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Tag: Review

  • The Girly Girl in me {Haircoverings Review and Giveaway}

    The Girly Girl in me {Haircoverings Review and Giveaway}

    I’ve told you all how I’m no girly girl.

    At least I wasn’t for a long time. I considered myself a tomboy. I enjoyed getting out and getting dirty. Playing with the boys. I have 2 older brothers that I always looked up to, and wanted to be like them.

    I don’t wear makeup. I’m not a very good hair-doer (unless I spend uber amounts of time I don’t have to get it right).   And, I’m just not very stylish. I’m working on that one though. I want more cute and fun styles.

    I want my girls to have a sense of fashion that their mother lacks. So they can put themselves together, look nice, but also value themselves for who they are, not what the look like. The joys of trying to balance life and values.

    I was really excited to get to review a product from HairCoverings.com again (they sent my girls a pretty hat and flower clip last year).  This year I was looking more for me. I wanted something to add, that still kept me, me.  I’m pretty happy with this black scarf I received. Since it’s black I can pair it with just about any outfit for a little dressier feel. Despite it’s thin feel, it actually kept my neck nice and warm on a cold night.

    As you can probably guess, my oldest is quite the girly girl. I received the black scarf just in time to wear to her ballet recital. 
    Princess V absolutely loves dancing, and really enjoys her new dance studio (I was so glad we found one in the area thanks to TimeDog).  You can see she is quite the Diva, as she leaves the stage waving to her fans.

    I love the wide range of products I can get from HairCoverings.com as well as the reasonable pricing. I have a feeling I’ll be visiting them many times over the years for all my girly girl needs. 

    *I have to add though, working with their PR was a bit confusing at times, but everything fell into place, and overall I am happy to work with them. 

    20% OFF
    Home Maid Simple readers can get 20% OFF their order through 12/31/12 with code
    blog1231
     
     
    
    Giveaway
    1 Reader will receive a Surprise box of Hair Items worth $25
    Open to US residents 18+
    Use the Rafflecopter to enter
    Giveaway ends Dec 31st
     
     
     
    *I received products mentioned above to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
    
  • The Living Room by Bill Rolfe {Book Review}

    The Living Room by Bill Rolfe {Book Review}

    The Living Room

    The Living Room

    by Bill Rolfe
     
    About the Book:  Daniel Clay has good looks, money, and a rising career as a New York investment advisor. Meanwhile, his personal life is barren of love and family. But when a distant relative dies and leaves him a house in England, Daniel embarks on a life-changing journey—toward love and his soul’s awakening.

    He meets and falls in love with Claire, a children’s palliative care nurse. With her help, he opens his home and heart to comfort young patients in their final days. As Claire tends to the children in a beautiful glassed-in room overlooking the sea, Daniel prays for miracles. Just when his prayers are answered, a mysterious illness strikes him down and relentlessly drains away his life. With no hope for a cure, Daniel holds fast to a deep secret that he can never reveal. And now, he needs a miracle of his own.

     
     
    About the Author: 

    Late on night back in July 2002, I fell asleep and had a dream. It was unlike
    any dream I had before or since. It was like watching an extended movie, and it
    ended with instructions for me in the rolling credits. I awoke in shock and
    glanced at the clock next to my bed, only to discover what seemed like hours of
    sleep had only been a few minutes. I got up, sat at my desk, and spent the rest
    of the night writing everything down. Never having written anything before, I
    took the next few weeks to follow the instructions from the dream – share the
    story in a novel. After a few months of being inspired by the story, but at the
    same time feeling overwhelmed with the project, I put it away. However, I
    couldn’t forget it. Now, after more than nine years of struggling with the
    process and battling against my own self-doubt, I’m ready to share the story.
    “The Living Room” was my dream. Bill Rolfe

     
    My Thoughts:  I cried. What a touching book. I was not prepared for The Living Room and the emotions it would stir up. Bill Rolfe has taken a dream he had, and turned it into an emotional story of faith, love and the importance of family first that will touch every heart, and perhaps remind this busy world what truly matters. 
     
    To be honest thinking of this book today, after so many children were thoughtlessly killed over the weekend, I can’t help but feel it’s message is even more important. Hold to your families. Let their love hold you up and carry you through. Working parents, hold your children a little tighter. You never know when something could pull them from you. Don’t get so caught up in the work life that you don’t have time for home life. When you make home life a priority, the rest will work itself out.
     
    Connect
     
    Purchase
    Amazon
    
  • For What It’s Worth by Karey White {Blog Tour}

    For What It’s Worth by Karey White {Blog Tour}

    Tour Schedule

     
    Thanks for stopping by Home Maid Simple on the For What It’s Worth Blog Tour. Click on the above banner for the whole tour schedule.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     
     

    For What It’s Worth by Karey White

    Twenty-four year-old, Abby Benson has dreams of owning her own wedding cake shop. An inheritance from her aunt gives her the ability to make those dreams come true. She hires Dane, a handsome contractor, to help her get the bakery up and running and soon they’re moving toward their own happy ending.

    Unsure what to charge for her cakes, Abby has a crazy idea to let the customer decide what they think their cake is worth. This plan has its ups and downs, but the novelty of the idea makes her a local celebrity. When she is interviewed on television about the unusual idea, business booms and Abby has cake adventures she never dreamed possible. But as her fame grows, Abby is swept up in a whirlwind that threatens everything she values. With the challenges that face her, will she be able to determine what is worth the most?

    Book Trailer

    My Thoughts
    I am a sucker for all things romantic. So a clean book about wedding cakes with a romance blooming on the side, right up my alley.  I loved the detail the author took to describe the remodeling of the home into a bakery, the different outfits Abby wore, and the beautiful cakes. So many books go overboard in their descriptions of the small details, but Karey has taken just enough time for you to picture it all in your mind, and continue with the story.

    I just love that there are recipes included. I’m a big fan of novels with recipes included. Each chapter begins with a new recipe.  We even tried out the Pumpkin and mini chocolate chip Mufiins.  I do think a little more editing needed to happen with the recipes. Some were a bit hard to follow, or were missing ingredients, that were mentioned in the directions. For example the muffins direction asked me to dredge the raisins in flour…but there were no raisins in the ingredients list…so we left that step out.  Nothing big, and since I do a lot of baking I was able to pull some together pretty nicely.  The kids are enjoying them for breakfast right now, actually.

    Purchase

    Author Karey White

    Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

    She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

    Links

    Blog Tour Giveaway
    $25 Amazon Gift Card + A Copy of For What It’s Worth
    Paperback available to US only, Ebook Available Internationally

    Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent’s permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  • The Path of the Fallen by Dan O’Brien {Book Review}

    The Path of the Fallen
    by Dan O’Brien
     
    About the Book: The world is broken. The coming of the Intelligence pushed the remnants of humanity deep into the tundra. What remained was a vast sea of ice and the machine city, Culouth. E’Malkai Armen, descendent of the Fallen, has been a citizen of Culouth his entire life. A bitter betrayal, and the inception of a war that will destroy millions of lives, forces E’Malkai to confront the past and undertake a pilgrimage that is his by birthright. As he travels to the cold tundra of the north, the realm prepares for war. The Path of the Fallen is a lonely and arduous path, but it must be walked for the sake of all mankind.
     
    About the Author: A psychologist, author, philosopher, freelance editor, and skeptic, Dan O’Brien has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Portent, The Path of the Fallen, Book of Seth, and Cerulean Dreams.  He also works as an editor at Empirical, a national magazine with a strong West Coast vibe.
     
    My Thoughts: When I first got this book, my thought was “That is a BIG book”.  I haven’t picked up a book that thick in quite some time.  I have some mixed feelings about The Path of the Fallen. I feel it has a very strong storyline, but it is lacking in areas. I think the author has assumed too much of his readers, and leaves out some pertinent information. I do enjoy when the author lets the reader imagine what happens, or lets us infer an emotion. Mr O’Brien seemed to allow too much of that in this book for me.
    I quite thoroughly enjoyed the concept behind the book. It’s a different take on life, death and the creation of mankind. It’s a book we can all relate to in reference to life, and what things are most important to us. What are we willing to sacrifice for the greater good?  What darkness may have a hold on our hearts?  Can we let go of that? Are we good enough to give all, whether we truly know what it is we’re giving?
     
    Buy It
     
    Connect
     

  • Roost by Jasmine Winterson {Book Review}

    Roost
    by Jasmine Winterson
     
    About the Book: Four urban refugees move west, haunted by echoes of a tangled conspiracy.
    Colorado’s Western Slope and the fertile beauty of the Grand Valley beckon with
    the promise of new beginnings. As the women seek to find their place in this
    seeming paradise, partnership with gutsy local Anna Garcia opens their eyes to
    an unsettled region torn by natural resource and labor wars. For the men, a
    mountain biking trip with Olympian Derek Draben transforms their plans into a
    much broader vision of glory. Time passes … relationships grow … until a chance
    meeting in the desert reminds everyone that the past lives on … and does not
    forget
     
    About the Author: Jasmine Winterson was born in London, England. She immigrated with her family to
    the United States in the 1980s, and now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, near
    the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Having worked in newspapers and
    environmental consulting, Ms. Winterson took a creative leap several years ago
    and has been writing novels ever since. She writes stories about men and women
    facing remarkable challenges, caught in webs of deceit and intrigue that
    threaten their lives. Her Uncertain Ground series follows the lives of several
    characters as they struggle to make sense of criminal worlds, shifting
    alliances, and faceless bureaucracies, facing down long odds with courage,
    determination and passion.
     
    My Thoughts:
    I am struggling with putting my thoughts into words here. I enjoyed the premise of this book. There were some really intriguing supporting characters, like Christa, that I wish would have gotten a little more attention. The main characters fell a bit flat for me though, as well as the whole story. I think the author would have done well to split this into 2 or 3 separate stories.
    When I read a book, I enjoy guessing what will happen next. I felt Jasmine took this to an extreme though. Foreshadowing is a great tool authors can use, but I didn’t get any of that from Roost. It felt almost like the author tried too hard to keep the reader in the dark, and by doing so missed a great opportunity.  I did however enjoy the book, and was on toes waiting to see what was going to happen.
    *This book does contain some adult content, including sex and violence; but for the most part was very clean*
     
    *I received a copy for my review. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.
  • Chase Danger Super Spy: Pirates of Pineapple Island {Book Review}

    Chase Danger Super Spy: Pirates of Pineapple Island {Book Review}

    Chase Danger Super Spy
    Pirates of Pineapple Island
    By Chad and Lisa Olivera
     
    About the Book: Join 7-year-old super-spies Chase Danger and Princess Ali Bali in their 2nd
    adventure. This time, the two heroes have to rescue magical pineapples and Ali’s
    brother, Aiden, from the dreaded pirate Captain Looney.  2nd in a series of Chase
    Danger, Super Spy books. Full color illustrations by Adam Goodman. 

    About the Authors: Lisa and Chad Olivera are an Author and
    publishing team from California. Published works include the Chase Danger, Super
    Spy Series: Book #1 Mystery of the special Sauce and book #2 Pirates of
    Pineapple Island. Lisa works with young children as a Special Circumstance Aide and
    Chad is a musician, composer and children’s theater director. They live and work
    in Santa Clarita California. As a family they enjoy writing books, going to the
    beach, watching movies and going on Geocaching adventures. Please visit them at
    http://www.chasedanger.com/ and “LIKE”
    them on facebook for exciting updates.

    My thoughts: Or more accurately, my kids thoughts. They loved this even more than the first book. Now when I ask them if they want to read Chase Danger, it has to be the Pirate Princess one! I’m sure it has something to do with having 3 Princesses in the house. As much as we loved The Mystery of the Special Sauce, adding in a Princess, Pirates and Pineapples, took my kids to another level of joy in reading. Again, I just love the reading theater that comes along with the book.  The voice of the characters, and sound effects brings the adventure to life.
    As a parent, I like the family aspect this book teaches. Our families are important, and even if we don’t always get along, we still love them.

  • House of Minerva {Review}

    House of Minerva {Review}

    At the beginning of this month, I stumbled across The House Of Minerva. Owner Kate Elfatah and I connected on twitter, and I decided to check out her website.
    I just loved how stylish everything on there was, and decided I needed to get something! As the mom of 3 girls, I was immediately drawn to the Girl Dresses. They were all so cute.
    It’s hard to hide anything from the kids, so Princess C saw me looking at these little dresses and came over to look with me. Her heart was pulled towards the Crow Dress. 

    I kind of cringed at first, because, really crows? It definitely looked cute online and all, but I was looking more at the Apple Grove dress.
    *Apple Grove

    I mean come on? Isn’t that just adorable?  I was planning an Apple Picking family outing at the time, and thought this would just be perfect.
    Princess C wasn’t sold though. So after much thought, and lots of time browsing the House of Minerva website, I finally caved, and we got her the Crows Dress. 

    Which turned out to be a perfect fit – for her personality, and her choice of a Witch for Halloween.

    What I love about the House of Minerva

    • The dresses are long! No bum length dresses here. They are generous in size, so my 4year old Princess could actually wear a 4T size. Which was great since this was the last crow dress available and it only came in a size 4T.
    • They are quality made! Princess C has been wearing this as much as possible. Which means it’s been through the wash a few times since owning it.
    • Just contact them! The owner is kind, helpful, and will work with you to get you exactly what you want. Since I was concerned about sizing, she was willing to send me a prepaid envelope just in case it didn’t fit. That, people, is Customer Service at it’s finest
    • They sell more than just dresses! In fact it started out as makeup bags, and has grown! From clutches and tablet sleeves, to dresses and aprons.

    Connect with the House of Minerva on
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Pinterest

    *I was compensated with product to write this review. All opinions are 100% my own and honest thoughts.

  • Golden Age Stories – Audio Book Review

    Golden Age Stories
    The Best in Pulp Fiction
     
    If you haven’t figured out yet, I love books. Reading has always been a passion of mine, thanks to my dad. My parents actually have a room in their home, dedicated to books. They call it the library. They even have a checkout system. It’s probably my favorite room in their house.
     
    Normally I prefer hard copies of books, but periodically I enjoy getting an audio book. Something to listen to while I get the housework done. Or in the most recent case, listening on the drive to our old house to fix some things before sale.
     
    My parents watched the kids, and I got to drive the hour to our previous home, to pick up Mark. He was taking care of some painting in order to comply with the appraisers notes. While he was there, he sold our car, and needed a ride back.
    So there I find myself, alone, in the car. No kids music playing, no talk radio for the hubby. My pick! I pulled out The Iron Duke by L. Ron Hubbard, and one of the many audio’s in the Collection of Stories from the Golden Age. Prior to this one, I had listened to Red Death Over China, another Golden Age Story by L. Ron Hubbard. This one was enjoyed while canning applesauce.
     
    About the Books: The Iron Duke is part of the Far Flung Adventure Stories. When Blacky discovers he looks like the Duke of Aldoria, plans are made, and years are spent perfecting the language and signature to impersonate his majesty. A turn of events lands Blacky and his companion in the midst of Aldoria and the unrest due to a drunken Duke who cares for no one.
     
    Red Death Over China, an Air Adventure, takes place during China’s civil war. American pilot John Hampton, has no allegiances, and works where ever there is money. After his gunner is shot, and he picks up a captain on the run from approaching armies, his attitude begins to change. Could there really be a right and wrong side?
     
    About the Author: L. Ron Hubbard lived from 1911 to 1986.  During the 1930’s and 1940’s Hubbard wrote many stories for pulp fiction magazines.  Best known for his fantasy and science fiction stories, he also wrote many westerns, romances, aviation, travel and many more!
     
    In writing an adventure story a writer has to know that he is adventuring for a lot of people who cannot. The writer has to take them here and there about the globe and show them excitement and love and realism. As long as that writer is living the part of an adventurer when he is hammering the keys, he is succeeding with his story.
    Adventuring is a state of mind. If you adventure through life, you have a good chance to be a success on paper.
    Adventure doesn’t mean globe-trotting, exactly, and it doesn’t mean great deeds. Adventuring is like art. You have to live it to make it real.
    – L Ron Hubbard
     
    My thoughts: I truly enjoyed listening to both these books. They were full of adventure, and life lessons. Not only that, but they were clean as well. These stories would be perfect for middle grade and teen readers looking for an adventure, and adults wanting to step back in time. Hubbard pulls off some well written stories.
    As for the audio version, they were great! It wasn’t just listening to someone read a story, you get the whole experience of sound effects as well, making the book really come alive.
     
    You can purchase paperback or audio copies on Amazon. Then read more reviews, and add your own on Goodreads
     
    You can also download and listen to a few short story samples online HERE.
    If you’re looking for even more, be sure to check out the Golden Age Stories YouTube Channel. You’ll get a full theatrical version of the stories while they are read. 
     
     
    * I received these audio books for my personal use to review, as a member of Business 2 Blogger. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.
  • The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume {Book Review}

    The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume {Book Review}

    The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume
    by Lisa Rumsey Harris
     
    About the Book: Treasure Blume is a pear-shaped first-grade teacher with a love of embroidered sweaters and an awkward tendency to blurt out whatever she’s thinking. And she has a family curse (or gift, depending on who you talk to); everyone who meets her (over puberty but under Alzeheimer’s) initially dislikes her.

    If you ask her grammy, Tabiona Blume—passer of the gift, keeper of the family lore, and star of the elite over-sixty dance team “Ruby’s Red Hot Chili Steppers”—she’ll say it’s a blessing. But Treasure isn’t buying her explanation. Especially since Grammy Blume hasn’t exactly embraced the gift in her own life.
    Treasure leaves St. George, Utah bound for Las Vegas and her first job, where she referees show-and-tell, creates Sneetch shirts for the Dr. Seuss Party, and tangles with Bonnie B. Baumgartner, the school secretary. But when Grammy Blume gets kicked out of her retirement community and has to move in with her, Treasure gets tutored in the power and pain of her unlikely gift.

    With her life full of kids and codgers, Treasure has given up on ever falling in love. And so has Dennis Cameron, a divorced chef who sinks from near culinary stardom to working with the lunch ladies in the school’s cafeteria to be near his daughter, Micaela, a student in Treasure’s class. At first Dennis can’t see anything redeemable in Treasure. He’s busy juggling the demands of his six-year-old daughter, his terminally-ill mother, and his selfish, plastic ex-wife. But somehow, the more he comes in contact with Treasure, the less he dislikes her, until finally he finds himself falling in love with her.


     

     

    About the Author: Lisa Rumsey Harris grew up writing stories and riding horses in Southeastern Idaho. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from Brigham Young University, where she now teaches writing classes. Lisa lives in Orem Utah, with her ancient Siamese cat, her husband Griffin (who cooks nearly as well as Dennis) and her two adorable daughters. When Lisa began writing this book, her oldest daughter was in first grade. Her youngest daughter finished first grade this year. Check out her world at www.treasureblume.com or on facebook under Lisa Rumsey Harris, author.
    My thoughts: First, I have to thank my mother in law, for telling me about this book! Like me, she loves to read, but this one was especially exciting for her because she actually knows the author! For me, that’s like knowing hollywood celebrities. 
    I really enjoyed The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume. Before knowing what “the gift” is, we meet Treasure and her quirks. My first reaction was this was not the most likeable main character. With her embroidered sweaters and blunt comments. As I continued to read though, I felt an almost kinship to her.
    This book is full of lessons we all need.  To look beyond the outside and first impressions we get, and see what a person is made up of inside (not their guts, their feelings, and actions!). To love children and their innocence. Finally, we can take from this book to love. Love beyond a persons flaws, beyond their mistakes, and just love them. We are all, afterall, human.

    You can pre-order The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume
    on Amazon

  • The Reluctant Bachelorette {Blog Tour & Giveaway}

    The Reluctant Bachelorette {Blog Tour & Giveaway}

     
    I am so excited to be a part of this Blog Tour with Kathy from I am a Reader Not a Writer!
    I’ve been following and reading Rachel Anderson’s blog (author of the book) for awhile now, and just fell in love with her writing. This is the first book I’ve read of hers, and now I get to share it with you!
     
    The Reluctant Bachelorette
    by Rachel Anderson
    About the Book: Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town’s charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out.  Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it’s up to the viewers – not her – to decide which bachelors stay or go
    Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show.  Unfortunately, Luke’s an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she’s up to, it means revenge.
    But when their pranks go south, will they screw up any chance they have at a future together, or will they be able to forgive and forget and prove that love really does conquer all?
     
    About the Author: Rachael Anderson is the author of four books: Divinely Designed, Luck of the
    Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She’s the mother of
    four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty
    parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies.
    But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread,
    which she is really good at eating.
    Connect with Rachel on
     
    My Thoughts:  I fell in love with this book. I even started to fall in love with one of the bachelors! If you enjoy watching the popular television show “The Bachelorette” you will most definately love this book.  Rachel pulls this book together in a real life, believable way!  The whole setting of this book feels like my small town – farmers, one little diner, and the cutest little flower shop ever! So reading The Reluctant Bachelorette was like reading about my own town. It also rekindled my desire to make flower arrangements (thanks Rachel!).
    If you’ve ever had a dream to be more, do more, or you can’t get “that guy’s” face out of your mind, you should read this book!  It’s lighthearted humor, real to life situations, and the search of true love, make this the perfect book to cozy up to with a mug of hot cocoa and warming fire this fall.
     
     
    Right now Rachel is offering the ebook for only 99cents!! You can purchase the ebook HERE or a paperback copy HERE
     
    Now time for the Giveaway!!!
     
    Grand Prize
    Print Copy of the Reluctant Bachelorette
    $15 Amazon Gift Card
    copy of the DVD Sneakers (US Only)
     
    1 Winner
    Print Copy of The Reluctant Bachelorette
     
    3 Winners
    Kindle Ebook copy of The Reluctant Bachelorette