The Pumpkin Pie Patch

Book Review: A Sound Among the Trees

2012-02-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

In my old age, I am coming to like historical fiction more and more. I realize it's just that: fiction and not fact. But I know there are elements of true history in each story and I find it fascinating. However, A Sound Among the Trees deals with an aspect of history I have a hard time with, the Civil War. Such an ugly time in American history.

Marielle Bishop is a new bride in a very old house. She's transplanted herself from the desert of Arizona to move into her new husband's home in Fredericksburg, Virginia and is soon led to believe that the house she's moved into brings misfortune to the women who live there. It all traces back to Susannah Page, a young woman who is rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, thus a traitor to her Virginia home. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn't believe it's Susannah who haunts the house, but the very house itself that holds a grudge toward it's tragic past. Marielle must sort through history, superstitions and folk tales to make peace with the sacrifices she's made for love.

There is something compelling about a family who has lived in one house for over a century, passing it down from generation to generation. It's not surprising that ghost stories bloomed over all the years. The characters in this book are real enough that it is imperative that you find out if the story has any reconciliation or not. I commend Susan Meissener for not only drawing you into the modern lives of Marielle and Adelaide, but into the historical life of Susannah Page as well. The heartache of Susannah as she witnesses the awful aspects of war are as real as the desire of Marielle to make her new life work. The readers feel the need of Marielle to reconcile history to chart a good course for her future.

Historical fiction lovers will love this book, and so will the rest of us.

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Press in exchange for an honest review, as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

January Report Card

2012-01-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

I tossed around the idea of tossing out the monthly report card, since I have not set forth any measurable goals that need to be measured. But I like the idea of looking back and reflecting on the past month; it makes me feel like I'm living life intentionally and not just letting (too many) things slip by.

This month was marked by two major things that I'm sure you're sick of hearing about: starting my new job as nursery director and the start of MOPS. Both are going extremely well. I'm settling into the routine of sorts that the nursery will require, and I actually enjoy it. The longest days are Sundays when I have to be there all morning, but even those fly by in a flurry of activity. Last Sunday was the hardest, since I had to cover two services almost by myself; at the last service one of the nursery workers took pity on me and helped me out, which was good, because it would have been 12 toddlers on one, and they very well could have staged a coup and overthrown the nursery.

MOPS started off great. We have a total of seven moms and so far we all seem to get along. I look forward to each of our meetings and hope that other moms get the word and feel confident enough to join us.

We're in the process of buying a house, which means we'll be moving soon. No date yet, but hopefully in April or May. It could be as early as March, which would be fine by me. You all know the energy that moving takes, but I'm really excited about this one, because Lord willing we won't be moving again for a long time.

I've been mulling around the idea of making rag quilts for my girls, and my dear friend Tawnya has inspired me to make it happen. She made one for her boy, and so now I'm actively starting to seek out fabric for them. She gave some really good ideas on finding fabric, and I'm excited to start the hunt. If any of you have any green, pink or purple (solid, prints, whatever) fabric laying around, feel free to send it my way!

And that's where I am at the end of January. I still don't really have any hard-core goals ready, which maybe is my goal for February. I really do want to live life intentionally, and I'm the kind of person that needs a plan in order to do that. Money Saving Mom sets a great example on goal-setting, but the most interesting thing she's been talking about lately is implementing new habits. Off the top of my head, I can think of a few habits I'd love to have, so I think in February I'll really map them out.

Stay tuned.

Book Review: Beyond Molasses Creek

2012-01-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

Don't worry: this book is in no way controversial or worthy of any "kind" hate mail.

Ally Green has spent her life as a flight attendant, traipsing across the globe. But now she's 60 and her father has died and it's time to come home in order to put his affairs in order. This is not as easy task, simply because she's been running for so long. Back in the Lowcountry, Ally is forced to reconcile her past and her relationship with Vesey Washington, who still lives across the creek. As Ally deals with things she would just as soon forget about, a young woman on the other side of the world manages to escape her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. Sunila's ticket out is a mysterious sketchbook, which tells her that there is more to her story than she's been told, and it's finally time to seek out the truth. These three lives are deeply intertwined, and a story of faith, freedom and friendship waits for them on the banks of Molasses Creek.

This story is refreshingly deep. I do love my easy reads, but it is also nice to settle into a meatier story. These characters are rich and captivating, as are the stories they explore. The stories hover around the stickier issues of modern-day slavery and the caste system that abound in Nepal and the uglier civil rights issues that lurk in American history. Ally is white and Vesey is black, and their friendship dates back to the late 1950s, so from the very beginning their relationship was fraught with complications.

I really enjoyed reading Nicole Seitz. She reminds me a bit of Charles Martin, another great author, but it might be because her stories are also set in South Carolina. I love living in Colorado, but Nicole makes me wonder what it would have been like to grow up over there instead of here. I would have liked to see her reconcile the characters with God a bit more; it seemed like she would, but then the story was over. Not that it took anything away from the story, but it's like she started to, and then the story simply went another direction.

This book is worth your time.

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

Stirring the Pot

2012-01-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Apparently I've started 2012 by ruffling a few feathers. And it has pushed my little peacemaking heart out of its comfort zone. That last book review on The Resignation of Eve did not make a few people happy. Honestly, I'm a little shocked that people other than my faithful family and friends even read what I write. Not only did they read it, but they felt they had to respond. Not sure if I should be thrilled or more censored in what I say. I think I may have learned a few lessons, though.

Lesson #1: When you say that you like something, yay! People love it and probably think you are clever and witty. When you say that you dislike or disagree with something, then you better be ready to prove why you have the credibility to say something about it. Interesting.

My comments about The Resignation of Eve have made me feel like I should have gotten a degree in...something before I was allowed to say anything about it. I've been called into question about my background and bias. So here it is: I was born and raised in the church. I attended Christian high school and graduated from a Christian college with a degree in Bible. I currently work in a church, both in the children's ministry and the women's ministry. Therefore I believe that I have some credibility when it comes to discussing a.) the workings of a church and b.) what the Bible has to say about the workings of a church. I've never written a dissertation on 1 Timothy or anything like that, but I do have 16+ years of interacting with Biblical truths under my belt.

Lesson #2: Not everyone who reads what I write has the same worldview as I do. What I don't know is if that means that I shouldn't write my true opinions about something because someone else will probably be offended.

That seems to be where most of the arguments are coming from. I was called "unfair and biased" for saying this book was written from a secular worldview. I stand by that statement. I read this book as someone who works with women's ministry and who has a Biblical worldview. The conclusions in this book do not come from a Biblical worldview. They simply don't. I do not believe we should look to the world to tell us how to run the church. They don't understand; it is foolishness to them. I believe if we did, then we'd have a soft place where everyone can feel good about themselves and all the decisions they feel are best for them. The church is not about making people feel good about themselves. It is about drawing people closer to God, through worshiping together and Biblically-sound teaching that tells the truth, whether people are comfortable with it or not.

Maybe my comments would have been more well received if I had said something nice about the author. Here it is: Jim Henderson is a great writer. I read every single word of his book, because he is very good at writing. It's the conclusions that I take issue with.

The point of my review was I would never, ever take that book to my church leadership and tell them to use it as a springboard when addressing the roles of women in church. It would spring them right into the pool of the world. I truly believe this book will do more to fuel the fires of discontent and division than it will to bring any church together, giving women who look to the world to show them what their role should be a reason to feel justified in their attitudes.

I get extremely passionate when someone tries to represent Christianity without representing the Bible. It's impossible. But this book tried to do just that. It let the experiences of women dictate the conclusions, and not once did it look to what the Bible has to say about the issue. There are too many people out there who claim to be Christians without knowing what Christianity is all about. This book and most of those women are a classic example. The WORLD says that women should be equal in every aspect. The BIBLE points to the fact that while men and women are equal in their value and worth, God has very different plans for the two different genders. One is not worse than the other; one is not superior to the other. But they are different. And anytime someone tries to say that there should be no difference, then I know they are not coming from a Biblical worldview.

I know the women in those stories were real. I know that most of them had not so good and downright horrible experiences with their church leaderships. I'm sorry for them. They should not have been treated that way, and only the Lord can heal their hearts and help them to trust leadership again. But those handful of women do not represent the whole of the church today, nor prove any points about any perceived errors in leadership.

One of the author's closing statements was "maybe God's ways aren't our ways." So true. Except the conclusion of this book pointed to the ways the world would have the church run. And something tells me that that is probably not God's way either.

I stand by my review. I'm not sorry I threw the book in the trash (which I probably did too soon, since I can't pull it out to quote specific passages. I did that mostly because I'm trying to get ahead of the clutter in my house, and one of my goals is to throw out things as soon as I decide they should be thrown it. It wasn't done out of spite; just because I wanted to get rid of the clutter.)

Book Review: The Resignation of Eve

2012-01-17T09:24:00.001-07:00

The title and subtitle of this book sound intriguing: The Resignation of Eve: What If Adam's Rib Is No Longer Willing To Be the Church's Backbone? Even the description on the back of the book is compelling: Jim Henderson spoke with women around the country about their role in church and came to believe that and epidemic of sad resignation is developing as women feel overworked and undervalued in the church. Because of this, many women are discouraged and some are even leaving organized church altogether. Some are even walking away from the faith. The Resignation of Eve is a field report on what women have to say, both positively and negatively, about their experiences in the church. Their stories should give church leadership a view into the hearts of women, and they should react accordingly in order to prevent a mass resignation.

That is my paraphrase of what the back of the book says. That is NOT what this book is actually about. This book is about how the church is run by male leadership, and how sad and unfair that is to women.

Yes, this book is filled with stories of women and their accounts of their experiences in church. However, the vast majority of them are just snipe-fests on how women are appalled that they cannot be senior pastors or elders in their church. There are a couple of stories (as in just two, I believe) of women who don't have a problem with male leadership and even find it comforting. The author's position on that is that these women have been indoctrinated and essentially brainwashed into feeling this way, and clearly that proves his point that some women are resigned to their positions in church.

There are quite a few things that I find offensive about this book as a woman. First, more than once the author and the women in this book allude to the fact that women's and children's ministries within the church are clearly the lesser of all the ministries. They say that if women want to lead then they are pushed aside into women's and children's ministries, rather than serving in the more important role of senior pastor. Second is the idea that any woman who supports male leadership has simply and sadly been indoctrinated. That tells me that, as a woman who supports male leadership, I must not have an original or intelligent thought in my head.

This book, this author, and the women in this book have missed the whole point of leadership. If they are truly going to use Scripture to find out about their roles in church, why do they keep missing Mark 10:44? As if the only acceptable leadership position is the role of senior pastor. And if there is anyone in the church who is serving in a role other than the senior pastor, then they are clearly not in a leadership position.

This book was not written from a biblical perspective; it was written from a secular worldview. But let's go with that for a minute; even then, this author misses what even John Maxwell, the great leadership guru has to say about leadership. And that is you can lead where ever you are. You do not have to be labeled "top dog" to be considered a leader. And if you're waiting for that label, then you probably aren't cut out for leadership anyway.

This book reminds me a lot of American Idol. You know, early in the season during the audition rounds when so many well-meaning, earnest kids come on and sing their little hearts out. And they sound terrible. And so the judges try to gently tell them that they should pursue other things. And then the kids get spitting mad and use all sorts of words and gestures to show how much they disagree with the judges assessment. Their parents have told them that they are amazing singers, so what would these professionals know? Well, this book is just like those parents to all bossy women who feel they aren't being listened to. It will fuel their fire and make them feel like they are right, even though the Bible clearly says otherwise.

I am throwing this book in the trash. As a book lover, I hate to throw books out, but I can't think of a single person I would want to read this book. I don't want it on some random book shelf in a thrift store either. No one should read this book. And this author should not be writing for Christian audiences either. He is clearly not on the same page.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger book review program.

Book Review: Awakening

2012-01-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

As usual, I must have missed something in the book description when I selected this book, because it turned out to be something WAY different than what I expected. I saw the heading "21 Days to Revolutionize Your Relationship With God" and thought "Cool." And the book does give a plan for a 21 day revolution...in the form of fasting. Not a bad idea, just not what I expected.

Stovall Weems is the pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, and has written this book as a challenge to believers to awaken to a new level in their relationship with God. He believes that everyone's walk with God can be fresh, satisfying and passionate. The only thing in the way is the "gunk" of today's culture that collects on our spirits and dims the voice of God. The way to get past that is through fasting.

I suppose this book has caused a crisis of belief for me. I've never fasted. I grew up seeing my parents fast and in churches that would occasionally speak on fasting, but I definitely haven't heard much about it recently. Stovall believes that everyone should fast and fast regularly, and even declares that once people really get the hang of it, they'll actually enjoy it and the clarity it brings. Not to mention the closeness one will experience with God. I don't know if I have any plans to fast. And that's all I have to say about that.

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Press in exchange for an honest review, as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

Book Review: A Beautiful Mess

2012-01-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

This book came highly recommended from a college friend of mine that I deeply respect. I even won a copy off her blog, but before she could send it to me, I found out the author was giving copies away in exchange for a book review. Being ever impatient, I chose that route.

A Beautiful Mess: A Perfectionist's Journey Through Self-Care serves to help women experience the healing of the Holy Spirit by examining every facet of herself; emotional, mental, physical, sexual and spiritual. We live in a society that demands and celebrates perfection, even though that burden brings most of us to a breaking point. Women spend most of their time carefully cultivating the facade of perfection, living in constant fear that someone will "find them out" to be, well, human. Kristin Ritzau shares her personal journey and what she discovered as she navigated a new marriage, survived a quarter-life health crisis, and was forced to redefine the God of her childhood. What she found was that there was freedom in accepting that she was a beautiful mess. There was no need for her to be "perfect" any longer.

There are a lot of life-giving messages in this book. Sometimes we just need to hear someone else give us permission to not be perfect in order to give ourselves permission. One of the more significant portions for me was included in the mental journey, when Kristin talks about grieving. We seem to think that the only time you can grieve is after the death of someone. Kristin mentions that there are tons of other times in our lives that we should allow ourselves to grieve, and really it's anytime there is a big change. Grieving something doesn't mean you are sad about what is happening or going to happen, but it is acknowledging that what once was is no longer. After my second was born, I had quite the case of baby blues. I do not believe it was postpartum depression, but I found myself crying a lot for about two weeks. I tried my best to suck it up and get over it, because I truly loved my new daughter. I now know that it was okay to simultaneously rejoice in the birth of my daughter while grieving the fact that our life as a family of three was over. We assume that tears and grief are bad things, and if we feel them then we can't possibly feel happy about something else at the same time. I wish I had had the freedom back them to just cry because I wanted to cry, rather than spending that time coaching myself into feeling good about the massive change that had just taken place.

Kristin does go quite a bit in depth into the sexual facet of women, which made me very uncomfortable. She would probably say that my discomfort validates the very point of that chapter, but I'm not so sure that she's entirely on point on what sexuality should mean to a women. What I mean is, while she doesn't advocate for anything immoral, I'm not sure her viewpoint is entirely from a Biblical worldview. It feels a bit more like Christianizing a secular worldview of sexuality. Obviously that is just my opinion.

I would definitely recommend this book to all women, however. I think it would make life just a little bit clearer, allowing them to refocus their lives into what God would want them to be.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

December Report Card (And Farewell, 2011)

2011-12-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well, that's all she wrote, folks. Another month, another year in the books.

I am so proud to say that I accomplished all of my goals this year. Yes, I only had one a month, but the point is, I did it. I really enjoyed this Christmas season. I suppose I could have done more, but I didn't do anything out of obligation. I sent out Christmas cards with a Christmas letter, simply because I wanted to. I made Christmas treats and cookies, and embraced the mess so my three-year-old could paint them. We listened to Christmas music every day and I put my my tree right after Thanksgiving. And that was all enough for me. Pumpkin Pie has been bemoaning the fact that Christmas is over for a few days now. I'm glad to know she enjoyed it.

I don't really have the time or inclination today to come up with my goals for next year. I do know that next year will look different than this past year, simply because of the changes that are happening around our house. I think I am going to follow Money Saving Mom's advice on how to set up yearly goals, by deciding on priorities, then focus areas, then breaking them down into bite-sized pieces. I do know that I want to set goals in several different areas of life, rather than just attempting one project a month, like I did this past year. Oh don't worry, doing a project will be at least one of the areas. I just want to expand next year. But I'll keep you posted on that.

I've always wondered how many books I read a year. The answer for 2011 is 122. I've toyed with the idea of being a bit more intentional about the books I read, but I'm not going to mess with that. I love reading whatever I want, whenever I want. It's a plan that works for me.

Here is my reading list for December (titles in red were books read for book reviews):

As You Wish by Robin Jones Gunn

The 360 Degree Leader by John C. Maxwell

Let Them Eat Fruitcake by Melody Carlson
Yours Forever by Robin Jones Gunn
A Beautiful Mess by Kristin Ritzau (book review coming soon)

Surprise Endings by Robin Jones Gunn

Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon by Melody Carlson
Spring Broke by Melody Carlson
Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah by Melody Carlson
Longing by Karen Kingsbury
Relationships 101 by John C. Maxwell

On to fresh beginnings. On to new adventures. On to going with the flow as we step into some unknown things.

May God reveal Himself to you in fresh, new, real ways in 2012.

Book Review: The 360 Degree Leader

2011-12-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Amazingly, I have several areas that I am stepping into leadership starting in January. The first is as coordinator of our brand new MOPS group. The second is as nursery coordinator for the church. So I thought that reading a leadership book sounded like a good idea.

John C. Maxwell is pretty much the guru of leadership. He has many, many books on the topic, and this is the first one that addresses how to be a leader when you're not the absolute top dog. He maintains that you can be a leader from anywhere in the organization, especially if you're somewhere in the middle. However, these middle leaders face unique challenges, including myths that prevent them from developing their leadership. Dr. Maxwell not only debunks the myths in this book, but provides solutions to overcome challenges and teaches skills needed to lead up (to the boss), across (among peers) and down (to those you lead.)

Dr. Maxwell writes great books, so you should look into them if you haven't. The only qualm I have with this one is it is so long, which may say something about my desire to be a good leader. I hope not. But truly, it's a lot to digest, so I had a hard time getting through it for the book review. Of course it is chock-full of great info, but I almost wonder if it wouldn't be easier read as a reference book; that is, read the sections that pertain most to you, rather than trying to read through it cover to cover. Just an idea.

At any rate, it's probably a good idea to have this book in your library, especially if you need ideas on how to grow as a leader where you are.

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

November Report Card

2011-11-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

Boy, what a let down it must have been after all those posts in October to try and read this blog in November! I should have known that would be a hazard of the 31 Days Challenge.

The truth is, November was shockingly busy. I feel like I haven't done anything but chill out with my girls for three years, and then suddenly it's like I'm making up for it all in one month. Not that I think the last three years have been a waste of my time or anything. It's just that I didn't have the desire or energy to attempt anything else, and suddenly I'm inspired or whatever and found three big elephants that need eating. And I'm desperately trying to follow the advice of our beloved high school Bible teacher Mrs. Abbott: "Seniors, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!"

Elephant #1: The Valley View MOPS group. This elephant was actually born last April. But the summer came and went, and the adult ministries pastor and I decided to launch the group in January rather than this past September. I was miserably unsuccessful at recruiting a steering team to help, so the elephant is mine and mine alone. However, I believe in MOPS so much that I decided to push it forward anyway, believing that once moms come and see what the group is like then they'll be much more willing to join the team effort of a truly successful MOPS group. Our first meeting is set for January 9th, and I plan to play it by ear. (Side note: Southwest Denver people, tell your friends! Come join our group! Let me know if you have questions! Check out the MOPS blog!)

Elephant #2: My new job. Starting in January, I will be the new nursery coordinator at our church. It's a ten-hour a week gig, mostly done on Sundays, the rest done from home or with my little girls in tow. I've had a few things to do in November to prepare for it, including a couple of meetings and filling out employment paperwork that I haven't done in years. This elephant is actually a huge blessing. The income will be most appreciated and I think the Lord knew that. I was reading through some old Facebook stuff from three years ago, when Pumpkin Pie was born, and I had a conversation with one of my friends about working from home. I had checked out a few opportunities back then, but nothing stood out or panned out. I told her that I actually wasn't looking too hard, and that God would have to drop a job in my lap. The more I think about this position, the more I come to the conclusion that that is exactly what He did for us. Want living proof that He provides? I'm right here.

Elephant #3: The Biggest Daddy of Them All. I am directing/acting in the Christmas drama at church, which is on December 11. Our worship pastor (and good friend) has been bugging me for YEARS AND YEARS about directing something. Which is a little strange, since I've never directed anything. But this year it all seemed to work out. It's a five-person drama and really quite fun, but it naturally involves quite a bit of practicing. The good news is we are about 12 days from this elephant biting the dust. The bad news is I'm not sure if we're ready. Do all directors feel that way?

In the midst of all this, we had Thanksgiving, which is really Thanksgiving/Christmas around here. We celebrated with my family this year, and my side of the family is the bigger one, so preparing for Christmas in November takes a bit more work. I completed my goal of making crayon caddies, which acted as Christmas presents for my nephews and niece. That was nice, kind of a two birds with one stone sort of deal.

Side note: making the crayon caddies was really fun. I think I might really enjoy sewing, but the thing is I forget how much I like it until I do a project. Most often the sewing machine sits there and mocks me as I walk around intimidated about doing anything with it. But when I sit down to do a project, I remember how much fun it is. I should sew more often.

This brings us to December. The last month of 2011. I'm tempted to wax nostalgic about this past year, but I'll save it for next month's report card. Instead, I'll focus on my final goal for the year, which is being intentional about Christmas. I'm starting to see a bit of folly in that goal, since that goal needs goals within it to make it successful and I don't really have any. We made room for our Christmas tree. I'm going to send out Christmas cards with a bit of a Christmas letter. And I plan to make cookies. Other than that, I don't really know what else to do to be intentional about Christmas. I guess I'll make it up as I go along.

Here is an updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter.

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent.

August - Make hair bows.

September - Make paint chip letters

October - Complete 31 Days of Reading blog posts

November - Make crayon caddies.

December - Be intentional about Christmas

And my reading list for November (titles in red were books read for book reviews):

Taking Care of the Me in Mommy by Lisa Whelchel
A Mile in my Flip Flops by Melody Carlson
Premiere by Melody Carlson
Blue Like Play Doh by Tricia Goyer
Every Little Thing About You by Lori Wick
A Texas Sky by Lori Wick
Catwalk by Melody Carlson
Rendezvous by Melody Carlson
Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
Remembering You by Tricia Goyer
Spotlight by Melody Carlson
Flight of Shadows by Sigmund Brouwer

Merry Christmas!

Book Review: Flight of Shadows

2011-11-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

I am wildly drawn to books written about America in the not-too-distant future. They always scare the crap out of me, because let's face it, it's never good. But so intriguing at the same time.

In Flight of Shadows, Caitlyn Brown is running. It seems everyone wants a piece of her, literally. Her genetic secret could change humanity forever, and her physical appearance makes it difficult to hide. She thinks they're after the deformity on her back, but what they want goes much deeper. She finds herself running with a street-wise kid named Razor, who helps her navigate the world of desperate poverty, death doctors and fear bombs. Soon she and Razor begin to learn the unthinkable about her past. It leads to a choice Caitlyn must make between two men who love her and whether to keep her freedom or sacrifice herself to change human destiny.

This book was so appealing to the sci-fi/suspense lover inside of me. And it is not hard to understand the moral questions about science and society that America may face if we continue in the direction we're going. This book was hard to put down each night, and invaded my dreams when I did. That's how I know it's a good book.

Keep your eye out for Sigmund Brouwer books. He pens a great tale.

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Press in exchange for an honest review, as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

Book Review: Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii

2011-11-02T13:29:00.001-06:00

I honestly do not know what I signed up for or where I might have signed up for it, but every once in awhile, I receive a surprise in my mailbox. And this surprise is always the latest gem from my girl Robin Jones Gunn. I have my other usual places where I go to get book review books, but her books don't usually come from those publishers. They simply appear in a plain brown book box, and I love it. I feel so honored to get her books, and I hope they don't stop coming.

Robin's latest book, Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii is like catching up with an old friend. It's been four years (in the fiction world) since we last heard from Sierra Jensen. She had left Rancho Corona University for their study abroad program in Brazil. Four years later she is still there, and she finds herself at a crossroads. A Brazilian friend invites her on a vacation to Sunset Beach, Hawaii, and Sierra gladly accepts, eager for the time to relax and and to reflect on what is next for her life. She was not planning on getting caught up in her friend's wild party ways or in the major surfing competition that is going on during her stay, but running into Jordan Bryce changed all that. Jordan is an up-and-coming surfing photographer who is focused on the surfers, but he finds himself distracted by his new vacation neighbor Sierra.

This book is absolutely, 100%, grade-A chick lit. And I love it. Robin's true talent lies in creating characters that you forget are fictional (much to my college pal Becky's chagrin) and it was so fun to find Sierra as an adult. And if you've never read her young adult series about Sierra, that's okay too. Robin also knows how to welcome you in without making you feel like an outsider.

Lovers of chick-lit unite...and read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Summerside Press. The opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Scroll

2011-11-01T13:34:00.000-06:00

I seem to mostly review chick books or parenting books. Mostly because I'm a chick and I'm a mom. But every once in a while I do enjoy a good suspense story. And it doesn't hurt that I can pass the book onto my husband when I'm finished.

In The Scroll, Dr. David Chambers is a leading archaeologist in the field of biblical archaeology. He's written books and appeared on numerous talk shows and uncovered some fantastic finds. However, David has fallen into a sea of doubt. The same Bible passages that used to fill him with wonder now leave him frustrated. This doubt caused him to turn his back on his academic pursuits, as well as his fiancee. But then an old mentor reaches out to him, snagging his interest with the riches described in the mysterious Copper Scroll. He then has a choice to make: refuse and find a new area of study, or go for one final dig that could unearth things that would alter the course of history.

This book immediately puts you in an Indiana Jones state of mind. Archaeology sites that filled with dirt, dust, treasure and the occasional threat of gunfire. However, I felt that the story got a little lost as the authors tried to give the reader a lesson in Archaeology 101. The book probably needed to be three times as long to allow the story to build naturally, but of course, who would read that except for die-hard archaeology nerds. I had a hard time connecting with Dr. David Chambers; he seemed to do things for the sake of the story, not because that is what his character would naturally do.

This book was good enough, I suppose. I'll probably end up donating my copy to the church library or something.

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Press in exchange for an honest review, as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

October Report Card

2011-10-31T16:13:00.000-06:00

We made it to the end of October. And Honey Pie successfully completed her first full year of life outside my womb. It has made October feel a bit like a beginning, which is strange when really things are wrapping up for the year.

The posts speak for themselves: the 31 Day challenge was a success! I really enjoyed it, and it was so fun to have a post every day. I hope I can do it again next year, and maybe something a little more challenging than just talking about books I like.

Surprisingly, I have quite a bit on my plate for the rest of the year. I am trying to start a MOPS group at our church, and we plan to start in January. Which means I have two months to pull it together. I tried without success to find a steering team, but I think it's because a lot of moms at our church have never been to a MOPS group. I think it will okay, though. I am excited to simply get the group started and see who might be interested in the steering team for the fall.

I'm also going to be in the Christmas play. (Skit? What do you call something that is 20 minutes long?) That means plenty of practices before our December 11 performances. But the script is great, and the cast is great, so I'm looking forward to it too. It just means Daddy will have to get used to being in charge of bedtime for the girls.

In light of all this, I still plan on trying to accomplish my November goal of making crayon caddies for the girls. The tutorials make it seem like it's so easy. I'd really like to make them for the girls for Christmas.

And I've even finally come up with my December goal. It has taken me all year, but just yesterday I figured it out. I want my December goal to be intentional about Christmas. I've really let things slide for the past couple of years, using the excuse that the girls are too little and don't really care. And let's face it, they won't miss what they don't know about, but I really want them to know about the fun things, like baking and "painting" cookies, and listening to Christmas music, and reading Christmas stories. I've determined to not be lazy about any part of Christmas this year.

So here is my updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter.

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent.

August - Make hair bows.

September - Make paint chip letters

October - Complete 31 Days of Reading blog posts

November - Make crayon caddies.

December - Be intentional about Christmas

And here is my reading list for the month (titles in red were read for book reviews):

The Dark Zone by Dom Testa
The Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman
Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
Up, Down & Sideways by Mark Sanborn
Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii by Robin Jones Gunn
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Cosmic Storm by Dom Testa
The Scroll by Grant R. Jeffrey and Alton L. Gansky

I don't really have any blogging goals for next month. Back to business as usual, I suppose. I think that blogging goals will be something I work on next year.

Have a wonderful season of Thanksgiving!

Day 31. The Sisterchick Series by Robin Jones Gunn

2011-10-31T07:30:00.002-06:00

Day 31! Can you believe it? I’ve really enjoyed this project, if only for the sense of purpose it gave me this month. I hope you found at least one book that you might be interested in. There is a lot of good stuff out there.

My final recommendation goes to my girl Robin. The Sisterchick series could really be called eight stand alone books, as each story doesn’t really interact with each other. They are stories of mid-life mamas going on international adventures with one of their best friends. The stories go to Finland, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand, France, Italy, England and the Netherlands. I’m a hard-core homebody, but each of these stories makes me wonder if I’ll ever go on a trip of this caliber someday. Robin does an excellent job of writing about other countries. Her descriptions act as a little travel bug that will probably leave you with an invisible bite mark.

Thanks for sticking with me these 31 days, friends! Are there any books that I missed? Let me know!

Day 30. It's Your Kid, Not a Gerbil by Dr. Kevin Leman

2011-10-30T07:30:00.000-06:00

Dr. Leman is quickly becoming one of my favorite parenting gurus. I like to think that’s saying a lot, given all the parenting books I read. He’s real and funny and full of common sense.

In It’s Your Kid, Not a Gerbil, Dr. Leman addresses the very prevalent culture of over-scheduling your kids. Somehow we’ve all decided that our kids need to pursue every single opportunity out there. And that we’re bad parents if we don’t let them try every sport, fine art or language that is available in 21^st century America. The fact is, that kind of scheduling is actually detrimental to a child’s development, and can seriously cripple what the child needs most: time with their family.

You can read my book review here. And then go get the book for yourself. (NOTE: The giveaway has ended.)

Day 29. The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

2011-10-29T07:30:00.002-06:00

You can pretty much be sure that anything that comes from Francine Rivers is going to be gold. So if you haven’t read her Mark of the Lion series, you won’t be disappointed.

The series takes place shortly after the ascension of Christ, when Jerusalem is destroyed by Rome. The Jews themselves are killed or scattered across the known world as slaves, and the Christian movement is small, fledgling and forbidden. In the midst of all this is Hadassah, a small Jewish Christian who miraculously survives the slave march to Rome. The series also follows the story of Atretes, a German chief who is captured and made a gladiator for the enjoyment of the Roman population. The stories are filled with faith that is tested in the worst possible ways, yet filled with the hope of peace found in Jesus. Excellent reads, all of them.

Day 28. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2011-10-28T07:30:00.006-06:00

I absolutely am jumping on the bandwagon of this book. A couple friends of mine have read it, and I’ve heard a bit about the movie they are making of it, and so I thought I’d give it a whirl. The very fact alone that I had to wait a good month and a half for it from the library should have told me something. People who know me know that I am in bed, lights out at 10:00 every night. Since college. But this book actually made me want to violate that rule and read late into the night just to finish the story. (For the record, I didn't do it. I just didn't really get anything accomplished during the next day, because I spent my time reading.) I can't remember the last time a book was good enough to make me not want to go to sleep.

The Hunger Games takes place sometime in the future, when the countries of North America are long gone and replaced by a new one called Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, as a sign of domination, the Capitol forces each district to select one boy and one girl, ages 12 to 18, to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised, gladiator-esque fight to the death. Sixteen-year-old Katniss quickly volunteers to take the place of her twelve-year-old sister, and accepts it as the death sentence that it is. However, Katniss becomes an actual contender, and finds herself making choices that weigh survival against humanity.

The Hunger Games is actually book one in a trilogy, and while I have read the whole trilogy, I feel strongly enough about this book alone. The premise is compelling and awful and truly captivating. And amazing. My husband is reading the trilogy too, and the very idea of this book actually made him angry. I had to convince him to follow it through to the end. I’m not sure what they are going to do with the movie, but I have a feeling you should probably read this book before seeing the movie. I know the tendency of movies to leave things out for the sake of time, and this story has so many parts to it that you’ll want to know every bit. And if you're going to borrow this book from the library, you might want to get online to reserve it today, because if it's anything like where I live, you'll probably have to wait a month before you get your turn.

Day 27. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2011-10-27T07:30:00.000-06:00

For the record, I read this book before I even knew they were making a movie of it. I just don’t want to be accused to jumping on the bandwagon or anything. I had seen several Facebook friends mention it, so I requested it from the library.

The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, in the thick of all the civil rights activities of the 1960s. Skeeter is a white woman trying to make her way in the world of journalism, when she comes home to find that the black maid who raised her has suddenly been fired. She decides to write a book from the point of view of “the help,” the black women who work in the homes of white people. Needless to say the very idea is scandalous, but Skeeter makes it happen with the help of Aibleen and Minnie, two black women who are smothered by racism in their world.

I don’t fault anyone for seeing the movie first. The movie was great. But the book was better. If you haven’t seen the movie, read the book first. If you have seen the movie, you should still read the book. Movies can’t portray everything in a book, and this book has quite a bit more depth that everyone should experience.

Day 26. The Duggars: 20 and Counting! by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar

2011-10-26T07:30:00.000-06:00

Like much of America, this family fascinates me. I find it equally fascinating that they have 19 children, and that they receive so much criticism from the public. They specifically wrote this book and their second one A Love That Multiplies because so many people write them with so many questions, and this was the best way to get their answers to the masses.

The Duggars: 20 and Counting! is basically their story of how they make their family work. I call it a memoir, even if it’s not technically classified that way, because they pretty extensively chart their history as a couple. They fully disclose their reasoning behind why they make the decisions they do, most of which are faith-based. Perhaps the biggest reason that anyone should take a look at this family is because it is so large and because they are debt-free. Small, regular families have a hard enough time living debt-free, so it is good to see that it can be done on a large scale.

I’m a fan of this family. I think they are genuine and warm and considerate, and I love how they are using their public spotlight to point as much toward Jesus as they can. You can’t deny that they have a completely functional, caring family, no matter what your opinions about how many children a family “should” have. I think you’ll find this book fascinating too.

Day 25. Not Afraid of Life by Bristol Palin

2011-10-25T07:30:00.000-06:00

Memoirs tread a dangerous line between being fascinating and self-indulgent. And the first thing I thought when I heard that Bristol Palin had written a memoir was, “Isn’t she, like, 19?” It always seemed to me that memoirs were reserved for people who had lived a bit more life than that.

After reading Not Afraid of Life, I sometimes felt like Bristol, in her twenty years, had lived quite a bit more life than I have at 29. She made some hard choices and had to deal with the hard consequences. Toss in a good dose of a mother in the strong political spotlight and things are bound to get a little hairy.

I actually think that this book is good for most teens. It is a fantastic perspective on life as a teen mom and what kind of relationship a teen might have with her parents. If teen girls are wise, they could learn a few things from Bristol’s story and avoid some heartache. (Side note: I think that people who proudly declare that they like to learn from their own mistakes are, well, fools. Why on earth would you discard lessons from other people, simply because they haven’t happened to you?)

Bristol is young, but she has a lot of good things to say. Her book is worth a look.

Day 24. The Women of Ivy Manor Series by Lyn Cote

2011-10-24T07:30:00.000-06:00

For some reason, historical fiction rarely interests me. I’m just not a history buff, I guess. As a writer, it baffles me that people write about people long ago. I feel sorry for them when I think about how much research they must have to do, even though they probably love it. But I did enjoy the Women of Ivy Manor series by Lyn Cote.

The four books follow four generations of women, starting with Chloe in the early twentieth century. Each story shows how the women were affected by the wars and social issues of their day, and dives deep into the relationships between each mother and daughter.

If you like historical fiction, you’ll like these. If you don’t, you’d actually probably like these just the same. They are neither dry nor bogged down with tedious facts, and the history is woven seamlessly into the story. They’ve earned my stamp of approval, anyhow.

Day 23. Praying for Your Future Husband by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer

2011-10-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

Time for Gem #3 from Robin Jones Gunn. (Or, Gem #21, if you count every single book in each one of the series I’ve already mentioned.) In the Christy Miller series, Christy actually spends a lot of time thinking and writing letters to her future husband. Even while she was dating Todd, she never knew if it would be him, so she prayed for the man, whoever he might be.

I kept a pretty good journal during my high school and early college years, so I well remember the angst that girls go through as they are waiting to see how their romantic life is going to turn out. I wasn’t terribly good at it, but I did try my best to channel the anxiety into prayers for my future husband. I always clung to Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Any time I felt anxious I tried to pray and then trust that the peace of God would indeed guard my heart.

I wish I had had Praying for Your Future Husband back then. It is quite literally a how-to on prayer for that very thing. It’s full of prayers and encouragement that you can easily claim as your own. While I don’t need to pray for my future husband anymore, I do need to pray for my daughters’ future husbands. And I hope I can pass this book onto my daughters when they start to feel that angst themselves.

You can read my book review here.

Day 22. Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin

2011-10-22T07:30:00.000-06:00

I hope after recommending The Mountain Between Us that you hurried as fast as your little legs could carry you to get a book by Charles Martin. No? Too many options? Well, try this one.

In Wrapped in Rain, Tucker Mason is the son of an abusive, alcoholic, workaholic father and is essentially raised by an African-American widow named Miss Ella while his father stays away for the majority of each year. Growing up alongside him is an illegitimate brother named Mutt. Tucker overcomes his dark childhood by becoming an acclaimed international photographer, but finds himself returning to the childhood home of his nightmares. He soon has to care for Mutt, who has spent his adult life in a mental hospital fighting schizophrenia, and for an ex-girlfriend who is running from a nasty ex-husband. Tucker must face his tragic past in order to build a future.

This is an engaging story set in the deep south, and is filled with healing and love. As with all of Charles Martin’s stories, the characters are deep and rich, and the setting is so colorfully described that you have to remind yourself you aren’t there. (Unless you live in the South. And then you can just look outside.)

Read with a box of tissues. (You’ve Got Mail anyone?)

Book Review: Up, Down or Sideways

2011-10-21T14:13:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I wish I were an entrepreneur. Those people seem awesome. They are always bursting with ideas and energy to see if they can make them happen. I lack ideas and I definitely lack energy. So I signed up to read Up, Down or Sideways by Mark Sanborn, a noted speaker on leadership.

Up, Down or Sideways address the fact that you typically find yourself in one of these three categories at any given point in your life. Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down and sometimes you are completely sideways and don't know which way is up or down. Mark found himself like that the year he was diagnosed with cancer, his business plummeted, and his investments tanked. He began to wonder if it were possible to create sustainable success. This book is about mind-sets and methods that enable people to succeed at whatever phase of life they are in.

I suppose this book is good enough. I'm not sure what I was hoping it would do for me. Maybe light a fire under me, and turn me into some kind of crazy, risk-taker who is not afraid of failure. It didn't do that for me. It's an easy enough read, I suppose. If you're into motivational business books, I'd say give it a shot. Borrow it from the library. If you're looking for a book to turn you into someone who loves motivational business books, this isn't it.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger book review program.

Day 21. The Princess by Lori Wick

2011-10-21T07:30:00.000-06:00

It’s time for one more of my favorite candy novels by Lori Wick. (Also known as a nice LLC novel according to my friend Becky. You know, Lovers Lament Crap...That Thing You Do, anyone?) I own a number of Lori’s books, but this is one that I have to read at least once a year.

In the fictional, modern-day land of Penderan, Shelby is a normal contributing member of society. All of that changes when she is selected by the king and queen to marry their son Prince Nikolai, who by law has to be married by the time he turns 26. The problem is he was married; but he tragically lost his wife at the tender age of 24. But to uphold tradition and the law, he agrees to marry the woman his parents select. Shelby agrees with the noble idea that maybe the prince needs someone, and maybe she can do some good in the role of princess. However, while Nikolai acts normal in public, at home remains distant. Shelby begins to wonder if Nick will ever love her like he loved his first wife, or if she will have to live her life in a loveless marriage of convenience.

It is so wonderful to imagine what it would be like to be a princess. And it is so refreshing to read about a modern day princess as opposed to the regular, old-fashioned princesses who live in cold castles without indoor plumbing. Looking for something light, fun and deliciously chick-lit? Look no further.

Day 20. The Galahad Series by Dom Testa

2011-10-20T07:30:00.000-06:00

I really enjoy this series. Dom Testa is actually a local DJ here in Denver, of the Dom and Jane Mix Morning Show fame. I’ve listened to their show since I was in high school, and actually recently met both Dom and Jane when I attended one of their Live Audience Friday shows. I’m a big fan.

Well, Dom has actually written a sci-fi series for teens called the Galahad series. It chronicles the story of a group of teens in the future, who leave Earth on a ship called the Galahad. Their mission is to preserve the human race, after the rest of humanity is doomed by a disease inflicted by Earth coming into contact with the dust of a comet. All humans die once they reach adulthood, so these teens are headed for the planet Eos to colonize and keep humans from becoming extinct. They must complete the mission without the help of any adult or parent, and face incredible adventure along the way.

I am just so impressed with these stories. The concept is amazing, and you forget that you are reading books that were written for young adults. I’d love to write a series of this caliber some day.

I know these books are available on Amazon.com; I’m not sure if they’ll be available in your library. They are here because Dom is a local writer, but I can’t guarantee it for you. However, I think that anyone would be satisfied owning these books, so it would be worth it to buy them if you can’t borrow them.

Day 19. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

2011-10-19T07:30:00.000-06:00

It’s easy to forget that some really good books are older than 10 years. I’m not talking about the really old classics, either. I’m sure you all know about them. But Americans like shiny and new and current, and there are books that are worth reading that aren’t so new.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton was written in 1991, and since then three movies have come out of it. And if rumors are true, a fourth one should be coming to a theater near you sometime in the not-too-distant future. There is a good reason that three almost four movies have been made: it’s a fantastic book. As a fan of sci-fi/disaster movies, I think the movies are amazing. But the book is more amazing. Suspense, intrigue, dinosaurs in modern day…how can the story not capture millions?

Just a disclaimer: there is definitely some language in this book. But I still recommend it.

Day 18. My First Hands-On Bible by Group Publishing and Tyndale

2011-10-18T07:30:00.000-06:00

I’ve reviewed several bibles for children, and I have a few others that were given to Pumpkin Pie as gifts. This one is by far my favorite. All the other ones are nice, gentle, abridged versions of Bible stories, watered down and paired with pictures so little tykes get a nice bedtime story while gazing at a drawing of a fuzzy lamb. And those are good. I believe there is a place for those, and that kids should hear as many versions of a Bible story as they can, as long as the story stays biblically accurate. But My First Hands-On Bible is actual Bible text from the New Living Translation; verse markings and everything. Granted, it does skip over some verses in places, but it is still the stories of the Bible taken from the actual Bible. It also has the ever popular illustrations that little kids love to look for.

Along with each story comes several activities that will make the story come alive for preschoolers. For example, when Jesus was a boy, he stayed behind in Jerusalem while his parents traveled back to Nazareth. When Mary and Joseph realized he was missing, they went back to Jerusalem and spent three days searching for him. At this point of the story, there is an instruction for your child to make a worried face because Mary and Joseph were worried about Jesus. Little things like this get your little pumpkin pie involved in the story. There are also extra activities that accompany each story that you can do to help your child interact with the text outside of the actual book.

I really can’t say enough about this book. You can read my review here, and then check it out for yourself.

Day 17. The Glenbrooke Series by Robin Jones Gunn

2011-10-17T07:30:00.001-06:00

It’s been 15 days, and I haven’t said anything about my dear Robin Jones Gunn. I think I’ve waited a respectable amount of time before mentioning her again, don’t you?

This time let’s look at one of her series for adults. The Glenbrooke Series is good old fashioned chick-lit, and one that you’ll want to read while drinking a cup of hot tea. In a bubble bath. With yummy vanilla candles burning on the counter. They are the stories of eight women, whose lives intertwine in the lovely small town of Glenbrooke, Oregon. Each of these women have a unique love story, and find forever friendship with each other in surprising ways.

Yes, these books are probably considered light reading, but they will leave you feeling encouraged. And warm and fuzzy. And with an almost insatiable urge to leave your bustling, big city life and find a small cozy town to settle down in.

Echoes and Clouds are my favorites. I am confident you’ll find a favorite among them too.

Day 16. One Tough Mother: It’s Time to Step Up and Be the Mom by Julie Barnhill

2011-10-16T07:30:00.000-06:00

I’ve already recommended a book for dads, and one for moms on the art of homemaking, but this one is for moms on being a mom. First of all, if you are a mom, you should be reading books by Julie Barnhill. She’s hilarious and real and uber-encouraging. She’s written books on forgiveness and grace, both of things moms seem to short-change themselves on sometimes.

In One Tough Mother, Julie helps moms wade through all the mothering advice that comes from every possible source and simply buckle down and be the mom. Moms find themselves paralyzed when they start to wonder if they are concerned enough about their children’s health or self-esteem or whether or not they’ve documented it enough in scrapbook fashion. Julie Barnhill says “Enough already!” and offers a dose of reality to calm the fears that every mother has about raising her children.

I believe that most moms should probably read this book. I think it will give them a chance to breathe and simply enjoy their children. And when they get panicky again, they should pick up the book for another dose.

Day 15. Managing God’s Money by Randy Alcorn

2011-10-15T07:30:00.001-06:00

There are a lot of books on finances out there, and in a list of books I would highly recommend, Managing God's Money by Randy Alcorn is the one that makes my cut. It’s not a book on how to create a budget, or how to win the real estate game, or why money makes the world evil. It is a book on what your attitude should be concerning money, in light of how every penny has actually been entrusted to you by God. This book will provide an easy-to-follow, concise view on biblical financial stewardship.

Mostly, if you are feeling at all discontent with the status of your finances, then run as fast as you can to find a copy of this book. It’s like a big paper bag you can hyperventilate into and begin to feel calmer with.

You can read my book review of the book here.

Day 14. Domestically Challenged: A Working Mom’s Survival Guide to Becoming a Stay-At-Home Mom by Alana Morales

2011-10-14T07:30:00.002-06:00

I guess I’ve never been a working mom. I quit my job as a front desk girl at a dental office two days before Pumpkin Pie was born. I thought I was going to have about two weeks before she made her appearance, but my high blood pressure stepped in a made the rules on that one. But I do remember that not only did I suddenly have a baby to take care of, but I also had to figure out how to stay at home all the time. I think it was something of culture shock.

I imagine that many moms go through that, especially if they decide to stay home after working while handling the kids. They think that just because they are no longer leaving for a job that their house will miraculously be tidy all the time, that they will suddenly produce beautiful, mouth-watering meals, and that they’ll have time to take pictures of it all and pen a delightful “How to be a Stay-at-Home Mom” blog. And then they are positively flabbergasted to find that their house is messier than it was when they were working, and that the little darlings they were going to have the privilege of spending every waking moment with are driving them up the wall.

This book is fantastic for all stay-at-home moms, whether they are brand new at it, or old veterans. It is full of ideas on how to keep the kiddos entertained, how to keep up with the housework, and how to deal with the emotional aspects of this pay-less job. It also gives wonderful support to moms who are simply thinking about making the change from the public workforce to the stay-at-home kind. Plus, Alana Morales is really funny.

Day 13. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

2011-10-13T07:30:00.001-06:00

I’ve always been a big fan of silly, especially in children’s lit. If I try and trace my desire to write back as far as I can, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs might very well be ground zero.

I know this book was made into a movie, but I haven’t seen it yet. I’m a little leery to see it, because I’m afraid it will be too different. The book is just so incredible. Not only is the story so fun to think about, but the artwork is fantastic. Especially when all hell has broken loose, and the streets are flooded with soup and people are running for their lives from gigantic, bone-crushing donuts.

I desperately want to write a seriously silly book for kids someday. The problem is I will always have this book at the back of my mind. I truly believe that this is one book that everyone should own. (Hint hint, family members! I actually do not own a copy of this book, and it's a travesty. Christmas is coming...)

Day 12. Decision Points by George W. Bush

2011-10-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

It’s time you knew that I am a huge George W. Bush fan. I proudly voted for George W. Bush as a first-time voter in the 2000 presidential election and was thrilled that he was able to serve a full eight terms. Until further notice, all future presidents will be measured up to him in my book. I even invited George and Laura to our wedding. They couldn’t make it, but they sent us a nice card.

I bought this book for my dad for Christmas for two equal reasons: 1.) He wanted it, and 2.) I knew I could borrow it when he was done. Mission accomplished.

I’ll admit that I am ignorant of most things politics, and this book opened my eyes to things I never even dreamed went on. Former-president Bush used this book to describe many key things that went on during his presidency and the reasoning behind his decisions. He also analyzes those decisions, admitting when he made the wrong ones and how he might have handled it differently.

I truly believe that George W. Bush was the right man for the job during those times. When I think about what could have happened if the other two candidates were elected, I cringe and thank the Lord for his providence. I miss President Bush, and hope that America finds another president like him someday. Our current president is not it.

Day 11. Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes

2011-10-11T07:30:00.000-06:00

I found this golden piece of fiction on the Tyndale Publishers website. They were having a summer reading program that I didn’t really follow, but the book was listed and the cover looked pretty. (Side note: I absolutely judge a book by its cover. Well, not all books, but sometimes a pretty cover is all I need to crack open the book. It's a crap-shoot, but sometimes I find some really good stuff this way.) It was Gina Holmes’ debut novel, and I was so glad to have found it.

In Crossing Oceans, Jenny Lucas returns to her childhood home as a single mom of a five-year-old because she is dying of cancer and needs to find a custodian for her daughter. Her two options seem to be her estranged father and or the girl’s father, who doesn’t know he has a child. She only has a few months to tie up these loose ends and come to terms with her future, while desperately hoping the old wounds heal.

Just the synopsis should tell you that this story won’t have a happy ending, but you should be comforted to know that the story is full of acceptance and, ultimately, peace. If you don’t mind a few tears, then you should enjoy this one.

Day 10. The Busy Mom's Guide to Bible Study by Lisa Whelchel

2011-10-10T07:30:00.002-06:00

Yes, I’m showing my age, but I discovered Lisa Whelchel while reading a book she wrote called Friendship for Grown-Ups. I read a lot of friendship self-help books because I always feel like I’ve completely forgotten to how to make friends. But I digress. Apparently Lisa Whelchel is pretty famous for being Blair on the show Facts of Life. I vaguely remember the show; I was really too little to watch it in its heyday. But she’s a believer and has actually written quite a few books since her TV days.

The Busy Mom’s Guide to Bible Study is really a guided journal. In it she gives 20 tools for moms to use to study the Bible. The beauty is each tool or session would only take you 15 minutes to do. Her idea is that maybe you might find a few that you would enjoy using to dive deeper into the Word rather than just performing an obligatory skimming of Scripture each day.

I’ll be honest; I’m still in the middle of this book. I haven’t worked all the way through it yet, but I could tell within the first few days that this was exactly what I needed. I’m a Bible college graduate; I should have Bible study down pat. But I don’t. I love all the ideas she has, and I really love the idea that it’s okay to just study a few verses a day. I think many moms feel like if they can’t read through the Bible in a year or study for an hour a day, then they are just not measuring up or something. I think that is probably a lie designed to trick us into just giving up.

Any mom who wishes their walk with the Lord was deeper, richer and more satisfying will find great encouragement from this book.

Day 9. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

2011-10-09T07:30:00.001-06:00

You may know of Jodi Picoult, even if you don’t think you do. Her novel My Sister’s Keeper became a movie. Jodi likes to tackle ethical issues in her books, and the stories are gripping.

In Handle With Care, Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe have their hands full with their daughter Willow, who was born with brittle bone disease. This condition consumes their family life and finances, putting a strain on everyone. Then Charlotte makes the decision to sue for wrongful birth, knowing that the settlement would ensure Willow’s future. However, the implications of the suit, which essentially declares that Willow should never have been born, acts as a catalyst to implode their fragile family.

Jodi Picoult uses alternating voices as the narrators, which draws you deeper into the story as you get every point of view. The story examines family, motherhood and disability, and is probably one you’ll have a hard time putting down.

Day 8. Daddy Dates by Greg Wright

2011-10-08T07:30:00.001-06:00

In my love for parenting books and book reviews, I came across Daddy Dates by Greg Wright. Clearly this book is written for dads, but I read more than my husband does, and he’ll most often read books that I recommend to him, so I thought I’d test drive this one for him. I so badly want my husband and daughters to have a good relationship. It warms my mother’s heart every time I see them interact. And this book is spot on. I’m a girl and know what would be good from a daughter’s perspective, and this book hits the nail on the head when it comes to what a girl would want from her dad.

You can read my book review here.

If you are a dad or a step-dad, or are married to one, then you should get your hands on this book.

Day 7. Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers

2011-10-07T07:30:00.000-06:00

Francine Rivers is well known and loved by the Christian fiction world. I’m sure you know her for Redeeming Love. That is an incredible book and one that I’ve read many times. But since I know many of you have read that one, I thought I’d bring to your attention another one of her books.

Leota’s Garden follows the relationship between Leota, her daughter Nora and her granddaughter Annie. Leota is 84 years old, and her life is reflected by the neglected, overgrown garden out in her backyard. Nora has years of animosity stored toward her mother, and is consumed with pushing her daughter toward the best life she can think of. The problem is Annie wants nothing to do with that life and is drawn to her grandmother, which Nora views as the ultimate betrayal. Annie, along with a proud, narrow-minded college student named Corbin, breathe life back into Leota’s golden years.

The whole family relationship aspect is compelling and heart-wrenching. This book also addresses the role of senior citizens in society. Francine Rivers is an incredible storyteller, and you will be satisfied with this one.

Day 6. First Things First by Kurt and Brenda Warner

2011-10-06T07:30:00.001-06:00

I’ve discovered the wonderful world of memoirs. Everyone has a story to tell, and I find it particularly fascinating to read the stories of people in the public eye. Hopefully by now everyone realizes that what you see about someone in the media is usually a fraction of the story, if it has any truth to it at all. It’s hard to believe that high-profile people face the same problems as the rest of us, but it’s usually true.

The first memoir I’d like to present is First Things First by Kurt and Brenda Warner. For you non-sports-types, Kurt Warner was a quarterback in the NFL for a number of years, most notably for the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals. He won the Superbowl with the Rams and made it to the Superbowl but didn’t win with the Cardinals. He also did a stint on Dancing with the Stars.

I’d always known that he was a believer, and that he had a lot of kids. I know it must be hard to be a believer in the world of professional sports, so I sought out his story. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention his wife’s book One Call Away too. One Call Away features only Brenda Warner’s story, and it too is fascinating. You can read my book review about her book here.

I think you would enjoy both of these books. It’s fun to read about people that you think you know already.

Day 5. The Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn

2011-10-05T07:30:00.005-06:00

Prepare yourself to hear a lot about Robin Jones Gunn. She is my all-time favorite author. If I could only pick one book to read for the rest of my life, it would be one of hers. She makes me want to be a writer.

The Christy Miller series is a series for teenage girls. You meet Christy the summer she’s turning 15, as she spends the summer with her rich aunt and uncle in Newport Beach, California. That summer is the catalyst for life-changing decisions, as she not only meets Todd and some forever friends, but she also decides to live her life for the Lord. This series follows her through high school as she navigates her relationships with her friends, Todd, and most importantly, Christ. If you find you need to know more at the end, Robin so helpfully wrote the Christy & Todd: The College Years trilogy to help tie up loose ends.

I can’t imagine a young girl who would not identify with Christy. She is the kind of person you want as a friend, and much to Christy’s dismay, a mentor. If you have pre-teen to teenage girls in your life, they need to read these books. I may go read them again right now.

Day 4. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

2011-10-04T07:30:00.002-06:00

I found the author Charles Martin by a simple status update from one of my Facebook friends. She mentioned that she loved his books and wished he had written more so she could read them. So I hopped over to my library’s website, looked him up, and reserved the first book I saw. (Yes, I have my library card number memorized. What, you don’t?) What a fantastic find!

I’ll recommend another set of his books later this month, but The Mountain Between Us is a great one to start with. First of all, I think my husband would like it, so it’s not a chick book. It’s a survival story of two people who survive a small plane crash in the snowy High Uintas Wilderness, one of the largest stretches of harsh and remote land in the United States. Ben, a surgeon, and Ashley, a writer, face an ultimate struggle to survive. Ben uses his medical expertise to put Ashley’s broken leg back together, and his avid climbing experience to try and get them to civilization. Along the way, Ashley learns that Ben is separated from his wife, even though he continues a tradition to record messages for her on a digital recorder. Ashley was trying to get back East for her wedding, but starts to wonder if she was simply settling for the first man to propose because she was afraid that no one else ever would. Even worse, she begins to suspect that she’s fallen in love with Ben.

This book is really incredible. Survival, a romance from a husband’s point of view, and Charles Martin’s fantastic writing style makes this book a little hard to put down. Once you read it, you’ll see why my friend did everything she could to read everything he’s ever written. I’m working on that very thing myself.

A Note on the 31 Days Project

2011-10-03T14:48:00.000-06:00

Holy cow. I never thought that the 31 Days phenomenon would be, well, a phenomenon. On one hand, it bums me out because I really dislike doing things that everyone else is doing. Well, then, why they heck are you blogging at all? Do you know how many blogs are out there? you may ask. I'm willing to ignore that fact. But there are over 700 blogs participating this year, and I thought you might be interested in taking a look to see what's out there. It truly is incredible. And quite possibly may suck up more of your time than Facebook and Pinterest combined. But if you're feeling in the need of inspiration, you can peruse this list and see what might catch your eye. The way a shiny piece of aluminum foil catches the eye of a raccoon. (Mine is around number 278 if you're looking for it!)

Day 3. The Reluctant Entertainer by Sandy Coughlin

2011-10-03T07:30:00.012-06:00

A full year ago I read The Reluctant Entertainer by Sandy Coughlin, and it planted a tiny seed of hospitality in my heart. I have done nothing since then to make it grow, but it’s still there, waiting to be watered. I’d love to have our home known as a haven of hospitality, but my shyness and general feelings of ineptness have prevented me from branching out.

This book is a remedy for that. I need to read it again. I’ve since loaned it out, but I hope to get it back someday to refuel my hospitality endeavors. It is chock full of ideas and encouragement, and if you’ve ever wondered how to dive into the world of hospitality, this book is an excellent starting point.

You can read my book review here.

Also, Sandy Coughlin is one of the original 31-Day-ers, and is continuing the tradition with 31 Days of Warm Connections over on her blog. You should check it out.

Day 2. Pretense by Lori Wick

2011-10-02T07:30:00.005-06:00

Not only do I love to read, but there are some books that I read over and over. There are some that I make a point to read at least once a year. And for Day 2 of 31 Days of Reading, I’d like to suggest Pretense by Lori Wick.

Pretense follows the lives of two sisters, Mackenzie and Delancey Bishop, from the 1970s to the 1990s. Their lives are turned upside down when their parents begin to question the void in their lives and find their answers lie in spiritual matters. As they grow they try to ignore their own spiritual choices until it becomes absolutely necessary.

The book is long and character rich. Very early on you become invested in their lives and it is hard not to laugh and cry with them. You’ll see them in good times and hard times, and most importantly, watch them grow. In all honesty, this book has gotten some criticism about the characters being unbelievable, but sometimes that makes for light reading. Perhaps the best part is the way salvation is woven into the story, and not just once but several times.

As a writer, I am in awe of this book. The book took an incredible amount of work and imagination, and sets the bar I want to reach for in my own writing. I believe that anyone who is a fan of Christian fiction quite possibly will find a new favorite in this book, if they haven’t already.

Day 1. Welcome and Moo Baa La La La

2011-10-01T07:30:00.031-06:00

Welcome to 31 Days of Reading! Fall is in full swing, and it’s time to get cozy. Or “comfy cozy” as Pumpkin Pie likes to say. I picture you curled up on a couch, with warm socks on your feet, a brightly colored crocheted afghan tucked around your legs, and peace and quiet ringing through your home. All you need is a good book! For the next 31 days, I will present you will all sorts of options: fiction, non-fiction, kid books, etc. I hope you can find one that piques your interest.

First, though, a word on reading. I am a mom of a three-year-old and a one-year-old. I know that life gets busy. You’re probably wondering how the heck I find the time to read as many books as I do. I don’t have a magic formula for you; all I can say is that you usually find time to do the things that you want to do. That might be baking or scrapbooking for you. For me, it’s reading. My biggest confession is that I often read during lunch. It’s always just me and the girls, and, let’s be honest, toddlers are not the best conversationalists. I fully pay attention to them, especially if they ask me questions (and believe me, they ask many, many questions) but in the lulls I read. I also read every night before turning out the light and going to sleep. I’ve done this since I was in grade school, I think, and I have a hard time falling asleep if I don’t get to read for at least 10 minutes. Even if I go to bed late, and I mean really late, I still need to read for five or ten minutes in order to properly wind down. So there you have it. Plus, I don’t want to brag, but I am a really fast reader. Always have been.

For my very first recommendation, I’m going light and easy. It’s a book for your tiny pumpkin pies called Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton. Sandra Boynton writes board books for the littlest ears, and they are equally delightful to the adult because they are so silly. My girls love Moo Baa La La La; my one-year-old Honey Pie usually giggles through the whole thing. It would also make a great Christmas present or stocking stuffer for the little ones in your life.

Happy reading!

Catch up on all the 31 Days of Reading:
Day 1 - Moo Baa La La La
Day 2 - Pretense
Day 3 - The Reluctant Entertainer
Day 4 - The Mountain Between Us
Day 5 - The Christy Miller Series
Day 6 - First Things First
Day 7 - Leota's Garden
Day 8 - Daddy Dates
Day 9 - Handle With Care
Day 10 - The Busy Mom's Guide to Bible Study
Day 11 - Crossing Oceans
Day 12 - Decision Points
Day 13 - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Day 14 - Domestically Challenged
Day 15 - Managing God's Money
Day 16 - One Tough Mother
Day 17 - The Glenbrooke Series
Day 18 - My First Hands-On Bible
Day 19 - Jurassic Park
Day 20 - The Galahad Series
Day 21 - The Princess
Day 22 - Wrapped in Rain
Day 23 - Praying for Your Future Husband
Day 24 - The Women of Ivy Manor Series
Day 25 - Not Afraid of Life
Day 26 - The Duggars: 20 and Counting
Day 27 - The Help
Day 28 - The Hunger Games
Day 29 - The Mark of the Lion Series
Day 30 - It's Your Kid, Not a Gerbil
Day 31 - The Sisterchick Series

September Report Card

2011-09-30T15:55:00.000-06:00

FACT: There are only three months left in the entire year.

Crazy, isn't it? Here we are, on the cusp of holiday season. The upper-80 degree temperatures have been messing with my head, and I find myself startled every time I see a tree that has started to change color. I too love fall, but not for the reason most people do. That may or may not be another blog post, though. I haven't worked up the courage to actually write that one.

September was good to us. It sailed by with lots of events. We started up with MOPS, which has been fun. Our ladies event at church went off beautifully. I had my six-month dental check-up (no cavities!) We did have some car trouble, but even that was taken care of in a timely fashion. And most importantly, I completed my September goal to make paint chip letters. I LOVE how they turned out.

The project is pretty self-explanatory, but for a full on tutorial, check out this website.

It occurred to me a little too late that I probably should not have done both of my girls' names this way. We'll probably have one more kid sometime (no plans yet, though) and I'll have to do their name the same way to make it all even. I suppose it's easy enough to do; their letters might not be the same font or whatever. Anyway, their names look fantastic. Thank you, Pinterest!

I'm exercising my right to change my goal for October too. I had planned to cook a recipe out of my Rachael Ray cookbook, since she intimidates me so, but I've decided to join the 31 Days challenge and plan to make that my goal instead. Which starts tomorrow! I'm excited and ready; I hope you are too!

Perhaps the biggest thing to happen in October, though, is Honey Pie's first birthday! We made it a whole year and we're all still alive and accounted for. From here on out she will become more of a person and less of a baby. I'm not really a fan of the infant stage, and I love watching them come into their own. I'm especially excited to watch my girls interact more and more.

Here is my updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter.

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent.

August - Make hair bows.

September - Make paint chip letters

October - Complete 31 Days of Reading blog posts

November - Make crayon caddies.

And here is my reading list for this month. (Titles in red were books read for book reviews.)

Domestically Challenged by Alana Morales

It’s Your Kid, Not a Gerbil by Dr. Kevin Leman

First Things First by Kurt and Brenda Warner

Friendship for Grown-Ups by Lisa Whelchel

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far by Bristol Palin

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

Pretense by Lori Wick

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

Enjoy the fall!

An Ambitious Project

2011-09-21T14:41:00.000-06:00

That thing in my "About Me" blurb about trolling other blogs for ideas I might adopt as my own? It is absolutely, 100% true. Trolling other blogs simultaneously inspires me and destroys my self esteem as I realize that I rarely have original thoughts of my own. But I'm not going to worry about that. Today.

There is a blog I enjoy called Nesting Place. It's all about nesting and haven making and I read it in hopes that my home will someday look less and less like a rented dorm room. I found it through the Reluctant Entertainer, and it give me hope.

The Nester (as she calls herself) has put out the call for people to join her in a series in October called the 31 Days. I think she and seven or eight of her blogging friends did it last year, where they posted every day in October about a topic. The Reluctant Entertainer did hers on 31 Days to Stress-Free Entertaining, while the Nester did 31 Days to a Less Messy Nest. You get the idea.

Well, they've invited the world to join them in the 31 Days series, and I have desperately wanted to join. However, there is that little problem of my lack of originality. I toyed around with a few ideas, but I couldn't come up with 31 different post ideas. I thought about doing 31 Links to Blog Posts That Are Way Better Than Anything I Could Come Up With. And then, just today, it dawned on me.

31 Days of Reading. My most faithful posts on this blog have been book reviews. I truly love to read, as evidenced by my reading lists that I tack onto the monthly report cards. So I could recommend one book a day, with a little bit about why I think you might like it. People are always looking for a good book to read. I've already read more than 31 this year, but I'll go beyond that. There are books I love that I haven't read yet this year, and still plan to do so. And doesn't it sound cozy and delicious to curl up with a good book as the weather turns cooler?

I'm really excited about it. I can't wait to share books that I've enjoyed. And hopefully, if you ever find yourself with a spare moment or two to read, you can check back here for ideas on what to read next.

Any of you crazy enough to take on a 31 Days project? What will it be about?

It's Your Kid, Not a Gerbil Giveaway WINNER

2011-09-15T14:03:00.000-06:00

This has been my biggest giveaway yet! FOUR people entered! So exciting!

The winner of the copy of It's Your Kid, Not a Gerbil by Dr. Kevin Leman is...

Sharilyn! Sharilyn left me a comment on Facebook.

Congratulations, Sherilyn! Message me your address, and I'll send out the certificate as soon as possible.

Thanks to the four who entered!

Book Review and GIVEAWAY: It's Your Kid Not A Gerbil

2011-09-06T14:34:00.001-06:00

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I love parenting books, because I always want to do things the right way. Even though I know in my heart of hearts that there is no right way to do most of parenting, I still snatch up every parenting book I can get my hands on, just in case it has the elusive right way to do something. I tend to follow many things that come out of Focus on the Family, so why have I never read anything by Dr. Kevin Leman?

In It's Your Kid Not A Gerbil, Dr. Leman challenges families to create a happier and less-stressed home by an earth-shattering technique: removing activities. Parents today are obsessed with making sure their kids have opportunities they didn't have and giving them the best and allowing them to try every single different activity out there so they know what they might be interested in. This doesn't produce super-kids; it produces super-stressed kids. It produces kids who begin to believe that their worth lies in what they can do, rather in simply who they are. It also keeps you from leaving the imprint you long to have on your child's life, as they get the majority of input from other people, like coaches and teachers. Dr. Leman reveals the secrets to battling the "busy hands are happy hands" myth, choosing activities wisely, and creating an atmosphere your kids will love to come home to.

My girls are tiny right now, but I can definitely see the lure of the activity trap. My little Pumpkin Pie is so social, that I could see myself signing her up for a number of different activities just to feed her social appetite. But, when I think about it, I want the biggest influence in her life to be her family, not all her friends. This book has helped me to be aware of what lies ahead, and to come up with a game plan of how to handle it.

My two favorite aspects were Dr. Leman's theories on quantity time vs. quality time, and the value of boredom. Dr. Leman believes that quality time is a bunch of hooey and it truly is quantity time that matters. The reason for this is the fact that quality time is so relative, and parents who preach quality time only don't realize that they are the ones coming up with the definition of quality time. What is quality time to them most often is not quality time to the kid. The kid knows when the parents are spending "quality" time with them just to assuage their guilt about not being around more often. As far as boredom goes, parents tend to over-schedule their kids because they fear boredom. Dr. Leman emphasizes the good in boredom, as boredom is truly the springboard for creativity. Take away the springboard, and many kids don't ever get the chance to truly see how creative they can be.

I loved this book. I think it will speak to parents of kids of EVERY age. And you can be sure that I am now going to read every Dr. Leman book I can get my hands on. I've already reserved one from the library.

And guess what? You can win a copy! Tyndale House publishers sent me a certificate for one copy of this book to give to YOU. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me either a.) your favorite childhood family tradition or b.) a tradition you are implementing in your family right now. Don't forget to leave an email address so I know how to contact the winner! This giveaway ends at midnight on Tuesday, September 13.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger book review program.

A Cooking Tip That Has Changed My Life

2011-09-01T14:49:00.001-06:00

I just finished a delightful book called Domestically Challenged. Technically I suppose it is for women who are just now leaving the workplace to stay at home with their kids, but I'm always up for gleaning ideas on how to streamline the stay-at-home life. Anyway, there was a fleeting comment in the cooking section that grabbed my eye.

I have made peace with the fact that lunches are simple and monotonous around here. Pumpkin Pie eats basically one of three things for lunch: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bowl of "Daddy's Noodles" (aka ramen), or beefaroni (thank you, Chef Boyardee!) I used to feel bad about this tiny repertoire, but she truly is happy as a clam with any of these items. I mix it up with what kind of fruit she gets, and she has a full belly by the end of the meal.

I, on the other hand, am not always so satisfied with the same thing every day. I usually eat leftovers from the night before, since my husband is not a big leftover fan. (It's the smell of cold food that gets to him.) Sometimes I throw in a ham sandwich, and often I'll eat a baked potato.

Which brings me to the most awesome cooking tip that has changed my life. I think it will change yours too. Baked potatoes are easy enough to make in the microwave. My microwave even has a baked potato setting. It's a one button deal. However, I'm sure you all know the state of a potato that has been baked in a microwave. It's edible, but far inferior to a potato baked in a real oven. According to this book, though, if you wrap a potato in a wet paper towel and then bake it in a microwave, it will come out much closer to the superior oven-baked potatoes.

It's true. I tried it today. The potato did not look wrinkly and pathetic at the end of cooking time. So if you are a potato eater, give it a whirl. I think you will be pleased.

August Report Card

2011-08-31T14:02:00.000-06:00

I'll be honest. I'm going through a real soul-searching when it comes to this blog. I love reading blogs. And I fight the Green-Eyed Monster every time I read the big ones. Especially when those sweet bloggers say things like, "I'm just a normal person!" and "I never dreamed it would get this big!" and "I make a butt load of money off this blog!" (Okay, no one ever says they make a butt load of money, but you can tell purely by the quality of the design and the amount of ads and the number of likes on Facebook that they make a decent bit of supplemental income.) The biggest thing holding me back is original content. I have zero. Every single article on how to have a successful blog declares that you have to blog about something you're passionate about in order to be successful. I can only conclude that I have no passion. For anything. At least, not enough passion about anything to come up with original content about it. And I'm sad about it, because of course I'd love to be the kind of blogger that has something to say that many, many people want to read. I guess I'm just not that ambitious.

But if anything, this blog serves as a tiny bit of accountability. I've posted a few goals, and simply knowing that I did and that six or seven of you know about it helps me to tear myself away from Gardens of Time on Facebook to follow through. I did make a few hair bows this month, which was my goal for August. Not a ton, but a few, simply because I said I would. I also made a ribbon with a ring on the end to hang them up. I'm actually quite proud of that little craft. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, and took me all of three minutes to do, so I actually did it. It's almost like I'm organized or something.

I also completed my July goal of making homemade laundry detergent. That was actually quite easy too. The hardest part was grating the soap, which was made less hard as I did it during an episode of Big Brother. I still have quite a bit of store-bought laundry detergent to go through, but I tested it out on a load of towels, and so far so good. All the ingredients cost about $4.00 less than the usual detergent I buy, and I'll probably be able to get three times the amount out of it. It was easy, and I had nothing to be intimidated about.

As for the rest of my goal list, I've decided to amend one. My September goal was going to be to make throw pillow covers, but I'm going to replace it with making these letters for my girls. I saw them on Pinterest, and then found letters at Hobby Lobby during their 50% off Wall Decor sale, making the letters $1.50 each. At first I was just going to do my girls' first initials, but went ahead and bought their whole names. I've been raiding the paint chip sample section of stores for a few weeks now, so I'm excited to get them done. I've always wanted to put my girls' names in their room.

So here is my updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter.

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent.

August - Make hair bows.

September - Make paint chip letters

October - Cook a recipe from a Rachael Ray cookbook.

November - Make crayon caddies.

September is looking to be quite busy. MOPS starts up, which will be nice. Pumpkin Pie has been asking about her class, and I'm looking forward to gleaning ideas for the MOPS group I'm trying to start up at our church in January. I also find myself involved in the women's ministry at church, and we have a big event planned. And of course the thought of fall weather really makes me smile these days, so I'm hoping that this September is much more fall-like than last September. (Last September I was pregnant and did not appreciate that full-blown summer weather stayed strong through the end of the month.)

And finally, here is my reading list for the month. It's much shorter than other months, but the book about George W. Bush was long and totally worth it. (Titles in red were books read for book reviews.)

Decision Points by George W. Bush

The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Scalf Linamen

Cherished by Kim Cash Tate

One Tough Mother by Julie Barnhill
Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin

Worlds Collide by Alison Strobel

One Call Away by Brenda Warner

Clouds by Robin Jones Gunn

While my littles are too little to start school, this time of year still feels like a second new year for me too. I welcome any and all fresh starts.

Book Review: One Call Away

2011-08-30T13:37:00.000-06:00

I have really been getting into memoirs lately. At first it seems strange, since I'm really more of a fiction girl than a non-fiction, but as my husband so insightfully puts it, memoirs are reality TV in print. And I love me some reality TV. Memoirs are usually stories about well-known people, and I find it fascinating to read about their real lives as opposed to just seeing them in their job (of acting, or being president or whatever.)

This is a memoir of Brenda Warner, wife of Super Bowl Champion and Dancing With the Stars alum Kurt Warner. However, before she married Kurt, she found herself living through a nightmare: her healthy baby tragically injured in the bathtub; a sudden end to her much-loved military career; betrayal, divorce and single parenthood of a special needs child; poverty; and a devastating natural disaster that stripped her of her foundation. With each shattering phone call, Brenda had a choice: to collapse or press forward and survive. She chose to lean on her relationship with Jesus every time. Her story provides hope and encouragement for anyone facing life's challenges.

Brenda Warner is a remarkable woman. The things she has endured truly seem like things you would only see in movies. Her story definitely gives perspective to what I consider to be hardships in my life. And throughout the book, she points to Jesus as being the only foundation that stays consistent. Her life choices are drastically different from the ones you usually see coming from a celebrity family. It is refreshing to read the story of such Christ-followers.

It is a rag-to-riches tale, in a way that makes you realize that she understands the lives of those who are struggling to make ends meet, or to raise a special needs child while raising other children too. You'll find her extremely relatable, even knowing that she now lives the lifestyle of someone whose husband played in the NFL. I think you would be encouraged by her story.

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

Book Review: Worlds Collide

2011-08-29T13:51:00.000-06:00

While I'm not hard core into following the every move of American celebrities, I do find myself curious about their lives. Mostly I wonder how they could ever be normal. I know they try to be, but they're just not. I find it equally fascinating when people write fictional stories about fictional celebrities. I always wonder if there is an element of truth in these stories, because it makes me feel for a moment that maybe celebrities are normal people.

Worlds Collide is a tale that borders on every girl's fantasy. A schoolteacher, Grace Winslowe, finds herself in a car accident shortly after moving to Southern California with an up-and-comer movie star named Jack Harrington. Their initial attraction to each other was a strong as the difference in their values and lifestyles. Through a celebrity biographer, they reveal aspects of their private struggles that threatened to pull apart their public relationship. It soon becomes clear that everyday decisions can carry a lifetime of consequences.

Good book! The characters are actually quite real, given Jack's profession and Grace's "stumble" into the world of the rich and famous. And the story is really about salvation, and the way God can touch the life of someone who is fully immersed in the world. Alison Strobel is a fantastic storyteller, weaving three perspectives into a seamless story. If you're looking for something fun with a message, look no further.

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Press in exchange for an honest review, as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

The Chocolate Diaries Giveaway WINNER!

2011-08-29T13:37:00.000-06:00

The winner for the copy of The Chocolate Diaries is...

Brie! My old friend Brie, who really is the only one who enters my giveaways. As the sole entrant this time, she is the grand prize winner!

I'll get that in the mail soon, Brie. :)

And I'm seriously considering re-naming my future giveaways to "Stuff I'm Giving To Brie."

I do have another giveaway in the works, folks. Stay tuned.

Parent's Choice Formula Giveaway WINNER

2011-08-18T13:39:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the TWO people who entered this giveaway! I know I don't have the best giveaways on here, but maybe that will change some day.

The winner is....Jennifer! Jennifer said:

jenniferfoley said...: thx Tori for the info. I'm still nursing Joshua, but am starting a job part-time. He should be fine, but I've started trying to wean him. was wondering too about him still getting all he needs, but can't do whole milk yet. i enjoy reading and keeping up with you guys on here! thx, jennifer; August 11, 2011 8:13 PM

I've sent you an email, Jennifer! Have a great afternoon everyone, and feel free to enter the newest giveaway, a copy of The Chocolate Diaries.

The Chocolate Diaries GIVEAWAY

2011-08-17T13:52:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I did a book review on The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Scalf Linamen. You can read the review here, or I can just remind you that I really enjoyed in the book. Any woman who needs encouragement as they face the rockier side of life will find a breath of fresh air in this book. And it's chock-full of yummy things to do with chocolate.

WaterBrook Press accidentally sent me a duplicate copy of the book, and gave me permission to give it away! If you are interested in reading this book or know of a woman who could use a little chocolate in her life, then go ahead an enter! First, rank my review using the bar below, then leave a comment telling me your favorite way to eat chocolate. And don't forget to leave an email address, so I can contact you if you are the winner!

This giveaway will end at midnight on Wednesday, August 24th. Good luck!

Book Review: Cherished

2011-08-16T13:48:00.000-06:00

Every time I simply hear or read the word "cherished" I feel a longing in my heart. I think every woman longs to be cherished, even if she's in a committed, satisfying relationship. It's one of those things we can't get enough of, and conjures up the feeling of a soft, warm robe on a cold, snowy day.

Cherished by Kim Cash Tate is the story of Kelli London and Heather Anderson, both facing the giants of terrible past sins. They've both repented, but before healing can begin, they must both believe that they are worth cherishing. Kelli once dreamed of being a songwriter, but those dreams shattered after a choice was made seven years ago. Suddenly she finds herself with a wide open door back into that world and a spark of hope is once again ignited in her heart. Heather's life took a nose-dive after she was caught in an affair with a married man and then was devastated after a one-night stand with a drummer in a Christian band. She hit rock bottom and called out to the only One Who could save her. That life-changing decision set her life on a path that looks nothing like the path she envisioned. As Kelli and Heather awaken to their true worth, they find the freedom to pursue their dreams based on the security of knowing God's unconditional love.

Even though my copy of the book was missing 30 pages (hopefully not an error in every copy!) I enjoyed this story. It was so easy to follow and to invest in the characters from the get-go. I love the way Ms. Tate wove prayer into so much of the story. The characters were constantly praying together, showing how prayer can be as natural to your every day lives as breathing. The story leaves the reader truly believing that God will meet them where they are, and that they can be new in Him. Next time you need a book to read, I hope you'll remember this one.

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

Product Review and GIVEAWAY: Parent's Choice Formula

2011-08-11T13:59:00.000-06:00

Many of the decisions I make about the products we use are largely influenced by money. Ever since I became a stay-at-home-mom, my policy has been to try generic first, and if we truly can't stand it to go up from there. Most of the time generic products have passed with flying colors. Sometimes I wonder why people spend more on name-brand products when generic are often just as good. To each his own, I suppose.

I do breast-feed my babies, but I have also had to use formula. For my oldest, it was a weight issue. She just wasn't gaining weight properly, so we began supplementing with infant formula. For my youngest, she simply lost interest in breastfeeding around 8 1/2 months. I was concerned she wasn't getting enough, so I started supplementing and she thought it was awesome. She will be 10 months on Sunday, and she is fully weaned from the breast at this point.

I was so nervous when I began to shop for formula. All I knew was that it is super-expensive, and babies suck it down like it's going out of style. So I was surprised to find Parent's Choice, a brand sold only at Wal-Mart, was roughly half the price of the name brand formulas. That's right, half price.

All baby formulas are required to meet the exact same standards set by the FDA. And when comparing the nutritional value between Parent's Choice and Enfamil and Similac, the numbers are virtually identical. To top it off, switching to Parent's Choice can save you up to $600 a year. * You can use this Savings Calculator to see what the difference would be for your family. And Parent's Choice has all the varieties that you would look for, including Gentle, Sensitivity, Soy and Organic.

My girls have both always used Parent's Choice. During that time, they have always been right on track at their pediatrician appointments. The doctor is always very pleased with their growth, weight-gain and development.

I believe you should strongly consider Parent's Choice. Check out their website to see all the varieties, as well as to request a free sample. Not only that, but they have a fantastic sweepstakes going on right now. Parent´s Choice in partnership with PBM Nutritionals, the largest manufacturer of store-brand infant formulas and nutrition products, is helping one family and one student save even more with the "Parent´s Choice Infant Formula" Sweepstakes.

One lucky winner will receive a $10,000 college scholarship in the form of a College Savings 529 Plan. From now until 11:59pm on August 15th, 2011 you can choose to increase your little one´s chances of attending the college of his or her choice, by "liking" Parent´s Choice Infant Formula here on Facebook and filling out the simple form here. Visit this link for official sweepstakes rules. You still have a few days to enter, so hurry over there!

And now for the giveaway! One reader will win a Parent's Choice Prize Pack, which includes:

12.9 oz can of Parent´s Choice Premium to try
12.4 oz can of Parent´s Choice Advantage to try
Two $3.00 off coupons for Parent´s Choice Infant Formula (redeemable at all Walmart stores)
Parent´s Choice Starter Set - a complete nurser system that includes a variety of bottles, nipples, liners, leak proof caps and retainer rings

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment telling me if you already use Parent's Choice or if you'd like to try it! The giveaway will end at midnight on Wednesday, August 17th. Be sure to leave your e-mail address, so I know how to contact that winner!

Disclosure: The Parent´s Choice Infant Formula product sample, information, and giveaway have been provided by Parent´s Choice through MyBlogSpark."

*Total savings with Parent's Choice Infant Formula calculations based on a price per fl oz comparison of Parent's Choice Infant Formulas and their comparable national brands.

Book Review: My First Hands-On Bible

2011-08-05T13:55:00.000-06:00

I wasn't quite aware that it was happening, but in the past year or so I've collected several little kid Bibles. A few from book reviews, and one or two as gifts to my girls. This one is by far my favorite.

The biggest difference between this one and the others is that the text is the New Living Translation of the Bible. It is select passages, all stories that will appeal to kids, but it is actual Biblical text. Other versions are good, but that are all re-written down to a preschoolers level. After reading through this version, though, I think most preschoolers would understand the stories straight from this version of the Bible. In the intro parents are instructed to help kids understand some of the bigger words, but it is easy enough to do that.

In every passage, there are several hands-on activities to do with your kids as you read them the story. They are usually simple motions, such as covering your eyes with your hands to imagine what the earth was like before God formed it, or carrying a doll or stuffed animal as you read about how Moses' mother cared for him before placing him in the basket in the river.

At the end of each passage, there is a prayer that makes the point of the Scripture personal. There are also two activities that are more than the simple ones in the story, and can help reinforce the message of the story. And finally, each passage ends with a "Jesus Connection," that helps your child see that Jesus is the center of all Scripture, even in the passages that don't mention him.

This Bible is amazing, because it truly is the Bible. I'm not usually creative enough to come up with ways to help apply it to the life of a preschooler, and now I have an excellent tool.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger book review program.

Book Review: The Chocolate Diaries

2011-08-04T13:09:00.000-06:00

I'll be honest: sometimes I hear stories of the things that other women have gone through or are currently facing, and I feel ashamed at how relatively good my life has been. Any bumps on the road of my life have been minor, simply irritating pebbles compared with the boulders that other women find themselves crashed against. Because of that, I don't really know how to relate to someone who is facing something life-changing, like divorce, serious illness or abuse. But the one thing I have going for me in that department is I like to read, and I've read this book.

Karen Scalf Linamen has hilariously pulled together stories from dozens of women who have tested and approved strategies for embracing a sweeter life--even while traveling rocky roads. This book is chock full of joy, reasons to laugh, ideas to help you heal and reliable hop leading to a sweeter future. It is also riddled with recipes to help you find ways to indulge in a little chocolate every day.

Ms. Linamen is the kind of writer that makes you feel like you've made a new friend. She expertly weaves in stories from her life that lend to the book's authenticity. Her advice is sound and her humor is refreshing. I may not know quite what to say to someone who is going through a rough time, but I could point them to this book. I think it could be a ray of sunshine on what else would be a dark, lonely path.

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Press in exchange for an honest review, as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

Book Review: Life Everlasting

2011-08-01T14:53:00.000-06:00

You would think, with all the book reviews I do, that I would be more careful when selecting books to see if the book is part of a series. Well, I didn't, and yes, this is the second book in a series. I have not read the first book.

In Life Everlasting, Alexia Lindale is a lawyer representing Rena Richardson, whose husband's life hangs by a thread as he lingers in a coma. In her heart, Rena would like to see him dead to protect her secrets, while his brother wouldn't mind gaining control of the family empire after the death of Baxter. But Baxter has a surprise ally in Ted Morgan, a classically trained pianist/music minister. Along with her new-found faith, Alexia and Ted embark on a battle of prayer for Baxter's life. Alexia navigates her responsibilities to her client, her relationship with Ted, and her relationship with God in this legal tale.

The story was good. I could gather what I missed, which is the mark of great writing. I wish I had read the first book first, however, and I still plan to read it, even though I know the ending. Robert Whitlow is a great new author to me, and I look forward to reading his other books. He weaves faith into his stories without the story feeling like it was written for traditional homeschooling moms. As a mediocre musician, I loved the element that the classical piano added to the story.

First read the first book, which I believe is called Life Support. Then read this one. I think you'll enjoy it.

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

July Report Card

2011-07-30T12:52:00.000-06:00

Quiet month for us around here. I gave up on my goal for the month, and I'm okay with that. It was a vacation month for me. But the month is over and I'm ready to get back into the swing of life.

My garden pots are doing pretty well. Last count I had eight green cherry tomatoes, six teeny tiny cucumbers and I seem to have at least one very small red strawberry every couple of days. (Anyone know why my strawberries are so tiny? Is it a strawberry pot thing?)

I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of August. I think it's been kind of depressing since I've gotten out of school. August always held such promise when you started a new school year. When school isn't involved, it's just hot. But this August I have a nephew making his appearance in the world, and my goals on my plate. I'm also mulling over an ambitious goal that involves simplifying by purging most of the stuff we have sitting in our basement and garage. Many of those boxes are things we've carted around for years and haven't opened in at least five. But that is still in it's pondering stages.

So here is my updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent POSTPONED
August - Make hair bows

September - Make throw pillow covers

October - Cook a recipe from a Rachael Ray cookbook AND bake something using sourdough starter

November - Make crayon caddies

And here is my July reading list (titles in red were books read for book reviews):

Among the Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Heart of Thornton Creek by Bonnie Leon
Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes
For the Love of the Land by Bonnie Leon
When the Storm Breaks by Bonnie Leon
The Wilder Life: my adventures in the lost world of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
Learning by Karen Kingsbury
Life Everlasting by Robert Whitlow

Hope the rest of your summer days are relaxing and refreshing.

Giving Myself Grace

2011-07-14T14:06:00.000-06:00

It is with much relief that I confess that I am not going to meet my goal this month of making homemade laundry detergent.

We leave for vacation in one week. And we've had things to do. And June and July are big celebration months, which always makes for a bunch of spending. Yes, we plan for it, but that also includes avoiding other unnecessary expenditures. And while I hear that making your own laundry detergent really doesn't cost that much (hence the draw) it does cost something. And I'm actually tired of spending money.

So I'm putting it off until next month. I just wanted you to know, in case you were eagerly awaiting news on how the project went.

I hope that today you can find something to give yourself grace in too.

Sharing the Love

2011-07-13T14:31:00.000-06:00

Lately I've come across some really good recipes that you need to know about. And make for yourself. They are well worth the effort, and hardly any effort at all.

First is this recipe for homemade taco seasoning. We use taco seasoning at least twice a month around here, it seems. And Money Saving Mom posted this recipe awhile back, so I bookmarked it. I made it last week, and I already need to make a new batch. It's super easy, since you probably already have all of the spices in your cabinet. They're not weird or anything. And your homemade mix won't have all the weird preservatives in it that store-bought ones have. And the best part is, it tastes just like taco seasoning. No difference. Why wouldn't you want to make your own?

Next, a super delicious chicken marinade recipe my husband and I love. I tried it because I had all the ingredients on hand, and we were blown away. My only note is to go easy on the salt, maybe even omit it altogether since it calls for garlic salt too. It was super delicious with all the salt, but definitely salty. I really don't think the flavor will suffer by reducing the salt. This marinade will make all store-bought ones seem lame.

And finally, a delightful little way to make homemade microwave popcorn. I love popcorn, and we have a great popcorn maker. However I had a hard time dragging it out every time I wanted popcorn, because it's kind of a big mess for one person. Then I came across this idea and it works like a dream. Perfect for when I'm making popcorn for just me. Our popcorn maker will do just fine cooking for the family, and I have no problem letting it rest while I cook up a batch for just myself in the microwave.

Enjoy! Let me know if any of these work out for you.

On Being a Stay-At-Home-Mom

2011-07-12T13:29:00.000-06:00

On Sunday I worked in the nursery with a dear older lady. She's the kind that has all kind of out-dated opinions about everything and is so sweet to share them. I had to stop her several times from giving some of the babies things like water or snacks when their parents hadn't given us the okay. We were working on the infant side, and typically moms tell you what to give their babies, if they want them to have anything. Absence of permission does not mean a green light in the infant world...but I digress.

I work with her once every couple of months, and we always have the same conversations whenever we work together. It's fine. She always tells me how she had to go back to work when her son was one month old. And then she said something that always always makes me feel icky.

"Being a stay-at-home mom is such a gift."

I hate it when people say that. It makes me feel almost defensive, even though I know they believe they are validating me when they say it. But they are implying that the only reason someone chooses to be a stay-at-home-mom is because their husband brings home serious bacon and they can afford to do so. As if staying at home with your children is a luxury. I feel misrepresented. Or that I'm misrepresenting our financial status. I feel icky.

I know there is a passive-aggressive, sometimes silent, sometimes outspoken war between stay-at-home moms and working moms. Each judging the other side over the choices they've made on how to raise their babies. And I feel like I've come a long way in the past three years on how I view working moms. I know you can't put working moms in a box, saying that they would rather work than raise their kids. Yes, there are moms out there who don't enjoy the day-to-day tedious tasks of raising kids so they work instead. But there are some who need to in order to make sure their kids have food. There are single moms who literally have no choice. There are some who feel that they are doing the best for their kids by putting some distance between them, in an absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder fashion. Working moms work for a myriad of reasons.

But maybe I feel put in a box when people find out I'm a stay-at-home mom. When they say things like, "Oh it's such a gift" or "That's wonderful that you're able to do that. We couldn't" it makes me want to say, that it's not a gift for us; it's a sacrifice. We are not upper middle class. I'm not sure we're even middle middle class. But I stay at home, because I want to raise my kids. And because of that choice, we can't live like the rest of America. There are many, many things that we have to do without. And one of the biggest battles I face as a stay-at-home mom is the battle with jealousy. Right behind our town home is a beautiful neighborhood. I've walked in there many times, fighting away a pity party as I realize that we will probably never live in a house like that, because we've chosen to live on one income. Most days I feel fear welling up in my belly as I look at our old cars, knowing that we don't have the money to make car payments should one of them conk out on us. I have to consciously, physically force myself to pray and remind myself that God truly does take care of us.

I love staying at home with my girls. I do not have any desire to re-enter the workforce anytime soon. I hope that's not what you're reading. I guess I just want to present the side that says stay-at-home moms are home for a myriad of reasons too. You can't assume that stay-at-home moms are living quite comfortably financially just because they stay at home. And if they aren't comfortable financially, then you can almost safely assume that they are aware of the sacrifice they are making to stay at home.

I know people say things like that to me to validate themselves, really. They probably assume I'm judging them the minute I find out they did not stay at home. Maybe when it comes up, I should change my answer from "I'm a stay at home mom" to "I'm a stay at home mom, and I'm not judging you for your choices." I usually just nod and smile when they say that staying at home is a gift. But I always feel like they have a wrong view of me, and I don't like that. Maybe I should say, "I'm living how God has called us to live, and I fully support you in your effort to do the same."

If you are a working mom, good for you. May God give you wisdom as you balance work with child-rearing.

If you are a stay-at-home mom, good for you. May God give you grace to give to working moms.

If you are a working mom who wishes she were a stay-at-home mom, I hope you've looked into it carefully. Staying at home can be a difficult, painful sacrifice, but there are resources out there to help you cut corners and figure out how to make it work. Don't give up on that dream simply because you think it's financially impossible. Only come to that conclusion after you have done some serious math.

That's all.

Book Review: This Little Prayer of Mine

2011-07-06T13:06:00.000-06:00

I love finding good books to read to my girls! My daughter remembers everything, and I only want to put good things in her. This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano is an excellent book about prayer. It is, in fact, just one big prayer spoken from the point of view of a child. This prayer serves as a great guide and prays all sorts of things that I pray for my girls. I would love it if my daughters would remember this story whenever they are feeling scared, sad, lonely or even ornery. The illustrations portray both a young boy and girl, so either gender will be able to identify with it. The only downside was the very last page, where the child prays that God will love them forever. I think it will require a conversation about how we don't have to ask God to love us because He already does, but the rest of the book is so good that it shouldn't deter you from reading it to your children. Parents should be ready and willing to talk about that kind of stuff anyway.

I'm strongly considering buying several copies of this, and making it my new go-to gift whenever I go to baby showers.

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Press in exchange for an honest review, as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

June Report Card

2011-06-30T13:29:00.002-06:00

I don't know what is was about June, but it was a very fulfilling month for me. Birthday celebrations, Father's Day, our seventh anniversary, delicious early summer weather, and projects. Obviously, by the sheer number of book reviews, you can see that I did a lot of reading this month. I really love to read. I wonder if I can transfer some of that love to the blogging world...

My goal for June was to make a sourdough starter. I did that, but it should have been to make a sourdough starter and then actually use it. I didn't really think it through, when I was assigning goals to months. While the weather early in the month was wonderful, toward the end of the month summer arrived in all its glory. It's been pretty hot around here, and baking is the last thing I want to do right now. So I'm glad I accomplished my goal, but I think I might try it again in the fall and actually use the starter. It was so easy to make. I can't even point you to a website I used; I googled "how to make a sourdough starter" and then gathered a consensus from a bunch of articles about it. In case you are wondering, I followed recipes/directions that did not call for yeast. Some do. I've heard yeast is expensive.

Also, in case you were wondering, the last two weeks have been filled with absolute successes in the potty-training world. I should probably devote a whole post to it, but I've lost my steam. I've only had to clean messy underwear twice. Pumpkin Pie is finally coming to me and asking to use the potty when she has to go #2. We may have successfully passed through the Valley of Potty Training Tribulation.

Now on to July. I like July because it was the month I was born. I'm not really a fan of weather that is

above 90 degrees, but I do like summer nights in Colorado. The temp drops around 8:30 or 9:00, and you can open your windows and let the night air cool your house. It's lovely sleeping weather. It turns out my girls don't really like going to sleep when the sun is still out. In fact, a lot of the time they stay up, talking, singing, playing and getting in trouble until they deem their room dark enough to sleep. No real harm done, except it's annoying to me. We're also going on vacation at the end of July. My husband's parents live in Kansas City, as do my grandparents, so we're making a trek to the Midwest.

Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to the heat and humidity. It's nostalgic to me, since I grew up going to Missouri every summer to see my grandparents. I'm sure in a day I'll be over it, but I'm looking forward to the feel, smells and sounds. I'm even choosing to look forward to the adventure of road-tripping with a three-year-old and a nine-month-old. It's all in the attitude, right?

Here is my updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent

August - Make hair bows

September - Make throw pillow covers

October - Cook a recipe from a Rachael Ray cookbook AND bake something using sourdough starter

November - Make crayon caddies

And here is my monthly reading list (titles in red were books read for book reviews):

The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

Departures by Robin Jones Gunn

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Among the Betrayed by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Among the Barons by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin

Managing God’s Money by Randy Alcorn

Canary Island Song by Robin Jones Gunn

When God Created My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall
It's Not About Me by Max Lucado

I Just Want You to Know by Kate Gosselin

A Love That Multiplies by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Among the Brave by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Happy Summer, everyone! May it be filled with watermelon, lemonade, bare feet and cool shade.

Book Review: It's Not About Me

2011-06-24T13:12:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not, I've never read a book by Max Lucado. I am very familiar with the name, but I'm usually more interested in fiction than non-fiction, so Mr. Lucado's book have been shelved for me, if you will. However, the subtitle of this book is what really drew my attention.

The subtitle says it all: Rescue from the life we thought would make us happy. You don't have to go far to get the advice "Do what makes you happy" or "Look to yourself for happiness." All the people who are quick to give this advice are probably confused to why this is so hard. We truly need to be rescued from the idea that life is all about us; the very concept has our culture imprisoned.

Believing the idea that "it's all about me" has created chaos; noise, stress and cutthroat relationships. Max Lucado presents the profound idea that life makes sense when we accept our place. Our pleasures, problems, gifts and talents are all for the One who created us, and the sooner we realize that the sooner we'll gain what we've been missing and find what we've been seeking. By directing your eyes toward God rather than toward yourself, Max Lucado shows you how to bump your life off self-center.

Reading this book filled me with relief. When you truly stop to think that your life is all about bringing God glory and has nothing to do with what you can make of yourself, it really takes the pressure off. It is so counter-cultural, yet so simple. This book really will change you, and help you experience the meaning-charged life you were meant to have. I plan to add it to the number of books I read annually. I also look forward to reading more by Max Lucado. He makes non-fiction fun and easy to read. It's not heavy or laden with jargon only a theological scholar would understand. It is straight to the point and easy to apply.

I highly recommend this book. Especially if you are feeling unsatisfied with any aspect of your life.

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

Book Review: When God Created My Toes

2011-06-23T13:16:00.000-06:00

Whether you want to or not, if you have young kids you will soon be immersed in the world of picture books. So it is always nice to come across one that will expand their view of God.

When God Created My Toes is a nice little rhyming story of a girl as she ponders what it might have been like when God created each part of her. The illustrations are lovely, as the little girl seems to find mischief with each part of her body. The story points to the idea that God made each of us perfectly, intricately and uniquely.

This was a nice book. My daughter enjoyed the story as well as the pictures. I am happy to have this on my shelf, and I won't mind reading it a thousand times.

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Press, as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

Book Review: Canary Island Song

2011-06-21T13:33:00.001-06:00

Imagine my joy and surprise when this little gem showed up in my mailbox. I had received an email awhile back, probably from Robin Jones Gunn's email newsletter or something, asking if anyone would be interested in getting an advance copy of this book to review. Of course I jumped on it. But I knew supplies were limited, and I never received another email saying I had been chosen. So faithfully I've been checking my library's website to see if I could get on the list to read the book once they got their copy. And then suddenly, there the book was.

In Canary Island Song, Carolyn is urged by her adult daughter to "get a life," so she takes a break from her life as a single woman in San Francisco, and travels to her mother's home in the Canary Islands. It's been seven years since the tragic death of her husband, and Carolyn has been treading in the murky waters of grief since then. Time with her mother, aunts and the gentle breeze of the islands is just what she needs. Much to her surprise, she runs into her high school summer love Bryan Spencer, and finds her heart being drawn back to the land of the living. She must decide if she's ready to trust her heart and God for what her future holds.

That's right, folks. Bryan Spencer. As in Todd Spencer's dad. One of my all-time favorite things about Robin Jones Gunn is the way she peppers all her books with characters you already know and love. And if you haven't met them yet, it's okay; you'll be just as delighted to read about them in her other books. This story was classic Robin Jones Gunn, transporting you across the globe with a very real, relatable character. While the story is rich enough in itself, I did find myself digging through a bit for information on what Todd and Christy might be up to, the way someone might dig through a bowl of strawberry ice cream for the fat, frozen berries. I won't give away everything, but Bryan, Todd and Christy were not the only characters from previous books that were mentioned. All her stories feel a bit like a family reunion, introducing new characters and seamlessly weaving them into a world you are already comfortable with.

This book will be released on July 5, 2011. Do what you have to to get your hands on a copy.

This book was sent to my by Howard Books. They didn't ask for a review, but I'm giving one because I love Robin Jones Gunn.

Book Review: Managing God's Money

2011-06-17T13:07:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been feeling the heavy weight of the finance manager position. Not that we're in trouble or that I necessarily wish someone else would do it, but just that sometimes the task makes me feel discontent. I see what we have, and I see what everyone else seems to have or celebrate getting. This book couldn't have come at a better time.

Randy Alcorn answers many questions in this book, including: Is what we do with our money really any of God's business? Does God mind if we spend money on ourselves? What about debt? savings? retirement? He answers that God cares immensely that we manage money with an eternal perspective. Jesus says more about money than any other topic. In this easy to follow format, Randy Alcorn addresses exactly what the Bible says about everything God has entrusted to us. It is chock full of Scripture, and is a great resource for anyone interested in gaining a solid biblical understanding of financial stewardship.

This book really focuses on the attitude behind financial stewardship. If you want nuts and bolts of exactly what to do, check out Dave Ramsey. But if you want understanding and an attitude check, then read this book. Even sound financial advice will be clearer once you learn how you are supposed to think about your money. Lately I've been a little down in the dumps about what we have. We rent, we have old cars, and about 90% of our possessions are practically of the garage-sale variety: that is, they were used or simply given to us. It's hard to live this way in a country full of shiny, bigger and new. But if I truly adopt the mindset that everything is God's and He's simply entrusted it to us to use for His Kingdom, then all anxiety melts away and becomes pointless. It also opened my eyes to ways God has blessed us financially that we might not recognize. (One of our old cars has 255,545 miles on it, and is still going strong. That's kind of amazing.)

I will read this book every time I start to feel less than content. I think everyone should read it.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger book review program.

Stumbling on Success

2011-06-15T14:50:00.000-06:00

No, not potty-training success. I'm back to not wanting to talk about that.

I stumbled on a bit of success while working on my June goal, which is to make a sourdough starter. Again, I can't believe I picked such an intimidating goal. I know nothing about baking bread. I only know I like sourdough bread, and I've learned it's something you can make yourself.

So I simply googled "sourdough starters" and found a billion ways to make a sourdough starter. Many include yeast in the recipes, but it seems that there are quite a few sourdough purists out there who insist that true sourdough starters should not require yeast. They say true sourdough is made using wild yeast, which apparently is hovering around my head and being breathed in and out by my babies at the very moment I'm typing this.

It took an insane amount of time to find a suitable jar...I didn't want to buy one and I had to figure out how to get the pickle smell out of the one I had (vinegar, people. It's a miracle worker.) I followed directions, and began to make and feed the starter, using only flour and water.

And I was sure it didn't work. First, it seemed I was using too small a jar. Second, I forgot to feed it one day, so I tried to make up for it the next morning, about 18 hours late. Then it seemed like just nothing was happening. So I decided I would start again, halving the recipe to fit inside my jar. Then forgot about it again for a day...the old stuff was still up on my refrigerator this afternoon when I thought about it again. No big deal, I was going to throw it out anyway.

But lo and behold, when I opened the jar, it looked and smelled like the instructions said it would! It was bubbly and frothy and smelled like sourdough! The key, I guess, was just to leave it alone and let it do its thing.

Isn't it pretty?

Next up: figuring out how exactly to turn it into bread. Or rolls or something. Apparently this stuff can just live in your fridge for awhile.

I'll keep you posted

My Personal Tribulation

2011-06-14T09:03:00.000-06:00

I am about to lose my ever-lovin'-mind. I am at wit's end; I am at a loss. Everything good that happens is eclipsed by this:

Pumpkin Pie is reliably dry; and reliably poops in her pants EVERY DAY.

We talk about it all the time. When she wakes up in the morning, I ask her if she's going to poop in the potty and she enthusiastically says, "Yes! Not in my underwear!" And usually, within two hours, I'm cleaning it out of her underwear.

As she goes into room time, I remind her what she should do if she feels like poop is coming out of her bottom...go into the bathroom (that is five feet from her room) and sit on the potty. I even leave the light on and everything ready to go.

And every day, at the end of room time, her room is filled with the tell-tale smell.

Sometimes I check on her every ten minutes, to see if she needs to go. And she will go in her underwear during one of the ten minute sessions that I'm away.

What am I supposed to do? I'm literally asking, folks.

Book Review: Departures

2011-06-09T13:41:00.001-06:00

This book appeals to my love of all things Robin Jones Gunn.

Departures is a book with two novellas in it, one about our beloved Christy Miller (Now Boarding at Gate 10) and one about her friend Sierra Jensen (In the Event of a Water Landing.) The Christy Miller story is set between the final two books of the Christy Miller series, right after Christy graduates from high school. Christy and her family (yes, even Aunt Marti and Uncle Bob) are in Wisconsin celebrating her grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. There she reunites with her grade-school crush, Matthew, who appears to be showing romantic interest in her. Christy then dares to dream that her future might look very different that she thought it would. In Sierra's story, Sierra is vacationing with her friend at a lake in Montana. It becomes clear to the 15-year-old that her friend is only interested in acquiring a boyfriend, while Sierra just wants to hang out as a group. Sierra begins to question her relationship with her friend, wondering if she'll ever find a Forever Friend who is on the same page as she is.

These two stories satisfy a desire to read "just one more" story about these two girls. If you've read the other series, then these fit right in. If you haven't, then these actually are a pretty good introduction to the other two. I cannot stress enough how much I think you should be reading Robin Jones Gunn. If you have teenage girls in your life, they should be reading the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen stories. If you aren't a teenager, while I think you'd enjoy them too, then you should be reading Mrs. Gunn's Glenbrooke and Sisterchick series.

Robin Jones Gunn is a delightful writer, who not only entertains, but encourages your walk with the Lord through the delightful lives of her fictional characters. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

Would you please rank my review?

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Multnomah Press as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

Book Review: The Seraph Seal

2011-06-02T13:24:00.000-06:00

I love me some good disaster/apocalyptic stories! For some reason I find it fascinating when people speculate about the end of the Earth.

Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner penned this novel, set in 2048 when an ancient prophecy begins to unfold as the Earth succumbs to years of abuse. Historian Paul Binder receives a cryptic message that sends him to London, where he meets Angela Krall. Together they decipher clues that lead them down a life-or-death path. Amidst global intrigue, compounding natural catastrophes and crazy characters with their own hidden motives, Paul and Angela open up the world of forgotten traditions and faith. They soon find themselves positioned to either lead humanity into a new future or watch as the earth dissolves into total destruction.

I enjoyed this book, but I feel like I have a lot of "buts" to go with it. First, do not look at this book for any theology. Sweet and Wagner have neatly combined Biblical eschatology with Mayan prophecies and secular evolution. They take God's judgment completely out of the picture, instead postulating that when the end times come, there will be a way for humans to continue on themselves. Second, Sweet and Wagner wrote this book as if they hope it will be made a movie someday, including a vast cast of named characters that show up for only one paragraph just to be killed by a number of different things. I found that to bog down the story a bit.

But I did like this book. If you like stories of apocalypse, or stories set in the future, then dive right in! If not, then don't waste your time.

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

May Report Card

2011-05-31T13:31:00.005-06:00

*Disclaimer: the formatting of this particular blog is driving me batty. If it looks off, especially towards the end, I fully, completely, lay the blame at the feet of Blogger.com.

Today is a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree day. And I'm a little surprised that it is the last day of May. This month actually felt quite long to me. There was very little on my calendar, and that makes for weeks that seem to drag by. Plus it was either rainy and cool or windy every day this month, which made me forget that warm weather was just around the corner.

Nothing earth shattering to report. I accomplished my May goal of planting garden pots four days ago. Pumpkin Pie is reliably dry these days, but has not mastered the art of putting her poo in the potty. Actually, it feels like she doesn't even have the desire to begin to master that art. If I'm lucky, she'll simply poop in the diaper I still put her in overnight. I'm not that lucky very often. I refuse to put her back in diapers during the day, and she doesn't need pull-ups either. If I put her in pull-ups, she feels free to wet them. But she won't wet her underwear. ::sigh::

On a brighter note, Honey Pie did in fact master the art of sleeping through the night. She figured out how to flip over and sleep on her tummy, and now will sleep from about 7:15 to 7:00 the next morning. Tomorrow night she is going to sleep in the big crib in her sister's room. And for the first time in seven and a half months, we will not have a baby sleeping in our room at night. It really feels like the dawn of a new season for us.

Here is my updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter.

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent.

August - Make hair bows.

September - Make throw pillow covers.

October - Cook a recipe from a Rachael Ray cookbook.

November - Make crayon caddies.

June is a really busy month for us. Pumpkin Pie's 3rd birthday is on June 2nd, so this is a party weekend for us. My husband's birthday is June 11, our anniversary (and Father's Day this year) is on June 19, and my dad's birthday is June 27th. That brings us right to my birthday, which is July 2, and the Fourth of July festivities. June never has the problem of dragging by.

And finally, my reading list for the month (titles in red were books read for book reviews):

Where Women Walked by Jean Blackmer & Laura Greiner

Praying for Your Future Husband by Robin Jones Gunn & Tricia Goyer

Sunsets by Robin Jones Gunn

Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Trip

The Dead Don’t Dance by Charles Martin

Leota’s Garden by Francine Rivers

Leaving by Karen Kingsbury

The Daughter’s Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Sewing for Dummies by Jan Saunders Maresh

Maggie by Charles Martin

Happy Summer, everyone! Let the soaking up of the vitamin D commence.

My Garden Pots...Or, Please Don't Judge

2011-05-27T14:14:00.002-06:00

For my May goal, I determined to plant a few garden pots. I've always been fascinated by gardening, which is a little weird because I don't like dirt. I instinctively recoil when my fingers get the slightest bit of dirt on them. And I won't even go into my dislike for bugs. Let's just say I drove my grandma crazy the summer I was ten and spent a week at the farm. There was much shrieking involved.

I've decided that I could not have picked a more intimidating goal. I have friends who grow beautiful, flourishing gardens and I repent often through the summer over the jealously that springs up in my heart. If you notice today's date, you'll see it is the 27th of May. Yep, I put it off this long because while I wanted to do it, I also very much did not. Actually, let's give my procrastination only 50% of the blame; the other 50% can go to the crazy, Seattle-like rain we've had this month. Seriously, it's been cold and rainy practically every day.

But I did it. And all of you with your plethora of gardening knowledge, please don't judge. I'm sure it looks pathetic and mostly wrong, but it is what it is.

I know what you're thinking..."All that whining for those two little things?" Yes. On the left is a cherry tomato plant. On the right is a cucumber plant (burpless, of course!). Should I have bought more than one each? Is planting only one plant putting all my proverbial eggs in one basket? Time will tell. I just know I hate doing things wrong, and even though I've read countless articles on container gardening, I still don't know if I got it right. I hope there were no hidden cameras at Lowe's, watching me wander around and around and around before finally just picking the pots and plants and soil. I felt as out of place as dental floss at a Willy Nelson concert.

I have very little hope for these strawberries. My gut tells me that I did this very, very wrong. But maybe this will just be my learning year.

*Side note: all of that greenery next to the strawberry pot is mint. The previous tenant planted it because he liked the smell. I don't really share his enthusiasm for it. But my question is, will it take over my strawberries, even though they are in a pot? I hope not.

And there you have it. Our little patio. Best case scenario is that we'll have an abundance of cherry tomatoes and cucumbers to munch on this summer, and we're surprised by the sweet strawberries that grace our table. Then I'll fall in love with gardening and expand next year to include full size tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. Worst case scenario is that I'll take a picture at the end of the summer, and it will look exactly like this one.

Unplanned DVD Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-26T13:02:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the two people who entered my giveaway!

The winner is: Nancye! Nancye said:

Nancye said... This sounds very interesting! Thanks for the chance!

I'll contact you by email to let you know how to claim your prize!

Book Review: The Daughter's Walk

2011-05-23T08:54:00.001-06:00

Mother-daughter drama always gets to me. Not because I ever think about my relationship with my own mother, but because I think of my relationships with my daughters. Like everyone else, I hope and pray that I have excellent relationships with them, but I can only do my part.

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick begins with 18-year-old Clara embarking on a remarkable journey with her mother, Helga, in 1896. Helga accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City (3,500 miles!) within seven months. They would receive $10,000 for the journey and save the family farm. Of course things don't always go as planned, and Helga and Clara return more than a year later to a family that holds them in utter contempt. Clara then chooses to continue on with her life, which means living in exile from her family for more than twenty years.

Ms. Kirkpatrick is a fantastic writer. It was easy to forget that this story is actually based on a true story. The historical detail is captivating, and the characters' relationships with each other are heart-breaking. My husband has a rule: never feel more offended than the person who is actually the offended party feels. I found myself violating this rule often in the book. The outrage I felt for Clara was surprising, since she's a fictional character in this book.

If you like historical fiction, you'll like this. The era is the early twentieth century, during a time when many women struggled with the issues of rights and independence. It's easy for me to take my rights for granted, and this story reminds me that it was not always like this.

And now, could you do me a favor? Please rate my review below! This book was sent to me by WaterBrook press, and in order to review more books, I need a good rating. Thank you!

This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Multnomah Press as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

DVD Review and Giveaway: Unplanned

2011-05-18T14:27:00.000-06:00

It's a social issue that leaves me all at once sorrowful, angry, hopeless and determined.

Abby Johnson was the director of a key Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas when an ultrasound-assisted abortion caused her to walk away from her job and into the doors of the Coalition for Life office down the street. Her decision brought the wrath of the company she had been so passionate about raining down on her, which in turn made her a national news story that helped solidify her position as a public figure in the right-to-life debate.

Unplanned is a documentary based on her book of the same title. It takes you back to the Planned Parenthood clinic she worked at for years as a pro-choice advocate. Abby charts her journey, noting the choices she made and series of events that lead her to each of those decisions, ultimately leading to her current mission to fight for life and help women in crisis.

This documentary is captivating. In true documentary fashion, it is simply a series of images, sometimes repeated, but coupled with real-life interviews with Abby, her family, and the people of Coalition for Life who prayed specifically for her for eight years makes it feel like you might be sitting in the room with her, listening to her heart speak.

I am unapologetically pro-life. However, I never know quite what to do about it. The reasoning and logic from the other side of the fence is so seductive, and we have so many nuts on our side of the fence that do damage to our cause by their harsh, offensive attacks. This DVD opened my eyes to the power behind simply praying for the people who think that they are doing good work by helping women who think they have no other option but to terminate the life growing inside of them. The Coalition for Life staff not only prayed for Abby, but they made their presence known, consistently and graciously, so that when her time of awakening came, she didn't think twice about going to them, knowing she would be welcomed with open arms.

I'm not quite sure who this DVD is for. I don't know if it would change the mind of someone who has dedicated their life to the abortion industry, although Abby's story is compelling and filled with the validity that can only come from someone who has also been immersed in that world. Maybe it's for those of us who choose to stand on the side of pro-life, to remind us that the people who walk through the doors of an abortion clinic, both as patients and as workers, are people with stories as to why they've made those decisions. We always try to point out that abortionists are very quick to dehumanize unborn babies as simply lumps of unfeeling tissue; but sometimes I think we dehumanize the women who are there making the decisions as simply selfish monsters. This DVD can also remind us that Jesus forgives completely, and we need to show that kind of forgiveness, even to the women and workers who have done things that they cannot take back.

I highly recommend this DVD. And, as a part of this DVD blog tour, Tyndale House has given me a gift certificate for a free copy of Unplanned to one of you! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered! This giveaway will end on Wednesday, May 25 at midnight. Please leave your email address, so I know how to contact you.

I hope this DVD will make you think and encourage you in your desire to defend the unborn.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this DVD as a part of their blogger review program.

Creative Space

2011-05-11T14:31:00.000-06:00

I am uber-excited about this.

Since we moved into our new place, we have been contemplating getting some bar stools/chairs to go with the breakfast bar in the kitchen. I thought it would be a nice place for Pumpkin Pie and I to eat breakfast and lunch, rather than carting everything into the dining room every time we want to eat. But we've lived here almost four months now, and I just haven't been able to find anything that I've liked in my price range. And I've realized that I am now used to taking everything into the dining room. It's not really a big deal.

So my next idea was to buy a folding table and chair set. One of these days I am going to jump feet first into the world of hospitality, and while hospitality-guru Sandy says over and over that you should be hospitable where you are, no matter how small, I still felt like we needed more than our four dining room chairs and one computer chair. An extra set would allow us to invite more than just a childless couple over for dinner.

So, armed with Christmas money that we've been holding onto since, well, Christmas, I sent my husband to Wal-Mart to buy a cheap-but-sturdy-looking set. We used the chairs on Sunday when we had my parents and brother over for Mother's Day lunch. It worked great.

And then I starting thinking about the table. Honestly we won't use the table that often, but it is something I think will be valuable to have. And then the Good Lord smacked me upside the head with some inspiration...a craft table! Why not use the table in our walk-out basement to put my sewing machine on? You all know how I just had to have that sewing machine. Well, I bought it in March, and it was still sitting pretty in the box. I just couldn't bring myself to pull it out, only to have to put it away in an hour, since the only place to use it was our dining room table. I still wanted to do all the projects I have percolating, but I couldn't get past the hurdle of spending 30 minutes setting up the mess, working for 15 to 20 minutes, and then spending another 20 to 30 minutes cleaning up before the girls woke up from their naps.

But we have a pretty great walk-out basement. The tenants before us left a big piece of carpet in the room with the door, so that area is actually really nice. And, as I learned after several 80+ degree days, the basement will be a cool place to hang out this summer (literally, folks!) AND I can leave my sewing machine set up on it all the time. Pumpkin Pie only goes down there when I do, so she'll be supervised around it.

Now all I have to do is run down and plug it in. My ironing board is even down there, so I won't have to run up and down the stairs when I'm making something serious. Genius.

So here is my creative space. I've even inaugurated the space and machine with my very first ribbon-trimmed burp cloth. I will probably have to use it as a dust rag, because it is pretty atrocious, but practice makes perfect. I'll nail those straight lines in no time.

Could You Help Me?

2011-05-05T12:59:00.000-06:00

I'm sure by now you've noticed that I like doing book reviews. I love to read and I love getting new books, and I love that publishing companies will send me free books in exchange for an honest book review. I've been reviewing mostly for Thomas Nelson Publishers and Tyndale House Publishers, with a few sprinkled in from Bethany House Publishers when they have books available.

However, I am new to the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers blogging program called Blogging For Books. They run their program a bit differently than the others. Apparently in order to review books, you need to have a good reviewer rating. That is, people need to go to their website and read and rate your review.

So could you help me out, if you get a chance? Simply visit this link and rate my review. I have to have a reviewer rating of 50 to review some books. Apparently there are prizes involved, but I'm mostly interested in just reading more books. I get a point for each star, so even if you want to rate my review as a one star, that's one point closer to being able to review another book.

And just so you know, I've noticed that the page takes slightly longer than normal to load. Not crazy long, but about 5 seconds longer than normal.

Thanks, friends. :)

Book Review: Praying for Your Future Husband

2011-05-04T13:14:00.000-06:00

Obviously I am married. It would seem that this book is not for me. But I'll admit that Robin Jones Gunn is my all-time favorite author, and I came of age with the Christy Miller series, in which Christy Miller prays often for her future husband. Both Mrs. Gunn and Christy shaped much of how I thought about my future husband before I met mine. And since I'm raising two little girls, I was ecstatic when I found out that she wrote an entire book devoted to this subject.

Praying for Your Future Husband is not about indulging a girl's fantasy about boys. It is an authentic, realistic encouraging book about prayer. The subtitle of this book is Preparing Your Heart for His. That alone takes the focus off the specific guy and puts it on the condition of the girl. Yes, it is full of prayers to pray about The One, but it is equally full of prayers asking God to fully shape a girl into the woman that God wants her to be, with or without a husband. It is written from two very different experiences: Robin Jones Gunn, who lived "right" and her co-author Tricia Goyer, who lived a much rockier life that included becoming a teen mom. Every chapter includes true stories, prayers, Bible verses and practical applications.

My little girls are still under the age of three, but I am going to use this book as I pray for their future husbands. It is a fantastic guide and I think anyone who follows it won't be able to help growing closer to God in the process. Some day, when my girls start to feel anxious about their future mates (and most girls do), I hope that they'll read this book and find encouragement and a game plan to help them as they wait for God's timing.

If you are single and need encouragement, read this book. It can open a line of communication with God that quite possibly will give your heart some comfort as you wait for your turn.

Waterbrook Multnomah sent me a free copy of this book as a part of their book review program called Blogging for Books.

April Report Card

2011-04-30T14:50:00.001-06:00

This was a busy month. I accomplished my April Goal, began Serious, No Joke, For Reals This Time potty-training Pumpkin Pie, and weaned Honey Pie from her swaddler. Making the felt doll set was the easiest thing I did all month. Honey Pie reverted to her newborn ways of waking up for the duration of the swaddle-weaning process. And I do laundry every other day to clean up the after-effects of trying to potty-train Pumpkin Pie.

I'm really tired.

But spring is here. I'm actually a little nervous about my May goal of planting garden pots. Even the two things I'm planting seem like they might be more work than I want, but I'll do it anyway. I'm still planning on planting my strawberry pot and I'm actually thinking of going a different route with my second pot. I think I'd like to try one of those Topsy Turvy tomato planters. Is that cheating? I've read reviews on the Internet, and it seems to get a thumbs up, especially for apartment-type settings. My husband thinks it's just a huge gimmick. I guess time will tell.

So here is my updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter.

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent.

August - Make hair bows.

September - Make throw pillow covers.

I do have an update about my March goal. I sent my story to an agency, and they took the full six weeks to reject it. I knew they would, but I still find it annoying that they give themselves six weeks to the day to tell me it doesn't fit their needs. I feel like they probably reject most things, so give poor fledgling writers like myself a break and let us know right away. As each day passes hope grows. It just seems cruel; crueler than the rejection itself. Anyway, I do plan to send it out again. I just need to pull the trigger.

And finally, my April reading list (titles in red were books read for book reviews):

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
The Duggars: 20 and counting! By Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar
Coming Attractions by Robin Jones Gunn
Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
Save Your Marriage in Five Minutes a Day by Bonnie Jacobson, PhD
Whispers by Robin Jones Gunn
The Shack by William P. Young
Daddy Dates by Greg Wright
The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule
Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

That's it! Looking forward to May. It snowed last night, but I loved seeing snow on the ground and tiny leaves on the trees. We've made it through the barren wasteland that is winter.

Yes, He Does

2011-04-27T13:52:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if I've made it clear or not, that I am not a very gracious potty-trainer. The thing I hate the most about this process is how it makes me act. I've read the books, and I love my daughter, and I know that I should treat each accident cheerfully and gracefully, but I just don't. I lose my cool 98% of the time. I'm not proud of it. I've spent many minutes repenting, both to God and my sweet, teary-eyed little girl.

Today Pumpkin Pie pooped in her undies. Again. And it was gross today too. The past three times that she's done it, I've made her clean out the soiled garment in the toilet. She hates that part. I'm glad, because I keep hoping it's what she needs to motivate her to go in the potty. No luck so far.

As I was cleaning up her dirty bottom today, I was giving her a serious lecture. I was not happy. She had big ol' alligator tears in her eyes when she looked up at me and said, "Jesus loves me."

So I stopped my words. I finished cleaning her up and said, "Yes, Sweetie. Yes, He does."

::sigh::

April Goal: Felt Doll Set

2011-04-26T14:09:00.000-06:00

My goal for April was to make a felt doll set for Pumpkin Pie's birthday in June. I'm so proud of myself for doing this one! It was so crafty of me. It required the acquisition of a glue gun, felt and pinking shears, and I felt like a totally different person once I had them all in my possession. Like I could make anything.

I got the idea from a book my mom gave me on activities to do with 3-5-year-old kids. This was in the "On-the-Go" section, with the idea that you keep these in a box in the car, and then your little puddin' can play with it while they are strapped in their car seat. The felt keeps the clothes from sliding off. Perfect for the car. (Well, in theory. My set has not been road-tested yet.)

Here is the finished product. Don't tell her; it is a birthday present, after all.

The whole set. Plenty of mix-and-match opportunities.

The doll, straight-up.


Just another outfit option.

It really is as simple as it looks. The doll was the hardest to make. Simply glue felt to a piece of light cardboard and cut out in the shape of a doll, with the arms and legs spread out (for easy dressing.) Draw on a face and glue on yarn for hair. Then use the doll and trace out clothes on other pieces of felt and/or scrap fabric.

I hope Pumpkin Pie likes it. She doesn't really play with dolls, but she only has two. She's never had the option of dressing in different outfits before. She's pretty girly, though. I'm sure she'll figure it out.

Book Review: Daddy Dates

2011-04-23T20:27:00.000-06:00

Get ready for one of the greatest Daddy-Daughter books ever.

I wasn't too sure if I even qualified to read this, seeing as how I'm a mom and not a dad, but I love parenting books, and the topic of how daddies relate to their daughters is near to my heart, since I so badly want my daughters to have a good relationship with their dad. And I read way more than my husband does, and he is more apt to read a book that I've previewed, so I decided to give into my curiosity.

I'm so glad I did! Greg Wright is daddy to four teenage daughters, and he knew that he needed to be intentional somehow in raising those girls. The one thought he had running through his mind at all times was: "Don't Screw Up." He realized that his best shot at being a successful dad was in trying to really know his girls- their fears, dreams and opinions- for the individuals that they are. His wildly, original concept is that in order to raise a confident woman-to-be, a dad needs to show his daughter what it feels like to be treated with love, respect and true interest by a man who loves her. This funny, insightful and relatable books is chock full of personal anecdotes and straight-forward tips on how to solidify Dad's place in the lives of their daughters.

Greg Wright is spot on in his evaluation of how the mind of a girl works. His theories about young and teenage girls are absolutely correct, and there is no reason why his methods shouldn't work with a dad who truly desires to get to know his daughters. I believe that any dad who reads this book and puts it into practice will go a long way in helping his daughter grow up with a strong sense of who she is and the treasure that she is. Plus Mr. Wright is really funny; the book is honestly a joy to read.

If you know of any dads who have daughters, find some way to get this book into their hands. It doesn't matter how old the daughter is. Every girl of every age desires this kind of relationship with her dad.

Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

Not Ready to Be Unsupervised

2011-04-19T20:09:00.000-06:00

There has been nothing magical about this round of potty-training. She sometimes stays dry. She sometimes wets her pants. We had one bout of poopy underwear on Sunday. And she hasn't pooped in the potty since I blogged about it a couple of weeks ago. She's mostly learned that if she needs to poop, she has to save it for her nighttime diaper. She is definitely not ready to wear underwear overnight, so she knows that she will have either a diaper or pull-up on at night, and that it is a better time to poop than when she has underwear on during the day.

Today there were two occasions when I let her go to the bathroom completely by herself. The first time was right after nap, when I was feeding Honey Pie. I got Pumpkin Pie out of bed from her nap, and she had soaked her undies and pants. I stripped her down and sent her into the bathroom, with instructions to tinkle, then to put on her clean panties and pants and to come downstairs where I would wash her hands. She takes forever in the bathroom, so I knew I could feed the baby in the time it took her to do all that.

Later, right before dinner, Pumpkin Pie actually said "I need to go potty!" and ran for the bathroom herself. I was stoked. She has never done that before. She's always gone because I've forced her to go. So I let her do her thing. After a few minutes it got quiet, and I thought maybe she might be doing some serious business in there. So I quietly went to check on her only to find her filling the toilet with toilet paper. One square at a time, but who knows how much she could have gotten in there if I hadn't intervened. When we went upstairs to brush her teeth I went into her bathroom for the first time since her visit earlier in the day. Sure enough, there was a great amount of toilet paper in there that she hadn't flushed too. Neither amount could have clogged the toilet, but it was headed in that direction.

So my lessons for today are a.) she still needs very close supervision and b.) I need to increase our budget for toilet paper. I should have seen this coming.

Book Review: Save Your Marriage in Five Minutes a Day

2011-04-14T14:10:00.000-06:00

Do not get excited. The title seems nice, but I would never, ever recommend this book to anyone. Ever.

Yes, it is chock full of strategies to transform your marriage. It addresses topics from domestic bliss to keeping the spark alive. There are tips on how to communicate and how to fight fair. The five minutes part of the title is true enough; Dr. Bonnie Jacobson delivers on the promise by offering plenty of ideas that would only take you five minutes to carry out. Her theory is that small, meaningful gestures add up to a big difference, one day at a time. I have no issue with that.

My first red flag shot up and waved widely at her suggestion to watch pornography together, in the Keeping the Spark Alive section. I thought it might be a fluke, but she mentions it several times as a valid exercise. Most of the rest of the ideas are based on a very worldly view of marriage. This book is 100% secular in nature.

At first I was shocked. I received the book from Thomas Nelson Publisher's BookSneeze program. Thomas Nelson is a Christian publisher. Then I remembered the email about this book, which stated that Thomas Nelson was partnering with Adams Media. I wonder if anyone at Thomas Nelson has read this book. Thankfully their name is no where on it.

I suppose the book is fine enough. It does advocate marriage over divorce, every time. I can get behind that, I guess. But I would only recommend it to a person whose marriage needs help the way I would recommend a starving homeless person seek nourishment from the dumpster behind Wendy's. They'll find food alright. But that's about it.

If you are looking for marriage books, stick with anything that is recommended by Focus on the Family. I believe that any and all marriage advice will only be successful from a Biblical standpoint, since God is the one Who ordained marriage in the first place. Any book that gives advice without any mention to the Bible should probably be thrown in the trash. And that is where my free copy is going. I can't even bring myself to donate it to Goodwill.

Thomas Nelson provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger program called BookSneeze.

It's Official: I'm the Nerd

2011-04-13T14:13:00.000-06:00

Hubby and I went through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University about a year and a half ago. We loved it. (Well, I love it, every time I can convince myself to not be upset that we didn't learn that stuff right when we got married. We could have been completely out of debt, if we had just lived a little simpler and put my entire paycheck toward our school loans when I was working. It only would have taken about a year and a half. Now I'm not working and it's going to take us considerably longer to pay off that debt. My husband always reminds me that at least we learned it now rather than when we're 50 or something. That doesn't always bring me comfort.) Fantastic principles. And a good dose of peace of mind, as it gives the tools to at least know what the heck is going on with your finances. I say all of this as if at least one of you has never heard of it. I'm sure most of you have.

Anyway, in the course, Dave identifies financial management styles as Spender vs. Saver and Nerd vs. Free Spirit. You know how it goes: the spender likes to spend while the saver would rather save (duh) and the nerd loves the budgeting and management while the free spirit would rather not pay attention to those pesky details. I think he mentioned that within couples there is often one who is a spender and one who is a saver, as well as one who is the nerd while the other is the free spirit. It was a little hard to apply those labels to myself and my husband, since we're both pretty frugal, but I've finally done it, with confirmation.

My husband is the Free Spirit/Saver. He would be most content to never spend any money. And since he doesn't like spending money, he definitely doesn't like paying attention to spending-money-type details. He would rather just earn money, put it in the bank, and never think about it again. There it would just pile up, and he wouldn't have to worry about it, because the pile would always be there, just growing.

And I am most definitely the Nerd/Spender. I don't want to just blindly fritter away money on whatever whim tickles my fancy at the moment. But I want to know what is there and how we can best arrange it so that we can spend it, both on what we need and maybe, just maybe, what we want someday. Like a real vacation or something.

This week my role was completely validated. I joined Mint.com. My sister-in-law's husband told me about it several years ago. YEARS. It's not like I didn't believe him or anything, but I just never looked into that. For that I'm sad, and for that I'm sorry. I will always look into whatever he tells me to from now on. The tools there are A M A Z I N G. I'm here to give an unpaid, unsolicited endorsement. All our accounts on one screen. My budget, guided by Dave Ramsey, put into an easy, manageable program that updates itself like magic according to the activity in our accounts. I check it at least twice a day, which is a little excessive. I'm sure that soon I'll be able to just check it once every few days. But for now, I just sit and gaze at the wonder on my screen.

My point is, even if you are not a nerd, or maybe especially if you are not a nerd, you should check it out. It's like Financial Management for Dummies. Or Nerd Heaven. Whichever suits your fancy.

Plugging Away

2011-04-11T09:13:00.001-06:00

Potty-Training: Take 3 is going okay. Not great, not terrible. Just okay. We've had a few small victories. Like the other day, when she wet her underwear. She cried out and we ran upstairs to the bathroom. I still made her take off her own pants and get on the potty herself, which is decidedly slower than if I were to do it for her. Her underwear was wet, but she still had quite a bit to put in the potty. I was so proud. That told me that she was able to stop herself from going once she felt it.

However, we've had zero #2 successes since last week. I've been putting her in a diaper at bedtime, and so she's been saving that business for then. Then yesterday she wore pull-ups all day, and she went twice in those. She's never gone in her underwear, but she seems to feel free to go in a pull-up. It's a bit maddening, because all of this tells me that she knows when she has to go. She just chooses to go in her pants.

And I'm not sure the whole treat/reward thing is working. Oh she likes it. She talks about it. But I'm not sure that it is actually motivating her. When she doesn't get a treat (like when her underwear is wet or she poops in her pants) she's never upset about it. She just smiles and talks about when she gets a treat next time. All of this reminds me that going potty in the potty truly has to be her decision.

On the bright side, though, she's named the ballerina's on her pull-ups. Well, she asked their names and I told her, but she accepted the names without question. I'd like to introduce you to Judy:

The other ballerina is named Linda. I try to tell her to keep Judy and Linda dry. She's actually really good at it. I should probably start telling her how much they don't like poop. Maybe that will give her to push she needs to make that decision.

An Unexpected Battle

2011-04-06T13:15:00.000-06:00

In case you were wondering, I've actually kept Pumpkin Pie mostly in underwear since my post yesterday. She's pretty insistent about it, except for one time yesterday when she requested a diaper. I put her in a diaper for nap time and bedtime, but other than that it's been underwear. She has wet four out of five pairs, but has actually stayed dry for most of today.

Anyway, I've been reading the book The Duggars: 20 and Counting! by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, and it's been fascinating. Michelle goes a bit into potty training in the book, because so many people ask her about it. One of the things she says that she has developed over potty-training the past 15 or so children is that she doesn't start training until the kid is able to take off AND put back on their underwear and pants, and is able to climb up on the big toilet by themselves. Well, I have stools that help with the climbing on the toilet, but I've decided that the whole undressing/dressing themselves thing is a really good idea. So since yesterday I've decided that Pumpkin Pie is going to completely take care of that aspect herself. Little did I know that it would be a battle.

I guess I've helped her a little too much. Definitely I've been the one putting on her diapers, so she kind of expects it. And as far as her pants go, she can kind of do it, but apparently I would always step in and help her finish. So yesterday when I insisted that she put on her underwear and pants all by herself, we had a bit of a meltdown. Tears. Wailing. Gnashing of teeth. I stood by and gave instructions and encouragement, but you would have thought I was asking her to put her elbow in her nose. I do help her button her pants, but she has to pull them all the way up by herself. There have been fewer tears each time.

I didn't even know that battle existed. I can't wait until the weather is warm so she can just wear sundresses all the time and not have to worry about pulling up bulky jeans. All you new moms beware: asking your child to pull up their own pants may be hazardous to your health.

Milestones All Around

2011-04-05T09:01:00.000-06:00

This is my 100th post. I've been mulling over several ideas of what to write about for this momentous occasion, but it was all thrown out the window today when Pumpkin Pie provided me with some very appropriate material.

I started this blog in January of 2010 with the main idea of chronicling the potty training of Pumpkin Pie. She was 18 months old at the time, and I read a book that babies can be potty trained fresh from the womb, practically. (I may be exaggerating.) Well, that first attempt ended in failure. She just wasn't catching on. I tried again in August of 2010, hoping she would be potty trained before Honey Pie arrived in October. I actually got my hopes up on that try, since she seemed to be doing well. But then she just stopped even trying. So I stopped trying.

Since then I have been very discouraged about the whole potty training thing. There are too many articles and systems out there boasting that your child will be potty trained in three days or whatever. And many of my friends are rightfully celebrating the fact that their children, who are younger than Pumpkin Pie, have mastered this elusive skill. Oh, Pumpkin Pie goes in the potty sometimes. And in her diaper sometimes. I haven't been willing to put her in anything other than diapers, because she has shown no promise of any kind of consistency. And because she outright refused to poop in the potty.

Which brings me to the reason for my 100th post. We were eating breakfast today and she said she had to go potty. So I cleaned her up, got her down and sent her off. For awhile now she's been able to go into the bathroom, turn on the light, take off her pants and diaper and sit on the potty by herself. This process can take awhile, since she dinks around like a normal two-year-old. It usually ends in the tiniest amount of tinkle you've ever seen in the potty, but we affirm her nonetheless. So I was cleaning up breakfast dishes while she did her thing in the bathroom just off the kitchen. Every two minutes or so I'd call out "Are you done?" because while she can take off her diaper, she can't get it back on herself. And she always needs help turning on the water to wash her hands. She'd call back "No!" Several minutes later I heard "I pooped!" I ran to the bathroom, and sure enough she had! I cheered and cheered and hugged her and wiped her little bottom.

For weeks and weeks we've been talking about what will happen when she poops in the potty. First, she'll get to wear her beautiful underwear. I didn't want to put her in underwear until she stopped refusing to poop in the potty. Second, I bought a bag of Easter Hershey Kisses (because of the pretty colors) and told her she could have one. Well, as soon as we washed her hands today, she held me to both of those promises. The chocolate was easy; I had no problem giving her one of those. The underwear thing gave me pause, though. I just don't think she's ready for it. I asked her if she would like to wear a pull-up today, but no, she insisted on underwear because she "pooped in the potty." I had no choice but to follow through. I put her in underwear and some pants I would never let her wear out of the house because I don't like them. I lectured her over and over about not going potty in the underwear, and if she needed to go potty she should just run to the bathroom. She was getting ready for room time, and I told her that if she needed to go she could leave her room. She said "okay" a million times. Not ten minutes after I put her in her room, I heard her calling "Mommy! Mommy!" in a very distressed voice. I ran upstairs to find...her pants soaked. ::sigh:: I knew that would happen.

So now she's in a pull-up. I hope she can keep it dry. I have errands to run today, or I would just let her be in underwear all day. Even now, though, I have a hard time believing she'll ever be truly potty-trained. I'm fully preparing myself to be the only mom who has to go to her kindergarten class several times a day just to change her diaper. We'll see.

March Report Card

2011-03-30T20:11:00.001-06:00

I must apologize that this blog was so quiet this month. I feel that I was very up front with you all about how I feel about the month of March, so even if you were prepared, I'm sorry if I let you down. I take some comfort in the fact that March seemed to be a very quiet month in the blogging world in general. Many of the blogs that I like to read were just as sparse as mine. But that's probably due to the fact that everyone else is crazy busy with super fun things, and not sitting in the stagnant waters of the late-winter doldrums like me. But there is good news: life is springing up everywhere. The grass seems to be greener each day. I've seen a few daffodils poking their sunny heads out of the brown ground. A whole new crop of babies are being born or being announced that they are going to be born this year. Things are looking up.

I actually accomplished my goal for the month of March, which is a pretty big deal. My goal for the month of March was to send out the middle-grade novel I wrote last year. First of all, any writer who has ever tried to actually sell a story knows what a big deal this is. Oh, the actual process of putting a stamp on the envelope (or attaching the document in a email) is simple, but gearing up for it is really hard. It's hard to send something out that you know has a 99% chance of being rejected. It's very tempting to just not do it at all. Plus, I decided to send the story to an agent rather than to a publisher, and even the agency required quite a few things in addition to the sample chapters. So, lots of work for probably no return. My husband just reminded me that I'll have all that work done for the next agency I send it to. The point is, I did it. And in one to three weeks I should have my answer from them.

Here is my updated goal list:

January - Move.

February - Make a Homemaking Binder.

March - Send out my story.

April - Make a Felt Doll Set.

May - Plant Garden Pots.

June - Make a Sourdough Starter.

July - Make Homemade Laundry Detergent.

August - Make hair bows.

September - Make throw pillow covers.

I'm all set to make the felt doll set for Pumpkin Pie next month. The only thing I think I need is some pinking shears. (I can't believe how expensive those things are!) And I almost scrapped my May project of planting garden pots. Gardening stuff is all over the place now, and as I was walking through Walmart I began to feel ridiculously overwhelmed. So I've decided that I will probably plant only one pot. Maybe two. I already have a strawberry pot, so I should probably see what I can do with that. Now I just have to decide what I want to plant in my other pot. I'm trying to decide between cucumbers and tomatoes. If I can make a go of one pot, maybe I can add another next year.

And maybe you've noticed that I've found a project for September. Now that I have my very own sewing machine I'd love to make some covers for these terribly tattered throw pillows that we have. We actually bought new ones to replace them, but I saved the old ones for such a project as this. Simple Mom posted this blog and I immediately knew it had to be one of my projects.

And here is my reading list for the month of March (titles in red were books read for book reviews.) Now you can see what I've been doing instead of blogging:

A Quiet Strength by Janette Oke
Like Gold Refined by Janette Oke
Her Daughter’s Dream by Francine Rivers
Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider
Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
Life Is Friends: A Complete Guide to the Lost Art of Connecting in Person by Jeanne Martinet
How To Be God’s Little Princess by Sheila Walsh
Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn
Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot
City Girl by Lori Wick
Attack at the Arena by Paul McCusker and Marianne Hering

And finally, a random fact for you: my next post will be my 100th post. I'll try and make it count.