"The Adventures of Pajama Girl" Review and Giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to the Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

About the book:

A cute, illustrated story about a girl's imagination and her magical pajamas. In this adventure, Ellie's cupcake pajamas pave the way for she and her Sis to take a journey to a land filled with all kinds of sweet treats. Their journey quickly turns into an adventure to help the Cupcake Queen find the missing sprinkles needed for her coronation ceremony. In searching for the missing sprinkles, Ellie and Sis uncover a life lesson that is important for every child to learn.

My girls were super excited when we received The Adventures of Pajama Girl and the Coronation of the Cupcake Queen in the mail...anything that involves princesses is pretty high on their list.  :)

The book teaches that stealing is wrong and also about forgiveness.  The lessons were taught in a way that was fun and entertaining.  I also love that the lead character, Elli, prayed for a sweet dream before she went to bed and ended up having such a fun one.  Princess is sometimes upset about having bad dreams and this gave her the idea to pray about it every night.  My girls loved the artwork in the book, and Princess enjoyed reading it to her little sister.

I do wish the book was written in prose instead of in poem form since it doesn't flow very well sometimes, but other than that, the book was perfect.

About the author: 

Sandra Hagee Parker lives in San Antonio with her husband, Ryan, and their daughters, Olivia and Elliana - the original pajama girls. A practicing attorney, Sandy is also a part of the music ministry at Cornerstone Church where she and her husband are leaders. When not working or writing, Sandy enjoys traveling with her family and mastering the art of making Pancakes a la Pajama Girl with her two girls.

How would you like your own hardcover copy of The Adventures of Pajama Girl?  Enter to win on the Rafflecopter widget below.

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.  If you've already won this book in a different giveaway, you are not eligible to win it again.  All entries will be verified so play nice!  The winner will be emailed and their name will be displayed on the Rafflecopter widget.

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"Their Name is Today" Book Review and Giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to the Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

About the book:
Despite a perfect storm of hostile forces that threaten to deny children a happy, healthy childhood, courageous parents and teachers can turn the tide.  Yes, we can reclaim childhood, says Johann Christoph Arnold, whose books have helped more than a million readers throughout the challenges of education and family life.  In Their Name is Today, he highlights drastic changes in the way our society treats children.  But he also brings together the voices of dedicated parents and educators who are finding creative ways to give children the time and space they need to grow.  Cutting through the noise of conflicting opinions, Arnold takes us to the heart of education and parenting by defending every child's right to the joy and wonder of childhood.

When I started reading Their Name is Today, I sat down with a highlighter so I could highlight the points I liked or wanted to remember.  Before I was halfway done with the first chapter, I'd abandoned the highlighter in lieu of turning down the top corner of the pages I thought contained valuable information because I was highlighting so much.  By the beginning of the second chapter, I'd given that up as well because just about every page had a corner folded down.

The thought that kept going through my head was, "Every person who comes in contact with children NEEDS to read this book."  That includes parents, grandparents, teachers, daycare providers, Sunday School teachers, etc.  The US Department of Education especially needs to read this because the public school system could use a pretty big overhaul as the current system is damaging to so many children.  Believe me when I say that I will definitely be passing this book around to my friends and family and encouraging them to buy their own copies to keep.     

Arnold emphasizes the blessings that children are and how much responsibility we, as adults, have towards them.  Our society sees children as a burden that is to be pushed off on someone else to deal with.  We've forgotten that children are actually adults-in-training and without the care and love they desperately need, they will not grow up to be the kind of adults this world needs to keep going.  Their Name is Today reminds the reader of the importance of children and pinpoints many of the issues facing children and the adults raising them today.  But it doesn't stop there like so many articles I've read.  It continues with solutions and ideas that each parent, each teacher, each caregiver can utilize to help one more child have the childhood they deserve.   

Do you have children?  Babysit?  Teach?  Come in contact with children at all?  Then you are going to want to read this book!  Win your own copy by entering on the Rafflecopter widget below.

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Overrated by Eugene Cho: A Book Review

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 15 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): May thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

About the book:
We all want to change the world, but as pastor Eugene Cho found out, it takes more than just desire. It takes action. In this personal confession he encourages readers to discover a practical discipleship that begins with the recognition that changing the world starts with changing ourselves.
Many people today talk about justice, but are they living justly? They want to change the world, but are they being changed themselves? Eugene Cho shares his story, a messy, painful story of being more in love with the ideas behind the actions than counting the cost and being a world-changer in action. Because everyone loves justice and compassion, but few have taken it upon themselves to truly live it out in their own lives. Cho is still on that journey to discover what it means, and invites readers to join him.

About the author:
Eugene is the founder and visionary of One Day’s Wages, a grassroots movement of people, stories, and actions to alleviate extreme global poverty. He is the founder and senior pastor of Quest Church, an urban, multicultural, and multigenerational church in Seattle, Washington. Eugene and his wife, Minhee, have three children.  You can also find Eugene on his blog and website, eugenecho.com

From the author:
This book is my confession. It’s painful and honest, but it’s mine. And it’s this: I am more in love with the idea of changing the world than actually changing the world. This isn’t a message of guilt or shame. But it is a call, to both you and me, to be less infatuated with telling a good story and instead live the good story—a story of faith, hope, courage, and justice. -Eugene Cho

“Are we more in love with the idea of changing the world than actually changing the world?”  - Eugene Cho

After reading the overview of this book, I was intrigued.  So many Christians today are comfortable sitting in their cozy houses, sharing links on Facebook or tweeting about the injustices of the world, but not actually doing something about them.  Eugene Cho challenges us to get up and do something to right those injustices and to get out of our comfort zones.  He reminds us that instead of just getting upset about things, we need to ask ourselves, "what can I do about it?"  I'll be honest...it wasn't a "comfortable" book to read, but I felt that it was a necessary one and one that all Christians should read.

Cho started the book by sharing how his family publicly pledged a years' wages to the cause of justice.  After three years of scrimping, saving, and living without, they were still $10,000 short.  So, on a whim, he decided to put an ad on Craiglist to sublet his family's home to earn that last $10,000.  It worked, but it meant that his family had to leave their home for 10 weeks.  I was taken aback by the faith and sacrifice they showed.  Right then, I knew that I was in for a wild ride with the book. 

Cho's use of humor throughout the book was perfect and he was able to use his own stories and anecdotes to make very clear points.

Want to win your own copy of"Overrated?"  Enter on the Rafflecopter Widget below.   

Open to residents of US and Canada only. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner's entries will be verified and winner will be notified by email. 

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"The Marriage You've Always Wanted" Review and Giveaway

When I was given the chance to review Gary Chapman's new book, "The Marriage You've Always Wanted," I jumped at the chance.  I've read several of his other books including "The Five Love Languages" and have always found his writing to be supported by the Bible and very helpful. 

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About the book:

You can picture the perfect marriage in your mind, but re-creating it in reality doesn't come easy.  Trusted counselor and relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman reasons the the most sought-after ingredient in any marriage is true oneness.  In "The Marriage You've Always Wanted," he presents expert wisdom and common sense methods to establishing that true unity on emotional and practical levels.  Discover the wit and insight that makes his worldwide presentations and marriage conferences so popular.  Are you trying to change your spouse?  Do you know what it means to really love someone?  Do you feel ignored or even alone in your effort to improve your marriage?  Dr. Chapman has answers and action steps on topics from expressing your emotions to managing your money, all in a format that will have you and your spouse talking and learning with every page.  

Hubby and I have been married for over seven years.  During that seven years, we've experienced four surprise pregnancies and added three-soon-to-be-four children to our family, we've moved twice and are currently house hunting, we've each had job changes that were life-changing (not always in a good way), and we've experienced loss of income from those job changes.  That's a lot of stress and changes in seven years time!  Even though our relationship is good, there's always room for improvement, right?  Of course, like any couple, we have our idiosyncracies and habits that bother the other one ("Why can't he pick up his dirty socks?!?"  "Why does she always run the van so low on gas before filling up?!?!") 

One of the things I liked the most about this book was that it shows you how to have the marriage you want, not by changing your spouse, but by changing yourself.  It's unrealistic to expect to be able to change someone else, and you can only start with yourself.  Gary Chapman lays everything out on the table and doesn't sugar coat things.  The book can be pretty convicting, but it's definitely a good thing!

This isn't a very long book, but it can take a while to get through.  I'm still working through it as I want to be sure to give each chapter the attention it deserves before moving on to the next one.  At the end of each chapter is a section with questions and challenges to help you apply what you've learned.  The way the book is written means that it can be done by one spouse alone or by both together.  

Even if you're not currently having struggles in your marriage, this book can help strengthen your relationship and that's always a good thing.  I definitely recommend it to every married couple.

Would you like to win your own copy of "The Marriage You've Always Wanted"?  Enter on the Rafflecopter widget below.

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The winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter and will be emailed.  The winner's name will also be displayed on the Rafflecopter widget.  This giveaway is only open to residents of the US and Canada.

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”