Archive for October, 2009

Last week I talked about how I was going to go buy a pair of slacks.  Well I found some on a sale for $2.  They are Ralph Lauren khakis and they are nice just like new.  However,  I am really hard on myself because of my weight which I suppose is not so unusual for a woman.  Anyway this week is a bit more of a mental change.  I am going to try to accept where I am physically and know that I can make improvements even if they will come slow.  I will not beat myself up but rather try to accept who I am at the moment and make the best of it.  At least two times this week I am going to get out of my yoga pants and find something that has a shape to it.  I guess that is why I call this “small change Friday”.

RubyandReba is the winner of this great book.  I sent an email and will await your response.  Congrats!

Hey everyone sorry this is late today!  My mom and stepdad took me out for lunch and we got lost in Walmart so I haven’t been home much.  Anyway check out my giveaways and leave a comment to win, they are all linked in the right sidebar at the top same as always.  Thanks for stopping by!

Okay this week I saw a bit of progress.  I am down 2.5 pounds yippy.  What did I do?  I have officially been off drinking soda for a week and a half.  I also started cutting down on carbs a bit on Monday.  I still have them just in moderation.  I have a huge carb weakness and it needs to be dealt with.  I am also getting ready to start an exercise challenge which I will fill you in on more later. 

Since starting I am now down 4 pounds total.  It has been a lot of ups and downs but I am glad to see a bit of progress.  Half of the battle is your mindset!

Here is another recipe from the Fast & Frugal Cookbook.  I have adapted it to cook in a crockpot.  Make sure to check out the giveaway I have going on for this cookbook.

Broccoli & Cauliflower Chowder

8 cups chicken broth made from bouillon
1 (32 oz) bag of hasbrowns
2 pounds vegitarian sausage
2 pounds frozen broccoli & cauliflower
1 Tablespoon steak seasoning salt
2 Tablespoons dried chives

Brown sausage and toss all ingredients into crockpot.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours until veggies are tender.

*This book was given as a complimentary copy to Mama Buzz Reviewers by David C. Cook and Mike Mason, for blog tour and promotion purposes.

The Blue Umbrella: retails for $14.99

Ages 9-12

Enjoy a free excerpt of this book at Mike Mason’s website.

The Blue Umbrella, by Mike Mason from David C. Cook on Vimeo.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading this book.  It will definately keep my boys attention when they read it.  The characters are very imaginative and you start to feel as if you know them.  Even as an adult I loved how the story hit so many emotions.  The book has a lot of good vs. evil content without it being graphic and harsh.  Because of the length (425 pages) of the book it will be a good read for the student who reads quickly and loves a challenge.  However, if your child is a struggling reader this is a great book to read with them as both of you will enjoy the plot.  The book resembles The Unfortunate Events series but is much better.  You really need to put this book in the hands of a child somewhere!

I have a copy to give to a lucky reader and this would be a great Christmas gift!

•  Comment on who you would give this book to
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Good luck contest ends 11/5

Retails for $12.99

Buy		Read

Book Synopsis from the back of the book

In this hilarious, yet amazingly insightful book, discover the secrets behind why guys and girls think and act so differently. Guys’ brains have little compartments like a waffle, and there they keep most aspects of their lives separated. Girls brains are like spaghetti, because they tend to keep everything in their lives connected. Learn how to talk so a “waffle” will listen, and how to understand the “spaghetti-ish” conversations that you will encounter your entire life. Learning about waffles and spaghetti will make a difference in real-lilfe issues like dating, sex, friendships, body language, and communication skills of every kind. So dig in for the insights you’ve been craving.

This book is full of information for the young teen.  There is good humor in the presentation of the information in this book.  The ideas are easy to understand and make sense.  I think this will be a good read for teens starting to date or before they even start.  It will help open up the discussions for parents about what they expect and believe should and should not happen during the teen years with the opposite sex.

*Disclosure: This book was provided to the Mama Buzz site and Mama Buzz reviewers, free of charge, in exchange for today’s blog tour*

Summary:
Pastor Jason Faircloth knows what he believes. His clear faith, in fact, is why he is one of the most prominent pastors in Atlanta . He relies on it to discipline his daughter, his wife, his church. He prays daily that others would come to see God’s ways as he does.

And it is about to cost him everything.

Groping for answers in the face of tragedy, Jason begins a search for the only family he has left: the granddaughter kept hidden from him. Soon he finds himself on an international adventure that will take him straight into the depths of his soul. He is determined not to fail again.

A fast-paced suspense novel rich in spiritual depth, Wisdom Hunter explores what it means to break free of Christian legalism—and discover why grace can mean the difference between life and death.

Author Bio:
Randall Arthur is the bestselling author of Jordan’s Crossing and Brotherhood of Betrayal. He and his wife have served as missionaries to Europe for over thirty years. From 1976 till 1998, he lived in Norway and Germany as a church planter. Since 2000, he has taken numerous missions teams from the United States on trips all over Europe . Arthur is also the founder of the AOK (Acts of Kindness) Bikers’ Fellowship, a group of men who enjoy the sport of motorcycling. He and his family live in Atlanta , Georgia .

My Thoughts:
I do a lot of reading and this book amazed me.  I do enjoy a good suspense book but this one tops my expectations.  I had a difficult time putting this book down and I have already seen my husband fall asleep with it in his hands because he was staying up way too late trying to get more of it read not because he is bored.  I love the way that this book shows how we sometimes put God in a box and don’t allow him to work through us because of our own ideas.  This would be a great gift for a dad or a mom who loves a little action.

An ultra-secret global elite, functioning as a very real shadow government, controls technology, finance, international law, world trade, political power, and vast military capabilities. These unnamed, unrivaled leaders answer to no earthly authority, and they won’t stop until they control the world.

In Shadow Government, prophecy expert Grant Jeffrey removes the screen that, up to now, has hidden the work of these diabolical agents. Jeffrey reveals the biblical description of Satan’s global conquest and identifies the tools of technology that the Antichrist will use to rule the world.

Readers will have their eyes opened to the real power that is working behind the scenes to destroy America and merge it into the coming global government. Armed with this knowledge, readers will be equipped to face spiritual darkness with the light of prophetic truth.

Author Bio:
Grant R. Jeffrey is the internationally known prophecy researcher, Mideast expert, and author of Countdown to the Apocalypse, The New Temple and the Second Coming, The Next World War, and twenty other best-selling books. He is also the editor of the Prophecy Study Bible. His popular television program, Bible Prophecy Revealed, airs weekly on TBN. Jeffrey earned his master’s and PhD degrees from Louisiana Baptist University . He and his wife, Kaye, live in Toronto .

My Thoughts:
This book talks about a lot of biblical prophecies and how they relate to our government.  The era of being watched is here and this book provides a lot of interesting facts on current and past events.  This book would be good for a tech loving person or anyone who is interested in the antichrist.

Would you love to win this set?  You can just do one or more of the following.

• Let me know what your favorite book genre is.
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This contest ends 11/5 and is open to US only.

* Copies of these books were provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review

1. Visit Dawn Hall’s website and tell me what you love about it!

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Have a great day and good luck.  Contest ends 11/5