For all you Lapbookers out there!

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Review:The Sumerton Women by D.L. Bogdan

This book was a little more than I expected. I enjoyed it. I even read some of it to my children. They didn't want me to stop reading it. They wanted to know what was going to happen to Mirabella in the end. My oldest was in tears by the end of the book. So we liked it a lot. Here is a summary from the back of the book:
Orphaned at age eight, Lady Cecily Burkhart becomes the ward of Harold Pierce, Earl of Sumerton. The charming Lord Hal and his wife, Lady Grace, immediately welcome sweet-natured Cecily as one of their own. With Brey,their young son, Cecily develops an easy, playful friendship. But their intensely devout daughter, Mirabella, is consumed by her religious vocation- and by her devotion to Father Alec Cahill. the family priest and tutor.
With Father Alec as her closest confidant, Cecily begins to glimpse the painful secrets at the heart of the Pierce family. When tragedy strikes at home, and Henry's VIII's obsession with Anne Boleyn leads to violent upheaval across England, Mirabella is robbed of her calling and the future Cecily dreamed of is ripped away in turn. As Cecily struggles to hold together the fractured household, she and Alec also grapple with a dangerous mutual attraction. Plagued with jealousy, Mirabella unleashes a tumultuous chain of events that threatens to destroy everyone around her. For with treachery and suspicion rampant, desire has the power to shatter a family-and tear a kingdom apart.
At the end of the book is a study guide which would come in handy if you are a member of a book club or book study.
The book was given to me for free for my honest review.

Review: Here's Lily by Nancy Rue

Let me just say this was a sweet little book. It made me tear up quite a bit. Without giving away too much, Lily is involved in an accident that causes her and someone she loves harm. And as a result of this accident she may not be able to attend an event that means the world to her. So she searches within herself for confidence that she can't seem to find only to realize that this is something she needs God's help for.
Taken from the back of the book..... In this funny story in a series that has sold over one million copies, you'll meet red-headed sixth-grader Lily Robbins. After receiving a compliment about her looks from a high-powered woman in the fashion industry, Lily obsesses over becoming a model, setting her sights on winning the "model search" fashion show. Overnight, she packs away her rock and feather collection in exchange for fashion magazines and lip gloss-but is God in the middle of this change in Lily's life? When the unthinkable happens a couple of nights before the fashion show, Lily learns a valuable lesson about real beauty.This is the perfect book for that young girl in your life that reaches that age of uncertainty. Uncertainty about herself and the life around her.
This book was provided for me for free for my honest review through the Booksneeze program for bloggers.

Review: Reading Eggs Website

I have a 6 yr old that just learned to read this school year. And I thought that after seeing on the Reading Eggs website that he could take advantage of a 2 week free trial. That we should definitely try it out and that is exactly what we did. In a word he LOVED IT! Here is some information taken from their website.
Reading Eggs makes learning to read interesting and engaging for kids, with great online reading games and activities.
And it really works!
Children love the games, songs, golden eggs and other rewards which, along with feeling proud of their reading, really motivate children to keep exploring and learning.

 He really liked the lessons. So much so that I didn't have to beg him to do them. And after he was done with his lessons he gets to play games. And it was timed which I loved. I don't like my children to spend a lot of time on the computer. It is a safe environment for your children. So please don't waste any time head on over and check them out.Here is their website http://readingeggs.com/signup . I hope you like it as much as we have.

Review:The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

 
This was a very well written book. I really enjoyed it. The author gave each of the characters a lot of personality that just came shining through. You can really feel like you know each of them.
Taken from the back of the book.....
In 1896 Norwegian American Helga Estby accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane,Washington, to New York City within seven months in an effort to earn ten thousand dollars and save the family farm. She brought along her eighteen-year-old daughter, Clara, and the two made their way on the 3,500-mile trek by following the railroad tracks. After returning home to the Estby farm more than a year later, Clara chose to walk on alone, leaving the family and changing her name. Her decisions initiated a more than twenty-year separation from the only life she had known.
Historical fiction writer Jane Kirkpatrick picks up where the fact of the Estby's walk leaves off to explore Clara's continued journey. What motivated Clara to take such a risk in an era when many women struggled with the issues of rights and independence? And what personal revelations brought Clara to the end of her lonely road
Clara is a very spunky young woman a lot like her mother. The shooting in the beginning of the book was quite a surprise. But the reactions of everyone left me chuckling. I enjoyed this one and you will too.

I received this book for free for my honest review from the Waterbrook Multnomah blogging for books program. If you are interested in getting in on this program here is the link:http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/

Review:A Plus TutorSoft Math Learning Software

Recently  my son & I were given the chance to review some software. This software in particular was to tutor him in an area that he was needing some remedial work in. So he decided he would give this a shot to see how A Plus TutorSoft worked. And to see if it would be a fit for him and ultimately for our family, since he has two brothers following along in his footsteps.We took a look at their interactive CD software. But they have much more than just that available.But I will list from there own website here just the many advantages A Plus TutorSoft have to offer:

Interactive MATH Curriculum Software CD:

Our curriculum is designed to be a full curriculum and hopefully the only MATH resource homeschoolers will need. You have lessons that explain concepts with example problems using all three learning modalities – Audio, Visuals and Text. You also have automatically graded interactive quizzes for each lesson which provide instant feedback with step-by-step explanation for each problem if student answers it incorrectly. This allows you to detect any learning gaps and our software automatically does the “re-teaching” with step-by-step instructions on how to solve a particular problem using audio, visuals and text.

If your students need additional practice with problem solving, we provide printable worksheets and exams (highly recommended to ensure mastery in each subject area), which can be used in more traditional way. Your students workout the problems on printed worksheets/exams and a parent teacher would need to check student’s work using our “Worksheet Solution Guide” and “Exams Solutions Guide” (the parental manuals) which are also included with this MATH curriculum software. We explain step-by-step solution to each worksheet and exam problem in the Worksheets and Exams Solution Guides. We also provide Lesson Plan to help parents and students in regards to pace, timeline and ordering of the material as well as an electronic version of a Full Curriculum Book.

Computerized lessons with automatically graded interactive quizzes and printable worksheet & exams where students are required to show their work makes this a very complete and such great MATH curriculum. This allows sufficient involvement from parents while taking the burden of teaching MATH away from them. Parents are NOT expected to have mastery of the MATH at all, they just need to coach their students a bit and check their work using our detailed step-by-step Solution Guides.

We also provide Progress Tracking, Reporting and other parental features to keep track of all the student assignments and generate cumulative reports on their progress in the Premium Edition. The attached PDF explains this in more details.

Interactive MATH ONLINE (available Summer 2012):

We also have Online Interactive MATH curriculum which is completely automated. So in addition to everything that is on our CD software, you will have the ability to take practice exercises and tests which are automatically graded and tracked. We are working on revising this at the moment and we expect to have our NEW HOMESCHOOL ONLINE MATH available this summer 2012. This would be excellent MATH program for those parents who are looking for math curriculum to do the teaching as well as grade and track all of student’s work automatically. 

My son tried the third grade version of there interactive math curriculum. And he bragged to his brothers how he finished many of the lessons in no time. And told me when I questioned him that the software was very easy to understand and follow. If I could ask the creator to enhance this at all it would be to be a little more colorful and fun graphics. And some fun math games after a days worth of lessons would definitely be a plus. A Plus TutorSoft Math Learning Software definitely worth looking into whether you want to use it during the year as an add on to your homeschool curriculum or to use it during the summer for remedial work I really believe you would like its no nonsense approach. I you would like to more about this product here is there website link: http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/ViewInteractiveCDSoftware.jsp

I was given this software CD for free for my honest review from A+ TutorSoft,Inc.

Real Marriage By:Mark&Grace Driscoll A Book Review

I really enjoyed this book. This book does NOT sugar coat marriage like alot of other christian based books on marriage. So if that is what you are looking for you may need to move on.
Taken from the back cover:
In their book Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, share how they have struggled and how they have found healing through the power of the only reliable source: the Bible. They believe friendship is fundamental to marriage but not easy to maintain. So they offer practical advice on how to make your spouse your best friend- and keep it that way.
For many years the Driscoll's have spoken to and counseled many people on christian marriage. And not just spoke about it but really dug deep to the heart of it. And letting us all know what it is about and exactly how God feels about sex inside marriage. They even included a section of sexually based questions & answers to help those of us that aren’t sure if something is accepted by the Lord.
This book is biblically based and is very helpful to those that are thinking about marriage, newly married, or even those of us, who like me, have been married for awhile. And to top it all off the Driscoll's are very blunt and to the point. And I like that about them. This book is very real and very raw.
This book was provided to me for free for my honest opinion by the Booksneeze program.

His Princess By Sheri Rose Shepherd A Book Review

This book was a refreshing read. I was pleasantly surprised with the colorful pictures it contained. It was very pretty.I really enjoyed reading it. It contains love letters from our King. It is all the things that you wish God would say to you.Here is a small excerpt from the book.
“I have set you free to love others, so don’t let people who have caused you pain paralyze you from experiencing the joys of love. I know there is always a risk when you give a piece of your heart away, but I’ve created you to enjoy the gift of special friemdships. Choose wisely the ones that you invest your time and energy in, and also give those you love the freedom to fail. Remember that no one will love you as perfectly as I do…..”
Sometimes in our busy lives we as women forget how our King treasures us. He treasures our very hearts and souls. This book is a very short read but it was also very tender. It definitely made me shed a tear or two. I was reminded of God’s love for me and how precious it is.
This book was provided to me for free through the blogging for books program at this link for a review based on my honest opinion:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com

SWITCHED! (TJ and the Timestumblers Series) By Bill Myers A Book Review

Taken from the back of the book…..”TJ’s bald head! The goofballs’ Swiss Army Knife has shaved everything in sight,from trees to shrubs to… Well, you get the idea. Fueling their time pod. All they have to do is sneak aboard a top-secret nuclear submarine and “borrow” its plutonium power pack. And worst of all worsts, the minor matter of TJ and her archenemy, Hesper Breakahart, switching bodies. (Don’t you just hate it when that happens?)
My daughter helped this review by reading this book for me so I give her all the credit. To me it was geared more towards her age group so I let her read it. She loves the book! She got a huge kick out of the names the author used. She told me a few after all who wouldn’t think Principal Bustubad, Mr. Hatemijob, & Bruce Bruiseabone are just the tiniest bit funny. I thought that was real clever of Bill Myers to use those names. We had never heard of this series before I got the book to review. But after receiving it and letting my 14 year old read it. I have to say we may have to get the rest of the series. She really liked it that much! It wasn’t a hard read for her to get into either which is a plus in my book.
This book was provided to me for my honest review by the

Review:When Work & Family Collide By Andy Stanley

This book was a good short read. I finished it in no time. The author tries in a sense to help all of us whether we work outside the home or at home to understand how and why we should put family first.
Taken from the book”Let’s face it. With all the demands of the workplace and all the details of a family it’s only a matter of time before one bumps into the other. And many of us end up cheating our families when the commitments of both collide. In this practical book, Andy Stanley will help you:
1)Establish priorities and boundaries to protect what you value most.
2)Learn the difference between saying your family is your priority and actually making them your priority.
3)Discover tested strategies for easing tensions at home and at work.
Watch as this powerful book transforms your life from time-crunching craziness to life-changing success.
I’m a stay at home mom and i homeschool my children the last thing I want to hear my spouse say is,”Honey, I’m going to have stay at work longer than what I expected.” I love hime but after awhile of hearing sibling craziness all day and dealing with a toddler that can’t stop crying. I need him home to restore some normalacy. I really liked the book and glad Andy Stanley wrote it,it is something we all need in this day and time.
If you are in the same boat and wondering how you and your significant other could possibly obtain this. Then this is the book for you. This book shows you how God works into the whole equation and how he wants the family restored as much as the both of you do. And to top it all off the author put some discussion questions in to help with the whole transition.
This book was provided to me for free for my honest review through the Blogging for Books program. Here is the link:
http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/
You can buy this book now:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601420732

Review:My Prince Will Come By Sheri Rose Shepherd

This is a devotional book centered around waiting for our princes return. Taken from the back of the book….
It’s the moment you’ve waited for all your life. Hopes and dreams long buried suddenly come alive;heartache and pain melt away;your eyes meet and you’re overcome with joy.
It’s a love story beyond the most amazing fairytale. A true Happily Ever After…. all for you! Your eternal reign will begin on that day because your Prince loves you and paid the ultimate price to call you His princess. Come now, and get to know your Prince, understand your royal calling, live with passion and peace, and prepare for that glorious day… when you finally meet Jesus-your Prince-face to face.
This book was a good read because it got my focus back on what really matters looking onward and upward. Sometimes in my day to day life it is really hard to focus on the Lord’s coming except for the fact almost everyday I say I sure wish he was here to retrieve us life would be a lot easier. Sheri Rose Shepherd’s book once again puts our focus on the Lord and the words he left us with. So when our hearts become burdened with our mundane daily lives. We can go to the Lord and he can restore us until we see him again.
This book was provided to me for free for my honest review by the Walter Multnomah Blogging for Books program.

Book Review and Giveaway

Recently I was given the opportunity to review the book Miracle for Jen By Linda Barrick with John Perry. I have to say I really enjoyed the book. I was mad at times,angry,frustrated and in tears for different parts of the book. Here is a little summary: On the night of November 5,2006, the Barrick family was driving home from church when their van was struck by a drunk driver. Fifteen-year-old Jen suffered multiple skull fractures and severe brain trauma and was not expected to survive the night. But against all odds,she did.
After lingering in a come for five weeks, Jen opened her eyes and began praying and praising God. She didn’t remember her middle name, recognize her parents, or recall that she had a little brother- but she remembered Jesus and every word to every praise song and scripture she had hidden in her heart before the accident. As any loving mother would,Jen’s mother Linda wanted God to heal Jen-make her like she was before. Normal. But a loving God had something else in mind-instead of making her normal,God is making Jennifer-and the whole Barrick family-extraordinary,miraculous.
Miracle for Jen is the remarkable true story of a family who overcame tragedy and learned to trust God’s plan for their lives in a whole new way.
This book shows a family that has courage and grace in the middle of a horrendous storm. Sometimes in life we choose to solve a problem “our way” instead of God’s way and that is where we run into trouble. And it took awhile to convince Linda Barrick,Jen’s mom, of that. This was an awesome book that I was sent for free for my unbiased review by the Tyndale Blog Network . And I also agreed to give it away. So to enter my giveaway for this great book all you have to do is leave a comment below and also your email address so i can contact you in case you win. I will reveal the winner on St. Patty’s Day,that will be March 17, 2012.
Here is their link to the book trailer if you want to check them out:
http://www.tyndale.com/Miracle-for-Jen/9781414361192

Review:Hope For Parents of Troubled Teens

If you are having trouble out of your teenager this book maybe what you could turn to to help you and your family through it. Hope For The Parents of Troubled Teens By Connie Rae takes you into the minds of our teenagers and tells you how to cope and hopefully resolve some of the conflicts that affect many families today.
Taken from the book….Sometimes it feels like there’s nothing you can do. Your teenager or young adult is rebellious,distant, or depressed, and you feel helpless as you try to break through to the child you used to know so well. But there are actions you can take to begin turning the situation around.
Licensed counselor Connie Rae has seen it all, both in her professional practice and in her personal life with a son who struggled through a drug addiction. She offers encouragement and practical advice on what to say and do, and mistakes to avoid. Whether the situation looks bleak already, or you’re just preparing for the challenges of the years ahead, Hope for the Parents of Troubled Teens will open up the world of your teenager’s mind and provide the steps you need to protect and restore your relationship with your child.
This book was beautifully written. I liked it alot. I could also relate to alot of things the author talked about. My teen isn’t giving me any serious problems yet. But this book will certainly serve as a well written guide for me in the years to come.
This book was provided to me for free by Bethany House publishers for my honest review.

Coconut Oil Review

I was not aware that Coconut Oil had so many uses until recently when I was asked to review this multipurpose product. I have used coconut oil before but that product was not as good as Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil. This product even in it solid state was soft and very fragrant. I really enjoyed using it. I basically just replaced my regular cooking oil with the coconut oil. But I always put it in my toddlers oatmeal which he loved because he loves coconut. But from what I read on Tropical Traditions website there are a lot of other uses for it. Did you know you could put in things that you would want to have a coconut taste? YUM! What about coconut fudge,oral hygiene, or condiments? The possibilities are endless. Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil gives you a mild coconut favor without the greasy after feel some oils have. Very good and very good for you.
Here is a link to their website for the Coconut oil I used:(copy&paste)
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm
Here is the home page link to their website:
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/
Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product
to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I
under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in
return for the free product.

Review: My Own Worst Enemy By Janet Davis

Who Am I?? It never dawned on me to even ask myself this question until after I read the book My Own Worst Enemy how to stop holding yourself back By Janet Davis. My whole identity since getting married and having children has been nothing short of wife and mother. But in her book Davis explains that we are worth much more than that to God and we should also see that worth in ourselves just as he does. In each chapter of this beautifully written book the author takes examples from everyday life,the bible and includes discussion questions at the end. This book was very informative and self reflecting. It really causes you to think and look inside yourself and ultimately heavenward to find your true strength and to reveal the beauty,sacrifice and honor that God knew was there all along.
Taken from the book…..Most of us want to believe that we live our lives in a fairly self-aware,consciously chosen fashion. Unfortunately, in the busyness and noise of our culture,that is often not the case. Self-awareness is a particular challenge for many women. With our nurturing nature, we can probably tell you what every person in the room (or at least in our family) needs and perhaps even what they want,where they excel, and what they might be struggling with, but we usually cannot answer those questions for ourselves.
I received this book for free for my honest review from Bethany House Publishers.

Review:Song of My Heart By Kim Vogel Sawyer

Times are hard right now for most of us. As I'm sure they have been a lot in times gone by. As they were in 1895 for the Sadie Wagner's family. With her step father becoming hurt due to a mining accident there was no one to take care of her and her family. So Sadie's parents begrudgingly promised her if a job opening were to ever become available then she would be more than welcome to try her hand at it to help her family financially. Well Sadie asked the Lord to help with this and he did send her a job or two by the way of her cousin Sid. The only thing was it was in Kansas. Sadie lived in Indiana. But Sadie decided with her parents permission to give it a shot. 
Meanwhile, a man by the name of Thad McKay came into town for a job also. Only his job is to start investigating a bootlegging operation that the Mayor suspects is going on in town.
I think the most refreshing thing about this book is the innocence of Sadie.  I really liked the book. Here is an excerpt from the book.....
Thad is immediately drawn to the lovely young singer who preforms in Asa Baxter's unusual opera house. But when he hears her practicing bawdy tunes, he wonders if she's far less innocent than she seems. And when Sadie appears to be part of the very crimes Thad has come to investigate, is there any hope the love blossoming between them will survive?

This book was provided to me for free through Bethany House for my unbiased review.

Review:Time 4 Learning

Have you ever thought as a mom of children that struggle with their school work;I wish there was something online interesting and fun that they could do that would actually help them with their school work? Maybe something that was educational as well as fun. While as a home school mom to four children, I think I finally found it. It is a website called Time 4 Learning. It has online curriculum and activities for children in PreK-8th grade.
With affordable monthly payments you can let your kids have some fun just like I did. They were "doing school" and loved it. My 6 year old is a new reader but doesn't struggle he still enjoyed it greatly. But my nine year old struggles with reading and frankly it is hard to get him to read as a result. But Time 4 Learning was a godsend. He would log in everyday without complaint. So you see whether you have children that are struggling to keep up in school or you have a child that is so far ahead of everyone that he is bored Time 4 Learning is for you.Here is a link to their website so you can check it out:
http://www.time4learning.com/
Thank you Time 4 Learning my boys loved it.
I was given the opportunity to try Time 4 Learning for free in exchange for my honest review.