I Heart Keenwah ~ or Quinoa

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

I received a small sample of the Ginger and Peanut snack from I Heart Keenwah in exchange for my honest opinion.

 

Do you spell it keenwah ~ or quinoa? No matter how you spell it, quinoa is one of my new favorite healthy foods. Although my basic quinoa recipe repertoire is sadly lacking in creativity, there are two ways that I typically like to eat my quinoa.

 

For breakfast I love quinoa with a little cinnamon, vanilla, and some craisins or raisins added in. For lunch {warm or cold} with some fresh basil, feta cheese and some chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.

 

This last week I tried a new fun {and nutritious} snack from I Heart Keenwah, a crunchy and sweet treat made with ginger and peanuts. It’s a little spicy and a little sweet all rolled into.

 

The small bite-sized squares are a great afternoon treat when you need a pick-me-up. Although I tried the Ginger Peanut, there are several other flavors available: almond, cranberry cashew, and chocolate sea salt. While I enjoyed the crunchy ginger and peanut bites, I am very certain I will enjoy the other flavors as well {grins}.

ingredient list: organic quinoa (whole grain quinoa, quinoa flakes, quinoa crisps), peanuts, tapioca syrup, raw sugar, crystallized ginger (ginger, cane sugar), honey, almond oil, baking soda, salt

 

The snack-sized bags from I Heart Keenwah can be purchased directly through their website. Order in quantities of twelve and shipping is free!

 

Do You Heart Keenwah?

 

I would love it if you would share your favorite way to enjoy quinoa!! Leave a comment and let me know!

 

A Mile in His Shoes {Movie Review & Giveaway}

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

On his way to recruit a new player for his minor league baseball team, coach Arthur 'Murph' Murphy {Dean Cain} runs off the road and uses the phone at a local farmhouse to call for help. While there, he witnesses their son’s ‘golden arm’ and convinces the family to allow Mickey {Luke Schroder} play for his team. His parents remains unsure about the situation, since Mickey has Asperger’s syndrome, but the coach is convinced that it will work and benefit not only Mickey but the team as well.

A quick video clip from A Mile in His Shoes:

My Thoughts

Our girls are getting to the age where they want to watch movies that are more ‘real life’ based and often I am at a loss to find movies that are clean and provide a redeeming story line. A Mile in His Shoes is one that I am happy to add to our collection and am not worried about the kids watching without me there. This is a movie that will also encourage conversation about how we treat others and encourage others who may not be just like us, and also how they may influence and change our view of things.

Find Out More
A Mile in His Shoes is now available for purchase through Amazon for $9.99 or as a rental for $3.99.

The Giveaway
Would you like to win a copy of A Mile in His Shoes? I have one copy to mail to one of my readers! Use the widget below {blog feed readers will need to click over and visit the blog to enter}.  The giveaway will be open until Wednesday, January 25th at 12:01 am.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: This movie was provided for review by Fly Propeller. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own. I do not need to return this movie, nor was I paid for this review.

 

Israel Gets a King ~ What’s in the Bible 6 {Review & Giveaway}

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

I do believe that out of all of the What’s in the Bible? dvds….we have a favorite one now. Israel Gets a King! has been seen and repeated verbatim in our household a LOT over the last week, thanks to the creativity of the Phil Vischer and friends.

Israel Gets a King! covers the books of 1 and 2 Samuel and looks at the first three kings of Israel: Saul, David and Solomon. It focuses on God’s promise to David and how that promise impacts the salvation story. Through the stories and examples of the kings, children learn the importance of what happens when they make mistakes and what repentance and forgiveness mean.

DVD 5, Israel Gets a King!, features two 25-minute episodes:

Part One: “The People Want a King!” Covering 1 Samuel and the life of Saul as Israel’s first king.

Part Two: “Kings Make Mistakes Too!” Covering 2 Samuel and the first chapter of 1 Kings, including the reigns of King David and his son, King Solomon.

The Man Behind the Series

Phil Visher has been creatively teaching kids {and adults} about the Bible for years, through series such as Veggie Tales and now What’s in the Bible? This new series strives to walk kids through the entire Bible using a fun cast of characters and creative ways, bringing the Bible to LIFE with humor, animation, and fun songs. The What’s in the Bible? series will feature a collection of 13 dvds.

Our Thoughts

You know what has completely enthralled my boys? In the story of David and Saul, Saul turned to the ‘Dark Side’…and there were light sabers involved. My boys are now hooked.  This is just a quick peek for you…

As I was watching along with the kids, I couldn’t stop laughing, especially at the creative use of popsicle stick puppets ~ it will forever make me smile when thinking about Saul chasing David. :)

Find Out More

You can order the What’s in the Bible? dvds from their website, order it through Amazon or pick it up at your local Christian bookstore. Downloads of episodes are also available from the What’s in the Bible? website.

The Giveaway

Would you like to win a copy of Episode #5 ~ “Israel Gets a New King”? Leave a comment on this post ~ be sure to include your email address!  The giveaway will be open until Tuesday, May 24th at 8pm.

I was provided this product in exchange for my honest review of the product. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own…or my children’s.

Flag Page Game ~ Review & Giveaway

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Several months ago I heard about the Kids Flag Page Game from Family Matters from another blogger. The game intrigued me, because it was put together by the author of a book that I have wanted to sit and read for a long time ~ Dr. Tim Kimmel.

This phrase in particular from the game caught my attention:

The Kids Flag Page Game is a fun way for moms and dads to interact with their kids and truly discover the heart of each child—who God created them to be.

Being able to play a game with my kids and discover more about their hearts and desires ~ THAT is something that I definitely wanted to do.

About Kids Flag Page

Overall, the game is easy to play and the concept great ~ you determine your child’s personality type ‘country’ through a series of 36 motivation cards. Your child can belong to one of four countries: Control, Fun, Perfect, and Peace.

Your child sorts through the 36 motivation cards and sorts them to describe herself as Always, Sometimes, or Never. Each card has a short description on the card to help your child understand what it means ~ and your child is to sort the card without parental input {gasp!}. Once the cards are sorted, your child picks out the top six favorite cards. Parents then work out numerical scores to determine a Home Country for their child as well as an Adopted Country {the country that is their next dominant personality trait}.

Once you have determined your child’s personality type, you can learn more about it in the book included with the game. The book provides tips and strategies for parenting a child with that personality type, along with pitfalls that can accompany that personality ~ giving you a ‘heads up’ for things to look out for and boundaries that you can establish for certain personalities.

Playing the Game

I sat down one afternoon with our three oldest to play Kids Flag Page Game with them and try to gain a little more insight into their personalities. Laurianna’s results came out pretty much as I expected them to…and she even further solidified her Home Country {completely unaware} when she illustrated her score card. :)

I then played the game with McKenna and Zachary. That would be about the point that I thought I had somehow managed to break the game.  Both of their ‘home countries’ came up as Peace.

If you have met either McKenna or Zachary, you know full well that something was wrong with those descriptions.

After talking to some ladies from Family Matters, I was encouraged to sit down with both of them and try again. While I didn’t push them in any direction, I did give them a little more insight into each of the motivation cards and what they meant. The results were MUCH better the second time around.

What I most appreciate about the game is the follow-through that the go-along book provides for the different personality types. I’ve learned much more about things that I can do as a parent for each of my children to encourage their hearts and also things that I need to be careful about so that I don’t crush their spirit and their hearts.

Find Out More

Kids Flag Page Game can be purchased directly from Family Matters. It is designed for children ages 6-11 to do together with a parent. There is an online Flag Page that children 12 and older can use {or adults}.

The Kids Flag Page includes:

• Game Board
• Instruction Booklet
• 36 Trait Game Cards
• 4 Countries of the World Chart
• Kids Flag Page Book by Dr. Tim Kimmel
• Supplies for 3 Kids Flag Pages
  • Score Cards
  • Stickers

WIN IT!!!

Family Matters has offered to give away a complimentary Kids Flag Page Game to one of my readers!!  To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me one of your favorite parenting resources. I will use Random.org to select the winner on Tuesday, December 21, 2010. Giveaway is open to US residents only.

What is Hanukkah? {and a Giveaway!!}

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Today, I’m excited to share video 8 of 12 in the What's in the Bible? 12 Questions of Christmas Blog Tour. Check out www.whatsinthebible.com each day to find the location of the next video in the series. Clive and Ian are answering questions each day and today they explain a little more about what Hanukkah is. Tune in below to hear what they have to say!

What is Hanukkah?

 

What's in the Bible? is the new 13-DVD series from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer designed to walk kids and families through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. DVDs 1-4 (Genesis - Ruth) are available now. Check out www.whatsinthebible.com to learn more.

We are big fans of the What’s in the Bible? DVDs at our house. They’ve traveled on vacation with us and as a mom, I love that adults can even enjoy them {if not learn a little something from them! Only Phil Visher can make the books of Numbers and Leviticus FUN for kids and have them walk away learning something they will remember.

I’ve listed a few additional resources below, but be sure to check out the rest of the videos in the What's in the Bible? 12 Questions of Christmas Blog Tour! Our kids are crowding around me every day to see them!

~ My review of What’s in the Bible 1 & 2

~ My review of What’s in the Bible 3

~ Visit the What’s in the Bible blog

~ What’s in the Bible Facebook fan page

Giveaway: What’s in the Bible? DVD #1 “In the Beginning”

The folks from What’s in the Bible? have offered FOUR copies of “In the Beginning” DVD to give away to four of my readers! To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me your favorite part of Christmas.

I will use Random.org to select the four winners on Friday, December 17, 2010. Giveaway is open to US residents only.

 

LOVING Lark Rise to Candleford

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Just like I was swept away by the ladies of Cranford, the BBC series Lark Rise to Candleford has me completely distracted. It is a wonderfully done series which means even though I’ve almost finished watching the first season, there are two more seasons to follow.

Lark Rise to Candleford takes place at the end of the 19th century, and it follows the stories of two very different communities ~ the small little town of Lark Rise and the bustling town of Candleford.  The series focuses on Laura, a girl who leaves her small town to work with the post mistress there.

I am LOVING the humor, costumes, acting…very well done on so many different levels and one that I’m happy to have as a part of my period drama collection ~ and one that I’m glad to have nearby while I’m sitting and ‘resting’. :)

Personalized Christmas Cards from Studio DaySpring

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

As much as I hate to admit it, we haven’t sent out Christmas cards in years. Many, many years.

Received, yes. Sent…no.

This year we are actually ahead of the game and have our Christmas cards printed and ready to go, thanks to Studio DaySpring. While I was at Relevant Conference, Dayspring had many of their products on display and offered a discount card for our family to create some cards for ourselves and see what we thought about them.

Studio Dayspring has simple and easy templates for you to use so you can quickly design your own Christmas cards. After I took some fall pictures of all of our kids {and weeded out the outtakes}, I went to the Studio Dayspring site and began to browse through the many holiday card designs that they offered…no small task since there are an abundance of choices! The longest part of the process was choosing a card ~ something Rick and I had difficulty doing {ahem}. The designs offer space for either one or multiple pictures ~ which we had several of.

We did finally agree on a design and within 15 minutes had the cards in our shopping cart and then ordered. We chose the Blue Snowflakes design, 5x7 sized card, and I was very surprised when the cards arrived within a week. They turned out WONDERFUL and I am so very excited to start addressing and sending them out! I venture that we’ll have some shocked friends and relatives opening up mailboxes this holiday season too. :)

You can start designing your own cards on the Studio DaySpring site. As a bonus, from now until November 30th, use the code SUPER30 and receive 30% off your order!!

The Way Home DVD ~ Review & Giveaway

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

  From the Producer

Dean Cain stars as Randy Simpkins, a husband and father torn between the demands of his job and commitment to his family. Asked by his wife Christal to watch their two-year-old son Joe for a few minutes, Randy is distracted by work and Joe disappears. Racked by guilt, Randy joins Christal in a desperate search for their missing son alongside hundreds of others from their church and community. Randy and Christal’s strained marriage must now weather the ultimate test—the potential loss of a child. THE WAY HOME is the story of Randy's powerful spiritual journey back to love, faith and a Godly understanding of what must always take first priority in a man's life—his family.

Here’s a peek at the movie trailer.

My Thoughts

Finding movies that are family friendly and quality can sometimes be a difficult task. The Way Home is based on a true story of a couple whose son wandered off and the eight-hour search that ensued as they hoped to find their son alive. Watching the movie will send any parent on a rollercoaster of emotions ~ especially as it is easy to understand how any parent would feel faced with the possible loss of a child. Throughout the movie, Randy flashes back to points in his relationship with his children and family ~ realizing how his priorities have been misplaced. 

The Way Home is a movie that will run you through a variety of emotions ~ and as one of the characters in the movie said best: “…it restores your faith in the goodness of people.” This movie is rated PG for brief tobacco use and thematic elements.

Find Out More

~ Visit The Way Home movie website

~ Join The Way Home movie Facebook fan page

~ Buy The Way Home dvd at Amazon.

Coming to DVD October 26th with a special pre-release in Christian bookstores on October 5th.

The Giveaway

Would you like to win a DVD copy of The Way Home? I have one copy to mail to one of my readers! Leave a comment on this post ~ be sure there is a way for me to contact you. The giveaway will be open until Wednesday, October 27th at 8pm.

 

This product was provided for review by Lionsgate. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Cause & Effect ~ Adventures in Odyssey {Review}

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Cause & Effect, the latest release from Adventures in Odyssey is full of mysterious disappearances, hilarious radio shows that have ‘guest appearances’, clocks that can’t keep time and are linked to circumstances that happened a long time ago. Each episode drives home great morals and leaves listeners with morsels of truth to take away from the stories. Cause & Effect features 12 new stories including: The Mystery of the Clock Tower {be sure your sin will find you out}, A Thankstaking Story {being thankful}, Grandma’s Christmas Visit {the true meaning of Christmas}, the Owlnapping {only God has the true power}, and An Agreeable Nanny {responsibility}.

My Thoughts

I know I’ve said it before, but Adventures in Odyssey are something that our entire family enjoys {mom and dad included!}. We’ve been on a tv fast over the last few weeks and the disks arrived just in time. When Cause & Effect arrived in our mailbox, the kids couldn’t wait to get in the van and start listening. About 1/2 hour into ‘The Mystery of the Clock Tower’, the first adventure on the cd, McKenna just sat in the backseat and said, “This is the most exciting Adventures in Odyssey EVER!”.

That pretty much sums up how we feel about the new adventures ~ we love them!

Find Out More

~ Visit the Whit’s End website

~ Join Focus on the Family’s Facebook fan page

~ Buy Cause & Effect on Amazon.

This book was provided for review by Tyndale. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

NOVICA ~ Review & $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway!!!

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Both of our girls have learned to play chess over the last few years and we’ve managed to go through several cheap plastic chess sets along the way. Finding a quality chess set that we can use for years to come has been on my list…but didn’t happen until just recently.

NOVICA contacted me about reviewing a product for them and offering a giveaway to my readers…and I knew right away what I wanted to do {keep reading for the giveaway}! NOVICA is a company associated with National Geographic where you can find thousands of fair trade gifts and home decor items from artisans around the world. They showcase a range of items that can be used as corporate gifts or a just a little something special for a friend {or yourself}.

I ordered the Wood Chess Set and waited for my package to be shipped ~ from India! Over the course of 10 days I received tracking notices with the progress of my package. The set was ordered on July 18th and arrived on my doorstep July 27th. When I opened up the box, this is what was wrapped and ready for me…

Isn’t it pretty? Laurianna grabbed the ribbon and post card and after unwrapping the package, I pulled out a gorgeous chess set. The board is made from sheesham and kadam woods and folds in half.

The inside of the box is velvet lined and stores all the pieces nicely {so even I can figure out where they belong and what we are missing!}. Each of the pieces has a magnet to hold it on the board, which comes in very handy in our house. The girls were excited when I was finished taking pictures…and quickly ran off with it to play chess together.

Loving this beautiful set and am hoping that I will personally be able to take advantage of it…meaning my 5 year old may have to teach me how to play this year!

 

I spent a lot of time browsing the different items that Novica offers through their site…and there are a lot to choose from.  Novica has offered a $50 gift certificate to one of my readers good towards anything on their site!! How wonderful is THAT?

Mandatory first entry: Visit the Novica website and let me know what product you might like ~ maybe some earrings or home decor items. Leave a comment and tell me what you might pick if you win.

For additional entries {leave a separate comment for each entry}:

~ Subscribe to No Ordinary Moments and give yourself an extra entry.

~ Become a friend of Novica on Facebook

~ Follow Novica on Twitter ~ be sure to leave me your twitter name!

~ Send out a tweet about this contest. You can copy/paste the tweet below if you’d like!

@jolantheerb is hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate from @Novica. Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/aSoJl3. Ends 8/18.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The contest will be open until Wednesday, August 18th at 8pm EST and a winner will be chosen using Random.org.

 

Thanks to NOVICA for providing me with the product to review and the giveaway. This review reflects my personal opinions.

Wanderin’ in the Desert ~ What’s in the Bible? DVD 3

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

If anyone can make learning about the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy fun…Phil Visher is the one who can. I had seen little snippets of the video, but wasn’t too sure that it would hold our kid’s interest ~ even though they absolutely loved the first two episodes of What’s in the Bible.

I was oh-so-wrong.

We took What’s in the Bible 3 ~ Wanderin’ in the Desert along with us when we went on vacation and popped it in for all four of our kids {ages 3-9}…and the giggles started and multiplied. I had started reading through the Bible again and was working my way through Numbers while we were watching this ~ and I was laughing along with the kids.

During the 2 25 minute episodes on Wanderin’ in the Desert you’ll learn:

Part 1: Don’t lie, don’t cheat … don’t trim your beard? The Old Testament is full of rules, and some of them are kind of, well, weird. Learn why God gave all these rules to Israel and which ones still apply to us today!

Part 2: What is a Pentateuch? Learn about Israel’s 40-year “time-out” as we finish the first five books of the Bible! Plus, discover why we can believe what the Bible says – even though we weren’t there to see it happen!

{from the What’s in the Bible? website}

Here’s a little peek at the description of Numbers from the Sunday School lady and Pastor Paul:

{Email subscribers can see the video here}

You can order the What’s in the Bible? dvds from their website, order it through ChristianBook.com or pick it up at your local Christian bookstore. Downloads of episodes are also available from the What’s in the Bible? website

A few other resources:

~ My review of What’s in the Bible 1 & 2

~ Visit the What’s in the Bible blog

~ What’s in the Bible Facebook fan page

~ Follow What’s in the Bible on Twitter

This product was provided for review by Tyndale House. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own…or my children’s.

Sue Gregg & Whole Grain Baking

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

A few years ago a stack of cookbooks showed up under the Christmas tree for me courtesy of my husband. At the time, I was super thrilled they were a gift…although I was happy to get my hands on them. There was, however, one book missing that I REALLY wanted to use ~ An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking.

Over the last three years we’ve slowly {but surely} been changing things in our diet and using whole grains in just about everything that we make. Bread was the first step and little by little we’ve replaced enriched products {rice, sugars, etc…} with a healthier counterpart. Much of the information that I’ve gathered and based our decisions on has been because of Sue Gregg’s Cookbooks. Her cookbooks contain

“…over 800 recipes using wholesome ingredients as whole grains instead of refined flour, honey instead of white sugar, olive oil, coconut oil, and butter instead of hydrogenated fats along with fresh wholesome fruits and vegetables…  Tested, tasty, appetite appealing whole foods recipes with allergy alternatives are her specialty. These recipes will help you ease your family into healthier whole foods fare.”

~ from SueGregg.com

An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking introduces the two-stage process ~ a process of soaking, sprouting, or fermenting grains before baking that helps release more nutrients so that our bodies can better absorb them. It helps reduce sensitivity to certain grains, food digest better, and overall makes for healthier cooking.

In addition to providing help on the two-stage process, Sue also gives detailed comparisons on products that we use in cooking along with their benefits and other health information: fats, whole grains, and sweeteners along with allergy alternatives and MANY wonderful recipes for quick breads and yeast breads. The book also includes a powerpoint CD with 30 step-by-step demonstrations of recipes and is the main book for Baking With Whole Grains, a course for high school homeschoolers.

Here’s a peek at the some of the topics covered in An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking:

~ Should We Eat Grains?

~ Quick Shopping Guide for Quality Ingredients

~ Equipment Check List

~ Understanding the Two-Stage Process

~ Evaluating the Importance of the Two-Stage Process

~ Liquids for Baking

        Coconut Milk for Baking

        Almond Milk for Baking

~ Eggs

~ Whole Grains

~ Fats

        Butter

        Coconut Oil

        Olive Oil

        What about Canola Oil?

~ Sweeteners

        Honey

        Sucanat

        What Happened to Crystalline Fructose?

        What About Xylitol?

~ Leavenings

         Homemade Baking Powders

~ Spices & Flavorings

~ Salt

~ Nuts & Seeds

~ The Wonder of Flax Seeds

         Flaxseed Egg Alternative

~ Allergy Alternatives

~ Measuring Techniques

~ Accuracy, Convenience & Safety Habits for Recipe Preparation

~ Getting Started Bibliography

We use numerous recipes from Sue Gregg’s Cookbooks, including a variation of the Blender Batter Pancakes as well as the Parmesan Chicken {from another cookbook}. You can view both of those recipes on Sue’s website where she offers sample recipes as part of Whole Food Cooking Lessons. You can also get a peek at the book with a 46-page excerpt of An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking {$23.00} by clicking here.

Overall, Sue Gregg’s Cookbooks have been a wealth of information for our family {mainly the head cook, really} and have helped in our transition to olive oil and coconut oil, whole grains, using kefir, and discovering alternative grains and seeds to use when cooking. Be sure to check out Sue’s story on how the cookbooks came to be.

Click on the Homeschool Crew banner to read other reviews about this and other products from Sue Gregg Cookbooks.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.

Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze {Book Giveaway}

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

She woke up in a field, remembering nothing about who she was and where she had come from. When she walked into the Crossroads Crisis Center in desperate need of help she could hardly be turned away.

Except she looked so much like the wife of the center’s owner, Ben, that it was odd. Especially since his wife had been murdered five years before. It doesn’t help that the necklace she is wearing belonged to his wife.

Ben isn’t sure how to handle having her at the center, especially when it is apparent that she is in continued danger. There is a connection between them somehow ~ but will they find it in time?

My Thoughts

Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze is a fast-paced novel full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. While I enjoyed the book, it was almost too short for me. There was so much to sort through, many different angles that the story was approached from and in a way seemed ‘rushed’ in some aspects. On the other hand, it made it a fast read that was full of suspense and action. :)

Read more about this book at the WaterBrook Multnomah site.

The Giveaway

Would you like to win a copy of Forget Me Not? I have an extra copy to mail to one of my readers! Leave a comment on this post ~ be sure there is a way for me to contact you. The giveaway will be open until Tuesday, April 20th at 8pm.

 

This book and giveaway were provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Take It From the Top ~ Adventures in Odyssey

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Want to know a secret?

I really don’t get Adventures in Odyssey for my kids. I get them for myself. Truth be told ~ I absolutely love them!

We received Take it From the Top, the 51st album the Adventures in Odyssey series and a lovely 5 hours of audio listening, to review from Tyndale House. The 5 cd set was brought into our van to listen to during our errand running and general driving around town. It definitely gets a 'thumbs up’ from the entire family.

In this series you will learn about:

“Whit’s new invention, the Inspiration Station, and find out why Connie wants to spend so much time in it. Solve mysteries with local sleuth Emily Jones, and learn why 10-year-old Matthew Parker doesn’t think being “target of the week” is such a good thing.

Catch up with Whit, Connie, Eugene, and Wooton, and meet two new families, as they learn lessons about responsibility, revenge, and God-given inspiration. Whether on a baseball field, at home, or at Whit’s End, there’s never a dull moment in the town of Odyssey!”

~ from the Tyndale website

Adventures in Odyssey is a production of Focus on the Family and they produce QUALITY radio theatre drama that portray Christian and family values. The stories themselves are not ‘preachy’ but show through real-life situations how to walk out the Christian faith {well, pretend situations that could be real-life}. The stories and characters will stretch a child’s imagination and faith.

I’ll admit that I was completely wrapped up in the story lines and couldn’t wait to get back into the van myself to listen to what was happening ~ and the kids liked the stories too {grins}. Out of all of the stories, the last one {The Jubilee Singers} was the only one that the kids were neutral on. The story is historical in it’s setting and shows the perseverance of a group of African-American singers that try to save their school from financial disaster by traveling and singing around the country.

We’ll be hanging onto this cd set for some time. They will be wonderful to listen to again, especially for some longer road trips that we have coming up!

This audio book was provided for review by Tyndale. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Book Giveaway ~Beguiled

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

 

Rylee remembers little about her mother and father. Her grandmother raised her after her father’s disappearance and her mother’s death. She now lives in a more undesirable part of Charleston, South Carolina but works as a dogwalker for those in the wealthiest neighborhood.

When someone begins breaking into the homes of many of her clients and stealing possessions, those in the neighborhood are obviously frightened ~ including Rylee, after she walks in on one of the break-ins.

A reporter following the case begins digging deeper into the mystery, but realizes quickly that Rylee is somehow smack in the middle of the mystery. Could she be the one victimizing the neighborhood or is she just another victim in the case?

My Thoughts

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand is a great mix of mystery, history, and a little bit of romance. While the mystery of the thief is prominent to the story, the mystery of Rylee’s past is also very important ~ to her and to the storyline. Both authors worked well together to throw several twists and turns into the story to keep me guessing as to who was behind the break-ins.

I’ve loved the historical romance books from Deeanne Gist {several of them have found a permanent spot on my bookshelf} and this modern day story is another great book from her. It was one that once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down!

The Giveaway

Would you like to win a copy of Beguiled? I have one copy to mail to one of my readers! Leave a comment on this post ~ be sure there is a way for me to contact you. The giveaway will be open until Monday, April 12th at 8pm.

 

This was book and giveaway were provided for review by Bethany House. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.