Book: “God Gave Us You” by Lisa Tawn Bergren
This week one of the books I read to the girls before bed was God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Several of Lisa’s books have become family favorites over the past couple of years. The girls love the illustrations as well as the story and I like that Lisa’s stories stimulate conversations about God, creation, love, and more.
The story starts as Mama Bear is tucking Little Cub into bed when Little Cub asked “Mama, where did I come from?” Mama Bear goes through a simple version of how Little Cub was created, including pregnancy and the excitement of preparing for the new baby. I love that the book mentions how the parents prayed for Little Cub even before she was born. Lisa did a great job answering a common question little kids ask parents in this short and sweet book.
Overall I think Lisa Tawn Bergren provides a good story with beautiful illustrations by Laura J. Bryant. The story gives nuggets of valuable information about pregnancy and babies. The only thing that I didn’t “like” in this book (which was minor) was the author used the word “borned” during the conversation between Mama Bear and Little Cub. Even though I know Little Cub was asking the question it distracted from the overall rhythm of the book a little bit. This would be a great book for those who are having a second child or a young child that is asking a lot of questions about where they came from.
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: “The 60 Minute Money Workout” by Ellie Kay
I recently finished reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay. Each chapter was designed for a 60 minute personal finance workout once a week. You can work through the chapters on your own or with your spouse. The author uses the personal finance steps like an exercise workout but for your finances.
The five “workout” steps are covered in each chapter:
- Warm Up – prep for your money workout (5 minutes)
- Strength Training – set financial goals (10 minutes)
- Cardio Burn – put goals into action (20 minutes)
- Heart Rate – measure financial performance (20 minutes)
- Cool Down – Reward Yourself (5 minutes)
The book includes nuggets of personal finance information as well as worksheets that you can use or you can go to her website for additional worksheets and tools. Several of the financial principles she goes over are great for someone or a couple just starting to get their finances in order. I do agree with Ellie Kay on the importance of paying off debt, saving for emergencies and paying cash whenever possible. I think her “10/10/80 Rule” is a good starting point too:
- 10% – Share with nonprofit organization (church or other worthy organization)
- 10% – Save through an allotment or designation to a savings account and for investments
- 80% – Spend wisely
Making it a habit to give, save, as well as where you spend your money is valuable with the intention that you would eventually get better with your finances and you will be able to both give and save even more then the initial 10%. The author gives several quizzes throughout the book to help you identify were you are at on certain area of personal finance, such as personalities, spending, saving, debt, and more. I do like that she dips into the entrepreneurial side especially for the kids and small businesses.
Overall I think Ellie Kay provides a good basis for personal finance with nuggets of valuable information to get you started on the right track. At times I felt the five workout steps distracted from the content of the chapters and there were a couple areas I felt could have been more detailed such as outlining how to set up your first basic budget. Even if you have already been following the majority of the principles she outlines in her book it is good to be reminded of some areas that may need continual improvement.
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 GIVEAWAY60! 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.”