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The Christmas Shoppe – A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on November 12, 2011
in Books

Our family loves the Christmas season, which will be upon us in just a couple of weeks. Melody Carlson has written a timely novel, The Christmas Shoppe.

The bookworms on your gift list will enjoy this refreshing, heartwarming story with a sprinkle of romance. It is a light, easy read. Definitely a book to read to “get away from it all” if a vacation is not on the horizon.

If you believe in Christmas angels then this book is for you! Matilda is a character in The Christmas Shoppe. She is an eccentric woman with some very unselfish goals as she sowed seeds of love, healing and happiness out over the people living in the town of Parrish.

I loved the story’s message, which from my perspective seems three-fold:

1. Remember the true meaning of Christmas.
2. Don’t allow old wounds to ruin your present and future life.
3. Allow love to conquer all.

The Christmas Shoppe receives two thumbs up for me! I am even letting my daughters read this one! Oh and I did not shed one tear…..amazing, I know!

“Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Free e-book – Saving Money And Time Without Losing Your Mind

Posted by html404 on October 6, 2011
in Downloads, Ebooks, Free Stuff, Saving Money, Thrifty Thursday

Got this in my inbox….

For those serious about saving money, this FREE ebook will enable you to save money and time without losing your mind!

http://www.livingonadime.com/free-e-book-saving-money-and-time/

I haven’t read it yet, but let me know if you like it or not.

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The DMZ Book Review

Posted by html404 on September 30, 2011
in Books

DMZ is a suspenseful novel packed with action and romance. Julie Baker is a reporter whose parents had been missionaries in Colombia. Old hurts and terrors surge as she revisits the place of her birth… and her parents death. When Julie is abducted by guerrillas, there is no escape! Will anyone help her or will she end up dead like her parents? In the end she is left with more questions than answers.

This book is packed with surprises at every turn and the ending is amazing! I loved how the author wrote such a spell binding book! I couldn’t put it down! I really liked the entire plot and story. Even though this book was romantic and a tear jerker, it was still full of adventure. A really good book to say the least!

This book get’s two thumbs up from me! You can find it on Amazon here.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Deeply Devoted – A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on September 29, 2011
in Books

Deeply Devoted by Maggie Brendan will resonate with those who have trust issues. I bawled my eyes out (no news there, I know!) in places as I felt the pain of Catharine’s past and her inability to fully trust in the present.

This book is set in the west during the era of mail order brides. I have always admired the strength and courage these women must have had to present themselves as brides to complete strangers. Catharine was no different.

I also admired the trust that Catharine and Peter had in God, as farmers, He was in control over whether their crops failed or made a profit for their livelihood. Farming is hard work as it is without considering the weather factor.

Maggie Brendan’s first book in her Blue Willow Brides series was a very enjoyable read for relaxation. It had all the good read qualities since it made me laugh, cry and feel the pain and hurt of the characters.

Two thumbs up from me!

“Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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A Lancaster County Christmas – Revell Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on September 24, 2011
in Books

As most of you know, the Amish lifestyle and community intrigue me. There is much to learn from them, imho (in my humble opinion). I love Suzanne Woods Fisher’s books. Not only are they entertaining but they appeal to the heart and A Lancaster County Christmas is no different.

Two young couples providentially meet just before Christmas. Outwardly their lives are world apart, but inwardly they have more in common than they would care to admit. During a “chance” snowstorm, these two couples have the opportunity to learn from each other – abandonment, grief, anger, bitterness, lack of trust and unhappiness rage through some troubled souls deep in Lancaster County.

I loved how Suzanne revealed the perception (or misconception) between the Amish and English. I loved the tenderness between the couples as they sorted through their difficult circumstances. What I enjoyed most was the portrayal of God’s love and adoption of us into HIS family in the relationship between Zach and the Riehls. What amazing love He has for us!

The anger Mattie and Jaime experienced in their relationship with God was something I could relate to as I, too, have faced difficult circumstances that made me blame God, rather than accepting them as a “gift” (or bump in the road of life). God’s love for us is all encompassing though and He never leaves us through those situations which test our faith. The friendship that blossomed between these two very different women was very endearing.

Misunderstandings and lack of trust are often hard to work through and this book shows us how two couples do just that during one of the most festive seasons of the year.

As usual, I cried in this book too. It was another heart warming story from Suzanne Woods Fisher!

Giveaway!

Enter 9/7-9/26!

Click the button above to go to the site hosting Suzanne’s giveaway. This giveaway ends on Monday, September 26, so enter now before it’s too late!

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Blue Skies Tomorrow

Posted by html404 on September 24, 2011
in Books

Since finishing at Mrs. A’s farm I have had to catch up on some reading….pretty quickly I might add!

Sarah Sundin has a way of making her “historical romance” novels more than just an ordinary romance. Blue Skies Tomorrow was a story of intrigue – I love the fighter pilot adventures! This book was not only about adventure and intrigue, it contained a message of hope, deliverance and healing as well.

Anyone in a”dating” relationship should read this story as it deals with the all important reminder of getting to know the person you are interested in really well before you head to the alter. Amid the reminder is the poignant struggle of how we can grow to show grace beyond our humanness…with God’s help, of course.

Blue Skies Tomorrow was an enjoyable break from the every day happenings of life, like watching a movie is for some people. Now, I need to get back to real life and all the other work waiting for me!

Thanks Sarah for sharing a novel that show not only the battle between nations but those of the human spirit as well.

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The Colonel’s Lady – A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on August 30, 2011
in Books

This summer I have not had much time for reading other than what I can do online, so it was a treat to participate in Revell’s Blog Tour of The Colonel’s Lady, even though I read the book quickly, I forgot to post my review! (The admission of a very worn out mama, who is juggling many balls right now…)

The Colonel’s Lady is a historical romance written by Laura Franz. It is set during the 1700’s on the Kentucky Frontier. Franz writes from a little different perspective than what most might consider normal in a “Christian” historical romance book.

I liked the perspective that she presented even though it meant revisiting some sad memories from my childhood. As much as alcohol is a part of our culture and society, I will never, ever consider it a part of my life. Thankfully, my husband is of the same mind.

Too many hurting people turn to alcohol to help them through hard times and this is the spin that Franz shares in The Colonel’s Lady. The soldiers during that time were dealing with many difficult situations, especially the higher ranking officers, therefore, some would turn to “the drink.”

Franz also delved where most Christian writers might dance around and that is the loneliness the soldiers experienced; and just how that loneliness was curbed – with loose women (or what would have been considered loose back then).

Let’s just say that when I read about the hardships of others, even those in a fictional work, it strikes a cord within me and makes me grateful that God spared me from such a life.

I really liked this book. It was entertaining and tickled all the right emotions, as a good book should. I liked the suspense, I liked the surprise element of discovering who was leaking information to the opposition.

Overall, I recommend this book. Great reading for this fall and winter!

Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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30 Meals in One Day Review, Promo Code & Giveaway!

Posted by Brande on July 8, 2011
in Books, Coupons, Deals, Downloads, DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Gift Ideas, Giveaways, Health, Health & Garden Tuesday, Health and Garden Tuesday, Health and Nutrition, Products for Mom, Recipes, Saving Money

So, you spent the day at work or running around with your kids. You get home and the question comes up, “What’s for dinner?”. Imagine telling them we’re having Slow Cooked Chili or Chicken Stuffed Manicotti within 45 minutes! With this book and CD, it’s possible!

Dinner is Ready (by Deanna Buxton) is the book & software I received. In this book, there are 15 chapters. Each explains in detail the steps you need to accomplish your ultimate goal of 30 Meals in One Day. Here are a few chapter titles. “What is Freezer-Worthy?”, “Things That Will Make Your Life Easier”, “The Day Before”, & “Thawing”.

I’m going to share 2 (two) paragraphs from the “Dinner is Ready” book.

From Chapter 2 – “What is Freezer-Worthy?”

“The test for “freezer-worthiness” is, “Do you like it after it has been frozen?” After it is frozen, thawed and heated, can you tell that it has been frozen? If you can tell it has been frozen, you don’t want it on your freezer-worthy list. You are not freezing leftovers! What makes leftovers taste like leftovers? Leftovers can taste dried out, thick and overcooked. Freezing is a marvelous method for food preservation. When frozen properly, the food you serve your family will taste as delicious as if made that day! The intention is to freeze food at or before its peak so you are always serving fresh tasting food. Fully cooked meals such as Slow Cooker, StoveTop and Oven recipes should be frozen as soon as cool enough to go into the freezer. Assemble recipes should be frozen as soon as preparation and packaging is complete.

From Chapter 4 – ” Choosing Recipes”

“Before choosing 15 recipes to prepare, you must first divide them according to cooking method and/or time required to prepare each. Slow Cooker recipes, Oven recipes, StoveTop recipes, and Assemble recipes.

Your recipe list should very nearly consist of:

2 Slow Cooker recipes, 2 Oven recipes, 2 StoveTop recipes and 9 Assemble recipes

This is a general rule. The number of each will probably vary at times. Just be sure to limit the total to 15. Don’t choose more Slow Cooker and Oven recipes than are physically possible in a day and avoid choosing too many labor intensive StoveTop recipes.”

My Review:

What your doing is making 15 double batch recipes, getting 30 meals. This book and software is fantastic! The software is very friendly, when you pick your recipes. It will develop a shopping list and labels! Also, from the software you can print a menu, recipes, and labels! The book is very step by step and it seems as though nothing has been left out! There are 158 pages of recipes! However, I must warn you. You’ll need 1 (one) full day just to cook. So, put your families on notice for that day. That and your shopping day, you’ll probably end up spending more than normal. But, you’ll have tons of meals! I know what some of you are thinking, where am I going to fit 30 meals in my freezer? (There’s a chapter on this too) I’m limited on space and moving in a few weeks. So, 30 meals didn’t make sense to me at this time. Or maybe you want to try it out first. You can do what I did, I made 10 meals (5 recipes). 1 Slow Cooker, 1 Oven, 1 StoveTop, and 2 Assemble. Worked for me!

In addition to Dinner is Ready, they offer Lunch is Ready & On the Side. Got a wedding or baby shower coming up?

Overall, I recommend this product!

Let’s talk promo codes! We’ve got one for you, for you! You can get $5.00 off any order over $12.oo if you use this promo code: UTFAIR Not too shabby!

Join their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Dinner-is-Ready#!/pages/Dinner-is-Ready/192962734062940

Or their blog at http://www.30mealsinoneday.blogspot.com/!

Oh, one more thing! We have a giveaway!!!!

One very lucky Faith and Family Reviews reader will win a Dinner is Ready book and software combo!

You can also purchase this combo on their website at http://www.30mealsinoneday.com/products.php and don’t forget your promo code UTFAIR. If you order the same combo set, then win the giveaway, they will refund your order OR send you another set! AND – it you order the full set (all 3 cookbooks and 3-in-1 software) before the winner is announced, the will refund $60.00 of the winner’s order!

Happy Cooking!

Giveaway-

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what your favorite dish is to cook or bake.
Extra Entries (Please be sure and leave a comment and link for extra entries):

1 Entry:Follow Faith and Family Reviews On Twitter

1 Entry:Like/Friend Faith and Family Reviews on Facebook.

1 Entry: Join their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Dinner-is-Ready#!/pages/Dinner-is-Ready/192962734062940

2 Entries: Follow Faith and Family Reviews on Google Friend Connect (on the our right side bar).

2 Entries: Tweet about this giveaway, but only one tweet per day please. Include your tweet url with your comment. You may write your own tweet or use this one:

Giveaway: Enter to win a 30 meals in one day combo pack! http://bit.ly/p4jNyA @faithfamilyrevw! Please share! Thx!

5 Entries: Blog about this giveaway and link back this post..

1 Entry: for every comment you leave anywhere else on this blog, but please leave a link with your comment!

Details:
This giveaway will run from July 8th, 2011 to July 22nd, 2011 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. 30 Meals in One Day will send one winner their prize. Winner will be contacted via email on or before July 22nd and will be asked for their contact and other pertinent info. Winners will have 48 hours to send me their e-mail at [ffr] [giveaways] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com] (without spaces and parenthesis). Please note: This giveaway is offered to US and Canada only.

Thanks and have fun!

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Book Review ~ You Can Count on Monsters

Posted by Professor on June 27, 2011
in Books, Education, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Parenting, School

You Can Count on Monsters by: Richard Evan Schwartz

You Can Count on Monsters by Richard Evan Schwartz: Book Cover

Theresa already reviewed this book…but we thought it would be nice to do a second review, since I was also given a copy for our family.

OUR REVIEW:

This is a cute little book! The premise of the book is to teach about prime numbers and factoring…the book goes through the numbers 1-100. The author states that the only thing you need to know in order to enjoy this book is how to multiply whole numbers together, like 2 and 3. My daughter (7) is just getting into multiplication so this book is a bit conceptually advanced for her…but we did find that it could be used for simple counting lessons for my 2 and 5 year old. My children LOVE the pictures of the monsters…this is what got them interested in the book and numbers. I think that they would have been disinterested had there been simply numbers and facts. The monster theme made the book for my children.

As a mother I liked the book immensely! I was glad that the book had a use for my 2 and 5 year old as well as my 7 year old! I like that the book has a second use of numbers and silly pictures to entertain my younger children while being able to teach my older child about simple mathematical facts. This book gets 5 stars from our family!

Check out the authors website for more information as well as other published books.

http://www.richardevanschwartz.com/

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Beneath the Night Tree

Posted by html404 on June 15, 2011
in Books

Ok, my last book review for the week, maybe even the summer….but that’s unlikely as I have some farming books to complete too.

Beneath the Night Tree was highly emotional, funny and poignant story of a single mother. If you know a teen who has had a child out of wedlock then you will sympathize with Julia DeSmit as she travels the road as a single parent. You will be gripped to your seat as her life is upset by the reappearance of her child’s dead beat dad.

Each of the characters in Beneath the Night Tree endeared themselves to me, all except one. I loved the mother-love Julia had for her two “boys”. The strength of Julia’s character is amazing with all the events she had to overcome. I loved the relationship she shared with her grandmother. She was a devoted granddaughter.

Julia was fortunate enough to finally find love with a man who not only accepted and loved her, but loved her two “boys” as his very own. I think it takes a special individual to welcome a child that is not their own into their hearts and to love that child as if he was his flesh and blood. Not everyone can do it and I admire those who can and do. Since I have a tender spot for teen moms, I was in tears during many parts of this book as Julia went through her soul searching adventure.

Two of my younger sisters were teen mothers, but only one of them stayed with the father of her children. The other is blessed to have found a man who is a true father to my nephew, who is going on 17 this year. His “dad” has been a father to him since he was at least 2 years old.

I highly recommend Beneath the Night Tree. It is an endearing story of one woman’s ability to overcome the past and move on with the future. I have already begun to read it over again and that is not something I do very often!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product, compliments from Tyndale House Publishers, in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.