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Dear Granddaughter: Life Lessons from your Grandmother

Posted by Professor on December 3, 2013
in Books, Gift Ideas, Girl Stuff, Reviews, Uncategorized

Dear Granddaughter: Life Lessons from Your Grandmother

The holidays are a time for families to unite ~ and for children to feel the closeness of a strong familial bond. It is also the perfect time for grandparents to impart their years of wisdom onto their beloved grandchildren.

In Dear Grandmother, author Judy Smith (a grandmother of four herself) shares her heartfelt insights with the grandparents of the world. She reminds young women everywhere just how special their grandmothers really are.

“Grandmothers come in all forms,” says Smith. “But every grandmother is full of valuable wisdom. She can tell you the secrets of nourishing your soul, falling in and out of love, living with dignity and grace, and most importantly – enjoying the journey. Listen closely to your grandmother when she speaks and hold on to each pearl, for therein lies tremendous truth and wisdom.”

About the Author:

Judy Smith is a proud grandmother of four. She enjoys teaching her grandchildren the value of wisdom from their elders. While she is a young grandmother, she believes today’s younger generations are missing out on old-fashioned values and life lessons. She is also the co-author of the book Business Mojo: Achieving Success Through Mystical Exploration.

OUR REVIEW:

Although I am not a grandmother, I LOVED this book. My grandmother died a week before I received this book to review. Receiving this book was like getting a hug from my grandmother, letting me know everything was going to be all right. I must say the timing to review this was amazing! In any event, this is a wonderful book for granddaughters and grandmothers alike. I would not say it is for younger granddaughters … yet older ones that can take the knowledge within and let it seep into their core. Likewise grandmothers can take heart to the advice within the pages and choose to impart the knowledge to their own granddaughters or take the words and use them as an inspiration for crafting their own knowledge to impart!

This was truly a wonderful inspiring text…so much love and knowledge within the pages of the book. The book is also laden with wonderful pictures to accompany the text… very moving.

You can purchase Dear Granddaughter: Life Lessons from Your Grandmother or your local bookstore.

Fell free to take a look inside Dear Granddaughter: Life Lessons from Your Grandmother on Amazon.

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Liquid Amino Diet Part 2 and Giveaway

Posted by html404 on November 29, 2013
in Giveaways, Health, Health and Nutrition, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

By now you all know how much I struggle with any sort of diet to help me lose weight. Most of you know I have been trying the Liquid Amino Diet for the past few weeks. See my post on Liquid Amino Diet Part 1 here.

As a recap….

What is the Liquid Amino Diet?

Dr. Finsand developed the Amino Diet about 4 years ago after years of research and trials with his patients. The Liquid Amino diet is not about a quick fix, it is about a total and complete lifestyle change. The lifestyle change is accomplished through clean eating and ALL NATURAL homeopathic drops. Because of the healthy change in diet, you can expect to lose between .5-1 lb per day. Unlike other diets, the Amino Diet does not inject hormones for a total body shock, but instead focuses on teaching people how to eat clean without the shock of the system. This is one HUGE factor in keeping the weight off for extended periods of time.

Be sure to check out this video from a real Amino dieter who lost 85 pounds on the program.

Liquid Amino Diet Review and Giveaway

Taking the Liquid Amino Diet was a breeze. It has an odd flavor, yet it’s not unpleasant by any means. Letting it sit under my tongue was a breeze and I normally allowed it to go over 20 seconds. What I struggled with was remembering to take it 15 minutes before my meals. I also struggled with consistency.

In our busy household we do not like to make several meals for each of the three main meal times so I am very use to eating whatever the rest of the family eats. In terms of “dieting” I struggle with eating differently and what I’ll say to my children. If I say I am trying to eat healthier, that will leave them questioning if our family meals are truly healthy. 95-99% of our meals are made from scratch, made with mostly organic ingredients etc. With a houseful of growing children, we do eat a lot of carbs. Because of this I really did not experience the weight loss I could or perhaps should have. I do know that when I happened to take the Liquid Amino Diet supplement consistently at least once or twice a day it did seem to curb my appetite. That’s always a good thing, right?

I like the fact there is coaching available with the Liquid Amino Diet, but I only reached out to my “coach” a couple of times and when I did she did have encouraging things to say. I probably should have reached out a lot more, even on a daily basis to take full advantage of a “cheerleading” section. Who doesn’t want to do well when someone is quietly cheering you on in the sidelines?

I think anything is worth a try and for that reason I would say give the Liquid Amino Diet a try but be consistent and keep your calories within that 1500 range and see what happens to the extra weight you so desperately desire to lose. Add a little exercise and I bet you lose a few more pounds than you expected.

Me? I always have high hopes and high aspirations in anything but always seem to fail when it comes to weight loss.

Enter the giveaway below to win your own Liquid Amino Diet:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Holiday Craft Ideas from Kid Made Modern

Posted by 278Wife on November 28, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Handmade Items, Holidays, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

Arts and crafts projects are always a big hit in our household with my four year old son. They are even a bigger hit around the holidays, since we like to give homemade gifts to grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Kid Made Modern collection is a great affordable option for kids and parents alike, plus they have great holiday craft ideas. Sold exclusively at Target and target.com with nothing over $20! They offer everything from crayons & markers, to craft kits like tie-dye & ornaments.

My son had a blast using the Double-Pointed Crazy Crayons, Mini Colored Pencils, and Washable Markers to color a birthday card. The crazy crayons were nice and thick so they were easy to hold, and had super vibrant colors. My son loved how “crazy” he could color.

I loved how the mini colored pencils were packaged. They came in a tube where the cover easily comes off and you can choose your color. It was way easier for him to get them out of the tube opposed to the traditional box where they are all aligned in a row.

The markers were very unique, too. They had ridges on them like a pencil, but they still felt smooth. It made it very easy to hold and color. Any of these would make great stocking stuffers!

We also had a chance to try one of the Kid Made Modern Faux Stained Glass Ornament Kits. Even though the age on the box says 6+, I figured my four year old could do it with my help. It contained all of the supplies to create six ornaments including the directions.

My son had a great time painting the ornaments and waiting patiently for them to dry so he could see them finished. Each ornament was individually wrapped with a plastic film to protect it from getting scratched. I found this to be very difficult to remove. It took me a couple of minutes for each ornament. I wish I would have removed all of the plastic films before I had my son sit down for the project. I loved how many different color paint choices came with the box as well as two different sized paintbrushes.

It even included string to hang each ornament. We made one for each set of grandparents and a few for some other family members.

Kid Made Modern kits would make great holiday craft ideas and gifts for children this Christmas season. Check out their array of products at

www.Target.com

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Vtech InnoTab 3S Kid Connect App and Giveaway

Posted by html404 on November 22, 2013
in Apps, Downloads, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Giveaways, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

In October we reviewed the Vtech InnoTab 3S tablet for kids, which they continue to use and have fun with every day. So we were thrilled when we were offered Vtech InnoTab 3S Premium Kid Connect App. The InnoTab 3S comes with a one year subscription of Basic Kid Connect, which allows kids and parents to send just text messages and stickers.

Premium Vtech Kid Connect App

The unique thing about the Premium Kid Connect App is it helps kids stay connected to parents at home or on the go. As with the Vtech InnoTab 3S internet connection, the Kid Connect app provides a secure and easy-to-use tablet-to-mobile communication. Parents and children can exchange voice and text messages, as well as photos, drawings and stickers! In addition, children can stay connected to their friends and siblings who also have InnoTab 3S tablets and do so from anywhere in the world (with Wi-Fi).

Premium Kid Connect subscription does cost money. For the first two weeks after registration of the InnoTab 3S, a Deluxe Apps package with Premium Kid Connect is available for $14.99. The package also includes Movie Maker (a $7.99 value), a fun stop-motion animation app that lets kids become movie directors – our kids love to make videos! Once the two week promotional period is over, Premium Kid Connect can be purchased separately for $14.99. Kid Connect is only available on the InnoTab 3S, so if you have other versions of the InnoTab you are unfortunately out of luck until you upgrade to the InnoTab 3S.

Kid Connect App Review

My youngest daughter is having a field day with the Kid Connect App! I have been trying to get this post written today and she keeps interrupting me to tell me she sent me a new message. I have been focused on my laptop screen not my iPhone!

I completely missed the instructions to set up the Kid Connect App subscription so I spent more time than I should have figuring out how to work the app. Once I did though it’s a breeze to use!

Once you have added the Premium Kid Connect app subscription to your account it will show up under downloads in the Vtech Lodge. From there you will have to transfer it to your child’s Vtech InnoTab 3S tablet and for that you have to have the tablet connected to your computer. Then it’s easy for your child to click on the Premium Kids Connect icon to start sending texts and voice messages, stickers and photos or drawings.

I had trouble finding out how to send from the app on my iPhone until I discovered you have to click the icon of your child in your contacts. I am not usually technologically challenged but I just could not find my way out of the contacts or my profile for some reason. By the way it’s fun choosing a profile icon as you can see from mine in the above image.

The contacts are listed in the above photo. The blacked out part is the child’s name, the names shown are just made up screen names.

The stickers are fun for kids to send. I sent this kiss to my daughter – it actually makes a cute smooching sound when you click it to send!

This is a heart I made and sent to Blondie.

Once it’s sent it looks very much like our text messages we send from our phones.

Blondie had fun drawing, texting, sending stickers, lots and lots of stickers and voice messages. She’s been playing my voice message over and over again. Guess she loves hearing my voice!

The Kid Connect App has been a great addition to our children’s Vtech InnoTab 3S tablet. Now when we go out or I am away my children do not have to ask my husband or their older siblings to message me. They can do it themselves. As long as someone logs them onto our Wi-Fi, since the Innotab 3S does not save our home Wi-Fi’s password.

Vtech InnoTab 3S Giveaway

Vtech is offering one of you a chance to win a InnoTab 3S tablet for your child! It will make a Christmas or birthday gift! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Replacement Sweeteners

Posted by html404 on November 19, 2013
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Holidays, Recipes, Reviews, Uncategorized

Did you know many replacement sweeteners are not healthy or even safe for long term use? Did you know that many websites including the Mayo Clinic say that artificial sweeteners are generally safe, even for pregnant women? Personally, we have stayed away from artificial sweeteners. Aspartame always left a weird, icky taste in my mouth and so even before I knew of the dangers of it I never liked it. We also try hard to stay away from High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as well. We use organic cane sugar, raw honey, molasses and maple syrup for the most part.

I participated in a Twitter party last week for #Switch2Swerve – Swerve Sweetener (granular) – and these are some facts I learned about refined sugar and artificial sweeteners:

1. Artificial sweetener Aspartame is genetically modified, toxic to brain cells and makes you to put it bluntly…fat. (I hate that word!)
2. Americans ingest 200 calories of high fructose corn syrup daily and 130 lbs per year.
3. Some high fructose corn syrup is laced with mercury which is a metal linked to heart disease and autism.
4. Sorbitol & erythritol can have a laxative effective if you consume too much. Family members with diabetes consuming products with artificial sweeteners have have found this to be true, but I don’t know which artificial sweeteners.
5. Someone went to a maple syrup farm, and was told 90% of store maple syrup really has none in it at all!
6. Sucralose (Spenda) is passing through our bodies found in waste water treatment plants. It has potential to harm food supply.
7. 21.4 teaspoons of sugar equals about 16-25% of total caloric intake. Currently only 5% of sugar is recommended.
8. Safe sweeteners include: Swerve, Stevia, xylitol, sorbitol, erythritol, raw honey, blackstrap molasses, & maple syrup
9. It is important to note that naturally occurring sugar in fruits, veggies etc. are all acceptable and should not be avoided.

Dr. Mercola has issues with store bought honey, not raw honey, and agave. He has a great article on sugar substitutes. Discovery Health even has an article on artificial sweeteners. So I won’t go into any more risks of using artificial sweeteners because you can do your own research and find out a ton of information instead of taking my word for it.

Enter Swerve, a product I just learned about and tried recently.

Swerve

I like the fact that Swerve contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives or flavors! It is non-GMO and has no calories. Swerve is non-glycemic and is actually good for your gut by helping you grow beneficial bacteria. You can learn more facts when you visit Swerve Sweetener (granular)

I have only tried Swerve in my tea so far but it tasted good. Not too sweet at all. We received an 8 oz. canister of Swerve Sweetner and I want to try it in one of our holiday recipes to see how it makes dessert taste. Swerve has lots of recipe ideas that look delicious. I am especially looking forward to trying their blueberry muffin, fudge and pumpkin pie recipes.

3 Swerve Sample Packets are available for just $1.00, plus you get a $2.00 coupon for your next order, if you are interested in trying it. Right now they also have a sale going on for aCanister 4pk for $20 + Free Shipping.

For more information on Swerve Sweetener visit them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest (more recipe ideas).

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Tmart MP3/MP4 Review

Posted by Brande on November 15, 2013
in Deals, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Movies, Music, Photography, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Shopping, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

My husband and I both have MP player products from another company and my

mp4 3

daughter always wants to use them. Well, the cost if they break is not one we can absorb at the moment. I’m sure there are other households with a similar issue. Tmart has a much less expensive alternative. For a fraction of the cost you can purchase a 4GB 2″ LCD Screen MP3/MP4 Player with FM/Camera Function.

This MP3/MP4 player is about 4 inches long about 1 ½ inches wide, super light also. It has several functions including, music, video, photo, and FM radio. Included in the box was ear buds and USB cable. It takes pretty good pictures and videos. The sound quality is acceptable also.

MP4 1

Tmart’s MP3/MP4 player comes in 9 colors, the one I received is purple. I was surprised by this inexpensive device for one that it has a camera & video and it autoflips.

I do wish it came with more instructions, not just a single quick start guide and a plug to charge it via an outlet. I think this is a good stocking stuffer for new music lovers in the house.

You can order Tmart MP4 players today, currently it’s only $19.99!!

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Piggy Paint Review

Posted by Brande on November 12, 2013
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Fashion, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Girl Stuff, Holidays, Kids Stuff, Products for Mom, Reviews, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

I, like most Moms, am always looking for healthier options for my daughter. I always thought there wouldn’t be a replacement for “regular” nail polish. Well, I’m happy to share Piggy Paint with you! This is a Non-toxic, almost odorless, hypoallergenic, and eco & kid friendly.

Piggy Paint is water-based, dries quickly and is safe to use during pregnancy! Piggy Paint suggests using a blow drier on your nails for about a minute for maximum chip resistance.

Let’s talk colors! Piggy Paint has over 30 colors! They also have their own specially formulated nail polish remover and nail stickers! They have great sets for holiday or any occasion! Piggy Paint even has nail polish for your favorite pup!

My daughter and I had a great time with Piggy Paint. She was happy to be a big girl and I was happy it was safe for her!

Piggy Paint is great for Birthday gifts and don’t forget the Holidays are coming!!

MistleToes

Click here for your stocking stuffers or stop by your local Walmart!! Don’t forget to visit Piggy Paint on Facebook, they sometimes have giveaways!

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2013 Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Posted by html404 on November 8, 2013
in Gift Ideas, Handmade Items, Holidays, Personal Care Products, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

Christmas Stockings were one of my favorite things to open on Christmas day. We did them for several years with the children and just got out of the habit because stocking stuffers were costly having 8-10 Christmas stockings to fill. My mom use to fill them with batteries, makeup, hand lotion, lip balm, maybe a nightie or something rolled up, socks, ribbon candy, shelled nuts that we had to crack ourselves, a huge apple and orange that our hometown’s grocery store only stocked at Christmas time.

Here are my 2013 Christmas Stocking Ideas, most of them personal care products:

1.800Razors.com, especially for mom and dad. They shave really well. My husband thinks for a disposable razor it shaves the closest he’s ever experienced. I really like mine too. I like that we get to keep the razor and only buy replacement razor blade heads. The razors have lasted quite awhile too. I think we are both still on our first head and it’s been over a month since we received them.

2. Shaving cream to go with those razors!

3. Burt’s Bees lotion. Our oldest daughter has been using this for her dry skin and it helps a lot. When we use goat milk soap we do not even need any moisturizing lotion.

4. Bumble and Bee Organic lip balm. This lip balm has become one of our favorites! Not only do they have lots of flavors but it works!

5. Flash Drive. On my wish list is this Ningxia Red USB thumb drive. I think it’s cool!

6. Toothbrush and toothpaste. I know our children would be very excited to each have their own tube of toothpaste and not share with a sibling! It’s the little stuff, right? Same goes for lip balm too.

7. Our daughter’s handmade goat milk or cow milk soap! It comes scented or unscented and in several different molds. Not all are showing on our sales page.

8. A kitten! An 8 week old kitten would fit perfectly in a stocking and make your child’s day! And no our kittens are not for sale.

What are your top 2013 stocking stuffer ideas?

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Yummy Swap Snack Bars

Posted by html404 on November 7, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Uncategorized

As much as our family tries and struggles to eat healthy, we all have a sweet tooth. We like our baked goods and chocolate that’s for sure. Enter…Yummy Swap Snack Bars. Yummy Snacks consist of Peanut Butter Blast and Chocolate Blast Yummy Bars. Seriously, they were yummy. These would make great stocking stuffers for Christmas, snacks for school and home, or even family get togethers.

Everyone loved the Peanut Butter Blast Yummy Bar. It was a chocolate bar with a chewy peanut butter center.

Jr. enjoying his Peanut Butter Blast Yummy Bar.

Everyone but my husband loved the Chocolate Blast Yummy Bar. My husband doesn’t like coconut and the Chocolate Blast has a chocolatey coconut center. I find coconut flavored chocolate very addictive, what about you?

As far as ingredients go, Yummy Snack Bars were created to be used to “swap” out junk food for something healthier. Yummy Swap’s motto is “Dump the Junk” to make the transition from junk food to healthier snacks easier on kids.

Chocolate Blast Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Blast Ingredients may be found here.

Yummy Snack Bars are high in fiber, contain 100mg of Omega 3s, real coconut, cocoa, flax seed and almond butter. They are gluten-free, contain no high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, artificial flavors, preservatives or food dyes, which all pass our reading label test.

The only problem we found is the price is more than a chocolate bar, but you get so much more for your health so it’s money well spent in the end.

People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.
― Wendell Berry

So…..Yummy Snacks are here to stay at our house!!

Yummy Snacks may be purchased online as single items or as a subscription – get them shipped to your house on a schedule of your choosing! When you buy a subscription you automatically save 10%. You can find Yummy Swap on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products.

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The Hanging Tree ~ Book Review

Posted by Professor on November 6, 2013
in Books, Reviews, Uncategorized

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.

Summary of the text:

Seventeen year old Arielle is at a crossroads in her life. Disenchanted with her father, she is testing the boundaries of his trust by dating someone he does not approve. Under the moonlit sky in Long Island, Arielle and her boyfriend meet under the infamous hanging tree. The couple’s destiny is rooted to the five spirits in the tree whose lives and deaths are determined by an ancient curse. Will her future be determined by the past or will Arielle’s choices alter the course of her life?

About the Author:

This is Michael Phillip Cash’s first novella and is loosely based on a tree with a haunted past on the North Shore of Long Island. His other novels, Brood X: A Firsthand Account of the Great Cicada Invasion and his bestselling novel, Stillwell: A Haunting on long Island are receiving rave reviews. Cash lives on Long Island with his wife and two children.

OUR REVIEW:

This is another great read from Michael Phillips Cash. It is a short novella…so if you want something quick and easy to read in a few hours (or at least in my reading time) then pick up this book. It is short only 74 pages…but packed with a punch!

This is a very interesting read… it is fiction but based on something real … the hanging tree, which peaked my interest and prompted me to Google the location. It really does exist and is deemed one of the most haunted places on Long Island. I love when reality invades one of my fictional reads!

The story is intricately woven to showcase Arielle’s evening and the lives of five spirits. Even though the novella is short it does take some concentration because it jumps from character (spirit) to character while all the time incorporating Arielle’s evening happenings. This is done with chapter headings so you know what character is going to be “up” next. During the first few chapters this was confusing … but when I got into the flow of reading the novella it really did not matter and I began to fully understand Arielle and the characters.

With the Halloween season just behind us … this is a great reminiscence of the spirit world. However, this is a book that can be enjoyed anytime! Cash certainly does not disappoint as he crafts new characters and plots for his readers in this short novella!

Just a quick note… this is not a children’s book. There is some adult language within the pages, spirits (ghosts) and the illusion to one character being a witch glaze its pages. There are some slight … ever so slight sexual innuendos as well…so definitely not a book for the whole family. My thoughts would be to have an adult read the text first before having even an older child (young Adult read the book). But definitely a good adult read!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I wish it were a novel rather than a novella because it didn’t last as long as I wanted… I wanted to get into the characters lives more…but alas it is only a novella and even though I may have wanted more the book lives on its own as written. It stands out as a good novella with interesting characters for readers to enjoy!

You can purchase the book on Amazon.com or at the authors personal website

www.micahelphillipcash.com

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Archive for Reviews

Dear Granddaughter: Life Lessons from your Grandmother

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Liquid Amino Diet Part 2 and Giveaway

What is the Liquid Amino Diet?

Liquid Amino Diet Review and Giveaway

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Holiday Craft Ideas from Kid Made Modern

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Vtech InnoTab 3S Kid Connect App and Giveaway

Premium Vtech Kid Connect App

Kid Connect App Review

Vtech InnoTab 3S Giveaway

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Replacement Sweeteners

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Tmart MP3/MP4 Review

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Piggy Paint Review

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2013 Stocking Stuffer Ideas

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Yummy Swap Snack Bars

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The Hanging Tree ~ Book Review

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