A Frugal Vacation!

Summer is coming!! I was thinking of ways to vacation and do it on a budget. I would love any ideas you may have. Leave a comment with your ideas!

Pookster & Bubs

My son and I really enjoy reading together and I think it is important for him to read books that teach a lesson as well as being fun to read. We received two books from the Pookster and Bubs series to try. The first was Pookster and the Unloose Tooth and second was Pookster and the Practically Perfect Pickle. I have to say these books are cute, funny, and have a clear message.  My son loves the illustrations. What I loved was that each story came with a CD of the story. It was great to take this in the car and listen to the CD while my son flipped through the book. I loved that at the end of both stories there was a Bible verse to go along with the story. The Pookster and Bubs series would be great for ages 6 and up. It can work for younger children to if you read it out loud or listen to the CD (We did both!) I love it when I can find a book series this is fun to read and has a great lesson too. I would give these books 4 out of 5 stars! Author Rhonda Funk has written a third book called Bubs and the Pursuit of Puppiness! We are looking forward to reading it too. If you want to find more information on Pookster and Bubs you can visit http://www.pooksterandbubs.com/Pookster_and_Bubs/Welcome.html or The Adventures of Pookster and Bubs on Face Book!

I received these books from Carmichael publishing for my honest review!



The Place of Belonging: A Memoir by Jayne Pearson Faulkner

The Place of Belonging: A memoir by Jayne Pearson Faulkner


A warm and endearing, yet heart-wrenching memoir. The Place of Belonging, is about a child of a single mother in Big Sky Montana that is beautifully and simply told. It is an unforgettable step back in time, a fresh understanding of loss and belonging. Reading like prose, this elegantly written and emotionally satisfying story is told from the eyes of a child of the 1940’s.

"One of the best books we have ever published and that I have ever read."
Nancie Carmichael, DRB Publisher and bestselling author.

Anyone who has ever tried to fit in and belong will understand both mother and child in this narrative. . . and will see that separation and loss can sometimes
be the very encounters that will ultimately bring wholeness

My Take

I loved this book. I picked it up and read it within three hours! I loved how the author pulls you into the story and you can't put it down. I wish there was a book two. The author does a great job of showing you life in the 1940's through the eyes of a young girl in Montana. One thing I loved was that the author shows you how the young girl feels but you can still see everyone’s side of the story. I loved how transparent Jayne is with her emotions. I wish everyone could have a grandma Olson in their life. Another thing I loved was at the end of the book is a photo of the family. I loved seeing what everyone looked like. This book was funny, sad, and I loved how it ended. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story. It would also be a good choice for a book club. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book from Carmichael Publishing for my honest review. This review is my own!

Udder Sense Winner

Random.org picked....nantz24 said...

I like Udder Sense on FB. I would choose the Love Spell for sure!
Thanks to all who entered and Udder Sense for this giveaway!

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Winner!

The winner picked from random.org is...


Aaron and Devony said...




GFC followere wilsondev@....com. Go SAHMs!

Udder Sense Soaps Review and Giveaway!



If there is one thing I love it's good smelling soap! My favorite all natural soap is Udder Sense! It is a great company making all natural soaps that smell amazing! Their soaps are made from Cold Processed Goat's Milk!
Goat's milk is high in protein, triglycerides, Vitamin A, B6, B12,
and E making it an excellent natural moisturize that helps to hydrate and nourish skin!

One thing I love about Udder Sense is that it smells great and leaves my skin soft and smooth. Also, I have started using it in place of shaving cream and my legs are no longer dry. I wish I could have a smell this button on my blog because this stuff smells great. I haven't found a sent I don't like. Unlike other natural soaps it has no funky after smell.



They have lots of different scents like love spell (compare to vs) and Black Raspberry Vanilla (compare-to-bbw) and many more!



They also have scents to help you relax like Sleep time and Muscle Rescue!
Another great thing is that they list all the ingredients in their products.

You can purchase Udder Sense on their website and in person at the locations below!

BRANSON MISSOURI
Apple Tree Mall,
Hwy 76 Branson Missouri
Booth #J04

HIGHLANDVILLE MISSOURI
Antiques & More,
6922 US Hwy 160
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OZARK MISSOURI
Yesteryears,
Ozark Missouri

REPUBLIC MISSOURI
Minden Place
Antiques & Home Decor
137 N Main Ave
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How to enter to win one of your choice:
  • Like Udder Sense on Facebook
  • Go to Udder Sense and tell me which one you want to win!
  • Leave your name and email so I can contact you if you're a winner.
For extra entries:
  • Like me on google friend connect
  • Like Rambles of a SAHM on Facebook
  • Share this giveaway on Facebook and leave the link.
This giveaway will end on March 21 at 11:59 CST. US only.

Free Purex Complete with Zout sample!


Go here to get a sample of Purex Complete with Zout!

"And You Invited Me In" Winners!

1) Laura
2) Chelsey
3) Nancy
4) Sweet Shenanigans
5) Michelle

The winners were selected by Random.org. I will email the winners for their address!

Glade coupon!

I am so ready for spring! Go here for a $2 off an two in the entire Glade® Spring Collection!


I won and so can you!

I just had to blog about one of my recent wins on The Book Club Network! I won a $50 dollar gift card to Lifeway and Book of Days by James L Rubart.

Assorted children's books.

I used my Lifeway gift card during their March 5 Kids Day Sale and got all the above for $40.50! They also had a sale going on when you spend forty you get $10 back in store credit! So I still have $19.50 to spend at Lifeway!
How can you win? Well on March 21 at 9pm EST The Book Club Network is hosting a scavenger hunt with over $100 in gift cards to be given away! Just go here and sign up to become a member then return March 21 at 9pm EST to try and win! Good luck and let me know if you win!

Purex giveaway winner!

We have a winner! The winner was chosen by random.org! Congrats to Diana.

The Blessing of Adversity by Barry C. Black

The Blessing of Adversity by Barry C Black

What if we saw adversity as a positive thing? What if we could learn from it instead of wallowing in it? These are the ideas of Black in his book The Blessing of Adversity.

What I liked about this book was how he shares his stories and how he learned from them. One story that he shares is being picked last and instead of feeling sorry for himself he decides to better himself. I also liked that at the end of every chapter he leaves "An Action Plan" with points to remind you of what the whole chapter talked about and how to apply it. Another great thing about this book was how Black backs up his ideas with the Bible.

This book comes at a great time when so many are losing their jobs. It can be easy to think what is wrong with me and feel sorry for our situation. However if we can do what Black suggest in this book and better ourselves we will only come out stronger.

Overall this was a great book for encouragement. It has many aspects that we could all learn. I would recommend this to anyone looking for some encouragement when they feel worn down. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this book for review from Tyndale House Publishers. This review is my honest opinion.

The Band That Played On by Steve Turner | Historical Nonfiction Review

The Band That Played On by Steve Turner


 For those of you that love the Titanic history then The Band That Played On is the book for you. I loved this book. Turner's book is a look inside the lives of the eight musicians who played while the Titanic sunk. When I first started reading this book I was thinking what makes someone do this? I mean can you imagine playing music while you knew in moments you would be going down too. I guess you could say this was their performance of a lifetime!

What I love about this book was that Turner writes about the eight lives before the Titanic, how they were chosen, and their lives on the Titanic. While he tells all this he gives you a history timeline of what was going on. It was all so fascinating! If history books could be written this well we would not have to entice people to read them.

I have never read anything by Steve Turner before this book however; I will be looking forward to anything else he writes. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants real facts about the Titanic. It would also be a great book to get people interested in history. History should not be boring. It is only when history is poorly written that it becomes boring. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

I received this book for review from Thomas Nelson. This review is my honest opinion.

And You Invited Me In by Cheryl Moss Tyler | Contemporary Fiction Review

And You Invited Me In by Cheryl Moss Tyler


 And You Invited Me In
Cheryl Moss Tyler
Contemporary Fiction  

When Alex Marshall left his stifling small town behind, he felt freedom for the first time in his life. Rejected by his conservative Christian hometown for his homosexuality, Alex becomes a successful lawyer, active in the gay community and committed to his partner, Scott. But tragedy strikes in the form of AIDS, as it rips away Alex's dignity and crushes his body. He is near the end of his life.

Annie Whitley, Alex's sister, is faced with a difficult choice when a call from Alex comes out of the blue. Should she travel to care for her estranged brother -- who represents the lifestyle she's been taught to hate and fear -- or stay away, deny him, and follow what the town demands? Choosing Alex, she begins to see how her decision impacts the entire community.

And You Invited Me In addresses the moral dilemma that many face: how can people accept or even tolerate a way of life so different from anything they have been taught to believe is acceptable? This interwoven tale speaks of love, compassion, and true belief, as a family reconciles and a town comes to understand the truth of its faith, and is resonant with the hymn of equality.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. -- Matthew 25:35


Author Interview 

1) How did this story come to you?

The story needs a bit of history. In the late 70’s I was a radically fundamental Christian. I was so extreme that I would not eat dinner at a friend’s house when a gay person was there and, at one time I believed that AIDS was a judgment on the gay community.

In the early 90’s my husband and I were in a very large conservative church in the South who took a hard stand against homosexuality/AIDS. Our landlord was also a member of the church, and active in the Singles group (that had 500 members). He had AIDS and was doing the expected ex-gay thing. About a month before he died it hit me that no one from the church had befriended him (and no one knew about the AIDS issue). He had to seek old friends for friendship because it just wasn't there. He hadn't told his family he had AIDS then he suddenly got very sick. He went to the hospital and I called the church. There were dozens of ministers on staff at this church, and only one of them came to see him ONE time.

I could not wrap my mind around this. Why would a church put so many expectations on a person, and then not show up in the most vital hour of need? My father was a minister when I was a young kid and I can remember going to many a house of the sick and dying. After our landlord’s death, I spent months trying to understand why this church that boasts of following the Bible to the last crossed “t” couldn't find a person to walk with the family through this whole terrible ordeal. (Other related incidents: #1-after that my husband met a man who had been a pastor with many children. He came out of the closet, eventually lost his family and was dying of AIDS. No one was there to make him a bowl of soup. #2-I heard that Grady Hospital in Atlanta did not permit ministers in the AIDS ward unless they were asked because so many ministers could come and tell them they deserved hell and their illness was a judgment. #3-my husband and I wanted to take a man with AIDS to a certain church he was open to going to. The pastor told me “no, you can’t bring that plague in here” and within the year the man died cursing Jesus.)

I didn’t start the book until a year after our landlord’s death. I wanted to make the church aware of this huge failing. Instead of an article I decided that a story could tell the information better. I wrote a short story, and my husband said “make it a book.” While the book is fiction, there are things that are facts such as when Samuel gets the call at the airport. That happened with my mom and me (in the days before cell phones) when I needed to get her an urgent message. I happened to catch her in Chicago when her plane was on the ground.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published

It has been a journey. I had the encouragement of people like Philip Yancey and Tony Campolo who I presented the idea to back in the mid-90’s. However, Christian publishers didn’t want to take a risk. I actually did a POD (publish on demand) with PublishAmerica around 2004, then someone read it and sold it to the Simon & Schuster company Beyond Words, which deals more in New Age books. They hired a foundational editor to help me streamline, then the copy editor was a very liberal person. God permitted this event where opposite people challenged my words to better myself and be able to speak to the “any man” as well as conservatives.

One thing about publishing is that just because it is a big company doesn’t mean it will get the same treatment as Joel Osteen’s book. I learned to keep my voice meaning, I didn’t have people to put the politically correct word in my mouth! As well I learned a lesson in Dallas. I got a reporter who takes great pride in making people look foolish. He tried to get me into a political corner by giving me 24 hours to answer a no-win question, and I refused to answer him directly. He called me a “hot mess.” Every step is a learning experience…good or bad.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

First, I have had many challenges with grace. It seems as I’ve written about an issue, then the Lord challenges me with a huge obstacle to see how I fare. I don’t always handle it well! Second, this last 12 months has been the greatest time of spiritual growth for me. A family situation arose where I had to completely trust God to get one of my children through a horrid situation.
A situation where a wrong move on my part would have alienated her or worse, and God was faithful. Third, I had gastric bypass surgery in 2004. I lost weight, gained some back but would for sure recommend it to anyone.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?

I am working on a follow-up book that addresses areas where the church fails to meet the needs of the congregation--specifically in the area of grace. While that is the general over-all theme, the focus will also be on the conservative Christian + gay community issues. I believe that I am a qualified voice to explain their needs and how as conservatives we can operate in grace and never compromise our values.
As Christians we must operate without an agenda with people. Here is something that has bugged me for years--"Oh we'd love to get to know you, why don't you come over and we'll show you a great business opportunity"--that's a crystal clear example of an agenda. So what happens when we say: "wow we'd like to be your friend, but before you need to..." Jesus never had an agenda, but loved unconditionally. From what I read, the only time Jesus got upset and spoke harshly was with those religious people who thought of themselves better than others. Therefore, I hope that my next book will help show the need for us to be servants and not masters.

5) Parting comments?

There is a political correctness among us conservatives. Basically it is low-key bullying where if I don’t do the expected conservative thing, then my conservative buddies will almost shun me for doing something radical (such as going to court with the gay father to help him get custody). In Jesus’ time a Jewish man had nothing to do with women and Jesus was there being their ally. When Matthew Sheppard will killed in 1998 NO conservative ever spoke out against the horror Matthew experience. Why? Because Matthew was gay, and maybe the secret internal belief from most conservatives as that he was in the wrong place and deserved it. Because no conservative Christian used their voice, then Fred Phelps (Westboro Baptist Church) became the conservative voice. We speak of “being radical for Jesus”—it isn’t in waving our Bibles and telling people they are going to hell. It would be fixing dinner for that pastor who was dying of AIDS and being his friend. One more story: I had a group of close friends and one of them came out. This man had been close to six men his entire life. The pastor of the group of men said “I can’t be friends with Tommy because his sin is too great.” Later Tommy told his ex-wife that only one person ever stayed his friend out of the group. We must be that friend! Grace is the true theme of the book. Grace to others no matter what the circumstance—not just the matter of AIDS and homosexuality. Even though these two issues are major conservative concerns, there are others, and many times we have forgotten how we came to know Jesus. Simply put: He did it all for us and there were no rules except that He loved first without condition. We have no excuse to extend grace, and when we do we are truly becoming radical for Jesus.
 
6) Where can fans find you on the Internet?

I blog, twitter and have a website. My tweets are a range of things but I can be found: Cheryl Moss Tyler. Website: http://www.andyouinvitedmein.com/. This will link you with the blog and even the little movie I made about the book: www.YouTube.com/cherylmosstyler. You can email me: cherylmosstyler@aol.com

HOW TO ENTER:
To win this giveaway just leave a comment below with your email address. We will have 5 winners! This giveaway will end on Friday March 11 at 11:59 CST.








The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari by Donna K Paul | Juvenile Fiction Review

The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari by Donna K Paul


The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari fell short for me. The story is about a Turtle named Roger and his best friend Padraig the dragon that goes camping and pretends they are on a safari. When it gets dark they start to get scared and have to figure out how to be "courageous". They make up animals like the "howler monkey". This is what made the story confusing for me. While the illustration were good the story line was hard to follow. The story had some big words like "aphids". It was also a long story.

My son loved that there was a dragon and that they were camping however the story did not hold his attention. One part that seemed a little odd was how at the very end they have a conversation starter with a verse. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid... God goes with you; he will never leave you. Deuteronomy 31:6" It seemed like an afterthought like oh we need to tie this into to the Bible so on the back cover we will put a verse and discussion questions?? I just would have liked it to be a simple story that children could follow and relate it to the Bible without it being forced at the end. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I receved this book from Water Brook Press for my review and honest opinions.

Coupon Queen Bee Progresso prize pack giveaway!

Head over here to enter to win a Progresso prize pack! Low entires! Ends on March 10, 2011 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected.

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