Take Three By Karen Kingsbury Review and Giveaway {Ends 4/11}

Winner #55 - Donna 

Winner # 37 - LKnott 

Karen Kingsbury has always been a favorite author of mine.  She can draw you into a book and keep you there until the end of the book.  It is very much like her characters have a life of their own and while she is the author, there are times it feels like the characters are doing the writing.

Take Three is the third book in the Above the Line series.  While I think all of Karen's books are great, I truly believe that this one captured her heart.  Take Three takes some unexpected turns as the Chase Ryan removes himself from Jeremiah Productions and leaves the entire thing in the capable hands of Keith Ellison.  However, Keith's daughter Andi is on the verge of making a decision that could ruin her life forever.  Keith struggles to connect with his daughter and to keep from losing her while still working on the film that he believes the Lord has called him to.

I was drawn into the book immediately and cried with Andi as she struggled.  I cheered with Bailey Flanigan as she made some tough but wonderful decisions.  I absolutely loved Take Three and it is definitely on my shelf for a second read sometime down the line.

If you have not read any of the Above the Line books by Karen Kingsbury, I highly recommend them.  While these books take a look into two Christian producers trying to break into Hollywood with wholesome, inspirational movies; these books also capture the real life struggles that normal people deal with on a daily basis.  These books are inspiring, thought provoking, and life changing as they bring you challenges through the fictional lives of her characters.

You can purchase Above the Line or Take Three at Amazon or just about anywhere books are sold. 

Win It!! 

Zondervan has generously allowed me to give away 2 Advanced Reader copies of Take Three to two of my readers.

1.  Leave a comment letting me know your favorite book of all time.  Do this one first!

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2. Become a follower of this blog. Leave me a comment letting me know you follow. This will be verified.

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4.  Grab my button (found in the sidebar) and post it on your blog.  This must be up when the giveaway closes.  

5.  Leave a comment on another one of my posts - must be a nongiveaway post.   Leave a comment with which post you commented on. If entering many different giveaways, it must be a different post for each giveaway.

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This giveaway ends April 11, 2010 and is open to the US only. Make sure that you leave your email address in each comment. Leave a separate comment for every entry that you make so that these will count for you! Have fun and I look forward to announcing the winners of this great giveaway!

Disclosure: This review is based on my own honest unbiased opinion of this product. You may or may not agree with my opinion. I was sent product free of charge to review. No one from the Zondervan was involved in the writing of this post. I was not paid to write this review. 

Global Warming by Seymour Simon

My daughter would rather read a book with real life pictures than cartoons. When we had the opportunity to review Global Warming by Seymour Simon, Gracie was enthralled with the amazing pictures that make up these beautiful hard bound children's book.

I loved this beautiful book for the fact that it teaches Gracie in an easy to understand way just exactly what Global Warming is.  The books shares the scientific reasons for global warming and this book would be the perfect addition to 1st through 4th grader's personal library.  I loved how simple the language was but at the same time, very educational.

I was afraid that the book would talk about how old the Earth was and come from an evolutionist stand point.  I was overjoyed to find out that this book shared the years of the Earth with Gracie in the same time frame that we believe.  This book not only shares the scientific reasons for global warming but the real life affects global warming is having on animals, plants, and even us.

I highly recommend Global Warming by Seymour Simon as a great addition to any child's personal library.  If your child is into science and how our earth and other things work, be sure to check out Seymour Science's blog for some great fun science facts, answers to science questions, and even science projects and apps that you can download.


Disclosure: This review is based on my own honest unbiased opinion of this product. You may or may not agree with my opinion. I was sent product free of charge to review. No one from the Harper Collins was involved in the writing of this post. I was not paid to write this review. 

Beaded Hope Review

Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett is the incredible story of the journey that four women took into South Africa.  They assumed that they were going to help the women of South Africa.  Little did they realize that the trip would shed light on their self centeredness and selfishness.  Cathy Liggett weaves a beautiful story of what real faith is, what it can do, and the strength to go on even in the midst of the worst trials.

Beaded Hope was an incredibly good book that really touched my heart.  It showed to me how I wasn't much different than the four women that went to Africa.  It showed me areas where I too have been selfish and self-centered.  While this is a fiction book, it is based on much truth and in fact, was inspired by a nonprofit organization called Beaded Hope. 

My trials and injustices seemed so little in light of the huge trials that South Africa women face.  This book is eye opening and impactful.  The plot was continually twisting and intriguing.  I would definitely highly recommend Beaded Hope. 

*If you want to learn more about Beaded Hope, the nonprofit organization, you can find it here. 


Disclosure: This review is based on my own honest unbiased opinion of this product. You may or may not agree with my opinion. I was sent product free of charge to review. No one from the Tyndale was involved in the writing of this post. I was not paid to write this review. 

5 Tips to Master Your Debt in 2010

The number one conversation piece that every person, couple, or business frequently contributes to is finances.  While not purposely, our lives revolve around our money.  Our decisions are based on our money.  Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt Free by Jordan E. Goodman and Bill Westrom is an excellent resource that helps you understand how you got into debt and how to get back out of it.

I have greatly enjoyed this book and found it to be helpful even though my husband and I have little debt.  It gave us both insight on how to ensure that we stay out of debt and to more quickly pay off our home.  This is an excellent resource that I highly recommend.

Below is an article from Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt Free that I thought you might enjoy and get a lot from. 

You can purchase the book from Amazon.com for $16.47.  

5 Tips to Master Your Debt in 2010

By Jordan E. Goodman,

Co-author of Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt-Free

The world of debt has changed dramatically since President Obama was inaugurated. Whether you are going to be a master of your debt or a victim of your creditors depends on whether or not you take advantage of the opportunities in the marketplace and avoid the pitfalls.

Here are 5 steps you can take now to come out a winner:
1. Learn about the new Credit Card Holder's Bill of Rights. This landmark bill was signed into law in June but fully goes into effect on February 22, 2010 and it changes the game of credit cards completely. Banks are now restricted from imposing certain fees and raising interest rates with little or no notice as they had in the past. But banks are reacting by imposing fees on cards that never had them before, and raising interest rates as high as 29.9% even on accounts that have been paid on time forever. It's time for you to shop for a better deal if your card is whacking you with outrageous fees and interest rates. One easy way to do this is to go to an objective website like www.creditcardperks.com to find the best deals for your situation.

2. Get help on your side if your debt is overwhelming. If you are drowning in debt and high interest rates and fees, you don't have to go it alone. Know the right place to go to get help. One example is a reputable national nonprofit credit counseling organization such as Cambridge Credit Counseling atwww.cambridgecredit.org or 800-897-2200 which can consolidate all of your credit card rates to 6% or even lower if you are considered a hardship case. Avoid debt settlement firms that sound like they have a magic bullet but instead will kill your credit rating and cost you thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees.

3. Use mortgage equity acceleration to pay your mortgage off years sooner than you ever thought possible. This technique, described in more detail in chapter 6 of Master Your Debt, allows you to pay off your mortgage in 5-7 years instead of 30 years with a payment that goes down every month. This may sound impossible but it is true and Americans are just starting to learn about how to apply it to their lives and save tens of thousands of dollars in interest and years off their mortgage. Don't expect your bank to tell you about this -- they want you to pay for 30 years and think there is no alternative! One simple way to find out more about this is to visit the website www.truthinequity.com and fill out a Personal Profile to see what the payoff date would be in your circumstances.

4. Boost your credit score sharply by getting rid of derogatory marks. Chances are you have mistakes or even accurate derogatories on your credit report that are dragging down your credit score. You may not realize that you have the right to challenge those derogatories and if the creditor that put them on there in the first place does not prove they are accurate to the credit bureaus within 30 days, they must come off your report -- even if they are accurate! There are websites that can help you through this process easily such as www.creditreportabc.com.

5. Pay off your student loans years sooner than you ever thought possible. There are services that will help you consolidate or settle your student loans, saving you thousands of dollars and years of paying, without affecting your credit report negatively. One example: National Student Loan Relief at 877-702-3328 orwww.studentloanhelpnow.com.

These are but a few examples of strategies and resources explained in Master Your Debt which can help you become a winner in this new era of debt!

© 2010 Jordan E. Goodman, co-author of Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt-Free
Author Bios
Jordan E. Goodman co-author of Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt-Free, is a nationally recognized expert on personal finance. He is the author of the bestselling Everyone's Money Book and twelve other books. For eighteen years, he was the Wall Street correspondent for Money magazine and also served as a regular commentator for NBC News at Sunrise and Mutual Broadcasting System's America in the Morning. Today, Goodman appears regularly on many radio shows, including public radio's Marketplace as well as on TV programs on Fox, CNN, CBS, CNBC, and MSNBC. He also speaks regularly to large groups such as the Harv Eker wealth seminars.

Visit Goodman's Web sites: www.moneyanswers.com and www.master-yourdebt.com.

The Power To Prosper Review

What if for 21 days you did not spend any money except on necessary groceries or medication?  A 21 day spending fast?  I know it sounds revolutionary and almost wrong to not buy that extra cup of coffee on the way to work or spend that $.50 at the vending machine; however, would you discover how much money you are actually spending even though it seems like little expenses?    The Power to Prosper: 21 Days to Financial Freedom by Michelle Singletary is a great book that will shake up the way you think and help you break some poor spending habits you have.

Both my husband and I read through this book and found it refreshing.  For the most part, we spend very little money except on gas and groceries but we still sneak some things into our grocery cart that are not necessary.  Michelle Singletary's book really shook up our thinking on gift giving, that extra cup of coffee, and careless spending.

We thought this book was so good that during the month of April we will be going on her 21 day fast.  I will share with how much money this actually saves us and what we discovered about ourselves.  Even if you think you are good with money, this book will help you be even better.  I highly recommend The Power To Prosper: 21 Days to Financial Freedom to anyone who wants to find financial peace and save for those moments when "life happens".

You can purchase The Power to Prosper: 21 Days to Financial Freedom from Amazon.com for just $10.19!

 Disclosure: This review is based on my own honest unbiased opinion of this product. You may or may not agree with my opinion. I was sent product free of charge to review. No one from the Zondervan was involved in the writing of this post. I was not paid to write this review. 

The Language of Love & Respect Review

Have you ever wondered why your spouse just can not seem to understand you?  Or seriously why did he just say that - doesn't he love me?  If he loved me, he never would have said that.  The Language of Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is an excellent resource on cracking the communication code with your mate.  Dr. Eggerichs share some great tips to teach a couple on how a couple can better understand each other by using each individual's language - respect for him and love for her.

There are many times when I look at my husband after he has said something and to be honest, I am thinking – “What planet does he live on? How on earth was what he just said loving?” I respond wrongly and disrespectfully because I am hurt and he has no clue why I did so and then he ends up defensive and hurt. By this time, we have ended up on a crazy cycle of being upset at each other and have no idea why.

Dr. Eggerichs really helped to see my husband in a different light. I learned how to say things so that my husband does not take that I am disrespecting him but rather showing respect for him. It’s not in what I say, it is in how I say it. There have been many times where I have been able to diffuse a situation by putting the great tips that Love & Respect has to say.

I would highly recommend this book to any couple who finds themselves misunderstanding each other. You can purchase The Language of Love & Respect from Amazon.com.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Favorite 10 Products Reviewed in 2009!

This year has been a lot of fun as I have added product reviews to my site.  There have been a lot of fun things reviewed and I thought I would share with my top ten favorite items. This was a very hard pick as I realized that I had reviewed 130 items and many have become great favorites! 

(Disclosure: The companies mentioned had no idea that I was writing about them and were not consulted in adding them to this list.  These were favorites that my family and I chose.)

1.  Baby So Smart - this sling is a must have in my house.  I still use it every time I go out.  It has really made life easier to carry my son in and is so well made that it still is showing no signs of consistent wear.  You can read the full review here.

2.  Cuisinart CleanWater Filtration System - I love having this system in my home for quick and easy access to fresh, filtered water all day long.  I love that it has hot and cold water.  I have especially used the hot water selection more and more over the long winter day.  You can read the full review here.
 

3.  Boogie Wipes - these are now a necessity in my home every time someone gets the flu!  My daughter still loves them and my husband makes me buy the menthol ones just for him.  You can read the full review here. 

4.  KindNotes - this product has such meaning for my family as it shows our love for one another in an easy, caring way.  Little notes brighten some one's day in just a matter of seconds because it truly is the thought that counts.  You can read my full review here. 

5.  Disney Pixar's UP - we watched this movie again at Thanksgiving with our entire family and guests and it was a big hit.  My mother-in-law liked it so much that she went home, purchased it for herself to watch her family over Christmas.  This movie will definitely continue to be a favorite and be rewatched in the years to come.  You can read my full review here. 

6.  Human Body Detective Books - these are such great books that make learning fun.  Even though my daughter is still too little to fully appreciate these books, we still greatly enjoyed them as an entire family.  You can read my full review of both books here and here. 

7.  DaySteps Lifestyle Planner - I never leave home without it!  What a great planner this has proven to be as I head into the new year.  It helps me track everything from my nutrition, water intake, to even my children's newest sayings or first in their lives.  This is the ultimate in planners!  You can read my full review here.

8.  Built - I loved my laptop sleeve so much that not only am I using it everyday to protect my computer stylishly but I even purchased a laptop bag and USB peanut for my sister.  She loves them and I know that they will last for quite some time. You can read my full review here.

9.  Logitech Cooling Pad - this little laptop cooling pad is still used daily if not hourly.  I still after 4 months of hard use have had no problems with it and love it just as much today as the day I reviewed it!  You can read my full review here.

10.  Sassy Baby Toys - what a find these new toys are!  Gabriel is still playing with is new toys and is just now learning how to properly use some of them!  You can read my full review here. 

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to view our list of favorite products reviewed during 2009! I had such a hard time narrowing it down to just ten.  I look forward to 2010 and what these and other companies have in store for us!

Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy

Sometimes our struggles seem to overwhelm us and can even cripple our ability to do much for God, others, and even ourselves.  Our life circumstances get us down and we no longer want to go on.  We sometimes feel all alone and like no one understands or cares about our situations.

Kimberley Woodhouse shares her life experiences in her book, Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy.  This book is written in a candid, honest, and sometimes almost blunt way. Kimberley's journey begins when her and her husband try to have children.  After many miscarriages, she was able to have a son.  It was a hard and difficult pregnancy so when she found out that she was pregnant again, she was shocked.  Both of Kimberley's children have been a blessing however her daughter, Kayla, has a strange medical condition that changes Kimberley's life forever.

Kimberley shares how learning to help her daughter and the trials that they go through not only change her perspective on life, it also draws her closer to God.  I love how Kimberley shared her headstrong times so those reading her book could be encouraged and realize that they are not the only one that has to learn to lean on the Lord.

This is not a story of a super woman - this is a story of a woman who leans on the Lord during the hard times and learns that God is a Super God who controls all situations.  This story uplifted me and strengthened me not only in my faith but in the fact I am not alone.  While I may never experience what Kimberley Woodhouse went through, I have my own struggles and hard times.  Hearing how others cope or how they have learned to trust God through hard times can help encourage us all to keep going, to get up tomorrow, and keep trusting because God's way is best.

I think this book would be a great addition to a stocking or a family member that loves to read.  Kimberley writes in an easy way that only takes a second to be involved in her story.  The book is not long so perfect for someone who is busy and doesn't have lots of time to read.

Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy can be purchased at Amazon.com and your local bookstore.

Disclosure:  Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.  This is still my honest opinion of this book.  

HBD: Battle of the Bugs

In August, I was introduced a fun new kid's series called the Human Body Detectives.  I wrote a review of the first book called The Lucky Escape.  What a fun book it was!  I loved how kids could learn important facts in such a fun way.

At the beginning of November, I received the newest book called The Battle of the Bugs.  If I thought the first book was fun, I am even more in love with this newest book!  I absolutely love how bright and colorful the Activity Workbook is.  There are a great collection of fun stickers inside making this book not only a great learning tool but also a fun project for your child.

The Audio CD is so fun to listen to.  I love how quickly engages your child and the story helps your child learn about the Immune System in such a fun way.  With H1N1 being such a concern this winter, this book couldn't be more timely in teaching your child what is really going on their bodies during the flu.  It also helps them to learn what they can do to protect their bodies. 

Dr. Heather Manley, N.D., knows how to engage children in a fun, practical way and has really come out with another outstanding children's book that any family would be blessed to have in their home. This would also be a tremendous addition to your homeschool or school curriculum.

This book would make a fun Christmas present and if you head over to the Human Body Detectives site right now, you can catch the great holiday sale that is going on.  Not only are they selling their books but there are the cutest organic t-shirts also.  I absolutely love the shirt "I fought the bugs and won."  My daughter would look so cute in this shirt! 

Definitely be sure to check out Human Body Detectives if you are looking for a great stocking stuffer or fun learning tool for your children this winter.

Disclosure: This review is based on my own honest unbiased opinion of Human Body Detectives. You may or may not agree with my opinion. I was sent product free of charge to review. No one from the HBD was involved in the writing of this post. I was not paid to write this review.

That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake

My husband and I both love to read but we do not normally read the same books.  The other day, I mentioned on Twitter that my husband had stolen my book and I hadn't finished it yet.  Yes, he walked off with it and every time I didn't have it, he was reading it.  This never happens but he decided to read the first few pages to see what I was reading and he was hooked!

That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake is one of the books that will hook you in the first few pages.  It is a tale of adventure, a little bit of romance, and a whole lot of laughter.  I love Cathy Marie Hake's books for their humor, truth of God's Word woven into the story, and the ways that her characters grow through the story.

Taylor Bestman arrives in Gooding to become their new doctor.  The town believes that they are getting a male doctor so Taylor turns out to be a women, things get interesting and a little controversial.  That Certain Spark shares the discrimination and bias that women often felt when trying to entering a mostly male field back less than 100 years ago.  Taylor has many issues and trials to overcome as she tries to continue to stay in Gooding even though many want to run her out of town.

If you would like to read this great book, can purchase That Certain Spark from Amazon.com.  

Disclosure: This review is based on my own opinion of That Certain Spark. You may or may not agree with my opinion. I was sent a book free of charge to review. No one from Baker House Publishing was involved in the writing of this post.

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury

Reading as always been a passion of mine.  I have less time to read than I have ever had before and it takes me longer to go through a book but I still love to fall into the pages of a good book and get lost in a gripping story.  When I do read, I like to look for books that carry meaning and inspire you to overcome your trials and mistakes you have made.

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury is a book that challenges you to look outside the box or our own bubble.  Brad Cutler has a great career in a New York Ad agency and is about to marry a beautiful girl who has kept herself pure for the day she marries.  He loves her and can not wait for their wedding day but is haunted by his past.  His past is filled with a terrible mistake that he made that only him and his high school girlfriend know about.

I was gripped by the story of regret stemmed by hard choices and the journey Brad takes to seek forgiveness.  The choices he and his former girlfriend made had an effect on more people than they realized it would have.  It has affected their future and more people in a way that they never could have imagined.

Like Brad, we all have made choices in our life that we regret or that have affected our future more than we planned.  Karen Kingsbury weaves a story through Shades of Blue to teach us that God will forgive and that He can use those choices (even though wrong) for His glory if we only let Him.  The key however is asking forgiveness from God and those that we hurt with our choices.  We must then forgive ourselves before we ever can move on.

Karen Kingsbury is a master storyteller who will keep you through the whole book.  WARNING:   You will want to read Shades of Blue until you have finished.  It can be dangerous to your health as you may stay up late to finish it!

Shades of Blue releases today and can be purchased through Amazon.com or your local bookstore. 

Movie Tuesday: My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure Giveaway {Ends 10/31}

As a little girl, I dreamed of having my own pony or horse so I loved playing with My Little Pony.  My sisters and I had just about every horse there was but I did not realize that there were movies or cartoons that went with them.

When asked if I would review My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure, I was curious about this movie and if it was something my toddler could watch.  I do preview every movie before my daughter watches them so that I am aware of what she is watching before it goes before her eyes.  Little ones are impressionable and I want her impressed with good things so we are careful.

The characters in the movie are sweet and they seemed to genuinely care for each other as friends.  There were difficulties along the way but they learned that friendship is the best wish anyone could ever have.  True friendship can get you through some hard times.

When I watch children's movies, I am very picky about the music.  I prefer that it be kid sounding and not over the top.  I found the music from My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure to be more rocky and not exactly what I wanted for my little girl.  I like the classical kid sound and I found that lacking in this cartoon.

I found the story line to be sweet and had some great life lessons that all children can learn from.  Included on the DVD are some fun extras:

Four downloadable activities:

1. Coloring Sheet
2. How to Make a Snowman
3. Cut out Pony Ornaments

You can purchase My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure from Toys R Us or Target and will receive  a $5.00 coupon to use on a Hasbro My Little Pony toy and the DVD. 

WIN IT!!!

I have one My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure DVD to give away to one of my readers.

1. Tell me your favorite thing about the holiday season. Please leave me your name and email address also. Do this one first!!!

Extra Entries:

2. Become a follower of this blog. Leave me a comment letting me know you follow. This will be verified.

3. Subscribe to this blog by email (this is found in the left column of the site). Leave me a comment telling me that you did so. (Check your SPAM after doing this to verify your email address so that you will receive the updates in your email.)

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5. Become a fan of Money Saving Tips for a Keeper at Home on Facebook. Please leave a comment along with your facebook name letting me know you did so.

This giveaway ends October 30, 2009 and is open to US residents only. Make sure that you leave your email address in each comment. Leave a separate comment for every entry that you make so that these will count for you! Have fun and I look forward to announcing the winners of this great giveaway!

Thank you, Hasbro for sponsoring this great giveaway for my readers! Thank you for creating a great planner for busy moms with newborns.

Disclosure: This review is based on my own opinion of My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure. You may or may not agree with my opinion. I was sent a product to review. No one from Hasbro was involved in the writing of this post.