November Book Review

I really wanted to like this one. Perhaps I had my hopes set too high. Previously I had read "Heaven is For Real" by Todd Burpo and loved it. It was life-changing. I passed it around to all of my friends and they all felt the same way. That's why when "Heaven is For Real - DVD conversaton kit" became available I jumped at the opportunity.

To put it mildly,I kept fast forwarding out of sheer boredom. If you've read the book, don't bother with the DVD. If you haven't read the book, read the book. The DVD was the retelling of Colton Burpo's visit to Heaven during an appendectomy and the visions he saw while there but in a much slooower way than the book. Pity.

BTW, I got my copy for free from Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions belong to moi.

Give me a half hour of your life

I stumbled across a short film that is profoundly moving and thought provoking. It isn't something to be watched while there are children in the room though. Take a look at:

www.180movie.com

Another Women of Faith Shoutout

Okay, so admittedly I don't have anything new to add since I didn't get to use the free tickets to the Women of Faith conference BUT I had promised that I would blog before AND after the event. And since I want them to pick me again next time, (if there ever is a next time) I'm going to remind everyone how wonderfully uplifting Women of Faith is.
In the summer I went to a friend's cottage with a couple of ladies for a weekend retreat. We spent most of the time watching W.O.F videos - laughing and crying. If you can't get to a conference, at least get your hands on a copy of some of there speakers. You'll be glad you did.

Oh by the way, Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Women of Faith

Can you believe it, because I've been chosen to be a Women of Faith blogger. They gave me two tickets to go to their conference in Pittsburgh, PA of October 7+8 so that I could blog about the event! Those tickets are $100 each! Unfortunately I can't go. I'm so upset about it. Women of Faith is an incredibly uplifting and motivating conference. I've never attended on live before but have watched many of their videos. It's comforting to see just how many women out there are serious about their walk with Christ and who are actively seeking the next level of intimacy with Him.
I gave the two tickets to a lady at church who has a friend in Pittsburgh but now she can't go either so they're still up for grabs if anyone wants them. You'll have to tell me everything when you get back so I can live vicariously through you.

I'm what you call a Bzzagent. In other words, sometimes companies send me stuff through bzzagent.com so that I can spread the word about their product. I'vs gotten some great freebies through it. The latest is a new kind of glassware. I haven't received them yet. We'll see how it goes. I'll keep you posted.


Here's what they say about themselves:

The Bodum 8.5 ounce Pavina double wall glass can be used for cold or warm beverages. Its unique design is appealing to the eye when filled with your favorite beverage. With its double layer of borosilicate glass it appears as though the liquid is 'floating' within the glass.

Billy Graham in Quotes

If you're looking for a good book to put beside the toilet this is the one. "Billy Graham in Quotes" by Franklin Graham with Donna Lee Toney is filled with inspirational one liners by Billy Graham that will touch your heart. It isn't really the type of book you would read for hours on end - thus the bathroom suggestion. As I read through this book I found myself hearing his accent on the words in my head and there was something nice about that familial ring.

I was given this book free in exchange for an honest review.

Strike it Rich with Pocket Change

Okay I love the idea of finding hidden treasure as much as the next person but the idea of sitting for hours with a magnifying glass looking at pennies for valuable bumps always seemed a tad unrealistic. When I read "Strike it Rich with Pocket Change" by Ken Potter and Dr. Brian Allen, I was shocked that mis-stamped coins could be so valuable. Who is paying $1000s of dollars for these pennies? My son Ryder was extremely excited when this book arrived at our door and I can totally see him having the fortitude to sit in that chair, magnifying glass in one hand and this book in the other until a great discovery is made. "Strike it Rich with Pocket Change" would make a great tool for anyone of that mindset. It is clearly laid out and well organized. It gives tips for not falling for fakes and how to sell your coins should you discover a treasure.
Admittedly, I can already tell you that I will be taking a second look at any American coins I happen to come in contact with. The one downside of this book was that it didn't talk at all about Canadian coins.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in what does and doesn't make a coin worth more than face value.

May Book Review

Half way through the first chapter of "The Final Summit" by Andy Andrews I realized this was book two in a series. It took me a while to understand what in the world the characters were talking about. What "The Final Summit" really is, is a motivational book masquarading as a novel. It's set up as though all of the big names throughout history have come together to stop the demise of humanity. A number of "You can do it" statements are given and discussed by historic figures such as Joan of Arc and Abraham Lincoln. Up until the last couple of chapters I didn't enjoy this book. There was too much licence taken where the angel Gabriel was involved,(He was the one who organized this summit of characster) (Certainly this was not a christian book) and the solutions given by the characters lacked punch. By the end of the last chapter though, I felt strangely encouraged to keep doing what I know to be right and more. Could it be that just as children learn best through games, adults learn better through novels instead of self help manuals? Well, we'll see if I'm still inspired to do something great in the next few days.

I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Max On Life

Is there a purgatory? Why does God let babies die? How can I forgive my unfaithful husband? These and dozens more of life's hardest questions are addressed in "Max on Life" by Max Lucado. Each page of this book answered a different question. If I was struggling with one of the specific areas touched on in Mr. Lucado's book, I likely would have really benefited from reading it. While the content of this book is bang on, I find Mr. Lucado's writing style relate-able but tedious. My favorite parts of the book were his quotes from C.S.Lewis. Then again, who can compare to C.S.Lewis? I have no doubt some people will be greatly encouraged and helped by this book but I wasn't one of them.

Taking Frugality to a Whole New Level

Since we are a single income family, out of necessity, I've taken stretching a penny to a whole new level. Some websites on saving money have given me some wonderful tips. Others....not so much. For example, waiting until the Gap is having a 30% off sale IS NOT being frugal! I've heard it once said that if you take care of the pennies, the dollars take care of themselves. Too true my friend too true. So for all of you out there that need to learn how to watch your pennies, I'm going to give you some of my tips.

1. Seriously avoid restaurants and coffee shops. You've likely heard this a thousand times over $20 a week on coffee and lunches times 52 weeks is $1040! You could go on a cruise once a year instead. If your coworker or friend insists, pack two lunches - one for them and one for you. You'd still be WAAAAY ahead financially.

2. Learn to cut hair. Yes you CAN do it!!! A guy's hair cut is not that hard. Youtube is a great (FREE) teacher. Practice on your young son's head before tackling your hubby's h$ead if it'll make you feel better. Money saved? $20/month

3. Recognize the amount of clothing you have vs. what you really need. If you were packing for a week away, what would you bring? Other then specialty items - snowsuits etc, whatever you would pack in that suitcase is really all you need. There has to be a change in outlook for true saving to begin.

4. $1.00 for a cake mix is tooooo much! You still have to add the egg and oil and those are the expensive ingredients. The flour, sugar and baking soda is worth all of approx $0.15 and you're only saving yourself 5 minutes. Rethink the value all premades.

5. Oddly enough decluttering is great for saving money. The less you have the less you seem to need. Mess begets mess, stuff begets more stuff. The only way to true financial freedom is to learn that YOU DON'T NEED IT. ("it" being whatever you are drawn to that doesn't actually keep you alive.

6. If you drink wine, make it yourself. If you go in with a friend or two and split up the batches you each make at a u-brew store, it's a blast and save an incredible amount of money.

7. Spending some money saves you a lot of money sometimes. Regularly,get the car tuned up, your teeth checked, furnace filters changed, buy proper running shoes. The problems that will arise from not maintaining the things you own will cost you more in the long run.

8. Don't rent movies. You'd be amazed at what you get at the library. And except for school curriculum or bible studies, I only buy books from yardsales if they are under 50 cents each. How often do you really reread a book? Think library, library, library.

9. Believe it or not, all your son needs in the way of toys is a bike, a ball, and some blocks. Oh and the occasional big cardboard box. Our society is choking itself on a mirade of toys! Stop the madness and watch your child's imagination soar.

10. Scale back on birthday parties. My son came home from a party not that long ago with a loot bag easily worth $20! Too bad I know that the family is swimming in debt. For a loot bag I bake huge cookes suckers and wrap them in cello. If we make a craft during the party, that's part of the loot bag. I also refuse to try and keep up with the Jones in the gift department too cuz the Jones are in debt and I refuse to follow them there.


I have started to try and teach my children the art of money smarts. I don't allow them to impulse buy period and I don't let them buy junk from the dollar store. $1 for junk is $1 wasted.

I'd love for you to comment with your own helpful tips. Let's all get out of the money spending madness together.

"The Fight of Our Lives"

Book Review Time
I just finished "The Fight of Our Lives" by William J. Bennett and Seth Leisbsohn and am slightly shaken up. The catch line on the cover is "Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth & Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam. Admittedly, before reading this book I followed the media-fed, prevalent school of thought that the war going on in the Middle East needed to be ended. But as this book pointed out, since when has the war against terrorism become something we need to end instead of win? Why are we so afraid to call muslim terrorists by that name since that's what they call themselves? Why do we feel the need to protect "moderate" muslims if they don't stand up and rebuke these extremists? When a "christian" bombs an abortion clinic, the rest of the christian community immediately stands up and cries out against this travesty.
"The Fight of Our Lives" answered a lot of questions I didn't even know I should be asking. It isn't an easy read but definitely one worth reading.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Math books and Jean Jumpers

A few days ago I took the hand of a friend of mine who has homeschooled for a couple of years now and braved my first homeschooling curriculum fair. Suddenly I wished I hadn't dyed half of my head bright red and why on earth did wearing tight, though comfy, yoga pants seem like a good idea? To be honest there were lots of woman who would describe their sense of fashion with the same adjectives as I would.(I used the word "adjective" cuz I homeschool.) In fact awhile back I took the kids to the library during the day and a woman there asked me if I homeschooled. When I replied, "Yes.", she said she did too. This woman was as goth punk as ever you've seen and with joy and delight I took this woman's hand and said,"Oh good! You don't look like you would own a jean jumper!" She laughed and I cried with relief. Could it be I was mistaken with my stereotyping? Is anyone every not mistaken with their stereotyping? I'm still not over my surgery from 3 weeks ago so the book fair wasn't as pleasant as it could have been. Holy Crowds Batman! I had no idea! There was more pushing and shoving at the bargain bins than at a blue light special! Okay I made that up but in truth you could see the look of hysteria behind many of those polite faces, mine included. I figure it cost me $1300 last year to homeschool and it'll cost me about $900 this year so if I can get a spelling book for 50% off, look out! I've got steel elbows and I ain't afraid to use them. (But I can't use the word ain't cuz I homeschool.)

Not all I Once Was

Today marks the one week anniversary of the death of my appendix. Somehow I thought the removal of a body part would be no big deal. I was feeling like a whimp and wondering why it was I am still in so much pain. I only wondered that until I watched an appendectomy on YouTube. Not for the faint at heart. Basically the make a 2 inch cut, stretch it back with special tong-like things, then reach in and grab whatever part of your large intestines is closest. They then pull pull pull until they come to the place where the appendix is located, thus leaving a nice little pile of your insides lying on your outsides. After tying the appendix off, it's cut off, sewn and cauterized. They then pull more intestine out for inspection. Now the really lovely part. With a pair of blunt tongs, they rather unceremoniously, stuff everything back. Nice.
Don't get me wrong. You'll hear no complaints from me. I prefer sore and lightheaded to having three motherless children living in my house.
This is my shout out to all of the incredible people in my life who have cooked and cleaned and called/emailed over the past week. Quite frankly YOU ROCK! I thank God for you every day. He has been so kind to me throughtout this and has put it on the hearts of so many to make sure that my family's needs are being met. Thank you all for following His promptings.

We Be BIG

If you're looking for the next great literary masterpiece, I suggest you look elsewhere. "We Be BIG" by Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey with Don Keith read more like a grade 8's report on what they did for summer vacation then a published biography. However, any book that glorifies God in all of life's hills and valleys can't be all bad. The first few chapters took some perserverance but by halfway through the book, I found myself actually caring about these two men and the journey they took to becoming some of radio's "biggest" personalites. It would have been more enjoyable if they had gone into more detail regarding the crazy schemes and practical jokes they played on other radio stations instead of plotting through the moves they made from one small station to the next. If you are a fan of the "Rick and Bubba" show you would likely enjoy this quick read.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

World Record Breaker!

I can now scratch another item off my bucket list. I have been a part of a Guiness World Record Break. Yesterday was the 200th birthday of the Macintosh Apple. To celebrate, the apple growers of Ontario hosted a huge party at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. There they attempted to break the record for the most people bobbing for apples at one time. I took the three kids and became a part of history. What an incredible day! They had apple cupcakes, apple cider, candy apples, huge loot bags, bouncy castles, crafts, games, raffles, photo booths all for FREE! (have I mentioned that's my favorite word?) At 12:30 we all lined up in front of our individual bins, which each contained 10 apples). We were supplied with a poncho and scrunchie. The girls all started using the scrunchies to tie back their hair until we were informed they were to tie our hands behind our backs. I can proudly say I managed to get all 10 apples out! It's all about sacrificing your hairdo.

"The Power-Based Life"

Admittedly, when I chose to read "The Power-Based Life" by Mike Flynnt I didn't realize what kind of a book I had chosen. I didn't realize it was written by a football player who lives and breathes strength training. If I had, I wouldn't have chosen to read it. I have always considered myself a bit of a gym rat but this book was more then I could bear. Too many football/weights analogies. I actually almost didn't finish it. There are many good points made in the book such as checking your attitude, being merciful, and not succumbing to the lie that your body has to degrade with age. "The Power-Based Life" reaffirms my belief that you ought to take care of your body since it is so complexly intertwined with your mental and emotional state. I would only recommend this book to people who love, and I mean LOVE, football. If that isn't you, you'll find yourself skimming for highlights like I was.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Picture It" Picture Book review

I was sent a "Picture It" picture book created by Alicia Belvedere and Leanne Milech to review. This particular one is titled "Captain Zane". Picture It books have a story but your child illustrates it. I love the idea and when it arrived my three kids ages 11,9, and 8 were happy to do a couple of pages. The narrative given on each page was written in a way as to make it very easy for a young mind to come up with a picture. If the cover of the book was nicer I would have considered this a fun keepsake but it looks rather cheap and unappealing. The other problem was that it wasn't shipped in sturdy enough cardboard so by the time it landed on my doorstep, it was badly bent and crinkled. So badly bent in fact that it was hard for my kids to draw in.
I asked my two oldest kids if they would have been happy to receive a Picture It book as a gift. (They are both boys) They both said rather unenthusiastically " Ya." My 8 year old daughter who loves crafts enjoys it though and will likely be the one who fills it. It's a nice idea for long waiting rooms or other situations where you don't want to hear your child say,"Mom, what should I draw?"