Heaven is for Real.

I chose to read Heaven is for Real: A Little Boys Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo for BookSneeze and I read it in one sitting. I liked it. A lot.

This is a particularly Christian book written by a specifically Christian author, telling the story about his 4-year-old son’s trip to heaven and back. It is a moving story. Anyone who has a child will be powerfully impacted by such a tale. Most people in general will love it.

I had first heard about it when in first came out – radio talk shows were flooded with stories and callers and “experts” on the book and its topics. But when you read the story and how the author captures the simplicity and innocence of the boy, you will be taken in.  I read the book fairly quickly and enjoyed it! It was very thought provoking and I was always waiting to hear more from Colton. The fact that after this book, you are left thinking about many things and feeling inspired as well as enthralled, it speaks a lot about the story as well as the author.  I would definitely recommend it – a future movie perhaps?? Hollywood just may do that.

Old into new!

 I found an old little stool at a thrift store - it was 1$. It was painted over and over in hideous colors but it was wood underneath.  I took the stool apart and sanded all of the pieces until all of the old paint was off.  Then I put it back together and painted a picture of one of my children's favorite characters on it and then applied about 5 coats of varnish...

Magical!

It has been a dream of mine to go to Disney World.  So, when Booksneeze offered the option to review The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, by Susan Veness, I logged in right away!  This book shows just how clever and talented Walt Disney really was.  He thought out and planned Disney World to a tee – the amount of hidden secrets waiting at that park is incredible.  He truly was brilliant.  I cannot wait to enter this magical kingdom and look for the hidden secrets.  I love the detail and the explanations given by the author.  I cannot even imagine the time, effort, and energy put into creating the hidden magic – no wonder they call it the happiest place on earth!

The book reads with ease, flows nicely and tips and hints and fun facts appear in every chapter.  Even though we are planning to go to Disney World next year, it is a very fun and informative book to read for anyone who is a Disney World fanatic.  The fun facts and little bits of trivia make for an interesting read.  I really enjoyed this book and it is a book that will end up all dog-eared and written in, with the spine being all bent and used! Words will be highlighted and the blank pages will be filled with scribbles and notes!  Great coffee table book too, your visitors will always pick it up and browse through it, commenting on and noting the trivia and the brilliance of some of the hints and secrets! The only thing that I wish the author had done was to include examples; pictures and photos of the secrets and hidden magic that she was referring to.  It would have added a great visual!  Wish Booksneeze had sent me to Disney too!

Eat Your Peas Daughter - Quick read, great message!

I love books, so when I joined BookSneeze and the deal was they send you books that you choose, for free, in exchange for a review - any review, good or bad - I was sold! I do choose my books with care though, and "Eat Your Peas Daughter" by Cheryl and Mom Karpen, is a "pretty" looking book. The cover is eye-catching and the paper is textured, thick and heavy - good quality paper that is a necessity for a gift book. It is a book that I have picked up again and again since I received it. I read it to my two daughters, ages 5 & 3; they smile and get all cuddly. The words are so well chosen; the font and the colours are soft and "girly". It is the type of book that you pick up and glance at and think of your daughter(s), think of reading it to them, think of saying it to them, and think of them picking up and reading it through your voice to themselves. It's a tearjerker! (If you let it). This book would make a great gift for a daughter of any age - it will leave you both feeling warm and fuzzy!

BookSneeze Review

I rarely read books that aren’t fiction.  I rarely read books found in the Religion section.  In the times when I do pick-up a “non-fiction” book, I RARELY read it in one sitting.  I chose to review Catherine Hickem’s book “Regret-Free Parenting: Raise Good Kids and Know You’re Doing it Right” for BookSneeze and I read it in one sitting.  It is not fiction, and it is in the Religion section…

It reads like a novel, fast, easy paced and straight to the point.  There are no big words, no hidden meanings, and no mystery to be figured out.  She is a captivating writer for such a broad topic that has been written about ad nauseam.  She writes about religion, about spirituality and about God.  I am not highly religious or overly spiritual and she writes so kindly, so delicately, the messages and quotes she describes are just so true and positive, it doesn’t matter which religion, if any, you belong to or if you are spiritual or not.  She writes about beautiful messages that make you feel good, inspired, and motivated.  

She writes for moms and the messages that she discusses and the words and phrases that she uses to describe motherhood, will make you eyes well up with tears.  I never realized as I did when I read her book, that when she writes about a child thinking of their mother, just how important and PURPOSEFUL being a mom really is.  I mean I knew it is important, but how she describes it is so genuine, so innocent and honest, words that my children at their young age could never describe to me, made me see things in a different light.  I love they way she appears to write as the child, the mother and the narrator.

Remember, by being an intentional mother, by understanding (and remembering!) that parenting is about the children and not the parent, and by understanding (and remembering!) that children need to be and act like children, life can get all that much better!

AHA!

Ever pick up, dig out, or find something that you needed and notice that the batteries have leaked and the compartment is encrusted with battery acid? Well, that happened to me today and after prying open the battery compartment, and removing the disgusting batteries, I managed to fix it! I cleaned the contacts with a Q-Tip and some vinegar.  The batteries in question here were alkaline (not acid).  The vinegar neutralizes the acid and removes it as well.  I then cleaned around it all with more vinegar and let it air dry, popped new batteries in and voila! It worked! Hope this helps someone out there.  Just remember to wash your hands and anything else really well after (with vinegar).  Looooooooooove fixing things!

Birthdays!

OK, my youngest daughter turns the big 3 on Saturday and I kinda feel sorry for her that her birthday comes so soon after Christmas.  We all know that it isn't about the presents, but come on, she's 3.  The littlest things make her happy and she asks for "chips and cake" for her birthday, but when it comes to gift ideas that my family have been hounding me for, the response is silence.  I don't really know - she has everything under the sun, she needs.  Remember the day when gift cards didn't exist? Well, I guess now they can be a good thing - she will probably rack them up on Saturday.  Santa and family filled her wish list and there is no way I am giving away MY ideas for her! I mean come on - she's MY daughter - the parents have to get at least one good gift! But unlike her sister who is born in October, she won't have "much" to open up on Saturday morning.  Does she really understand what a gift card is now? Forget the future, when she will love the gift card, she cannot grasp an hour from now, let alone next month or two.  Thankfully she loves everything and people - she loves her family, so that will make her very happy to have them at her party.  Imagine those born on or right after Christmas...