Archive for Books

Forgiving Our Mothers and Fathers Book Review

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Leslie Leyland Fields and Dr. Jill Hubbard have written a new book in the issue of families and forgiveness. Leslie uses personal stories from her journey of forgiveness as she shares her heart with the reader throughout the course of this novel.

Delving into the heart of forgiveness based on scripture and the importance of forgiveness to find healing, Leslie uses practical and honest advice on how to find the strength to forgive.

While she acknowledges that it can be hard to forgive those who have wronged us, she also understands that we need to move away from hate and love everyone around us. Including those who have hurt us.

You can find a copy of Forgiving Our Mothers and Fathers on Amazon for $9.99.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.


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The Waiting Book & Giveaway

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing and participating in The Waiting review. We are being compensated by Tyndale Publishing and The Motherhood. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review and compensation, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

FFR The Waiting Book Cover

All I wanted to do this past Mother’s Day was relax and read The Waiting by Cathy LaGrow. My husband let me sleep in and when I woke up I read my book. What I didn’t expect to give myself was a huge headache, a pile of tissues, and red, puffy eyes!

FFR Teary eyes after The Waiting
Lighting in our bathroom is awful! Should have taken it somewhere else!

I don’t think I have ever cried as much while reading a book as I did during The Waiting. That’s why I took pictures of my pile of tissues and red, puffy eyes.

On to the review….

The Waiting Review

The Waiting is a true story of a woman’s wait to see her first born daughter again after giving her up for adoption.

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down until I was done. I shooed my children away , mostly because I didn’t want them sitting there on the bed with me watching and staring at me while I cried buckets of tears!

As emotional as the book made me, I cannot imagine living it as Minka did. I cannot imagine giving up my child and waiting 77 years to see her again.

There are so many facets of the story that show God’s faithfulness to a young mother and her years of praying and waiting. The fact that all the letters Minka wrote to the director of the “home” (like a pregnancy crisis center where young girls were sent to hide their pregnancy) were put into Betty Jane/Ruth’s adoption file, which would eventually be proof to Betty Jane/Ruth that her birth mother loved her fiercely for 77 years and never, ever forgot about her.

I loved the reunion and family bond Minka and Ruth’s families experienced upon meeting. I loved the honor and love bestowed upon Minka and how active and involved she continues to be even at age 102 (or possibly 103 at the time of this review). There’s so much more I could say but I think you should just read the book…how often do I say that!?

I highly recommend this very inspirational book. You won’t regret it. My daughter B read it the same day I did!

The Waiting in the Press

The NBC TODAY Show interviewed the author of The Waiting, Cathy LaGrow, who is Minka’s granddaughter. The interview aired on Friday, May 9, click the NBC link to watch it.

Tyndale is Giving Away FIVE Copies of The Waiting!

Enter to win one of five copies of The Waiting below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Mother’s Day Gift Idea: The Greek Yogurt in the Kitchen Cookbook

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The Greek Yogurt Kitchen Book Cover

As I mentioned before, we love Greek yogurt so when the opportunity to review The Greek Yogurt in the Kitchen Cookbook I took it. I really like the looks of the Eggs Benedict recipe so I have shared it below.

This cookbook would be a great Mother’s Day gift for you or your own mother. It contains over 130 recipes with meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. It also explains the health benefits of Greek Yogurt. I am really looking forward to trying new recipes, which is a change for me because I usually dread it because my family doesn’t really adapt well to new things, at least certain ones.

You can find The Greek Yogurt in the Kitchen Cookbook at any major book retailer.

About the Author

Toby Amidor is the founder of Toby Amidor Nutrition, where she provides nutrition and food safety consulting services. She is a nutrition expert for FoodNetwork.com, writing for their Healthy Eats Blog, a regular contributor to U.S. News and World Report Eat + Run blog, and an adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Toby trained as a clinical dietitian at New York University. Her expertise includes over 14 years of experience in various areas of food and nutrition. Through ongoing consulting and faculty positions, she has established herself as one of the top experts in culinary nutrition, food safety, and media.

Recipe from The Greek Yogurt in the Kitchen Cookbook

Eggs Benedict-6593

Eggs Benedict with Lighter Hollandaise
Serves 4

Hollandaise sauce is typically made with a stick or two of butter to serve four people. The fat and calories can easily be slashed by substituting nonfat Greek yogurt for much of the butter, while still using a touch of butter to maintain the traditional flavor.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
4 large eggs
2 whole wheat English muffins
Cooking spray
4 slices turkey bacon (about 1/4 pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 medium asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a boil over high heat.
Add the vinegar and lower the heat until it is no longer at a rolling boil.
Crack an egg into a small cup, dish, or wineglass.
Holding it near the surface of the water, gently slide the egg into the hot water.
Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Cover the saucepan and allow the eggs to cook for exactly 6 minutes.
Remove each egg carefully with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Toast the English muffins.
Coat a medium skillet with cooking spray and heat it over medium heat.
Cook the bacon until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
Place a slice of bacon on each toasted English muffin half.
In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the asparagus, cover the pan, and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the yogurt, egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, and salt.
Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler, set it over simmering water, and heat it, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
Immediately remove from the heat.
To assemble the dish, place 3 asparagus spears over the bacon on each muffin half, and top with 1 poached egg and 2 tablespoons of the hollandaise sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (PER SERVING): Calories: 241; Total Fat: 13 grams; Saturated Fat: 6 grams; Protein: 15 grams; Total Carbohydrates: 16 grams; Sugars: 3 grams; Fiber: 3 grams; Cholesterol: 295 milligrams; Sodium: 301 milligrams

Enjoy!


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Kregel Blog Tour ~ Candle Handbook

 

 

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The Candle Handbook

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Last year we introduced you to the The Candle Classic Bible which took its readers through the Bible in 365 exciting days! This year we introduce you to its accompanying handbook!

 

Travel through Bible history with this comprehensible exploration of the Bible, following key narratives from Genesis to Revelation.

Using clear graphics throughout, including illustrations of what biblical sites would have looked like, photographs and maps of important biblical references, and graphs showing the routes of important journeys, readers will travel through various Bible lands and times and discover how the people lived: the foods they ate, the homes they occupied, the clothes they wore, and the work they performed. The Candle Bible Handbook also includes completely new content, including glossaries, study questions to further learning, and FAQs that explain some of the mysteries of the Bible.

 

Readers will discover the purpose of every book of the Bible in this indispensable guidebook that uniquely fulfills the Candle brand.

 

OUR REVIEW:

I was SO excited to be able to review this handbook because I JUST KNEW it would be a perfect companion to my Candle Classic Bible…and it IS! However, if you do not own a Candle Classic Bible it works well alone as an EXCELLENT Bible reference tool! I teach Sunday school and we have been studying the Old Testament this year. I have ALWAYS wanted GOOD maps and pictures of the Old Testament…this handbook is it…my DREAM come true! The Maps are excellent and the pictures are terrific…it makes learning come to life! My students really began to picture the Old Testament after using this handbook.

I have also used this handbook as a family … it is wonderful to be able to have study questions right at the tip of my fingers for easy quizzes and it is great to show the little ones the pictures of the daily lives of people in the Bible.  We paired this with our Candle Classic Bible at home and when reading one story per day it really helps to have this handbook for home study and reflection (it makes mom’s job easier)!

Overall we were greatly overjoyed with this text. If you are looking for a family Bible companion piece …then this is IT! This is such a wonderful text I suggest that you at least take time to peruse buying options for the Bible handbook!

 

This book and many others are carried by Kregel Publications

Visit their site and peruse all the wonderful books they have to offer!

www.kregel.com

http://store.kregel.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=3175

 

 


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12 Last Minute Mother’s Day Ideas

Mother’s Day is drawing near and if you are anything like us, last minute plans are usually the norm. So in light of all you last minute shoppers and planners, here’s a list of last minute Mother’s Day ideas:

1. Picnic

2. Botanical Gardens

3. A quiet day alone to do whatever she wants

4. Flowers

5. Chocolates – can’t go wrong with chocolate!

The Greek Yogurt Kitchen Book Cover

6. New books (I’ll be posting about the book above this week!)

7. Dinner at her favorite restaurant

8. Something from the heart

9. Jewelry

10. Green Thumb basket

11. A gift card for a dress from Matilda Jane

FFR Moody Sisters Mango Peach Lip Balm

12. A gift card to Moody Sisters who has a new lip balm out called Mango Peach! Our children liked it.

What are you getting your mom this Mother’s Day?


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Rescue Pups

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I have recently just started using ebooks on my iPad.  My four year old son is pretty tech savvy now and enjoys reading ebooks on my iPad as well. We had the pleasure of reading Rescue Pups: The Adventures of Maxwell and Kota.  It is written by Bonnie Bentley and Lindsay Gamache, and illustrated by Kimberly Solderberg.

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The story is about a dog who is rescued by a family and meets other dogs on his walk through the neighborhood. The other dogs laugh at him when they find out he doesn’t know where he came from. Eventually he meets another dog who turns out to be adopted as well.  They become good friends and enjoy playing with each other.  They team up together to save another dog who is stuck in a fence, hence “Rescue Pups.”  The themes of the story include friendship and adoption.

Rescuepups2

My son really enjoyed the book. He loved that one of the dogs in the story was a doberman pinscher since we have a doberman at home as a pet (who happens to be a rescue).  I loved that the story was a read aloud version. The voices reading were very kid friendly and nice to listen to.  The pictures from the book were very colorful, yet simple and easy to focus on.  The story line was great. My son wanted to read it over and over and over again.

Rescuepups3

Overall it was a great ebook, with wonderful life lessons. The suggested age for the ebook is 3-6.  I would definitely recommend it, and hope they write more in the future! You can download your copy by visiting

http://kitereaders.com/2013/12/15/rescue-pups-the-adventures-of-maxwell-and-kota/


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Best Colleges 2014 Book

This is a sponsored post.

Best Colleges

 

I am entering a new phase of parenting in that I have a child looking at colleges! Very weird for me! Bobbie is doing all the research for college requirements, SATs, applications, etc. U.S. News & World Report provides college rankings every year. I thought their new Best Colleges 2014 book would be helpful to my daughter as she narrows down her college choices.

About Best Colleges 2014

Here are four things Bobbie took from the book and the rest of the post is basically written by her, not me:

• It provides information on colleges all across the United States for students of all backgrounds and interests.

• Gives advice for students who don’t have straight A’s and encouragement and support for getting into college.

• Provides a checklist for preparing for college, which she thought was really helpful.

• It offers information on everything from the application process, getting financial aid, to finding the right school.

Best Colleges 2014 was very helpful and gives you a good idea of what you need to do to prepare for college, as well as offering encouragement and advice from high school students who have already gone through the college process.

The checklist provides a detailed step-by-step list of everything you need to do starting at 9th grade and ending with acceptance into college.

They didn’t limit the advice to students seeking to gain entrance to an Ivy League college; they had several sections dedicated to helping B- students get into a great college.

The sections on gaining financial aid were incredibly helpful and something we definitely need help with in knowing how to apply for the different financial help available to us.

If you would like to pick up a copy of Best Colleges 2014 , use the following code SCHOOL25 to receive a discount!


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When The Cypress Whispers by Yvette Manessis Corporon

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When the Cypress Whispers

This review was done by my daughter B and contains affiliate links to support our family.

When the Cypress Whispers is about the daughter of Greek immigrants, Daphne. She was brought up to believe in the American dream. After a tragic event leaving her basically at rock bottom, she puts her all into opening a Greek restaurant. She returns to Erikousa, a magical Greek island she grew up visiting and to her Yia-Yia (grandmother).

When the Cypress Whispers is a good book. I would read it again. I figured out almost everything before the end, but I’m used to that now since I read a lot. I wasn’t even trying.

This book made me cry. The characters were good and well rounded. I loved the setting and the use of the Greek language. I wrote down four pages (small pages), eight front and back, from it.

There was a “oogie” part (Theresa here, I think she’s referring to a kissing or intimate scene), I wasn’t sure if it would become anything else so I skipped it.

Greece felt real, it was like I was there and it was amazing.

I loved the myth stories from ancient times, I’m big on that anyways. I loved learning about Greek mythology. I loved Daphne’s connection with her Yia-Yia (grandmother).

I didn’t think the end would happen quite like it did, but I was glad and liked the ending.


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Keep the Faith – Berenstain Bears Book Review

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This post contains affiliate links to support our family.

FFR Keeping the Faith book

If you spend any amount of time on my site you know we love books! I stopped getting children’s books to review just because we have so many books already but I couldn’t resist The Berenstain Bears Keep the Faith (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights) book.

Our younger children all love this book and have asked to read it over and over again. The message is simple. Brother and Sister Bear come across a friend, Ferdy Factual, who does not believe in God and they are not quite sure what to do or say for that matter. They were kind to their friend, though they asked him questions. I thought Mama and Papa handled the issue quite well, though they could have done a better job of explaining what faith is themselves rather than going to Preacher Brown. However, I understand that may have just been there to help children know when mom and dad do not know the answer a member of the clergy is there to consult with on the tougher questions.

This book was a good reminder to me to help our children understand that not everyone believes the same way or the same things as we do.

I give it two thumbs up for Keep the Faith for any family of faith with young kiddos in the home.


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Twigtale

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Do your kids enjoy looking at photos of themselves? My kids absolutely love looking through photo albums of themselves and talking about what they were doing and who is in the picture with them.  What if you could design a book completely centered around photos of your children and written for your child? Twigtale has made this possible, and it’s very easy to do!

Twigtale1

Twigtale makes personalized children’s books focused on early transitions such as moving, parents going on a vacation, or gaining a new sibling. They also make “anytime” books that build self-esteem and promote child development.  Your first step is to go to www.twigtale.com and choose which book you would like to create. I chose “Who Loves Me?” It’s a book all about the many people who love my daughter.  Once you choose the book you want you can begin building the book or see a list of photos you will need to complete the book.

Twigtale2

I found that viewing the image list helped me to gather all of the photos needed before I started the book. I saved them all in a folder to my desktop so they were easy to access.  You can either upload all of the images you have right away or add images as you go. Since I had already picked out my images I created a new gallery and uploaded them all at once.  It was really easy to just drag them from my desktop into the program for uploading.  Next you answer a few questions such as who the book is for, who is creating the book, and the gender of the child.  The book then populates with all of this information and you’re ready to start writing the book.

You begin with the cover page and go page by page until the end. Simply drag a photo to the desired page, edit it if needed, and insert text. Most of the story is there, you just need to insert people’s names.  Honestly it took me about 20 minutes to make the whole book. It was so fast and easy.  When you get to the end of the book, you’re able to preview it and check for errors you may have made. That’s it! Input your personal information and billing information and the book will be mailed to you shortly. I received my book in three days, it was very fast!

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The finished product was of very high quality. The colors are bright, the quality of the images were great, and the pages were nice and thick.  All of the books are only $20 each, and would make great gifts.  I plan on giving my daughter hers for her 1st birthday.  The site was very easy to navigate, and creating the book was very user friendly.  I even made a few mistakes and had to delete photos and upload new ones. I was very pleased with how fast the process was. Overall, I would definitely recommend Twigtale personalized books.  A high quality, personalized book, for a very affordable price!


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