Almost Amish by Nancy Sleeth

*This book should not be confused with Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman.

Nancy Sleeth and her family desired to "incorporate the best of Amish principles" into their modern lives. They found Amish principles in the areas of homes, technology, finances, nature, simplicity, service, security, community, families and faith and tries to incorporate them into their lives, by making some unusual choices for their family. However, rather than being like a personal journal of their experiences, this book is more a list of some common sense ideas and principles with some Amish and Biblical backing.

I must say that I high higher hopes for this book. Sleeth book is more how to take some Amish ideas regarding life and try to fit them into our culture. It doesn't really work. It also seemed like it was very selective in what ideas Sleeth took from the Amish to incorporate into her own families life. Based on the title, I had the idea that the book was going to be more of a personal journal of the family's "quest for a slower, simpler, more sustainable life", but what it really was was 10 categories of Amish ideas and how we can try to fit them into our American, modern culture. This is not to say that the examples she gives do not work, but its not because they are Amish ideas. A lot of it is just plain common sense, such as needing a time to just unplug from technology (computers, phones, email, etc), and just spend time as family and friends together to build relationships or being wise with your money.

I give this book 3 stars. It wasn't a bad book, but I was not at all impressed with it.

1000 Days by Jonathan Falwell

While Jesus lived roughly 33 years on this earth, his public ministry was only 3 years, which is roughly 1000 days of ministry. And while Jesus could have come to earth, lived in relative obscurity, and still offered us salvation, he didn't. He took 3 years of his life and spent time with people, choosing disciples who would change the world after he was gone, healing people both physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These 1,000 days were intentionally lived and documented in the Gospels. Join Jonathan Falwell, as he takes a look at Jesus' public ministry to see what is important in life.

This book was a straightforward and easy to understand book that gives a great overview of Jesus' 3 year public ministry on earth. While it didn't provide me with any great new insights, it did make me think what Christianity might be like if Jesus just provided salvation without his three year public ministry.

I give this book 4 stars.

I received this book from BookSneeze for the purpose of this review.

Son of the Underground by Isaac Liu

Most Christians have heard about the persecution of the church in Asia and the growth of the underground church. And while I have heard of Brother Yun, The Heavenly Man, I knew nothing about him. So getting to meet him through the eyes of his son and reading his son's story opened my eyes more to the real challenges facing the persecuted church.

Son Of The Underground is a unique look at one family's experiences in the underground church of China and their eventual escape to Germany.

I give this book 4 stars.

Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson, age 20, was a 2008 Olympian, winning 1 gold medal and 3 silver medals in the Beijing Olympics. She is a national and a world champion in gymnastics and then she caught the spotlight again when starring on Dancing With The Stars in 2009. Then she suffered a potentially career ending injury when skiing.

Johnson's book Winning Balance isn't an autobiography per say, though it is written chronological order. Instead, it is stories from Johnson's life, with some of the life lessons that she has learned. This book is an open and honest look at Johnson's life. Her parents instilled a sense of balance in her life, making sure gymnastics never completely took over. She went to public school, up until the Olympics, doing normal, every day things like going to football games, prom, around school, gymnastics and homework. While many gymnasts train 40 hours a week, Johnson was only training around 25-30 hours a week.

I loved reading this book! As a kid, I dreamed of figure skating and gymnastics and loved to watch them on tv whenever I could. Both sports were just like magic to me, watching what these people could do in their sport. Now that I'm older, the magic is still there. Johnson's book was pure magic and pure joy for me.

I give this book 5 stars.

I received this book from Tyndale for the purpose of this review

Break Through by Dr. Tim Clinton and Pat Springle

We all have our faults, but there comes a time when a person has a destructive pattern that has to end. We have to stop making excuses for others and exercise some tough love. Essentially, we come to a point where we say to the other person that we still love them but we can't continue to enable them. Christian counselor Tim Clinton and author Pat Springle help people to learn how to say "yes when you want to and no when you need to." But more than that, we can't always fix the other person, but we can learn to control ourselves better by not seeking to please, rescue, fix or control the other person.

This book, while it has a similar topic to Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Towsend, it goes beyond just setting boundaries, but rather working on ones own self to make changes. We can't change the other parties involved, but we can change ourselves and work to stop our own destructive patterns. If I am always enabling another person, I can't stop their actions, but I can stop doing what I am doing to enable them.

This book is very relevant today and was very informative. It is filled with personal stories and situations so the reader can see how things can work. I give this book 4 stars. 

I received this book from PR by the Book for the purpose of this review.

Operation Six Continents: A Collection of Family Moving Advice by Phoebe Liedstrand

This is an open and honest look at one family's experiences living around the world, and particularly the moving and getting settled parts. Phoebe shares about her family's first move to Santiago, Chili, how they managed to spread their family out over 6 continents at once, tips to know before becoming a family-on-the-move, and even tips to raising "well-balanced" kids-on-the-move.

The saying, the proof is in the pudding, is true for this book. I met two of the Liedstrand kids in college. Their love for their family and for the places they had lived was evident. This book isn't just a nice story, but it is an account of how one family has lived their life. This is  very short book that won't take you long to read. I easily read it in under an hour.

I give this book 5 stars!

Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson

After Dr. Dobson wrote Bringing Up Boys, parents were asking when Dobson would write Bringing Up Girls. Well, here it is. In it, Dobson takes a look at the struggles girls face in this world today. From the need to have a caring daddy, and questions about self image and beauty, to puberty, adolescence, and bullies.

This book is filled with personal stories and letters written to Dr. Dobson. It is not a step by step guide to raising daughters, as that would not work. But it is general information and advice on a whole host of topics that will help parents in raising their daughters.

I give this book 4 stars.

I received this book from Tyndale for the purpose of this review.

Christian Contours: How a Biblical Worldview Shapes the Mind and Heart - Douglas S. Huffman, Editor

What does it mean to live out your worldview, even when other people don’t share the same worldview. What does it mean to be critical thinkers in today’s world? This book takes an academic look at worldviews, particularly the Christian worldview, for college students. It tackles the questions of what is a worldview, what is truth, what is needed in a worldview, and how to live a worldview.

While this book could be read alone, it is meant to be used as a textbook in a classroom. As such it is written for an academic audience and not for someone with just a curiosity about the Christian worldview. As an academic book, I give it 4 stars.

I received this book from Kregal for the purpose of this review.

NIV FaithGirlz Bible

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

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

Today's Wild Card contributor is:

Nancy Rue

and the book:

NIV Faithgirlz! Bible (Revised Edition)

Zonderkidz; Rev Spl edition (March 6, 2012)

***Special thanks to Rick Roberson of The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR:

Nancy Rue has worked as a public school teacher, church youth director, theater workshop developer and camp director. She has written more than eighty books for young people, including the beloved Faithgirlz! Sophie series, The Skin You're In and Everybody Tells Me to Be Myself but I Don't Know Who I Am. Nancy lives with her husband and two dogs in Lebanon, TN.

About Faithgirlz!: Faithgirlz! is a collection of books, Bibles and resources designed to provide transformational Christian experiences for tween girls. Faithgirlz! encourages honest tween-girl empowerment by providing engaging, relevant, high-quality offerings, helping tween girls understand their world, learn biblical teachings, become closer to God and grow into godly teenagers. Faithgirlz! offers excellent content and contributions from leading Christian tween writers and spokespeople including Nancy Rue, Melody Carlson, Kristi Holl, Naomi Kinsman and more. Faithgirlz! is also supported with a website (www.Faithgirlz.com), Facebook page and mother and daughter live events across the country.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Every girl wants to know she’s totally unique and special, and contributor Nancy Rue helps them do just that in the revised edition of the NIV Faithgirlz! Bible. As a leading tween expert, Rue teaches girls that the Bible is real and relevant and, best of all, that the story of God and His people is also their story. Girls can now grow closer to God as they discover the journey of a lifetime, in their language, for their world.

The new Faithgirlz! Bible was developed especially for girls ages 9 to 12. Everything in it is written with a tween girl’s experience in mind, and it features the most popular Bible translation in the world, the New International Version. The features explain hard-to-understand things in the Bible and guide girls to put the Scripture to work in their own lives. The Faithgirlz! Bible focuses on sharing faith with friends and gives real ways for girls to do that.

Each book of the Bible has activities that make God’s Word more relevant than ever. And, of course, because it was developed for Faithgirlz! readers, they can expect to find it jam-packed with customized content and artwork that really makes the Bible stand out. Girls will love the cool design, the interactive features and the feeling of knowing that God’s Word is there for them whenever they need it. Some of the features included are:

·   Book Introductions—Girls will read the who, when, where and what of each book of the Bible.

·   Dream Girl—Girls will use their imaginations to put themselves in the story.

·   Is There a Little (Eve, Ruth, Isaiah) in You?—Girls will see for themselves what they have in common with women of the Bible.

·   Words to Live By—Girls will discover great Bible verses for memorizing.

·   Oh, I Get It!—Girls will find answers to Bible questions they’ve wondered about.

Nancy Rue says, “I hope the Faithgirlz! Bible will help girls grow a friendship with the Bible, their own relationship. It asks questions, asks them to think and challenges them to apply what they’re learning. That’s how they’ll find a deep, personal relationship with God, rather than just by following rules or saying what they’ve been told without really thinking about it. Rules are important, of course, but they only make sense when they really believe the message of the Scriptures. That’s what this Bible is about.” The Faithgirlz! Bible is the perfect Bible to support girls in their journey into the “beauty of believing.”

The main edition of the Faithgirlz! Bible is hardcover, but it is also available in two Italian Duo-Tone designs. For better portability, there is also an NIV Faithgirlz! Backpack Bible. This compact edition does not include the in-text features that the full-size edition has, but it does have twelve full-color pages of Faithgirlz! fun, the words of Christ in red and a ribbon marker. An ebook version is also planned for electronic use.

Product Details:

List Price: $27.99

Reading level: Ages 9 and up

Hardcover: 1504 pages

Publisher: Zonderkidz; Rev Spl edition (March 6, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310722365

ISBN-13: 978-0310722366

AND NOW...A SAMPLE. PLEASE CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO VIEW THEM LARGER:

My review

Each of the features listed above are done very well. They all help the reader relate to what is happening at that point in the Bible. They are meant to encourage or correct the reader as well as help the reader put themselves in the context what was happening. There is also a Treasure This section that gives key verses that are great to memorize throughout the Bible.

I would highly recommend this Bible to a young tween (girls age 9-12). I look forward to passing this on to a special young girl.

I give this Bible 5 stars!

I received this Bible through First Wild Card Tours and Zondervan for the purpose of this review.

Just Too Busy by Joanne Kraft

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


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

Today's Wild Card author is:

Joanne Kraft

and the book:

Just Too Busy: Taking your Family on a Radical Sabbatical

Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City (June 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to
Susan Otis/Creative Resources for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joanne Kraft is a sought-after speaker who loves to encourage women. She has been published in Today’s Christian Woman, In Touch, ParentLife, Kyria and P31 Woman magazine. A leader of Inspire Christian Writers, she serves as a marriage study group leader, and works as a 911 dispatcher in Sacramento County, California. Kraft is married and has four children.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Just Too Busy is one mother’s story of getting off the merry-go-round of her family’s over-commitment. When everything their life seemed like a marathon race, Joanne Kraft and her husband decided to take a “radical sabbatical”—a year-long absence from any of their four children’s organized after-school activities. Memories made, new traditions started, lessons learned, and how their family’s legacy was enriched are shared, spiced with a liberal helping of light-hearted humor.

Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City (June 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0834126095
ISBN-13: 978-0834126091

AND NOW...Click the LOOK INSIDE! Button to view the FIRST Chapter:

My Review:

Do you ever feel like our author did? She described her family’s crazy schedule by saying she was a “daytime zombie in a minivan, shuttling children back and forth from soccer practice to dance lessons and from Girls Scouts to baseball games.” Our culture expects us to stay busy. Kids are looked at as strange if they aren’t enrolled in sports, music/art, and every other activity that keeps them busy all day long. From after school activities to summer day camps, family time is being spent running around ferrying our kids to every place imaginable and eating on the run instead of enjoying family meals around the table together. This is where Joanne Kraft’s idea of a radical sabbatical comes into play. She and her family gave up every activity that that required them to run the kids around for one full year. Instead they had family time, and a specific day each month that was carved out for family field trips.

Kraft spends only 5 of the 20 chapters really talking about their radical sabbatical. The rest of the book is spent on how busy our society is, the dangers of busyness, and the value of saying no to busyness. I would have loved to see the ratios switched and read more about their adventure of a radical sabbatical. I would be curious as to how they filled their time, what new things they did, besides just the family field trips. Did they do anything as individuals, such as church youth activities. The concept of saying no to every extra activity was new and unique. I know of people who have only allowed their kids to do one activity at a time, but never have I heard of people cutting out all activities altogether. 

The idea of this book intrigued me, but it didn’t deliver like it could have. So I give this book 3.5 stars.

 I received this book free from First Wild Card Tours for the purpose of this review.

88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates by Rob & Joanna Teigen

Your children are only young for a short period of time. As parents, you have the greatest influence on your children from the very youngest of ages. Why not maximize that impact by being there to make great memories with your children and teach them important lessons along the way.

Each date lists the things needed, many of which are things that are likely already in the house, or easy to find. Some do cost money and/or require going out somewhere such as getting ice cream, going bowling, or working at a food pantry/soup kitchen. Secondly, all the dates give you an idea of what to do, helpful ideas, and reminders to encourage your daughter during the activity. Then there is a section entitled, “Grow” in which you sit down with your daughter to talk about what you did, and share some godly wisdom with her. Some of the lessons are more serious than others, such as explaining why you have rules to protect her, while others are just a time to encourage your daughter and have some fun.

This is a great gift for any father who wants to connect with his daughter. Often times, its not the desire that is lacking, but the ideas. And this book gives dads 88 different ideas to do. Some of these will be treasured memories for dads and their daughters and may even become family traditions. While the book is meant for fathers and their daughters ages 6-12, I could easily see dad’s starting some activities at a much younger age and continuing long after they are out of the house.

I received this book free from Revel for the purpose of this review.

More Beauty Less Beast by Debora M. Coty

About the book:

With her own offbeat brand of wit and near-wisdom, inspirational humorist Debora Coty addresses heart needs of women struggling to tame that out-of-control inner beast that unexpectedly pounces, roaring and shredding, as it threatens to destroy the divinely beautiful princess hidden within. In More Beauty, Less Beast, women will find simple, practical techniques for embracing the true beauty rightfully theirs as cherished daughters of the King. Whether jaded by emotional wounds, unrealistic standards, or lack of confidence, this laugh-out-loud, girlfriend-to-girlfriend encouragement will help women transform their destructive inner beast into the exquisite beauty they were always meant to be.

My Review:

Society has its own standard of beauty, which is the complete opposite of God’s standard of beauty. This book challenged me, made me think, and made me laugh. Coty is able to take a serious and sometimes uncomfortable subject and bring some light heartedness to it. I started reading this book while I was in the doctor’s office and I had to laugh out loud when I started chapter 2, and the author was talking one of her own doctor’s appointments.

I enjoyed reading this book. The chapters are very short and the book as a whole is a quick read. I give this book 4 stars. I received this book free from Litfuse for the purpose of this review.

About Debora Coty: 

Debora Coty is an occupational therapist, a piano teacher, and a freelance writer. She's also involved in the children's ministry at her church and is an avid tennis player. Debora began writing to fill the void when her last child left for college, and it has since become a passion. Debora has a real knack for getting across sound biblical concepts with a refreshing lightheartedness as attested in her monthly newspaper column entitled "Grace Notes: God's Grace for Everyday Living." 

Visit www.deboracoty.com for more about Debora and her books. 

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616263474/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1616263474&adid=1AE0QCKRNXKRH61AMMQH  

Enter Today and Save the Date-3/22!

 

Using Biblical advice and her trademark humor, Debora Coty urges women to conquer guilt and re-institute hope in More Beauty, Less Beast. Celebrate with Debora by entering to win a $150 Visa Cash Card!

One "beautiful" winner will receive:

• A $150 Visa Cash Card (Treat yourself to a spa day or weekend get-away!)
• A Debora Coty Library (More Beauty, Less Beast, Too Blessed Too Be Stressed and Everyday Hope)
• Chocolate (Every good things begins with chocolate!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/22/12. Winner will be announced at Debora's "Divine Beauty" Facebook Party on  3/22. Debora will be hosting an evening of chat, fun beauty trivia, laughter, and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club and a live chat with Debora via Skype.)

So grab your copy of More Beauty, Less Beast and join Debora and friends on the evening of March 22nd for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 22nd!

Miracle For Jen by Linda Barrick

About the book:

On the night of November 5, 2006, the Barrick family was driving home from church when their van was struck by a drunk driver. Fifteen-year-old Jen suffered multiple skull fractures and severe brain trauma and was not expected to survive the night. But against all odds, she did. As she lingered in a coma, doctors warned that if Jen ever woke up, she would be cursing and screaming in confusion due to her brain injuries. Instead, after five weeks she opened her eyes and began praying and praising God. Jen didn’t remember her middle name, recognize her parents, or recall that she had a little brother—but she remembered Jesus and every word to every praise song and scripture she had hidden in her heart before the accident. As any loving mother would, Jen’s mother Linda wanted God to heal Jen—make her like she was before. Normal. But a loving God had something else in mind—instead of making her normal, God is making Jennifer—and the whole Barrick family—extraordinary, miraculous. Miracle for Jen is the remarkable true story of a family who overcame tragedy and learned to trust God’s plans for their lives in a whole new way.

My review:

This is one book that I was so happy to get. I was a student at Liberty University at the time of the Barrick’s car accident. I was one of those thousands of students praying for this precious family. Later, I was a teacher’s assistant in classes in which Jen was a guest speaker. There story is truly a miracle, in so many ways. While Jen was the most severely injured, all 4 members of the family were injured that night, and were taken to 4 different hospitals. Their physical recovery was not easy. But they have allowed God to use them, and their story. The miracle of this story is not just that this family survived this horrific accident, but that they have allowed God to use it, and them to glorify Him.

While I had a special connection to this book being a Liberty University student, I think others will still be inspired and encouraged by this story of the Barrick family.

I give this book 5 stars!

I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers for the purpose of this review.

For more information about the book and the Barrick family’s story:

www.miracleforjen.com

http://hosannasjourney.blogspot.com/2012/03/about-book-on-night-of-november-5-2006.html

I was given a certificate for a giveaway copy of this book. Because it is such a special book, I choose to not do a traditional giveaway but to reward one of my followers with it. So the winner is Jen.

 These two pictures of Jen Barrick with Joni Eareckson Tada are used with permission from the Barrick Family.

A Jane Austen Devotional and A Charles Dickens Devotional

First of all, let me say I am very sorry for my delay! Congrats to our winner, Anne Payne! The devotionals will go out in the mail soon.

Growing up, I didn’t read Jane Austen, and very little of Charles Dickens, other than A Christmas Carol. I got my understand of both authors from the PBS show Wishbone. So needless to say, other than watching a few Jane Austen movies in college, I haven’t had much exposure to either author. 

Both of the devotionals have a small section from one of the author’s writings, and then a short devotional relating the excerpt to Scripture. Each book contains 100 devotionals. 

I am amazed at how much of Austen and Dicken’s writing deals with a person’s character or attitude. Both of these devotionals cover a host of topics. I love that they aren’t dated or numbered, so it is easy to read the book from cover to cover, or to just jump around reading a devotional that applies to you that day.
I received these devotionals from PR By The Book for the purpose of this review.

Married Mom, Solo Parent by Carla Anne Corey

Not every woman goes into marriage expecting to raise their children on their own, even though they are married. This is what Carla Anne Corey means by the term married mom, solo parent. While some women go into marriage, knowing that their husband’s job will take them away from the home more than just a 9-5 job would. Some men’s jobs keep them on the road much of the time, others are in the military and are going for long deployments. Regardless of how they got to the point of being a married mom, solo parent, these women are so now. It is a role that is much different than being a married mom with both parents actively involved, and a single parent. Solo parents don’t fit in the same molds as other married couples or single parents. They face unique challenges and many churches don’t know how to help solo parents like they do single or married parents. This book covers the area of emotions, discipline, community, chores, and more.

I chose this book not because I’m married and a solo parent. In fact, the opposite is true. I am single and have no kids. However, i am a marriage counselor with Prepare-Enrich and I want to have an understanding of the married mom, solo parent and a resource to help them. But at the same time, this book challenged me in ways I didn’t expect it to. This book challenged me to look at how I was raised and how I want to raise my own children someday. It challenged me to put together a list of my own commitments, some of which I can start working on developing now.

Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis

Let me start out by saying I love all things C.S. Lewis. I had great hopes for this book, but I could not get myself to read more than part one. While it was interesting, it just didn’t keep me going. I know there are some great reviews of this book, and if I persevered, I might come to the same conclusion, but right now, I just can’t get through it. So needless to say, this book will go on my shelf with my collection of books about and by C.S. Lewis and I will pick it up at a later date and try to read it all the way through.

Sadly I only give this book 3 stars.

I received this book from Book Sneeze (Thomas Nelson Publishers) for the purpose of this review.

Projet 5:Getting Your Kitchen to Work for You

Today’s topic is favorite kitchen appliances and how they help to get dinner on the table.

Mom’s answer: 1. The microwave for cooking frozen veggies or making a white sauce while other stuff is on the stove.

1. Wit-Whip for making no lump gravy.  http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/wit-whip-beater
2. Food processor to speed up prepping food. It’s also great for mixing cookie dough, too.

Me: My favorite kitchen appliance is the mini food processor. Since I cook food to take to work, the mini food processor is perfect for me for making sauces, or chopping up onions and peppers, etc.

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget?

My review of The “What’s For Dinner?” Solution

 This is one of the best books I have read that helps women turn what can become a daily nightmare into an easier decision. “After putting [Lipp’s] 21-day plan into action, women will save time--with bulk shopping and cooking, save money--no more last-minute phone calls to the delivery pizza place, save their sanity--forget the last-minute scramble every night and know what they’re having for dinner.” This is a straight forward and encouraging book to help women conquer that sometimes dreaded task of planning dinners. It is a comprehensive book giving tips and recipes that are so good. I look forward to trying quite a few recipes in the coming days.

I received this book free from the author for the purpose of this review.

The "What's For Dinner?" Solution by Kathi Lapp

Welcome! I am doing a 5-day challenge for the book The “What’s For Dinner?” Solution by Kathi Lipp

https://www.facebook.com/kathilipp.author

http://www.kathilipp.com/

Each of the 5 days, there is a different topic that I will blog about. I’d love as much interaction as possible during these five days!

Day 1: Share Your Menu

Day 2: LOOP Meal (Left Overs On Purpose)

Day 3: Kitchen Tips

Day 4: Family Favorites

Day 5: Getting Your Kitchen To Work For You

Because I live at home with my parents, these posts will include a guest, my mom! I will include her thoughts on these topics as well as my own.

So here is Project 1: Share Your Menu

Some weeks, mom and I will have a menu set out for each day and I can tell you what we are going to eat on Wed and what we will eat on Saturday. But that is rare! In general, mom and I will make a menu of 5-6 dinners, and then each day we will decide what we will have for dinner that night. Some nights we have time to make a nice meal, other nights we need a quick and easy meal. Mom goes grocery shopping each Monday if possible. Before she went this morning, we talked about the menu. She had looked through the freezer to see what meat we had to use, and wrote that down. Then we figured what side and what vegetable to go with it. Then there were some pantry basics and personal items that needed to go on the list. Mom had also looked through the coupons from the paper the other day and knew what she wanted to use from those. So we had the grocery list.

So here’s our menu for the week:

Manicotti with hamburg and corn

Stuffed crust pepperoni pizza

Spanish Rice with kielbasa

Chicken and stuffing

Fish and chips (oven roasted potatoes)

Sunday: Leftovers

What is your menu for this week? How do you figure out what you menu will be? Do you go by what your family’s schedule is? Do you use coupons? 

Curious what Kathi has planned for this week? Check out here menu here.

http://www.kathilipp.com/2012/01/meal-planning-calendar/

Mornings With Jesus

And the winner is....Tess!! Congrats Tess! I will get you book out in the mail this week!

As for my promised review (though a friend told me I should have done this with the book giveaway, that wouldn’t have allowed me to do the giveaway when I did), here you go. Mornings with Jesus 2012 is a 366 day devotional based on the life, character and teachings of Jesus. This is a great devotional. I loved the different authors. I only knew of two of the authors, and enjoyed their writing, but the rest of the authors are just as great. They are all personable and let you, the reader, see into their lives as they share their thoughts and personal stories that relate to the different aspects of Jesus’ character and teaching. Even though we are almost a full month into 2012, this is still a great devotional to pick up and use!

I received this book (and the second copy for the giveaway) from Litfuse for the purpose of this review.

Devotional Giveaway!

A Jane Austen Devotional/A Charles Dickens Devotional

Devotional Classics Series

Thomas Nelson publishers

Here are the rules.

1. To enter the giveaway, you must answer the question below and leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.
2. A second entry will automatically be given to anyone entering who is following my blog.
3. The giveaway is only open to those in the USA.
4. This giveaway will end at midnight on Sunday, January 29, 2012. The winner will be announced when I post my review of the books the following day, Monday, January 30th.

These devotionals offer the words and wisdom of two great authors along with the timeless truths of Scripture. Both devotionals offer short excerpts from the classic works of the author and along with a devotional thought and Scripture.

Giveaway Question:

What is your favorite Jane Austen or Charles Dickens quote? (Remember to include which book it came from).