Ripple Pea Milk - product review

Here I go trying another Ripple product. Based on my last encounter with the Ripple Greek Yogurt Alternative, I was not hopeful. That yogurt was gross! I guess I was feeling adventurous or something and thought, why not. I am happy to report the the Ripple Nutritious Pea Milk was better. It still wasn't absolutely delicious, but much better. I tried the chocolate flavor milk. I can't speak for how the regular milk would taste.

So, here are my pros and cons of the product. Pro: It smells good when you open it, just like chocolate milk should. It doesn't have a strange color cause it is brown from the cocoa. I think the regular milk is a strange light brown color. It has a really smooth and silky texture. Basically the same texture as regular chocolate milk that you would buy premixed at the store. For the most part it tastes good. It has great nutrition. And now the Cons: There is still a bit of pea aftertaste. That is just really hard to get past for me. It isn't cheap. Overall, for someone who follows a vegan diet or someone who is lactose intolerant, this could be a good alternative for them if they like chocolate milk.

#RippleMilk #MtMAgazineSharing #FreeSamp

Anything For Your Pet - product review

*Disclaimer: I received products for free in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed are completely mine.

Thanks to Kroger's MyMagazineSharingNetwork I received some free products for my cats. I received1;

• ONE (1) Free Meow Mix® Simple Servings™, 2 pk., 2.6 oz.
• ONE (1) Free Coupon for Purina® Friskies® Party Mix® Gravy-licious Cat Treats
• ONE (1) Free Coupon for Purina ONE® True Instinct Cat Food

So, let's just go down the list and I'll share my thoughts on it. First, the Meow Mix Simple Servings. I thought I would try these out when I was trying to get the cats to stay in one place while I applied their flea medication, they aren't fans of getting the med. My plan however failed. They didn't seem to care about the food at all. Usually they only get soft cat food as a treat, so I assumed they would be all about it. Guess not. I left it unattended for a minute though and the dog got it. She thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Second, the Purina Friskies Party Mix Gravy-licious Cat Treats, these are ok. Just another typical cat treat, nothing special. My cats like these and will eat them. 

Last, the Purina One True Instinct Cat Food, this is great. There are several things to like about this cat food. It is grain free, no fillers, made in the USA, and my cats loved it. I have tried other grain free cat foods in the past and they have not been fans, They are this one right up. I would definitely consider buying this cat food for them more often. 

#ForYourPets #MyMagazineSharing #FreeSamp

Dr. Praegers Black Bean Chipotle Pollock Burgers -- product review

*Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed are completely mine though.

Unlike the last product that I reviewed for the MyMagazineSharingNetwork (Ripple Greek Yogurt Alternative -- bad, just bad), Dr. Praeger's Black Bean Chipotle Pollock Burgers were super yummy. I was skeptical before I even tried this product. It seems like, for myself at least, frozen seafood product can be a hit or a miss. I like fish and I am trying to eat more of it on a regular basis because it is so good for you. I have tried some other fish "burgers" in the past though and have been disappointed in them. So, when I tried these, I was pleasantly surprised. In fact I scarfed down my whole burger, and not just because I was hungry. It was that good!

Now, I haven't tried any of the other products from Dr. Praeger's, so I can't tell you they are all good. But, based on the Black Bean Chipolte Burgers I would be more than willing to try more of the products. They have other good things going for them besides the great taste though, such as: sustainably caught fish, several gluten free products, good for you ingredients, individual packaging for the burgers, and the list goes on. I would highly recommend Dr. Praeger's products.

Ripple -- product review

*Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed are all mine.

Thanks to the MyMagazine Sharing Network I have had the opportunity to try and review a lot of great product. And then there was this one. This product review is for Ripple Greek Yogurt Alternative. This may be my first not so positive review.

Fist off, I love Greek yogurt. I eat it often. Ripple Greek Yogurt Alternative is a little different though. Here is a quick overview of the product. It is dairy free (great for people with dairy issues), it has plant based protein (vegan friendly), gluten free, and has the same benefits of Greek yogurt. Those things are all great if you need that in your diet. I however do not require any of those.

Here is the down side (in my opinion at least.) The taste is terrible. Pea protein is the main plant based protein that is used, and you can taste it. This tasted like peas mixed with yogurt. It was not good at all and it let a very unpleasant aftertaste. I tried both the vanilla and strawberry flavor and could not eat a whole container of either one. I tried several bites of the vanilla and just one of the strawberry. I just could not get past the taste.  Ripple is a no-go for me.

#mymagazinesharing #ripplegreekyogurtalternative

Daring to Hope -- book review

Daring to Hope is the second book from Katie Davis Majors. Her first book was Kisses from Katie. I listened to her first book as an audio book. It was so good. Kisses from Katie is basically her story or moving to Uganda and following God's calling for her. If you haven't read that book then I would recommend it. It isn't necessary to read it before reading Daring to Hope, but it will give you more of an understanding of her story and how she ended up where she is. As much as I like Katie's first book, I do think this one even better. 

Daring to Hope is more of Katie's story and also the stories of those that have come into her like. It is stories and love, hope, and faith. It is also stories of pain, heartbreak, and deep hurt. Daring to Hope is open and honest. Katie has allowed herself to raw and deep in such a beautiful way. While reading you get a sense of her deep faith and devotion to God and where her hope comes from in the midst of her everyday life, no matter what that day brings. 

This book could be enjoyed by a wide range of audience. I think both men and women would enjoy 

it. I also think that a wide range of age groups would enjoy this book. This is something that I would have enjoyed reading in my later teens and I also think my Grandma, who is 93, would enjoy reading it. Over and over while reading Katie's words I would think, "This is perfect for someone who has or is going through deep hurt or loss." For myself, I lost a good family friend very suddenly and unexpectedly recently. I was reading this book during that time and there were so many words and lines that brought me comfort. So, for myself, thank you to Katie for sharing her hope. 

Lastly, this is my final book review for Blogging for Books. They have chosen to shut down the program. I have enjoyed writing these reviews for them, it was fun while it lasted. 

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. 

MTN DEW ICE -- product review

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliated links. I received a free product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are completely mine.

First of all, these days I do not drink very much pop. For the most part I have cut it out of my daily diet. I will occasionally have a pop when I am really craving it, when I get fast food and it comes with the meal, or when there is really good root beer involved. Secondly, I very very rarely drink MTN DEW. Now, back in the day, I was a regular, multiple times a day pop consumer. And this included just about any kind of pop.

Through Kroger's MyMagazine Sharing Network I received the opportunity to try the new MTN DEW ICE. So, I received my free sample and I did drink the whole bottle of it.

 

So, here is what I thought about it. Initially, I liked the taste of it. It was a crisp lemon lime flavor, much like most other citrus type sodas. Cool, crisp, and refreshing just as it should be. It does have the added bonus of caffeine (a signature of MTN DEW.) Most other citus sodas do not contain caffeine. So, it you want that extra boost, but like lemon lime pop, this is a good choice. Here is what I didn't like about it, the aftertaste. To me the aftertaste was very artificial or chemically. I'm not sure if I noticed this because I don't usually drink MTN DEW at all or because this is just how it tastes. Overall, I think if MTN DEW is your thing then give the new MT DEW ICE a try.

#MTDEWICE #MYMAGAZINESHARING #AD 

Kroger's New Spa Line, Facial Masks -- product review

Kroger has a new line of spa products out. As a member of the MyMagazineSharingNetwork, I was given a free sample of the facial sheet masks and under-eye care product to try. I like beauty products and don't get to pamper my self with things like face masks as much as I would like to, so I was all up to try these out.
 
I have now tried two of the products. First, was the Brighten Under Eye Care. These were easy to use. Just two little patches that you place under the eye area and leave on for 20 minutes. When done, peel off and pat in any leftover liquid. They felt a bit weird, but not too bad. Let's be honest, as a mom of a toddler who still doesn't sleep through the night, I can use some under eye care. I don't know that these made a huge difference, but the area under my eyes was a bit brighter or shinier after using the product. I would possibly try these again.

Next, I tried the Deep Clean Facial Sheet Mask. This was my first time using a mask like this. It was an interesting experience. I don't really know that I would be up for using another one of these. First of all it was cold on the face. That may have been nice in the summer, but in the winter, no, Second, it just felt awkward on the face. You are suppose to leave it on for 20 minutes. I lasted maybe 15, and was done. Third, I looked like something from a scary movie. Seriously. Good thing my toddler was still sleeping when I tried this out.
 
I don't think my skin felt any cleaner when I was done. It does fell smooth and moisturized though, that is good. Overall, not sure the facial sheet mask is for me. I think some people would enjoy it though. They are inexpensive, so it is worth a try.

There are other products available in Kroger's New Spa Line as well. I think I would really enjoy some of the other products, like the Epson salt bath soaks, or the relaxing lotion. Those sound really nice to me. I'll pass on the facial sheet mask though. #KrogerSpaLine #MyMagazineSharing

Baby my Baby - product review

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliated links. I received free samples of products and coupons for products in exchange for my review. All statements and opinions are my own.

Through Kroger' program MyMagazineSharingNetwork I received a group of products and coupons for products all baby related. These products are perfect for my house considering I have a toddler and we are still in the diaper, wipes, and baby food phase. The main question they are wanting answered is this: How do you baby your baby? I've com up with some of the go to item that we use and love. I'm also including some non product related ways that I baby my baby.

We are now at a stage that we generally use the same kind of diapers on Kizzy consistently. When she was younger it didn't seem to matter as much and I went with what was on sale and what I have good coupons for. I still try to catch sales and use coupons, but we use mainly these diapers.

• Huggies Little Movers Slip on Diapers. Kizzy doesn't like to hold still for diaper changes and these make it so much easier. 
• Pampers Baby Dry diapers. These are great for night time. Kizzy can go all night without being changed and not have a leaky diaper. 
• Huggies OverNights diapers. These also work well for night time diapers. 

Food is another area where we have some favorite items.

• Similac formula. When Kizzy was on formula as her only food source we gave her Similac Advance and it worked great for her. 
• Yogurt Dots or Yogurt Bites. My child loves these! We don't have a specific brand that we get. Gerber and Beechnut make some good ones though. They also have some that are fruit and veggie dots. We like those too. 
• Spaghetti-Os. Maybe not the healthiest thing, but Kizzy will actually eat them. Kizzy has been very slow to eat solid foods, so any food that she will eat well is a winner for us. 
• Food Pouches. Again, there are a lot of great choices. When Kizzy first started eating baby food I thought I would make her food myself. Well that didn't last long. Making your own is great cause you know exactly what goes into it, but sometimes convenience wins. Now days there are so many great options in the world of baby food and it is pretty affordable as well. One in particular that Kizzy seems to enjoy a lot is Kroger's Comforts for Baby Banana Blueberry and Oat food pouch. 

Other products that we love and use.

• Johnson's Baby Shampoo with Lavender. Not only is this relaxing for evening baths, but it leaves Kizzy's hair smelling so good. 
• Baby Trend Expedition Jogging Stroller. Easily the most used item we bought for Kizzy. I use this stroller daily. It has held up great and it is super easy to maneuver. It is also quite affordable compared to other jogging strollers. 

Others ways that I baby my baby.

• Plenty of play time. I believe that this is important for Kizzy's development. 
• Daily walks. We all need the fresh air. 
• Reading to her. I want her to have a good vocabulary and to be a reader herself. 
• Learning and play time outside of the home. I have recently started taking Kizzy to a weekly Preschool Play time at our local library. Look into your local libraries to see what activities they offer. 
• Plenty of snuggle time. Kizzy is a snuggle baby and she gets plenty of snuggles every day.

So, there are just a few of the ways that I Baby my Baby.

#BabyMyBaby #MyMagazineSharing

He Calls You Beautiful -- book review

Let's be honest, the Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) is not my go to book of the Bible to read very often. In fact the only time I usually read the SOS is when I am reading through the whole Bible. So, a book that is based on the SOS intrigued me from the start; just cause I wanted to know how the author would interprets the SOS. The SOS is one of those books in the Bible that we don't often hear preached or taught on. When it is talked about, it often either focuses on being a representation of Christ and the church or as a love story with the focus on marriage. There is nothing wrong with those applications, but it can cause some confusion when you hear both sides and don't know which is right. I appreciate Dee Brestin, the author of He Calls You Beautiful, because she takes the approach that it is both. The SOS is a book of poetry, and just like all poetry it can have multiple applications.

It is obvious that Brestin has done her research and studied the SOS. With that said, this book doesn't come across as just facts and information, i.e. textbook style. Brestin does a descent job intertwining information and personal story. I will say, at times I felt there could have been more written on the explanation or information side of things. There were definitely points where I thought this was lacking. Although, she does recommend reading the SOS along with the book. I did not do that and it may have helped some things make more sense. If you are wanting a deep theological study of the SOS then this is probably not the book for that. If you are wanting a book directed toward women with a focus on the SOS then this book is a good choice.

A benefit of this book is that it is designed to have a study and reflection part built into the book. There is a Q&A section at the end o each chapter. You can certainly do this on your own for a personal study, or you could use it in a small group setting. There are some additional guides at the back of the book for someone to use to facilitate a small group setting. Brestin also has some additional resources available on her website to use along with the study portions. There are video clips to correspond with each chapter in the book.

Nature's Recipe Dog Food -- product review

*This post contains affiliated links. I was given a free sample of the product in exchange for my review. The opinions stated are all mine though.

Thanks for Kroger's MySharingNetwork I had the opportunity to try a new dog food by Nature's Recipe. Ok, my dog was the one who gave it a try. I'll pass on sampling dog food. My toddler would b more than happy to try some though. Thankfully my dog liked this food so much that Kizzy didn't have to chance to sample it.

We tried Nature's Recipe Grain Free in the pumpkin and salmon flavor. It was a hit! Previously, like since we got our dog, Kona, seven years ago, we have mostly fed her another popular brand of dog food. Most of the time she will eat it ok, but sometimes gets picky. It was not a grain free dog food though. And while grain free dog foo tend to be a bit more expensive due to them not having a bunch of filler product, they are worth it. 

Kona suffers from doggy allergies and dry skin, which makes her an itchy mess. We get her an allergy shot once a year to take care of that issue, but her vet recommends that we give her fish oil daily for her dry skin. This dog food contains Omega 3s and with it I don't have to put fish oil on her food everyday. So, because of how good this food is for Kona and how much she likes it, we are making the switch to Nature's Recipe. 

When God Made You -- book review

I love a good children’s book, and I especially love one that has great illustrations. This book hits both of those things. When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner is such a beautifully written book for children. There is a ton of rhyme in the book which makes it fun for kids. I read this book several times to my daughter, who is just under a year and a half, and she enjoyed listening as I read because of the fun rhyme to the words. She may not have understood a lot of what I was saying, but she still liked the book. More importantly though, this book has a beautiful message and one that I believe is important for children to learn early on. The message of the book is God created each person for a special purpose and he knows every part of them and they are loved by Him just as they are. Kids need to know this deep inside of them (well, adults do too.)

I also want to point out that the illustrations, by David Catrow, in this book are absolutely wonderful. It is full of bright colors and great drawings. The pictures tell a story of their own. The story of the pictures goes right along with the words of the book, they flow beautifully together. I enjoyed looking at these illustrations just as much as reading the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has kids. I think this book would also make a great gift. I’m sure that I will read this book to my daughter many more times in the coming years.

     

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. 

Private Selection -- Product Review

*This post contains affiliated links. I received these products for free in exchange for my honest review.

Summer is upon us, and with that comes summer food. Cookouts, salads, watermelon, ice cream, and the list goes on. Kroger has a line of products under the label Private Selection. I have tried many of the Private Selection items before as I am a regular Kroger shopper. With their #MyMagazineSharing program I was able to try two more products. I received full sized samples of their Green Chile Ranch Seasoning Rub and their Texas Inspired BBQ Kettle Potato Chips.

First, lets talk about he potato chips for a quick minute. I generally do not pick BBQ flavored chips if I am buying chips. I do really like kettle style potato chips though. These Texas Inspired BBQ Kettle Potato Chips were very tasty. There was a bit of tang to them. I don't know if that is generally true of Texan BBQ as I am not a Texan, not even close. I did eat my share of these chips, but my husband was the one who was really into them. He finished off the bag. (Please see the above picture of the crumpled bag that I dug out of the trash in order to get a picture of it.) So, these chips passed the taste test at our house and I would purchase them again.

Second, the Green Chile Ranch Seasoning Rub. Ok, I do not usually cook with a lot of spice mixes. I just use my general spices most of the time. Their is some convenience to spice mixes or rubs though. I actually tried this out two different ways. I first tried the rub on some chicken breasted that I just roasted in the oven. That turned out just ok. The second time that I tried the spice rub it 1 used it in my Southwest Chicken Salad. The flavor went great with the salad and was really good. Here is what I put into my salad, which is a quick summer favorite around this house.

Southwest Chicken Salad

• chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
• 1 can of drained corn, can also use fresh of thawed frozen
• 1 tomato sliced
• 1 diced avocado
•  2 chicken breasts grilled and sliced. Use whatever seasoning you would like. 
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Southwest ranch dressing
• Optional things that you can add to the salad are croutons, green pepper, onion, tortilla strips, cilantro, salsa, sour cream

The Very Good Gospel -- book review

Let me begin this review by saying that when I chose this book I thought that is was written by a different Lisa Harper. The Lisa Harper that I assumed was the author of this book is a well known speaker at mostly Christian women’s events and an author as well. The Lisa Sharon Harper who is the actual author of this book is also an author and a speaker, but with a much different focus. I thought I was getting a book about God’s Word that may be somewhat light and an easy read. What I got instead, with The Very Good Gospel, was something much deeper and focused on justice through the light of God’s Word and works. With that said, this book was still an interesting read.

Lisa focuses on a few main things all wrapped up together; the brokenness of the world that we live in, what God intended for us and what He can do for us in this brokenness, and shalom. This isn’t a book of light, fluffy, feel good topics. Lisa addresses such issues as equality, race, brokenness, shame, hurt, hate, war, and more. Lisa addresses these topics from a very personal place with stories from her own life and real life examples. All of this helps to bring a tone of gentleness to what in reality are hard things. She also intertwines Scripture and deep theological studies of God’s Word that relate to whatever topic is being discussed.

We cannot deny that we live in a broken and hurting world. It is easy to see this, just read a newspaper, turn on the TV, look at social media, the brokenness is everywhere. The heart of The Very Good Gospel points us toward the fact that in the midst of all this junk, God wants to heal, restore, and be in relation. That right there is the gospel message; a God who wants to work in and through us to have shalom.

This book was not my typical read. I will say though that for the most part I got a lot out of it. There were parts where I had “ah-ha” moments. There were other parts that I just read through. There were parts where I thought, “Hmm, I’m not sure I agree with that.” An interesting part of this book, that adds to it, at the end of most chapters there are questions and activities for self reflection. In my opinion this book would be a great read for someone who wants to know more about social justice in the light of God’s Word. Although, many others could get a lot out of this book.

    

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

NESTEA -- product review

*This post contains affiliated links. The opinions about the product are my own. I did receive this product for free in exchange for my review.


Kroger has a newish thing they are doing called My Magazine Sharing Network. Basically anyone can sign up for the program and this allows you to do missions to earn points. The missions are usually trying a new product, spreading the word about it on various social media, and giving them your opinion. The best part is that you get free products for your participation. I love free!

One of the products that I recently got to try out is the new NESTEA. (Actually I received three coupons to get this item for FREE. So, I received not one to try for free, but three.) By the way, if you follow this link to the NESTEA website, you can get a free bottle of tea for yourself.

This revamped version of NESTEA is available in three flavors: lemon, black tea slightly sweet, and peach. All are good. In my opinion the best part besides the fact that they taste good is that they removed a bunch of the not so good for you stuff. No more high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavors. That right there would persuade me to choose this tea over other teas that may contain those things. I would most definitely drink this tea again, even if I have to pay for it. 

Light of the Last -- book review

Lightof the Last is the third and final book in the War of the Realm series. I have read the two previous books in the series; Cloakof the Light and Rise of the Fallen. Both of the previous books were good reads; this book follows right along with them. Although, I must say, if you were to read this book without reading the previous two, you would miss out on a lot of what is happening and some parts may be a bit confusing.

This book is truly the coming together of the first book, which focused on the main character Drew Carter, and the second book, which focused on the main character Validus. Light of the Last goes back and forth between the two and brings everything together. The three part story is wrapped up in the end, but (spoiler alert) there is just a bit of an open ending.

Once again Chuck Black does a good job of crafting a fictional story around the topic of spiritual warfare. Speaking of warfare, this book is action packed. With that said there were parts that seemed like a bit of a stretch. Now of course this is a fiction book, and Black does himself say that he takes some liberties in the area of spiritual warfare. I believe I pointed it this out in my reviews of the other two books in the series, but I’ll say it again. I appreciate that Black includes Reader’s Guide at the end of the book that states Scripture references that he uses to back up his writing. So, for anyone worried about the Biblical context of the book, there is the foundation of that.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Baby Room - Crib

So, scraping wallpaper and painting a baby room while taking care of a baby is just not happening. Ugh! Maybe it will get done by the time Kizzy is one, or at least I hope. Poor child may just have to live in a room with partially scraped wallpaper.

It is time to transition Kizzy from her bassinet to a crib though. Actually past time since the weight guidlines for a bassinet is up to 15 lbs. and Kizzy is now 17lbs. Oops! Since we bought an older used crib at a yard sale, I wanted to at least paint it before she started using it. We got it for only $15 and it was a bit worn, but it is functional.We did buy a brand new mattress for it. :) As you can see in the picture, I taped off all the areas that were plastic, the side pieces where you hook it all together and the plastic on the top of the sides.

I debated for a while on how to paint the crib. Doing a quick search of how to paint a crib basically went with both spray paint and regular paint. So, I guess it would just be a preference. I chose to spray paint cause I figured it would be easier with all the bars and such. After all is said and done, I think the best way to paint a crib would be to use a spray gun and regular paint. This would give you the best coverage.

Then I debated (with just myself of course) what color to paint the crib. After browsing Pinterest, I found this picture of a red crib and loved it.  (Found here.) But then I wondered if that would be too bold. So, I almost convinced myself to go with a white or cream paint. Then I saw this one and was sold on the red.  Red will be perfect for the sock monkey theme that I plan to go with.

Painting the crib took longer and more paint than I expected. It took a whole 5 cans of spray paint to get it all covered. Trust me, it isn't a perfect paint job either, but it will work. So, here is the end result. (Ignore the less than great picture.) For now the crib is in our room, as we haven't transitioned Kizzy to her own room yet. Thanks to my brother, Dale, for helping my assemble the crib. It was more difficult than I anticipated.

One last note. Since this is an older crib, it has a drop down side. That is a big no-no these days since it is a safety issue. Sometimes you can get parts from the manufacture to fix it. If not, there is an easy way to fix the crib so that it is safe to use. All you need are two corner brackets and some screws (about $5 at most hardware stores.) Just put the bracket at the bottom of the side rail, with the railing in the highest position, and screw it to the bottom of the rail and the side leg of the crib. Do this on both sides and the rail won't move at all.Problem fixed and crib safe! The only down side to this is that you can't take off that one side of the crib without taking off the brackets.

Again, here is the crib before and after.

Time to Get Back to Work

Yesterday was Mother's Day. My first Mother's Day. It was also the anniversary of when we moved into our home. Three years, we have been in this house for three years. In that time I have only gotten two rooms fully redone. At this rate the house will be the way I want it about the same time we pay it off. It isn't that I don't have plans. I have plans for each and every room and outside. I even have plans for it we are ever able to add on to the house like we hope to do someday. Plans ain't the problem. Time, motivation, and money seem to be what stands in my way.

Since finding out last summer that we had our first baby on the way, I knew that the nursery would have to be the next room to get done. On December 31st I posted Step #1 of getting the room done. (You can find that post here.) I got started on the room.......then we had a surprise five week early arrival. The early arrival was followed by a twelve day stay in the NICU. Then the reality of not being able to get anything done with a newborn set in. Now that our baby girl is almost four months old it is getting slightly easier to get some things done. She isn't in her room yet though, which is good. You'll know why it is a good thing when you see the pictures of the current condition of the room. She will be moving out of our room and into her room when she is six months old, so it is time to get back to work!

The cats think the spare bed is their bed. (Notice all the sock monkeys, that will be the theme and color scheme.)

We cleared out clutter......and need to clear out clutter again. 

Partially scraped wallpaper. It is a long and not very fun job. 

Lovely Adult Coloring -- book review

In case you haven’t noticed, a newish trend is adult coloring books or coloring pages. (Side note: they couldn’t come up with a better name than “adult coloring?”) Now, I was aware of this trend for a while before I actually tried some of the adult coloring. This past Christmas my husband got me two of these coloring books. That is the first time that I had tried them. Now I liked the idea of them, but I wasn’t sure if I would actually find them enjoyable. Turns out, I did. I think they are quite relaxing and more enjoyable than using a child’s coloring book because they are more complex.

Whateveris Lovely is an adult coloring book that has some aspects that make it stand out from some of the others. It was created for the purpose of devotion, worship, or meditation on God or God’s Word. Each picture is based on a verse, quote, poem, or hymn. The back of each picture has the full piece that the picture was based on and a little blurb about the author. Water Brook Press has also created a Spotify playlist to accompany the book. That is more than your average adult coloring book does. Another thing that sets this book apart is that the coloring pages are created by a variety of artists. Because of this there is a variety of styles of work throughout the book. One down side that I think this book has is that the pages are not perforated, so you can’t tear them out and use them for art.

So, who would Whatever is Lovely appeal to? In my opinion people who have an artistic side would enjoy it. Someone who is looking for something different to use a devotional could find it useful. I think that it would appeal to both the young and the old. This would make a fun gift for a wide variety of people, or just something to purchase for yourself.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Here two of the pages that I have colored so far. (Sorry about the not so great photo quality. I just snapped the pictures real quick right before posting this.)

Apartment Therapy -- book review

The newest book from the creators of the very popular website www.apartmenttherapy.com, is Apartment Therapy Complete + Happy Home. If you are a frequent browser of Pinterest, then you have most likely either heard of Apartment Therapy or at least seen a pin from the website. This book takes a lot of decorative and home advice from their website and compiles it into a well organized book. The book itself is somewhere between a coffee table book and a reference guide. It is comprised of three main sections: general setting up of a home advice and how to, a closer look at each room of a home, and some cleaning, maintenance, and organizing how to points. The entire book is stuffed full of a ton of pictures from real homes with a wide variety of styles.

 When I first received this book I initially thought that I would enjoy it simply for being able to browse through all the pictures and get some ideas that could be used in my own home. It did not disappoint at all on that point. Now, of course not every style of home in the book will appeal to everyone, but there is such variety that I don’t know how you could not find something that you like. What I did not expect it how much I would enjoy reading every page of style tips, advice, and general information. That part of the book stood its ground for being just as interesting as every page of pictures.

This book would be great for someone who in general is into home decorating, just moved into their own home or apartment, or just dreams of the day that they have their own place to do with whatever they want. I spend time probably everyday thinking about rooms in my own home that have stuff that need to be done; so much from this book can be implemented into those ideas.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Baby Room Redo - Step #1

With less that two months until Baby Geurs arrives, it is time to get going on the Baby's room. I have had plans for the room since finding out the gender. Having the time, motivation, and energy to work on the room has been the issue. So, now I begin.

First off, the room still had several boxes of random stuff that we just put in there when we moved into the house cause we didn't know what to do with them. And there they stayed for two plus years. We have also accumulated other random item in the room along the way. To begin the process we had to move all that stuff out of the room. That meant sorting, throwing away stuff, donating stuff, and moving stuff to the attic, basement, or other rooms. Not a fun process. We got it done though. Here are some before photos that I snapped quickly to show how the room started out. Note that at this point a lot of the extra stuff had been removed and some baby stuff had been moved in.

Not real exciting photos, but you can see that there is some work to be done. I have started removing the wallpaper. Not an exciting job, but it has to be done if the room is going to be painted. The old wallpaper (like much of the rest of the house) was in terrible condition and was ripped and coming off in several spots. Not to mention there are three layers of wallpaper and three borders on the wall. I have not idea what these people were thinking when they just kept layering it on. 

Stay tuned for updates as the work progresses. Step two is to remove all the wallpaper and paint the room and ceiling.