Jump Off The Hormone Swing: A Book Review

About The Book:

In Jump Off the Hormone Swing, Lorraine Pintus shares openly about the inner tension a woman can feel at certain times of the month between wanting to love her neighbor on one hand, and wanting to strangle her and shoot her ugly dog on the other. While many books discuss the physical and emotional symptoms of hormones, this is the first to explore in depth the spiritual aspects. Jump! is a mentoring book, not a medical book. The focus is on attitude, not anatomy. Lorraine shares insights from her own journey as well as wisdom from 1,500 women she surveyed. Sound biblical wisdom is laced with humor because after all, when it comes to hormones, you either have to laugh or cry, and laughing is better!

Get answers to these questions:

  ·   What is the number one thing I can do to feel better physically?

  ·    How does PMS and perimenopause affect me spiritually?

  ·    Which foods ease PMS symptoms...which make them worse?

  ·    How do hormones affect my brain?

  ·    Why does stress make my PMS worse and what can I do about it?

  ·    Are there benefits to PMS and perimenopause? (you'll discover 10!!)

  ·    How can God possibly love me when I hate myself?

Includes a 10-week study for individual and group use.

About The Author:


LORRAINE PINTUS graduated from the University of Nebraska with a BA in journalism and dabbled briefly in politics as a lobbyist and press manager for a gubernatorial candidate. She has been a media relations manager for Frito-Lay/PepsiCo., Inc. and with her husband owned an IBM store before becoming a promotion manager for the University of California, Irvine. Lorraine now proudly serves as "vice president" of the Pintus Household where she is wife to Peter and driver to her teenage daughters Mandy & Megan. In her spare time, she writes books and travels all around the world with her dear friend and co-author of Intimate Issues, Linda Dillow. Lorraine and Linda speak to tens of tousands of women each year, telling them of the hope and healing they can know through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


My Review:


Since having my last child three years ago, I have definitely experienced a change in the way my hormones are affecting my body. I am nearing 40 and realize that this also is making an impact. But what frustrates me is how I, as a Christian wife, mom and woman, can act the way I act sometimes. I get so moody, frustrated and become a generally unpleasant person on a monthly basis. This is also very new to me. Up until having my girls, my PMS symptoms were very mild. Well, that has all changed and that is taking some getting used to. 


Jump Off The Hormone Swing is a must read for every Christian woman! You will laugh and cry as you are encouraged to remember that we can't control necessarily control what our bodies are doing (or anything around us) but we can control our reactions to it. But we also can't do that on our own. We need Christ to get us through all our struggles, even those of PMS and other womenly issues!  Pintus is straight forward and blunt but is also very Biblically sound in her advice. This is not a medical book and does not replace consultation with your physician but it is a great piece of encouragement and from the amount of positive reviews I have seen about Jump Off The Hormone Swing, it is a welcome book for many women.


This is definitely one electronic book which I will be purchasing a hard copy of to be sure. 


I highly recommend it and give it a huge thumbs up!


BUY IT: You can purchase Jump Off The Hormone Swing at your favorite bookseller from Moody Publishers


***I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book, courtesy of Moody Publishers and NetGalley, for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

The Gourmet Cookie Book: A Book Review

About The Book:

For this stunning collection, the editors of Gourmet delved deep into their archives and selected the most delicious cookie for each year of the magazine's sixty-eight-year existence. After marathon testing sessions and winnowing from thousands of recipes—many sent in by readers—they chose an amazing array, from the almond-scented French-style Cajun Macaroons, published in 1941, through Mocha Toffee Bars (1971), to the contemporary Glittering Lemon Sandwich Cookies. The enticing assortment includes:

 

Cookies of every type and description, from the homey to the showy, including balls, bars, refrigerator cookies, drop cookies, even deep-fried cookie confections. 

 

Cookies from around the world: from Dutch Jan Hagels to Scandinavian Rosettes. 

 

Dozens of Christmas cookies: Old-Fashioned Christmas Butter Cookies, star-shaped Moravian White Cookies, Chocolate Peppermint Bar Cookies.

 

Printed exactly as they originally appeared in the magazine, with abundant tips and recipe notes from Gourmet's test kitchen, and with headnotes describing their cultural context, the recipes present a fascinating bite-by-bite history of how our appetites evolved.     

About The Author:

Over the course of almost seventy years, Gourmet 's editors won three coveted National Magazine Awards, sixteen James Beard Awards, and an Emmy Award.

My Review:

If you like to bake, particularly cookies, you will absolutely have to add The Gourmet Cookie Book to your cookbook collection! Although I reviewed an electronic copy of this wonderful cookbook, I have definitely added it to my wish list of books to buy in the near future!  As this book is a collection of recipes covering a number of years, you will be exposed to a number of culinary techniques, yet they are all laid out in very easy to read, understand and implement. I had the opportunity to try out a couple of the recipes and they were very good! This was evident in that the cookies made only lasted a few days in the house! In my books, that means the recipe is a keeper and "make again" The two recipes I tried were the Cinnamon Sugar Crisps and Ginger Sugar Cookies. The one thing that especially impressed me was that I was able to substitute sugar for a sugar alternative without affecting the overall taste and result of the recipe. That is key, as I am a type 2 diabetic and enjoy non-diabetic recipes that are easy to adapt. So far so good with those in The Gourmet Cookie Book.

My only complaint is that it is not an easy cookbook to lay flat, but it is one that I will keep in my collection as I really like the recipes I have used thus far!

A great book that I highly recommend and give a huge thumbs up to!

BUY IT: You can purchase The Gourmet Cookie Book online through Amazon

***I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book, courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley, for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

The Faithful Parent: A Book Review

About The Book:

A compelling read, this book offers practical advice and biblical hope to parents of children of all ages. Most parenting books, outright or indirectly, promise a good outcome if you only follow their suggestions. The Faithful Parent contains a wealth of practical, biblically-based suggestions, but it maintains that the most important relationship in any family is vertical—between parents and God. It is the Christian parent, in being faithful, who glorifies God. Look inside to discover how the faithful parent has the biggest impact on his or her children.


You can read an excerpt of The Faithful Parent here (in PDF Format)





About The Author:


Martha Peace is a biblical counselor and conference speaker, as well as the best-selling author of The Excellent Wife.


Stuart Scott is a professor of Biblical Counseling at Southern Seminary and the author of The Exemplary Husband. He is a board member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors.



My Review:


I was introduced to the writing of Martha Peace when I read The Excellent Wife last year. At that time I was on a journey to become a more Godly wife and mother, and the book made a huge impact on me. It is very evident that God is working through the writing and speaking ministry of Martha Peace. After my experience of reading The Excellent Wife, I went out and bought Scott's book, The Exemplary Husband as a gift for my husband. I have not been disappointed in either book. As you might guess, I was very excited to find out they had teamed up to write a parenting book.


The Faithful Parent is not your everyday "how to guide" to parenting. There are already an over-abundance of those types of books on the market. I would go so far as to say it is a "how to" for the spiritual component of your family life. One of the biggest things I took away from The Faithful Parent is that it does not matter how much I tell my children about God, if they don't see my life modeling what I am saying, it's not going to mean a thing! Yes, my relationship with my children and my husband are important (and so they should be) but it is my relationship with God that is to be number one. This point is mentioned on a number of occasions throughout The Faithful Parent.


One thing that I absolutely loved about this book is that it gave practical and everyday ideas and tips for each stage of parenting - infant, toddler, preschool, school age and teen years. There is something in this book for all parents. There are a lot of issues covered, from spanking to temper tantrums and more, and though I did not agree with everything the authors said, I felt overall the book was great.


The authors also used a lot of scripture to back up their thoughts, which I truly appreciated. Very easy to read, very well organized and a book that you will reference for years to come and throughout all your parenting challenges that will come.


If you are looking for a detailed, thoroughly Biblical book on parenting, I highly recommend this book!


BUY IT: You can purchase The Faithful Parent at your favorite bookseller from P and R Publishing


***I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book, courtesy of NetGalley, for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

Baby Medbasics: A Book Review

About The Book:

TURN MOMENTS OF PANIC INTO MOMENTS OF ACTION!

One of the most important ways you can show your children love is by knowing how to care for them in an emergency. Baby MEDBASICS^® will show you -- in clear, simple language and easy-to-understand illustrations -- how to handle the most common infant emergencies. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or babysitter, look no further than Baby MEDBASICS^® to provide you with the knowledge, confidence, and security you need. YOU can do it, we'll show you how.

About The Authors:

Luke Hermann, M.D. & Tara Summers Hermann, R.N., B.S.N.,authors of Baby MEDBASICS^®, founded the company MEDBASICS^®LLC. They live in New York City with their three children, Nicholas, Oliver Beckett, and Vivienne. 

For more information, view Luke Hermann's Web site

My Review:

Baby Medbasics is a fantastic resources for parents and caregivers of children ages birth to one year. It is wonderfully organized into ten sections:

1. Allergies

2. Bites and Stings

3. Bleeding

4. Burns

5. Choking

6. CPR

7. Falls

8. Fever

9. Poison

10. Rash

Each section is only a few pages long but loaded with all the information you need to deal with an emergancy situation. It is small in size (only 6.2inches x 5.1 inches x 0.7 inches and weighs only 5.6 ounces) it fits perfectly into a diaper bag or purse for the perfect go-to  emergency guide. 

It is the perfect reference guide for parents but is also ideal for babysitters, grandparents or child care providers to have handy. It would be a fantastic gift idea for baby showers or new baby gifts. And much of the advice is easily adaptable to older children as well (aside from CPR, which has different requirements for older children - check with your local St. Johns/Red Cross for details)

And don't worry all you parents of toddlers, MedBasics for Toddlers is set to release in stores August 30!

I highly recommend Baby Medbasics and give it a huge thumbs up!

BUY IT: You can purchase Baby Medbasics online through Amazon and through your favorite local bookseller

***I received a complimentary copy of this book, courtesy of FSB Media, for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

An Expose On Teen Sex and Dating: A Book Review

About The Book:


After interviewing thousands of teens, author Andy Braner put it all down on paper in a straight-talk approach to teen sex and dating.

Revealing some startling statistics, he explains to parents and youth pastors what the current situation is with teens and sex, how we got here, and where the current out-of-control sex-driven culture is leading us.

Readers will find out how to reach teens with a biblical message on dating, sexual promiscuity, purity, and redemption.


From The Book Cover:


Are you worried about your teenagers and how they're going to survive the current dating scene? According to the Journal of Sexual Medicine, 63 percent of teenagers are sexually active before they leave high school; 87 percent are active before they leave for college. So how do we reach this generation of teens with a biblical answer to dating, sexting, and hooking up?


If you work with teenagers or are a parent of teenagers and see the devastation of out-of-control sexual promiscuity - or have no clue that any of this is going on - then you need to read this book. Andy Braner will help you understand the current dating scene and the teen thought process on sex and dating. He'll also provide you with tools and solutions for building relationships with teenagers as well as show you how to teach true intimacy, purity, redemption, and integrity in dating.


About The Author:


Andy Braner is an ordained youth minister and former president of the largest nondenominational Christian sports camp in the world, Kanakuk Colorado Kamp. Currently, he is the president of Ahava ministries, a camp ministry that teaches a Christian worldview to teens and college students. Each year Braner speaks to more than 80,000 teens and college students all over the world. His message centers around training global leaders to love God and love others.


My Review:


Do you have a teenager in your home? or a Tween? Then you NEED to read this book! Although sex and sexuality is not a topic many of us, as parents, are looking forward to discussing with our children, it is one that must be done. In order to teach our children to have a Christian worldview about dating, courting, marriage and sex, we need strong, scripturally sound books and this is one of them. 


With well-written and organized sections, Braner is frank and blunt (sometimes a little too much, but that's just me) about these topics and it is very obvious he has a heart for youth.  With a lot of practical ideas and real-life situations and statistics, Braner is not trying to scare you or the teens in your life. He is simply telling it like it is and that is so needed in this day and age. Would I put things a little differently then him in some instances. Likely, however, he is dead on in much of the book and for that reason I highly recommend this book and give it a huge thumbs up!


BUY IT: You can purchase An Expose On Teen Sex and Dating by Andy Braner at your favorite bookseller from NavPress.


***I received a complimentary copy of this book, courtesy of Lovell-Fairchild Communications and NavPress, for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

Pattern Of Wounds: A Book Review

About The Book:

A brutal murder.

An unraveling conviction.

To catch the killer, Roland March must decipher the
PATTERN OF WOUNDS

It's Christmas in Houston, and homicide detective Roland March is on the hunt for a killer. A young woman's brutal stabbing in an affluent neighborhood bears all the hallmarks of a serial murder. The only problem is that March sent the murderer to prison ten years ago. Is it a copycat--or did March convict the wrong man?

Alienated from his colleagues and with a growing rift in his marriage, March receives a series of taunting messages from the killer. The bodies pile up, the pressure builds, and the violence reaches too close to home. Up against an unfathomable evil, March struggles against the clock to understand the hidden message in the pattern of wounds.

Pattern of Wounds

About The Author:

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota. For more information, visit www.jmarkbertrand.com 

My Review:

You don't typically put the words Christian and Murder Mystery in the same sentence, especially when it comes to Christian Fiction. However, in the last few years, I have noticed (as I am sure many of you have as well) a lot of Christian Crime/Mystery Fiction. I have had the opportunity to read a number of these novels and have been pretty impressed with most. One of the newest Christian Crime novelists I have discovered in J. Mark Bertrand, and earlier this year read his debut novel, Back In Murder. It was a fantastic beginning to a great series, featuring Detective Roland March. Now, Bertrand is back with book two, Pattern Of Wounds.

This book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat from page one and you will be wondering, "whodunit?" right up until the end! With well-developed plots and characters, one of my favorite parts of the book was March's realization that he does need Jesus (that is all the spoiler I will give!). The characters and their struggles are real, easy to relate to and there is authenticity seen all throughout this novel!

 The journey each of us takes to come to Christ  are varied and this is evident all through the book. Also, we are reminded that though we try to, we don't control the  things that happen to us, God does and we have to let go and let God! 

If you are a fan of crime fiction or crime television, Pattern Of Wounds will for sure appeal to you! I highly recommend this book and give it a huge thumbs up! 

BUY IT:  You can purchase Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand at your favorite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book, courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc., for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

Lion Of Babylon: A Book Review

About The Book:

Marc Royce has been a State Department agent involved in covert operations--that is, until personal issues lead to his dismissal.

When Alex Baird goes missing in war-torn Baghdad, State comes calling again. Alex is a CIA agent--and a close friend of Royce. Three others have also dropped out of sight--a nurse, an aid worker, a wealthy young Iraqi. Are these cases linked? Rumors circulate about a kidnapping conspiracy, yet both American and local officials refuse to pursue it.

Blocked at every turn, Royce eventually unearths a trail of secret encounters between sworn enemies. What he discovers could transform the course of rivalry and reconciliation throughout the Mideast. As the human and political drama escalates, can one man summon the courage to make a difference?

You can read an excerpt of Lion Of Babylon here.


About The Author:


Davis Bunn is an award-winning novelist whose audience spans reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings. He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.


 Visit Davis' Web site atwww.davisbunn.com


My Review:

Davis Bunn has been a favorite author of mine for many years. And this newest release, Lion of Babylon, did not disappoint! With tons of action, a story line based in modern day Iraq, you will be drawn into a world like no other, from the opening pages. Follow the main character Alex, as he is abducted and watch how faith and real-life intermingle in a fantastic book with action in abundance. The plots are true to life with amazing descriptions of culture, geography and religious rituals within Iraq. Much research has gone into the writing of Lion of Babylon and that is very evident.  With the Christian faith evident in the main character, you will see how God's hand is on Alex and other characters throughout the experiences they have.  A wonderful reminder to us, that no matter what we go through God will carry us through, we just have to let Him. Also, you see that regardless of religious differences, we can live in peace and everyday men and women are sacrificing themselves to help this happen.


If you are looking for a riveting, and intriguing book to read, I highly recommend this one, and give it a huge thumbs up!


BUY IT: You can purchase Lion Of Babylon at your favorite bookseller, from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group

***I received a complimentary copy of this book, courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc., for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

Falls Like Lightning - A Novel: A Book Review

About The Book:

Smokejumper Silas Kent never expected to see pilot Elle Westmore again. In fact, reuniting makes him realize what a mistake he made all those years ago. But before he has a chance to try to make amends, he's called to lead a new crew into battle against a massive fire in the Sierra Nevadas.

And then things go very wrong, very quickly.

A suspicious engine explosion forces the crew to parachute early while Elle barely survives a crash landing. Silas reaches the ground safely, but in beginning a desperate race to reach the downed plane, he soon realizes he has more to fear than just a raging forest fire.

Falls Like Lightning

About The Author:

Shawn Grady has served for more than a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in Reno, NV, where he lives with his wife and three children. Named the "Most Promising Writer" at the 2008 Mt. Hermon Writers Conference, he is the author of Through the Fire. Visit his website at shawngradybooks.com

My Review:

An action-packed book with great story lines, including fire-fighting, dealing with hurts of the past, romance, childhood illness and a mystery to solve. A little bit of something for everyone. 

The writing style is very easy to read and I would say is appropriate for high school and older. You will be taken into the world of smoke jumpers, and it is evident that the author is using his as a firefighter to write a very authentic novel.

 I loved the characters of both Silas and Elle and it would be great to see more of them in subsequent novels from Grady. I have not had the opportunity to read Shawn Grady's other books, but they are definitely now on my TBR list, for sure. I felt like I was going through the fires along with the characters and moving through each scene with them as well. Superb writing!

I highly recommend this book and give it a huge thumbs up!

BUY IT: You can purchase Falls Like Lightning at your favorite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group

***I received a complimentary copy of this book, courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc., for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

My Life and Lesser Catastrophes: A Book Review

About The Book:

Fresh, Surprising Memoir of God's Goodness in the Midst of Disaster

Just after her thirteenth wedding anniversary, Christina Schofield woke up groggy and disoriented, surrounded by nurses in a hospital. She and her husband had hit a gravel patch while on their motorcycle and crashed into a ditch. With the exception of a concussion, she was fine. But Allen had broken his neck. He was now a quadriplegic.

With her entire life flipped upside down, she began an astonishing journey of tenacious faith amid increasing doubt. Full of dark, silent hours and a woman's honest questioning of the God she thought she knew, this is also a story full of miraculous answers to prayer and head-scratching, awe-inspiring encounters with her loving Lord.

With candid warmth and transparency, Christina shows readers that even in their darkest hours, God's goodness shines through.

About The Author:

Christina Schofield has been a children's illustrator and writer for the last ten years, working with Zonderkidz, Group Publishing, Standard Publishing, and Cook Communications. She and her husband, Allen, a campus pastor, have one daughter, Lily, and live in Rolla, Missouri.

My Review:

In the last six years I have plenty of opportunity to question God about the life experiences I have had to face. Cancer, infertility, a siblings death, marriage trials, financial strains, a diagnosis of diabetes, the premature birth of my oldest child, my parent's marriage breakdown, and seeing many family and friends dealing with similar circumstances. 

As a Christian, I know that I am going to experience trials and tribulations, but I also know that God will carry me through and His hand has guided my family and I through each of the mentioned experiences. I have experienced every emotion known to mankind through the last six years, but honestly, I can say, I have never once asked, "why?" Have I wanted to? Absolutely, but through wise friends and family, and keeping my eye on my Bible, I realized that asking why was not the right question, it was "why not?" and "what does God want me to learn through this experience?"

When the opportunity to review My Life and Lesser Catastrophes by Christina Schofield arose, I jumped at the change. Christina and her husband have had to deal with the life-altering effects of a tragic accident and their journey is seen in this book. You will both laugh and cry as you read through this authentic read. The author asks the questions that many of us are sometimes afraid to ask, and yet, as humans we are going to ask. She is honest, frank and real. It is my biggest beef with biography style books, that the authors try to sugar coat feelings, and experiences. This does not happen in this book, and I love it! You will laugh and cry as you read through My Life and Lesser Catastrophes and you will be encouraged to ask the hard questions, and to be real, even in the most difficult of times. 


Being a Christian does not guarantee us a happy, healthy, risk free life. It's just the opposite. But we have a God who carries us through it all, and though we are not going to get all our answers this side of glory, He gives us the grace, mercy and strength to keep going on our journey. Whatever that journey brings.


I highly recommend this book and give it a huge thumbs up!


BUY IT: You can purchase My Life and Lesser Catastrophes at your favorite bookseller from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group


***I received a complimentary copy of this book, courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc., for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

The Blessed: A Book Review

About The Book:

Trapped by obligation, one woman longs for the freedom of true love.

It is 1844 and Lacey Bishop's life is a tangled mess. When circumstances move Lacey to a nearby Shaker village, she is not prepared for the new life that awaits her. In the midst of her deep loneliness, Lacey works to fit in with this odd group. But everything shifts when she finds herself drawn to a Shaker man in a village where such relationships are forbidden.

Can Lacey ever find true happiness in this mysterious place?

You can read an excerpt of The Blessed here (in PDF format)

About The Author:

Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several novels, including Angel Sister, The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, and The Blessed. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in Kentucky.

My Review:

This is the first of the Shaker Series from Ann H. Gabhart I have had an opportunity to read, and it was a great read.  Although part of a series, it works well as a stand-alone novel and you will not feel like you have missed out by not reading the other books. I have, however, put the other books in the Shaker Series on my "want to read" wish list and hope to soon. 

The characters were all very well developed, as was the storyline. You will be brought into the world of the Shaker religion and as Lacey grows in her Christian faith you are made aware of the very distinct differences between the Shaker faith and Christianity. I also loved the fact that Lacey did not take belief's and actions at face value. She questioned everything to what Scripture says, and that is a great reminder to us to do the same in our own lives as we are confronted with others' belief systems. Delightfully written book, very descriptive and keeps you intrigued to the very end of the book. It is clear that the author did immense amounts of research to make this novel as authentic as possible. I felt as though I was right in each scene as I read.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

If you are looking for a great read to get you through the rest of this summer, I highly recommend The Blessed. I give it a huge thumbs up.

BUY IT: You can purchase The Blessed by Ann H. Gabhart at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

***I received a complimentary copy of this book, courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc., for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

Costume Super Center: A Costume Review

With two preschool girls, dress up and pretend play is one of the favorite activities around our home. Whether it is pretending to mommy's and playing in the Little Tikes Kitchen or having a tea party, pretend play has been known to last for hours. We also have many different dress up outfits, like a Chef, Firefighter, Doctor, and of course, the over-abundance of Princess wear. 


Not only do my girls like to play dress up, but they also love books! We easily have over a hundred children's books around the house. With the girls and my family child care program, we are reading daily and I don't mind that. I am a huge advocate of early literacy, and I model the importance of reading quality books by reading myself. One of our current favorite books is Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann.

Recently I had the opportunity to mesh my children's love of reading with dress up when I partnered up with Costume Super Center. I generously received a Girls Deluxe Pinkalicious Costume. Costume Super Center has a huge variety of costumes for women, men, girls and boys! From movie characters, tv show characters, Halloween and other holidays, and even community helper costumes, there is something for everyone!

Pinkalicious loves everything pink: Pink cupcakes, pink lemonade, pink bubble gum, you name it. She lives in a Pinktastic world were everything is happy and fun. Pinkalicious' favorite thing to do is eat cupcakes but things go awry when she eats too many and actually turns pink. We know that cannot really happen but its sure fun trying. The Girl's Deluxe Pinkalicious Costume features a pink dress with deluxe fabric details, a Pinkalicious character cameo, detachable wings, a gold glitter wand and a gold and pink tiara.

• Size: X-Small (3-4), Small (4-6X)

• Features a pink dress with deluxe fabric details and character cameo, wings, gold glitter wand and tiara. Cupcake not included.

• This is an officially licensed costume

This costume has been worn almost daily by both my girls, as well as the girls that I take care of in my home daycare.


 It is very well made and has stood up to endless taking on, and putting off! I have found cleaning it very easy, even though you cannot machine wash and dry (can only be spot cleaned). It comes with all the great accessories needed for every princess/fairy - wings, tiara and wand! I really was not fond of the tiara as I felt it was not great quality but my girls love it, and I suppose that is what matters. They mix and match their princess accessories with each costume and there is no shortage of tiara's to go around.


If you have a Pinkalicious fan in your home, I highly recommend this great costumes. I will definitely be checking out Costume Super Center in the future, for more of my dress up and costume needs.


BUY IT: You can purchase the Girls Deluxe Pinkalicous Costume here, for $43.97


***I received a complimentary costume of my choice (above), courtesy of Costume Super Center, for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***

Treat Yourself with Barielle: Review and Giveaway

During the summer months, I love wearing flip-flops and sandals. Basically this is my form of footwear from May until October. If it's not snowing or raining, my feet are bare and free. However, when you wear your feet bare, you have to have them looking nice and feeling smooth.

I recently discovered a few products from Barielle that have been keeping my hands and feet in tip top summer shape!

About Barielle:

Their story began more than 30 years ago at the Belmont Racetrack. Husband and wife equestrian aficionados devised a breakthrough formula to condition the hooves of their million-dollar thoroughbred racehorses. Reformulated for women and men, the miracle product "Nail Strengthener Cream" was born and Barielle was founded. Their Barielle Nail Strengther Cream, which helps nails grow healthier and stronger while resisting splits, peels and breaks, remains a best-selling product even today.


Barielle offers a range of high-performance skin, nail, and foot care products at affordable prices. Barielle addresses the individual, real-life needs of nails, hands and feet. And what's even better, Barielle has stood apart as the absolute FIRST to practice a progressive "three-free" philosophy: absolutely none of Barielle's products contain formaldehyde, toluene, or dibutyl phthalate (DBP) -- chemicals suspected to be harmful and found in many beauty products. Instead Barielle uses safe, effective and natural alternatives, such as keratin, proteins, vitamins and oil and plant extracts.

I was generously sent three Barielle products to review and am very happy to tell you all about these great products.

Barielle Nail Strengthener Cream

-The most popular, ground-breaking product for nail treatment
-Helps strengthen nails to resist splits, peels and breaks
-Use daily to maintain healthy nails
-Noticeable improvement in 3-4 weeks
-Can be used over nail polish or on bare nails
-Sells for $10

Barielle Total Foot Cream

-Luxurious conditioning cream that helps eliminate calluses and cracks
-Contains NO harsh peeling ingredients, acids or camphor
-Leaves your feet feeling soft and silky
-Baby powder fragrance
-Apply once or twice per day
-Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner
-Sells for $12

Shades by Barielle:

-Salon-strength formula that is completely free of the chemicals dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde - pregnancy safe
-Provides high-shine glossy coat and forms protective barrier for a long-lasting finish
-When shopping online buy one get one 50% only at the Barielle website
-Sells for $8 each
-Just in time for Spring/Summer you can get nail colors like Jubilant, Joytini, Decadence, Blossom, Angelic, Cashmere Or Loose Me, Swizzle Stix  and more. Don't these color names sound fabulous!

My Review:

I had the opportunity to review the above three products and was very happy with all of them. My favorite product was the nail color, Joytini! What a fantastic shade of orange, that has just put me in the summer mood every time I look at my toes.

My husband deals with extremely dry feet and the Barielle Total Foot Care Cream has been a huge benefit to him. After only a few uses, an obvious difference could be seen. He has almost no calluses left and the cracks that he had are visibly diminished. I am very impressed with this product.

I have had a history of my nails being prone to splitting and peeling, so was very excited to try out the Nail Strengthener. I have been using it as part of my hand care on a daily basis for the last month or so and I have noticed a great improvement. Though my nails still split, it is not nearly as often, and I am very happy with that.

Overall, I had a great experience with Barielle and I highly recommend their products for all your beauty needs.

BUY IT: You can purchase the Nail Strengthener Cream, Total Foot Care Cream and Shades by Barielle all online through Barielle, as well as a great selection of other fantastic products.

WIN IT:

 One (1) reader 

will win 

their own 

Nail Strengthener Cream 

from 

Barielle

MANDATORY ENTRY: Check out the official Barielle website and tell me one other product you would like to try


EXTRA ENTRIES: (mandatory entry must be completed first for extra entries to count)


1. Follow A Mom After God's Own Heart via GFC


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5. Subscribe to A Mom After God's Own Heart via email


6. Like Barielle on Facebook


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GIVEAWAY OPEN TO U.S. ONLY


GIVEAWAY ENDS AUGUST 12, 2011


GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

***I received a complimentary set of the above products, courtesy of Barielle and Robin Leedy and Associates, for the purpose of review on this blog. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner***