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When the Heart Heals Book Review

Posted by html404 on February 17, 2013
in Books, Reviews

This is one of my last book reviews until the fall….I’m hoping some of my favorite authors do not have any new books coming out this spring and summer or else my resolve not to take any more book reviews may end up altering!

When the Heart Heals by Ann Shorey is the second book in the Sisters at Heart Series. I have to say I enjoyed this book much more than the first.

Rosemary, the main character struggles in overcoming the societal misunderstandings surrounding her employment as a war nurse. She is hired by a new doctor in town and can you guess how that ends?

I liked the bit of mystery included in this novel, as Rosemary gets harassed for using tinctures and poultices. Rosemary’s character exhibited a kind and caring spirit, as would be expected of a nurse.

She was strong and courageous in the face of opposition. However, forgiveness was her weak spot and this book shares her journey of learning to forgive those who have hurt her.

Available February 2013 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 products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Mommy’s Bliss

Posted by 278Wife on February 15, 2013
in All Natural Products, Baby Products, Kids Stuff, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

Establishing a soothing bedtime routine for your child is the best way to encourage a deep, restful sleep. I have always thought this way and even do certain routines myself to wind down for the night. Ever since my son was about a month old we would give him a bath, massage him with cream, read stories and say prayers, and have a bottle. Now that he is three, we still do the exact same routine except he has a small snack instead of a bottle. I have always believed that having this bedtime routine and sticking to it, has not only made him a good sleeper, but has helped him to fall asleep on his own. We even play an ocean sound machine in the background and dim the lights throughout the routine. I was anxious to try Mommy’s Bliss products, since they would only enhance our bedtime routine.

Mommy’s Bliss has three products to encourage a wonderful night sleep for babies. They include a Sweet Slumber 3-in-1 Baby Wash, Sweet Slumber Massage Cream, and Sweet Slumber Mist. All three products contain soothing extracts of lavender, chamomile, and ylang ylang that are associated with relaxation and sleep. Begin with the Sweet Slumber 3-in-1 Baby Wash. This can either be added to warm bath water to make a soothing bubble bath, or added to a washcloth as a shampoo and/or body wash. My son has sensitive skin so I am always cautious as to what I bathe him in. I used it as a shampoo and bodywash for him and loved how easily it lathered and rinsed off. It is a very gentle and mild wash. Once dry, I applied the Sweet Slumber Massage Cream onto his skin. It was a very soft feeling cream that made his skin feel silky smooth. It was also very gentle on his sensitive skin. Finally, I sprayed the Sweet Slumber Mist on his pajamas, blanket, and pillow. He asked me why I was doing that, and I told him the sweet smell would help him relax and fall asleep. He loved that idea! I even sprayed it on my pillow and felt relaxed immediately.

All three Mommy’s Bliss products smell amazing. They have a sweet and calming smell that is not overwhelming or overpowering. The next morning his bedding still had the lavender aroma. Mommy’s Bliss products are 100% vegetarian & vegan, contain no artificial fragrances or petroleum, contain no alcohol, parabens, or harsh chemicals, and are free of gluten and soy. These products can be purchased at Walgreens. I am looking forward to using all three Mommy’s Bliss products on my newborn to begin a relaxing and soothing bedtime routine from early on.

For more information visit their website:

http://www.mommysbliss.com/

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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5 Days to a Clutter Free House

Posted by html404 on February 13, 2013
in Books, Organization, Reviews

Last month was organizing month, but I certainly didn’t get organized in a month! We are constantly trying to figure out new ways to keep ourselves, our home, our children and all our stuff organized. After reading this book, 5 Days to a Clutter Free House, by Sandra Felton and Marsha Sims, I think our biggest problem is the up keep. I’d have to be on my children 24/7 for them to pick up and put away everything they touch each day; and I grow weary of doing so and give up all too often rather than keeping on, keeping on.

5 Days to a Clutter Free House provides a step-by-step plan of action to help you get your house organized in less than a week, as the title suggests. It may seem impossible if you are buried in a cluttered mess but the authors use the approach of gathering a team of people to help you and they give you tips on how to gather that team together too. Since we are a family of ten I plan on getting the whole family working on our problem areas so we can get our house in order before my mom arrives in a little over two weeks. Think drill Sargent!

The first part of the book is about “Getting it Under Control” and the second part is maintaining the order you created in just five days.

I liked the plan of action the authors provided. Many of their suggestions are very similar to what we do when doing a major cleaning. We get the children to make 3-4 piles: toys, clothes, garbage and papers/school work or books depending on what we are items are laying around. We usually use bags, but I like the idea of boxes. New boxes to stack and keep things in order as you put every thing back in its place…seems like a small expense to pay for order in the home.

I liked the biblical basis of where order comes from and we often quote it to our children, “God is not a God of chaos but order”, after all he didn’t hang the trees upside down, right?

I enjoyed reading the list of what disorganized people tend to be like in the preface of the book…page 9…if you want to look it up to see if you fit the description. Then later on page 27 they say this, “Messies tend to be perfectionists at heart.” Sound like you? Don’t worry you aren’t alone!

I think this book would be an encouragement to anyone dealing with clutter as it does give a solid plan of how to create order out of the clutter. I think the key to maintaining order is creating new habits, as the second half of the book recommends.

“Available February 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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SuperPretzel Pretzel Dogs

Posted by Brande on February 10, 2013
in Food and Treats, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

What do you get when you combine a cocktail hot dog and a pretzel? A lot of happy Super Bowl fans! I had a small family gathering for the Super Bowl and served SuperPreztel Pretzel Dogs. Besides my lack of mustard, they were a hit! So much so, that when I was done making sure everyone was settled. They were GONE!

SuperPretzel Pretzel Dogs come in 3 flavors – Originial, Cheddar Cheese, and Jalapeno. They are beef hot dogs and are very easy to make!

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees, Place your 12 Pretzel Dogs on a cookie sheet and let them thaw for about 15 minutes. This is a VERY important step. I probably only let mine thaw for 5 minutes and they were not done after the 8 to 9 minutes of baking time. I just baked them a few minutes more until they were done. However, the next time I make these I will let them thaw as the box suggests. There are also instuctions to cook them in the microwave which SuperPretzel recommends over the oven.

Your little ones will love these Pretzel Dogs, they are easy for small fingers to handle and fun to eat!

SuperPretzels Preztel Dogs can be found in your local stores freezer section.

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BellaVita iPhone Wristlet

Posted by html404 on February 8, 2013
in Fashion, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Reviews

I’m getting tired of lugging my pocketbook around everywhere I go and have been looking for a wristlet to carry my iPhone, license, and a few cards around. Thankfully, BellaVita iPhone Wristlet came along!

These sleek leather wristlets are perfect for a person that is always on the go. No more sore back with these BellaVita wristlets. They are light weight and are approximately 4 3/4 inches long and 2 3/4 inches wide. So they are small and fit in a pocket perfectly! There is a snap closure to keep your cards and phone safe. There are 2 pocket card holders along with a pocket on the inside middle part. The phone is still very functional in the wristlet, including a hole where the camera is! The lobster claw clasp is sturdy for the wrist loop part.

The BellaVitaiPhone Wristlet is available in many colors for iPhone 4/4S and they also have some available for iPhone 5!

I received the BellaVita Cioccolato iPhone 4/4s model. It’s a beautiful chocolate color, the wallet is very soft, ít’s great that my phone is still very functional. I don’t need to take it out of the wristlet to text or take a picture. The snap closure is a plus, you don’t want those credit cards next to a magnet.

Great present for a birthday or Mother’s Day!

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Twitten Valentine’s Day Gift Idea

Posted by html404 on February 6, 2013
in Clothing, Gift Ideas, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized

February is here and so is Valentine season. A couple of weeks ago I shared 5 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas, but I have one more to add to that list. It’s a cutsie kind of gift idea that you could give any couple or yourself.

You remember how Bambi was twitterpated? Perhaps you are “twitten” with your sweetie? Twitten you say? Yes well that’s a new term to add to your vocabulary this winter and Valentine’s Day.

Twitten is a pair of mittens, but better than a pair of mittens when it comes to holding your sweetheart’s hand, as it allows you to really hold their hand and not deal with the bulk of a glove or mitten between your hands. Novel idea, eh? Told you it was a cute gift idea.

Twitten is handmade in Peru. It is hand washable as it is made of 50% Alpaca, 30% Wool and 20% Acrylic. They are very soft. They run a bit large for my hand but they are “one size fits most couples” so as to accommodate many sized hands.

Not only does TWITTEN offer the Twitten, but they also sell Texting Gloves, Texting Mittens, Fingerless Gloves, Hats and Scarves. There are many different colors and patterns to choose from.

I actually love these products. I really want the Texting Mittens! We haven’t had a chance to wear our Twitten or wash it but I am grateful for an extra set of mittens in our house as they tend to slowly disappear as winter goes on.

About TWITTEN

TWITTEN is a women-owned and operated business. 20% of profits go to the Bodhi Fund. The Bodhi Fund is a worthwhile charity administrated by the New Mexico Community Foundation. These two organizations offer support to families of children who need to receive life-saving treatment at the Cancer Center of Excellence and must travel out of state to receive their treatment.

He who twittens never twittens alone.

Prices vary.

So are you going to twitten your honey?

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A New Home for Lily

Posted by html404 on February 3, 2013
in Books, Reviews

My almost 14 year old daughter, B, reviewed A New Home for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher. B is a voracious reader and enjoyed reading and reviewing the first Lily book, Life with Lily.

In this second book of The Adventures of Lily Lapp, I followed Lily, her family and friends as they adapt to life in their new Amish community. Lily finds certain changes in her new life difficult but eventually comes around as she learns to die to herself for the great good of her family. Lily reminds me an awful lot of my older sister! Lily is just adorable and so grown up for her age, which probably comes from being the eldest.

Here are some highlights from the book that I especially liked:

Effie Kaufman is not a nice character and I have met a few girls like her. Mean girls are just not pleasant to be around.

The character Joseph reminds me of my brother J and Lily’s cousin Noah reminds me of my youngest brother, whom we call “the evil one” because he is forever getting into things, like many two year olds.

I thoroughly enjoyed the pumpkin pie chapter because it was so funny! Lily and Joseph ate 5 1/2 pieces of pie! Talk about a huge tummy ache!

It was so sad when Lily’s family cow died. It was even more horrid when her father bought another cow from a farmer, then realizes he brought home a sick cow with an udder so low that in order to milk her they needed to use a cake pan instead of a bucket!

Lily’s “get rich quick” plan (making and selling stickers) was so cute, but she didn’t get quite as rich as she had hoped….

Lily’s Jell-O mishap reminded me of myself when I was first learning to make homemade bread and I added too much yeast and the dough got really, really big and popped all over the place!

I really liked the ending and how the community came and helped with the edition of Lily’s family’s house. My mom and I admire The Amish people’s sense of community.

“Available February 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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The Tutor’s Daughter

Posted by html404 on January 28, 2013
in Books, Products for Mom, Reviews

The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen is a historical romance mystery novel. I was grateful that it was centered more around the mystery aspect, along with the heroine’s jumbled feelings over two men with whom she spent part of her younger years growing up.

It’s about the daughter of a professor who travels with her father as he goes to a baronet’s home to tutor his two younger sons, who are spoiled beyond belief.

I liked that The Tutor’s Daughter had a Downton Abbey feel to it. All the social niceties that Britain during that time period was known for, where the socialites looked down their noses at the working class and the working class desired to make life better for the poor. The book write up said that Julie Klassen loves Jane Eyre and Jane Austen, thus the reason her novel is set in England and why I made the association with Downton Abbey since it is a more recent English show I have watched.

This book pretty much kept me guessing throughout the whole book as who the so-called “prankster” was, pulling not-so- friendly pranks on poor Emma.

It seems that characters with a past often have to overcome it or prove themselves in spite of the shadows darkening its path. Henry Weston was that character. He was more gallant than his childhood character ever revealed. I loved how nobly he stuck up for one individual in particular.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Tutor’s Daughter and have already been thinking about reading it again, which is always a good sign.

Two thumbs up from me.

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Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes

Posted by html404 on January 28, 2013
in Products for Dad, Reviews

Feet need proper care, at least mine do and I know my husband’s do too. Part of how we care for our feet is to wear comfy shoes that offer great support. My husband desperately needed new shoes. I think we must have already thrown out his old, hole-y running shoes because we cannot find them. I wanted to show you a photo of them…oh well…if we find them I will try to post a photo of the decrepit things!

It’s hard to buy Robert shoes because of his high arch. He has to wear arch supports and prefers running shoes or basketball shoes over walking or cross trainers.

So when I saw these Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes I thought I’d surprise him and see if XLS Medical would be willing to let us do a review of them. Thankfully they said yes!

Here’s what the product description says about the shoes:

“The Nike Dual Fusion Mens Running Shoes feature Dual Fusion cushioning to the heel for fantastic shock absorption along with a durable rubber outsole featuring a waffle traction pattern with natural flex grooves for enhanced movement in your stride. These Nike running shoes benefit from breathable mesh panels to the upper coupled with mesh ventilation panels to the sides for outstanding comfort when on the run, finally the Nike Swoosh sweeping down the sides finishes the look.”

Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes Review

Robert found the Nike Dual Fusion Running Shoes very comfortable, felt good and had good support. They looked good on too, especially with his zebra pants. He’s on his feet a lot during the day when orders come in at work so if these passed the “standing all day” test that says A LOT!

He’s only had these running shoes for a short time so we cannot say how well they hold up over the long haul but we can say that his feet are thanking them for a comfy stride.

P.S. Still working on our photograhpy shots….my oldest has a much better eye than I do for it!

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Waiting for Spring

Posted by html404 on January 19, 2013
in Books, Reviews

If you like historical fiction, especially set in the West, you will probably like Waiting for Spring by Amanda Cabot and is the second in the Westward Wind series. This book is set 1886 in the Wyoming Territory and is a story about an independent woman named Charlotte who is making a life for herself and son, in Cheyenne, working a dressmaker.

Charlotte has a secret though and had to tell some lies to keep her secret hidden. As you all know, secrets have a way of being discovered and as things start to unravel so do the lives of those around her. She also has something to fear but won’t allow herself to talk to anyone about it, even her family in another state.

Power, politics, social standing and money are not important to Charlotte, but they are to Barrett Landry, a wealthy cattle baron, who Charlotte fast becomes friends with.

This is another book where a sweet friendship develops into love but not without some bumps along the way, including a kidnapping! Not your typical courtship to say the least.

I loved Charlotte’s strength of character to overcome her past, her son’s disability and turn it all into something good.

Barrett Landry was a true gentleman and I loved how he eventually got around to wooing Charlotte and her son.

I found it ironic that Barrett eventually went back to doing what he left home to avoid. There’s something about our roots that can call us back to the very depths of that is familiar and comfortable; and find real happiness in the process.

Waiting for Spring was a sweet story in which Amanda captures the Wyoming Territory for it’s wealth, poverty and realities of being a cattle baron, shopkeeper and dressmaker. Not to mention the intriguing aspect of living among common criminals without even being aware.

This was what I consider a “candy” read. Easy, predictable and not very challenging. However, I liked the book, a candy read is the kind of book I like to read to relax without any heavy duty thinking and a way to spend a pleasurable time away from every day life and the stress that goes along with it.

“Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”