Book Review ~ The Outcast by Jolina Petersheim


Contemporary Fiction/Mennonite

About the book:

Raised in an Old Order Mennonite community, Rachel Stoltzfus is a strong-willed single woman, content living apart from mainstream society until whispers stir the moment her belly swells with new life. Refusing to repent and name the partner in her sin, Rachel feels the wrath of the religious sect as she is shunned by those she loves most. She is eventually coerced into leaving by her brother-in-law, the bishop.

But secrets run deep in this cloistered community, and the bishop is hiding some of his own, threatening his conscience and his very soul. When the life of Rachel’s baby is at stake, however, choices must be made that will bring the darkness to light, forever changing the lives of those who call Copper Creek home.



My thoughts:

From the cover of the book this work is being touted as a retelling of The Scarlet Letter with a Mennonite setting. Just as the original the themes that permeate the story are that of legalism, sin and guilt. Unlike the original Rachel is not made to wear an outward sign marking her as an adulteress but she still becomes an outcast especially when she refuses to name the father of her child.

There are other similarities that I will leave up to you to find so as not to give away too much of the plot line. I do have to say that after the beginning of the novel the storyline quickly deviates from the original. If you are a purist this may upset you but for me I thoroughly enjoyed how Ms. Petersheim made the story her own. I’ll give you a little hint . . . this telling ends much better than the original.

Even though this is her debut novel I found it to be well crafted. The storyline moved along quickly with enough detail to make sense but not get bogged down in the trivial. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and at the end of the story I was already wondering what happened next. Jolina Petersheim is definitely a name I will be looking for.

Connect with the author:










Five Minute Friday ~ Worship #FMFParty

Five Minute Friday

I have accepted the Five Minute Friday challenge and the word is Worship!

For me worship is a lifestyle choice. A heart that has decided no matter what the situation is Christ is worthy, more worthy than anything, or anyone to be worshiped. It’s a heart that says yes to what God has called them to whether it’s glamorous or not. It’s the Sunday school teachers wiping bottoms and teaching the books of the Bible. It’s the husband that gets up and provides for his family. It’s the single woman teaching teenagers. Worship is everything we have to give. It's people who have deiced that Christ is worthy of worship.


So for me no matter what I am doing I want to be worshiping Christ in all I do. Whether it is washing dirty clothes or kissing my husband I want a life that chooses to worship our King! 


What is worship to you?


Book Review ~ The One Year Be-Tween You & God Devotions for Girls by Sandra Byrd




Juvenille NonFiction ~ Devotional

About the book:

This One Year book is a diary-style devotional for tween girls (9 to 14) that emphasizes their growing, special relationship with God. Each devotion begins with a statement, thought, or question to God. Every girl is likely to make these statements and ask such questions... many of which they may not want to share with other people.

The book emphasizes that tween girls can have a relationship with God and that they can share their intimate thoughts, fears, insecurities, joys, etc. It lets girls know: it's between you and God. Questions/topics include the following: "I know I'm supposed to be close to you (God), but I don't really feel like it now. How can I change that?" "Everyone talks about how I'm supposed to have faith, which is fine, except I don't really understand what faith actually is." Each devotion gives biblically based insight into the subject in warm, friendly tone.

My thoughts:

Back to school season seems to be the perfect time to begin some great habits in your children. One of the best habits to form is the daily study of the Bible. Sandra Byrd has put together a wonderful year long devotional book designed for your nine to fourteen year old girl. 

From the teal colored leather cover to the daily devotional layout, I think your girl with find this book engaging. Each day is generically dated making it possible to start at any point in the year. There is a nice attached ribbon that will keep track of your place. 

Each day begins with a question that your girl would likely pose to God. The next section starts with, Consider this . . . and then proceeds to discuss the question. The next section is a reply to the question that begins with God says . . . and then gives scripture to address the earlier question. The day's devotion ends with a question that is addressed How About You?

My oldest granddaughter is too young to do this one on her own but we enjoyed doing it together this past week. The varying subjects each day led to wonderful discussions about how we feel on different topics and then allowed us to hold our opinions up against the Word of God. 

Whether you are looking for something that your sweet girl can do on her own or something that you can do together I think you will be pleased with this devotional.

Connect with the author:



www.SandraByrd.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @SandraByrd

Pinterest








Let Us Sing The Books of Moses ~ Bible Memory By Song


































Hey everyone . . . it's Fitzysmom! Last week I had my lovely grands at my house for a few days. They are all gone now and what remains are some sticky spots and random pieces of artwork stuck on the fridge and in other odd places. One of the things we do while they are here is sing songs together. This time my oldest grand asked me to teach her a song from when I was a little girl. The first one I thought of was a song I learned way back in Vacation Bible School about the Books of the Bible.

The sweet older woman that taught it to me has gone to be with Jesus but what I learned from her all those years ago still lingers. I went to Bible College and professors love to do pop quizzes where they give you 10 minutes to list the books of the Bible. I am proud to say I never missed a point! (Don't ask about the rest of my performance!!!)

By now you know that everything is on YouTube. I did a search and sure enough there was my song. Give it a listen, if you're of the over 45 set like me it will give you a chuckle. Now if you are of the younger generation try and refrain from rolling your eyes. Remember it got me through my Bible classes!


I have to admit it does have a certain nostalgia to it. I can still hear the almost out of tune piano and the warbly voices. (This was definately before VBS went high-tech.)

But alas, my grands were a bit unimpressed with my unhip Bible song. Surely there was an updated version, right? So back to YouTube and bingo!


I thought this one was quite catchy. I love the ukulele that accompanies it. I've been listening to it and trying to memorize the new style. Next visit I'm going to be prepared with my A game.



But of all the ones I came across this has to be my favorite hands down! (What can I say . . . I was a music major in college?!!)

What about you? Did you learn a Books of the Bible song? Are you teaching it to your kiddos? I'd love to hear what you are doing. Leave a comment below and give us the scoop and the link if there is a video!

Inspired ~ A Four Dot Name

Not So Wordless Wednesday ~ Perfect Parenting No More!

It’s four a.m. and I am writing a blog post. Mmmm . . . no this isn’t planned and yes I would much rather be sleeping but you see this story must be told.

Once upon a time I was an expert parent, really, a professional level parent! I knew it all and would laugh when another parent couldn’t seem to get their act together. I had a solution for everything until….


Little H…. THE END!

Okay, for real though, Little H has mocked my parenting skills. My perfect solutions have now let me down. I bought the baby gate, he climbed it. I say no, he grins. I plan, he schemes and most recently I say stay in bed and he does anything but…

He is that child you contemplate military school with.


Bless his little heart! 

Keurig Brew Over Ice Review & Sweepstakes #LoveBrewOverIce



If you've followed our blog for very long at all you know that I’m crazy for Keurig. In the fall and winter I love my drinks hot, hot, hot! But during these dog days of summer it is definitely ice, ice baby for me.



We start out our mornings with iced coffee. My husband puts his in an insulated tumbler to take in the car with him for the commute to work. For the purpose of this review they sent us a sample of the Donut Shop Sweet & Creamy Regular Iced Coffee. Sweet and creamy is a perfect description, definitely a tasty way to start the morning.



After my morning workout I gave the Vitamin Burst Strawberry Pomegranate a try. Very invigorating I usually shy away from vitamin drinks because they have that aftertaste that I just don’t like, but this one didn't seem to have that effect.



The final sample was a Snapple Peach Iced Tea. I love me some Snapple but I was worried that it wouldn't taste the same as out of the bottle. Boy was I wrong! What a refreshing treat for a hot afternoon. I will definitely be getting some more of this.




If you've never tried using your Keurig to brew over ice here are some easy instructions!



Right now Keurig has a sweepstakes going on. Just click on the above image and it will take you there.


Currently they are offering a $2.00 off coupon on the Brew Over Ice K-Cup Packs. Click on the picture to get yours!

To keep up with all the great things going on with the Brew Over Ice team follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Giveaway!

We are hosting a giveaway for one of our lucky readers to win. The prize includes 3 Brew Over Ice K-Cup samples, a Brew Over Ice tumbler, 4 Brew Over Ice coasters, plus a Brew Over Ice light-up ice bucket and tongs. Open to US only 18+ Giveaway ends on 9/19/13 at 12:00 am EST.  Fill out the rafflecopter form and good luck!

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Tasty Tuesday ~ Sugar Free Quinoa Granola

Happy Tasty Tuesday Rambles of a SAHM readers! It's Laura from Food Snob St. Louis with the last Tasty Tuesday of August. I cannot believe that fall is approaching so quickly! Fall actually means back to work (part-time) for me. I teach a few classes at a local university, so we are fully in back-to-school mode.

I was at Costco the other day in hopes of finding some quick snacks and things to have on hand since time to cook is a little strained these days. As I wandered the aisles, I started thinking - why are so many of our foods full of empty calories and lack any nutritional value whatsoever. I suppose I've noticed this more now that I am a parent because so many food products marketed to kids have no nutritional value - at least in my opinion. I'm not screaming from the roof tops that I am perfect here by any stretch of the imagination. I've got some personal favorites of food that I would say fall into this category: snow cones, animal crackers, fruit snacks, red licorice and hot tamales . . . just to name a few.

 I don't know why, but the trip to Costco and thought process afterwards led to me make a healthier, more nutrient-rich version of granola. Yogurt is a breakfast staple around here, and I knew I needed to make a batch of granola to top it with, rather than our kid's Cherrio's. I added quinoa to the granola to give it a protein boost and left out all the sugar (unless you count the naturally occurring sugars in dried fruit).

 I could not be happier with my results.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHead on over to Food Snob St. Louis today for the recipe!

What I Wore to the Charleston Tea Plantation



Recently I was granted the opportunity to visit the Charleston Tea Plantation on behalf of the fabulous Bigelow Tea! I won a contest and you may remember my blog post that was called “Give Me Some Sugar” For weeks before I went I fretted over what I would wear to such a nice but semi-casual place. I wanted something cute but practical for strolling around a plantation in the hot south. 

Photo Credit: Olsonography
I had watched several YouTube videos of Bill Hall being interviewed at the Tea Plantation. He was just as friendly in person as he was in those videos. He is a great story teller and makes the trolley tour a must! 



One of the fun yet educational events was a tea tasting with Cindi Bigelow. Honestly I was nervous since I like tea but I would not consider myself a professional tea tester of any sorts. I need not to have been worried. Cindi Bigelow said I was wonderful at tea slurping which is the most important part of tea tasting! Honestly, it was pretty fun.


Here is Shannon, from The Mommy Files, and I with our iced tea getting ready for the trolley tour of the Charleston Tea Plantation! By the way I was drinking the Plantation Mint . . . perfect for a hot afternoon.


This is me with Frannie from International Marketing Systems who was our wonderful hostess the entire trip!


This last picture is me with one of our wonderful chauffeurs from Genesis Executive Travel. I highly recommend this company while in the Charleston area! 

Here is the breakdown of what I wore:







What do you think of this look? Have you ever been to the Charleston Tea Plantation?

Back-to-School with eBags Bookworm Kids Pack





With it being back-to-school time I am happy to tell you all about the eBags Bookworm Kids Pack! When looking for a good backpack for little M I came across eBags website and knew Little M would like the Captain Camo. I love how the print is fun but can also grow with him. These backpacks are made to last after all the eBag promise is  “Our Promise - Lifetime Warranty -Exchange, return, whatever it takes” isn’t that what a mom dreams of a company that stands by their products! 


I knew the Captain Camo would be a perfect lifetime print for a boy. Another feature that is important to me is the reflective material on the front and back of the pack. This is very important since we like to take nature walks and camping and now I know others will be able to see Little M coming in the dark.


The eBags Bookworm Kids Pack is the perfect size for kids and has plenty of compartments to place pens and pencils. I also love that the information tag only displays the name but if need be the information is all there for teachers.



I like that the eBags Bookworm Kids Pack is lightweight and can be wiped clean. It makes it easy to keep looking nice.  I would highly recommend the eBags Bookworm Kids Pack for your child or grandchild. The lifetime warranty is a great guaranty of your money well spent and the stylish but safe design makes this backpack a winner for adults and kids alike!

Connect with eBags on Twitter @eBagsOnline, Pinterest, and Facebook for up to date news and deals!

You can purchase the eBags Bookworm Kids Pack on their website and currently on sale for $14.99!

Long-shot Prayers

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate ~ A Contemporary Fiction Book Review




Back of the book:

These things I do, this melody of an ordinary day, keep the hours in order . . . Strange to think. The song of an ordinary life. Mine would be in these letters to you.

When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in Iola’s rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola’s rambling Victorian house.

Running from a messy, dangerous past. Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola’s walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola’s youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper—the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with lessons in faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything.




My thoughts:

When we are young we are subject to the decisions of our parents. As we grow older we are responsible for our own choices. Many times however we fall into the trap of doing what we know. That is the plight of Tandy Jo Reese. She’s grown up with completely dysfunctional parents and ultimately wound up in the foster care system. Things began looking up for her but she continually reverts to doing what she has grown up learning.

We pick up the story at the point where she has escaped with her two children from an abusive relationship. She has come to Hatteras Island to start over but starting over isn’t always the easiest. At the beginning of the story I just did not like Tandy. She’s a terribly negligent mother just like her own mother. Then Providence intervenes in the form of an old lady dying and a house needing cleaned out.

Iola Anne Poole has lead a quietly faithful life in her family’s home on Hatteras Island. Upon her death her home begins to divulge her secrets to Tandy and that is what begins to make the difference to Tandy and eventually her children. 

This is a beautifully written story about the power of grace, both given and received. One faithfully lived life can and does impact those around them in ways that go beyond what is visible. The power of the prayers of one person can reach and impact so many people. You will walk away from this novel pondering how your life impacts others now and how it will influence generations to come.

On a side note there is a secondary story of sorts going on over at the Seashell Shop. Treat yourself to the full story by reading the prequel, The Sea Glass Sisters: Prelude to the Prayer Box. It is available as an ebook for all the popular devices.



Favorite Quotes:
Thank you. I wanted to write it on paper and fold it up in a box to remind myself, the next time I couldn’t see anything but mountains ahead, that where there’s a mountain, there’s always a river flowing nearby.
Ultimately the river is the more powerful of the two.” (pg. 176)
“Other people’s judgment doesn’t have any power unless you offer yourself up for trial, so don’t.” (pg. 266)
“Fear builds walls instead of bridges. I want a life of bridges, not walls.” (pg. 291)
“Forgive me, Father, for asking for another day yet, and another beyond that, when this one is so very beautiful. We, in our humanness, cannot help but foolishly desire eternity in this life.” (pg. 341)

Connect with the author:















Back to Pre-School with Zutano ~ Super Hero Collection Fall 2013 + Giveaway




From the very beginning, Zutano has cherished the honor of creating the first garments that a baby wears and is dedicated to the belief that every child's individuality should be celebrated. This has inspired Zutano to continually identify ways to acknowledge the unique character and joy of each little boy and girl.



The one thing I always loved about back-to-school time was the new clothes! Not much has changed since then except that I am now the mom buying the outfits.  Since my kids are still little they only care about being comfortable. What I love about Zutano is that they can be comfortable but still look adorable! I love that Zutano captures the cuteness of little kids.


We were sent pieces from the Super Hero collection for both boys. I have to say that my four-year-old was extremely excited about the Super Hero clothes and particularly the Super Dogs! I loved that the boys outfits were color coordinated. Little M loves his Super Hero Reversible Toddler Zip Hoodie and Black Super Hero Mask.

The quality of the clothing is impeccable and their designs are just fun. Little H looks so adorable in his Mandarin Terry Baby Jacket. It is a classic piece that will be great for the fall.



As you can see the boys and I had fun trying out these outfits and ended up with a lot of photos. I just love how you can wear these outfits so many ways and that my boys have fun wearing them.  I will be purchasing Zutano again and I really want my next baby's first outfit to be from Zutano!


I am thrilled to say that Zutano wants to make sure your kids are ready for Back-to-School so they are giving one reader a chance to win a $75.00 gift card! Thank you Zutano!

Giveaway:

One reader will win a $75.00 USD Gift Card to Zutano for a Back-to-School shopping spree! Just fill out the rafflecopter form to be entered! Giveaway will end on 9/09/2013 at 12:01 am EST. Good Luck!

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Tasty Tuesday ~ Homemade Almond Milk


See our little girl cannot seem to tolerate cow's milk. I've gone back and forth with it and alternatives for her. I've tried different brands, local, and 2%, but it turns out for her, milk is milk and her body just doesn't like it. I wouldn't think too much of her inability to digest cow's milk except for that she loves it. She asks for it all the time. Plus, it is hard to be out or on play dates and see other kids happily sipping their milk. Homemade almond milk has been the best alternative we've come up with so far. It has calcium, protein and some fat, which are important nutrients I look for in a cow's milk alternative.

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Bonus: it's surprisingly easy to make yourself! Head on over to Food Snob St. Louis today for the full recipe and entire saga of our journey without milk.    

Show Your Savvy Style ~ Little Black Dress











JCP

Sweater:  Arizona Open-Front Waterfall Cardigan $13.00 original $5.00 clearance $8.00 savings

Dress: Alyx®Solid Sheath Dress $40.00 original $29.99 sale $10.01  savings

Shoes: 9 & Co.® Abrielle 2 Floral Wedge Sandals $35.00 original $24.99 sale $10.01 savings

Flip Flops: BraidedShield Flip Flops $14.00 original $9.99 sale $4.01 savings

Jewlery: Coral-Colored Shell Disc Pendant Jewelry Set $15.00 original $10.00 clearance $5.00  savings

Jewlery: Duro Olowu for jcp Hexagonal Acrylic Bracelet $10.00 original $5.00 clearance $5.00  savings

Last week I told you about the challenge I received from Coupons.com and JCPenney. They gave me $100 and told me I could use any of their coupons to make two complete outfits. For the first outfit I came up with a cute skinny jean outfit!

I had a little bit of money left so I began thinking about what my second outfit should be. I decided to go with the ultimate staple for any great wardrobe and get a little black dress. What’s not to love about the LBD? You can dress it up or down, it works for cocktail parties and funerals, Sunday morning church and a night out on the town. Every woman needs one and JCPenney has a great selection at some pretty impressive prices.

I chose the Alyx® Solid Sheath Dress. I loved the price and the fit but let me tell you my favorite thing about it . . . it is MACHINE WASHABLE!!! I want to look chic when I’m out on the town with my man but let’s face it that’s not when I’ll wear it the most. My two little cherubs are precious to me but they tend to leave behind residue and being able to launder the dress instead of constantly taking it to the cleaners makes it a double bargain. Now it’s your turn to tell me what you think.

 What is your favorite way to wear a little black dress? 


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