Books

  • Book: “Very Charleston” by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler

    Our family loves traveling together and whenever Jake goes to Charleston for work we try to tag along (works better when schools out).  We have a lot of great memories in Charleston, South Carolina.  Over a year ago we got the book Very Charleston: A Celebration of History, Culture, and Lowcountry Charm by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler.   This book has been a huge hit especially with the kids.  It is packed full of great information about Charleston.  The illustrations are detailed in beautiful watercolors.

    • Historical facts – Civil War, Citadel, Slavery, Crafts and more
    • Places of Interest – Forts, Beaches, Churches, Museums, Plantations, Shopping and more
    • Popular Local Festivals
    • Interesting People from Charleston
    • Famous Places to Eat & Traditional Charleston Recipes
    • PACKED full of great tidbits of information about the Charleston area

    This is an excellent book if you are planning on traveling (or moving) to Charleston.  It’s enjoyable to read and you’ll learn pieces of history too.  Every time we go to Charleston we bring this book along to read together.   Our kids LOVE it!

  • Book: “Super Red Racer” by Dave Ramsey

    This is one of Dave Ramsey’s kids books that the girls enjoy –  The Super Red Racer  The story is about a boy named Junior who really wanted a red bicycle.  He learned that by working hard for several weeks on a local farm rather than expecting his parents to just give it to him was a rewarding way to earn enough money to purchase the bike for himself.  The story carries a great lesson for children about working hard, earning money and patience.

    If you are trying to teach your children more about finances, including working hard to save so they can buy something big this is an excellent book.  Our girls have both read and listened to this story several times over the past few months.  It has helped encourage them to save more too!

  • Book: “Fix It Duck” by Jez Alborough

    This is one of the books the girls have requested many times, it is called Fix It Duck by Jez Alborough (aka Mr Fix It Duck book in our household).  The girls always get a real kick out of reading this book.  Duck has a leak in his house and he goes to his friends to borrow something.  When they mention a problem they are having he tries to “fix it” for them.  Somehow when he tries to fix it he ends up making things worse instead of better for his friends.  It is a fun story to read with your kids with great illustrations.

  • CONGRATULATIONS to Our “More Than Enough” Book Winner!

    The name has been drawn for the giveaway!

    CONGRATULATIONS to

    Lynette

    for winning a

    “More Than Enough” by Dave Ramsey!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information*

    Enjoy your new book!

    Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway (the next giveaway will be announced later this morning)!

    *Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced.  Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.

  • Book: “Starlight” by Kristin Earhart

    The girls enjoy the book Starlight by Kristin Earhart. This book is about a little girl named Haley and her foal called Starlight.  Haley did her best to train Starlight but it seems like Starlight was too busy having fun to listen until one night Starlight gets lost in the woods. Our girls really enjoy these books.  They are great for the early readers especially if they like horses.

  • Book: “Am I Messing Up My Kids?” by Lysa TerKeurst

    I recently finished reading the book Am I Messing Up My Kids? by Lysa TerKeurst.  This is one of the books that I picked up a couple years ago at the eWomen’s conference in Greenville when I met Lysa TerKeurst in person and got the book autographed.  The book has traveled many miles with me and got a little messed up when the van got totaled but thankfully was still readable as there were several topics Lysa discussed that my heart needed to hear.

    The book discussed many of the feelings we as Mom experience.  Lysa talked about focusing your heart on Christ and not on everything else, including our spouse or children.  When your child makes a mistake it doesn’t mean your a horrible parent.  She talked about how we often compare ourselves to the “super moms” that we see around us.  At the end of each chapter there is a section called “Refresh My Soul” with scripture references to read regarding the topic that was being discussed and questions to help you dig deeper in the issues of our hearts.

    Some of the topics discussed in the book:

    • Being a Mom is Tough
    • This is All I have to Give
    • I Trust You to Fill In the Gaps
    • This Child is Yours First
    • Thank You for the Privilege of Being a Mom
    Here are a couple quotes that I enjoyed:
    When you aren’t depending on your husband to fill you up, then he can make mistakes and you are still okay…..He can be your partner and your friend, because he does not have to be your Savior. 
    When you are living in the fullness of  Christ, your children are being sloshed with His grace and tenderness.

  • Book: “Belle” by Elizabeth Mills

    Both of our girls LOVE horses!  Their grandparents gave them several horse books which have quickly become some of their favorites.  One of the ones they enjoy is Belle by Elizabeth Mills.  The book is about a girl named Emmy who moved from the country into the big city.  Emmy loves horses and misses her home in the country but soon finds a stable were she can go riding in the park.  The horse she rides is named Belle who helps her adjust to living in the city.  If your child is starting to read independently and enjoys animals (especially horses) they will probably like this book.

  • Book: The Saddle Club “Horse Crazy” by Bonnie Bryant

    The girls picked out the first book they wanted me to read to them over the Summer Break.  They choose The Saddle Club Horse Crazy by Bonnie Bryant.  The girls have loved reading this book especially every part about the horses.  The book is about two girls who love horses and are excited about going on their Mountain Trail Overnight campout for all the students of Pine Hollow.   The only problem is Stevie’s parents won’t pay for it unless she improves her grades.  It is a cute story about friendship, horses, and fun that was a real treat to read with the girls.  They are so excited about the finding the Saddle Club books at the used book store.  If you have a young girl that enjoys animals or horses this is a great book to read together.

  • Book: “More Than Enough” by Dave Ramsey

    On a recent trip I read the book More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey. I have read a couple other of Dave’s books and have enjoyed them.  This book is geared more towards self improvement and motivation.  Dave emphasizes the importance of being content and living an ethical life.  While this book does discuss money it’s primary focus is how finances relates to your spouse, children, work and every other area of your life.  The book makes us pause and reflect on our character, values, discipline, and how we interact with those around us.  Some of the areas discussed:

    • Discipline
    • Goal Setting
    • Values
    • Accountability
    • Patience
    • Generosity (both time & resources)

    Even though this book was a little different from Total Money Makeover I believe it contains some key components to having a successful life.   Having all the money in the world isn’t much if we are not content or don’t have someone to share it with.  As with anything we can find ourselves being too extreme when it comes to finances (too frugal or too loose with money).  I like how he ties it all together and builds on the importance of family, goal setting, values, generosity, and finding contentment beyond our finances.

    Also, included at the end of each chapter in this book are Thoughts from Sharon which is a paragraph or two from Dave’s wife and her insights regarding the topic that was discussed.  In the appendix of the book there are several financial worksheets that you can use to help you get started with your finances.