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SUPERPRETZEL Sweet Cinnamon Pretzels Review

Posted by Brande on October 25, 2012
in Coupons, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Reviews

Who wants pretzels for breakfast? When I announced this in the house Sunday morning. I got a “Huh?” from my husband and a “Yes!” from my daughter. So off to the kitchen I went to preheat the oven for our pretzels for breakfast.

Move over salt pretzels and make room for SUPERPRETZELS Sweet Cinnamon Pretzels. I was skeptical about these when they first arrived, but I’m willing to try anything once. I was pleasantly surprised and SUPERPRETZELS Sweet Cinnamon Pretzels, they will be on my list for breakfast, dessert or snack!

How to Serve SUPERPRETZEL Sweet Cinnamon Pretzels

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, put on the cinnamon/sugar (provided in a packet in the box), and cook for 5-6 minutes. That’s it!

Take them out and enjoy them by themselves or maybe with a scoop of ice cream, or even a little icing. Sounds yummy to me.

If you head to the SUPERPRETZEL website (www.http://www.superpretzel.com) there’s a coupon. Be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter too!

My house gives these SUPERPRETZEL Sweet Cinnamon Pretzels 2 thumbs up! We love them!

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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Borders of the Heart by Chris Fabry

Posted by html404 on October 23, 2012
in Books, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews

Borders of the Heart by Chris Fabry is a fast moving novel of intrigue and mystery from start to finish.

Book Summary:

Desperate to escape haunting memories, J. D. Jessup travels from Nashville to Tucson and volunteers on an organic farm. The hardened landowner has one prevailing rule: If J. D. sees an “illegal,” call the border patrol. But when an early morning ride along the fence line leads him to a beautiful young woman named Maria, near death in the desert, his heart pulls him in another direction. Longing to atone for the choices that drove him to Tucson, J. D. hides her and unleashes a chain of deadly events he could never have imagined. Soon they are running from a killer and fighting for their lives. As secrets of their pasts emerge, J. D. realizes that saving Maria may be the only way to save himself.

Borders of the Heart by Chris Fabry Review

I really liked how Mr. Fabry created the story around a WWOOFer (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms – people who travel around working on different farms in exchange for food and lodging) working on an organic farm in Arizona. Though much of the story took place off the farm.

It really made me feel uncomfortable reading the stark realities of the racism illegals and immigrants faced through J.D.’s. I understand somewhat where it stems from yet at the same time they are human beings too.

I thoroughly enjoyed how the story kept me riveted to its pages as I tried to read faster to figure out what mystery surrounding Maria’s story, not to mention J.D.’s and how all the drama of their few days together would turn out.

The book is divided into Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and December. Those four days seemed like an eternity and I was in awe of all that happened to J.D. and Maria in the span of one day, let alone four.

This is a great book for mom or day or even older children. Two thumbs up from me!

Watch the Book Trailer:

http://www.tyndale.com/x_products/videos.php?flv=BotHTrailer_v1sm.flv

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.

Q & A with Author Chris Fabry

Q: Your newest novel, Borders of the Heart, addresses heavy topics such as illegal immigration, the U.S./Mexico drug trade and the cost of compassion. Where did you get your inspiration for the book?

A: Our family moved to Arizona in 2008 and since then I’ve known I wanted to write about this area of the country, a rich, desert existence with problems and possibilities. This book is not as much an “issue” book as it is a book about people who have to deal with lots of those issues as part of their daily lives. I don’t have an ax to grind on the topics, but I did want to show how real people are affected by these contemporary topics.

Q: Several of the characters in Borders of the Heart are dealing with things from their past. What lessons do your characters learn along the way?

A: The past is huge for each of us. I’m convinced many are “stuck” by something in the past that holds us back from being all God wants us to be. A reader will walk through that process with the main character, J.D., and I’m hoping they’ll see an authentic struggle.

Q: J.D. Jessup is faced with a very difficult moral dilemma when he weighs the decision to follow his boss’ very clear direction or his own heart when he discovers Maria near death. What lessons does this story provide for your readers?

A: Every choice we make in life comes with a cost. If we say yes to one thing, we may have to say no to something else. The choice J.D. makes is a good choice, and even good choices can lead to disastrous and deadly results. Can you believe that God is involved in even the difficult circumstances? I think that’s a huge reveal in this story for me. Does everything have to work out perfectly in the end in order for God to be glorified?

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International Delight Iced Coffee Review

Posted by Brande on October 14, 2012
in Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews

I’m sure you’ve heard of the expression “Gimme my coffee and no one get hurt!” Well, International Delight Iced Coffee is perfect for that afternoon pick me up!

International Delight Iced Coffee comes in 4 flavors – Original, Vanilla, Mocha and Carmel. With 150 calories International Delight Iced Coffee is made with 100% Arabica coffee. Then blended with cocoa, milk and cream, giving you a very smooth and creamy drink.

Here’s some trivia too – “Arabica plants grow for up to 7 years before they begin yielding coffee beans.” Boy am I glad I don’t have to wait that long for coffee!

Head over to the International Delight Iced Coffee Facebook Page to check them out.

International Delight Iced Coffee Review

This was perfect timing as we had my daughter’s birthday party the same day! So, we decided on the Mocha International Delights Iced Coffee. I’ll be honest, I had some skeptics in the crowd. One of my party goers put his foot down that he wasn’t going to drink cold coffee. Well, I’m happy to report that his mood changed when everyone else had at least a sip and they enjoyed the taste. I myself LOVE coffee and really enjoyed the Mocha favoring as did my husband who is not a chocolate/mocha fan.

Stop going out to those expensive coffee shops for iced coffee. Get it at your local supermarket! It’s on our shopping list!

Some of my family members asked that I not post a picture of them and I am respecting their wishes. But, I wish I could have shared them. Some were really good!

“I wrote this review while participating in an In Home Party campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of International Delight and received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.”

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When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason

Posted by html404 on October 13, 2012
in Books, Reviews

When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason is the second book in the Deadly Reunions series. I read the first book too, you can read the review here. As the series title indicates this is a murder mystery novel.

The main character is Serena, a medical examiner (ME). She generously helped a friend and it seemingly comes back to haunt her…by getting her involved in a serial murder mystery. With the help of detectives and a FBI agent, who also happened to be her teen crush, Serena tries to solve the mystery. I anxiously read chapter after chapter trying to figure out who the murderer was….gradually towards the end I had a couple of ideas as to who it was, especially once Lynette revealed a clue.

I really liked the twists and turns of the story and how it kept me guessing. It was really hard to pick out the killer from among all the characters and I found myself trying to recall what the first book was all about to see if there was a connection between characters that would give me the key to cracking the serial murder case.

As the series title indicates, this is a murder mystery novel. The descriptions of the murder victims is dealt with discreetly, yet Ms. Eason definitely does not skirt around other details. There are not gory details. So if you like a nice clean mystery definitely check out this series.

When a Heart Stops gets two thumbs up from me.

“Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Emily Owens MD

Posted by html404 on October 12, 2012
in DVDs & CDs, Reviews, TV Shows

Emily Owens MD is a new show premiering on October 16th. It is about a new doctor, Emily Owens, acclimating to a new hospital where her “idol surgeon” works. The premise of the show is that Emily now feels grown-up and feels she can finally put her nerdy teenie boppy ways behind her. Little does she realize that the hospital, Denver Memorial Hospital, is just a grown up version of high school.

Emily Owens is played by Mamie Gummer, of “The Good Wife”, and is also the daughter of Meryl Streep and Don Gummer.

I have to admit that I really enjoyed the highly entertaining and emotional evoking pilot episode I recently had the opportunity to review. I’d rate the language as PG-13+, which is disappointing but I get that I am a rare bird when it comes to stuff like that. Due to the adult content I won’t be allowing my younger children to watch it, however, my oldest watched it with me and really liked Emily Owens too.

But don’t take our word for it watch the promo:

Funny, eh? I laughed and cried throughout the show. I loved the sensitivity of Emily’s bedside manner as a doctor, but developed a very strong dislike for a couple of characters who seemed bent on making life difficult for Emily. See what I mean about the show appealing to the emotions?

Be sure to check it out for yourself on Tuesday, October 16 from 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT on the CW Television Network.

The NY Times wrote up a nice piece about this new TV show here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/arts/television/the-new-season-mamie-gummer-of-emily-owens-md.html?_r=1

To learn more about the show visit the following links:

Emily Owens MD: About the Show
Emily Owens MD: Official Website: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/emily-owens-md
Emily Owens MD on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyOwensMD
Emily Owens MD on Twitter: http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/twitter#eomd

Faith and Family Reviews received a promo copy of the pilot show 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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Life with Lily By Suzanne Woods Fisher

Posted by html404 on October 6, 2012
in Books, Reviews

I have stated it before but it’s worth stating again, I love books by Suzanne Woods Fisher. She recently came out with a children’s book for ages 8-12 (recommended) but my 13 year old read it. I have it started and will finish it this week. It’s titled, Life with Lily, and is about a little Amish girl and her family.

What I like about it so far is that it kind of reminds me of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series, Little House on the Prairie, but it’s about an Amish girl. It’s all about family life on the farm….imagine us liking a book like that?

Life with Lily Review by My Daughter

Lily is a really sweet girl.

I loved the grandmother’s lesson on choosing the right friends and the influences they have on you.

I loved her friendship with Trisha. I liked the fact they were kind to Mr. Young even if he wasn’t kind to them. He was a grumpy man.

I thought Lily’s descriptions were very cute, especially the one about her new brother.

I felt very sorry for Levis’ character (he was her cousin) and what the new teacher did to him. I thought the way the parents dealt with it was very smart.

I didn’t really learn anything new because much of what was in the book is what my parents are teaching me or have already told me.

Sounds like Peanut enjoyed Life with Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher, so it gets a two thumbs up from us!

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Whole Fruit Smoothies Review

Posted by Brande on October 5, 2012
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Reviews

Put that blender back in the closet! Whole Fruit Smoothies are here! Whole Fruit Smoothies is a frozen treat that require a microwave and a spoon. However, in my daughter’s case she liked a straw too. Whole Fruit Smoothies come in 3 flavors – Mixed Berry, Strawberry Banana and Pineapple Mango. Plus, only 100 calories per serving. Each package contains 4 – 4 ounce cups of one flavor. I’ve seen them in my grocery store in the frozen foods section by the frozen fruits in bags.

Take one of these 4 ounces cups, pop it in the microwave for 20 second. The following pictures are of the Pineapple Mango.

When you remove the Whole Fruit Smoothie cup from the microwave, the center will still be frozen. Of course, you can eat it right from the cup.

I did stir my daughter’s briefly to get the bigger chunks melted a little. BUT, it does continue to stay cold as a smoothie should.

Then Enjoy!

My Whole Fruit Smoothies Review

Whole Fruit Smoothies are a BIG hit in my house, with our favorite being mixed berry. Here is the nutritional information of the mixed berry:

My daughter gets very excited to have a smoothie she loves her new “ice cream smoothie” as she calls it. Two thumbs up from us!

You can find out more information about Whole Fruit Smoothies here.

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Sneak Peek of the KIA Optima Hybrid Car #Brandcation #PigeonForge

Posted by html404 on October 3, 2012
in Reviews, Travel, Wordless Wednesday

This week’s Wordless Wednesday post is a sneak peek of the 2012 KIA Optima Hybrid car. It arrived late yesterday afternoon. The Driver STI specialist drove here and a colleague drove another car so he could have a way home. I thought it was awesome that they actually delivered the car right to my house! They will pick it up in a week’s time. What a great service!

The specialist walked me through a brief demonstration of how the car worked and showed me how to use certain features. The KIA Optima Hybrid car is sleek and still smells so new! We haven’t had a new car to drive in a l-o-n-g time, unless you count driving my mother-in-law’s car whose car really isn’t new anymore since it’s a 2006. I’ve also never driven a KIA, so this is a whole ‘nother new experience, besides driving a hybrid car for the first time.

I think it’s so cool that the KIA Optima Hybrid car starts with the press of a button! That will take some getting use to. I am really looking forward to driving it to Paula’s tomorrow to head to Kim’s and then on to Brandcation Blog Cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

My husband and I took it for a quick spin down our country road. It drives really smooth!

I don’t want to give everything away since I’ll be giving a full report after I get back from Brandcation. Just wanted to tease you a little bit and well….brag a bit too. (blush!) So far my first impression of the KIA Optima Hybrid car is very positive….a 12-hour drive will give me a better idea of it’s overall performance on a road trip. Plus I’ll have two fellow bloggers input too.

While we were loaned the KIA Optima Hybrid car with the agreement to feature of it on our blogs after Brandcation, this post is done of my own volition.

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Ringya iPhone App

Posted by html404 on September 25, 2012
in Organization, Reviews, Techie Stuff, Uncategorized

You all are aware of the businesses we have. A couple of our businesses have more contact lists than the others and it is time consuming to keep track of everything, to update things manually etc. So I am all for time savers…like the Ringya iPhone App.

The thing is this app isn’t just for businesses, but for coaches, PTAs, Girl/Boy Scouts, teachers and whoever has contact lists.

Ringya transforms contact lists (class lists, work contacts, sport teams) into organized, sharable, digital lists. Just snap a picture of a paper list or email the app a digital version and…voila…you’ve got it handy on your phone!

Ringya iPhone App Review

Ok, this was written on 8/3 and I just downloaded the Ringya iPhone app. It was very easy to set up. Just follow the prompts. I took a photo of a list that I wanted to be able to import to email and phone numbers so I could do follow up to a snail mail mailing via phone or email, but didn’t want to have to do the data entry for it. If this app does what I think it will do, I am excited as this could potentially be a huge time saver! It did exactly what I thought it would do. It uploaded all the contact info of about 35 contacts – name, phone number, and mailing address. Almost wish there had been email addresses on the list and my work would have been complete. Since the emails were not listed, all I have to do is go into the “edit” feature and manually add the emails of the contacts.

Easy peasy! What a neat little app! The only issue I foresee is if you do not have enough data space on your phone and have a tone of contacts. Otherwise the Ringya iPhone App receives two thumbs up from me.

You may download the Ringya for free on iTunes.

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With Every Letter – A Revell Book Review

Posted by html404 on September 22, 2012
in Books, Reviews

Lately it seems every time I have a book review due, the week before gets extremely busy and this time was no exception. It’s not like I intentionally plan to have a ton of work due at the same time as my book review or that I procrastinate, I love reading. I tend to wait because I write a better review the fresher it is in my mind. I have tried reading as soon as I get a book, writing a notes or a rough draft but going back to re-write it is never the same as having just experienced a good book and the wide range of emotions it takes me through and writing the review at the same time. Regardless of my full schedule this week, With Every Letter was so worth my time, With Every Letter, written by Sarah Sundin. To be frank, I’ve enjoyed all the books I have read by Sarah.

This book is a historical romance, but there are so many things I could relate to in it. You know how when you listen to a song and it can take you to a place you haven’t thought of in years? This book had that affect on me.

Set during World War II, this story is about flight nurses and their service to injured service men. For me there was so much depth to this story. The resistance the nurses faced by being women on the field, having to get along with those in your division, the orders you had to obey, the fight for position and rank – I don’t understand why anyone would want to go into the service, but admire those who do and am very grateful for those who have literally gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy. My grandfather was a pilot during World War II. I am grateful he made it back alive and I had the privilege of knowing him. I just wish I had been interested in that part of his life to ask him about it.

Back to the book…

The main character Lieutenant Mellie (short for Philomela) is a flight nurse. She considers herself different and finds it hard to make friends with the other nurses she’s around every day. I just think she found it hard to trust people after what her mother did to her and her father. There have been things in my life that have caused me to be very UNtrusting.

Friendships are a huge part of life and many of the characters in With Every Letter Written learn that intimate relationships open the heart to hurt, but the key to maintaining those close relationships is mercy, love, forgiveness and restoration. If you are like me some of those steps are harder than others, even when you know the right thing to do.

Mellie is given the opportunity to pen-pal with a service man stationed overseas whose name is Lt. Tom MacGillver. After initially baulking at the idea, she begins her correspondence which turns out to be just what she and the service man needed. Did you know that is essentially how my husband and I got to know each other – via letters? We met at college but I was only there for a semester (a God ordained meeting, if you ask me )and we met over half way through so we were just starting to get to know each other when I had to leave. Reading Mellie and Tom’s story brought a wide range of emotions and memories back. It’s hard to get to know someone via letters, UNLESS both people are completely open and honest. I loved their story and didn’t feel it was a stretch of the imagination for the time setting of the storyline or for today because I believe long distance relationships can and do work, if both people believe in the relationship and commit to it. Definitely not for the needy or fainthearted as it does take a lot of time and work. Just as if you were together in person.

I loved the ending. While I had predicted what the ultimate outcome would be I loved the clever way it happened.

Two thumbs up for a heartwarming, emotionally evoking book that made me fall in love with Mellie, Tom and their friends. I loved their characters, grit and courage in the face of many different obstacles, including a war. It’s so hard when a good book ends….sniff, sniff.

“Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”