Praises of a Wife and Mommy

This guy was super excited to open the mail and see this personalized Snowman book from "I See Me."   Back in 2013 I had the opportunity to review "Who Love's Selah and Titus?" from "I See ME" so I was very excited when they wanted a winter title to be reviewed.
Titus also got the matching coloring book! The coloring book actually retells the story again and he enjoys coloring it just like the other book.   When you order you get to add your own personalization from names, to dedications, to even pictures.   "I See Me" is definitely a place to get creative gifts for kids, expecting parents, and anyone else who likes a thoughtful gift!
  The snowman story is a very cute story with great pictures.   In this story we found Titus' name 12 times.  There were several times his name was used in the story but then a few times where it was in the snow or snowflakes which made him very excited to find!   I also really like the message within the story-…

Book Description:  Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Berenstain Bears with puzzles, activity pages, and more than 50 reusable stickers in The Berenstain Bears Hugs and Kisses Sticker and Activity Book. Featuring Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister, and Honey and the rest of the Bear Country gang, kids are sure to have loads of fun as they help Sister Bear through a maze to find her Valentine, solve word puzzles with Brother, color with Honey Bear, and a whole lot more!
My Review:  Coloring pages, puzzles, stickers oh my!  This book will bring lots of fun to your kids!   My kids have enjoyed these Berenstain Bear sticker and activity books several times.  They seem to be making the sticker and activity books for each season and holiday!  Within all the activities in this book there is scripture sharing Christ's love!   The book discusses God's creation and Noah's Ark.   
Thank you Zondervan for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.  I was not paid for this review and a…

Book Description: I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug!, written by bestselling author Caroline B. Cooney, is a playful and comforting bedtime book that imagines all the wonderful ways a child might give and receive a hug. Whether it’s a big bear, gasp for air, knock over a chair hug or a wet and drippy, slimy, slippy fish hug, children will giggle their way through all the imaginative examples. Cooney’s sweet and simple rhymes encourage playful interaction between parent and child and ultimately help them wind down before they snuggle into bed and drift off to sleep. My Review: Oh my goodness this book made me giggle, smile, hug my kids in silly and goofy ways!   Each page had a different animal on it that gave a hug in a different descriptive way.  It was very original with the ideas on each page and the author also used cute rhyming.   If you need to add a book to your bedtime routine... or any time routine then this is the one to get.   This would make a great book for new parents, Chri…

Book DescriptionSay and Pray devotions with your little ones today! Your youngsters want to be just like you. How exciting! Help them grow in their faith and learn more about God’s love with Say & Pray Devotions. Say & Pray Devotions features short devotions and lots of labeled illustrations so your little one can practice identifying objects and words on their own! This book is a great tool to start a devotional time with little ones, as it will help you teach them about God, and the labeled pictures will help start a life of faith. This is a nice complement to the bestselling Say & Pray Bible. My Review: If you have a baby or toddler that you want to introduce a fun board book devotional then this is a great one to purchase!   There are some neat features on each page which include: God's World, Say and Pray, and labels on the pictures.  The pictures are engaging and in the Say and Pray there is always scripture.  The scriptures are actually little prayers to say with you…

Common situation: you’ve just moved into a new place, and it is time to start furnishing and decorating it. Sure, you could just reuse the stuff from your old home, but wouldn’t it be nice to have all new decorations to kick off your all-new life? Unfortunately the cost of redecorating is prohibitive. That is, unless you know where to shop to find the best bargains around. Target
Image via Flickr by JeepersMedia If you want to find basic, low-cost furnishings for your home, a department store like Target is a great place to start. With lines ranging from basic but durable dorm-worthy items to higher end pieces, the selection covers a lot of ground. In comparison to some of their competition, Target markets a little more to the high end, with somewhat pricier and nicer furniture and decorations than some other generalist department stores. Still, most of their goods are affordable, with store discounts, sales, and coupons frequently available to reduce your cash outlay even more. Kohl’sIf …

My Review:
Christmas break always means the kids and I go see a movie.  This year I was excited to go see "Sing" and I am thinking maybe my expectation was a bit too high. 
I left the theater rather disappointed.  I think I narrowed my disappointment down to my desire to hear more singing in the movie.   Yes, I really did want to see an animal version of American Idol or The Voice!   However, we didn't get that much singing but we did get a good but slow moving story line. 
With the cast they had I really wanted to hear more songs... I know I said that already!   I'll move on!  The songs that were song were for the most part very good, they even had "Hallelujah" in it which made me JOYFUL and made me forget about the annoying rabbits who shook their butts.  
The overall theme that I talked with my kids about was setting big dreams and never quitting on dreams!  
My 5 and 9 year old both loved the movie so it is an enjoyable one to take the family too...just don&…

I found this scripture very encouraging this week.   Habakkuk would have been one of those people who always had a hop in his step and a half full type of personality... in my opinion.  Habakkuk was wise in this moment as he had pure joy even when the Babylonians invaded- he understood that he could lose it all but would still find joy in the Lord.  
"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation." What a lesson we all could hear as we are putting our fancy Christmas trees and expensive gifts.   Don't allow these things to distant you from praising and rejoicing our giver of true gifts- Jesus!   It seems that many people think they need the next best thing to find joy- they are chasing material items that leave them unsatisfied.  
Habakkuk shows us that no matter we should focus on getting our Joy from God and when we praise and rejoice him even through the tough stuff we can be joyful in knowing our salvation is secure.  
God, help me teach my…

I am going to try to do a better job and putting some of my devotionals up.   I hope they encourage you with your walk with the Lord.
So this devo happened through reading a kids Bible with my kids before bed.   It got me thinking more and more so I had to get my Bible out and do a little more reading.  
2 Samuel 24:14- "I'm in a desperate situation! David said to Gad, "Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands." 
Wow! David screwed up again and had sinned against the Lord.   God gave him three options for the sin and even though David didn't pick any of the three the Lord delivered the consequence- three days of terrible things- death of 70,000 people.  David must have felt a lot of pain and heart ache knowing his sin cause the death of so many people.  David though realized that God would still have mercy and after all of this heart ache David built a new alter.  
The big thing that stands out in this s…

Merry Christmas one and all!   I pray that as this year comes to a close you are excited for 2017!   That with an expectant heart you set goals and follow through to reach them.  
If I have to be honest this last year has had many ups and downs.   Even this Christmas season I struggled to find balance and energy for the most wonderful time of year.  

Then I had a friend gift me these journals that got me a little more pumped!  I know this year I need to rely more on God and not on my own strength.   I know I am a very strong person who takes on many tasks but this year I am slowing down and making sure my priorities are in align!   

After having this Olaf Christmas gift from last Christmas the kids finally had snow that would stick together and make a snowman!   They had a great time and even after this picture was taken they built another one so the snowman would not be lonely.  We have had snow and cold temperatures so far in December but now they are predicting rain on Christmas day!    

When it comes to taking family road trips, this time of year - the festive season - is the most popular time for packing up the car and driving halfway across the country to spend time with your nearest and dearest. Of course, part of celebrating the holidays is traveling to be with your family and friends, something which you most probably enjoyed doing pre-kids. (Adult road trips can be a lot of fun, can’t they?)

Photo source: Flickr

However, now that you’re a parent, you most probably dread family road trips. The never-ending toilet breaks because everyone needs to go to the bathroom at different times, the constant moans of ‘are we there yet?’, and the arguments caused by boredom can make family road trips incredibly stressful. The problem with getting stressed out while traveling is that it can make your journey less safe. Did you know that one of the main causes of car accidents is a lack of concentration? So it’s important that on car journeys, the driver is not distracted by bor…

Life can sometimes get so busy and our attention can be pulled in so many directions. Jesus promises to be with us always so stay focused and listen for him to guide you in every area of your life. God tune our hearts to hear clearly from you

"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas"  
This was another Pintrest find!  Thanks so much to Pink Peppermint Design for this great freebie!  I love when I can find an affordable gift to give students!  They all were excited to get the Jolly Ranchers and I didn't break the bank!  

Help little ones understand that God created each part of their bodies so they can enjoy life and everything in it. In this delightful padded cover board book by well-known author and family therapist Leslie Parrott, children can follow along with Toucan––with a great big nose––as he helps them learn God loves each one of them completely.
My Review:
Here is another board book for younger children.  I always try to teach my children that they were made on purpose, for a purpose, and with a purpose!   This book is a good introduction to teaching children that God made every part of them and then you can discuss the importance of how we are made in God's image!  My kids had some giggles when it talked about the animals God made so we can laugh!  
Thanks Zondervan for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!  I was not paid for this review and all opinions expressed are 100% mine.  

Many of us take tap water for granted; whether it’s the cool, clear water we drink or the hot water we use for washing. But what if that hot water suddenly is not that hot anymore? If you switch on the tap one day, and the water that comes out is warm instead of hot, you need to investigate the reason. The situation is not going to resolve itself and you want to make sure that you have your supply of hot water back again, as soon as possible. Generally, you should have your water heater set to a temperature of around 120 degrees. This setting is normally sufficient to ensure you have a supply of hot water while also making sure your energy usage is cost efficient. If your hot water supply is no longer hot enough your water heater setting is the first thing you should look at. Why might you need to adjust your water heater setting?You may be wondering why you would need to adjust the setting on your water heater; it should keep your water supply heated at the same temperature all the t…

Lots of Love celebrates all the ways we show love—from hugs and kisses to sharing and helping others. The sweet rhymes and whimsical artwork in this board book illustrate the special bonds of love between families and friends. Perfect for young children, this book will make you want to snuggle with your little one as you two explore the greatest blessing of all—love!
My Review: Thanks Zondervan for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions expressed are 100% my own.  
This was an adorable board book with a powerful message, LOVE!   One thing we say all the time at church is "Have faith, give hope, be love."  This book has you hugging, kissing, sharing, helping, and ultimate feeling loved! The book has adorable pictures and good rhymes. 

The words “family activities” and “affordable” don’t often go together as it seems pretty much any family outing cost a small fortune. So, what can families that are on a limited budget do if they still want to be able to enjoy activities together? Not to worry as we’ve got you covered with a variety of budget-friendly family activities. Local FestivalsMost cities and even small towns play host to a variety of local festivals throughout the year. You’ll find artisan festivals, Christmas markets, hobby festivals, sports-related festivals, and some towns/cities even host a college fall festival to celebrate the season and the year ahead. What’s great about these festivals is that they are usually free to attend. All you will need to pay for are the purchases you make. If the festival is more like a local fair complete with a midway and rides, be sure to check around for advance ticket offers. Most fairs will offer an advance ticket purchase that provides a substantial discount off the re…