Inspire

Willie Out West, a book review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 22:53:00 +0000

Willie Out West
By Rhonda Walker
Published by WestBow Press

Description:

Young Willie Walrus leaves his ice home to travel on an adventure to Big West, where the town’s citizens desperately need help. Arriving to cheers, he quickly runs into Old Walter, the One-Eyed Whale. Colorful illustrations and action in Willie Out West takes readers to an old West town where the citizens expect Willie to save them. Can he?

My thoughts:
There are several adorable and endearing qualities of this book but I don't know if it is quite enough to make it a keeper in the bookshelf. At first I was at a loss because it didn't pull me in. It starts off with Willie being bored and sounding spoiled saying that he wants to do something exciting but then an octopus shows up and chooses him for an adventure to take back the town but then hides when the bad guy approaches. I guess my biggest issue with the book is the inconsistent characters and not being polished enough. I think it has potential to have a really cute lesson (bullying and not being afraid) but it just doesn't quite get to the place that would keep the kids engaged. The illustrations are cute though and the ending was nice and I liked how it was left at not knowing if his adventure was real or a dream but still had an impact anyway.

I received this product for the purpose of review from Book Look Bloggers. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Inside the Cover: NIV Bible for Men by Zodervan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 22:22:00 +0000

Contents:
260 Daily Readings to help you build and maintain a pattern of engaging with God's Word as you wrestle with the issues you face as a young man in today's world.
52 Myths to help you examine common assumptions from the perspective of what God says in his Word
A Topical Index that allows you to access the daily reading content based on whatever issue you happen to be facing in any particular situation
A Myth Index that allows you to look over the myth statements, and select which ones to investigate

My favorite part of this Bible was probably the devotions and myths. Some of them were pretty funny and definitely were very easy to understand but made you think as well. For example, one talks about how it is manly to show love for God and that it is actually arrogant to not outwardly show it. Then it goes into how David was not a dancer but he danced wildly in his skivvies. The myths turn a spotlight on things that are commonly thought among Christians (and non-Christians) and debunks them ... just like Myth Busters (Bible style) I just like the approach this Bible has and how it is organized.

Now, that being said, I may use this more than my husband because he tends to be loyal to the KJ versions and feels more comfortable with that. However, he has been using this in church though because the readings are usually from NIV.

I feel that it is very important to add things that apply to modern people but not take anything away from the Word and I feel this Bible did a great job doing that. With everything being so fast paced and it being harder and harder to find time to dive into the Bible as much as we should or want, when it keeps you engaged, it really is a great blessing. I definitely can recommend this Bible to any young to old men in faith wherever their walk may be (in it's beginning steps or further down the road).

I received this product for the purpose of review from Book Look Bloggers. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 04:51:00 +0000

My dog Cali does not get pampered as much as she should. Really, she's quite lady like and deserves better but with my hectic schedule (college, kids and their school and the house) I really don't have time to keep up with maintaining myself or the kids let alone our furry member. She has desperately needed her claws cut for quite some time. Every time she moves it's like a lady in high heels.... clip clip clip down the hall. Since she follows me EVERYWHERE... this was needing to be addressed.. for herself and my sanity.

I was given the opportunity to check out the RollinPets nail clippers and massage brush and boy was it good timing. Let me just say... it's obvious I need to do it a lot more. Cali still follows me around but I swear she is scowling at me. She's more reluctant to give me her paw now. However, I did not have an accident with cutting her and it was very quick.

First of all, these clippers are nice and rugged made with stainless steel and nice thick rubber coating on the handles. I have another pair kicking around somewhere and they are no where near as sturdy and the release switch came apart. So I need to dig my finger in the small crack to try to flip it so that way they open to cut her claws. Maybe this is why I have been lazy with the grooming. But the safety lock on the clippers from RollinPets is large and stainless steel so it is not coming apart anytime soon. There is the handy nail guard too so people that are not that experienced doing the claws can be more confident in not hurting their pet.

Cali really didn't love me holding her paw still all that much but I clipped them just a little because I am going to gradually get them to wear they should be but she seemed to perk right back up when I used the massage brush on her afterward. It was a nice treat after the torture and was a big hit with her. This kit comes with a great little stow away bag and awaits the next grooming session in a couple weeks. You can get these clippers for $25.99 free shipping (prime) on Amazon here. If you are needing to buy a pair or wish to replace the ones you have, I would highly recommend these because they seem like they may stand the test of time and they cut nice and easy. I don't feel like I am going to crush her claw or not be able to cut through.

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I received this product for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Orchid 80GSM Origami Paper Review

noreply@blogger.com (SAKT Homestead) — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 12:43:00 +0000

When I was a kid, I used to make all kinds of things from paper. I had sailor hats and drinking cups down to a science. I knew how to fold notes to pass in class and I knew how to make boxes from Christmas cards. It was so much fun. And what's also cool is writing special messages or writing prompts on strips of paper and folding them into stars to place in a jar for your writing desk or for gift giving. There is so much awesomeness that comes with paper crafts.

That's how I know that the child receiving this cool set of Origami Paper by Orchid is going to love it. They happens to be a fan of Origami and these papers are perfect for it. They are 6"x6" square sheets in a pack of 500. There are 10 colors in all and of those colors, there are several sets of coordinating colors. It also came with a, origami ebook.

I found the paper easy to fold because it was thin, but not so thin that you risked ripping it. The creations that my daughter and I made are a nice size and didn't become too hard to fold on the small parts. The papers create the perfect sized envelopes for gift cards and boxes that can hold a pair of ear buds or jewelry.

The colors are pretty and the pages are colored on only one side. I like this feature because it adds a good amount of contrast and helps you keep sides from getting confused when folding. the paper. I would recommend this paper for origami, whether for yourself or for someone on your gift list.

Do you do origami? To learn more, check out Orchid on Amazon.com
Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Guest Post by:

Starbucks.. how dare you!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 17:45:00 +0000

I have become a lot more outgoing lately and tend to speak my mind even more than I used to ever do .. which was enough, but I have to go on a little vent here. We have been changing into a world where everything has to be PC and no one can be offended at all ..but yet we are offended over everything little thing. We have no backbone and the "all inclusive" movement is making it so no one feels included. That being said... there are times where christian activists make me mad! Now, I don't like Starbucks. They are too expensive and I don't like the taste. I lied.. I like the caramel macchiato. Anyway, but this whole red cup thing is insane! Just like the greeting of Merry Christmas, this change of color is supposed to make you feel warm for the holidays. It is a well wishing and festive dressing whether there is a reindeer, dove, cross or tree, it is meant to be a subtle holiday dressing for their cups.

What is a movement on the "outrage" of taking Christ out of Christmas... which is a stretch here by the way, going to do for you besides leave more of a bad taste in people's mouth about Christians? I am begging you to stop! We have enough as Christians to defend in love, do we really need to fight unimportant battles on what color the paper cups are at Starbucks??! On a regular basis I defend Christianity. I am not crazy, yes I do believe there is ONE God, no I don't think it's weird to praise God in church and I do find church important. It's my fuel for the week. I need it to get through. I think God would look at this movement with irritation not pride with his believers that are participating. When we can't look at the whole picture and see that we are arguing something so irrelevant but it's changing how people perceive the faith... then motives as to why we are arguing come into play. I have a saying that I will make a image for to share here shortly..but for the church I go to I tell people that we will not Bible thump you, we love our faith way too much to turn you away from it. This should be the case with all Christians. Stop turning people away from us and our faith! Care more about how your behavior and being a light than about the number of views your sharing gets. I like the red cups.

The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Inside The Cover: NIV Bible for Teen Girls by Zondervan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 17:17:00 +0000

About this version:
This Bible is in the NIV translation. The goal behind the NIV translation is to take the living word of God and put it into terms that every English speaking person can easily understand. With older translations it was difficult for people to understand through the terms like "hath" and "begat". This particular Bible is also geared for teen girls. This means that they focused on issues teen would be facing and putting it into a format that jumped out to them and also put in extras that would bring it to life.

What I think:
I have always leaned towards teen Bible's because of the format they are put in. I love reading fiction for young adults as well. I may be 31 but I still don't like things to bore me or reading things that make me wonder. What I like most about Bibles that are for young adults is that they put real life examples and clearly define what is meant by the text. They inspire more hope and give greater understanding. The NIV Bible for teen girls is a great addition to our library and has become my go to Bible for church. Let me talk about the contents a bit.

First of all, it is hardcover, which I love. It make it more durable and easier for me to navigate with the cover bending. It starts off like any other with the Table of Contents, then has the books of the Bible, table of weights and measures (so we can see how much something would be for us today), the Topical Index (which is an index that shows you where to find verses or stories by topic such as "Picking yourself back up"), then there is the Index of Women of the Bible (to empower our young women to model themselves after the great women of the Bible), an index of Devotions for Growing in Faith, Hope and Love and then ends with the Concordance.

As you can see, there are so many things offered with this Bible. Each book has an introduction page. It tells when the events in the book happened, who was involved in the events, has a verse or two that you may recognize in the upcoming book and an overview of what the book is about and what is happening and how it can relate to us. All the fulfilled promises are highlighted in pink and throughout this Bible are fantastic devotions. This is the Bible I read to my kids at night with and take to church. It is exactly everything I need and like in my Bible because I feel that it should be more than just a text style book that you need to decipher and learn from. I am all about things coming to life so I retain it and understand it more and that is exactly what you get here. If you have a teen girl or like myself, like the young adult geared Bibles, this is a great option. Right now you can buy it on Amazon for $39.22 here.

I received this product for the purpose of review as part of the Book Look blogging program. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Inside the Best Cover: Faith Girls Bible (NIV) by Kidz Bibles

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 03:54:00 +0000

I am always open to getting new Bibles. I love when easier to understand versions come out and I especially love when they are really engaging. I get even more excited when it comes to one that will get the kids reading it more. I am currently on the look out for my next new Bible. For now, I have found the perfect one for my nieces. The faithgirlz Bible from kidz Bibles is fantastic! There are so many things about it I love that I could gush for an hour. I will shorten the gushing for you and tell you just the very top features that this Bible offers. First off, this Bible is NIV, so it is easier for the kiddos to understand. It has 7 different features throughout this book that will get them to not only understand what is happening but enjoy learning about it as well. My favorite is the Bring it On sections. They are like choose your own adventure books but Bible lesson style. For example, the one I added to the picture below reads...

When I feel frustrated and jealous, I:

A: Keep it to myself - and maybe pout.

B: Vent to somebody - or at somebody.

C: Try to get back at someone.

Then on the next page you see..

If you answered....

A: Go to Ephesians 4:25-27

B: Go to James 3:3-6

C: Go to Luke 6:27-31

I love that! How fun and enlightening!

The Oh, I Get It features help take all the really tough information and breaks it down to their level. This is really useful for those stories that are hard to understand... even for us adults. There are Book Introductions where each book of the Bible has it's own introduction and an explanation of how they apply to our lives. Verses can easily be memorized with the Treasure This sections and there are even places where they can tell a Bible story in their own words.

If you can't tell, I am super excited over this version. I think it is exactly what kids need today and I want one that doesn't look so kiddish on the cover for myself! Honestly if it didn't look so young, I would sneak it into my Bible case because I could use it too. Oh, and the cover is hardcover with a magnetic clasp on the overlap, which only makes this Bible cuter. Ok, I will stop gushing but you can get your own copy... which I don't know why you wouldn't want .... to on Amazon by clicking here for $28.22. This will be one that stands the test of time as long as it's taken care of. It is well protected with the wraparound hard cover. So happy reading girls!

I received this product for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Big day? Have a big glass of wine! Valentina Paris has just the glass for you.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 02:39:00 +0000

I have my drinks of choice... well to be honest only one that keeps me going, and that is coffee. However I've been scratching my head looking for a unique wedding gift for an old friend who is getting married this weekend. I don't know him well anymore but I do know that he and his wife to be look very happy and enjoy having drinks with friends. The perfect gift fell in my lap when I had the chance to talk about mouth blown wine glasses from Valentina Paris. It's like they knew my dilemma. Kind of creepy because these are perfect.

Each one is unique to each other and let me just say... they are huge! I read some reviews before receiving them and they weren't kidding when they said they were big. These are for the ones that love their wine or the ones that really like to swish and swirl before sipping. The swirling seems to have been the inspiration behind the painting too, because it resembles the swirling that goes one when you wine taste. The colors are gorgeous. My pictures don't do them justice. The gold you see in the picture below is very silky and rich.

If I wasn't giving them as a wedding gift, I think they would be beautiful as candle holders. You know, the ones that have the colored water and a tea lights floating in them. They would be beautiful center pieces for Thanksgiving or Christmas because they have great universal but classy colors in them.

A little about these glasses. As I said before, Valentina Paris designs each glass in Paris and makes them with mouth blown glass. Each one is different and hand painted by professional artists. They are for sale on Amazon for $29.12 for the pair, click here if you would like to get your own set. If they are unavailable, no worries. Last time they were unavailable, a couple days later they were back in stock. So keep checking.

Want to know more about Valentina Paris? Check them out on Pinterest, Amazon or Facebook.

Happy drinking!

I received this product for the purpose of review from Tomoson. I was invited to check them out and was given a coupon code with a discount. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Inside The Cover: Ghost Boy The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body By Martin Pistorius ( a book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 17:41:00 +0000

About the book:

In 1988, Martin's life would start to change forever. At 12 years old, he came home from school, complaining of a sore throat and that would be one of the last things he said before unexplained symptoms took his body captive and he lost his voice. In less than 2 years, Martin was wheelchair bound, couldn't speak and was thought to be in a vegetative state caused by an unknown degenerative disease. They couldn't be more wrong. He was in a "virtual coma" for just over 3 years, but the rest of the 12 years that he was though to be mentally gone.. he was completely aware and surprisingly coming back to life. When everyone treated him as a decoration or background image in the scenes he took part in, he was building memories and battling depression. No matter how hard he wanted to, he could not get his body to react to get anyone to notice he was there, until Virna.

Virna was one of Martin's aids, the only aid that paid enough attention to see that there was more to Martin than just a "fixture" waiting to die. With her help, tools were used to give Martin back a voice. Once he had a voice back, recovery was well under way and secrets were exposed. Martin was able to tell all and finally defend himself against unspeakable abuse and describe how lonely and helpless he felt. His story made us rethink what is assumed in a lot of cases like his, that they can't think and they don't know what's happening. Doctor's would never find out what caused his illness but his autobiography certainly gave such a tragic series of events some amazing purpose. Check out the book trailer below.

My own thoughts:

Wow... what an amazing and powerful book! I have read many books that impacted me in some way but this book hit on another level. This book made me feel proud, sad, angry, furious, amused, happy and empowered. His story has proven what I have felt when I look in the eyes of so many others that have been cast to the side as "fixtures". Communication is so important. I learned some sign language to speak with a deaf student who had other complications as well. He was avoided in school and I saw people cringe when he would come close or tried speaking with them. It was heart-breaking. He is a sweetheart. Another student I knew, spoke through his computer like Martin did. He appeared to most people, to not have anything going for him. I heard people mutter things like "What's the sense in him going to school?" If they spent five seconds listening to him, they would realize that not only was he smarter than they gave him credit for.. in fact quite normal in that aspect, but he was funny as well. I get told all the time that Dementia is different though. They say that they really are losing their awareness. Then tell me, why do I recognize my scared and frustrated grandmother at times in her eyes? How do we know what connections are made and what is really going on in her mind? I went on that long vent to show you how emotionally invested I am in stories like these and how Martin's book just cemented them in. I hope stories like his are just the beginning and he helps show that maybe it wasn't Martin who was unaware after all!

About The Author (from his website)

Martin Pistorius was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1975. At the age of twelve an unknown illness left him wheelchair bound and unable to speak, and he spent fourteen years in institutions. In 2001 he learned to communicate via computer, make friends, and change his life. In 2008 he met the love of his life, Joanna, and emmigrated to the UK. In 2009 they married and in 2010 he started his own business. He loves spending time with friends and, most of all, being with his wife.

I received this book from Book Look Bloggers for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Apologies and hellos.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 06:14:00 +0000

Let's just dive right in. I owe everyone a big apology. My blog sort of dropped off the face of the earth. Life decided to hit pretty hard and it was a tornado of events starting with the loss of my hard drive, to internet, to my "pops" (in all sense of the word), my job and then our home. I am not going on a boo hoo rant, I am simply explaining my absence. My beloved blog was the very last thing on my mind and with the loss of all my pictures, videos and documents.. I gave up for a while. Then I got an email from a company that I reviewed for. I was in the middle of this review when everything hit. It was one that took some time and needed updates with pictures and results and I failed them because I no longer have anything to show this company or to my viewers. This made me feel extremely guilty. I am all about ones word and I let people down. I would like to make up for this and revive my beloved. I had to buy a new domain name since mine was hijacked and taken over by inappropriate pictures. I have now bought langleylove.com. I'm back people and I am going to get the promised articles up, whether they are late or not simply cause I said I would. So expect a new look, new posts and new ideas. Hope you all have been well!

A unique way of sharing your memories. Try out a brand new photo sharing site at the albums!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 01:01:00 +0000

Thanksgiving has ended and Christmas is just around the corner. Now is the perfect time to let you know about a great online photo sharing site called The Albums. What makes these guys different from the tons of others out there? Actually ... several things! Let me tell you about them.
First off, like others, it is free to join. However, what makes them different is ... you can easily earn free months by just being active! The more you upload and share... the longer your free membership is. For making your first album... you get a free month... for making 2 more... you get another. The first time you share one, you earn yet another month... get the drift? Pretty cool huh?
I really love the look of the site. It is elegant and simple and clutter free. They have family name in a handwriting font and the whole site loads really fast. I didn't have a wait time at all to see all the pictures once they were uploaded. The whole thing is really easy to use, I don't see anyone really having an issue figuring things out.

One thing that is unique is they have a cap of 25 pictures per album. At first, I hated that idea, but the more I started thinking of it, the more it made sense. Having 25 pictures is a decent amount of shots per event, it doesn't take forever to load and it doesn't overwhelm the family members and friends. Also, you can add as many albums as you like so you can just do it in parts, but it forces you to choose the best shots for the occasion. If I was to have any constructive criticism on that feature it would be that maybe having a choice of a certain number of photos would be better so people didn't feel forced into it. For instance... make your album with 25 or 50 photos. Either way, I kind of like the idea.

Sharing is super easy and the emails that your friends get are great. They see a thumbnail of your albums right in their email. When you upload more, they will get a message. Also, you have a spot for all your friends albums. Say Grandma is on vacation, she uploads her vacation photos in an album on The Albums and she shares it with you... you log into your account and click on your shared albums tab, you will then see all the albums from friends that have been shared with you right there. I love this and it is definitely different than others that I have seen.
I had to ask the people at The Albums about the option to download photos. The option is not available at the time but may be in the future. Right now, it is mainly a sharing site. Depending on the demand from the public, downloading for printing may be available. They have a conveniently located
feedback button on the lower right hand side of the page so you can easily give them your thoughts on what you like or don't like. Since they are fresh out of the gate, this feedback is valued.
I do love the fact that you will never see ads on The Albums. They promise to never bombard us with ads now.. or ever. Since they get their expenses covered from the monthly fees, they listen to us.. not advertisers or investors. So make your opinions heard!

I received this product for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Teach your children to read young with Children Learning Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 18:23:00 +0000

Children Learning Reading is a super simple and effective, step-by-step program that helps parents teach their children how to read. We have numerous videos posted on our website showing the amazing progress of many children.

It takes about 10-15 minutes a day and can be used with children as early as 2 or 3 years old. Here are some benefits that parents have experienced. You can find these and more information at the Children Learniing Reading site.

It was rewarding and endearing to see the fantastic reading progress made by their children.

Their children had developed a mastery over print, and were developing a very respectable vocabulary base.

The children acquired a real love of reading and learning.

Through the teaching process, the parents themselves had developed a deeper and better understanding of the English language!

Older siblings who could already read showed a real interest in helping their younger brother or sister learn to read, and in the process, developed stronger reading skills themselves.

Children who were behind with poor reading skills were reading at grade level after completing our program.

The parents developed a real respect and appreciation for their child's amazing ability to learn and assimilate new information.

My thoughts:

All my sons are older than the target audience for this program, however it is benefitting my 6 year old anyway. When my firstborn was a baby, I spent so much time with him singing and reading and one of the things I liked to do with him is go through the alphabet in sounds and not the letter names. I was doing this all the time with him and my son started reading at 3 but was finishing books at 4. I didn't have this program to help me out and I hadn't tried any others but I knew something I was doing was working well and it paid off because all of his teachers have told me that he can read anything. The only reason he has a capped score is because it is the highest they give. I'm not telling you this in a gloating manner but because while I was looking over this program, it implements a lot of the same things I did with my own son that I know to work.

Teaching your child to read at a young age doesn't just open the door for imagination and learning facts but it opens a whole new way of thinking and processing as well. Kids learn how to treat others better because they can understand empathy more and how things work. They have more of a "mathematical" sense of learning where they process things "outside the box" and seem more mature. I agree with Jim and his family that it is incredibly important to teach your child to read young. I had a lot more time with my firstborn than with my youngest (go figure) and I have seen such a difference. I feel that I have hindered my youngest from his full potential because he is just as smart as his brother but didn't get the tools as early and is slightly behind because of it. He reads but still can't read alone and he is 6. This program helps me with time because it has lessons planned right out. I can tackle one before dinner or complete a couple over the weekend. It's always easier with a plan so now I can get him caught up and it has already helped him where sounding words out are concerned.

In conclusion:

I highly recommend this program because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt (first hand proof) that the techniques that are used are extremely effective. I used very similar techniques with my 8 year old and he was fluently reading at 4 years old.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

review All natural mineral and beautiful eye shadow, made in the USA by Ageless Derma.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 19:11:00 +0000

Hello everyone! *Big smiles* I am in a great mood today. Why? I am not sure. It is bitterly cold outside with the wind chill but yesterday was beautiful and I got lots done and I always feel good when I am productive. And now, I get to share with you a wonderful make up product that is made from natural ingredients. I'm finding it very easy to fall in love with Ageless Derma just a little bit more with each product I try. I'm not a mega girly girl and I don't do much for make up. I will put concealer on my face to cover up my bad blemishes, some lip gloss now and again but my main staple and girly vice is mineral eye shadow. I have a ton and I love ... nay... I'm kind of addicted to grabbing new shades both bold and sheer.

Of all the beautiful colors that Ageless Derma had to offer, I just had to try the Gold Leaf. I love natural colors and I'm not going to lie... Army green was pretty much 75% of my wardrobe several years back. I have gotten better since then but I still love natures hues. Gold leaf looked like an army/olive green with gold flecks in it. I was curious because in the pictures you can't really see the shade all that well so I didn't know what I was truly getting but the description sounded great. It turned out to be prettier than I imagined. Unfortunately, unless you have a professional camera, you can't capture the effect in photos at all! I did my best but these pictures still don't do the shade justice. I put a heavy application on, hoping that it would show up more. There is a lot of depth to this shadow and it gleams. It's hard to explain but it's sort of like the difference between 2d and 3d. I love it! You can get a more dramatic look as well if you are applying over a cream base or when wet.

"Ok... so the color is great... we get it... but what are we putting on our eyes?" I'm assuming you are asking something along those lines... Well..... let me tell you...

From their site:

Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Boron Nitride, Octyl Palmitate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Cyclomethione, Green Tea Extract (Carmellia Sinesis), Superoxide Dismutase & Catalase & Apple Extract (Pyrus Malus) & Horseradish (Cochlearia Armoracia) & Phospholipids & Retinyl Palmitate & Tocopheryl Acetate & Butylene Glycol, Lavender, Sandalwood, Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, Rosemary, Sage, Cedarwood, Palmarosa.

May Contain: Iron Oxides, Bismuth Oxylcloride, Manganese Violet, Chromium Oxide Greens, Ultramarines, Carmine.

Ageless Derma Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow contains natural minerals, mined from the earth, that have natural, light-reflecting abilities. This contributes to the long-lasting wear of the Ageless Derma eyeshadows as well as their other important attributes. This mineral cosmetic contains all natural ingredients that revitalize the skin and target wrinkles around eyes that make women look and feel older than they should. Natural beauty and refreshing youth is restored with the use of all natural ingredients.

Ageless Derma does not test on animals and is made in the USA. Make up is paraben free and is safe for all skin types. I have sensitive skin actually, so I am proof. I break out very easily.

This eye shadow retails for $16.50 and can be purchased right on agelessderma.com. Be sure to check out their weekly giveaways too!

Thanks for reading!

I received this product for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Inside The Cover: Return To Me by Lynn Austin (a book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 22:46:00 +0000

About the book in my own words:

Iddo was just a young boy when his life was ripped apart. He witnessed his closest family murdered in cold blood and his home devastated and abandoned. Now, after decades of exile, he is free to return to his homeland. This causes lots of mixed emotions for Iddo and his family. Nightmare memories come flooding back but so does the promise and favor God once gave the Jews. His sons, never living in Jerusalem before and used to the Babylonian life, do not share in his excitement and do not want to leave. This would have been the case for his grandson as well if he hadn't heard from God right before they were to leave. Zechariah (Zaki) was destined for great things.

The journey was generous with hardships and faith wavered pretty strong at times but never did Iddo lose sight of their purpose or his faith in God. Zaki chose to leave his father and mother, knowing that he may never see them again, to follow where God led. As time went on and it got closer to the time when he was to become a priest, he was given strong visions and proclaiming God's word. No one doubted that God was with them but God doesn't follow man's law. What would this mean for them and their future?

My thoughts:

The Old Testament can be hard to bite into at times and even if you can chew it, it can be hard to swallow. I sometimes have a hard time understanding the message that is meant to be given or know the difference between God and man and who is speaking at times and why. This book did a really good job of coloring the black and white photos and giving them animation. I was happily surprised at what I was able to back up in the Bible. Obviously lots were added to give you a realistic picture but Lynn did her research and took a story that is easily overlooked and put a spotlight on it.

This novel is the first in a saga that Lynn has started called The Restoration Chronicles. Even though I thought there was a gap that could have been filled out a little more towards the end, I am looking forward to reading the next book in line. There will be 3 books in this series and it focuses on Ezra and Nehemiah. I passed this book onto the local library for a couple reasons. I liked it but didn't LOVE it but I also thought it was a great book to add because Christian Fiction is not the most popular genre but in a small town library it may be just what the older kids need to get into, not only the genre ,but the Old Testament.

I would recommend this book for any of Christian Fiction or Historical Fiction. I thought that Lynn did just a wonderful job at showing you the characters of the book were just like us. They may have had more audible or visible signs of God's presence but they still fought with jumping off that "faith cliff" and doing what God wanted them to do. You can purchase your own copy from Amazon by clicking the image below.

Thanks for reading!

About The Author:

Biography
For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband's work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she'd earned at Southern Connecticut State University to become a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It was during the long Canadian winters at home with her children that Lynn made progress on her dream to write, carving out a few hours of writing time each day while her children napped. Lynn credits her early experience of learning to write amid the chaos of family life for her ability to be a productive writer while making sure her family remains her top priority.

I received this book from Bethany House for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Improve your memory with Prevagen.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 23:41:00 +0000

While I may not be considered old enough to be a prime candidate for this supplement, I have definitely noticed that my memory is definitely not what it used to be... not that it was ever that great to begin with. I have always been bad at remembering birthdays or phone numbers when I have to call someone. I am one of those people that would repeat the number mentally several times before picking up the phone.. just to recheck the number again before dialing. I would like to blame it on "mommy brain" but I really wasn't that good at that stuff before expecting babies either. However, I am all for trying to improve my memory as long as it is safe.

I have been taken Prevagen for a month now and here is what I found. First of all, when I was researching this product, there seemed to be some controversy surrounding whether it was possible for it to work or not. Lots were saying that it can't work the way it claims because of how proteins are broke down in our bodies. Others were saying it definitely worked. I'm not a scientist or pharmacologist, so I don't even want to try to pretend I know the details of how Prevagen would work or not work. The main thing to me is to know if it is safe or not and try it out for myself. Everything I have read seemed to indicate it was safe, so how did trying it out go? By the end of the month I was dialing my friends number by memory. She just recently moved to Texas and this is kind of a big thing. I have a hard time remembering local seven digit numbers but this is a new 10 digit number that I recalled from memory.

Who knows... maybe it wasn't the supplement at all. I could have been focusing better subconsciously because I psyched myself into thinking it was working. I don't think so. I think that even if the proteins are not what is making it work, it adds something to my body that I need or balances something out where I can focus more. I don't care about scientific mumbo jumbo... I care about safety and results and I noticed a difference when I took Prevagen.

Now, I am not saying that it was a drastic difference or that it would be worth paying $60 a month for. Personally, they would need to lower the price for me to try it longer and then I could let you know if it is worth Grandma paying that much a month on a fixed income. Times are hard and that is quite an expense.

Overall thoughts? I feel that it was too short a time to let you know if it is worth the money. I will say that it seemed very safe. I never had any side effects and I did notice a difference in recalling phone numbers and my focus. Take that as you will. I think this product works. If you would like to know more about Prevagen go to www.prevagen.com or check out the online home of the researchers at Quincy Bioscience. To keep updated or show appreciation, find Prevagen on Facebook. Thanks for reading!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Get rid of wrinkles with Stem Cell and Peptide Anti Wrinkle Cream from Ageless Derma

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Today I am going to put the Stem Cell and Peptide Anti-Wrinkle Cream from Ageless Derma in the spotlight.

Let's tackle the obvious question that some readers are probably asking themselves. I just got done reviewing a clay masque for Ageless Derma and loved the feeling it gave my face and was excited that another opportunity came up. That being said, when I read the stem cell ingredient, I panicked. I quickly went to read about the use of stem cells because I am on the side that is fully against it. However, I was quite relieved to see that they are apple stem cells! In my personal opinion, they may want to make it obvious on their packaging so they don't have problems with people being quick to judge. Now that I got that out of the way, let's get on with the review.

Can I just gush a little here over the genius invention of the jar this cream comes in? I have always been a gal that gets happy over the small things, but this jar really ... and I mean really, won me over haha. Hopefully you can see what I mean in the pictures easy enough. The whole top is a button. When you push down on this button, the perfect amount of cream comes up in the center. Not only is it a lot let messy and convenient but it makes it super not to waste the cream. This is incredibly handy since the cream isn't cheap. I immediately showed this feature out. Also, you can take the top off and get it out that way as well. Again, I think it's genius!

So far this is the second facial product I have reviewed from this company and with both I have noticed how it feels like you are literally slathering your face with nature. I smell citrus. There is a strong lemon or lime smell to it and it a refreshing tingle feel when it's applied. It is gel based and quickly absorbs into the skin leaving you feeling moisturized and fresh.

Does it work? Don't hate me. I am 29 years old and even though I am fast approaching (too fast if you ask me) the age where wrinkles will be a lot more prominent, I have not collected many as of yet. So I can't give you a detailed review on this cream and it's effect on wrinkles. However, I do suffer from dry skin and I have noticed more aging and pitting on my face and I have noticed something occurring here. I apply this cream all over the face but my forehead gets the main focus and it has felt smoother and tighter while using this product. Even though the cream absorbs fast, the moisturizing feel lingers without feeling greasy or heavy. This is a great cream to put on right in the morning after washing your face. It's like having a glass of orange juice.. it just feels like the right way to start your day.

So what is my overall opinion of what I like and don't like about this product?

I love that it is made in the USA! This has been important to me (especially lately) and I love that this is made local. I also love that it uses natural ingredients and doesn't test on animals. I really love the jar! I think I have mentioned that.
I don't love the price but I love it compared to others. You can tell this is a great product and things are just expensive now-a-days. So retailing for $65 is not bad when you consider what other products in the same market are going for. I have done my research and read other reviews and not only have I not found one that says they don't feel it working but the company offers a money back guarantee. You can feel confident trying it out. So would I feel comfortable enough telling my mother on a budget to try this anti-wrinkle cream out? Yes, yes I would. So I feel confident telling you the same thing. Below are the "guts" of the the product for those of you who like to know exactly what you are putting on your face. You can also read a little more on some of the ingredients in their beauty products on their site.

Ingredients:

Argireline
Matrixyl 3000
PhytoCellTec Malus-Plant Stem Cell Domestica
Sodium Hyaluronate
SYN-COLL
Vialox Powder
CoenzymeQ 10-Ubiquione
Peptides
Retinol
Green Tea Extract

Keep your eyes peeled for a review on some eye shadow I tried from Ageless Derma in upcoming posts. Thanks for reading!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Inside The Cover: A Man Called Blessed by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright - a book review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 21:20:00 +0000

A Man Called Blessed (The Caleb book series, book 2)
By Ted Dekker and Bill Bright
Published by Thomas Nelson

One man holds the key to finding the Ark of the Covenant.

In this explosive sequel to Blessed Child, Rebecca Soloman leads a team deep into the Ethiopian desert to hunt the one man who may know the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. But Islamic extremists fear that the Ark’s discovery will compel Israel to rebuild Solomon’s temple on the very site of their own holy mosque in Jerusalem.

They immediately dispatch Ismael, their most accomplished assassin, to pursue the same man. But the one in their sights is no ordinary man. His name is Caleb, and he is also on a quest—to find again the love he embraced as a child.

.......
My thoughts:

I never like to start a book knowing that I'm not reading the first novel in a series. I have done it before by accident but I don't like to. As I was reading the description of A Man Called Blessed however, something pulled me in and my final decision for my next read was made. I am so glad I chose this book.

This is my first time reading a Ted Dekker book but I can guarantee it won't be my last. I can't wait to read about Caleb's back story and hear about the miracles he performed as a child. One of the things that I feel Ted Dekker did well on was putting you in the head of the different personalities he created. He would be letting you in on secret thoughts of a devout Jew or a traveling Christian and then hurdle you into the evil thrills of a heartless assassin. Even though it could be troubling, it is a good reminder that these crimes actually do go on and puts a spotlight on people being violated in such a horrible manner.

Right from the beginning this story gripped me. At times it was an action packed adventure and other times it was inspirational and in between it was a love story, suspense and sometimes even a comedy. Rebecca was quite a character. She was easy to relate to but was infuriating at times. It gave you the feeling that you were watching a movie with a family member. She could make you laugh, clap or hide your head with embarrassment. If I was to have any constructive criticism, it would be that as much as you hope a certain relationship works out... it almost feels wrong that it does. The closure was a little too cut off for me. With the rest of the story having so many details, I was kind of disappointed with the end coming up so abruptly... it left me feeling not fully satisfied. Good thing I have the first book to go read now!

I would highly recommend this book to any Christian fiction fan, historical fiction or to anyone that simply loves to read a great adventure. Click below to purchase your own copy and feel free to leave a comment below.

About The Authors:

Ted Dekker is the New York Times best-selling author of more than 25 novels. He is known for stories that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil. He lives in Texas with his wife and children. Twitter @TedDekker, facebook.com/#!/teddekker

Bill Bright passed away in 2003, but his legacy endures through his family and ministry. He was best known as the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, which now has staff and volunteers in 196 countries across the globe.

I received this book from Booksneeze for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Firmoo - still my favorite online optical store!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 18:25:00 +0000

I have not been subtle about my favorite online optical store. I tell everyone when I get a chance how great Firmoo is, I just love them that much! I get opportunities here and there to try other companies out but Firmoo is always the one I get excited about. Why do I like them so much you ask? Here is a link to an eyeglasses review I had done for them in the past. Let's start off with what they offer.

When you order from Firmoo, you will receive the glasses, a hard case, a soft case (bag), the repair kit and a cleaning cloth with their logo on it. The case and bag are really nice. The hard case is really nice and has a SOFT lining. The anti-glare that they add for free is the best. The frames are always durable, that's great because I am not the easiest on glasses, and the prescription was spot on.

You want to know something else that is great about Firmoo? Their prices! You are getting quality glasses at a serious discount! If that wasn't enough....you get your first pair free with their First Pair Free program. Just pay shipping. That's nuts. For under $10 you will get (what I'm guessing will be) your new favorite pair of glasses. The shipping was certainly quick enough, especially since they were being sent from China. The only thing I don't like about ordering online is that you don't really know how they are going to look until they are on you but you can get a decent idea of how they will look with their Virtual Try On System. A whopping 98% of their customers have found their "perfect match" glasses this way. Even though I was worried about these particular frames looking ok, I lucked out and have gotten a couple compliments on them already.

The only thing that I would say that could lean towards being negative is that I don't like the styles as much as before. Even going through all the frames, I found it hard to find a nice decorative and pretty pair of frames that I liked. I was looking for something similar to my first ones in the above mentioned review. However, I really love them, so what does it matter and I don't so much blame the company for that as much as the trend (like the skinny jeans fiasco for boys......ugh).

Overall, like usual, I am very happy with Firmoo and the glasses I received from them. If you have never ordered from them and would like to take advantage of the first pair being free... click below. They have many styles on sale at a huge discount. Thanks for reading and I hope you like your glasses!

I received this product for the purpose of an honest review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Inside The Cover: How We Love Our Kids by Milan and Kay Yerkovich ( a book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 21:12:00 +0000

Throughout this program and the sermons in church, I have felt so often that God is speaking directly to me. I have been quite depressed for some time and unhappy with how I parent and have also noticed where family members could use some help as well. Not to scream the whole "Woe is me" bit but my family has been through a LOT and I feel that my 8 year marriage has seen as much as a 30 year would have. This trickles into my parenting, whether I like it or not.

When I saw this book up for grabs to review, there was no way not to accept the opportunity. I swear God put it there himself *smiles* All kidding aside, I needed to read this book. Half way through reading it, I already realized it was changing me. At first I was defensive. There are ugly truths in this book that you are not going to want to admit. I was irritated that the authors, Milan and Kay, seemed to be pointing at the parents for everything. Even in situations where the child is acting completely out of line, they say it's your reaction and you need to ask the child how you can help. It's a little bit hard to swallow when your stepson has just screamed in your face and took his anger out on his 5 year old brother that you are supposed to ask him how you can help. But after a while, I understood what these authors/parents were trying to get at.... it's not "caving in" feeling like you are getting walked on to simply change your reaction to their behavior.

Stupid example but my husband showed me the best way to handle drivers that get right on my bumper. I have astigmatism and it is extremely hard to see at night, especially when it's raining and there is oncoming traffic.. I used to just stress right out and have mini heart attacks until I could let them pass or they changed direction. Now, I just slow way down to about 5-10 miles an hour. Either they get the hint and pass or be extremely irritated and back off some. Either way is fine with me. Most times they just back off. No one gets jarred by a "brake test" and I'm not as hostile afterward. Like this scenario, when one of my sons start to get disrespectful.. I respond with .. "I understand that you may feel frustrated because that happened, but when you do this you make me feel this way and it's wrong to do" or I simply say.. "unfortunately until you get older you will have a hard time understanding but just know that I have your best interest in mind". These are just some examples. It has been an amazing change in my house. We don't draw a "comfort circle" per se because my family of all boys would not go for that and the "soul words" but I have subtly slipped it in without them even realizing it. It's working wonders along with all the other helpful resources found in the book, like the parent toolbox at the end.

This book was born from a previous book the couple wrote on love styles for the marriage. People that heard the seminars or read the book used it at home and realized how well it worked with parenting as well and viola! the How We Love Our Kids was born. If I was to throw my opinion out at someone thinking about reading this book... I would say: "Definitely read it but stick it out. The irritation or embarrassment you may feel in the beginning, doesn't compare to the peaceful determination you get in return for sticking it out. You won't have to wait long to see the results. They are instant. I highly recommend this book to any parent or person in the childcare field! It has a "tough love" love style for you.

Take the love style quiz to see what love style you are. You can print out the results and see what you need to work on or find tips that will help things at home with your significant other or kids.

To buy this book, simply click below.

About the authors:
Married in 1972, Milan and Kay have four children. When they aren’t writing and speaking they enjoy their five grandchildren. Milan and Kay most enjoy speaking together and have coauthored two books, How We Love (2006), and How We Love Our Kids (2011).

I received this product from the Blogging For Books program for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Ageless Derma special clay masque with vitamins - a smelly but invigorating experience!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 16:55:00 +0000

I never seemed to have an acne problem in school. I mean, I definitely had my problem spots and break outs but I would never say that it was a struggle. However, after having children, for some reason my body thought it would get confused and think I was an adolescent. It's horribly frustrating and quite embarrassing to be almost 30 and fight acne. So lately I have been more focused on skin care and getting more involved with preventing aging to my skin. When I saw an opportunity to try out a new clay masque by Dr Farid Mostamand , I was quite curious as I have never tried Ageless Derma before.

First thoughts were ...and I have to be brutally honest here.."This stuff reeks!" I grew up on a farm and we played in the clay all the time... but this stuff smells like it is a mixture of the two... farm and clay. I would not feel right writing an honest review and not putting a spotlight on that.

However, f you can get passed the smell, I will say, it has an invigorating outcome. Like most masques, it tightens as it dries and makes your sking feel baby bottom smooth afterward. However, there was an added bonus.... it felt more fresh than the other masques I have tried. It certainly feels like it sucks out the oils and impurities. I love the feeling it gives and love that it has b5 in it. Just search b5 in a search engine to see its benefits and how people use it but one of the things it is known for is fighting acne and regenerating skin cells.

Below is a picture of the masques consistency. It feels like softened butter but more smooth than greasy. It spreads nice and you do not need much at all.

On the back of the tube it reads:

This special blend of clays, together with sulfur-rich ichthammol naturally cleanses and purifies oily, problematic skin.

Directions: Apply a thin amount when needed. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with tepid water. May also be used as spot treatment.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Bentonite, Ichthammol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Silica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Propylene Glycol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Quaternium-15, Phenoxyethanol, Methyparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben

Moment of truth...... would I pay $25 for 2 ounces? I am going to throw another review up later on down the road so I can tell you if I feel it is worth it. As I said above, the feeling is great but with a budget like mine it needs to be fantastic and I would like a little more time with it to give you that judgment. There is no doubt a refreshing and exotic feel you get when using this masque and I have high hopes! Remember too that a little goes a long way so when you think about that, the cost is not so bad.

To find out more on this line and it's makers go to www.agelessderma.com.

I received this product for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Inside The Cover: Prayer Warrior Mom: Covering Your Kids with God's Blessings and Protection by Marla Alupoaicei

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 20:43:00 +0000

Book Description:

Moms, are you struggling with patience? Worrying about your children’s spiritual development? Concerned about their social or behavioral issues? Wondering how to get it all done when there’s just never enough time?

Author Marla Alupoaicei knows that today’s Christian moms want to be the parents God intended. They desire to pray boldly and stand in the gap for their kids. But many mothers haven’t been equipped with the prayer skills, scriptural knowledge, and practical strategies to fight the spiritual battle for themselves and their children.

My thoughts:

As a parent of 3 boys, I worry about soooooooo many things, especially with things I see on a regular basis in this world we live in. People have left common sense in the past along with maturity, morals and values. I am kept awake a lot at night with anxiety of things that may come and how I feel that I fall short of what my boys need to be a gentleman of faith today. It is going to be even more tough when they are adults. So what's the biggest way to fight the insecurities and be the best for your kids? To become a prayer warrior mom!

What's funny about this book becoming available on Booksneeze when it did, is that my church just completed a series on drawing prayer circles. The sermons inspired me to start a prayer journal and start keeping track of my prayers and documenting when and how they are answered. This book couldn't be a better companion for this! With each daily devotion, there is a perfect dose of scripture and questions that can be used for personal reflection or in a group discussion setting like a small group through your church.

With everything going on in my life and feeding I have been receiving from my church, I truly believe that God has really been hearing me and put this book in my path for a reason. I found it to be such a blessing and I plan on either reading it again or passing it on to someone else who may just need the uplifting like I did. If nothing else, it will be a great addition to the church library to have available. I am usually so-so when it comes to daily devotionals but I enjoyed this one tremendously. Click below to buy your own copy on Amazon.

I received this book for the purpose of review through Booksneeze. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Inside The Cover: A Kingsbury Collection - Three Novels in One by Karen Kingsbury book review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 04:17:00 +0000

Overview (taken from the book):

Three Page-Turning Novels in One Volume!

Where Yesterday Lives

Ellen Barrett is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist with an uncertain marriage, a forgotten faith, and haunting memories of her picturesque hometown and the love she left behind. The eldest of five siblings, she longs for the time, long ago, when they were a happy family. Now Ellen's beloved father is dead, and she returns to her childhood home to make peace-with the people who still live there, with the losses and changes that time has wrought, and with the future God has set before her.

My thoughts:

I read through this one pretty fast. To be perfectly honest, I was extremely frustrated a lot in this book but not with the book. One particular character was a love to hate kind of gal and got the blood boiling at times and that is exactly what I think Karen wanted us to feel. With all the irritations and sad moments of loss and mixed emotions, it served it's purpose for a better feel good ending. It showed by a very illustrated example that no matter what is going on and what you have gone through.. that there is always hope as long as you keep your eyes on what matters. I found this to be a great weekend read and would recommend it to anyone.

When Joy Came to Stay

Maggie Stovall is one of the golden people. She has it all together...at least on the surface. Ben Stovall is a godly husband and successful attorney. He has no idea of the darkness about to overtake his life. Amanda Joy is a child of society-abused, broken, thrown away. But her trust in God is still alive. When Joy Came to Stay is the heart-wrenching story of one woman's descent into the shadows of depression, her husband's search for understanding, and a precious child's unwavering faith.

My thoughts:

I was blown away with this particular read and went through so many emotions from laughing out loud to hiding my tears. Karen, you have done a great job at reminding us through a beautiful illustration that our God is bigger than anything we can't handle. He takes us where we are in our life, no matter how broken we are, and gives us hope when we don't feel there should be. Thank you for helping us keep straight on our walk and God Bless!

On Every Side

Faith Evans is an up-and-coming newscaster, a woman of honor and integrity who must take a stand against the one man she never imagined would be her enemy. A beloved, hundred-year-old statue of Jesus stands in a small-town park-but some say it's a clear violation of separation of church and state that must come down. Jordan Riley is a powerful attorney fighting for human rights and against God, but still reckoning with bitter boyhood losses. Amid political intrigue, social injustice, and personal conflicts, will love be enough when the battle rages on every side?

My thoughts:

Ok, I can speak freely here right? I couldn't help picture Faith Evans (the singer featured in P.Diddy's I'll Be Missing You) for the main character of this book. That being said this book is scarily on the mark with how I feel a lot these days. The line between separation of church and state and our human rights are getting more and more faint. I am having anxiety over the world I'm picturing for my kids future. I truly am... I don't sleep. This book can be raw, real and hopeful all at once. Thanks Karen, once again, for sharing your gifts and inspiring us all! Oh, by the way, this is highly recommended! *smiles*

About the Author:

Karen Kingsbury is a USA Today and New York Times best-selling author, with nearly twenty million books in print. Dubbed the "Queen of Christian Fiction" by Time magazine, Karen has written more than forty Life-Changing Fiction titles. Her emotionally gripping novels include the popular Baxter Family Drama, which encompasses the Redemption, Firstborn, and Sunrise series, as well as stand alone novels such as Like Dandelion Dust and This Side of Heaven. Karen and her husband, Don, live in Tennessee and are parents to six children, including three adopted from Haiti. Visit her website at www.KarenKingsbury.com.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as a part of their Blogging for Books program.The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Bobble Head Portraits of your kids!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 21:43:00 +0000

Are you looking to add a little something to your photos? Do you want to play a joke and poke fun at a photo of a friend but don't know how to do it? What about a custom Bobble Head Portrait of you, your family or your kids? My sister Tiffany at Just 10 More Minutes and I have launched a new and fun photography idea called Smudge and we are looking for clients! Since we are new, our edits will be cheaper and you will get previews so you can see how it's coming along and are happy with your purchase before paying.

These Bobble Head Portraits are done with photos we have taken of our kids with a white background. Using masking techniques and other effects in photoshop we create custom big headed photos of your kids, you or your family. Here is one of my oldest who plays football.

And here is the original photo of him that we used for the edit.

Here is another one that was done from a picture of a little boy playing at the park.

Here is one more sample of a bobble head done of my youngest son.

Be one of the first official clients and you can get a bobble head portrait of one of your kids for $20. Mind you, each bobble head comes out different and it will depend on the pictures resolution, the lighting, the pose, background etc. However, you will be able to see the bobble head before you pay. Contact me at langleylove@gmail.com if you are interested and we will discuss what you would like to have and what pictures would work best.

Here is an old photo of my husband giving his brother the bunny ears. His brother just passed and this is one of the very few photographs that are in existence of the two of them together, so the rips in the picture were devastating. Here is a restorative edit that was quickly done for the funeral video.

Let us know if you have something simple or more complicated that you want done and we will go over everything together. Even if you don't purchase anything, we would really appreciate a like on our Facebook page if you love the bobble head idea. We want to know!

Try the new Premium McWraps from McDonalds (first come first serve BOGO coupons!)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:08:00 +0000

I have to be honest. When we go out to eat, I am not usually the one that votes for McDonald's. More often then not we end up there for the kids. My husband loves them but my belly disagrees. I usually stick to salads or McChickens. Don't get me wrong, I love a good fatty burger every once in a while but I still feel hungry after one and end up sick if I eat more. However... McDonald's recently released a new full sized Premium McWrap and they really hit the spot here. This is no "snacker" people. My husband and I indulged in an opportunity to taste test the three different kinds (Chicken and Bacon, Chicken and Ranch and Sweet Chili Chicken) and the first thing I noticed was how large these things were! My husband is a 'grab 3 burgers for himself'' kind of guy and he didn't go back to buy a second on these. I felt over stuffed when mine was finished.

My husband and I both agreed that our favorite was the Chicken and Ranch with the Chicken and Bacon being close second. We both liked it crispy and we have gone back twice after our taste test opportunity. Now I have something I look forward to getting while the kids play till their hearts content in the play place. I wasn't so much in love with the Sweet Chili Chicken because it tasted like a chicken wrap with Italian dressing on it... not so much chili. It was still alright though and very hearty. I should have measured them but if I was to guess, the wrap itself was probably 10 inches long and really full.

Here is some of the details of whats in them and the calorie intake. I have some BOGO coupons to share as well with some of you. If you like what you see and would like to try it for yourself, please email me at langleylove@gmail.com. Since I only have a handful, these are on a first come first serve basis. One per family (and no duplicate email addresses please). I will email you to let you know if you are one that gets a coupon and ask for your address to send it to you. Good luck!

Premium McWrap Chicken & Ranch - (crispy) 590 calories (grilled) 430 calories

A tasty combination of crispy or grilled chicken breast filet, with two half slices of tomato, cucumber slices, spring greens, shredded lettuce and cheddar jack cheese, all drizzled with seasoned rice vinegar and buttermilk ranch sauce wrapped just for you.

Premium McWrap Sweet Chili Chicken (crispy) 520 calories (grilled) 360 calories

A sweet and satisfying mix of crispy or grilled chicken breast filet, crisp cucumber slices, spring greens, shredded lettuce, all drizzled with sweet chili and creamy garlic sauce, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

Premium McWrap Chicken & Ranch (crispy) 600 calories (grilled) 440 calories

A tasty combination of grilled or crispy chicken breast filet, with two half slices of tomato, cucumber slices, spring greens, shredded lettuce and cheddar jack cheese, all drizzled with seasoned rice vinegar and buttermilk ranch sauce wrapped just for you.

You can learn more about the nutritional facts by visiting McDonalds online. There is still a couple days left for their great promotion too! See below for more details.

I received an arch card for the purpose of taste testing the Premium McWraps. I was never asked to write a positive review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

The X by Lorena Bathey - a book review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:30:00 +0000

About the book:

Clarissa Hadonfield had it all. She lived in a lovely home surrounded by affluent intellectuals, had a successful husband, and two phenomenal teenage boys. With the ring of a doorbell she finds her life substituted by one where she has to fight for her children against an evil she never knew existed and had been sleeping next to for the last twenty years. When Clarissa's X shows his true colors, she finds she must become a strong woman who cannot only grow prize-winning flowers but can place a devastating roundhouse kick. Teaming up with Bryce Brightman, an ex-FBI agent, she uncovers a woman whose only goal is to save her children. This story is about what a woman can do when she put her brains, her brawn, and her boots into changing the course of her life and protecting the ones she loves
My thoughts:

I got this book out of the mailbox at around 12:30-1:00. I started reading it an hour or two later and was done that night. This shows you that it was a page turner from start to finish. The chapters were short enough to keep you in the mindset of reading just one more and the cliffhangers kicked you into doing just that. This being said I wouldn't rate this book with 5 stars and here's why.

While I found that the characters were easy enough to get to know and love, I would have liked to see her fill the novel in more. I found some situations very realistic while others were just a little too convenient, which brings this book to an "enjoyable weekend read" status and wouldn't be the first thing I would grab off the shelf. It just felt like a young adult book with adult situations.

I did like the realistic human nature displayed in this book. The emotions that Clarissa was going through and the way she handled herself were very real and believable. The reactions of both the boys (as different as they were), made it extremely easy to relate to the characters. In many of the reviews I read that there was female empowerment bursting through the chapters but I was very glad to see that it was more of a "mama bear" story and not so much a women's lib statement. Overall, I would give this book 3.5-4 stars out of 5. The base was strong and the meat was there but the flavor was a little weak for me to want the recipe (if you know what I mean). I would still be happy to read any other books by Lorena that I come across. After all, it was quite enjoyable and easy to get into.

About the Author:

Lorena Bathey has always been a lover of the written word. Happy Beginnings was her first book and was written to give comfort to women who have experienced or are going through loss, grief and hardships. This memoir was her own journey after her own loss of her mother and husband. With the title perfectly selected it was the happy beginnings of characters being born and stories that needed telling. You can read more about Lorena Bathey by going to her website at http://www.lorenabbooks.com. Thank you Lorena for allowing me to review your wonderful novel. You were a pleasure to talk to and I loved your inscription!

Grab your own copy and see what all the talk is about! You can grab your own e-book for just $3.99 or a paperback for just $9.72. You can purchase either one by clicking below.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Try the new Premium McWraps from McDonalds (first come first serve BOGO coupons!)

The X by Lorena Bathey - a book review

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