Noah by Mark Ludy

I received Noah: A Wordless Picture Book free from  Handlebar Publishing to review.  All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Noah: A Wordless Picture Book by Mark Ludy is a beautifully illustrated book depicting the story of Noah from the Old Testament.  Unlike the movie Noah that recently hit the theaters, this book follows the story from the Bible closely and is appropriate for all ages.

I thought it was a neat idea, since I have not encountered many books without words (especially ones that can be used by older children).  You could read the story of Noah straight from the Bible and then let your kids re-tell the story using their own words by following the pictures in this book.  My husband wasn't too thrilled when I showed him it didn't have words, but I think he just didn't want to work at telling the story himself, lol.

The illustrations are colorful and captivating.  Page after page of amazing artwork.  Mark Ludy is a true artist.  I almost want to tear the pages out to frame and put on the wall.

I think this book is something different.  A good kind of different that can cultivate the love of telling stories in your children.  Every page is like a movie frozen on the page, awaiting to reveal the stories within the pictures to whoever encounters them.

If you would like to connect with Mark Ludy you can find him on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumbler.

Eli- 7 Month Update!

I'm 7 Months Old!

So, I've done it again....Eli is almost 9 Months Old and I'm just writing his 7 and 8 Month Updates.  I have pictures to remember these months, but they are going by so fast that I feel like I'm forgetting so much.  All I know is each day is getting better and better.  Eli is such a sweet boy.  Hopefully, I can some what accurately remember what he was doing in these months.  I want to treasure every moment.

Here is Eli's update from 6-7 Months.

Stats:
I really have no idea.  His next well baby visit is at 9 months.

He wears 6-9 Month/9 Month Clothing and Size 3 diapers.

Eating/Sleeping:
Eli is still breastfeeding.  He also eats 4 ounces of baby food a day.  His new foods include green beans, carrots, yogurt, pear, white potato, asparagus, and oatmeal. 

Chewing on some ice chips

Eli is back and forth with his sleeping.  Some nights he sleeps through the night and others he wakes up (most likely from teething pain).

Special Memories:
Eli sure has quite the personality!  He smiles frequently and loves playing with his mama.  He still loves to eat, but has refused his first food!  He likes everything except asparagus.  Lol.  We are still working on sitting up, but he does it better than before.

I've been having to put socks on his hands when I nurse him because he tries to scratch his head really hard!

He hit a big milestone this month....his first 2 teeth came in (the lower middle ones).

He likes to make noises and talk.
 
His favorite toy is probably the remote or our phones...both of which he is not supposed to be playing with!

For Eric and I's anniversary we took a weekend trip to Hilton Head, SC.  It was Eli's first trip to the beach and he loved it...especially trying to eat the sand!

First time in the ocean

 A few more picture's from the month!

Pulling up in his pack n play

The Hardest Peace Book Review and Giveaway

About the book:

Kara Tippetts knows the ordinary days of mothering four kids, the joy of watching her children grow…and the devastating reality of stage-IV cancer. 

In The Hardest Peace, Kara invites readers to see the grace of the everyday in all seasons of life and to live well even when the living is hard. This book is an invitation to join her in moving away from fear and control and toward peace and grace. Just as the thousands of people who read her blog know, Tippetts explores the hardest questions of life with rare beauty and honesty. Most of all, she draws them back to the God who is present, in the ordinary and the suffering, and shapes every life into the best story of all.

About Kara:

Kara Tippetts and her husband, Jason, have four children and are planting a church in Colorado Springs, CO. Cancer is only part of Kara’s story. Her real fight is to truly live while facing a crushing reality. She blogs faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com.

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Review:  I knew from reading the description that this was a book I wanted to read.  I wanted to know her story, her faith, and how she handles hard times.  I wondered how I would handle such a situation.  Would my faith sustain me?  Would God really be enough for me?

 

Kara Tippetts is a brave, faithful, and Good-seeking woman.  Her story will draw you in and her dependence on God will intrigue you to keep reading.  She humbly describes with honesty the difficulty of her journey with cancer- her brokenness made beautiful through the grace of Jesus Christ.  

 

This book is not just for those affected personally by cancer.  We all have life situations we struggle to endure.  Kara will have you thinking deeply about what is important in this life and how you will choose to live it.  I love how she turns to scripture to reveal truth in her life.  This is definitely a book you will want to read.  Thank you Kara for giving us the privilege to share in your journey.

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I just recently listened to Kara and her husband, Jason, on the Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast.  You can find this broadcast on Living Faithfully with Cancer HERE (Part 1) and HERE (Part 2).  

 

You can hear more from Kara on her blog, instagram, and twitter:

Kara’s Blog: mundanefaithfulness.com

Follow her on Instagram: http://instagram.com/tippetts

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mother_to_many

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GIVEAWAY:

Flyby Promtions has generously provided a copy of Kara Tippetts' book The Hardest Peace for you to WIN!  Just use the easy peasy Rafflecopter widget below to enter.  Giveaway ends 10/22 at 12AM ET.  (US and CANADA Only)

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. 

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Adventure Bible for Toddlers Review

Book Description

The Adventure Bible for Toddlers starts children ages 2-5 on the journey of a lifetime, teaching them about the Bible’s great stories and themes. It helps young children grow in their relationship with God using stories and art from the wildly popular Adventure Bible Storybook. With ten beautifully illustrated and beloved Bible stories from the Old and New Testament, this sturdy padded board book will stimulate toddlers’ minds and fill their hearts with love for their heavenly Father.

About the Author
Catherine DeVries is a writer and editor. She has been influential in the development of many bestselling children’s Bibles and Bible storybooks including The Adventure Bible, The Beginner’s Bible and the Jesus Storybook Bible. She is also the author of My Time with God and many articles that have been published in professional magazines and journals. Catherine lives with her husband and three children in Colorado.

Review:  The Adventure Bible for Toddlers is a great starter Bible.  The stories are very short, but are a great starting point for little learners who are just beginning to understand the truth found in the stories of the Bible.  I like that before the story begins it tells you the book, chapter, and verses the stories were taken from, so you can go back and read them the verses from the Bible or learn more about the story yourself.

There are colorful illustrations on every page, depicting the story, and one of my favorite features is that it is a board book!  It has a nice plushy cover and back, with board book pages in between.  Perfect for small, sometimes messy hands.  I will say though I let my baby play with the book and it got a little wet from his slobber, making some of the pages stick and come off a bit.

Overall, I think it is a great resource for beginning to share your love of the Bible with your child.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.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.” 

#VSSportBra Review

I received a beautiful pink striped box in the mail with complimentary products to review from Influenster and the Victoria's Secret Sport line.  The #VSSportBra Vox Box contained the Incredible Sport Bra, Knockout Crop work out pants, and coupons to share with friends. #VSSportTester

I love Victoria's Secret bras and was very excited to try out their new sport bra.  I have one of their sport bras already, but this one was appealing to me because it had a lot more padding and support.

I am finally starting to get back into working out after having my baby (8 months later), lol.  Before I was pregnant, I started a running plan (even though I really had never ran in my life), but dropped it right after I found out I was pregnant.  So...now I'm starting it back again!  I ran pushing Eli in my jogging stroller in one hand and the leash of my dog in the other.  It is possible!  And of course, I wore my new VS Sport Bra out to test!  Here's what I thought...

The Incredible by Victoria's Secret Sport Bra fit me pretty well.  I may have gotten the band size a little larger, but it is pretty true to size.  Like a lot of sport bras, it was a little difficult to get over my head.  I think I would LOVE the new Incredible Front-Close Sport Bra because it has a front zipper to secure the bra.  No more trying to pull a tight bra over your head.  Great idea.

I didn't love the color I received.  I would have much preferred a solid color for matching purposes, but some people may like the flowers.

I thought the Incredible Sport Bra was very comfortable while running.  It gave me great support and didn't show my sweat.  Overall, I really liked the #VSSportBra.

I got the Victoria's Secret Knockout Crop Pants in size small.  I would definitely purchase a size bigger; they seem to run small.  Sports pants are supposed to be tight, but I think these were just a little too tight.  This may be because they come up to mid stomach and that is where all the leftover baby weight is currently residing.  When I ran it pushed on my stomach and was a little uncomfortable.

Besides getting the wrong size, I think the pants are great.  I love the crop style.  They were easy to run in and the body-wick feature kept them cool and dry even though it was hot and I was definitely sweating.  I actually really liked the gray color and the texture of the fabric (very smooth).

Overall, I really enjoyed both products from Victoria's Secret Sport line.  If I had the right size and could pick out my colors then I would be a happy fitness mama.  Thanks Influenster!!

"This is a sponsored blog post. Influenster provided me with complimentary Victoria's Secret products to test and review as part of a contest." If you would like to join Influenster to test new products and share your opinions, then add your e-mail address in the comments and I'll send you an invite!