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Would a Worm go on a Walk? – Review & Giveaway

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Thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for this fun book to review and giveaway!

About the book:

“Would a worm go on a walk, if you could lead him down the street? / Would he wear his tiny tennies, if he had two worm-sized feet?”

So begins this humorous and imaginative picture book that introduces children to the idea that animals are uniquely created by a loving and wise God. Would a Worm Go on a Walk?, with its colorful, comical illustrations, is a fresh, fun way to teach young children that God created all things very good. He gave all the animals, and children, too, wonderful qualities and unique strengths. Children will giggle over the ridiculous scenarios presented, and they will come away with the knowledge that we all are loved and special.

Format: Jacketed hardcover

Page count: 32

Reading age: 4-7

About the author:

Hannah C. Hall is the author of best-selling children’s books, including God Bless You and Good Night and God Bless Our Christmas, as well as an award-winning blog, HannahCHall.com. Hannah lives in Prairie Grove, AK with her husband, Josh, a worship pastor, and their four children.

My thoughts on the book: 

I had my 5yr old help me review this book since she’s right in the reading age range. She loves it. We’ve read it over and over. It’s such a cute book, with adorable pictures, and a fun rhyme. She laughs every time we get to the part about pigs playing the piano.

This is such a cute book about how God made everything special and unique, including yourself.

My 7yr old loves this book as well. She can read it herself, and sometimes she’ll even read it to her younger siblings.

The pictures are so bright and fun, and the book is so funny and cute at the same time. This is a book my kids will enjoy for a long time.

Want to buy your own copy? Go to their website here to purchase.

Giveaway:

On top of my free copy that I received to review. I get to give away 1 copy of Would a Worm Go On a Walk. Enter below for a chance to win this adorably fun book for your kids.

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 a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.If winner has not responded within 36 hours of attempted contact, another winner may be selected.

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ESV Family Devotional Bible Review and Giveaway

I received this product free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

The ESV Family Devotional Bible is a hardbound colorful Bible.  It retells 130 key stories from the Bible with full color illustrations for each story, as well as placed within the Bible text where it is found.  The stories are simplified and easy for children of all ages to understand.

The ESV Family Devotional Bible is designed to help families read and apply God’s Word together. This full-color edition features the complete ESV text interspersed with engaging illustrations and gospel-centered devotions related to key Bible stories—guiding families through the entirety of God’s Word over the course of a year. Each devotion also includes discussion questions and suggestions for additional reading, helping families develop a habit of reading the Bible together and applying its truth to all of life.

My family is really enjoying this Bible. Each of the stories is 1 to 1 1/2 pages long. The perfect story length for young children! Each story also has 3 discussion questions at the end. I’m not sure who’s enjoying these questions more. Me or the kids! They listen better to the story because they want to answer the questions at the end. And I love hearing their answers. It’s always interesting to me how they can hear things in a Bible story that I never thought of.

I’ve been using this Bible for our evening devotions and it has really helped to enrich this time together and to introduce the kids to Bible Stories that you don’t find in Kid’s Story Bibles. (Like Abraham rescuing Lot when he was captured by enemy armies).

Each story has an accompanying picture, so the kids gather close so they can inspect the picture while I’m reading. This also helps to keep their attention on the devotion.

I especially like that the stories are placed in context among the verses. This makes it so easy for me to look at the actual text and answer any questions the kids have about the story.

This is an awesome Family Devotional Bible!

To find out more about this Bible or to purchase it you can go to Amazon, or visit Crossway Books on Facebook or Twitter. (Note, they sent me links to their giveaway which has already ended – enter my giveaway below for a chance to win an ESV Family Devotional Bible)

Enter below to win your very own copy of this great ESV Family Devotional Bible to share with your family.

 

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52 Uncommon Dates – Review

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52 Uncommon Dates: A Couple’s Adventure Guide for Praying, Playing, and Staying Together by Randy Southern with an introduction by Gary Chapman.

This book has some creative, fun, and imaginative date ideas. 52 ideas, to be exact.

Each date has a description, suggestions for how to accomplish the date, talking points, and suggestions for prayer and scripture reading.

I like that all of these date suggestions are different. Some are very involved and would require you to go somewhere and even plan a night away. Which is super hard for us to do these days with the kids. So I’ll save them for later.

Other dates are fun things that we could do in the evening after the kids are in bed. Plan a special snack, have our date activity, and spend some intentional time bonding as a couple doing something together that we both enjoy doing. The talking points with each date are great for going deeper into our relationship than just the activity that we’re participating in.

With work and kids we honestly don’t spend a ton of intentional time together. And we’ve used this book to schedule a couple of fun dates while the kids sleep – because, if it’s not on our calendar, it doesn’t happen.

And this book gives us something fun to do on our date, instead of just eating dinner and looking at each other with that “what now?” expression and then settling for Netflix.

If your looking for some fun new date ideas. You’ll find some fun ideas in this book!

I received this book free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own. This post does contain affiliate links.

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Live Free – Coloring Book Review

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Live Free, An Adult Coloring Book by Margaret Feinberg.

This is such an awesome coloring book! On the left of each page is a spot for journaling or creating your own thoughts, and on the right is a fun picture with a verse to color.

I love all the intricacies of these pictures and it’s so relaxing to just sit for a few minutes (with 3 kids, that’s a max of 5 minutes at a time) and do something creative that doesn’t have a deadline and that doesn’t have to be done “right”.

I’ve been just leaving this out on my living room table, grabbing the nearest marker, and coloring away when I get a chance. Luckily, the pages are heavy enough none of the marker is bleeding through.

In 2 weeks this is all I’ve gotten done, but I think it’s turning out great, and I’m having so much fun picking which random colors go where.

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As I work on my picture I find myself pondering what it is to be a “living stone”. Someone who brings life to my family and those around me. At the same time as I’m “bringing life” to my picture. Margaret Feinberg did a terrific job of matching this picture to this verse.

And my 7yr old picked out a page as well. This kept her busy for quite a while.

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This book is full of beautiful pictures and inspiring scriptures. It’s going to take me forever to color all of these pages, and I’m loving every minute of it!

I received this book free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own. This post does contain affiliate links.

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Dressed For Death – Book Review

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Dressed for Death, by Julianna Deering. This book is 307 pages long and it’s the 4th in the Drew Farthering Mystery series.

I have not read the previous 3 but I had no trouble picking this one up and understanding who the characters are. In fact, after reading this one, I liked it so much, I put the other three Drew Farthering Mystery books on my reading list.

There were a lot of Jane Austin book references at the beginning of this book, and while I had to read Jane Austin in High School, I’m not a fan. So I was pretty worried that I wasn’t going to like this book. Luckily, this book is nothing like a Jane Austin, so I was just fine.

After the first couple of chapters, and the characters and setting were all introduced, and the book got very interesting. It took me a day to read the first 3 or 4 chapters, and then a day to read the rest of the book.

Once I got going, I couldn’t put it down. This was an entertaining mystery book, sometimes predictable and sometimes not. Which in my opinion, is how all good mystery books should be.

Julianan Deering is a Christian author and she did a great job of discussing the character’s faith in a realistic way. It wasn’t preachy, but very down to earth and real. And it went well with the rest of the story.

I really enjoyed this book. And I also love that I discovered a new author that I like!

I received this book free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own. This post does contain affiliate links.

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Vampirina Ballerina Review and Craft

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For Picture Book Month I’m reviewing Vampirina Ballerina.

Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace is an adorable book about a little vampire who wants to be a ballerina. It encourages being yourself, trying hard, and rejoicing in your achievements.

We had a great time reading this together and then making a little Tutu craft for the girl’s barbies.

Supplies

Rickrack or ribbon – small pieces will do

Tulle – about 1 yard

IMG_21421. Start by measuring your rickrack. You want it to be about 1 foot long for a barbie doll.

2. Next cut your tulle into 1/2 inch X 2 foot strips. You can trim these later if the skirt is too long.

IMG_2149 3. Lay your rickrack out flat and tie your tulle strips onto it making a knot in the middle of your tulle (around the rickrack) Keep adding tulle until your skirt is nice and floofy.

You want to cover about 1/3 of your rickrack in tulle. The extra ends are going to be used for putting the skirt on your doll.

Once you have all your tulle on your ribbon or rickrack wrap it around your doll and tie a bow in the back.

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The girls had a blast making little tulle ballerina skirts for their dolls!

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Homeschooling Mondays – 4 ways to save money on books

I love homeschooling, and I have my favorite curriculums, but seriously, all these books can become really expensive! Here’s a few ways I save money.

photo_18977_201011091. Don’t buy the teacher’s keys – My kids are 2nd grade and pre-K. I can do their math in my head like it’s second nature. There’s no reason to buy the teacher’s keys when I can come up with the right answer faster than checking it in the book.

Once you get up into the higher grades you’re going to want those teacher’s keys – there’s no way we’re doing algebra without a teacher key. But for the lower grades, you can save yourself a lot of money by only purchasing the books you actually need.

2. Re-use curriculum – My hooked on phonics I only had to purchase once, for all the kids to use. History and science text-books through 2nd grade don’t actually have workbooks that the kids need to do so I only need one set for all the kids. The same thing for reading/literature. You don’t need multiple copies of 1st grade readers. Get one set and use them for all your children.

3. Don’t be afraid of used books – I saved so much money in college by buying lightly used books. The same thing works for homeschooling. Amazon sells used books, so does e-bay. Before you pay full price look and see if you can save by buying used.

One warning with this though – most companies like to put out new versions every few years. It’s confusing to try to mix versions. So if the version 3 workbook is the only one available, you’re not going to want the version 2 teacher key. Usually, they change just enough that it doesn’t work well to mix versions.

Anything that is a complete set or that can stand alone (like readers), if it’s cheaper used, get it used.

Education4. Always accept hand-me-downs – I’ve saved a lot of money because my mom and my mother-in-law both homeschooled. I haven’t had to buy readers (I have 1st through 6th grade on my shelf) because they passed them on to me when they were finished. My mom gave me all their flashcards (and those things can be so expensive!) and a full set of hooked on phonics (K – 4th), and my mother-in-law is constantly giving me random educational items for the kids.

If it’s something I’ll use later (like my 6th grade readers) I save it. If it’s something I’ll never use I pass it on to someone who wants it.

What are some of your tricks for saving money?

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Grace in the Middle – Book Review

Cover1-197x306Grace in the Middle – An Imperfect Journey to God’s Perfect Plan

After years of trying to get pregnant, Wendy and Scott Duke were finally going to have their first child. But when a dangerous pre-natal diagnosis followed by an even more lethal disease after their daughter’s birth threatened to immediately take their newborn away, the Dukes turned to their only hope: God. In Grace in the Middle Duke encourages readers through the amazing story of her young daughter’s victory over some of life’s most perilous afflictions.

Anxious, frustrated, and scared, Wendy and Scott braced themselves for the unknown. In Grace in the Middle, Wendy recounts how her faith was rattled throughout the pregnancy.

Grace in the Middle details the physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles Wendy and Scott faced during the pregnancy and the treatments for their daughter Savannah’s cancer. Duke reminds us that God was always there for her even when she might not have felt His presence. She continually emphasizes the importance of having the love and support of family and a church, highlighting the richness in spiritual growth that takes place through such difficult trials. The first few years of Savannah’s life were difficult—there’s no denying that. But, as Duke is attentive to remind, God is stronger and more powerful than any curveballs thrown at a believer. Grace in the Middle even includes a chapter written by Savannah, who is now almost 15 and living a normal, busy, teenage life.

I really loved this book. It’s not a feel-good kind of book. I was in tears halfway through the first chapter. Being a mom myself it’s always heart-wrenching to read or hear about another mom losing a child (multiple miscarriages in this case) or something not going quite perfectly in a pregnancy.

As sad as the book is – and I think it’s good to admit that when things like this happen, we are sad and hurting – it was also so encouraging to read about how the author found God throughout all these difficulties and about how her faith was strengthened through these trials.

It’s an encouragement to me and it’s so encouraging to see her stepping out and sharing her painful journey with others in a way that encourages and strengthens our faith and shows how God is sovereign through it all.

Whether your own faith is being challenged by trials or you just want to be encouraged and challenged yourself, you’ll be encouraged, challenged, and pushed to go deeper in your faith and to not fear what the future has in store.

If you want to find out more or purchase your own copy, Grace in the Middle is for sale on Ambassador International’s website.

You can also find out more about the author, Wendy Duke on her website, or follow her on twitter and facebook.

I received this book free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

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Homeschooling Mondays – My 4 Favorite Curriculums

Having been homeschooled myself I entered homeschooling my children having already formed some opinions about curriculums. So I like to pick and choose what subjects to do from what curriculum based on what my children need.

1. A Beka Book – This is the curriculum I used the most as a child. I really like their math. I tried saxon with my daughter for Kindergarten and First Grade and it just didn’t work well for us. We’re using A Beka this year and it’s going way better.

And I love their reading/literature. They have the kids reading many classic stories and lots of random chapters from classic children’s books (like Little House on the Prairie). This is great for expanding kid’s literary horizons and encouraging them to pick new books to read.

Their history, science, and english is equal to any other comparable homeschool curriculum provider but I tend to buy from them because I’m ordering math anyways so it’s easier to just place one order.

I really like their Bible curriculum but it’s very expensive because you have to purchase the entire kit to do it. So I’ve never actually purchased my Bible curriculum from them.

2. BJU press – I get my Bible curriculum from here. It works well for us and we’ll probably use it for a few more years. Once the kids are old enough to do more of a Bible study format I’ll be searching again for something that does more of this. BJU Press is great for teaching kids the basics of the Bible and the Bible stories.

I have also use their history and science and really like them as well. This year we’re using A Beka for science and history because they’re half the price of BJU Press.

Their reading/literature is acceptable but I don’t like it as well as A Beka’s. And their math and english are pretty much the same as every other homeschool curriculum.

Mostly the differences between A Beka Book and BJU Press are in how they present the information. Depending on how your child learns best you may find one curriculum easier to use than the other.

3. Hooked on Phonics – This is by far my favorite curriculum for teaching my children to read. Once they’re reading the A Beka or BJU Press readers are awesome. But for getting your child to read, I prefer Hooked on Phonics. I started with Kindergarten and about halfway through the First Grade set my child was reading well enough that she didn’t want to read them any more. We actually started First Grade Hooked on Phonics about halfway through her Kindergarten year and took a break for the summer. Over the summer she did a lot of reading and when we came back to the First Grade set to finish it the beginning of her First Grade year she was way beyond it. It had made learning to read easy and fun and with the dvds, books, stickers, and workbook there’s so many ways to teach reading it’s easy to find a method that works for your child.

My 4yr old desperately wants to learn to read this year so we’re working on the Pre-K Hooked on Phonics with her. Another month and we’ll start in on the Kindergarten set!

And they’re easily reusable for multiple children. So, buy one set, and use it for all your kids.

4. Saxon – Even though Saxon Math did not work well for my daughter, I have many homeschooling friends who just love it. My husband used it as a child and he liked it. So, the curriculum itself is great, it just was not the right method for my daughter.

Even if you’re not using their curriculum, the Saxon Math Manipulatives Kit is great for using with any math curriculum!

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There’s a lot of great homeschool curriculums available and if something doesn’t work for you, try something else, and eventually you’ll find the perfect fit for you and your child!

This post does contain affiliate links and I do earn a small commission on any sales from those links.

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10 Things I Love

My August Blog Prompt is 10 Things I Love. It’s a great way to start out the month, right before school starts up again and I get busy teaching and keeping up with the kid’s lessons and such.

I’m going to be doing a weekly post on Homeschooling on Mondays throughout the school year, so come back next week to see what we’re up to!

Now, for 10 things that I like…

1. Music – I love listening to music, but mostly I love playing. I started piano when I was 5 and as an adult I continue to enjoy it.

2. Cordless Dust Buster Hand Vac – This thing has saved my life (actually, it’s more likely saved my kid’s lives) countless times. I can’t live without it! An entire poptart crumbled on the couch? No problem! The 2yr old just dumped the entire potted plant on the floor? A big problem! But not nearly as bad as it could be (he could have broken the pot). Seriously though, I did use my dustbuster for this because I don’t have a shopvac.

My dustbuster lives in it’s charger on my counter and gets used a lot!

3. A Good Book – Some of my favorite authors are James Fenmore Cooper, Charles Dickens, and Jessee Stuart. I enjoy the classics and occasionally a new book or two. Reading is a time to grab a drink and relax.

I recently reviewed Shadow of the Mountain: Exodus and really enjoyed it. I’m also amazed by how much easier it is to read a book I’m reviewing. I guess I justify the time spent more easily because I have a deadline.

4. Coffee – Speaking of drinks. I love coffee. I like the taste, and it’s my preferred way to wake up in the morning. A cup of coffee and my Bible Study. Of course, the kid’s don’t believe in sleeping in so I have to add getting breakfast and hot chocolates and tea to that list in the morning.

5. BBQ Ribs – The best I’ve ever had are from this local place called Dead End BBQ. Their ribs are soooo good! They also have great brisket and delicious sides. And I have no idea about the desserts because I’m always too stuffed to try any!

6. Sewing – I don’t do as much as I would like to because the kids keep me busy, but sewing is a fun, creative outlet for me. I’m working on a few things for the girls right now and they’re so excited.

7. Caramel Bugles – Seriously, the best thing since sliced bread. It’s like caramel corn, without the kernels. I actually hide this from the kids and then my husband will eat an entire bag! It’s delicious. And perfect any time of the year, not just the holidays when I’m craving caramel corn.

Amazon probably isn’t the best place to get these, they’re kind of expensive online. Check the snack aisle in your local grocery store. A few times a year Kroger has them on sale for $1 a bag and I stock up.

8. SciFi – I love SciFi, from the old Star Trek, to Dr. Who, to pretty much anything interesting I find on Netflix. I’m also teaching my kids well, my 6yr old sometimes suggests Star Trek when she’s trying to convince me that we should watch something!

9. Legos – I love legos. Except for when they’re spread all over the floor in the middle of the night. The kids love legos. They have LEGO Friends, LEGO Elves, LEGO Disney Princesses for the girls. My girls love them. And if I don’t feel like actually playing with the legos, they even have Lego XBox 360 games! I have my eyes on this LEGO Jurassic World.

10. Jurassic World – Speaking of which, I loved Jurassic World. I remember watching Jurassic Park as a kid so I had to go see Jurassic World when it came out. It was not disappointed! It’s right up there with Indiana Jones (except for #4, I didn’t like that one) and The Mummy. Just fun to watch!

I’d love to hear some of your favorite things. Comment below and tell me, what’s something you love?

This post does contain affiliate links, and I do earn a small commission off any purchase made through those links.