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  • The Lake House by Marci Nault #BookReview

     

    The Lake House

    By Marci Nault
    About the Book: VICTORIA ROSE. Fifty years before, a group of teenage friends promised each other never to leave their idyllic lakeside town. But the call of Hollywood and a bigger life was too strong for Victoria . . . and she alone broke that pledge. Now she has come home, intent on making peace with her demons, even if her former friends shut her out. Haunted by tragedy, she longs to find solace with her childhood sweetheart, but even this tender man may be unable to forgive and forget.


    HEATHER BREGMAN. At twenty-eight, after years as a globe-trotting columnist, she’s abandoned her controlling fiancé and their glamorous city life to build one on her own terms. Lulled by a Victorian house and a gorgeous locale, she’s determined to make the little community her home. But the residents, fearful of change and outsiders, will stop at nothing to sabotage her dreams of lakeside tranquility.


    About the Author: Marci Nault hails from a town not too far from Lake Nagog in Massachusetts. Today she can be found figure skating, salsa dancing, hiking and wine tasting around her home in California. Marci founded the website www.101dreamscometrue.com – a motivational website that encourages you to live your dreams. 
    So far she has accomplished 90 of her 101 dreams.
    My Thoughts: I really enjoyed The Lake House. I felt pulled into the little community of Nagog, and wished for awhile that we lived lakeside as well. I hurt with Victoria as she faced the mistakes from her past, and wanted to yell at her old friends to forgive. With Heather I rejoiced when she moved her life on, and laughed at the antics of her new neighbors. 
    What I mostly took from this book, however, was that we need to slow our lives down and be aware of those around us. We should take the time to get to know our neighbors, and allow them to know us. Most importantly though, we need to not be so self-involved we miss those events that are important to those we care most about. 
    The only thing I did not like about The Lake House, was it did periodically get a little steamy. Although I would not classify this book as a romance, it did have it’s parts that were a little too descriptive for my comfort. 
  • What Color is Monday? by Carrie Cariello

    What Color is Monday? by Carrie Cariello

    *I received a copy of What Color is Monday? for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

     What Color is Monday?

    by Carrie Cariello

     
    About the Book: What Color is Monday? is Carrie’s personal experience as a mother raising an autistic child. In her book, she shares with us the ups, the downs, the worries, and the tear producing joys of seeing a child succeed. What Color is Monday? will inspire every mother to see their child, not as a diagnosis, but another person just like us.
     
    About the Author: This seems a bit redundant since the book is about the author, but I like to add these tidbits in. Carrie is the mother of 5 children very close in age.  Their family lives in New Hampshire (I claim this as my home-state as well!). Her husband works in the dental field while Carrie stays home taking care of the family. She enjoys Bikram yoga (I’m very curious about this sweat to death yoga practice now), writing, and spending time with her precious family.
     
    My thoughts: I think this is a must read for every parent. It doesn’t matter if you have a child on the spectrum, Carrie’s words will inspire you to be a better parent, and see past any flaws – because we all have them – to the child and person we all are.
    After reading What Color is Monday? I made a resolve to stop yelling as often. I’ve never liked yelling, but my “red zone” seemed to get lower and lower every day. With Carrie’s words behind me, I’ve been doing pretty good, and I see the difference it makes. My kids are your pretty average kids – messy, loud, and completely lovable – but even so, I was able to put into practice similar techniques Carried used for Jack into my own parenting. I will be forever grateful that I picked up this book.
     
    One specific piece of wisdom I will hold onto is something that had often weighed on my mind, about my own second child. The idea that she might fall on the spectrum had often been discussed between Mark and I. But I just didn’t feel like she was completely, or that we should put that label on her. Then Carrie nailed it on the head – WE ARE ALL SOME SORT OF CRAZY!  You know we are. Everyone has their problems, their difficulties. What makes someone on the spectrum is the combination of many problems. So I will continue to love and teach my brilliant daughter, while often reminding her that she can’t climb on strangers laps and pointing to the man with the big white beard and yelling Santa Claus is not very appropriate. It’s who she is, and I love her little self just brimming with love for everyone around her.
     

    Author Interview

     
    I had a wonderful opportunity to ask Carrie some questions. I know she’s probably very busy with her kids, and writing, that I didn’t want to take up too much of her time, so I kept it to three questions I felt we could all benefit from:
     
    What one piece of advice would you give a couple facing an autism diagnosis? If you could only tell them one thing, what would it be?
    I would tell parents facing a diagnosis to try the best they can, not to panic. Believe me, I know exactly how hard that is – Jack is nearly nine and I still panic at times – but do your best to enjoy the moment and understand that though the road ahead is bumpy, there are many beautiful moments as well.
    Also, the best advice I ever received was this: try to remember that behind every child’s behavior – every tantrum, every whine, every act of defiance – there is purpose. Your little one is trying to tell you something, and it’s important to try and listen and figure out what the meaning is.
     
    I guess that’s two things.
     
    What advice would you give to parents, in general, raising a herd of kids close in age?
     
    Love the word herd! I think we’ve had the most success treating our five kids as a group when it comes to things like bath time, meals, and activities. We try to have them do as much together as possible. 
     
    Also, make sure to take time for yourself, whether it’s a “date night” with your partner or spouse, a yoga class, or an hour with a cup of coffee in the bookstore. Time to regroup and rejuvenate is essential, and your entire family will benefit. 
     
    What are your hope and dreams for the future?
     
    For myself, I would love to continue writing. I would also love to do a strict pull-up unassisted. 
     
    For my children, I hope they continue to blossom and grow as individuals, but also always remain as close-knit a group as they are right now. I hope they won’t need too much therapy in the future. 
     
    And for Jack, I hope he lives the life he hopes for – one full of family and license plates and music. I hope he is happy and that his days are always full of color. 
    You can read more reviews on Goodreads
     
    Check out my Bookshelf for more reading suggestions
     

  • Coyote Winds by Helen Sedwick {Book Review}

    Coyote Winds

    By Helen Sedwick

    About the Book: Andy is a 21st Century teen living with an overprotective mother, and disconnected family. His grandfather is the only one who seems to understand; with funny jokes, and stories from the Dust Bowl, he inspires Andy to dream and follow those dreams. But when his Grandfather passes away, without finishing his stories, it’s up to Andy to discover his families past, and learn the lesson his Grandfather wanted to teach.

    About the Author: Helen grew up in New York City. After majoring in English at Cornell, she went on to attend Chicago Law School.  For thirty years she has practiced Business Law in the San Francisco Bay area. She has received honorable mentions for her short stories and recently was awarded second place from the Redwood Writers Flash Fiction Contest for a piece adapted from Coyote Winds.
    Coyote Winds was inspired by her own Fathers stories of growing up during the Dust Bowl.

    My Thoughts: If you’ve been following along this blog, you’ll know I’ve mentioned this before – I love history!  My area of study in college was History Education. Although I never finished my degree, I still love learning about history anyway I can. Coyote Winds is a great piece of historical fiction. With almost a side by side comparison as we follow Andy living in the 21st century, and his grandfather adventures during the Dust Bowl. If you’re looking for a quick book to read, I would suggest this one. It’s a fun adventure, but makes you think about your dreams. Are you living them? Or are you to afraid of disappointment?

    For more information about Helen and her writing, visit www.helensedwick.com
    *I received a copy of Coyote Winds to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I only recommend books that I enjoyed and think my readers will also enjoy.

  • Inspirational books for adults and kids! {Book Review}

    Inspirational books for adults and kids! {Book Review}

    I just finished two books that were both inspirational and motivational. One is geared more towards adults – GPS Your Best Life – and one is a picture book for kids – The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob.

    GPS Your Best LifeWhen I picked up GPS Your Best Life, I knew what I was reading. I picked it up to read specifically to gain a little more motivation and direction in my life. Authors Hammond and Kasowski use the GPS as a metaphor for achieving our best life.

    Although I felt they may have rushed to publication (one more edit could have really helped), I still learned a great deal from this book. I started thinking of what I want my best life to look like, how I plan on achieving it, and how to overcome roadblocks. I took insight into my life while reading this book – a thought that often gets pushed back in the daily hustle and bustle of life – and realized that for the most part, I am living my best life. Of course I could always be better, do more, become more – but for me, my best life is being a mom. I am pretty much living my dream. 

    Around the same time I began reading GPS Your Best Life, I also picked up Blue Ocean Bob to read to the kids. Wow!  It was not at all what I thought it was going to be. Granted if I had taken the time to read a little more about it before I picked it up, I would have known, but I just saw a great cover, and thought that looks fun and educational.

    The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob - A Journey Begins

    It was both fun and educational. I called this a picture book, which isn’t wrong, but it is also a chapter book. Blue Ocean Bob lives on the Island of Roses. Although he is happy on his island, he begins to want more for his life.  Bob begins his journey of fulfillment by speaking to wise animals, learning lessons in patience, and overcoming obstacles that may seem too large to pass. Xena, his hummingbird gives a fair representation of the negative voice we all have at some point in our life. Telling Bob it’s just too hard, he shouldn’t try because he’ll just face disappointment. Better to live happy than to be let down.

    I absolutely loved Blue Ocean Bob. The story itself was great, but it is also written in rhyme, and has some beautiful artwork.

    *I received copies of these books to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

  • 2 Audiobooks from The Golden Age and L. Ron Hubbard {Book Review}

    2 Audiobooks from The Golden Age and L. Ron Hubbard {Book Review}

    I don’t listen to audiobooks all that often, but periodically I’ll take over the car selection.  I had another opportunity to do that with 2 more books from L. Ron Hubbard and The Golden Age Stories (read my last review from them).

     

    Man-Killers of the Air

    By L. Ron Hubbard

    Man-Killers of the Air

     

    About the Book:  On the eve of entering an international air race to win much-needed prize money, Smoke and Patty face the usual and the impossible. The race involves a dangerous, grueling flight down Central America, over the Andes and across the Brazilian jungle—that’s typical. The real challenge is that a publicity-hungry newspaper mogul is trying to sabotage Smoke’s plane, the “Super-Comet,” and make sure that this race is his last. Plus, the beautiful woman he loves resents his supposed infatuation with height and speed. Now Smoke must somehow win her over, against lethal odds piled high in the turbulent sky

     
    My Thoughts:  There was a bit of language in this one.  I find language harder in audio books since it’s being said out loud, instead of me just eyeing over it. The storyline was well done. As they set out trying to save reputation, the plane, and his girl – Man-Killers of the air has a bit of everything. Mystery, love, suspense. Adding in the Cheetah was just a fun twist of the story.

    Trouble on His WingsTrouble On His Wings

    By L. Ron Hubbard

    About the Book: Johnny Brice is a hotheaded, hard-working “picture-chaser” for the newsreels. He loves to fly into the mouth of danger (whether forest fire, shipwreck or flood), get the story first, shoot it and send the film back fast so that it can be turned into newsreels for theatres all across America. He’s the best there ever was as a “top dog” reporter . . . up till the day he inadvertently saves the life of a golden-haired girl he pulls out of the ocean while covering a ship burning at sea.

    My Thoughts: Of the two, I enjoyed this book much more. It was faster paced, and seemed to come together better. Action after action, waiting to see who the girl really was. I was actually a little sad when this one ended.  Don’t let the cover of this one fool you though. Although there is a bit of a love story, it stays clean, and doesn’t delve into that genre more than a passing thought of “pretty girl”. 

     
     

    About the Author

    “What is generally missed,” Mr. Hubbard once remarked, “is that my writing financed research.” And although more broadly known for what finally came from that research, his novels and stories will never be forgotten. Having published a full 15 million words between 1929 and 1941, the name L. Ron Hubbard had been virtually synonymous with popular fiction through the 1930s—or as friend and fellow author Frederik Pohl had proclaimed, “The instant Ron’s stories appeared on the newsstands, they became part of every fan’s cultural heritage.” And given the volume of his work through these years—more than two hundred stories and novels spanning all popular genres: mystery, Western, adventure, fantasy, science fiction and even romance—that cultural heritage was indeed rich.

     
     
    *I received these audiobooks to review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
    

  • Out of Darkness by Jason D. Morrow {Book Review}

    Out of Darkness

    Starborn Saga Book 1

    By Jason D. Morrow

    About the Book:  60 years into the Zombie Apocalypse, Mora has left her village to seek help from the man named Jeremiah. Jeremiah offers protection to outlying villages from the “greyskins” in exchange for a portion of food grown. On her way, Mora discovers she possesses special abilities, and learns others do too. They are called the Starborn. Mora quickly learns that not everything is as it seems. 

    About the Author:  Jason and his wife live in Kentucky. In Jason’s own words “I aim to entertain and leave boring at the door with my fast-paced stories”.  He began writing stories as a kid for his parents, and now continues to enjoy writing for “the masses”.  The Chronicles of Marenon were Jason’s first published fiction, and a great start to his writing career. 
    My thoughts: Loved. It was shorter than I expected, but that just means I can read a few more books before Book 2 comes out. I literally couldn’t put this book down. I picked it up in the morning, and had it finished shortly after lunch.  I’ve never actually been one for zombie Apocalypse, or a lot of the paranormal type books, but this one is well written. Once again, Jason weaves a story that is so close to believable, and just pulls you right in. It’s the type of book that has you worried about the characters and just hoping all turns out alright, so you don’t lose a part of your heart.

    Connect with Jason
    *I received an e-copy of this book for free for my honest review. All thoughts are 100% my own.

  • 17 Cents and A Dream by Daniel Milstein {Book Review}

    17 Cents and A Dream

    By Daniel Milstein

    About the Book: 17 Cents and A Dream is Daniel Milstein’s auto-biography. He walks us through key points from his childhood surviving the Chernobyl accident, and fleeing Kiev, to his teen years trying to fit in as a non-english speaking immigrant to the USA. This book is inspiring to the average person to do more, persevere, and be the best we can be.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    About the Author: Daniel is President and CEO of Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group. His business was recently listed as an INC 500 business. To learn more about him you should read this book. 
     
    Connect with Daniel on Goodreads
     
     
    My Thoughts: 5 Stars for this touching tale of perseverance. Unlike most auto-biographies of famous people I’ve read, 17 Cents and A Dream was down to earth and simple. I felt like Daniel understood the average person. He doesn’t come off as an arrogant rich guy. Rather he has shared his story of rags to riches in a very humbling way. His story could be one of many immigrants fleeing persecution to live the American Dream.
    Despite the challenges Daniel was faced with in life, he pushed to be better. A better man, a better son and grandson, a better student, brother, employee and father. Daniel doesn’t look at his past and gloat that he succeeded. He looks at his past in reflection, ready to learn and continue to push forward. I found this a very refreshing read from a successful, yet humble man. If more of the world could have his attitude I think this world would be a much better place.
     
     
     
    *I was provided with a copy of this book for review. All thoughts are my own 100% honest opinion.
    
     
  • Healthy Snacking with SunRype

    Healthy Snacking with SunRype

    Since Princess V started kindergarten this year I’ve tried to be the cool mom that always has a snack ready when she gets home. Princess V always seem to be hungry right after school, and really I don’t blame her. They start at 12, which means we had to change our normal lunch time to 10:30 (slow eaters anyone, anyone?).
    So when 3 o’clock rolls around she is hungry.

    My biggest problem with having a snack ready for her, is that I’m often crunched on time. I still have 3 kids at home to take care of, the house work, and often I try to run my errands during this time. And who wouldn’t, 1 less kid makes errands so much easier!

    I remember my mom always having a plate of cookies, or our own ball of bread dough to shape and bake, or veggie trays, and crackers and cheese. Admittedly most of these are pretty easy and quick to throw together, so I don’t know why I don’t do it more. Some days I get it right , and other days it’s a work in progress.

    My favorite snack for the kids, however, is fresh fruit! I like to keep a bowl of bananas and apples on the table. My 2 year old is a fruit snatcher though, which means often our after school snack isn’t there, and I’ve realized too late to make anything else, let alone make it healthy.

    So I’ve started keeping ready made snacks like SunRype on hand. I love that SunRype is 100% Fruit, with no added sugars. They have a pretty strong sweet/tart flavor from the natural sugars in the fruit that is a bit hard to get use to. Princess R absolutely loves these bars, and they’ve helped keep her out of the fruit bowl some days.

    Wednesdays the kids are especially grateful for these healthy fruit snacks as we pick Princess V up and head straight to dance. We get home just in time to get dinner on the table, so snacks at that point are out of the question. I’ve taken to dropping a few of the SunRype Fruit Strips – by far the kids favorite SunRype product – into my purse before heading out the door. It keeps the kids satisfied while I get to reap the benefits of sneaking something healthy into their hands.

    Interested in trying out SunRype? Head over to Facebook for a Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon.
     
    *This is a sponsored post on behalf of SheSpeaks and SunRype. I received free product in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

  • Goodnight, Brian by Steven Manchester {Book Review}

    Goodnight, Brian
    by Steven Manchester
    
     
    About the Book: Fate was working against little Brian Mauretti. The food that was meant to nourish him was poisoning him instead, and the doctors said the damage was devastating and absolute. Fate had written off Brian. But fate didn’t count on a woman as determined as Brian’s Grandmother, Angela DiMartino – who everyone knew as Mama. Loving her grandson with everything she had, Mama endeavored to battle fate. Fate had no idea what it was in for.
     
    About the Author: Author of national best seller Twelve Months (read my review), and several other books, Steven is a husband and father to four.  He began writing under the pen name Steven Herberts. 
     
    My Thoughts:
    Similar to Twelve Months, Goodnight, Brian reads real to life. It felt as if Steven were writing a story he personally experienced. That is what I love about his writing style. It’s still a story, but brought to life as you find different aspects of each characters life you can relate to.  Mama very much reminded me of my aunt. I grew up near her, we went on many little adventures around New England together, and she commanded respect at all times. But she did it all out of love, and you never had any doubt that my Aunt loved you.  She was practically a 2nd mom to me.
     
    Goodnight, Brian will bring your emotions to the surface as a mother or father receiving a devastating diagnosis for your child (even if your child is just fine, any parent can imagine the emotions they must feel), as a brother or sister watching your family struggle, feeling alone because one sibling receives more attention, and learning to grow from those trials. The anger at being given such a trial, and if have faith in God, the number of prayers said for your loved ones.
     
    Steven Manchester has again pulled on my heartstrings, and turned my faith further to my God in struggling times.
     
    Connect With Steven at www.stevenmanchester.com
     
    

  • The Best of 2012

    Yesterday I shared with you a review of our life in 2012. Today I’d like to share some of the favorite blog posts. I’ll start with the reader favorites. These are the posts that were visited most frequently in 2012 (minus any giveaway posts).

    1. After (sort of) Kitchen We started our year with a kitchen remodel. 257 of you came by to check out the almost finished result.
    2. Should Kids Share a Room? In a new meme we started this year, Think About It Thursday, I told 151 readers my thoughts on whether kids should share a room.
    3. Why I Wear A Dress to Church  This has been my personal favorite post all year.  In an attempt to share some deep personal feelings on my religion, and a stand against a movement that I disagree with. 151 readers stopped by to hear my thoughts. 
    4. Halloween Costumes  In October 148 readers came by to read my ramblings on Halloween Costumes. 
    5. Upcycled Receiving Blankets  In one of my few and far between sewing tutorials, I shared how I turned our old receiving blankets into a quilt.  142 readers have read, and hopefully found inspiration for making their own quilt.
    6. Cleaning Microfiber Couches  Periodically I’ll throw out some tips on Tuesdays. I pulled 136 of you in to learn how I clean my microfiber couch.
    7. You Never Lose Review  135 people were interested in my review of the new auction site You Never Lose, where you truly can never lose.
    8. DIY Drum Light  As part of our Kitchen/Dining Remodel, I made our own Drum Light. 114 readers came to see how I made it.
    9. Making a House a Home: All About the Attitude  In March 90 of you came by and read my epiphany over something my then 5 year old said.  
    10. Over the Sink Light  Finally 81 readers stopped by to see the light we added above our sink during the kitchen remodel.

    Number 3 and 9 on this list were my absolute favorite posts to write this last year. I felt strongly about them both, and really let my feelings show.

    There were a few other memorable moments this past year.

    We enjoyed a new Link Party co-hosted with Diane from Simple Living and Eating – Foodie Friday! We plan on continuing this party through 2013 as we share more recipes, and enjoy all the food you’ve shared with us.
    I attempted another party – Think About It Thursday – that didn’t really take off. For now, we’re going to put this one on hold.
    Finally, my most memorable moment of 2012, was purchasing my own domain. Mark surprised me on Black Friday with www.homemaidsimple.com  Our new online home.  Within the coming weeks, we’ll be switching out of blogger and finding a new server and blog platform.

    Happy New Year
    Thank you all for making 2012 a great year!