Family Force Five {FF5} review + giveaway

I was not paid for this post, however Family Christian did send me a copy of Time Stands Still to listen to and review. Plus they are giving away an appreciation certificate to one reader. The links below are not affiliate links. As always, the opinions expressed below are my own.

image source

 

When we took the kids to WinterJam a month or so ago they were totally mesmerized when Family Force Five came out wearing wacked out suits and audience members stood up and started dancing all crazy to "Crank it Like a Chainsaw."  The "party" they threw at this show was what my kids talked about in the few days following.

source

When I saw that I had a chance to review their latest album "Time Stands Still," I jumped at the chance. This band is considered "crunk rock" which makes me laugh in itself, but I just love the positivity of their music and my kids love the upbeat party songs.

Josh said, "Mom they're the ones that wore glow-in-the-dark clothes, right?"

No we go down the road singing B-Z-R-K, B-Z-R-K, Go berserk and bouncing along.

Family Force Five

Use the widget below for your chance to win a $10 certificate to Family Christian and you can get your own copy.  Giveaway ends Sunday 5/3.

Family Force Five Review and Giveaway

what i love wednesday {plus a giveaway}

If you haven't tried Chick-fil-A's new Frozen Lemonade, you need to get yourself there in a hurry! Mmmmm! It's so good! Many thanks to #ChickfilaMoms for sending me the coupons. I will most certainly be back for this again!

-----

I picked up The Runner's Devotional from Family Christian the other day. So far it's delightful.

-----

I won the WBFJ Birthday Bundle a month ago and I received several CDs. My most favorite has quickly become Lauren's Daigle's album How Can It Be. I am in love with the song, "Trust in You" and I play it on repeat in the car most days.

Check out her YouTube stuff here.

I'm also loving the Unspoken album. One of the kids had already gotten this for Christmas and then I got another copy when I won the birthday prize. I'd love to send the copy to one of you that is interested. Just fill out the widget below to enter. I'll choose a winner this weekend.

-----

I got this dress at the Old Navy Outlet last week in Myrtle Beach. It was only $12 after the coupons I had and the sale that was going on. It's adorable, comfortable, and stylish. I'm average height, not model tall so it comes to the very top of my knee. I love it.

Win a copy of Unspoken's new CD

unbroken review {+ $25 certificate giveaway}

I was not paid for this post, however Family Christian did send me a copy of Unbroken to read and review and an appreciation certificate. The links below are affiliate links. As always, the opinions expressed below are my own.

My husband and sister both read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand a while back and recommended it to me so I already had it on my To Read list when Family Christian offered to send me a copy to review. This best-selling book is the story about Louis Zamperini, an American runner with a difficult childhood and his fascinating survival of WWII.

Laura Hillenbrand also wrote Seabiscuit which my family loved so I knew if that was any indication then this would be a great book. I was not wrong. This true story will fill your heart with wonder and amazement as you marvel at what our bodies can do and withstand.

You know how sometimes you feel like there's no point in trying anymore? You feel like the enemy is dragging you down over and over again and you don't know how it can possibly happen one more time. I've been there and felt that despair. I've been jobless, depressed, hopeless, and while no, I haven't lost everything like Job did I most certainly have felt the sharks circling the figurative waters near me.

I really felt like God intended for me to read this book. I could relate to so many parts of it and I think at some point we can all say that we have been familiar with that feeling of going through a trial or tribulation and feeling like you're at the bottom. I still can't believe that I actually finished that first marathon. Many of us can speak firsthand about feeling like God used a nobody to do something great. We've all been broken, but God's message is clear; Only He can bring us through suffering to redemption. Louis Zamperini's story will have you rooting for redemption and mesmerized at his despair. This book is one you don't want to skip.

You may have also heard a lot about the movie. It's been in theaters recently and comes out on DVD on March 27th. I think it looks amazing and right now the movie is available for pre-order online.  If you sign up for Family Christian's emails you often get 20% and 30% off coupons or with the 20% off coupon here the book is only $12.80. Also, when you pre-order the Unbroken DVD from Family Christian you get a 3 DVD set called My Hope America for free.

source

Lucky for you, Family Christian has also offered to send one of my readers a $25 gift certificate! You can use it to buy the book, the movie or something else altogether. There are multiple ways to enter. Just use the widget below before Friday. Good luck!




Enter to win a $25 Certificate to Family Christian!


One final bit of good news:
Congratulations to Allison T who was selected as the winner of the Disney Prize Pack.

Our #DisneySide Valentine's Party {+ giveaway}

The kids and I were so excited to host a Valentine's Party to show off our #DisneySide!  I was selected to be a host of a Disney Side @Home Celebration! The idea behind the party was to bring our love of Disney Parks to life. We decided to let our Disney Side shine by hosting a Valentine's party for our family and friends of all ages on Friday evening.

My sister graciously offered her house for the party and I quickly made up some invitations on HP Photo Paper with @MyPrintly. So easy and adorable!

Next we started gathering our Disney things.  I ordered a cake pop maker from Bon Ton and with Shop Runner I got it shipped overnight for free. It made the cutest brownie pops!

We had a fun filled prize table for the guests who participated in the games.

As guests started arriving they got to check out the prize table and talk with one another before we started snacking.

Here is a picture of the food table. Lots of goodies for Valentine's Day and plenty of Disney themed food! We had kettle corn, heart bell peppers and strawberries, Mickey tie-dye cake, Mickey pizzas, and Mickey brownie pops.

The Mickey Mouse pizzas we made disappeared quickly.

and the Mickey Mouse tie-dye cake was a huge hit as well!

At the party we played hot potato with a stuffed Lightning McQueen. This game was great for laughs.

A few guests tested their knowledge with Disney Trivia questions.

One of the sweetest things that happened was when my cousin's son got so excited he'd won a prize that he started jumping up and down. He ran to the prize table and gleefully chose a bottle of princess nail polish and ran back to show his dad. He dad started laughing that he'd chosen nail polish from all of the prizes on the table, but then he excitedly exclaimed, "It's for Mom!" So sweet!

We played Pin the Nose on Olaf (I used this printable to print it poster size).

We played Disney Bingo.

We made Valentine's Day cards for Ronald McDonald House like I mentioned here.

A few guests completed Disney themed activity sheets and coloring pages.

This was so much fun that it might become an annual event in our family. Everyone loves Disney and Valentine's Day is a good time to get together for silly games and treats.

Check out the many ways you can host your own Disney Side @Home Celebration here. There are some really cute ideas!

In addition, if you weren't able to attend I still have several Disney themed prizes leftover from our prize table. I'll select a name on Friday night and the winner will receive a prize pack full of Disney stuff from Disney Parks, Mom Select, and myself. Use the widget below for your chance to win. Good luck and happy Valentine's Day, friends!




Disney Side Prize Pack

Meg's Miles [plus giveaway winner]

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for Overrated. Congratulations to Angela who was selected as the winner! She'll receive a copy of the book from Family Christian soon.

-----

This morning I had the privilege of running 8.7 miles for Meg Menzies with my Fleet Feet training group. Afterward I got to come home and smile at my kids who were glued to their Minecraft games, but somewhere in Virginia there's a husband and three kids whose wife/mom won't come home from her run today.

I feel so blessed.

What are you thankful for today?

do you own a pair of TOMS? [Overrated + giveaway]

As always, the views expressed in this post are entirely my own. I was not compensated for this post other than a $10 appreciation certificate; I was also provided a copy of the book to review and one to giveaway.

Do you donate to charities that you later find out didn't really use your money in the best way that they could have? My mom constantly complains that if you donate to the Salvation Army (or to the Veteran's Affairs or some other such organization that I honestly can't remember) then they'll just spend your donation on mailings asking for future donations. Were you one of the many that read Three Cups of Tea and then later found out most of it was a lie?

Do you own a pair of TOMS? You know TOMS, the shoe company with a One For One philosophy that gives a pair for every pair sold? You might think twice before putting them on your feet next time if you take some time to read Eugene Cho's book Overrated. It's not that owning TOMS are bad (I even have some) or that the author has an anti-TOMS agenda (he even has some), just that his book makes you question all of those "good things" that you do and wonder really how good they actually are.

The road is paved with good intentions; am I right?

But what should we do about the good intentions that we have? Pastor Cho analyzes the answer to this question in his book Overrated.

Let me pause here to say that I find it completely ironic that Family Christian sent me and a few other bloggers Eugene Cho's Overrated to read and review when those of us who do this sort of thing are the ones who potentially stand to be convicted the most. Maybe that's God's sense of humor peeking through?

Cho describes us as the generation who is more in love with the idea of changing the world than actually changing the world. Because we count "likes" and tweet 140 characters and send our shoes to Africa so we can snap a picture of it and go on short-term mission trips to dig wells without really pausing to stop and give it thought... without praying, listening and discerning... His message is that we may be less effective, less powerful, less influential, less instrumental than we think.

So how can we be more effective? By the end of the book Cho tells us what he thinks the answer really is.

---

I was completely challenged by this book.

I was completely inspired by this book.

I will change my thinking as a result of this book.

I want to actually do something, not just think that I'm doing something.

I want my walking to be my preaching.

I want to fascinate, not force people toward the gospel, especially my children.

I want to do a significant thing to change the world and I want that thing to be how I live my life.

"It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching." St. Francis of Assisi

This is one that I'd love for everyone to receive a copy of and read it and think about. It truly is an inspiring book that will make you question your motives and will encourage you to change your typical behaviors. 

Thanks to Family Christian, I can give one copy away. I'll choose one reader on Friday to receive a copy of Eugene Cho's Overrated. For multiple chances to enter, use the widget below.

  Overrated Giveaway

Also, I did want to mention that Family Christian has a great sale going on right now. Lots of good music for just $5!

if you have a tween girl you'll want to read this

As always, the views expressed in this post are entirely my own. I was not compensated for this post; I was provided a copy of the book to review.

For the last three weeks Julianna and I have been reading Truth, Dare or Double Dare: Another Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls every night before bed.  The book is recommended for girls ages 8 - 12 and I think it's perfect for Julianna. She'll be 9 in March and she has no trouble with this level of reading and questioning.

I've started devotionals with her a couple of times in the past that we haven't stuck with and I figured that might be the case with this one as well, but I've given her the option of reading this together some nights or not and she always says, "It doesn't matter, Mom. Whatever." The thing is, when I respond, "Well, what does that mean? Do you want to read it or not?" she always actually comes back and says "Yes." I think she appreciates the brief discussion that the book prompts and I do think she enjoys it.

For three weeks we've done the Monday through Friday reading which includes a Biblical Truth, a Dare, and a Double Dare. The Truth is a a simple statement or Bible truth. The Dare is usually a story, anecdote, or lesson followed by a challenge that's appropriate for tweens. Finally, the Double Dare is one or two challenging questions and something to think about. This part is the hardest for my daughter to do. The Double Dare really makes her think of how she can apply the truth of the lesson to her life. For example, the one we read last night was "What do you use as an excuse to not follow God?" This was after we read a couple of paragraphs about Helen Keller and her relentless faith.

On the weekends the entry in the devotional is a bit longer than the weeknight entries but there is only one for the whole weekend. This works great for us because honestly, sometimes we just get behind and need that extra day to catch up. There's also a spot for journaling if that's something you want to use. Apparently there's a version of this book for boys that I'd like to check out so that Josh and I can read it together in a couple of years.

Ann-Margret Hovsepian's Truth, Dare or Double Dare devotional is a good one. It would make a great gift for the tween girl in your life. In fact, I'm going to make it a goal to continue reading the devotions with Julianna for the rest of 2015 since there's enough devotions for the whole year.

If you've made it all the way to the end of this post, I've got a goodie for one of you to win! Family Christian would like to send one lucky reader a $10 gift certificate in case you'd like your own copy of this book. Use the rafflecopter below for several easy ways to enter. I'll choose a winner on Friday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When the Game Stands Tall: a good fix for your post holiday blues

As always, the views expressed in this post are entirely my own. I was not compensated for this post; I was provided a copy of the movie to keep.

"What is it about a sports movie that can always bring a man to tears?" my husband said quietly as we finished watching When the Game Stands Tall.

We came down with some nasty virus on Christmas Day and the whole family spent the next three days doing nothing but laying around the house in PJs. Fortunately, Family Christian sent me a copy of the movie and we didn't have to go anywhere for some good family entertainment.

When the Game Stands Tall is a movie based on the true story of De La Salle's High School Football coach who led the team on a 151 game winning streak in the '90s. Of course, it's the feel-good sports movie you'd expect but it's also full of inspiring lessons that I'll remember on my runs for a while to come.

Coach Bob Ladouceur preached to his team (and I'm paraphrasing here), "I don't expect perfect plays 100% of the time. What I expect is 100% effort."

Whether you're a football fan or not, whether you can appreciate a feel-good sports movie or not, whether you're giving 100% effort or not, I recommend that you watch When the Game Stands Tall. This true story will help cure your post holiday blues and inspire you. I promise.

"Don't let a game define who you are. Let the way you live your lives do that."

books read in 2014

I've read some pretty good books this year. The ones that stand out to me the most include The Giver series, Wonder, We Were Liars, and all of the Rainbow Rowell books.  Have you read any of those? Do you notice a theme? Here's a big hint: all of my favorite books from this year were written for Young Adults.

I noticed that in the Goodreads Reader's Choice Awards We Were Liars won best book of the year for Young Adults and a Rainbow Rowell book won for Best Fiction so obviously I'm not alone in liking these.

My full list is below but I'd love for you to tell me some good ones to add to my list for 2015.

1. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
2. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
5. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
6. Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke
7. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
8. Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots by Jessica Soffer
9. The Glass Wives by Amy Sue Nathan
10. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
11. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
12. Talk to Me First: Everything You Need to Know to Become Your Kids' "Go-To" Person about Sex by Deborah M. Roffman
13. Is Your Child Ready for School by Judith Kuhn
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
16. Messenger by Lois Lowry
17. Son by Lois Lowry
18. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
19. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
20. True Colors by Kristen Hannah
21. One Second After by William Forstchen
22. Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes
23. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
24. Bingo's Run by James Levine
25. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
26. Pure by Julianna Baggot
27. 10 Things for Teen Girls by Kate Conner
28. Outlaw by Ted Dekker
29. The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau
30. AD 30 by Ted Dekker
31. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
32. The Vacationers by Emma Straub
33. Frog Music by Emma Donoghue
34. The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau
35. The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
36. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
37. The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau
38. The Bear by Claire Cameron
39. The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau
40. Goddess Girls: The Girl Games by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams (for Julianna's book report)
41. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
42. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

So what should I read next? One random person that leaves a comment will receive a book gift from me.

source