I was so excited to make cookies with the boys this year. When I saw that Chris from http://www.cheapcookiecutters.com/ was offering to review theirs, I jumped on it. Throw in over a week of 3 of us being sick one right after the other (or overlapping), then the week of Christmas, and not one single cookie was baked!!
My 6 yr had been asking since our Christmas cookie cutters arrived if we could bake. I certainly didn't want to disappoint him even though Christmas had come and gone. I grabbed my Betty Crocker cookbook and went to work. Too bad I hadn't made sugar cookies in ages and didn't realize the dough had to sit for THREE hours! After those 3 hours, the dough was so crumbly we couldn't use it. :(
Day 2 shows up and we are determined to make these cookies. I make the dough early in the day and it's a great texture!! I know that in three hours we'll be baking away. Three hours later, the dough is still too soft so I add flour and it gets to a reasonable consistency.
When the cookie cutters arrived I was pretty concerned that they were too flimsy for my boys to use. I thought they'd end up deformed and not in the shape of the initial design. NOT the case at all. Both boys went to town as soon as the dough was rolled and I wasn't able to give them any instructions on being careful with the cookie cutters.
Trust me, my boys didn't seem to understand the dough was thin, so they pressed nice and hard to make sure they got through. Kind of a funny site!
The first set of shapes were ready for the oven and we popped them in. Some minutes later I wondered why it smelled like popcorn in my kitchen. I kid you NOT, the cookies smelled like popcorn. Seriously, how can anyone (me) not get sugar cookies right? I decided to ignore the smell and let the boys cookie cut through all the dough.
That night after our baking was done, I decided to test one of the cookies. Sure enough, it was a sugar cookie that had the initial taste of popcorn...slightly burnt cookies. How weird is that? I'm determined to try my hand at sugar cookies one more time with our cookie cutters, but I am going to try out a recipe from allrecipes.com to see if they have the same exact recipe that I've been using. If that doesn't work, I may actually purchase premade dough, even though I will be highly disappointed. :)
To check out some more awesome cookie cutters head to http://www.cheapcookiecutters.com/ They have an amazing array of choices that I never in a million years would've been something you could cookie cut with!
A redemptive story from multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans.
Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago. Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Benson's love.
But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister. Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark closets of her past--the insecurity of living with a restless, wandering mother, the silence of her absent father, and the heart-ripping pain of first-love's rejection.
Turns out Beryl has a secret of her own. She needs reconciliation with her oldest daughter before illness takes her life. In the final days leading to the wedding, Jade meets the One who shows her that the past has no hold on her future. With a little grace, they'll meet in the middle, maybe even before that sweet by and by.
My Review
I found The Sweet By and By to be emotionally charged. It was so easy to like or dislike the characters created in this story. Jade's soon-to-be mother-in-law, June got under my skin! She definitely fit the stereotype of the Southern uppercrust who likes to stay with how things are, not necessarily how they should be.
Combine June with her son, Jade's fiance, Max and you get a lovely conflict of interest. Max needs to grow a spine and back-up his future wife when his mom shares her "fabulous" ideas. Jade on the other hand needs to communicate with Max about what's expected out of her and their future life!
And the lady who made this story possible, Beryl. Oh, she is just a peach...a peach you'd like to squish! You know, some people are so "open minded" that they close their minds to other possibilities and responsibilities. How any of Beryl's children turned out decently is a miracle of the Lord.
I loved the writing of Rachel and Sara together. The characters they created were solid and easy to relate to. I love it when authors create characters that cause me to have emotion toward them. Beryl and June were two women I would've love to strangle a handful of times. I loved Beryl's mom, who was a constant for Jade and her siblings.
*SPOILER*The ending wasn't as clean as I'd have liked. I would've liked to have seen more interaction between Jade and her estranged father. I didn't like that he showed up at the very end. I would've liked to have seen him struggle in his own new family and weave Jade into it in some uncomfortable way. Other than that minute spot in the book, I loved the rest of the story and blazed a trail through it.
About the Authors
Sara Evans
Multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans has been honored with numerous accolades, among them the 2006 Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist of the Year and the Country Music Association’s Video of the Year for “Born to Fly." Evans has been named one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People" and won the hearts of television viewer's as the first-ever country star to compete in ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Sara is a Cabinet Member of The American Red Cross.
Rachel Hauck
Best-selling and award-winning author Rachel Hauck lives in central Florida with her husband, Tony, a pastor. A graduate of Ohio State University, she left the corporate software marketplace in '04 to write full time.
Enter To Win
Would you like to win The Sweet By and By? Have you ever listened to Sara Evans music or read a book by Rachel Hauk? Let me know.
Must be at least 18 to enter and a US Resident. Giveaway ends 1/7/09, 10pm CST. Void where prohibited. You MUST leave an email address or it must be easily found in your profile. No Email/Contact Info = No Entry.
*I'd like to that the team at Thomas Nelson for my copy of The Sweet By and By. You can find out more about this book at their website Thomas Nelson. You can also check out more of their other selections as well! Are you interested in becoming a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger? You can join here: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/join or click on the link on the left sidebar.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Angie Brillhart of Barbour Publishing for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Award-winning author Susan Page Davis is a mother of six who lives in Maine with her husband, Jim. She worked as a newspaper correspondent for more than twenty-five years in addition to home-schooling her children. She writes historical romances and cozy mysteries and is a member of ACFW. Visit her Web site at
List Price: $10.97 Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Barbour Books (December 1, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1602605629 ISBN-13: 978-1602605626
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Fergus, Idaho
May 1885
Gert Dooley aimed at the scrap of red calico and squeezed the trigger. The Spencer rifle she held cracked, and the red cloth fifty yards away shivered.
“I’d say your shooting piece is in fine order.” She lowered the rifle and passed it to the owner, Cyrus Fennel. She didn’t particularly like Fennel, but he always paid her brother, the only gunsmith in Fergus, with hard money.
He nodded. “Thank you, Miss Dooley.” He shoved his hand into his pocket.
Gert knew he was fishing out a coin. This was the part her brother hated most—taking payment for his work. She turned away. Hiram would be embarrassed enough without her watching. She picked up the shawl she had let fall to the grass a few minutes earlier.
“That’s mighty fine shooting, Gert,” said Hiram’s friend, rancher Ethan Chapman. He’d come by earlier to see if Hiram would help him string a fence the next day. When Cyrus Fennel had arrived to pick up his repaired rifle, Ethan had sat down on the chopping block to watch Gert demonstrate the gun.
“Thank you kindly.” Gert accepted praise for shooting as a matter of course. Now, if Ethan had remarked that she looked fine today or some such pretty thing, she’d have been flustered. But he would never say anything like that. And shooting was just work.
Fennel levered the rifle’s action open and peered at the firing pin. “Looks good as new. I should be able to pick off those rats that are getting in my grain bins.”
“That’s quite a cannon for shooting rats,” Gert said.
Ethan stood and rested one foot on the chopping block, leaning forward with one arm on his knee. “You ought to hire Gert to shoot them for you.”
Gert scowled. “Why’d I want to do that? He can shoot his own rats.”
Hiram, who had pocketed his pay as quickly as possible, moved the straw he chewed from one side of his mouth to the other. He never talked much. Men brought him their firearms to fix. Hiram listened to them tell him what the trouble was while eyeing the piece keenly. Then he’d look at Gert. She would tell them, “Come back next week.” Hiram would nod, and that was the extent of the conversation. Since his wife, Violet, had died eight years ago, the only person Hiram seemed to talk to much was Ethan.
Fennel turned toward her with a condescending smile. “Folks say you’re the best shot in Fergus, Miss Dooley.”
Gert shrugged. It wasn’t worth debating. She had sharp eyes, and she’d fired so many guns for Hiram to make sure they were in working order that she’d gotten good at it, that was all.
Ethan’s features, however, sprang to life. “Ain’t it the truth? Why, Gert can shoot the tail feathers off a jay at a hundred yards with a gun like that. Mighty fine rifle.” He nodded at Fennel’s Spencer, wincing as though he regretted not having a gun as fine.
“Well, now, I’m a fair shot myself,” Fennel said. “I could maybe hit that rag, too.”
“Let’s see you do it,” Ethan said.
Fennel jacked a cartridge into the Spencer, smiling as he did. The rag still hung limp from a notched stick and was silhouetted against the distant dirt bank across the field. He put his left foot forward and swung the butt of the stock up to his shoulder, paused motionless for a second, and pulled the trigger.
Gert watched the cloth, not the shooter. The stick shattered just at the bottom of the rag. She frowned. She’d have to find another stick next time. At least when she tested a gun, she clipped the edge of the cloth so her stand could be used again.
Hiram took the straw out of his mouth and threw it on the ground. Without a word, he strode to where the tattered red cloth lay a couple of yards from the splintered stick and brought the scrap back. He stooped for a piece of firewood from the pile he’d made before Fennel showed up. The stick he chose had split raggedly, and Hiram slid the bit of cloth into a crack.
Ethan stood beside Gert as they watched Hiram walk across the field, all the way to the dirt bank, and set the piece of firewood on end.
“Hmm.” Fennel cleared his throat and loaded several cartridges into the magazine. When Hiram was back beside them, he raised the gun again, held for a second, and fired. The stick with the bit of red stood unwavering.
“Let Gert try,” Ethan said.
“No need,” she said, looking down at her worn shoe tips peeping out beneath the hem of her skirt.
“Oh, come on.” Ethan’s coaxing smile tempted her.
Fennel held the rifle out. “Be my guest.”
Gert looked to her brother. Hiram gave the slightest nod then looked up at the sky, tracking the late afternoon sun as it slipped behind a cloud. She could do it, of course. She’d been firing guns for Hiram for ten years—since she came to Fergus and found him grieving the loss of his wife and baby. Folks had brought him more work than he could handle. They felt sorry for him, she supposed, and wanted to give him a distraction. Gert had begun test firing the guns as fast as he could fix them. She found it satisfying, and she’d kept doing it ever since. Thousands upon thousands of rounds she’d fired, from every type of small firearm, unintentionally building herself a reputation of sorts.
She didn’t usually make a show of her shooting prowess, but Fennel rubbed her the wrong way. She knew he wasn’t Hiram’s favorite patron either. He ran the Wells Fargo office now, but back when he ran the assay office, he’d bought up a lot of failed mines and grassland cheap. He owned a great deal of land around Fergus, including the spread Hiram had hoped to buy when he first came to Idaho. Distracted by his wife’s illness, Hiram hadn’t moved quickly enough to file claim on the land and had missed out. Instead of the ranch he’d wanted, he lived on his small lot in town and got by on his sporadic pay as a gunsmith.
Gert let her shawl slip from her fingers to the grass once more and took the rifle. As she focused on the distant stick of firewood, she thought, That junk of wood is you, Mr. Rich Land Stealer. And that little piece of cloth is one of your rats.
She squeezed gently. The rifle recoiled against her shoulder, and the far stick of firewood jumped into the air then fell to earth, minus the red cloth.
“Well, I’ll be.” Fennel stared at her. “Are you always this accurate?”
“You ain’t seen nothing,” Ethan assured him.
Hiram actually cracked a smile, and Gert felt the blood rush to her cheeks even though Ethan hadn’t directly complimented her. She loved to see Hiram smile, something he seldom did.
“Mind sharing your secret, Miss Dooley?” Fennel asked.
Ethan chuckled. “I’ll tell you what it is. Every time she shoots, she pretends she’s aiming at something she really hates.”
“Aha.” Fennel smiled, too. “Might I ask what you were thinking of that time, ma’am?”
Gert’s mouth went dry. Never had she been so sorely tempted to tell a lie.
“Likely it was that coyote that kilt her rooster last month,” Hiram said.
Gert stared at him. He’d actually spoken. She knew when their eyes met that her brother had known exactly what she’d been thinking.
Ethan and Fennel both chuckled.
Of course, I wouldn’t really think of killing him, Gert thought, even though he stole the land right out from under my grieving brother. The Good Book says don’t kill and don’t hate. Determined to heap coals of fire on her adversary’s head, she handed the Spencer back to him. “You’re not too bad a shot yourself, Mr. Fennel.”
His posture relaxed, and he opened his mouth all smiley, like he might say something pleasant back, but suddenly he stiffened. His eyes focused beyond Gert, toward the dirt street. “Who is that?”
Gert swung around to look as Ethan answered. “That’s Millicent Peart.”
“Don’t think I’ve seen her since last fall.” Fennel shook his head. “She sure is showing her age.”
“I don’t think Milzie came into town much over the winter,” Gert said.
For a moment, they watched the stooped figure hobble along the dirt street toward the emporium. Engulfed in a shapeless old coat, Milzie Peart leaned on a stick with each step. Her mouth worked as though she were talking to someone, but no one accompanied her.
“How long since her man passed on?” Ethan asked.
“Long time,” Gert said. “Ten years, maybe. She still lives at their cabin out Mountain Road.”
Fennel grimaced as the next house hid the retreating figure from view. “Pitiful.”
Ethan shrugged. “She’s kinda crazy, but I reckon she likes living on their homestead.”
Gert wondered how Milzie got by. It must be lonesome to have no one, not even a nearly silent brother, to talk to out there in the foothills.
“Supper in half an hour.” She turned away from the men and headed for the back porch of the little house she shared with Hiram. She hoped Fennel would take the hint and leave. And she hoped Ethan would stay for supper, but of course she would never say so.
Wow, I finally finished The Sheriff's Surrender last night! Let me just say, my lack of reading had nothing to do with the book, but the chaos of the season! Sickness and busyness are what kept me from finishing!
I'm so glad I got back to Susan's book to finish it. This was a town of feisty women, and a place where I probably would've felt right at home. We meet Gert, who lives with her quiet, widower brother, Hiram. One of their rancher friends, Ethan, becomes sheriff after the untimely murder of the previous sheriff.
The women of this nearly abandoned mining town start to be concerned for their own safety since they don't know who did the killing. One thing leads to another and Gert ends up heading the Ladies' Shooting Club, which doesn't go over very well with some of the men in the town.
I enjoyed Susan's writing and it made me laugh and get annoyed sometimes at the same time. The men were so pig headed back then. Susan Page Davis says, "I wanted to write some books about a group of women that supported each other, but in such a way that the men would get riled up about it and see them as mildly threatening. Forming their own shooting club seemed perfect. The setting of the Idaho mountains, about a hundred miles from where my daughter lives, seemed to fit the story." I liked the setting and really got a feel for it through Susan's writing.
If you'd like to win Susan Page Davis's 1st book in the Ladies' Shooting Club series, leave a comment with your email address or have your contact in your profile. Must be at least 18 yrs old to enter and a US resident. Giveaway will end 1/5/2010. Void where prohibited.
I LOVE after Christmas shopping! That's when I can afford stuff! How about you? Have you ever visited Nimli? They carry products for women, men, children, pets, and health and wellness. They've got you covered.
Now, for their sale...The sale will start 12/26/09. You can use the code SALE10 for an additional 20% off. Some designer’s on the site are marked down already! Man do I love mark downs!
Hovey Lee Jewelry is up to 50% off.
Zoica Matei is up to 50% off.
Doie is up to 50% off.
Here are some examples of what they carry:
Hovey Lee - Sale Price $22.50
Hovey Lee - Sale Price $22.50
Doie – Sale Price $76
Doie – Sale Price $118
Check them out and have fun after Christmas shopping!
Breath of Heaven is simply one of my favorite songs to listen to at Christmas time. It never ceases to bring chills to my body and tears to my eyes. I have never seen The Nativity and didn't realize they had used it in the movie. I was so thrilled to find the song on YouTube to share with you.
Do you ever wonder what Joseph was going through during this time? I know we focus so often on poor laboring Mary. Imagine if all your husband had to provide you with to birth your child was a homeless shelter, not even a hospital. He wants to take care of you, but you're far away from home and family. You have little to no money and you're about to give birth. What is your husband supposed to do for you when he can't provide? He finally does what he can and finds the safest place and you follow. You know he loves you and your unborn child. He is doing what he can.
My hope is that you will be able to find time to focus on our Savior's birth during this crazy and very commercial season. We celebrate because Jesus was born on this day. It's His birthday we should take time to celebrate together as well!
I would like to take a few minutes to thank each and every one of you who takes the time out of your day to visit Woven by Words.
I had no idea how crazy life could become having a blog. My initial jumpstart into the blogosphere is due to author Angie Hunt. I've known her through the Heavenly Daze Yahoo Group. One day she mentioned a site the ladies and I might be interested in called ACFW Yahoo Group. I headed over there to see what it was about.
My world changed that day! People were giving away books! Could it be that I had died and gone to reader heaven? I would read occasionally and now the opportunity to read more had just opened up to me! There was a lot of jitters when I posted my first post. I had NO clue what I was doing...and honestly still don't.
I'm a totally winger. I'm not skilled in writing reviews. I realize I tend to babble and possibly give too many details. What's a girl to do? That's just me. I have to make sure I get my point across, even if it means my readers have to read for 10 minutes. Sorry for that folks. I write what comes to mind as I'm typing.
Sure, I try and learn from the people who know what they're doing, but unless I want to plagerize, you won't be getting what they have here. Another apology. :) Ah yes, and I like to use smiley faces. Blogger doesn't give me the option of putting in cute little icons so you're stuck with the keypad smiles.
Recently I ventured into product review land. I have no idea if this is what the Lord wants me to be doing. When I started finding all these giveaways online I thought, "Gee, how hard could this be?" hahahahaha What a joke. At that time I had about 40 or so Followers. That's after nearly 2 years of blogging book reviews/giveaways. I am so thankful for those followers. <3
As I started to look more into the blogs/sites already doing product reviews, I realized these people had 300, 400, 800, and over 1000 Followers! Jinky what was I thinking? How was I going to get someone to let me review their products? I started sending out emails trying to promote my sweet little blog. Wasn't getting much of a response.
In steps Crissy, who designed the new look of Woven by Words. She was such a blessing and still is! Without her work on my site, I don't know that I'd be where I am today. She made my blog look real! Suddenly, I started hearing back from people in the Christian product world. Hmmm maybe I'm on to something here.
Is this where I'm supposed to go? If God knows I'm going about my business anyhow, is He blessing me regardless? Like I stated before, I have no idea if this is what I'm supposed to be doing because I haven't asked Him yet. Maybe it's time I checked in, eh?
Let me say one more thing, to those who haven't won on my blog before. I am stupendously sorry! Can I admit that I'd like to pick your name just so you could win? I have friends who have left comments and it would be so easy to pick their name. No one would ever know. But I would know and the God who knows all would know. Two things I could never live with if I cheated. I truly wish my giveaways could go to every single person who stops by. Maybe this is all part of that mother guilt so many of us carry? I'll save that for another post.
I've had people win mulitple times. I could easily toss their winning name aside and choose someone else because I felt like it. Again, it all comes back to the honesty. I want my readers to trust me and my words. If I do a review, if i choose a winner, if I leave a post, I want you to know that words I say are true.
Now, if you've won numerous times, you are more than welcome to continue to enter. I am blessed by your time at my site, just as I am with the person who only stops by here once. I would love to have you all come back here as often as you like and enter my giveaways as much as possible.
May you have a very blessed CHRISTmas. I pray that you have a JesusOthersYou~ful 2010.
MercyMe has some of the greatest lyrics in their songs. Joseph's Lullaby is such a sweet song of what he could have possibly been saying to "his" new baby.
As with the other Reading Challenges Katrina gives us through Callapidder Days, my eyes are bigger than my reading time! Thank you so much Katrina for encouraging our love of reading.
This season was a bit different since I decided to add a new dimension to my blog...giving away products. That meant I was doing a lot of research online and writing lots of email. My blog was totally redesigned by Crissy (her button is on the left sidebar).
My reading in November and December have taken a nose dive, which is a grave injustice to my brain! Needless to say, that means I didn't finish all of my reading! That's just horrible! So, how poorly did I do? Let's find out. Books that are crossed out were actually read! How about that. The rest? All begging me to pick them up and read them.
I think my favorite book was The Bride Backfire by Kelly Eileen Hake. I was so excited to read a book by the daughter of one of my all time favorite authors Cathy Marie Hake. The one book I'm still hoping to get on my list is The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond.
All in all, 12 books on the list completed. There were some others that I read that I had forgotten about when I made the list or ended up receiving in the midst of the Fall Into Reading challenge. They aren't listed here. My list continues to grow and come Spring Into Reading 2010 I will have a nice pile ready to be listed!
Women's Fiction
A Measure of Mercy by Lauraine Snelling Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller That Certain Spark by Cathy Marie Hake Guardian of the Flame by T.L. Higley Piece de Resistance by Sandra Byrd Stretch Marks by Kimberly Stuart The Bride Backfire by Kelly Eileen Hake The Sheriff's Surrender by Susan Page Davis Leaving Carolina by Tamera Leigh White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner A Promise Kept by Cara C. Putman Captive Dreams by Cara C. Putman Return Policy by Michael Snyder My Name Is Russel Fink by Michael Snyder The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall On A Someday by Roxanne Henke
Young Adult
Always Watching by Brandilyn & Amberly Collins
Last Breath by Brandilyn & Amberly Collins MangaBible #3-6 by Zondervan Graphic Novels
Books I Hope to Get My Hands On
Maire by Linda Windsor
Thirsty by Tracie Bateman The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren (recieved)!!!! The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
At our church we practice open communion. What that means is, if you profess a faith in Christ then no matter what denomination you belong to, you are welcome to take communion. Our children are to be taught by their parents as to the meaning of communion.
Our church bulletin tells parents that we need to make sure our children understand why they are taking communion and it's up to us if they partake or not.
I have my children expain to me why they are taking communion. If they can't explain it, then they need to wait. I only do this when they are little. Buddy, who is 10 is allowed to take it without explanation. Doodle on the other hand is 6 and I have him share with me each month we have communion why we take the bread and then the juice.
Doodle has had a sweet spirit toward the Lord for, well for as long as I remember. So, I know that he understands who God is in his life. His heart is truly affected when he's done something "wrong" and thinks of how the Lord sees it. It truly breaks his heart. This is just who he is, not something I've done or not done.
This past Sunday we had communion and I asked Doodle what the "bread" meant to him and he answered me. Wish I could rememeber now what he said. Next came the juice and he said to me, "didn't I already say this?" and I told him, "kind of with the bread," but I said that we need to remember that Jesus's hands and feet were pierced and his blood reminds us he died for our sins and we can live with him in Heaven. Then as I do after we discuss I tell him he needed to take the time to thank God for Jesus and to ask God to forgive him of any of the "naughty" things he's done like fighting with his brother or something along those lines, and help him to do better.
As we pray during church, I check on my boys to make sure they are taking the time to "pray" also. When I say pray I mean it differently for my kids than I do for me. At their young ages I just hope their eyes are closed and they are being respectful of that prayer time. There's no way for me to know if they are actually praying. I wish my eyes could've recorded what I saw next so that I could share it with you. I looked over at Doodle and the sight was seared into my mind. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed and his lips were moving. He was fervently praying. Of all 4 of my kids, he's the first I've seen pray so earnestly.
I just sat there watching him. I wanted to nudge the people around me and say, look at how precious this is. Not because he was my child, but because it was so amazing. if it had been someone else's little one, I may have nudged the gal next to me. A childlike faith, is there anything like it? Jesus's disciples tried to prevent the children from being near Him and He responded by saying, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:14-15
Here are some other scriptures that remind us of Jesus' thoughts of children:
Matthew 11:25 "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to the little children."
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them , for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Mattew 19:14
Mark 9:37 "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
I don't watch much daytime television like I used to in years past. I have become somewhat busy in the last several years and didn't care to watch it. Well, since this fall all the time off I had from work and extra blogging I was doing, I had the tv on for background noise. Yes, I can't stand silence.
My boys came home one day and Oprah was on. Somehow I saw that she was doing a special on the new guy who sings for Journey. Does that band ring a bell for anyone who's at least over 35? I loved them when I was in Junior High. Sheesh I'm old.
Typically, I let my boys decompress from school before I make them do homework. They get to watch some cartoons while they eat their snack. This day though, I wanted to hear about the new guy. Let me just qualify what's to come in that my boys love to play Rock Band with the rock music.
So, we listened and the guy was a dead ringer for Perry! I couldn't believe it. I also was surprised that my 10 yr old enjoyed the music. He enjoyed it so much, he YouTubed Journey! Man did we hear those songs over and over again!! Turns out this song is from X-Men.
So, tonight after I tucked the boys in, Buddy starts singing some random song. Next he says, "Hey mom...Just a small town girl. Living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train goin' anywhere. Just a city boy. Born and raised in South Detroit. He took the midnight train goin' anywhere." He sang it in pitch and in tune! I nearly fell over. Do you know how many decades it was before I knew Steve Perry was saying, "Born and raise in South Detroit"? Yes, decades! Oh, admit it, there are words to songs you love that you don't know either! My dare for you is to try and not sing along! :0)
I had headed downstairs and Buddy says to me, "What was it called that you used to have that you used to listen to this on? Was it a different kind of CD player?" Ah, sweet child no, that was back in the day of cassette tapes! Do you have ANY idea how strange it is to hear my 10 yr old singing a song I was in love with nearly 25 30 yrs ago?
Don't Stop Believing is off the 1981 album Escape. This was one of my favorite albums for years. I mean, I could sing every single song (minus a few words here and there). How many albums can we truly say that about? Do you remember these songs:
ESCAPE by Journey
Don't Stop Believin'
Stone in Love
Who's Cryin' Now
Keep on Runnin'
Still They Ride
Escape
Lay It Down
Dead or Alive
Mother Father
Open Arms
Those songs are still so fresh in my mind. I remember when I was in my sad place, "Still They Ride" was there to help the tears flow. And what girl didn't want to dance with her sweetheart to Open Arms?
Visit PatientStyle.com and you will think you're ordering products for your home or for a high end resort! I wish I would've known about PatientStyle.com before I had surgery in October on my shoulder! I think each of us have had our own lovely experience at a hospital either as a patient or visiting someone. I have been both. I've had 4 children, have gone with my 6 yr old son 2x, and my own recent shoulder surgery.
When you go, you get those "lovely" gowns, and I use that term loosely, that have been worn by who knows how many people before you. These days the nurses look cuter in their nurse shirts than the patient. Then again, has a patient ever looked cute in a surgical gown?
That is all about to change with PatientStyle.com. Would you like to go to a hospital knowing you aren't going to look scroungy in the "gown" that is the ration handed out when you arrive. Yes, they've started giving out socks to keep you warm, but they are so far from being like the socks at PatientStyle.com it's not even funny!
This is the first site you should head to if you or someone you know is going into the hospital for any kind of procedure. If you are or know a Mom-to-be and are deciding what to get them as a gift, this should be your first stop! PatientStyle.com has entire section devoted to Expecting Moms! They have gorgeous Designer Gowns, and yes, they are Gowns! The nursing covers they sell make me want to have another baby just to use these covers!
For the baby they have beautiful blankets, slings, and swaddler sets. I'm tellin' ya, if I didn't have rely on an Immaculate Conception, I'd be all over this Maternity section!
You've heard all those creepy stories about hotels and such with nasty bedding? Well, PatientStyle.com has the answer to this as well with pillows and pillow covers! We're talking creature comforts.
Now for the luxury part of PatientStyle.com...they have gorgeous robes and scrumptious socks. I was sent a pair of each mens and womens socks and they are to die for! They are thick and soft and oh-so comfy! They have little leaves on the bottom that grip to the floor so you don't slip. These socks are fantastic!
REQUIRED Now, if you'd like a chance to win a pair of the cozy socks (his OR hers), head to PatientSyle.com and tell me which of their items you'd like someone to give you if you had to stay at the hospital.
Make sure to leave your email address as part of the entry or have it easily available with your profile. No email/profile contact = No entry! Must be at least 18 yrs old and a US Resident. Void where prohibited. Giveaway ends 12/28, 10pm CST.
Extra Entries (after the Required Entry is complete): Each "extra" means you can comment that many extra times. Lucky you! Make sure you let me know what you've done. :)
+1 Follow Woven by Words (left sidebar) +1 Enter any of the other Giveaways listed under "What You Missed" on the right sidebar +2 Grab the Woven by Words button on the top left sidebar +2 Sign up for the PatientStyle.com email updates at the bottom of their homepage +2 Follow PatientStyle.com on Twitter come back and leave your Twitter name +5 Make a purchase at PatientStyle.com and let me know
I'd like to thank Lindsay at PatientStyle.com for sending me the Lounge Socks to review. My feet are very thankful as well!
Grab the guitar and play alog wth top Christian bands! Shred those riffs or blast the bass...you add a unique sound to the solid Christian rock. But watch out: if you can't keep up, the artists will take a break and stop the music. Crank it up and try again -- you'll soon be rockin' with the best while praising the Lord!
Features hit songs from popular rock bands -- Skillet, Stellar Kart, Petra, Casting Crowns, Pillar, tobyMac, 12 Stones, Red -- and more!
Two guitars can be connected at the same time, so two guitarists can play together -- either on the same track on one on lead, the other on bass.
Choose from four levels of difficulty per song. They are Easy (one star), Medium (two stars), Hard (three starts) and Expert (four stars). You can change the difficulty levels as you wish. As you advance through the game, you unlock the songs for each level.
Talent Points let you earn new guitars with cool sounds and effects. You start the game with only a Lead guitar. There are five more guitars available to you backstage --three Lead Guitars and two Bass Guitars, each with its own unique sound. You earn Talent Points the first time you complete a song with each type of guitar (Lead and Bass). The harder the level the more Talent Points you will earn for completing the song. When you trade in your Talent Points for a guitar, the new guitar will appear in the guitar selection room.
Power Duel Mode sends surprises to mess with your opponent. Power Duel mode is similar to Duel Mode except that the Spinner Bonuses are replaced by PowerUps. The PowerUps can be used to get an advantage over your opponent.
Coming soon: Guitar Praise for iPhone
My Review
Digital Praise sent my family Guitar Praise. I was so thrilled to learn about this product. We have had Rock Band for a long time and my boys have borrowed the neighbor's Guitar Hero. I just don't like the songs they offer. In fact, I've forbidden them from playing 2 of the songs after hearing them. UGH!
At our house we only listen to Christian music. The stuff that's out there now on other stations just isn't appropriate for children (or anyone really IMHO). I mean I could seriously get on my soap-box right now, but I digress...
We pulled the wireless guitar out of the box and it looked just like the other guitars on the market! I was pretty happy about that since I'm guitar-challenged. I popped the software into the computer and loaded it up.
Let the amusement begin. I started playing right away. It didn't make sense to me why the colored buttons on the guitar were opposite of the colors on the computer screen. Then when I was trying to scroll thru the screen it was going backwards. Ugh, I must've gotten a "bad" guitar. A bit later I was telling my 10 yr old that I didn't understand why this guitar was so goofy. Hmm, turns out I was holding the guitar backwards. heh heh heh I was holding it as a lefty (which they have as an option on the software).
So, now on to the review...with me holding the guitar the right way. I LOVED IT!! I'm totally biased because I love the music. It's all music we know and listen to all the time. Can I tell you how much peace I had knowing my boys would be hearing positive music? There's NO comparison! The graphics were great. As you get better through the song, the spinners actually spin.
Yesterday my 6 yr old saw that if he tilted the guitar, it could make the spinners activate to get more points. Man, these boys are good. I'd just sit her strumming to my favorite songs. They want to duel it out! The creators of this program have done a great job. They've picked a great range of songs to appeal to families and youth groups!
Here's a copy of Buddy's score. Sorry, camera wasn't taking very good pics of the computer screen.
You might think playing it on a computer would take away from the playability (is that a word?). Not at all. It streams perfectly. Not a glitch in the program. The fact that it's playing on my computer is kudos enough for the software.
Now, this review wouldn't be complete without my boys playing and getting their opinions. They'll be the ones who play it the most. My oldest, Buddy, really liked it. I asked how he liked it compared to Rock Band and he said, "I like it!" He said it with more emphasis than I can really share. I think we're all so excited to play songs we listen to all the time. I also asked him this while he was in the middle of a song. Some moms...
I think my boys would be thrilled to be a gamer for a company like this!
I enjoyed it so much, I've already downloaded another pack of songs from the website! Yes, from the website. No waiting for it to come in the mail or going to the store. The download happened while we were at church. Came home and started rockin' out to Jeremy Camp!!! AAAHHH I was so tweeked!! They have 6 of these packs currently with categories like: Contemporary, Soft Rock, Hard Rock and Praise & Worship!
There's also an Expansion Pack 1 with 16 artists and 25 songs!
What would I change? I'd love for them to come out with an entire band. I guess that's because we have Rock Band and the kids love playing the different parts together. My girls have their friends come over and have Rock Band nights. So, our family would love to see Band Praise. :) A girl can hope, right?
I also turn the guitar sounds down (on the guitar) so I only hear the music (on the speakers). It overlays the music if it's up too loud and then I can't hear the music, which helps me keep up with the rythm. I tried to turn the guitar sound down for Buddy and he wasn't so happy with me. He, on the other hand, likes to hear the guitar. Okay, lets just say we're happy to have options.
As for comparing it to Guitar Hero, I can't really since I haven't played it. I know some reviewers don't think it has "enough" going on. I think they want it to be harder. Well, it's plenty hard for me. I haven't been playing GH for years now and have mastered it. This is perfect for anyone who wants an alternative to the mainstream games. That's it. It's not trying to be something else. It has 5 buttons on the guitar and a whammy bar, just like the others and gets progressively harder. I've watched YouTube videos of Guitar Praise on hard levels and I can't even imagine going past 3 buttons! hahahaha
Want To Win?
REQUIRED: visit Guitar Praise and tell me what song from the Song List you want to play
You MUST leave your email address or have it easily accessible in your profile to be entered to win. No email/profile contact = No entry! Must be at least 18 yrs old to enter & a US Resident. Void where prohibited. Retails for $99.95 Giveaway ends 12/24, 10pm CST.
Today is the last day to enter to win the Glo Bible Software and the folks at the company have offered to giveaway5 copies instead of 2!!! How awesome is that?! If you haven't had the chance to enter before now, today is the day! Enter Glo Bible Software Giveaway before 10pm CST TONIGHT!!!
Head to the original post (link above) to leave comments to enter. Comments are closed on this page. Thanks!!
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I was so excited to make cookies with the boys this year. When I saw that Chris from http://www.cheapcookiecutters.com/ was offering to review theirs, I jumped on it. Throw in over a week of 3 of us being sick one right after the other (or overlapping), then the week of Christmas, and not one single cookie was baked!!
When the cookie cutters arrived I was pretty concerned that they were too flimsy for my boys to use. I thought they'd end up deformed and not in the shape of the initial design. NOT the case at all. Both boys went to town as soon as the dough was rolled and I wasn't able to give them any instructions on being careful with the cookie cutters.
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