tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197350132024-03-13T10:42:20.904-07:00Red's CottageUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-18744327703358370232017-11-14T18:14:00.002-08:002017-11-14T18:16:06.539-08:00Book Review: Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey<a href="http://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780399579721?width=125&alt=no_cover_b4b.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="125" src="https://images.randomhouse.com/cover/9780399579721?width=125&alt=no_cover_b4b.gif" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">This book is full of beautiful examples and wonderful details for painting with watercolors. The author includes details on color theories and drawing techniques. She also included many time saving techniques such as what to do to prepare for next steps in painting while waiting for paint to dry. It seems she took the time to really write down exactly what she does when painting. The techniques are not as accessible to my children as I had hoped, to no fault of the book, merely my hope for the activity. I will look forward to exploring the techniques with my children as they become more capable with time. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I received this book from </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.BloggingForBooks.org&source=gmail&ust=1510797956599000&usg=AFQjCNEObRNhPirCyoy-VMIJDvjqHH4Lew" href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span class="il">Blogging</span> <span class="il">for</span> <span class="il">Books</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222;">for</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> this review.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/554005/everyday-watercolor-by-jenna-rainey">More Info</a><br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.randomhouse.com/author/2147075/jenna-rainey&source=gmail&ust=1510797956599000&usg=AFQjCNFaA89urbAZmkR0m-qjYy70vdYh5A" href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/2147075/jenna-rainey" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author Bio</span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "brandon_regular" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-79201401772939705652017-10-16T19:09:00.000-07:002017-10-16T19:10:53.970-07:00Fun Game Review<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QKbHBwpCvHw/WeVltPz9gKI/AAAAAAAABL8/OX27ewbOXZgXjV_e40IgL74Y4wFh9ZveACLcBGAs/s1600/game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="157" data-original-width="125" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QKbHBwpCvHw/WeVltPz9gKI/AAAAAAAABL8/OX27ewbOXZgXjV_e40IgL74Y4wFh9ZveACLcBGAs/s1600/game.jpg" /></a>A Box of Awesome Things Matching Game is a fun addition to our family game collection. My kids were so excited to play the game with an assortment of interesting pictures. The selected pictures are a nice change from the usual boxed princess variety. The sturdy matching cards have also been used to play "Go Fish" as well as other made up games by my kids. The set of cards to make ones own matching design was a big hit too!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/553562/a-box-of-awesome-things-matching-game-by-wee-society">More Info</a><br />
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/2111983/wee-society">Author Bio</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "brandon_regular" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I received this book from </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.BloggingForBooks.org&source=gmail&ust=1508291796228000&usg=AFQjCNHqpvUo1YaQrfZcXSwvCmxJYcFgXA" href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: brandon_regular, Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span class="il" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: brandon_regular, arial, sans-serif;">Blogging</span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: brandon_regular, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: brandon_regular, arial, sans-serif;">for</span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: brandon_regular, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: brandon_regular, arial, sans-serif;">Books</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "brandon_regular", "arial", sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> for this review.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-49814473862766076612017-10-03T19:59:00.002-07:002017-10-03T19:59:45.504-07:00Drawing Resource Book<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NE0Ko2nmt20/WdRNzNAXLWI/AAAAAAAABLQ/IzXwffVSvAcvgjhqgo91133zBWNL6kgEACLcBGAs/s1600/9780307987181.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="125" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NE0Ko2nmt20/WdRNzNAXLWI/AAAAAAAABLQ/IzXwffVSvAcvgjhqgo91133zBWNL6kgEACLcBGAs/s1600/9780307987181.jpeg" /></a>My children and I have been exploring the Art world a lot this year. We have been completing art projects and visiting the local Art Museum weekly as a family. An interesting resource I acquired to aid us in our exploration is called Foundations of Drawing by Al Gury.<br />
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This book contains a wealth of information on the history of art beginning in ancient times, tools, and techniques to produce ones own art.<br />
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I appreciated that the book is overflowing with examples of real art work from children's work and amateur all the way to professional and great artists. Some people may be uncomfortable with the amount of nudity portrayed in the examples, however, it is nothing different than found in Art Museums as artist strive to draw the human form.<br />
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I found great encouragement in learning that our own bodies anatomy creates an obstacle to drawing simple lines, yet people can overcome anatomy to produce wonderful results.<br />
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I also appreciated the extensive details on the many art mediums. The author includes how to store the mediums, types of paper to use the mediums on, how to prepare paper for adding the medium, as well as storage of final works.<br />
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Foundations of drawing seems to be a broad term, as the book seemed to progress to rather advanced concepts. I am not an expert on drawing so I am unable to speak to what might actually be advanced techniques to be contained in editions not aimed at "foundations".<br />
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Foundations of Drawing will be a wonderful resource through the years in our pursuit of improving our art work.<br />
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<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/218488/foundations-of-drawing-by-al-gury">More Info</a><br />
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/100182/al-gury">Author Bio</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: brandon_regular, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: brandon_regular, Arial, sans-serif;">I received this book from </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.BloggingForBooks.org&source=gmail&ust=1507170676869000&usg=AFQjCNFm3inCyizOGWDMaXrirxKR38w1sQ" href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: brandon_regular, Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Blogging for Books</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: brandon_regular, Arial, sans-serif;"> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-77230559600075256102017-08-22T06:32:00.000-07:002017-08-22T06:41:38.873-07:00Review: The Underground Girls of Kabul<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "brandon text" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This book displays that life is always much more complicated than it seems. There is always another side to the story. The book brings awareness to women's rights issues. The book is an excellent choice for high school or college courses looking for a primary source document to further study gender issues.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/213715/the-underground-girls-of-kabul-by-jenny-nordberg">More Info</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "brandon text" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/147074/jenny-nordberg">Author Bio</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffffe5; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px;">I received this book from </span><a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/" style="color: #aa0033; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none;">Blogging for Books</a><span style="background-color: #ffffe5; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px;"> for this review</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "brandon text" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-82247999775564670972014-09-25T19:36:00.001-07:002014-09-25T19:36:40.329-07:00Book Review: Never Eat AloneBy Keith Ferrazzi<br />
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Ferrazzi provides an interesting peak into the networking aspect of the business world, with many practical tips for increasing ones chances of achieving goals through the assistance of others. I feel that the author attempts to describe the networking process as being others focused, when ultimately the core motivation of networking is to achieve ones own goals. As much as the author tries to put a positive spin on the concept, I struggle to see the "selfless" nature of networking. An exorbitant amount of text is also spent on discussing well known public figures that the author has encountered.<br />
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<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/227558/never-eat-alone-expanded-and-updated-by-keith-ferrazzi-and-tahl-raz">More info</a><br />
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/58193/keith-ferrazzi-and-tahl-raz">Author bio</a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I received this book from <a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/">Blogging for Books</a> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-55794854094683827702014-09-05T19:48:00.000-07:002014-09-05T19:48:21.116-07:00Book Review: Good God Lousy World & Me by Holly BurkhalterI was impressed with the authors resume and intellectual abilities (and her ability to convey this in writing). It is amazing to me that this woman could work so hard on big issues and have political hurdles that permit progress from being made. These obstacles led her to have many questions about God, ultimately leading to her developing a faith in God. It is really inspiring to read about the appropriateness of wrestling through questions with God, in contrast with a culture that promotes a view of lack of faith if one questions God. He is, after all, bigger than any of our questions. With all of the ugliness that she has personally seen in the world, the book serves as a great testament to God's power in our broken world.<br />
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<a href="http://www.convergentbooks.com/book/good-god-lousy-world-and-me/">More info</a><br />
<a href="http://www.convergentbooks.com/author/holly-burkhalter/">Author bio</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I received this book for free from <a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/">Blogging for Books</a> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-52132670597640322912013-11-20T19:55:00.001-08:002013-11-20T19:55:43.494-08:00Book Review: Living the Quaker Way by Philip GulleyI was very intrigued to read this book as I had encounter a Quaker gathering place near one of my very first clinical locations in nursing school in 2004. I had wondered what they believed and had heard that Quakers gather to sit in silence during meetings.<br />
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The book answered many questions for me about the Quaker's but also caused many more questions than it answered.<br />
I found the insights into living life with simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality as very good qualities. I was very confused, however, on the marketing being aimed at Protestants and bringing "God's Kingdom to Earth". I agree that this should be the goal of Christians, to live like Jesus now, not waiting to get to Heaven. However, early on in the book, Gulley described that Quaker's come from all walks of life, including athiest. I have not been able to reconcile this detail in my mind. To me "living the Quaker way" does not equate to following Jesus and bringing His kingdom to Earth, despite the similarities.<br />
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Overall an interesting read and definitely good qualities to live life in, but I would not classify this as a Christian book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.philipgulley.com/">Author Website</a><br />
<a href="http://www.convergentbooks.com/book/living-the-quaker-way/">More Info</a><br />
<a href="http://www.convergentbooks.com/author/philip-gulley/">Author Bio</a><br />
<br />
Disclosure: I received this book for free from <a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/" target="_blank">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a> for this review.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-9590164442931415872013-08-08T17:51:00.000-07:002013-08-08T17:51:21.754-07:00Book Review:Quiet by Susan CainThis book was a phenomenal read! Being an introvert I appreciated the confirmation that my personality is not really a flaw, that it has strengths that vary from societal expectations. The book is full of great research articles and other references that bring much validity to the work. I highly recommend this read to everyone. As always I enjoy the numerous practical tips contained between the covers!<br />
Be sure to listen to the TED talk as well!<br />
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<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html">http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/files/2013/01/Quiet-Reading-Group-Guide.pdf">http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/files/2013/01/Quiet-Reading-Group-Guide.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/files/2013/02/Quiet-Question-and-Answer.pdf">http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/files/2013/02/Quiet-Question-and-Answer.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/22821/quiet-by-susan-cain/9780307352156">http://www.randomhouse.com/book/22821/quiet-by-susan-cain/9780307352156</a><br />
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/22821/quiet-by-susan-cain/9780307352156#excerpt">http://www.randomhouse.com/book/22821/quiet-by-susan-cain/9780307352156#excerpt</a><br />
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/125586/susan-cain?sort=best_13wk_3month">http://www.randomhouse.com/author/125586/susan-cain?sort=best_13wk_3month</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I received this book for free from <a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a> for this review."</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-20267189104315075422013-02-09T10:24:00.001-08:002013-02-09T10:24:45.461-08:00Book Review: Next Generation Leaderbook by: Andy Stanley<br />
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I loved this book. Andy Stanley had a great coaching writers voice. The book was a fast easy read with many practical applications. He weaved personal experiences in modestly. I really enjoyed to questions for self evaluation at the end of each section (Courage, Competence, Clarity, Coachability, and Character). One of the most useful applications for me was defining my current job situation and then laying out the qualities of my dream job. I feel inspired to step up and display more courage in my work because of this book. I highly recommend it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.northpointministries.org/">Author's Website</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=171731&isbn=9781590525395">More Info</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=74998">Read Chapter One</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=74998">Author Bio</a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I received this book </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fo</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="il" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">r</span><span class="il" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fr</span></span><span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ee from </span><a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/" style="background-color: #faffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Gro</a><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">up</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> th</span></span><span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-74640377405294138482013-01-31T12:05:00.001-08:002013-01-31T12:05:40.024-08:00Life organizationThrough the years I have tried many planners and calendars in an attempt to organize my life. Nothing in the are world has ever worked for me on a long term basis. This past August I received an IPad for my birthday. This has revolutionized my life. I have never been more organized.<br />
I use a calendar for dates, to-do list for all tasks including a break down of goals and the tasks involved, Evernote for collecting information, numbers for budgeting, tracking gifts and cards, employment requirements, etc. this is only the beginning.<br />
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What tools do you use for life organization?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-69680280342018186292013-01-31T11:58:00.003-08:002013-01-31T11:58:45.572-08:00Great article about birth center outcomes<a href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=34214937&msgid=241129&act=YN1A&c=878825&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2F10.1111%2Fjmwh.12003%2Fpdf">Outcomes in birth centers</a><br />
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I am so pleased to see the completion and publication of a study on birth center outcomes. The results are wonderful and supportive of the choice for low risk women to birth at freestanding birth centers. I have been blessed to have given birth to both of my wonderful daughters in the presence of certified nurse midwives at a freestanding birth center. I am so thankful that more and more people are finding value in the midwifery model of care. I pray that the government and society as a whole will begin to realize the cost containment involved in low intervention wellness based pregnancy and childbearing care.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-8730256371021239792013-01-25T09:00:00.001-08:002013-01-25T09:00:20.575-08:00Book Review: God Gave Us EasterBy Lisa Tawn Bergren<br />
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After having read two other books in this series, I had high expectations for this book. I read it with my two year old daughter, who immediately asked to read it again upon completion. The story was different than I imagined, but it was still good. The pictures are, as always, very cute. The text was easy to read. I appreciate the authors willingness to delve into deeper topics in a way that youg children can understand. I highly recommend this book.<br />
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<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/pdf/GodGaveUsEasterColoringPage.pdf">Coloring page</a><br />
<a href="http://lisatawnbergren.com/">Author's website</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1916495222"></span><span id="goog_1916495223"></span><a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=217300&isbn=9780307730725">More info</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=217300&isbn=9780307730725">Read chapter 1</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=2093">Author bio</a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I received this book for free from <a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-5136548758820828722013-01-16T12:41:00.004-08:002013-01-16T12:41:56.239-08:00Book review: Cleaning House by Kay Wills WymaI recommend this book for any parent. The authors intended audience is that of parents that desire to reeducate their children to get rid of youth entitlement in their homes. I feel that this book is also appropriate or even better suited for new parents. I have a 2 year old and a newborn so I read the book as if the author was an older mentor advising on how to establish work ethic and prevent youth entitlement from the start. I enjoyed the authors honesty and transparency about what worked with her children and what didn't. I also appreciated the authors discussion of what she learned versus what her children learned in the process.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I received this book for free from <a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a> for this review. Thank you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For more information follow these links.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.themoatblog.com/">Author's website</a></span><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307730671">More Info</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/blog/2012/03/01/sneak-peek-cleaning-house-by-kay-wills-wyma/">Read chapter 1</a><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=152949">Author bio</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-67512517468308343152012-12-13T10:19:00.002-08:002012-12-13T10:19:38.475-08:00Book review: God Gave Us Christmas<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is an adorable book. My husband, 2 year old daughter, and I have been reading it each day as a part of Advent activities. My daughter loves it, and asks to hear the story repeatedly. The pictures are cute. The story has a great message about why we celebrate Christmas. I wish the author had used the term "gift" instead of "present" in regards to Jesus, since "present" Implies a requirement vs. a gift being from the heart. Though this is a minor detail, not really a true problem. I do have a little trouble reading the black text on some of the pages. At the end of the book, white text was used on a colorful background and was much easier to read. Overall, this is a great story to share with young children.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/pdf/GGUC.pdf">Coloring page</a></span><br />
<a href="http://lisatawnbergren.com/">Author's website</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=12487">More info</a></span><br />
<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=75646">Author bio</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I received this book for free from <a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-45227223223861387292012-11-26T10:59:00.000-08:002012-11-26T10:59:09.186-08:00Book Review: The NutcrackerI requested this book so that I could read it to my daughter. Since she is only two it was a slower process. I was unexpectedly intrigued by the story, so I ended up reading ahead on my own. I had seen the Nutcracker ballet, but the book provided many more details than the ballet. I am excited to watch the ballet again after having read the true story. The illustrations by Maurice Sendak are absolutely beautiful. I look forward to reading this book over and over to my children through the coming years. I highly recommend this book as a keepsake.<br />
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<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/81314/nutcracker-by-eta-hoffmann">More info</a><br />
<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/34222/e.t.a.-hoffmann?sort=best_13wk_3month">Author bio</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: #005001; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px;">I received this book for free from <a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-9611875225611876032012-11-05T11:00:00.001-08:002012-11-05T11:01:15.030-08:00Book Review for A Season for Tending by Cindy Woodsmall<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: #005001; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px;">
When I acquired this book, I was a little worried that it would be another typical "Christian romance" book. I was pleasantly surprised that the book had more of a focus on other life aspects including business and family tragedy. The book did contain the typical winding love stories, but seemed almost more of side stories to the other story lines. It was interesting to learn, if their is any truth to the story, that some Amish people explore life outside of the Amish beliefs. It was a nice touch that the author included some recipes and a glossary of terms. Overall this is a good book.</div>
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<a href="http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/">Author's page</a></div>
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<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=208962">More info</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: #005001; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/98995874/A-Season-for-Tending-by-Cindy-Woodsmall-Chapter-1-Excerpt">Read chapter 1</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=72213">Author bio</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: #005001; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #005001; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">I received this book for free from </span></span><a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: #005001; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px;">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #005001; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> for this review.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-6678660370004071902012-10-05T10:19:00.001-07:002012-10-05T10:19:23.483-07:00Book Review: Coming Apart by Charles Murray<div>
Coming Apart by Charles Murray is an interesting collection of statistical data about Caucasian people in America from 1960 through 2010. The author covered many topics from religion, to jobs, and income. He also created two fictional towns based on statistics to demonstrate the changes in lower and middle class white families in America during the designated time frame. I found the statistics and information to be quite informative. With 2/3rds of the book being a collection of data, the authors intent in writing the book was unclear. The third section of the book did examine the authors purpose by explains all of the reasons that the data supports his view that America should return to the same values of the founding fathers with a limited government. One especially interesting section discussed the values of the founding fathers, revealing that the founding fathers were not as dedicated to God, as the modern Christian "right" believes. The book overall is a nice collection of information and support for why America is declining, but lacks real and applicable solutions.</div>
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<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/119020/coming-apart-by-charles-murray">More info</a><div>
<br /><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/21659/charles-murray?sort=best_13wk_3month">Author bio</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px;">I received this book for free from <a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-36408815420287970942012-06-03T12:15:00.000-07:002012-06-03T12:15:04.025-07:00Book Review: To Heaven and Backbook by Mary C. Neal, MD<div>
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This was the first book that I have read about a personal account of dying and coming back to life. I was not sure what to expect. The first chapter begins with a Bible verse quote that I believe to be taken out of Biblical context, but chose to focus the authors story rather than on her attempt to weave Bible verses throughout her story (as though the verses add credibility to her story). The first several chapters were dry, including the minimal amount of background details necessary for the story. Once the author reached the chapters involving the story of her death and resurrection and recovery the story became much more vivid and real. The author included a number of chapters detailing tragic events for which she believes her time on Earth was not over (so she could support and prevent). I did find it amusing that the author believes herself to live an ordinary life. From my perspective the author and her family have an extraordinary life full of travel and adventure. The book has caused me to reevaluate how I pursue (or don't) pursue God on a daily basis. I appreciate the challenge that the author presented in writing down coincidences that occur in life to look for God's fingerprints. Overall an interesting account. I will be interested to read other similar accounts in the future.</div>
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<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/blog/2012/05/24/news-dr-mary-neal-on-fox-news-to-heaven-and-back/">Dr. Mary Neal on Fox News</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.drmaryneal.com/index.html">Dr. Mary Neal's Website</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Mary-Neal/265291240169218">Follow Dr. Mary Neal on Facebook</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/223400/to-heaven-and-back-by-mary-c-neal-md">More Info</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I received this </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">book</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">free from </span><a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> this review.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-62488998115695231092012-05-25T06:47:00.000-07:002012-05-25T07:11:02.147-07:00Book Review: The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy WoodsmallThe first three chapters of this book felt cheesy and forced. It was very difficult to read in light of this and took me many weeks to work up the motivation to finish the book. Once I did pick the book up again, I was pleased to discover that the next chapters fell into rhythm and were more realistic. The author chose the interesting topic of Amish versus Mennonite lifestyles. I enjoyed reading about the romance of Aden and Annie as it developed. I appreciated that the book stayed pure and innocent in the blossoming relationship and did not seek to explore a physical relationship between the characters. I also enjoyed reading about the various tensions that their relationship was causing on family members and their struggle to decide whether or not their love is worth pursuing in in light that their respective religious communities view them as unequally yoked, despite both having faith in God. Although I enjoyed the middle of the book, I was greatly disappointed by the final chapter in which Aden and Annie were given permission to pursue their relationship. The author had spent the entire book mentioning all of the potential problems that the Amish and Mennonite communities would have with Aden and Annie's relationship, however, she chose to not discuss what actually happened, but simply gave an abbreviated recap that the communities would indeed have issues with the relationship, but they would resolve in time (a description that did not match the hype played up throughout the book). Overall this is a clean book that would be appropriate for single teenagers to read.<br />
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Here is a link for an excerpt and videos.<br />
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<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=206745">http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=206745</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I received this book for free from </span><a href="http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/" style="background-color: #faffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group</a><span style="background-color: #faffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> for this review.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-3305734403070243732012-03-28T14:24:00.000-07:002012-03-28T14:24:16.279-07:00Yearly Expense Sinking fundI have recently opened an ING direct account (They are still doing a $50 bonus if you sign up). I have decided to use this account as a sinking fund for yearly expenses. This was after trying to track the fund on paper within other accounts. This did not go so well, especially when there were unexpected expenses...<br />
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How do you keep track of your yearly expenses?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-41104698018601657812012-02-20T09:17:00.000-08:002012-02-20T09:17:54.448-08:00Book Review: God Gave Us LoveThis is an adorable book! I had a great time reading it to my 15 month old daughter. She has already wanted to read it over and over. I appreciate the great lesson about God loving us and that is why we love others. The book also dabbled a little bit in the different types of love. My daughter may not understand now, but as she gets older and we continue to read this book, I'm sure it will create many conversations about love. The pictures are also well done and very cute. Although very cute, I would have liked the characters to be human. Putting that aside it is still a well done book. I will look forward to reading other books by this author,<br />
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Here is a link for more information about the<a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400074471"> book</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-15540849650649268922012-02-06T12:04:00.000-08:002012-02-06T12:08:06.935-08:00Book Review: How We Love Our Kids<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">By Milan and Kay Yerkovich</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When I received this book, I was expecting it to be a remake of the 5 love languages type books. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong! This book was a quality breakdown of the many aspects of attachment theory. I enjoyed reading about each of the styles, and how they are played out in both parents and children. The book was balanced with research and personal examples. Many tools are provided in simple format which make immediate implementation of the ideas very easy. My favorite tool is the soul words. When I showed the soul words to my husband, he even immediately implemented their use in his classroom! This is a well written, valuable book, that is in alignment with many other books and research.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307729248&view=excerpt">Excerpt</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-63970990932581536432012-01-05T10:32:00.000-08:002012-01-05T10:32:28.508-08:00New Book Coming out by Crystal PaineCrystal Paine of The Money Saving Mom is having a book released soon. She always has valuable information on her blog, I'm sure the book will also be full of great information. Her book may be viewed and/or preordered at the following link.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451646208/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=monsavmom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1451646208">The Money Saving Mom's Budget</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-55789000690356750672011-12-27T18:51:00.000-08:002011-12-27T19:06:44.583-08:00Book Review: Out of a Far Country by Christopher Yuan and Angela Yuan<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Out of a Far Country by Christopher Yuan and Angela Yuan is a very powerful book describing the incredible transformation precipitated by God in their lives. I appreciated the level of honesty and transparency in the writing. At times the descriptions of life as a drug addict/ dealer and homosexual did not leave much to the imagination, however,they were essential to conveying truth in the story. I feel I have gained a greater understanding of the lifestyle and compassion for people that struggle with homosexuality. This book is worth the read, in fact it is the best book that I have read in the past year.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">An excerpt may be found <a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307729354&view=excerpt">here</a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">A video may be found <a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307729354&view=news-videos">here.</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;">"I received this book</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> <span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">for</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;">free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">for</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> t</span>his review" </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19735013.post-46743451637602956082011-11-24T10:31:00.000-08:002011-11-24T10:33:59.272-08:00Book Review: Enemies of the HeartBy Andy Stanley<br />
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Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley is an informal text about four main emotions that may grip one's heart, robbing them of a full life. The book discusses where emotions come from, the four emotions (guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy), how to deal with each of the emotions, and how to go on with life. The book is full of personal experiences shared by the author. The emotions are demonstrated clearly through the detail of real experiences rather than being at the philosophical level. It may be difficult to relate at times, if your experience is different than that of the authors. Overall the book provides a good frame work for addressing the heart issues: "confess, forgive, give, celebrate".<br />
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An excerpt may be found <a href="http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421456&view=excerpt">here</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“I received this book</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">for</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Grou<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">p</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">for</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">this review”.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0