Choosing Beauty: A 30 Day Spiritual Makeover for Women (Book Review)

In my latest review for the The Catholic Company reviewer program, I read Choosing Beauty: A 30-Day Spiritual Makeover for Women by Gina Loehr.

I was really excited about this book, and liked the idea of it being broken into small sections, which is great for busy Moms.  I was thrilled when the book arrived, and I dove right in.

But, then, unfortunately, it just took me a long time to get through it.  For whatever reason, I just couldn't get into it.  Every so often, I thought I would stop reading it, but then I would get interested in a section, and thought that I was into it.  But, then I would again start to drag through it.  I'm just not sure why.  I think it seems like a fine book, it just wasn't for me, apparently.

Now, that being said, I think I might have enjoyed the book if I had been able to read it as part of a study group.  While the book is set up to be read individually, I think it would really be best as a study group book, even providing discussion questions throughout.  I would love to have been able to dialogue with other women while reading it.

So, grab some friends, grab Choosing Beauty, and make a spiritual journey together.

Review: Activity Bus from Plan Toys

I was recently able to review a toy from an online store called ebeanstalk. Ebeanstalk has great educational toys, as well as educational baby gifts. The toy that my family got to review is called Activity Bus from Plan Toys (a company that makes eco-friendly wooden toys).

The Activity Bus is for kids three and over, due to some small parts. I will admit that when I first saw it, I thought, "This is too young for Molly," as she is almost five. But, as soon as I opened the box, I realized that this was right up her alley.

Molly was excited as soon as I pulled it out. I told her that she was going to be my very important toy tester, and that she had to tell me what she thought of it. I liked that the set not only looked nice, but it felt nice. It was definitely well made and just looked fun.

Molly initially played with it for at least 30 minutes. I walked by several times, and she was happily playing school in the school bus turned school house. This toy was definitely a hit with her!

She and I did both have one issue with it, however, it was difficult to get the people to sit in the desks. While we could get them in (Molly often needed my assistance at first), they did sometimes "pop" back out.

Overall, I would say that this is definitely something that I might give as a gift to someone, but probably not for a younger child (who is over three), just because of the difficulty with keeping the people seated. However, I am really interested in seeing more toys by Plan Toys based on how well made the Activity Bus is.

Disclosure: I received this toy for free to review. Although I was asked to include three specific links, I was not told how to review this toy. I did not receive any compensation for this review other than to keep the toy following the review.

Keeping Track of Taxes for a Small Business Throughout the Year

Someone once asked me, after I told them that I whipped up my taxes so quickly after being totally unprepared to do them how it was that I was so organized throughout the year to be prepared for tax preparation. (I will make note that my "quickly" for taxes was a few hours, because of having to do our personally taxes plus two small businesses.)

My number one best investment into book keeping needs was one year, I went onto Ebay and bought a brand new copy of QuickBooks Simple Start that was a year old. So, obviously, it could no longer be sold for as much, but it still worked just as well. And, years later, it still works!

It is not overly complicated, so I am able to quickly add things in throughout the year, and then I can generate reports that help me whip through (at least some areas of) my taxes, even with two small businesses to add in!

QuickBooks Simple Start definitely works for me!




This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.

The Coolest Homeschooling Zine (An Interview and a Giveaway)

I found out about Around: The Homeschooling Lifestyle Zine originally from Kris, because she was writing for their first issue. I quickly knew this was a sign that I should buy the first issue!


I was thrilled when it arrived! The articles were fun, and it was so cool to be able to take it around with me in my purse while I was reading it. (This zine totally works for me!)


I was then thrilled to be a contributing writer for the latest issue (which was released at that beginning of April), in which I wrote about our love for the Wii Game System.


You can pick up the issue (and the first issue) at Around on Etsy or you can continue reading with my interview with Laura, the editor/publisher of Around and SeaBird Chronicles.com, and you just might win one of four copies that I am giving away! (Yeah, that's right -- I have four issues to give away!)


Can you tell me about your homeschooling journey?

My interest in homeschooling began a couple years before we even had children! At that time my husband was applying for the foreign service and I was looking into what kind of life that would entail - especially for kids who have to be moved around from country to country and school to school so often. I discovered a lot of foreign service families homeschooled so I began researching that option.

That put me in touch with a woman who was starting a Charlotte Mason school and I eventually attended a week-long seminar at the Ambleside School in Fredericksburg. In the end, my husband and I decided against the foreign service, but our interest in homeschooling continued to grow!

Two children later (with a third on the way), we are convinced that homeschooling is the best option for our family, particularly during the elementary years.


What was your inspiration for starting Around Zine?

I started Around Zine late last year. There are few homeschoolers in my community. In fact, nearly all parents here have their children in preschool every day at age two. So I began looking online to find other people who shared my ideas and philosophy toward education. There are so many wonderful homeschool blogs and sites that are full of resources!

But then, having a bit of experience in zine-contributing, I decided to create my own zine community that was more lifestyle-oriented instead of solely practical and academic how-tos.... something fun (both to create and read!) that is also relavant to the daily lives of homeschooling families.

When will the next issue be released, and what can we expect to see in it?

Around Zine is published four times a year... Issue 3 of Around hatches on July 1 and Issue 4 on November 1.

Upcoming articles include:

ATC / ACEO swap and contest
interviews
South Florida Homeschool Convention review
more Unshelved cartoons
book (and audiobook) reviews & giveaways
DIY yogurt
Etsy for/by homeschoolers
reverse Christmas wish list
original illustrations
and all kinds of interesting submissions from homeschooling families world-wide!

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me, Laura!

If you're interested in winning one of four copies of Issue #2, you have three different ways to win (you can do any of them, or all three!):

1. Leave a comment on this post. I would love it even more if you would tell me something interesting in your comment -- a household tip, a homeschooling gem, what you ate for dinner, whatever! It makes it so much more fun than reading, "I'd love to win" with no other comment.

2. Post on your blog about the giveaway or twitter about it! If you do, leave it in a separate comment (than your first one) with a link to the post.

3. Subscribe to the blog by RSS feed (feed reader) or email. If you already subscribe, let me know!

Comments on this post will be open until Thursday, May 14th at 11:59 pm EST.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

photo from Around on Etsy (the Etsy store to buy issues of Around Zine!)

Book Review: Amazing Grace for Survivors (Plus a Book Giveaway!)

The latest book that I received from The Catholic Company through their Reviewer Program was Amazing Grace for Survivors by Jeff Cavins, Matthew Pinto, Patti Armstrong, and Luke Armstrong. I decided to choose this book to review because I had previously purchased Amazing Grace for Fathers for Eric, and he really enjoyed it.

I think that one of my favorite parts of this book is that is was extremely easy to read in short spurts -- something that is vital for me, as it is sometimes difficult for me to really sit down for a few hours to just read. Each story only lasted for around 3 - 11 pages. So, while some took a little bit longer to read, none of them took a great deal of time.

Of course, another thing that I liked about this book was its focus on God's power in our lives, as well as our Catholic faith.

I will note though, I'm a big crier. I can't help it. I cry during Hallmark commercials, I cry when someone around me cries, I cry during the Olympics when any of the athletes look at all moved by winner, and so on.

Why do I share that? Well, it's because I really expected to cry reading this book. As a matter of fact, I almost cried reading the back cover, just anticipating the stories. However, I didn't cry. Not once. Sure, I was moved sometimes. But, there were also stories that I finished and just went, "Okay. That was a fine story." So, I guess that is to say that while I liked the book, and really got into many of the stories, I didn't have the emotional reaction that I expected.

I was really excited when I read the book to see that The Catholic Company's very own Chris Cash (who also organizes all those that do the Review Program) had a story published in the book as well. How exciting! (Especially because Chris is just such a nice guy!)

Thanks again to The Catholic Company for another fun book to review! (It should be noted that I received only the book, with no monetary compensation, in order to review it.)

But, that being said -- now I'd like to pass the book along!

If you are interested in this book, just leave a comment on this post by Saturday, May 9th at 9 pm EST. I'll choose one commenter at random on Saturday night.

photo from The Catholic Company

I Have An All New Look!

If you have followed my blog for a long time, you'll know that this is not the first time that I have changed the look of this blog. Heck -- I think I just did a major overhaul already this calendar year. But, I just wasn't happy and decided that I needed a new look. And, for once, I wasn't going to be the one doing the makeover.

I have been so pleased to be able to work with Darcy from Graphically Designing to come up with a whole new look. Well, okay, I had to keep my header picture, but otherwise, I have an all new look. (And, even though I kept my header picture, Darcy made it look even better than before!)

So, you may say, "Hey Angie -- how is this your tackle for the week? Didn't Darcy do all the work?"

Yeah, Darcy did do all the work. But, I spent a lot of time emailing back and forth with her (because I went with the largest package, so we had a lot to talk about), so I declare this to be my tackle too!

Darcy was fabulous to work with! Not only is she darling and funny, but she's a Catholic homeschooling Mom, just like me! (Bonus!) If you are looking for a blog makeover, you should definitely take a look through her design site. Be warned though -- she is very popular so she has a long waiting list. Oh, and she has just introduced a couple of premade templates that are less expensive, so be sure to check those out too!

Or, if you're just looking for some new great reading material, check out Darcy's blog -- Life with My 3 Boybarians.

Thanks to Darcy for helping me through this week's tackle!

If you read through a Feedreader or email, please take a minute to stop by and check out the new design!

This post has been linked to Tackle It Tuesday and Talk About Tuesday

The Mighty Queens of Freeville

I was recently approached by Hyperion Books to review the new book The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, A Daughter, and The Town that Raised Them.

In a twist of irony for a book about mothers and daughters, when I wasn't able to find the time to read the book, I knew which of my favorite bookworms to go to. Yes, I went to the woman who watched each of my children the moment they were born, the woman who placed the veil on my head on my wedding day, the woman who picked out prom dresses with me, kissed boo boos when I fell, and even took a C-section scar willingly to help bring me into the world. Yes, my dear, dependable, book loving Mom.

So, here, in her blog debut, is my Mom's take on this book...

Despite the fact that “Dear Amy” has 22 million readers, I had not heard of her before reading her book The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them. In our newspaper, we have had Ann Landers replaced by two women whose column is called “Annie’s Mailbox”.


Amy Dickinson had no formal training to earn that job other than the wit and wisdom of life’s lessons she learned along the way being raised by a matriarchal society. As she has written, she “took the long way home” to life’s answers. For some reason, the men always leave in this extended family, leaving the women to raise each other. Her mother was the youngest of four sisters, she is the youngest of three sisters, and she is raising a daughter herself. She invites you into her world writing, “These are the women of my world - The Mighty Queens of Freeville - who have lived small lives of great consequence in the tiny place we call home."


Amy is a down-to-earth person who thrives in her self-described dorkitude and is happy that she has passed this on to her daughter.


No matter where she moves around the world the small town of Freeville is always home and she often ends up back there. She decided most of her life that it was fine to live without a man and stumbles through her path reinforcing that view. She is funny, natural and self sufficient. The book was a nice read and I do recommend it.


Thanks for having my back and taking care of this for me, Mom! I look forward to having some downtime (sometime in my life, right?) and sitting down with this book!

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Hyperion Publishing that I was able to keep. I was not compensated in any other way for this review.

I Am Finally (Kind of) Knitting (aka Loom Knitting is Fun and Easy)

I have really been wanting to learn how to knit. Eric and the kids were nice enough to let me pick out a few things from Amazon.com for my birthday in December, and one thing I got was The Complete Beginner's Guide to Knitting that people were just raving about. (That's also when I got the fabulous Stitch-It Kit that helped me learn to embroider for the first time.)


Anyway, I have to admit -- I haven't opened the DVD yet. But, after months of having a set of Knifty Knitter looms, I finally just broke down and opened the package on Monday evening of this week. Molly was thrilled, since she has been asking me to make her a hat ever since I bought the loom set.


Having never done any knitting (or a loom or otherwise), I was thrilled to put in only a couple of hours, and to end up with a cutie hat that Molly was thrilled with. I also realized that this would be a great activity for older kids, who could easily master the basic loom use after being shown how to do it.


I still definitely want to learn to knit with needles at some point (maybe during the summer when we have more free time), but for now, I'm thrilled to be able to do some loom knitting until then. I have to admit, the whole time I was making the hat, I kept smiling as I watched the hat grow.


I am always thankful when I get to tackle a project that I have been wanting to do for a while, especially when it is something fun!


I'm also thankful that I have a husband who will help me figure out written directions (I'm such a visual learner!), and thankful also for that little girl with a goofy preschool forced grin, because she was so pleased with my homemade hat.


This post was submitted for the following weekly memes: I Am Blissfully Domestic, Tackle It Tuesday, and Gratituesday.

Prayers for Catholic Men

The last time that I was able to choose a book to review as part of the reviewer program at The Catholic Company, I came so close to picking Prayers for Catholic Men. But, then I went ahead and picked Saints at the Dinner Table to review.

When my next choice rolled around, I was so pleased that Prayers for Catholic Men was still one of my choices. I hoped that it might be something that Eric would enjoy, and then I would be able to share his feedback on it.

I was disappointed when it arrived to see that it was such a small book. At just 96 pages, softcover, and with dimensions of 5 x 3.5 x 0.3 inches, it looked like it was hardly going to be worth the retail price of $12.99.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised as I opened the book and started to read the prayers. I thought that they would really appeal to Eric. And, I recognized that a book called Prayers for Catholic Men is for more of a niche market, and, as such, can't rely on mass production to lower its costs.

Just as a I predicted, Eric was interested in the book. As a matter of fact, he loved the book! I have often found him sitting and reading through the prayers. He has commented again and again how much he likes the book, and that he's glad that he has it.

The book has a great variety of prayers -- from praying for your family to praying about work and co-workers (especially for those that are a bit difficult!).

In the end, I even realized that the size of this book has real benefits -- men can easily stick it in a pocket or a briefcase.

I think that this would be a great gift item -- perfect for Easter or if you know someone being received into the Church at the Easter Vigil!

Thanks to the Catholic Company for sharing this great book with us!

When Did I Become a Granola Eater?

I was recently contacted by Kim from Zoe Foods about trying some of their granola, and I just couldn't say no.

Not only did all of the descriptions on their website sound great, but Kim was simply delightful. (Seriously -- how can you not like someone who asks you about how your Grandma, who has cancer, is doing each time you talk?) I don't know if you're like me, but my dealings with people from a company go a long way toward my feeling about the company. So, kudos to Kim.

Okay, so, enough about Kim -- let's talk granola.

I was excited to try out two of the varieties I was going to be receiving, but told Eric ahead of time, "You're trying the Cranberries Currants one, okay?" Seriously -- I had absolutely no intention of trying it myself. Because, well...cranberries. Oh, and currants too. Just hand me the honey almond, okay?

We had a little taste testing party when the granola arrived, and then again after I went into a time warp with Christmas and vacation and didn't write the review.

The verdict?

They are healthy and tasty! Of course, they are kind of carb heavy, if you are avoiding those, but it's granola. So, of course it's carb heavy. I really like that the granola is all made with whole grains and flaxseed, and just seems to be full of healthy goodness.

I will admit, we both said that we would have enjoyed more of a cinnamon taste from the Cinnamon Raisin variety. But, I also like to add extra cinnamon to many recipes that call for it, so take that for what it's worth.

As promised, we put off trying the Cranberries Currants, and then I said, "Eric, just try it so I can write the review, okay?"

"Fine," he begrudgingly said.

We opened the box and he gave it a try. I expected a response of, "Yeah, it's okay." Instead, he said, "I think this is the best one."

Yep -- you can guess what came next -- I actually tried it. And...I agreed with Eric! That one is yummy!

The granola is versatile, and can be eaten plain (great to take along for a quick snack), with milk (like cereal), or on top of something like yogurt or ice cream.

Not only did we get to try a great treat, but I got to deal with nice people and I tried something that I was sure I wouldn't like. Looks like we won all round!

Check out the Zoe Foods website to see retailers that currently carry their products!

photo from Zoe Foods

Saints at the Dinner Table

I recently received the book Saints at the Dinner Table by Amy Heyd from The Catholic Company as part of their reviewer program.

Okay, so I didn't get around to my review right away, but it's because I just didn't feel that someone could really review a cookbook without at least trying out one recipe first.

But first, let me tell you about this book...

It is just too cool! Amy Heyd has compiled twelve meals, each based around a different saint. Eric and I had so much fun looking through the book, particularly because, although she did put in some lesser known saints, both of our saints that we had chosen for Confirmation were included among the twelve (St. Joseph and St. Martha).

Each meal (which is its own chapter) includes information about the saint, a reflection on the saint, information on why she picked what she did for the meal, a full meal's worth of recipes, and ends with a prayer.

At just under $20, this book would be a fabulous educational book to enhance both a religious education and home economics studies! (I would recommend that if this is used as an educational book for homeschool or other such use that it be used for older children, as they are not simple, kid recipes.)

Speaking of not simple recipes though, I think I tried the one of the easier recipes to try out though. I made the homemade pizza crust from the St. Martha meal, knowing that even my pickiest eaters would like pizza.

This was my first time actually making pizza dough from scratch, and I was thrilled! Not only did it give me an excuse to use my new Kitchen Aid Mixer, but it was easy and delicious! The only thing that I would change next time is that I'll make one big pizza instead of several small pizzas, as it calls for in the recipe. (However, in the recipe, it's for doing individual pizzas at a party. You see -- this time, in honor of Saint Martha, you let them do some of the work to put on their own pizza toppings.)

I would definitely recommend this book, especially for someone who enjoys meals that go beyond casseroles. But, then again, I think I would have enjoy this book even if I never made another recipe out of it again.


This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Saints at the Dinner Table.

Review: Faith Database CD-ROM

Eric and I got to take a look through the new Faith Database CD-ROM courtesy of The Catholic Company. Eric played around with it first, and was really impressed. He kept saying, "You need to check this out," as he found new features.

(I have to admit that I picked this as my next selection from the Catholic Company because Eric wanted to have it for his upcoming Theology class. Because, you know, even if you are a Business Administration major, if you're at a Catholic college, you just may have to take a few theology classes.)

The Database touts that it has over 1500 resource writings, 10 Biblical texts, and tons of illustrations (maps, art work, etc.). (Okay, they didn't say the "tons" part -- I did.) Before we received the CD, we had no idea how that could fit onto one CD.

When it arrived though, we realized that some of the stuff is on the CD, but many things are actually linked to the web. For instance, you are able to see large thumbnails of art pieces, but then each has a link to view the larger image on the web. I have clicked around quite a bit, and only found one link on the art section that went to a page that said the image had been moved. (Because so much is linked to the web, they actually suggest that you have high speed internet access to use this software.)

The CD is also an amazing source for Biblical reading (in ten different versions), as well as writings of saints, Biblical historians, and doctors of the Church. One thing that I loved as I looked through the Book of Genesis was that as I moved verse by verse, I was able to see art that depicted what the verse was talking about. What a great teaching tool!

I think that one of my favorite parts of the Database is the number of maps available (over 100). This feature alone makes this a great asset to a homeschooling family, for sure. I know that we'll definitely get a lot of use out of this feature. (Yes, that means this is code for, "I know I gave away the last thing that I reviewed through The Catholic Company here on the blog, but this one is going to stay with me.")

All in all, for under $40, the Faith Database CD-ROM is a fabulous collection of writings, images, and even some tests! I'm glad that we are now fortunate to have this in our collection of software.




This review was written as part of The Catholic Company product reviewer program. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Faith Database CD-ROM.

I went to the polls, now I can review a presidential book

Amongst the things we went out to do on Thursday was to go to one of the area early voting places! Yep -- that's right! I already voted.

The line wasn't too bad (we waited for about 30 minutes), we were in line with a bunch of nice people, and we were at the retirement home that my grandma lives in, so we were able to stop in for a visit. Oh, and then couple that with the fact that the kids got to learn about the election process and they were given stickers that said "I Voted!" and it was a great experience.

So, now that I can ignore political ads, I can move on to other important things, like writing a review about the new book Madam President by Lane Smith.

The folks over at Disney-Hyperion were nice enough to send me a copy to check out and share with my kids. I was pretty thrilled, because I love Lane Smith's books. (I pretty much made it a rule that everyone at the school that I used to teach at must be familiar with The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.)

The kids and I were anxious to sit down and read Madam President almost right after it arrived. Everyone (including me) seemed to enjoy that the main character was a girl. It's simple things like that to help show that girls can dream about being president one day too.

This is the story of young girl who dreams about being president one day. Well...except that she is pretty much trying to live out the dream right now. She goes about her daily routine, but with an infusion of presidential duties along the way. She has to deal with photo ops, kissing babies, attending state funerals (for another little girl's pet frog "Froggy"), negotiating a treaty between a dog and a cat, and amongst many other presidential duties.

We all enjoyed this book. It was fun and light, while providing opportunites to explain various presidential duties to the kids while we read through it. There are a lot of silly aspects to the book (like when I had to make a point of nodding my head yes or no to the page of cabinet members so that my kids would know that there really is a Secretary of State and a Secretary of the Treasury, but not really a Secretary of Fantasy or a Secretary of Pizza), so this might not have a place in a serious study on the president.

But, if you want a light hearted look on the presidency, this would be a great addition to your stack of books. (as would another great book by Lane Smith's that was already on my book shelf, John, Paul, George & Ben.)

Thanks again to Disney-Hyperion for sharing this book with us. Of course, I may stop thanking you if my kids really think they have veto powers around here!




cover art courtesy of Hyperion Books for Children

Churning Out Ice Cream (and Memories) with an Electric Ice Cream Maker (WFMW #50)

Years ago, I attended a girls night out at a friends house. Our hostess made us homemade ice cream right while we were at the party. She raved about her ice cream maker which she could just plug in, start up, pour in ingredients, and then leave to make the ice cream for her. I will admit, I coveted that ice cream maker.

Fast forward to about one month ago and a trip to Target, and you'll see one of those babies in my cart! At only $30, the Rival Electric Ice Cream Maker that I picked up was affordable, so I couldn't pass it up.

We have now spent the past month making lots of ice cream. Is it cheaper than buying ice cream at the grocery store? Probably not. But, when I buy ice cream at the store, I don't get to watch my kids all huddled around saying "Ooooo..." and "ahhhhhh..." as they watch a paddle churn the liquid we poured in the machine and turn it into a soft, creamy treat.

It's also not nearly as easy to customize everyone's ice cream when you buy at the store (because the ice cream maker is more of a soft serve). Just the other night, we had chocolate ice cream. A couple of the kids had mini chocolate chips stirred in. Another one of the kids had mint flavoring added, as well as mini chocolate chips. I added mini chocolate chips and sliced almonds in my, while Eric ate his plain (since he wasn't home when we were all adding in mixes.)

A great recipe for Easy Vanilla Ice Cream for our one quart model (found in the Rival Electric Ice Cream Maker Owner's Manual):

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

Dash of salt

2/3 cup half and half

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine milk, sugar, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in half and half, whipping cream, and vanilla. Then, pour into your electric ice cream maker and follow directions according to your model.

Or, then again, there is the cheater way. Rival sells packets of "ice cream mix," which can typically be found right next to the ice cream makers. That was how we made our extra quick, extra easy strawberry ice cream pictured here.

For more tips, tricks, and ideas, be sure to check out Works for Me Wednesday on Rocks in my Dryer!

The Best Cure for Diaper Rash or Skin Irritations

I hardly know what to say about Johnson's Baby Cream except that it is simply amazing.

We were fortunate enough to be looking around Target probably around nine years ago, maybe when Noah had some diaper rash for the first time, and my Mom spotted a white plastic jar with a pink lid that was labeled as "Johnson's Baby Cream." She was excited about it, and couldn't believe they still made it. She said that this was the stuff that she always used for us when we were growing up, and we bought a few jars.

I should have known it was a good sign when the checker then marveled, "I didn't know they still made this stuff!" She went on to tell us how well it worked for...um...something. I have slept a number of times since then. I do remember it was something about her skin. Maybe dry heels or eczema. Something like that.

And, true to everyone's word, this thick cream worked well and quickly. Noah's bottom had been so raw that it had areas that our doctor described as having some "erosion." Let me tell you -- that is not a word a new mother wants to hear in conjunction with her infant's bottom.

Within 24 hours, all "erosion" was healed, and his bottom was starting to look back to normal. And, so we stock piled the cream. We also gave away cream, even though it go to the point that we couldn't find it anywhere and had to buy it online. Seriously -- it's hard to listen to friends and family talk about a baby or toddler with painful diaper rash and know that you have a magic cure.

We have had jars around for a long time, and, sadly, they have gone bad. This was especially said, as Noah has had some dry skin that was bothering him on his foot. But, even more sad, because Molly has been having some bathroom issues (darn constipation!) -- she has ended up with a rash. (And she has ended up back in Pull-Ups part time.)

In a panic, I searched online for our beloved Johnson's Baby Cream. No luck. Except, of course, for the pictured product. I couldn't believe it was really the same, since the stuff in the jar was super thick. I couldn't imagine that stuff could be in a tube.

Still, after searching online, I headed out to Target to pick some up.

The verdict?

The cream is definitely not as thick as the cream in the old jar, but it is not greasy, which the old cream could be. (Probably because it was so darn thick.)

Oh, and Molly's horribly painful rash that left her with a tear-stained face when we tried to put Desitin on it?

All cleared up within a day. Practically within hours, truthfully. (Because we ended up putting it on several times within a few hours.) And she was happy to have it put on because it made her feel better.

We just love this cream, and I couldn't help myself but to tout the benefits of this fabulous find.

Review: A Civilization of Love (Plus a Book Giveaway!)

I was excited to be able to get a chance to review the book A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World by Carl Anderson. I read some reviews on it, and thought that it would be a book that I would enjoy.

Then, I have to admit, when it arrived, despite its size (just over 200 pages), it was a pretty heavy book. You know...weighty, and not in its actual weight as a book. I had been expecting something considerably more touchy-feely, and instead, I was greeted with discussions of Nietzsche and Descartes, among many others. It was apparent to me that this was not the book I was expecting it to be.

I think, perhaps, this initally made me not really want to read the book. Because I was anticipating a light book, only to be met with something much deeper, I wasn't sure what to think. Unfortunately, because I kept thinking that, after about three weeks of trying to read it off and on (mostly at my many doctor's appoints for my kidney stones), I was still only on page 19. Seriously!

Now, before you start thinking that I'm trashing the book, I must admit, I sometimes have a hard time getting into books. And, this was certainly no exception.

However, this past Wednesday evening, with no cable or Internet, I cozied up in a chair after everyone was asleep and really allowed myself to just take time to appreciate what this book WAS, not what I expected it to be. And, because of that, before I went to bed that night, I had finished the book!

A Civilization of Love touches on so many important topics in our society and in our past. I was really moved by so many portions of the book, and I learned a lot about various times in history, as well as different figures throughout time and the effect that they have had (both positive and negative) on our current times. (I was particularly moved by chapter eight, which is titled "A People of Life and for Life," which discussed both St. Maximilian Kolbe, whose story I did not fully know, although I was slightly familiar with it, as well as the pro-life movement.)

Another really nice feature of this book is that at the end of each chapter, there are "Suggestions for Contemplation and Action" to help the reader find ways to incorporate what they have read into their lives.

I would definitely recommend this book, but with the caveat that this is not a lovey touchy-feely book. This is the kind of book that will make you think, and will probably be the kind of book that you read and think, "Wow -- I never knew that!" or "Huh...I never thought of that in that way."

Now that I have read my copy though, I would love to pass it along! If you are interested in having my copy of this book, please leave a comment on this post by Friday, August 22nd at 11:59 pm EST. We'll do a random number drawing to choose a winner! Good luck!


This review was written as part of The Catholic Company product reviewer program. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Civilization of Love.

Some New Fabulous Finds -- Book Edition

Here is a smattering of some things that I have thought lately are just fabulous...

• llama llama mad at mama by Anna Dewdney -- this is fun story (all rhyming) with great illustrations! All five of us enjoyed it when we checked it out from the library. It is a story of a shopping trip where little llama loses his patience. Great story for all kids.
• Someday by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds -- I received this as a gift from a dear friend, after she told a group of us about it. Oh man -- I have yet to read it without tearing up. Beautiful simple illustrations, and a very heartfelt story about mothers and daughters.
• We all cracked up when we did a read aloud of Clementine and Mungo by Sarah Dyer -- Mungo is the little brother with lots of questions, and Clementine is the big sister who supplies all the answers. (The answers all made my kids say, "No! That's not right.")
• Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois -- Love this book! The bread is so tasty! I actually just bought a big tupperware-type container at Walmart that can easily hold a whole batch of bread (makes about 4 loaves) in the fridge. I wanted a container that was taller than it was wide, as to take up less room in the fridge. Of course, both Eric and I got a good laugh when we read that the container is dishwasher safe, but only on the top rack. That container is probably almost 18" tall! What top rack is that going to fit on???
• Homeschooling for Dummies by Jennifer Kaufeld -- I am currently reading this from the library. I like the easy nature of this book. I really like the "Dummies" books. Jack saw it though and said, "Homeschooling for DUMMIES?" I assured him that she wasn't calling *him* a dummy. In further discussion, I realized that he was thinking of the puppet variety and he found that hugely amusing.
  
  
  

These are just about the coolest pouches ever!

I just love it every time I can pick up something on Etsy! Not only is it just fun to shop in general (this is, perhaps, why I have a hard time with a budget), but I love shopping on Etsy because I know that the sellers there are handmaking their items. So, I'm more often than not buying a one of a kind piece. How cool is that?

My latest Etsy buys (a few weeks ago) was from the shop Fried Okra. Now, even though I was once forced to try actual fried okra and did not care for it at all, I didn't hold it against this shop with a cute name, and even cuter stuff!

I initially checked out her shop and put several of the bags in my "favorites" on Etsy. Shortly after that though, I knew I couldn't just let the cute zippered pouches sit in my favorites -- they needed to be at my house instead!

Unlike many things that you have time to think about on Etsy, both of the mini zippered pouches that I had in my favorites had been sold in the short time I had them in my favorites! So, this meant I had to keep an eye on this shop to be ready the next time pouches came up that I really liked.

I was thrilled when she listed several pouches, but then just couldn't make up my mind. So, I finally went with a "Crafty" pouch and a "Dork" pouch. And, I was thrilled when they not only arrived quickly, but they were SUPER cute in person! (Even cuter than they look in the pictures, believe it or not. Hey...thanks to Fried Okra, by the way, for permission to use these pictures for my blog post.)

I just thought these bags were SO cute that I had to write about them to share this awesome shop with others. Of course, if there comes a time that there is another bag I just can't seem to live without, then just back away, my friends.

Oh, and look at me -- I didn't even mention that there are very colorful Sock Monkeys at Fried Okra too!

So, be sure to stop by and check out the pouches and sock monkeys! Not only are the items totally cool for you, they would make great gifts as well!

Oh man -- I *love* this apron!

I like aprons. I really like aprons. I like them even though I always type the word as aprong for whatever reason, and then I have to back up and delete the g.

I have been wanting a half apron for a long time, but just had never found one that I wanted to pick up. Or, maybe the price wasn't right. Or, maybe the timing wasn't.

I was thrilled, however, when Kellie (whose blog I really enjoy reading -- go pop over there and say hi!) opened an Etsy shop -- the Laughing Otter, as I had been admiring all of the aprons she seems to whip up all the time. I liked all of them, but really loved all of the half aprons.

So, I just had to take some time to post about my fabulous apron pictured here (thanks to Kellie for letting me use her pictures), especially since this Monday is National Wear Your Apron Day!

Kellie's aprons in her shop are super cute, and very unique -- just like her! If you find yourself apron-less this coming Monday, maybe it's worth stopping by her store so that you don't find yourself apron-less next year on National Wear Your Apron Day! (Oh...but stop by soon -- she sold almost all of the aprons she started out her shop with, and only has a couple of new ones in stock.)

Thanks to Kellie for helping me look all cool and cute when I run out to the mailbox during the middle of the day. And, I would say thanks for saving my blue jeans too, but I seem to have ripped out the left knee on my only two pairs of jeans. But, at least I can say thanks for keeping them from getting stained!

Holy Cow! That's some good cleaner! (WFMW)

I was in Walmart a month or so ago, and ran across this big display near the groceries of a biodegradable, organic cleaner. And, even better -- it was pink and was only $1.00/bottle. So, I picked it up!



I will admit that I didn't get to use it right away, since I already had other cleaner that I was using. But, seriously -- why not try out a $1.00 all purpose cleaner, right?



So, the first test that made us say out loud "HOLY COW!" was when Eric used it to clean off our white board. We have tried all kinds of methods of cleaning and types of cleaners on it, and still it always looked not so great (especially since we started using a green marker on it). But, with the Holy Cow, the board literally looked brand new. We were shocked!



Then, since it says one of it's uses is carpets, we thought we'd give it a try (although we didn't think too long on that decision) when Jack spilled a strawberry shake from Sonic on the dining room floor. In the instant after he dropped it, our carpet was already shaded pink. Augh! But, just moments after using Holy Cow, it was totally gone!



We actually had another opportunity for the same demo later in the weekend when Molly accidently flung a plate off the table that had not only ketchup on it, but also chocolate pudding. Again, Holy Cow came through!



Since I only had one bottle, and then I read online that Walmart wasn't carrying it anymore, I rushed there to pick up more of this miracle cleaner. None was to be had.



On a lark, I went to the clearance section, and there I found them. Marked as having originally been $1.93/bottle (I suspected that when I got the one of $1.00 that they were trying to get rid of them), they were now $.25 for a 24 oz bottle.



Needless to say, we are now more than stocked on them, and I even picked up some of the glass cleaner as well, which were also $.25/bottle.



I really recommend trying out this cleaner if you can find it! There is a list of retailers on their site or you can purchase from them online. But, by all means, if you have a Walmart, be sure to check out the clearance section for this, just in case!



Be sure to check out lots of great tips and ideas at Works for Me Wednesday hosted by Rocks in My Dryer!