Cool MineCraft Avatars that you will never meet in the game

My Review for this item has been moved to the new blog! You can see it here

*Disclaimer* 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

{{Book Review}} Who's The New Kid by Heidi Bond

This post has been moved to my new blog! You can find it here.

In Who's the New Kid?, Heidi Bond, a self-described "ordinary mom," shares her story of how she helped her daughter overcome childhood obesity. She provides helpful insights and practical tips, equipping families to help their children establish healthy habits as well as lose weight. Bond's hope for her new book is "to shine a light on the truth surrounding childhood obesity, to let other families know that they are not alone, and to show the world that childhood obesity is 100 percent reversible and can be reversed in less time than you might think." At nine years old, Breanna Bond weighed a whopping 186 pounds. Just walking up the stairs to her room was a challenge. Her legs chafed to the point of bleeding from rubbing against each other, and her school days were filled with taunts of "Hey, Fatty!" Breanna's mom, Heidi, was devastated and wondered, How can I get my daughter healthy again? Who's the New Kid? shows readers how Heidi helped her daughter lose weight without the aid of fad diets, medication, or surgery and how other parents can do the same with their kids.  In just over a year, Heidi's plan worked! Breanna dropped 40 percent of her body weight and was transformed from a morbidly obese child who spent her days in front of the TV eating chips and chocolate to a vibrant, healthy, energetic little girl. Filled with helpful diagnostic tools, easy-to-make recipes, eye-opening nutritional information, fun exercise ideas, and practical tips and advice, Who's the New Kid? will not only show parents how to help their kids lose weight naturally but also introduce them to simple, yet effective lifestyle changes that will benefit the entire family.

Meet the Author

Heidi Bond has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, and The Biggest Loser. A sought after speaker, she has helped thousands of parents who are struggling with overweight, underactive children. Heidi lives in Clovis, California with her husband, Dan, and their children, Breanna and Nathan. Find Heidi online: website, Facebook, Twitter

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Fiesta Farm-San Antonio, Texas

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Fiesta Farm is a fun place for kids to explore and visit. We have many petting zoo animals, play areas, and offer free pony rides and hay ride. We are open to the public, host educational field trips and great birthday parties. 

Bring a sandwich if you like, we have cold drinks and lots of shade. Ponies parties at your place too!

                                        

Save $2 off each admission to Fiesta Farm - Each person in your group saves $2 off our regular $8 admission. Come visit soon! Open 9-1 midweek, 9-5 Saturday, 12-5 Sunday. Call ahead if it's rainy.

http://sanantoniokidsguide.com/coupon.php?regionid=75&bid=10954&dealid=1046 

*Disclaimer*

This post is sponsored by US Family Guide & Fiesta Farm in San Antonio, Texas. I am not paid for this post, but I will receive free admission for myself and my family in exchange for my honest opinion. 

{{Product Review}} Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Hint of Honey Vanilla

This post has been moved to my new blog! You can find it here.

*Disclaimer*

I received the above mentioned item free from blue diamond in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

{{Book Review}} Never Say "No": Raising Big-Picture Kids

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The question Mark and Jan Foreman are most often asked is: How did you raise your kids?

Never Say No takes you on a personal journey to learn first-hand how they raised Jon and Tim of Switchfoot. They share practical advice for instilling wonder in a media-saturated culture, cultivating specific gifts, and balancing structure with individual choice. Our purpose as parents is the same as our child’s: to live creatively beyond ourselves, bringing the love, beauty and nature of God to this world. Let the adventure begin.

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

{{Book Review}} Untangled

This post has been moved to my new blog! You can find it here.

Think you'll never measure up? Think again.

We all want to feel valued. We crave approval and acceptance in the eyes of family, friends, and even strangers. But when we seek confirmation that we areenough using the world's standards, it seems like we always fall short. As a result, we cannot believe we are who God says we are--accepted, loved, beautiful, and treasured.

With hope-filled writing and plenty of hard-won personal advice, Carey Scott teaches you how to untangle your self-esteem from the world and anchor it in Jesus. She lovingly shows you that God was intentional in how he made you--and that he is pleased with his work. You'll learn practical strategies to escape the unattainable standards of our performance-based world. And you'll find comfort in the fact that you are not alone on the journey.

"If you feel like you're simultaneously 'too much' and 'not enough,' Carey gets you, gives you hope, and guides you to the one and only perfect One, in whose love you are complete."--Cheri Gregory, coauthor of The Cure for the "Perfect" Life

"Carey Scott offers encouragement for your heart and practical tools for your mind that will help you truly get free from insecurity."--Holley Gerth, Wall Street Journalbestselling author of You're Already Amazing

"Carey's transparency is permission for women to gently unwrap our own areas of insecurity. Her faith leads us to change and freedom."--Amy Carroll, speaker and author of Breaking Up with Perfect

Carey Scott is an author, speaker, and certified Bible life coach who challenges women to be real--not perfect--even when real is messy. She speaks to women's groups and writes an online devotional designed to help women be who God created them to be. She lives in Colorado with her husband and their two children.

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own

Scooter's Coffee- Celebrating Customers in Colleyville & Flower Mound Texas!!

Scooter's Coffee in Colleyville and Flower Mound want to celebrate you, our customer. Aaaand since good things come in threes, we're showing our gratitude with three back-to-back specials:

May 20th: Half off all cool fruit smoothies
May 21st: Half off our signature carmelicious drinks!
May 22nd: $1 medium drinks!
Only at Scooter's Coffee in Colleyville and Flowermound Texas!

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ScootersCoffee
Instagram https://instagram.com/scooterscoffee/
Twitter https://twitter.com/scooterscoffee

Flower Mound store address is 2911 Cross Timbers Road, Flower Mound, TX 75028
Colleyville Store address is 7171 Colleyville Blvd. #110 Colleyville, TX 76034

*Disclaimer* 

This post is sponsored by US Family Guide & Scooter's Coffee. I am not paid for this post, but I will receive a $10 gift card to one of the two scooter's locations listed above in exchange for my honest review. 

{{Book Review}} Heart Sisters- A MUST read for ALL women!

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Heart Sisters is for women who want to both be and have better friends and want a helpful guide to take them through the process.

Author Natalie Chambers Snapp uses her own and others' stories of successes and failures to illustrate what she has learned about girlfriend relationships. Healthy boundaries, honesty, tact, sharing, and agape love all play a part in being and maintaining a circle of close confidants. She also deals with the inevitable challenges that face many relationships including how to handle conflict; life changes like a new baby, move or divorce; and when it is right to "break-up" with your friend.

Discussion questions, space to journal, photos, and quick interviews of healthy female friendships are included within each chapter.

{{Book Review}} To WIn Her Favor

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A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who could help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing forever.

An Irishman far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He's come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and begin farming, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he'd wagered, especially when Maggie Linden's father makes him an offer he shouldn't accept yet cannot possibly refuse.

Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the inaugural Peyton Stakes, the richest race ever run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give her that chance---and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder---Maggie's father, aging, yet wily as ever, makes a barter. His agreement includes one tiny, troublesome detail---Maggie must marry a man she's never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1OYbn27

About the author:

Tamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious---and precocious---silky terrier.

Find Tamera online: website, Facebook, Twitter

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I am NOT required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts in New Braunfels, Texas

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{{Book Review}} Cassey Ho's Hot Body Year-Round: The POP Pilates Plan to Get Slim, Eat Clean, and Live Happy Through Every Season

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Cassey Ho, internationally renowned fitness instructor, is known for her irresistibly popular workout videos which have been shared millions of times online. She runs the #1 women's fitness channel on YouTube, Blogilates. Her unique format, POP Pilates© is a fusion of ab-chiseling, butt lifting, total body sculpting exercises that are performed using only your bodyweight. Cassey's personality is bubbly, inspiring, and infectious. But don't let the smile fool you - her workouts will leave you sweating and sore for days. By following Ho's super effective workout plans and clean-eating recipes, you will transform your body towards a stronger, sleeker, and happier version of you.
 
Hot Body Year Round is your ULTIMATE exercise and nutrition guide to living a fit, happy, and healthy life while sculpting your HOTTEST body.
 

{{Book Review}} Side By Side

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Part of New Hope® Publishers' contemporary missional fiction line,Side by Side opens the reader's eyes to the life of Muslims in Sudan as well as some of the struggles that Christians face when living under Islamic law. The reader will be inspired to pray for those who are persecuted for their faith as well as pray for the salvation of those who persecute.

In the dusty, Islamic country of Sudan, Mia's life collides with that of another young woman. A young Christian American mother, Mia finds more than one dark secret on the streets of Khartoum. She finds Halimah, a young, upper-class Arab student with a bright future in her family's business whose risky and secretive decision has put her life in danger. What happens when the path of young mother intersects with that of a spunky Sudanese student? God transforms them both . . . forever.

{{Location Review}} Color Me MIne- Bee Cave, Texas

At Color Me Mine you get to select a ceramic item and paint it any way you like! Color Me Mine has hundreds of ceramic shapes to choose from, a Design Center featuring 22,000 images for inspiration, over sixty colors to paint with and trained staff members available with friendly tips and guidance. Color Me Mine is well known across the country for it's birthday parties, showers, school painting programs and community fundraising programs, as well as their unique partnerships with entertainment giants such as Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and Rovio/Angry Birds. 

*My Review*

This is such a great way to spend a Saturday! My husband and I took our three children there recently, because I was given a free $50 credit to the Bee City, Texas location in exchange for my honest review.

The staff was incredibly helpful and very talented. They have a a wide variety of pottery to paint, they also offer mosaics, painting and glass work. My husband and I each painted a mug, and our two older girls painted a bank each, and my 3 year old "helped" me. 

Check their website before going. They have a coupon section that can save you some money. This is a great activity to do with your children! We will def be going back, but we will go to one closer to home! :-) overall this is an excellent place to visit.

*Disclaimer*

This post is sponsored by US Family Guide & Color Me Mine. I am not paid for this post, but I Did receive a $50 credit to the Bee Cave, Texas "Color Me Mine" Location.

{{Subscription Box Review}} Space Scouts

This post has been moved to my new blog! You can find it here. 

Cascade Caverns in Boerne, Texas

This post has been moved to my new blog! You can find it here.

*Disclaimer*

This post is sponsored by US Family Guide & Cascade Caverns in Boerne, Texas. I am not paid for this post, but I will receive free admission for myself and my family in exchange for my honest review. 

{{Book Review}} Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood: An Eleven-Week Devotional Bible Study

Learn how God’s imprint on your heart can make a lasting impression on your children.

Being a mom usually means being busy. Really busy. Whether you’re zipping from your children’s piano lessons to their next ballgame or nursing a baby while comforting a toddler, life is brimming with activities.  Yet one encounter can help shape every moment: time in the Word with Jesus. In Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood, you’ll learn how to nourish your own heart, mind, and soul with the wisdom you need to become the mother you long to be.  
As you spend time with God through this eleven-week Bible study, you’ll gain life-shaping insights to help you…
·         Understand and pursue your purpose as a mother
·         Live out your true priorities
·         Entrust your child to God
·         Bear the fruit of the Spirit in your everyday interactions
·         Recover from Perfect Mom Syndrome (PMS)
Each week offers four days of study geared specifically to a mother’s concerns, with the Bible passages already printed out for your convenience. The fifth day is a warm-hearted devotional reading to help you reflect on and apply the truths you’ve learned. 
As your relationship with God deepens through prayer and studying His Word, you’ll discover how His imprint on your heart can make a lasting impression on your children.

*My Review*

There are many books out there about the motherhood, most of them focus on either being a mother or the child. This book however focuses on the Lord, encouraging women that the best they can be for themselves and their child(ren) is to walk closely with Jesus. This study is very firmly grounded in Scriptural truth and engages the reader with thoughtful questions that help the reader to meet with the Lord in the midst of a challenging season of life.

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

{{Book Review}} A Heart's Obsession

Will Sarah’s journey west lead her back into the arms of the one man she can trust?

When her father succumbs to a long illness, Sarah Montgomery is freed from duty to family. At last she can be with the love of her life, Rand Campbell, who has gone out west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Sarah and her younger brother Joel make the arduous journey filled with hope.

But at Fort Laramie, the reception Sarah meets isn’t what she had hoped for. Her friend Amelia is thrilled to have her, but Rand seems to be in the clutches of Jessica DuBois, the scheming daughter of the post commander.

Sarah resolves to remain at Fort Laramie and try to win Rand back. But things will get tougher before they get easier . . . especially when her ex-fiancé Ben Croftner arrives in Wyoming, obsessed with having her back in his arm.

*My Review*

I enjoyed reading the first book in this series, so I naturally I couldn't wait to get "A Heart's Obsession". I really thought I had a pretty good idea of how the book would go, but I was wrong. 

The author is such a clever writer and put in several twists & turns that I didn't see coming at all. A Heart's Obsession is a fast-paced sequel that I couldn't put down until the very last page. I am currently reading the third novella, "A Heart's Danger"!

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

{{Book Review}} A Sparrow in Terezin

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor's story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

Present Day—With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairytale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels she's stumbled into a charmed life—until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy the perfectly planned future she’s planned before it even begins. Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future.

1942—Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped occupied Prague in 1939, and was forced to leave her half-Jewish family behind. Now a reporter for the Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, Kája has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace.

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear—even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

*My Review*
A Sparrow in Terezin is the second bok in the "Hidden Masterpiece" series, "The Butterfly & The Violin" is the first. You really need to read both books in order. Both are written in two separate timelines, with the contemporary style in both.

Just like in the first book, the historical section of this book follows the story of a woman in WW2, following her from Prague to London and back to Europe over the course of three years.

When i got the email saying I was going to be reviewing "A Sparrow in Terezin" I quickly ordered a copy of "The Butterfly and the Violin" that way I would be ready for when this book arrived. I'm glad I did, because I thoroughly enjoyed The Butterfly and the Violin. 

There are some readers who don't like the way it skips between two timelines, but it was unique and I think it is great. 

*Disclaimer* 

I received this book free from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

{{Product Review}} Fogless Shower Mirror

• HIGHEST RATED SHOWER MIRROR FOR SHAVING: Our design, stainless steel hooks, and advanced technology leads the way in customer satisfaction.
• INCLUDES STAINLESS STEEL RAZOR HOOK - The perfect addition to your new shower mirror, keeping your razor wherever you want it and always ready for action.
• ANTI-FOG NANOTECHNOLOGY - Our patented technology is infused directly into the reflective surface of the mirror to repel fog, leaving you free to focus on getting the perfect shave... everytime.
• NEW MODERN DESIGN! - OPTIMAL VIEWING - Our improved modern design was voted on by thousands of customers. The new Cassani Fogless Mirror has added width and height to match the shape of your face and neckline, making the best use of space in any shower
• NO MORE MESSY SINKS - Plus! Detachable Fogless Mirror is ideal for home or travel use - Hassle-Free 100% MoneyBack Guarantee if you are not fully satisfied.

*My Review*

I was recently given the chance to review this product. I'm glad I did! my husband loves that he can SEE what he's doing while shaving in the shower now.  As I am a woman and I do not shave my face I wasn't sure if I would ever use this mirror personally. 

The LOVE that this mirror is not made of glass,it is plastic, so it if falls down, it won’t shatter into glass pieces. This is very easy to set up ~ I just placed the hook for the mirror where my face height would be in the shower and pressed it into the wall. The one thing I did wish they would use is suction cups because once you put this up, it is on the wall until you remove it! 

The razor hook was a nice addition, as ladies do shave other body parts as well. The hooks are made of stainless steel, so hopefully, it will not rust. The finish is a brushed steel finish, the mirror does not take up a lot of space.

*Disclaimer*

I received this product free in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

{{Book Review}} Every Bride Needs a Groom by Janice

Small-town girl Katie Fisher is planning her wedding. Sure, her boyfriend hasn't managed to pop the question just yet, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't enter a contest in Texas Bride magazine to win the dress of her dreams, right? But when her boyfriend breaks up with her and takes a job in another town--the very same day Katie wins her dream dress--her world is turned upside down. Should she claim her prize? And will the hunky former pro-basketball player who runs the swanky Dallas bridal shop--yeah, you read that right--catch on to her humiliation if she does?

Janice Thompson designs a romance sure to delight, with plenty of fish-out-of-water moments, a hilarious supporting cast, and more of the wedding biz world her readers adore.

*My Review*

I have never read any of Janice Thompson's books before, but I fell in love with the cover and was looking forward to this one. The story line was funny, but it wasn't as great as I thought it would be. 

Janice Thompson gives creative chapter titles, that's something that I did enjoy about this book.

The chapter titles in this book were all Loretta Lynn song titles. I thought that was pretty cool.

There were some innuendos in this book that were not necessary at all. It's never funny(or okay) to make light of sin.

In the end...."Every Bride Needs a Groom" is a light-hearted read, with likeable characters.

Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson offers an inside look at the wedding business, drawing on her own experiences as a wedding planner. She is the author of the hugely popular Weddings by Bella series and the Backstage Pass series, as well as Picture Perfect, The Icing on the Cake, and The Dream Dress. She lives in Texas. Learn more at www.janiceathompson.com.

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.