Books

  • Free ebook: “Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking” by Crystal Paine

    You can get a FREE ebook of Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking by Crystal Paine through tomorrow (11/17/11).  If you have been wanting to try your hand at freezer cooking, curious how it works, or you just want to learn more tips from another person who has implanted Freezer Cooking for her family this is a great eBook for you!  The Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking eBook contains 45 pages of step-by-step freezer cooking information from planning your freezer cooking session, what freezes well, the benefits of freezer cooking, favorite family recipes, and much more!

    There are 2 ways you can get the FREE eBook Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking:

    1.  Pre-Order Crystal Paine’s new book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year online.

    OR

    2.  Promote her new book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year on your Blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest..

    After you have pre-ordered, blogged, tweeted, Facebooked or pinned about The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget  send an email to support@moneysavingmom.com with your pre-order receipt # or a link to where you posted about my book. Within 24 hours, you will receive a free copy of  Money Saving Mom®’s Guide to Freezer Cooking.

    I have started reading a pre-release copy of Crystal’s new book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget and I have to say so far I have been impressed.  It is practical, genuine, and in some ways convicting (in a good way because we all have areas we really could do better in). 🙂  Keep an eye out as I will be sharing more of my thoughts on her new book in a few days!

    You can head on over to Money Saving Mom for more information about this promotion, her blog, or to learn more about her new book.

  • Book: “Remember Your Manners”

    When the girls were little we got the book called Remember Your Manners: A Story About Being Polite by Parragon Books.  It is a board book that they still like to read and it provides a simple reminder of the importance of using manners.  The story is about a young elephant named Elly who sometimes forgets her manners at the table.  She is learning to not use her fingers, waiting for everyone before starting to eat, eating her vegetables without complaining, and sharing.

    There are a three other titles in this series that the girls enjoy as well:

    • Excuse Me!
    • It’s Mine!
    • Remember the Magic Word

    This book and the other ones in the series provide a great reminder of using manners in several situations.  If you are looking for a good book that’s easy to read and for younger children you should check these out.  Since they are board books they are perfect for infant and toddlers but the older kids still enjoy them.

  • Magazine: “Fun for Kidz”

    Our girls love getting magazines and goodies in the mail.  My parents ordered the Fun for Kidz magazine for the girls a few months ago and they always look forward to getting it in the mail.  The magazine has a variety of stories, puzzles, crafts, recipes, science experiments, and fun stuff for the kids to try.

    This week we did a couple of the science experiments / activities that were listed in one of the magazines.  We made homemade “telephones” for the girls that they were reading about in the magazine.  Another fun activity we did was cut a hole in a piece of 8×11 paper that was big enough that we could fit through (even Daddy could fit through the 8×11 piece of paper once it was cut, pretty funny).  They thought it was hilarious and once again they had a blast doing some of the activities in the magazine.

    The magazine is great for either boys or girls ages 5 to 13 years old.  It becomes even more fun as they learn to read and are able to do some of the activities, puzzles, and silly stories or jokes on their own.  The magazine is smaller than a regular magazine although it is more like a pamphlet / book with heavier pages.  There isn’t a huge amount of colorful pictures but it is packed full of fun information and activities that the kids will enjoy.  A subscription would be a great birthday, Holiday or just for fun gift for kids.

    The best price I have found for the Fun for Kidz magazine is through Ebates.

    • Login or open an account for Ebates
    • Search for ValueMags
    • Click on the ValueMags discount link (currently offering 51% back on magazine subscriptions)
    • Once you are on ValueMags website search for Fun for Kidz
    • Order your subscription and you’ll receive your 51% back Ebates check in the mail

    Ebates has always been really good about sending our rebate checks.  It is like a traditional rebate but you don’t have to send in a form and it is automatically done online through their website when you order.  You can get Ebates on many other online retailers.  If you are shopping for Holiday, Birthday, or other gifts check to see if you can get extra money back by shopping through Ebates.

     

  • Free Audio Book: “The Heavenly Man” by Brother Yun

    For the month of November Christian Audio is offering a free download of their audio book .  This month the audio book is The Heavenly Man  by Brother Yun.

    You’ve seen the headlines – government crackdowns on Chinese house churches; mass arrests and human rights violations…But this intensely dramatic autobiography makes it real! Learn how God took a young half-starved boy from Henan Province and enabled him to stand strong on the front lines for Jesus, braving horrific opposition and impossible odds. (information from Christian Audio)

    If you have been wanting to listen to a book from Brother Yun throughout the day or while driving then this is a great opportunity to listen to the book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in November.   Make sure to submit your order by November 30, 2011  to get your free audio book.  Thanks Christian Audio!

  • Book: “Bob Books Sight Words Collection” by Bobby Lynn Maslen

    My parents gave the girls this set of books “Bob Books Sight Words Collection – Kindergarten and First Grade” by Bobby Lynn Maslen when they were just starting  to read.  What I really enjoyed about these books is that they were “simple” from the words to the pictures.  The words were easy for them to sound out as they were beginning to read and the pictures were captivating enough to get their attention but were not so amazing that they couldn’t focus on the words.   As the girls were learning to read it was great pulling out the books and having them read because they were so excited to read a big book all by themselves.  This set of books are for Kindergarten and First Grade.  The  first few books are pretty easy and gradually get harder as they go through them.  I think our girls have gone through them several times now.  If you have a child who is just learning how to read these books are short, easy, and give them a quick reading accomplishment victory.

  • Book: “The God Pocket” by Bruce Wilkinson

    I recently finished reading The God Pocket by Bruce Wilkinson.  About a month ago I finished his You Were Born For This book so this was a great one to read next because it went into more detail on his concept of  “The God Pocket”.  Throughout the book he uses the phrase “He Owns It.  You carry it.  Suddenly, everything changes” which means you have a certain amount of money (in addition to what you set aside for tithing and offering) that you place in a special place in your wallet or envelope and you dedicate it to God.  When you feel led by God (or nudged) then you give the amount God has laid on your heart to the person you have been directed to.

    The God Pocket is extra money that you have set aside to deliver a financial blessing to those whom come to your attention.  The money is no longer yours to use or borrow from once it is dedicated to God.  It is important that you pray for discernment for who the money should be given to in your God Pocket.  Sometimes you’ll be led the day you put it into the pocket other times it may be days, weeks, or months before the person who you are asked to give it to comes across your path.

    Wilkinson shares a variety of stories about people who have experience the blessing of delivering their God Pocket funds.  Many of those people have been blessed through their extra giving, although it is not guarantee that if you give extra money away that you are promised the exact amount or more in return from God.    For example the author used this following verse:

    Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. – Proverbs 17:19

    This is a wonderful verse and it does say that the Lord will repay for the deed, however, it does not say that he will repay financially or even while we are on this earth.    Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven…. Matthew 5:12  I think the concept of giving to others is awesome as long as we do not do it with the expectation of being repaid or over abundantly rewarded for our effort here on earth.  We may see some benefits of sharing with others including mentorship opportunities, sharing the good news, and the blessing of knowing that God has allowed you to share a miracle with someone who was hurting or in need.  It is the most valuable when we give from the heart while giving ALL the credit to God.  It is not called “The Me Pocket” it is called “The God Pocket” for that specific reason.  You are carrying it to be a blessing to someone and allow God to work in their hearts not to take the praise for yourself.

    The author walks you through seven steps for delivering “The God Pocket” funds:

    • Decide and pray regarding the amount you will put into “The God Pocket”.
    • Devote the money directly to God.
    • Deposit the devoted amount into your God Pocket.
    • Depend on God to lead you to the exact person He wants you to give the gift to.
    • Deliver God’s funds to the recipient
    • Declare who the true giver of the funds is, transfer the all credit for the funds directly to God
    • Disciple the person who you have given the God Pocket funds to so they can start a relationship or strengthen their relationship with God and they may in return deliver a God Pocket to another person in need.

    The book is short and can be read pretty quickly. Overall I like the concept the author was trying to get across to the readers.  In a couple places the author pushed a little bit regarding using his specifically design “God Pockets” and even gave a few examples of how people used the ones he designed.  That’s okay if you want to use them but the point isn’t if you use a plain envelope or a fancy leather God Pocket, it is that you are willing to be used by God to bring blessings to those around you.   I think it is a great idea to prayfully seek out opportunities to minister to others in need as long as the credit is given to God. 

    Rate my review & be entered into a giveaway: I reviewed this book for “Blogging for Books.”   By rating my review, it allows me to choose another book and enters you in a GIVEAWAY!   The rating is a two step process.

    Step 1:  Rate my review below (select the number of stars, enter your email, and hit submit).

    Step 2:  Check your email account for a message from Blogging for Books and click their link to verify your email.

    Once you rated my review AND confirmed your email, you will automatically entered in a giveaway for this book by WaterBrook Multnomah!!!  They will pick one person to receive a copy of the book for themselves!  WaterBrook Multnomah will contact the winner directly.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Book: “Ouch” by Ragnhild Scamell

    We rented this book Ouch! by Ragnhild Scamell from the library several years ago and it has been a favorite of the girls since then.  The book is about a Hedgehog who is preparing her nest for the winter months when an apple falls from the tree and sticks onto her back.  She tries to get help from her friends but ends up getting more and more items stuck to her until she finally finds a friend that can help her get them off her back.  The book has bright colors and is enjoyable to read to the kids.  If you are looking for a fun Fall book to read to your children you should check this one out at your local library.

  • Book: “If You Take a Mouse to School” by Laura Numeroff

    In celebration of the girls being in school for a few weeks now I decided to highlight a book that is about school.  The girls really enjoy Laura Numeroff’s book and one of their favorites is If You Take a Mouse to School.  It is a fun and engaging book about a mouse going to school.  The girls think it would be so neat to take a mouse (or any pet for that matter) to school with them.  We have read this book and several other ones by Laura Numeroff many times.  It is a great book for beginning readers.

    Here are a few of Laura Numeroff’s popular  “If You Give…”  books that are a hit in our family:

  • Free Audio Book: “Think” by John Piper

    FREE Audio Book Download

    For the month of October Christian Audio is offering a free download of their audio book .  This month the audio book is “Think“  by John Piper.

    John Piper’s newest book will help Christians think about thinking. Focusing on the life of the mind helps us to know God better, love him more, and care for the world. Along with an emphasis on emotions and the experience of God, we also need to practice careful thinking about God. Piper contends that “thinking is indispensable on the path to passion for God.” So how are we to maintain a healthy balance of mind and heart, thinking and feeling?

    Piper urges us to think for the glory of God. He demonstrates from Scripture that glorifying God with our minds and hearts is not either-or, but both-and. Thinking carefully about God fuels passion and affections for God. Likewise, Christ-exalting emotion leads to disciplined thinking.

    Readers will be reminded that “the mind serves to know the truth that fuels the fires of the heart.” insert from Christian Audio

    If you have been wanting to listen to a book from John Piper throughout the day or while driving then this is a great opportunity to listen to the book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in October.   Make sure to submit your order by October 31, 2011  to get your free audio book.  Thanks Christian Audio!