Book Review and Giveaway: The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveny

Synopsis: Gabriella Mondini is a rarity in 16th century Venice: a woman who practices medicine. Her father, a renowned physician, has provided her entrée to this all-male profession, and inspired in her a shared mission to understand the secrets of the human body.

Then her father disappears and Gabriella faces a crisis: she is no longer permitted to treat her patients, women who need her

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Guest Post: Fussing Over Fashion by Gillian Eberhart

Fussing Over Fashion

Gone are the days of shopping alone and picking out outfits that I find adorable and bringing them home to an adorable little toddler to ooh and aah over. My sweet toddler has turned into a fabulous kid, but with all that fabulousness comes her opinions on fashion. Needless to say we don’t often see eye to eye.


I am learning through experience that we must first set

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Guest Post: Eight Household Tips from Grandma

Since we're on the topic of grandmas today, I thought this offered guest post would be appropriate!

Eight Household Tips from Grandma
During a family dinner last weekend, I told our little group about an organizational tip that I had read about recently: put your sheet sets within one of the pillowcases. This keeps everything together. Brilliant, right? Why have I been struggling to find that

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Book Review: Bleed For Me by Michael Robotham

And now for a little change!
Dad grabbed this book as soon as it came in, so he'll be reviewing it today!

Synopsis:  She's standing at the front door. Covered in blood. Is she the victim of a crime? Or the perpetrator? 


A teenage girl--Sienna, a troubled friend of his daughter--comes to Joe O'Loughlin's door one night. She is terrorized, incoherent-and covered in blood.
The police find

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Book Review: All About Grandmas by Roni Schotter, Illus. by Janice Nadeau

Synopsis:  Grandmas today come in different shapes and sizes. They do different jobs and have different hobbies. They even go by different names! But one thing all Grandmas have in common is the love and wisdom they have to share and no one says that better than this rhyming celebration of the modern Grandma. From the nagging Grandmas and the braggingGrandmas to the cooking Grandmothers and

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Wordless Wednesday: The Birthday Crew

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Book Review and Giveaway: My Very Happy Birthday Book from I See Me Books

Back at Christmas, we reviewed the I See Me Christmas book, and Kiddo was thrilled to have a book that had her name in it, that was easy for her to hold, and one that she will be able to read to herself by next Christmas, so I was only too happy to review their new My Very Happy Birthday book!


The I See Me books allow you to personalize everything just about in your book- from who gave the

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Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky: March 28-April 3, 2012

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Book Review and Giveaway: The Summer Garden by Sherryl Woods

How about a super book for laying out in the sun with?
Read on!


Synopsis: Falling for "Maddening Moira" O'Malley was the unexpected highlight of Luke O'Brien's Dublin holiday. So when she pays a surprise visit to Chesapeake Shores, Luke is thrilled...at first. A fling with this wild Irish rose is one thing, but forever? Maybe someday, but not when he's totally focused on establishing a business

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Giveaway: THREE Chick-fil-A Kids Meals! Take the Old School Fun and Games App for a Spin!

We all want out kids to eat healthy, and there are times when you have to fast-food it, so it's great when you can find kids' meals with food that not only is healthier for your kids, but food they will WANT to eat!


The new Nutritious Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meals have arrived! The healthy choices include GRILLED chicken nuggets and Buddy Fruits pure blended applesauce (in a fun squeeze packet!). Add

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History Corner- Book Review: The Gemini Agenda by Michael and Patrick McMenamin

History Corner is early this week, as I'll be taking the week off to enjoy Kiddo's birthday, and do a WHOLE lotta cooking and baking!
As hubby is the WWII buff, this review is his!


Synopsis: A string of strange deaths in 1932 leads Bourke Cockran, Jr., and his lover Mattie McGary to uncover a plot by Nazi scientists to conduct lethal experiments on American twins in order to create a master

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Book Review: Little Miss Bronte (Jane Eyre) and Little Master Carroll (Alice in Wonderland) by Jennifer Adams, Illus.by Alison Oliver

 

One of my favorite books as a child was Alice in Wonderland. But obviously alot of the imagery and allegory would be lost on a 5 year old, so obviously reading it to her when she's older, would be better. And obviously, the romance and drama of a Bronte novel should wait for the teenage years! But Jennifer Adams has come up with a very unique approach to these classic, well loved books, for

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Book Review: Stuff Every Mom Should Know by Heather Gibbs Fleet and Whitney Moss

Ah the stuff you don't know when the baby comes! You think you know it all, and inevitably, it's 1 am when you have questions! This book will help you out!





Synopsis: Stuff Every Woman Should Know covered all the basics.


Now Quirk is proud to present Stuff Every Mom Should Know, full of the priceless, practical knowledge that moms of all ages need in order to survive and thrive—from

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Book Review and Giveaway: A Perfect Pet for Peyton by Gary Chapman and Rick Osborne, Illus. by Wilson Williams,Jr

Synopsis: This wonderfully imaginative children’s hardcover book by bestselling authors Gary Chapman and Rick Osborne, features four-color illustrations (with hidden details!) by Wilson Williams Jr., and will help children learn the importance of love. Based on Gary’s highly successful The 5 Love Languages, A Perfect Pet for Peyton tells an entertaining and playful story of five children who

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Book Review: Simon and the Easter Miracle by Mary Joslin; illustrated by Anna Luraschi

And now for our final Easter series book!


Synopsis: The gospels tell of Simon,of Cyrene, "a man coming in from the country",who was ordered to carry Jesus' cross. Over the centuries, his story has been woven into a Polish folktale. In the tradition of The Three Trees, this folk tale gives a fresh perspective on the Easter story.When Simon the farmer brings his wares to market, little does he

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Just an FYI...........

Just to let you all know that I will be off the blog this week, as I will be getting everything ready for Kiddo's birthday, birthday events and birthday party!

It's gonna be a LONG week!

So I've scheduled posts for the ENTIRE week, and will try at the end of the week to pick winners for all the giveaways ending this week. Sorry for the delay, just a whole lot to do, when you're making

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Winners Happy the Rain is OVER!

1. Worth Waiting For- #15 Marci C


2. Perfect on Paper- #25 J Holden


3. Kid's Dictionary- #37 Amy G


4. Successful Women- #16 appleblossom




All winners have been notified by email!


Thanks to everyone who entered!

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First Easter Egg Hunt of the Season...

A few weeks ago we took Kiddo and Suz's Step-grandson-to-be to my alma mater in New Orleans, for the annual Alumnae Kids Easter Egg Roll. Unfortunately the weather went bad the day before, so everything had to be held inside.
I don't think it mattered to the kids one bit!

Yup, the official pix of the kids came out just as cute! Photogenic 101! 

Ah the unsuspecting teenagers- they had no idea

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Product Review: I Scent U Scentier Fragrance Lamp

If you're like us, with multiple animals and kids, you never know what has been tracked in, brought in, left out, or left undone in your house! Which usually means you and candles/room sprays/oils are on a pretty familiar basis with each other! I know we are! 
So when I was offered the chance to review a NEW product from I Scent U, I was quite happy to agree! 
I was scent one of their new MINI

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Book Review and Giveaway: Gossip by Beth Gutcheon

Synopsis: Loviah "Lovie" French owns a small, high-end dress shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Renowned for her taste, charm, and discretion, Lovie is the one to whom certain women turn when they need "just the thing" for key life events: baptisms and balls, weddings and funerals. Among those who depend on Lovie's sage advice are her two best friends since boarding school days: Dinah

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$2.95 Shipping at Growing Tree Toys!

$2.95 SHIPPING ON ANY ORDER!


YUP, you saw that correctly!


Growing Tree Toys is happy to offer their customers $2.95 shipping on all orders!  


Best of all? NO discount code is necessary – just add the items to your cart and you will see the super cheap shipping rate of $2.95 for Standard Ground Shipping! YEAH! Busy moms appreciate it!The Growing Tree Toys Free Shipping Offer is only valid

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Product Review and Giveaway: Spot It! Kids Game

Kiddo has come by her love of competition honestly! She comes from a long line of game players! The problem we are having is she is 'in between' most of the games out there, or that we already have. She is 'bored' with preschool games, but not up to alot of the word or card games our family enjoys yet. So I was quite happy to review this great little game, that fits the bill of what we have been

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Memories from St Patrick's Day,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ok, so I'm just a tad late on posting this- it's been a LONG week!!!!!!!!!




We were all asked to march in the Krewe of Erin St Patrick's Day Parade in Ponchatoula,

last weekend, courtesy of Suz's son's girlfriend, who is last year's reigning Queen of the Parade, and her sister, who is THIS year's Queen of the Parade! When the kids were asked if they wanted to be IN the parade, or watch and

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Pirate Costume Review

Isn't it amazing what our kids pick up from us?


Case in point- Kiddo LOVES Halloween and dressing up for the Ren Faire! So when it comes to getting new costumes, she's always happy to look and try them on!






Thanks to Costume Discounters, we found her a perfect costume to wear not only for one of her Halloween events (we tend to have about 3 every year to attend, and naturally she wants

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Book Review: Felt, Button, Bead by Catherine Woram

If you've read this blog for any time, then you know that Kiddo is VERY much a mini-Martha and ADORES crafting! I think it's hard-wired in her DNA, as I swear not a day goes by that she doesn't want to craft something! So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review this great new book!


Synopsis: Get your kids snipping, threading and stitching with Felt Button Bead. Kids love crafting,

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Book Review: Little Welsh Quilts, Made the Traditional Way by Mary Jenjins

Book Review is sorta a misnomer for this review! The book is actually an e-book on cd rom, that you can put into your computer and download the pattern pieces as you need them!




Synopsis: Welsh quilts are striking, with bold colours and simple shapes. They look magnificent as bed quilts but are also distinctive when scaled down to cradle size or smaller. Welsh quilts are intensively hand

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Wordless Wednesday: Welcome Spring, officially....

Ahh the Wisteria....


FINALLY it bloomed, only TWO weeks after the azaleas!

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Winners No Longer Seeing Green?

1. Rock n Learn Letter Sounds- #85 Tanya C


2. Death of a Kingfisher- #11 Linda K


All winners have been notified by email.


Thanks to everyone who entered!

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Guest Post: Easter Celebrations: How to Make Easter Fun and Memeorable for Your Children

What do you do when your child's birthday falls around a holiday? Do you incorporate the holiday into their birthday party? Or to you keep them separate?
Here's a guest post that shares how to make the upcoming Easter holiday extra special!Many of the ideas can be incorporated into your child's birthday, as well,if it is around the holiday!





Easter marks the end of Lent and the beginning of

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Book Review: The Bear Went Over the Mountain by Iza Trapani

Here's another excellent book for your child's Easter basket!





Synopsis: A bear goes over the mountain, to see what he can see, hear what he can hear, smell what he can smell, touch what he can touch, and taste what he can taste; what a busy bear When he sets out on a sunny morning in spring he uses all five of his senses to explore the world around him. He smells a skunk (yuck!) and sweet

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Book Review: Applique Angels and Hearts by Madeline Millington

So sorry guys, but this review was scheduled back for Christmas, and I didn't realize it hadn't gone live, it got overlooked in the Christmas chaos, so I am posting it this week, with an updated review!




Synopsis: Applique suddenly became colourful, easy and fun with Madeleine Millington's unique designs, brimming with character. Discover the tactile qualities of wool blanket fabric, using

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Book Review and Giveaway: A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

Welcome to our stop on the A Grand Murder book blog tour!



Synopsis: A Grand Murder is the first book in the Catherine O'Brien mystery series. When aprominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Catherine O'Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee

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Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky: March 20-March 27, 2012

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Book Review: The Donkey's Easter Tale by Adele Bibb Colvin, Illus. by Peyton Hamilton Carmichael

As Kiddo is not allowed chocolate yet, we tends to get more toys and books in her annual Easter basket (thanks EB), which of course she is quite happy with! So I am happy to bring you some excellent ideas this week, for items that would be great in your child's Easter basket this year!




Synopsis:  In this inspired retelling of Biblical stories from Jesus' adult life, death, and resurrection,

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Book Review and Giveaway: Gabby's Stick-to-it Day by Sheila Walsh

I am happy to bring you another Gabby book about the new Guardian Angel!





Synopsis: Based on Galatians 6:9, this second title in Gabby's series follows little Sophie on her quest to do kind things for her family. But each of Sophie's good intentions results in a great, big mess-and a busy guardian angel as Gabby tries to keep the little girl from harm. Sophie quickly gets frustrated amidst

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Book Review: Scrap Quilts for Babies and Toddlers by Katharine Guerrier

If there is one thing Kiddo ADORES, it is her blankets! Seriously, the child has about 30. AND she still plays with them all! She relishes the handmade ones, and always has. I think kids can sense when love is put into a quilt/blanket and given to them! So I am happy to include this great book in our month long birthday special!




Synopsis: Here are instructions and patterns for ten crib/

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Book Review: Off Target: 18 bull's-eye exposés by John Noē, Ph.D.

Here's another review from Dad- as the bible scholar in the family, I knew he would find this book interesting! In fact he flew right through the book, as it is a very easy read!
And it ties in nicely, with his earlier book review this week!

Synopsis: "Truly, have we Christians been led astray by our own leaders; dumbed down in our theology by ideas, interpretations, teachings, doctrines of men,

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Book Review: Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee

Every read a title of a book, look and the cover image, and go "nah", then search through other books, come back to the book you passed over, read it's description, and decide to give it a try after all, and then when you do you LOVE the book?  This is one of those books for me!




Synopsis: Graciela "Ace" Jones is mad-mad at her best friend Lilly who cancels their annual trip to Panama City for

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Book Review: The Way by Kristen Wolf

I had a great guest post form Kristen yesterday, and today I have my review of her book!





Synopsis: What if one of the world's greatest spiritual healers was not who we thought he was?

Anna is a fiery tomboy living in ancient Palestine whose androgynous appearance provokes ridicule from the people around her and doubt within her own heart. When tragedy strikes her family, and Anna's father -

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Recipe Weekend: Easy and Delicious Mini Chocolate Chip Scones

In honor of St Patrick's Day, here's a great and easy breakfast for tomorrow morning!





Easy and Delicious Mini Chocolate Chip Scones




Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour


1 tablespoon baking powder


2 tablespoons sugar


1 teaspoon vanilla


1 cup of chocolate chips


5 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)


1 cup of heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

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History Corner: American Patriot's Bible, edit. by Dr. Richard G. Lee

Not your typical History Corner book I know, but this one oozes history in a really great way, and I couldn't resist!
This bible reached the number five position on Amazon's best seller list. No other Bible has met that accomplishment.Pretty historical, no?
Read on for Dad's take on the book!


Synopsis: THE ONE BIBLE THAT SHOWS HOW ‘A LIGHT FROM ABOVE’ SHAPED OUR NATION. 


Never has a version

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Giveaway: Uprinting 16" x 20" Rolled Canvas Print

If there is one thing that you get alot of of when you have kids is photos. You take them, your relatives take them your friends take them, and then you have school and professional portraits. WHEW! So anytime you can make that extra special photo a part of your decor,you should take the opportunity to add such a personal touch to your living space!




Uprinting has long been a great source of

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History Corner: March is Women's History Month!

Women's History Month began as part of a small town festival in Sonoma, California in 1978, and the US as a whole has celebrated it every march, since 1987. The 2012 theme is “Women’s Education—Women’s Empowerment” and it honors pioneering teachers and advocates, who helped women and other groups, gain access to advanced learning. 




courtesy of nps.gov  
Eleanor Roosevelt and kids


Did you

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And another thing our kids will miss..

I have very fond memories of sitting in my grandparents' den and going volume by volume through their new Encyclopedia Britannica set.


Always with a thirst for knowledge, the set of encyclopedias was akin to finding pirate's treasure to me! And they were like pirate's treasure as they weren't cheap, even back then. Few families had them at HOME- you had to go to the library to use them and do

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Guest Post: How THE WAY Came to Be By Kristen Wolf

I'll be reviewing the book The Way tomorrow, but here's a great guest post form the author, herself!




I wrote THE WAY because I had no choice. Its roots are deep and stretch all the way back to my childhood. In some ways I feel like I've been entertaining the story of Anna in my imagination since I was a very little girl.

As a child, I was raised in the Christian tradition. An eager and

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Book Review and Giveaway: He Answered by L.V. Robinson

Synopsis: When the police arrive at her door and escort her out of her home, Robinson's protagonist can't decide if she should kill that man or kill the woman he was with. Or both. One of them had lied, she knew, but she could not yet tell which one.outside, even more pressing was her daughter downstairs who was lying in bed crying from the pain she hoped the next day's operation would help take

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Wordless Wednesday: Meet Fred...

After the initial scream, Kiddo decided she needed to keep the grasshopper..
And named him Fred....
He's sorta cute in a weird alien way....
Wanna take bets on how long he lives????


Update: Fred got released back into the wild Wednesday afternoon, after a VERY long day with Kiddo at her school,  much to his relief. 
Pity for the lizard and caterpillar, who were her next victims.They also got

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Winners Getting Ready for the Green!

1. Blood Sugar Solution Book- 
    1. Patti-- #110
    2. Margaret C- #153
    3. J Holden --#146


2. Applebees Gift Card-  Kristi SP - - #192


3. Life Application Bible- #71 jennifer B.C.




All winners have been notified by email


Thanks to everyone who entered.

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Guest Post: Tips for Hosting 5-8 Year Old Children’s Birthday Parties

It's Kiddo's birthday this month, so I am ALL about this topic! 
Lisa, at The Party Works, has some great ideas that I wanted to share with you too!






Early on in your child’s life hosting a birthday party is a pretty simple affair.It’s more about the family getting together and having a meal. 
Once you hit the kindergarten age birthdays are a whole other ball game and the festivities begin

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Giveaway: Trop 50 Red Orange Juice - TWO Winners!

Last month I told you about the great new line of juices from Tropicana, the Trop 50!


With 50 calories in each eight-ounce glass and a full day’s supply of vitamin C, they are one juice you will WANT to add to your diet (admit it, you know you're going on one- swimsuit weather is around the corner! LOL).


Now they have a NEW flavor out- Trop 50 Red Orange Juice!


The Red Orange is a

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DVD Review and Giveaway: The Woodcarver

It's getting harder and harder to find great quality movies for the ENTIRE family, that have morals, drama and family life. So when I'm offered great dvds from Propeller, I know not only will my family like them, but YOUR family will too!
The movie is officially released on dvd tomorrow, the 13th!


Synopsis: Matthew Stevenson is a troubled kid from a broken home. When he vandalizes the local

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Book Review and Giveaway: How to Con Your Kid by David Borgenicht and James Grace

Ah, the con, there's the thing!if you have kids, you KNOW what it is, you've used it, but you might refuse to call it that, but let's be honest, shall we?

Synopsis: 
Children bring boundless joy into your life. They also bring temper tantrums, stubborn moods, and 90-decibel fits of hysterical screaming. Think we’re exaggerating? Just try getting one to finish his dinner.


It’s time to spare

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Recipe Weekend: German Chocolate Cake Cookies

German chocolate cake has always been a favorite in our family. That is why it was such a big event when my aunt came up with the recipe below for decadent German Chocolate Cake Cookies. They are a breeze to make and much easier to transport than a traditional German Chocolate Cake. They are now a main staple at all family events! Hope your family enjoys them as much as we do!






German

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Giveaway Alert: More Beauty, Less Beast- Celebrate with Debora and win a $150 Visa Cash Card!

Transform Your Inner Ogre with a $150 Visa Cash Card from @DeboraCoty!

Using Biblical advice and her trademark humor, Debora Coty urges women to conquer guilt and re-institute hope in More Beauty, Less Beast. Celebrate with Debora by entering to win a $150 Visa Cash Card!



One "beautiful" winner will receive:


A $150 Visa Cash Card (Treat yourself to a spa day
or weekend get-away!)

A Debora

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Book Review and Giveaway: More Beauty, Less Beast: Transforming Your Inner Ogre by Deborah Coty

Welcome to our stop on the 'More Beauty, Less Beast' blog tour!

I love Deborah's books- they are always filed with humor, warmth, and a sense that you could be best friends, so I was quite happy to review her latest book!

Synopsis: Award-winning author Debora Coty's newest book More Beauty, Less Beast brings humor and lightheartedness to the issues all women relate to in heavier moments. With

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Winners Finding Luck at the End of the Rainbow!

1. Julia's Child- #23 Linda K


2. The Undersea of us- #71 Beth C


3. PrintRunner- #45 Yona




All winners have been notified by email.


Thanks to everyone who entered!

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Guest Post: An excerpt from Doxology by Brian Holers, and a GIVEAWAY

Please enjoy this excerpt from the literary novel, Doxology. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book. Sunday is Vernon’s wash day. And though he has enough money to buy a dozen of the nicest washing machines known to man, Vernon Davidson washes his clothes by hand. For his

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Book Review and Giveaway: Perfect on Paper by Janet Goss

What is a eight letter word for adept, that begins with S?
What is a nine letter work for intelligent, beginning with I?



Synopsis: After a disastrous attempt to track down an old flame, Dana Mayo is now taking control of both her career and her love life. Dana meets a handsome neighbor who seems perfect for her, except for her nagging suspicion that he is hiding something from her. In the

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Book Review and Giveaway: Successful Women Think Differently by Valerie Burton

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young,

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Book Review and Giveaway: The Kid Dictionary by Eric Ruhalter

Synopsis: The Kid Dictionary by Eric Ruhalter is full of hilarious words to describe the indescribable things kids do. 


After all, we’ve all heard Blubberish (the incomprehensible breathless stammering of a crying child trying to tell you what happened to her), and it’s a rare parent that’s never had to treat an Invisibooboo (the site on a child’s body where you unnecessarily applied a

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Top Shelf Giveaway: March

In honor of Kiddo's birthday this month, we're gonna have TWO Top Shelf winners this month!
I'm also introducing a new button for Top Shelf-this way I can get the monthly list of books up quicker every month andnot have to worry about getting current pictures of the shelf!
It will also help the post load quicker! Let me know what you think!(And yes, i LOVE Ipiccy!)





The choices this month

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Wordless Wednesday: The Making of a Beignet

The dough comes out of the flattener (sorry, that pix didn't come out)and rolls under this cutter, where the squares are made!

Not much to look at, huh?Ah, but wait for the beignet magic....

Yup- yummy looking aren't they?


Oops, you ate yours and didn't get powdered sugar on your nose(yes, you're from NOLA!).We can fix that!

We're they good?Can't you tell? LOL

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Book Review and Giveaway: Worth Waiting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward by Lisa Niemi Swayze

Wait a minute . . .. . . there.I made it to the next moment.And that’s how you get through a bad moment of grief. You do it one moment at a time.—from Worth Fighting For


Mom has always been a huge Patrick Swayze fan, so she asked to read/review this book!

Synopsis: Lisa Niemei and Patrick Swayze were married for thirty-four years. 
They first met as teenagers at his mother’s dance studio—he

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Winners Confused about the Arrival of Spring!

http://openclipart.org/detail/167020/robin-by-degri




1. Cookbook 2: #60 Amanda J


2. The MIghty Macs- #55 Cheryl A


3. Love Undercover- #4 Beth


Wow, nobody wanted Acts of God While on Vacation! Zero entries. Ok dokey, it's going on the Top Shelf! It's really a decent book and a good read! Hmmm...odd.


All winners have been notified via email


Thanks to everyone who entered to win!

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Bless Their Little Giveaways Linky: March 6- March 13, 2012

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Doxology Blog Tour/ Guest Post: Not Just for Christians by Brian Holers

One of the beauties of self-publishing is that the gatekeeper has been fired. In this new world of books made possible by the Internet, no one is left to guard the door. To tell the reader what is what. This state of affairs may introduce an element of confusion for dogmatic readers, but the good news is, new breeds of literature are being created.Self-publishing allows literature to cross over

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Book Review and Giveaway: Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton

I have loved this series from Beaton, since it started, and you guys must too, asthe last Beaton review/giveaway we did had a great response!


Synopsis: When Scotland is hit by the recession, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices that the Highland people are forced to come up with inventive ways to lure tourists to their sleepy towns. The quaint village of Braikie doesn't have much to offer,

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Book Review: My Bonus Mom! by Tami Butcher, Illus. by Feras Nouf

A Bonus Mom? The Power in One Word.

What if the word “step” was changed to “bonus?” 


That easy and brilliant word change empowers the child of divorce with an entirely different feeling! That word came from Tami Butcher, who offers a perspective from her own experience in her new easy to read children's book, "My Bonus Mom." 






Synopsis: This book, geared towards younger children, is based

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Book Review: My Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos

Back in December, we reviewed Matt's book, Night of the Christian Undead. 
I found it original, funny and inspiring, so when the opportunity came to review his previous book, My Imaginary Jesus, I was very interested in reading it! Read on to see why!


Synopsis: Matt Mikalatos liked Jesus a lot. In fact, he couldn't believe how much they had in common. They shared the same likes, dislikes,

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The Art Of Marriage Ops Ap and a $20.00 Applebee's Gift Card Giveaway!

My dad spent over 20 years in the military, ending when I was in college. So if there is one thing I am very cognizantof, is how hard a military marriage can be. My folks went for months at a time with no phone calls, and only previewed letters, to keep them in touch, yes, this was waaay before cell phones and the internet was available!
This made it harder when Dad returned home, as he was

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Recipe Weekend: Book Review: Paris, My Sweet by Amy Thomas

Ah Paris!
How many of us would gladly move there for a year, if we had a dream job of working for Louis Vuitton? When I came across Amy's Sweet Freak blog while looking for a French typeface (don't ask- future crafting project, maybe...), I fell in love with her pictures of both New York and Parisian desserts, and new it was something I would LOVE to read! And luckily, I got to!

Synopsis: 

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Product Review: Purple Trail Customizable Invitations

Well if you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that Kiddo is a wee bit of a perfectionist, when it comes to parties (and NO, I have no idea where that came from! GRIN!). We call her mini-Martha for a reason-she can critique a party with the best of 'em! So when it comes to HER birthday parties, yes, we tend to a bit above and beyond. It's fun for me, for her, and for her guests!

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Book Review: It’s a Big World, Little Pig! by Kristi Yamaguchi, Illus. by Tim Bowers

Dream Big, Little Pig, Kristi's first book, which featured Poppy the Pig, has garnered rave reviews, sold more than 15,000 copies through bookscan, and debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestsellers list! Kiddo greatly enjoyed it, so she was quite happy to review this second book in the series, which will be released on March 6th!





Synopsis: Poppy, the adorable, persistent,

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DVD Review and Giveaway: Rock n Learn Letter Sounds Learning DVD

As you know, we LOVE the Rock n Learn DVD Kids Series!


Rock n Learn teaches your kids in a fun and 


So when I was offered the Letter Sounds Learning DVD, I was quite happy to say YES! As, Kiddo is working on that in school, and starting to learn to read! The DVD has been around for 10 years, but was recently updated with input from professors, reading specialist and teachers!




Hearing a

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Product Review: IPiccy Online Photo Editor (AND P.I.P. 2012 Button!)

With Picnik going bye bye, everybody is searching for a new online photo editor!


I heard about IPiccy and decided to give it a try while working on a new meme button, forour annual Pretty in Pink, month-long bonanza, in honor of Kiddo's birthday!
I found Ipiccy to be VERY easy to use- it has all the basics, plus alot of advanced edits, so it meets everybody's needs!
This is the image I started

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Winner of February's Top Shelf Giveaway!

Yup, just one winner to report today!


So drumroll...................


The winner is: #71 Debbie J


and she picked:  the Litigators by John Grisham!


Sorry guys- there goes one of the new books on the shelf!




Thanks to everyone who entered!


I'm going to take a look at the shelf and see if there are gonna be some new additions, so stay tuned!

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History Corner: BRAVE, a Heroine we LOVE!

Kudos to Pixar, for going the historical route for their next animated feature film! 


I love this new poster- can't you see it above the beds of little girls?


Not only is it a reminder, but a word to live up to!


If you haven't hear about BRAVE, it is the story of "Merida, a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor, of Scotland. Determined to carve her own path

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