Finally an Instruction Manual....

Actually Dave Stone is very clear at the beginning of Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord that it is not an instruction manual. Your only instruction manual for raising your kids is the B-I-B-L-E. However Mr. Stone does a fabulous job of reaffirming us Christian parents and giving us practical guidance as we steer our little ones to following the Lord. His advice goes all the way up to grown up children so no matter what the age of your offspring, this book is for you!

I love the advice in this small book. He speaks directly to moms and directly to dads and to both together. His essential advice is the essential key: LIVE IT OUT. Your children aren't going to "do as I say, not as I do." Truly they are not. Follow the Lord and the Bible to your best ability and so will they. For help along the way turn to this books and books like this. I love keeping this on my nightstand because at the end of the day, when nothing has gone right, and I couldn't wait until bedtime arrived, I can pick it up and read a few pages for affirmation and for a little fuel to face the day tomorrow.

Your kids are precious, your time with them is limited, remember how to make it count.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sweet Freedom Just in time for Summer

I was so happy to be picked to host a Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom House Party!!! We had a double birthday party coming up and I knew that would be the very best time to try out this new line of ice cream with no sugar added! The party was wonderful with kids and adults running in and out, eating, playing, and of course tearing up all the desserts! We had strawberry bread, cheesecake, and birthday cupcakes to go with the 6 flavors of Sweet Freedom that we sampled. The ones I choose were : Mint Chocolate Chip, Banana Split, Bunny Tracks, Butter Pecan, Fudge Lite Bars, and Krunch Lite Bars. All the adults could say was "WOW." It was hard to believe that there was less sugar. Most of the flavors we tried tasted just like the full sugar versions!

Homemade strawberry bread with the FANTASTIC Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom Banana Split Ice Cream. My favorite by far!

Beth liked hers!

So did Amanda!

The kids devoured the whole container of Mint Chocolate Chip!

Cambri picked a Fudge Lite bar.

The big 1 yr old was ready for a nap!!!

Thank you House Party and Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom for a great party!

I received a party pack from houseparty.com for the purpose of this sampling party. I was not required to write a positive review.

My Little Performance Artist

Sweet Apple getting ready to go into her choir performance. She was so excited! I will say she was disappointed that she could not wear a dress but since they were going to be sitting criss cross on the floor I had to veto that idea.....

She did such a great job and she's so excited about doing more of this for camp and next semester.

She is certainly talented in the artistic/ musical/ dramatic areas. Great job Apple!

Honey Bunches of Yum!

Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted is fantastic! I've told you before the kids and I are all about some cereal in the mornings. The 3 of us eat cereal at least 5 days a week and we are always looking for tasty flavors, crunchy texture, and nutrition without it tasting like cardboard. Honey Bunches of Oats with more granola bunches is meeting all our requirements!

Now I will say this HUGE piece of granola cluster had to be broken up before I could eat it but this just shows you how much crunch is in each bowl! The honey roasted flavor is really appealing and so it the appearance and smell (that's important).

In addition to taste Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted contains about 10g of whole grain per serving. Compared to other cereals that contain 9 grams of sugar and more, HB of Oats has only 6. I feel good about eating it myself and feeding it to 2 growing kiddos.

If you love crunch, flavor, and nutrition check out Honey Bunches of Oats. It now comes in Fruit Blends as well! For more information check out Honey Bunches of Oats on Facebook.


I received this product as a Purex Insider for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

Explore Yellowstone with Noah Justice

Noah Justice is back with Epside 2 of Awesome Science. Take a journey with Noah on this DVD special to learn all about Yellowstone Park from a Biblical perspective. This DVD teaches your children so many things about America's first national park with a special emphasis on the petrified forests. Noah teaches your children that the flood had an effect on volcanos. The effects on these volcanos caused many of the wonders that some consider evolutionary in nature. In fact most of Yellowstone's signs point to evolution but Awesome Science points to God and His historic account.

I love watching my children learn more and more about the mighty God we serve. Series and curriculums like these lead Apple to say things on a recent camping trip like "I'm just enjoying God's beautiful creation." It's so important that we don't let these opportunities slip through the cracks. If you are afraid you don't know enough answers to teach your children the difference in evolution and creationism then I encourage you to pick up the whole Awesome Science series. Make sure you get the study guides as well. They help you break down the DVD into smaller sections and the fill in the blanks and other activities help ensure your child has grasped the information.

Find out more here about the series: http://www.newleafpublishinggroup.com/product_info.php?products_id=940

I received this product from New Leaf Publishing for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

Operation Smile

Operation Smile •Click here and ‘Like’ Operation Smile on Facebook Operation Smile is an international children's medical charity that heals children's smiles, forever changing their lives. Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft — often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places these children are shunned and rejected. And in too many cases, their parents can't afford to give them the surgeries they need to live a normal life. Since 1982, Operation Smile — through the help of dedicated medical volunteers — has provided more than 2 million patient evaluations and over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. With your help, how many lives can we change tomorrow? Important Links ◦Click here to watch the video showing the impact of Operations Smile’s work around the globe ◦Visit Operation Smile to learn more about the organization and how your support helps ◦Click here and ‘Like’ Operation Smile on Facebook Posted as a member of Simley360.

Old Navy Shorts are in Season!

Guess who got new shorts? This girl!! A special thanks to Old Navy and Crowdtap for another FABULOUS sample and share! I just love being a member of the Old Navy Style Council! So for this fantastic opportunity I was again able to go into my local Old Navy store (that has the BEST customer service) and try on all their shorts until I found the pair that was perfect for me! I was also able to give my good friend Betty a coupon so she could have the same experience. Unfortunately we were unable to go together but separately we got some really cute duds! I picked the denim bermuda shorts. I'm so happy with them! They are modest, go great with a variety of tops and accessories, and fit great! I've worn them several times already and love em! Betty went with a shorter denim short and they are so flattering on her! We were both thrilled with the experience. There were so many shorts that I liked that I had a really hard time choosing. In fact I ended up buying a whole outfit on top of my free shorts!

Even better now through 6/6 Old Navy shorts are on sale! Check them all out at oldnavy.gap.com! I received a free product for the purpose of review from Crowdtap and Old Navy. All opinions are my own.