Switched is a fictional story about a girl named TJ who goes on adventures into the future with her imaginary friends. It is a bit far fetched, so imaginations are required to read this book! The spiritual lesson in forgiveness outweighs that little negative though.

I did not actually read this book. I had my two teen daughters read it since it is geared towards younger people and they are always looking for new reading material! I did not notice when I signed up for this review that it was book 5 in a series. So my girls were a bit lost in the storyline. What they did get, they thought it was funny. They would have enjoyed it so much more had they read the previous books first.

This book is geared towards middle school.

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.

Free Lego Club Magazine Subscription!

It’s for a 2 year subscription! 

I signed up and got a confirmation email! 

Summer of Promise is set during the summer of 1885, and Abigail Harding travels from her home in Vermont to the high plains of Wyoming to visit her sister.

I liked that this novel, while based at a Fort, focused on life inside not outside on a battle field. I have never really thought much about the kind of life soldiers lead while living at a fort. This story reveals the stark contrast between the service men on the battle field and those living at the fort.

It has it’s humorousre parts. On the spiritual side, the lesson that stood out to me throughout the story was the fact that knowing God’s will and following are two very different things. Patience is needed to wait for God’s leading, so this book was a very good reminder, especially as it relates to my businesses and other things going on in our life right now.

Sisterly love and devotion is another theme that was presented. I am looking forward to the second book in the series! Two thumbs up from me!

“Available January 2012 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.

Drum roll please….for some breakfast and dinner shots taken by yours truly:

Pancakes for a Large Family

Sizzling Pancakes

A Golden Pile

Ready to Eat

Little Hands Peeling a Clementine

Soaking Pinto Beans

Pinto Beans and Rice

Prosperity Parenting
How parents sabotage their kids’ success and how they can ‘change the story’

Guest Post By Randy Gage

Every parent wants the best for their kids. Yet millions of adults unknowingly sabotage their children’s chances for success.

I grew up poor. I was jealous of rich people and didn’t like them. So over the years I kept trying to get rich, not realizing that my subconscious mind was telling me, “Better stop doing that, or you’ll become one of the evil, mean, nasty rich people!”

The messages against wealth and prosperity are all around us, in our culture, media, and religions. But how many parents stop to think about how their own views on getting ahead influence their children’s ability to succeed?

Your core beliefs about everything related to prosperity – money, relationships, health, and spirituality – are set by the time you’re 10 years old. And no one influences those beliefs more than parents.

Millions of parents do this by conveying a negative vision of prosperity and success. If you tell yourself things like “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all,” and “I’m always a day late and a dollar short,” you will, consciously or subconsciously, convey these messages to your kids.

The truth is it’s really not that hard to change your beliefs – If you are aware of them and make that choice. Here are some tips:

• Identify negative beliefs you may be creating in your children — Do some critical thinking about what kind of beliefs you developed in childhood about money, rich people and wealth. Honestly ask yourself, are you programming your children with thoughts such as money is bad, rich people are evil, or it’s spiritual to be poor? I call these “mind viruses.” Defeating them starts with acknowledging you have them.

• Help kids identify anti-prosperity media messages: Did you ever stop to think about how blockbusters like Titanic and Avatar portray wealth, and how those stories can set kids up with attitudes that sabotage their future success? Talk to your kids about the subliminal messages they receive on TV, in movies and other media. Help them to become self-motivated critical thinkers.

• Create a positive vision of prosperity: Examine how you react to families with more wealth than yours when speaking to your kids. Do you discuss them with envy or jealousy, or admiration and respect? Talk to your kids about how their thoughts about wealth can shape their future.

People have a hard time believing they are sabotaging their prosperity at age 30, 40, or 50 because of a belief that was formed when they were six, but I see it all the time. And that’s the book that gets written, unless you become aware of the plotline and decide to change the story.

Whether you and your children are on the path to poverty or prosperity is determined by the thoughts you give precedence to. Your thoughts come from the type of vision you have.

Everyone has a vision. Millions have a negative one; many more have a neutral one. It’s vital to help your children develop a positive one.

Resumes For Children: 17 Years Old and Under

Ever thought of your child having a resume? If your answer is “no” think again. Your child can participate in these “out of the box” activities to begin to build a great resume.

Choosing activities that provide your child with life skills as well as build character is a key element to their success. Documenting those activities is also a key element to their success. Why? Keeping before them a present visual reminder of their activities, accomplishments, etc., gives encouragement, pride in what they do and have done. It also allows them to see how well they have progressed over the years. In other words, you will assist your child in “behaving” their way to success.

With your child’s résumé you can:

• Use it to accompany an application into an academic program.
• Use it to seek sponsorship from friends and family ~ obtain OPM (other people’s money) to pay for activities.
• Use it to seek grants and scholarships.

OUR REVIEW:

I thought this was such an interesting book. Before being presented this book I honestly never thought of having a resume for children. But now I see how far this can take a child. You can use this book from toddlers to teenage years. Yes I said toddlers! I think this is a great way to get children thinking. I mean maybe your toddler is not going to write a resume like an older child but you can definitely use some prompts and ask your toddler questions to get them thinking of what they would like to do and become! For example in the toddler years you can ask children to list activities that they are good at and would like to do…this can range from playing blocks to taking dancing lessons. Eventually applying these things to a resume that the child will build.

But enough about a toddlers view… this book will work really well for an older child! This is great to get the child thinking outside of the ordinary…the child is taught how to use the things they have done in their lives (school, camps, odd jobs) and add them to a working resume. The children can then present their resume to anyone who would like to know more about them…perhaps the child would like a summer job …well a resume is a great way to introduce themselves. Perhaps your child is trying to earn money to go to summer camp…then a resume is a great way to introduce who the child is and what the child can and will do… There are endless possibilities to the unique situations that this book can be used!

As a mother I love this book! As a high school teacher and college professor I think this is also great for the high school student! Introduce them to this book at a young age and get them started on writing and honing their resume and they will not be at a loss when it comes to applying to scholarships for college!

You can find out more about the book here:

http://www.resumesforchildren.com/

Thanks once again to Brande, I will be participating in a the Savory Summer Blog Hop from May 16-30.

Savory Summer will be featuring all things food and food-related that can be enjoyed during the summer. Basically, if it is something that a human being can eat, eat with, eat off of, cook, cook with, prepare food with…it belongs in this event!

Bloggers and food related companies have the opportunity to join me in the Savory Summer Blog Hop. Please let them know you heard about the event from me!

Thanks!

Giveaway Promote is hosting a cash giveaway event to be held from February 20th-March 4th. This is a way for all of you readers to enter a cash giveaway (currently the prize is at $250!) and a way for bloggers to promote their blog. Sign-ups will remain open until February 11th. Details are here.

As mentioned, I will be participating in this event. If any of you fellow bloggers sign up, please be sure to tell Giveaway Promote that I referred you!

Thanks!

I completely forgot about all the phones and tablets out there that are not an “I” product.  To those, I apologize if these apps are not available for your product.  Otherwise, I was pleasantly surprised with the positive feedback from the last Free Kids Apps post! Thank you and Enjoy!

Toddler Puzzle Shapes – This app is compatible for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.  You are able to turn the music on or off and is available in 5 different languages.  This app is for your little ones.  When you press start, you are given 5 different shapes and a ghost outline of one of the shapes.  Your child will then drag the correct shape to the ghost shape.  After every 3rd choosing of the shape a jigsaw (4 pieces) appears.  When you select a puzzle piece, it glows where the piece should go.  In the tools section, you are able to turn off the jigsaw section.

PBS Kids Video – Compatible with iPhone & iPad.  Got any kids that love Elmo?  He’s on this app along with SUPER WHY, Curious George, Cat in the Hat and others!  However, this is not a game your child can watch videos of their favorite educational friends.

Barnyard Mahjong Free – This one is also compatible with the iphone & ipad.  This is for the bigger kids (and this Mom!)  If you’ve ever played a Mahjong game you know it’s addictive.  If you haven’t, all you do is match the tiles and you’ll catch “the addict bug”. The tiles in this one are animals, fruits, veggies and the farmer, so it’s easier for kids.

Happy Downloading!