guides that I have used, though, is that they start off with a pretty little schedule, so you would use the guide over one week, doing two activities a day. The problem is that the workload is not spread out very evenly that way and I just cannot imagine making that work. But, homeschoolers tend to be master tweakers... or at least I am.

I would tend to plan for any future (high school level) Z-Guide to be something I'd use over 2-3 weeks. Start with reading the introductory material, then a day to watch the movie (and complete the first activity, which has them answering questions about the movie as they watch it) and then plan for an activity per day... sometimes extending the activity over two days.

Bottom line though: we love these guides. I really want to do the one for Flyboys. At $12.99 per Z-Guide, I probably can even do that.

You can read what other crew members had to say about various Z-Guides (some not yet published!) here:

Disclaimer: As part of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I did receive this product for the purpose of a review. All opinions are my own. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.

Review: Toydle Fort aka "The Coolest Christmas Gift Ever"

2012-01-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, being a part of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew is just too much fun. My kids got the most amazing Christmas present ever. And wow, did they need something exciting this year... check out these photos:


What in the world is this?

What is Toydle? An amazing company, making one primary product right now... Forts. In a couple different sizes.

The kids were a little mystified, initially, but quickly started piecing things together. As you can see.

Quickly became... hey, these fit together

And more "these fit together"

And then all the boy were in on the action

And this was the result of a few minutes' work

Let's look closer at what you get with this.

There are a whole bunch of pvc pipe looking things (the white "sticks") that connect into these amazing hand-crafted nearly works-of-art themselves blocks. Blocks made of real honest-to-goodness wood. Not some polymer thing. Wood. Did you know they still made wood? I wasn't sure...

Once you assemble your structure, you can use the handy-dandy and quite durable clips:

And voila! You've created a fort where you can hide... I mean, um, where your kids can hide. Because I'd never try to hide from my children... or, at least, not in something this cool-looking as I know they'd find me.

This product is amazing, durable, and just so stinkin' cool...

I asked everyone to tell me the pros and cons to the Toydle fort, and the pro list mostly consisted of "it's cool" and "it's fun" types of statements. Dale & I like that it requires some imagination and definitely cooperation, and, well... we love that it is just fun and cool too.

The long (not) list of cons:

we're in pretty tight quarters, so the kids really need to think about where they are going to set this up, and it really can't STAY up long-term (at the moment) without really getting in the way.
the pieces don't necessarily come apart easily, though it seems to be getting better with a bit more use.
And while I think the value is definitely there, the pricetag is steep for a lot of families I know... the regular fort is $149.99, and the Big Toydle Fort (that we received) is $229.99. That makes it something to plan for. And I'd recommend planning for it.

This is the coolest toy ever.

Check out this "factory tour" video:

You can read what other crew members had to say about Toydle here:

Disclaimer: As part of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I did receive the Big Fort for the purpose of a review. All opinions are my own. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.

Bountiful Baskets: January 7

2012-01-07T10:50:00.001-07:00

It was so nice to get back to doing Bountiful Baskets this week. And we had some extra money, so we were able to get two baskets... plus a box of tangerines and some olive oil.

The baskets are good. Some basic stuff, and most of this will be easy to get used. I did not get a picture, as I'm just feeling kind of foggy today. I also did not volunteer, as I really didn't need to be handling anyone else's food today.

Two baskets:

14 bananas
2 bags of BIG black grapes
3 boxes blackberries
16 Fuji apples
4 Asian pears
11 clementines
6 tomatoes
2 bunches of lettuce
3 bunches of spinach
2 bunches of broccoli
4 English cucumbers
4 bunches of radishes

Plans for all of this?

The fruit will all be eaten, that is easy. Lettuce will be used in salads or sandwiches, tomatoes just get used in normal life. The spinach will go into salads, breakfasts (I love spinach in scrambled eggs!) and maybe something like lasagna. The broccoli will be used as a veggie with dinner sometime this week, and the other bunch I'll probably do a soup.

What I could use suggestions for though... the cucumbers and the radishes. I hate radishes. I don't know that the kids have ever had them. The cucumbers, well, I'll probably slice one up each day and let the kids snack on the slices with ranch dressing. Unless someone gives me a better idea.

Honestly, the food pantry that serves our rural area is open this morning. I'm tempted to drive over there and offer them the radishes. I'm sure there are people there who would LOVE to get them.

Virtual Curriculum Fair: Let's talk about Words

2012-01-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

A great friend of mine is hosting a Virtual Curriculum Fair. A bit later, I'll do a better job of linking this up and all that kind of thing. Right now, I need to get this posted so that we can go car shopping! But that is a saga for a different post.

Officially, our school year begins next week. We school January-October. Now, in actuality, most of what we are doing is carrying forward from what we started in the fall... but some things do change. A rather quick list of what is working, or what we are changing, as it pertains to WORDS.

I think the bedrock of a good language arts program is Read-Alouds. I post about that every Thursday. That will continue.

Why I value read-alouds? It gives all the kids the chance to hear fairly complex sentence structure that is beyond what they could necessarily read for themselves. Ideally, the words are pronounced correctly (I'm sure I blow a few). It gives us a chance to have discussions and for them to form opinions or what-if scenarios. I love feeding great words into their brains.

Along those lines, another thing we are picking back up in the new year is Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization. I love this for a lot of the same reasons I love read-alouds...

Connor - 9th grade:

He'll be starting the American History theme program from Institute for Excellence in Writing. We're following a combined version that someone posted so he'll be using both book 1 and book 2. I'm really excited about his writing going along with his history studies. And IEW has been amazing for him. He needed something structured so he could figure out how to get words on a page in something besides a long, run-on sentence. He's come a LONG way. IEW is expensive, initially. But it is SO worth it in the long run.
He's continuing to use Excellence in Literature for his lit studies. We're skipping around a little bit, but mostly he is using English 1. I reviewed that a while back, and I'll link it when we get home. What I love, love, love is that this is written straight to the student and is very 'college prep' in nature (or 'real-world prep' -- it is up to the student to figure out how to schedule their time.)
He is continuing to use Latin Alive from Classical Academic Press. I think Latin has helped him SO much in understanding grammar especially. But vocabulary study is accomplished through this too.
He doesn't know this yet, but he is going to be starting to use IEW's spelling program too. I don't have anything much to say about why I think The Phonetic Zoo is going to be amazing for him, except that he can do it independently.

William - 7th grade, and Thomas - 5th grade:

These two are my struggling readers. I am thrilled beyond belief that they are able to continue using Read Live during 2012. I need to do an update post on how this is working... but their reading has improved DRAMATICALLY. This program is incredible for struggling readers, and if there is such a thing as a perfect program, well... this may be it.
They are using the Ancient History theme program from IEW. Why I absolutely adore this for them is different from my thoughts with Connor. For them, the biggest thing is that I can work with them at a level that doesn't overwhelm their reading capabilities. They are able to write (with me as the human dictionary) and to write WELL, and to feel good about themselves. But they aren't getting assigned 3 page essays, or at least when we do get to that, it is done incrementally... IEW is pretty close to perfect for them too.
They are continuing to use Visual Latin. This program is so fantastic. I know, I keep writing about it. But they are not required to do a whole lot of paper and pencil stuff, nor are they chanting declensions or anything. And it is MALE teacher, oh, I just love that. Who is funny. They enjoy it, and they are learning a ton of grammar and vocabulary.
And we are trying something completely new. Royal Fireworks Press has a whole Language Arts program. I own everything for the "Town" level, which is theoretically too easy for William. But I'm hopeful that this will be a fairly gentle program for them both... and the materials are intended for gifted learners, so the incredibly amazing thing is that they are also still going to provide a certain depth/breadth that should keep them engaged.
Plus they are continuing with All About Spelling. Another amazing-beyond-belief program for kids who struggle in language areas.

Richard - 2nd grade:

He is my least figured-out child here. He's using Reading Kingdom for reading instruction, and has been reading the Sonlight Grade 2 readers to me. Seems like a great mix.
I think he is going to start (back) using IEW's Primary Arts of Language program for writing. We had tried doing this with Trina and Richard combined, and that didn't really work out so well. So... we're making another stab without his sister.
All About Spelling is part of the PAL program, and that is happening for sure.

Trina - kindergarten:

She is using All About Reading Level 1 (a review will be coming in the next week or so) and it has been wonderful for her. Fairly short, step-by-step lessons that require virtually no prep time from me. And she's reading. Really reading.
She has been doing Ooka Island on her own. Unfortunately, that subscription will be ending fairly early in 2012. We'll see about continuing it.
Once she finishes AAR, she'll probably start doing PAL from IEW... both the reading and writing portions. I'd love to continue with All About Reading, but I'm not sure the next level will be available, and it is hard to invest in it for just her. Anyway, I think PAL is going to be a better fit for her. When we did it a few months ago, she just wasn't quite ready. Now, I know she'll find the beginning part to be pretty easy... and that will go a long way towards making this work.

What I'm not doing? Speech. I think it is important, but I just have too many other needs right now... so that is something I'll be trying to occasionally incorporate with the IEW writings.

Check out some of the other people who are doing this too. Because what is perfect for us isn't necessarily perfect for you. And I'm pretty sure all the amazing people participating are going to have some real gems that they are talking about too...

Reading on Time by Cindy Horton @ Fenced in Family

Playing with Words: the Language Arts by Christa
Darr @ Fairfield Corner Academy

Reading
and Beyond: Language Arts in Our Homeschool by Laura O in AK @
Day by Day in Our World

Language
Arts that Work for Us by Melissa @ Grace Christian School

Learning
Language at Our House by Jessica @ Modest Mama

Virtual
Curriculum Fair: Language Arts by Christine T. @ Our Homeschool
Reviews

The
Learning of Language by Dawn @ tractors & tire swings

Reading
and Spelling: Modifying the Magic by Pam @ Pam and Everyday
Snapshots

An
In Depth Look at All About Spelling by Missouri Mama @ Ozark
Ramblings

Virtual
Curriculum Fair: Let's Talk About Words by Debra @ Footprints in
the Butter

Why
We Love Classical Conversations Essentials (and how I know that is not
a complete sentence!) by Nicole @ Schooling in the Sun

Virtual
Curriculum Fair---Playing with Words: the Language Arts by Angie
@ Petra School

Whole
Language vs. Phonics by Christine @ Crunchy Country Catholic

It's
All About the Art of Language by Brenda Emmett @ Garden of
Learning

Watching
Movies for Language Arts Class by Debbie @ Debbie's Digest

Only
5 Spelling Tests a Year! (Can we do that?) by LP @
justpitchingmytent

Playing
with Words by Chrissy @ Learning is an Adventure

Year End Hodgepodge of a Post

2011-12-30T19:53:00.002-07:00

So I've been particularly negligent of my blog lately. It's just that life has been crazy. So let's wrap up 2011 with a random post here...

Being a zero car family pretty much sucks. Hopefully we'll ring in the new year with a new (to us) vehicle in the driveway... so pray for us tomorrow... okay, well, pray for us on Monday, as New Year's Eve car shopping didn't pan out
Our family has some amazing friends. And when my big boys end up staying over at someone else's house for a couple days, yet still doing dishes, sorting laundry, entertaining younger kids, shoveling snow... I love that.
I hate not knowing. That applies to a whole lot of stuff in my life recently.
I had an amazing morning yesterday. I slept in (which is great too, but not the point here). When I got up, Thomas, my 11 year old struggling reader, he was... you ready for this? He was sitting on the couch with his nose in a book. A real book. He was reading it. And laughing. And then giving me little tidbits about it. Thank you Read Live.
We had a fantastic review-product filled Christmas. With very cool products. I love being a reviewer.
I was blessed beyond measure right before Christmas... a package arrived via Santa Claus (aka the UPS Guy) from I don't know for sure who... and it contained a Kindle. I screamed. I've cried. And I love it... It is making my life easier. It is so small. And every time I grab it, or even think about it, I feel pretty loved... thank you, thank you, thank you...
I have a whole bunch of amazing virtual friends too. I cannot imagine my life without you... and you probably know who you are...
I don't particularly like power outages. About 8 hours without power at the house today. Frustrating. But hey, it was a good day for it... fairly warm, and the power at the well stayed on so we did have water.

And that is as much as I can handle writing tonight.

If you are reading this, I appreciate you more than you know... and I wish you an exciting and amazing 2012...

Reading Aloud Challenge: December 29

2011-12-29T10:57:00.003-07:00

It's time for another Reading Aloud Challenge... and I'm reporting in that, um, I'm pretty sure I didn't read anything aloud all week.

With Grandma here, and Christmas, and two kids being gone to a birthday party...

I have absolutely nothing to report. Okay, well, I did spend about 10 minutes reading about Protists with Thomas.

But I think that was it.

Not sure there will be much to report next week either, but I'll post anyway.

So... if you do have a report, I'd love to read about it. And if not, I'd love a comment telling me I'm not alone.

It's been fun doing this. Posting these every week (except Thanksgiving) has definitely made me more intentional about actually following through on my intentions. And my plan is to continue in 2012, posting the reality here... even weeks like this where I post that I did nothing.

Review: Big Book of History

2011-12-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Every so often, I end up with the chance to review a product that is so incredibly cool I don't know how we managed without it.

Today, I'm telling you about one of those: Big Book of History.

It isn't exactly a book... it is a fifteen foot timeline that you can fold back up into a book...

The timeline is fun... lots of pictures (photos and illustrations) and little text boxes, charts, graphs, etc.

And as you can see on the cover, there are four separate timelines running throughout the book...

Orange is for world events... all that stuff you expect to see on pretty much any standard timeline. For instance, to choose a page towards the end, the 1852-1943 page talks about the Pony Express, the purchase of Alaska, P.T. Barnum, Buffalo Bill, the first modern Olympics, the eruption of Krakatoa, the San Francisco earthquake, prohibition, the death of Ernest Shackleton, Charles Lindberg, the great depressions, the dust bowl, Amelia Earhart, and the holocaust. Lots of different stuff.

Red is for civilizations and empires. Also pretty standard stuff, like the American Civil War and the end of slavery, the 1st Sino-Japanese War, the Spanish American War, the first Pulitzer Prize, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, WWI, the Russian Revolution, the League of Nations, Civil War in China, WWII, and the United Nations.

Green is for inventions and technology. My boys love this line. You get to see things such as a whole spread on Edison, the telephone, dynamite, basketball, the first movies, penicillin, the first television station, tv dinners, Hoover Dam... and a whole separate transportation timeline with the first mass produced auto, the first flight, the first helicopter flight, the Titanic, the Hindenburg, the first jet, and the death of Nikola Tesla.

And Yellow is for Bible and Christian history. For this same page, that includes things like the start of the Salvation Army and Red Cross, Billy Sunday and the Scopes Trial.

Most of the above stuff is mentioned only briefly... but there is additional information on some things too. For the most part, this can serve as a supplement to *any* history you are doing.

So let's take a look:

Here you can see Richard looking through it like a book. Notice the timeline part running through the middle of the pages, and all the colorful stuff around it.

Here you can see Richard figuring out how to unfold it...

Isn't that cool? But wait, there's more....

And that still isn't all of it. But I don't have a good picture of it all stretched out.

And wow, do I ever need to wipe down the freezer... <sigh>

How about a couple that show the pages a bit better:

For the homeschooler (or teacher) there is also a guide available, either in print, or as a free download, that really fleshes this out into more of a stand-alone history resource.

I love this book.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishing Group. No other compensation was received. The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.

Reading Aloud Challenge: December 22

2011-12-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Reading Aloud Challenge... and I finally get to post that I finished something. I'm not reading aloud. I'm barely keeping my head above water. <sigh> I know I'm not alone right now, and I'm going to post anyway...

Connor & I finished Peace Child. And when I reported last week about it not being as gruesome as the first couple of chapters... cough, cough, gag, gag. Oh, my. The very next chapter I read was the worst in the book. Connor actually told me I didn't have to read it aloud. <shudder>

Amazing book. Well worth the read. Not for anyone below high school.

William & Thomas -- yeah. We didn't even read a single chapter of God King.

Richard & Trina -- I opened Mountain Born. Once. Didn't read a single word. But I opened it.

Our one semi-success? Unveiling the Kings of Israel. I reviewed it. The book is fabulous. We do still have to finish it up, but have gotten through most of it. (I don't necessarily finish non-fiction titles before I review them... just fyi. I read a good chunk, and I'll flip through/skim the rest, then review it.) This one will probably (at the rate we're going lately) be on my Reading Aloud post for the next couple weeks. In normal times, we'd be finished.

Plans for this coming week? You know the drill. Finish some of what I just listed. I don't think I'm going to worry about starting something new with Connor until January.

How did your week go? Do you find you are too busy at this time of year for reading aloud, or is it just me?

To see my first post when this turned into a linky thing, check here.

Book Review: Behind the Veils of Yemen

2011-12-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Because of Sonlight Curriculum, I have read a lot of missionary biographies. I'm always inspired by some of the "greats" -- you know, the ones thanking God for the wonderful meal they are about to eat even when there is no food in the house, where right as this faith-filled person says, "Amen" there is a knock at the door and food arrives in some miraculous fashion. I want to be like that.

But my favorites are the people who seem more real -- more like me. The ones who struggle with their faith even as they are out in the mission field. Because "struggle" and "doubt" are where I live. One minute, I'm pretty sure that I'm doing what God would have me do at this time... the next minute, I'm questioning my purpose. The next, I'm seeing God's clear answer to prayer in a bag of cheddar cheese. The next, I'm questioning how I can ever be sure that I believe what I believe.

Audra Grace Shelby and her family served in Yemen... and she is as real as they come. Aside from her name, which was changed to protect the people she knew in Yemen and the missionaries still serving there. In Behind the Veils of Yemen, she shares her spiritual highs and lows. She shares the lessons she learned, and the answers to her prayers. She shares her doubts and her fears. And she shares the lives she glimpsed in Yemen.

From the publisher:

With only prayer and a faith that always seemed too small, Audra Grace Shelby departed with her family on a one-way flight deep into the heart of conservative Islam. Here she recounts her harrowing journey as a Christian woman thrust into a culture dangerously different from her own. From the friendships she forged, to her gnawing doubt and fear, to her offers of hope when her friends' religion failed them, she gives us glimpses into a world most have never seen. And she shows how the grace of God transforms lives--even in the midst of an Islamic stronghold.

This is a book I think everyone ought to read. I plan to add it to my kids' high school curriculum. My boys aren't likely to be excited about it... but I think once they get a few chapters in, they will be hooked. See for yourself with this excerpt:

Behind the Veils of Yemen

Disclosure: Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. No other compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.

Book Review: Unveiling the Kings of Israel

2011-12-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

When I first read about this book, I knew I had to get it for my archaeologist wannabe. Thomas, 11, plans to go into classical archaeology. Not necessarily biblical archaeology, mind you, but he does have that on his list of possibilities too. He tends to be more interested in Rome -- particularly the early Christian era. But a book like Unveiling the Kings of Israel with a subtitle of "Revealing the Bible's Archaeological History" is a sure-fire hit with him. Written by David Down, who also wrote The Archaeology Book (which we own and love) and Unwrapping the Pharaohs (which I had hoped to get Thomas for Christmas, but alas, that isn't a possibility right now).

This book is fantastic.

But you probably want to know more than that, huh?

Okay, so here is what the publisher had to say:

“Correctly interpreted, the historical records of Egypt and Israel show a remarkable consistency with the Bible records which we can accept as not only inspiring but entirely reliable.”
-From the Introduction

Unearth the history of the small nation of Israel – the troubled and devastating periods of loss and exile – once lost to time. Far from being a book of myths, the Bible is an amazing historical record, and each year, more archaeological discoveries continue to prove its validity and significance. Follow the intriguing clues found buried in ancient cities, on the walls of early monuments, and in the written records of our world’s oldest civilizations. Walk the ancient streets, explore the distant temples, and unearth the compelling history that continues to resonate with the world today.

Cultural references proven through artifacts and archives displayed in full color

Fascinating accounts that fill in some of history’s unwritten record

Follow the Biblical timeline through detailed photos and examples

This eye opening and provocative assemblage of literary history and effervescent illustrations, creates a book that you just can’t put down. For years to come, this book will be an enduring resource for children, scholars, students, or anyone interested in learning more about biblical archaeology and its place in history.

They list this book as being appropriate for high school level students. However, I am reading it aloud with all my boys. Connor (9th grade) is certainly an appropriate age. William (7th grade) is as well, and I'd say this book is generally appropriate for junior high and up. Thomas (5th grade)... well, this works incredibly well for him because this is what he wants to do when he grows up. Richard (2nd grade) doesn't listen to it all... he checks out the pictures, and tunes in to parts that grab his attention. He zones out or finds something else to do for pretty big chunks of it.

Trina (kindergarten)? Yeah. Her comment when I asked yesterday what they all thought of the book. "I've got two words for this book: bore. ring." Okay, so I have to work on her reviewing skills here... not to mention some English skills...

The big three though, they couldn't say enough about it. "This stuff is fascinating!" said one. "I don't want it to end!" said another. "It is so great how, what is his name? Mr. Down. How Mr. Down talks about traditional dating methods and how the Bible isn't supported really well with those, but how using the revised chronology that he apparently details in that one Pharaohs book, archaeologists are finding exactly what they would expect if the Bible is true. I like that he talks about the archaeological viewpoints that he doesn't agree with and he does so respectfully."

I am impressed with the "next door neighbor" tone of his writing. He doesn't intimidate or sound unnecessarily scholarly... though he does use a reasonably sophisticated vocabulary.

This book starts with Genesis, and goes through Christ (we aren't quite that far yet). Each chapter takes an era or a person, and it goes into the archaeological evidence, including some stories of how the evidence was found, and some writings from various archaeologists. There are gorgeous photos throughout.

This is great for budding archaeologists, but also for anyone who is interested in general topics of defending their faith, or who would like some interesting insight into some of the Bible stories.

One way or another, we plan to own everything that David Down ever puts out.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishing Group. No other compensation was received. The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.

Reading Aloud Challenge: December 15

2011-12-15T20:21:00.001-07:00

It's time for another Reading Aloud Challenge... and I just keep thinking this post ought to be incredibly easy to write. Just copy and paste last week.

Instead, I'll just list quickly...

Connor & I read a couple chapters of Peace Child. So we are down to something like four chapters. We love it, I don't know why we can't get through it. Well, partially because even though it isn't nearly as gruesome past the first few chapters, I still don't want to read about cannibalism to this extent in front of Richard and Trina.

William & Thomas -- yeah. We didn't even read a single chapter of God King.

Richard & Trina -- okay, so I managed another chapter of Mountain Born. One.

Our one semi-success? Unveiling the Kings of Israel. I may get this reviewed tomorrow. I hope so. The book is fabulous.

Our Christmas read-aloud, The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke. Never even opened it.

In more positive news, William started reading a King Arthur book aloud to Richard and Trina. And he's reading a chapter a day aloud to me from the Bible.

Plans for this coming week? You know the drill. Finish some of what I just listed. Finish at least ONE of what I just listed. <sigh> Since I failed at that last week.

How did your week go? Hopefully better than mine... or hopefully you have some good excuses for why it was slim pickin's. I don't.

To see my first post when this turned into a linky thing, check here.

Review: World's Greatest Stories

2011-12-15T09:47:00.004-07:00

I've said it before, but I am totally loving the TOS Homeschool Crew this year. I have the chance to review so many incredibly cool products. And this one is totally fun.

The World's Greatest Stories sent us the first volume in their CD series: The Prophets. On it, George W. Sarris tells the stories of the book of Daniel (The Blazing Furnace, The Handwriting on the Wall, and Daniel in the Lion's Den), one of Elijah (Elijah & the Prophets of Baal), plus the book of Jonah.

He doesn't just tell the stories... he memorizes the actual Bible passages, and then he does the job of a master story-teller and really brings them to life. But you wouldn't guess that when listening (or at least you wouldn't if you didn't listen to the introductory material where he says so!)

Sarris brings the characters alive... in The Handwriting on the Wall, for instance, it opens with Belshazzar at his dinner party... slurring his words and sounding like he's had a bit too much to drink. Or in the story of Jonah, you can hear the quaver in the voices... the fear comes through loud and strong.

But what do the kids think? They love them. The older ones have all commented on how this isn't just another Bible story... "That guy really makes you feel like you are right in the middle of an action-adventure movie. Well, except it is pretty short to be a movie." (That quote was actually split between two kids, and I forgot which two.) They would love to have more.

At only $7.95 these would be a great extra gift, and if you order today, you might have these in time for Christmas... this is exactly the kind of thing I love to put in Christmas stockings. Santa, in my house, always brings some very, very Christ-centered gifts.

There are six volumes at the present. The Life of Christ, Beginnings, Joshua & Esther, Joseph & His Brothers, and Defeating Giants are the other ones. There is also a longer one... The Real Story of Easter, which is only available in NIV. These are intended for anyone age 4 and up, but the FAQ page said it best: "adult stories that children love to listen to".

I highly recommend these. If you go to the product page, you can listen to a short clip from each (in both versions) but I don't think the clips do the product justice.

You can read what other crew members had to say about World's Greatest Stories here:

Disclaimer: As part of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I did receive this game for the purpose of a review. All opinions are my own. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.

Review: Fractazmic

2011-12-14T09:34:00.003-07:00

When I was probably around 10 or 11, I started playing Rummy (and later Gin Rummy) with my grandma. Well, Grandma and whoever else we could rope into playing with us. I loved the game. Some luck, some strategy, some making inferences based on what other people are discarding... and attention to detail.

I loved it. And Grandma didn't coddle anyone. At least not past the first couple games where she was teaching someone to play and we all had our hands showing. In those hands, you could get away with not discarding the card she needed... but she would always explain why she was discarding the card you needed... because 'if we were playing for real, I wouldn't know you needed it, and this is the least valuable card in my hand and here is why.'

When she thought you understood the game, we'd start keeping our hands to ourselves... and it would be a long time before any of us kids won again.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the game... until recently, when I've been playing a game from I See Cards with my bigger boys. Fractazmic. One version is a lot like Rummy, only it is easier. And harder too. I better explain, huh?

Fractazmic consists of a deck of 60 cards, split into 3 suits: tenths, twelfths and sixteenths, with each suit being a different color. The tenth suit includes cards that have fractions that can be converted to tenths... either tenths, fifths or one-half. The twelfth suit can be converted to twelfths, and it includes twelfths, sixths, fourths, thirds and one-half. The sixteenth, similarly, consists of sixteenths, eighths, fourths and one-half.

(As an aside... I LOVE the suits they have chosen. I think learning to deal with converting fractions is important... but the ones I am likely to use in real life are all pretty much covered here... tenths pop up everywhere. Twelfths (includes 1/4 and 1/3) I use daily. And sixteenths (well, the 1/4 and 1/8 part) pop up fairly often too. So my kids getting really comfortable with these specific fractions is great. And if they are comfortable with this, on the rare, weird occasion when they need to add 1/7 plus 1/9, they'll be able to how to figure it out, because combining fractions will no longer be so intimidating.)

The basic idea is to lay down sets that equal ONE, within a single suit/color. So the 1/4, 1/3, 1/12, and two 1/6 cards would work... assuming they are all blue.

Each suit has a different graphic... the twelfth one is the easiest... an egg carton. The 1/2 card has a carton with 6 eggs in it. A 5/12 card would have an egg carton with 5 eggs in it, etc. The cards are cute... and definitely help the kids to be visualizing the fractions. The tenth suit is a one liter bottle, marked off in 10ths. The 16th suit is a ruler. All have adorable little bugs on them.

Why is this easier than Rummy? Well... you only have one goal -- making ones. None of the decisions about whether to use the 10 of hearts in a 3 of a kind, or whether to use it to make a run of of 8, 9, 10 of hearts... all you are focusing on is making it total 1.

Here's my kids playing. What has been really interesting about this is that William (the one in the blue flannel) has done really well at this... usually beating his big brother. Thomas (the one moping) took a few games before some things "clicked" for him in figuring out strategy. This photo was taken while he was still in that pre-click stage... you know, the "this is awful, I hate it, my brothers always beat me, I hate this" phase.

Since having that a-ha moment though, he is actually finding the game fun. In fact, he won the game the four of us played.

There is another version of the game too: Trap. In this one, the first player lays down a card, and each player then has to lay down another card in the same suit. The goal is to either make 1, or force the player after you to go over 1.

Trap is easier to play, because you can coach younger kids along as you go. "Okay, so if we add this up, we have 13/16... what would we need to get to one?" The coaching doesn't really take away from the fun of playing the game, and it gives a chance to model the fraction conversions.

I adore this set of cards. I really want to be able to purchase the other two math games that I See Cards carries... Pyramath (which was reviewed by the Crew last year, but I wasn't on it) and Prime Bomb. At $6.95 each, the price is reasonable. And this game is FUN (and educational too).

I wish I could purchase both now, as they'd make fabulous stocking stuffers. I will be getting them in 2012 though. Sometime.

You can read what other crew members had to say about Fractazmic here:

Disclaimer: As part of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I did receive this game for the purpose of a review. All opinions are my own. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.