Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert :: A Book Review {and GIVEAWAY}

Are you new to cloth diapering?

Are you interested in cloth diapering?

Are you a cloth diaper addict?

Do you have questions on cloth diapering?

Then this ebook is for you!!

I've cloth diapered (and still am cloth diapering) both my boys from birth.  I've never bought disposable diapers, not to boast, it's just that I love cloth diapering that much!  I just love how cute they are besides how much better they are for both baby and the environment, and how much they SAVE you money!

This book, Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert (afil. link) covers every area to address when it comes to cloth diapering!  Erin goes through every step, process, type, etc and explains each in detail.  Erin says she made all the mistakes there are to make when it comes to cloth diapering and she wants to keep you from doing them all too, that's why she wrote this book!

This 200+ page book is well done, easy to read and super entertaining. A whole book on cloth diapers entertaining??  Erin makes it so, the stories and details make it hard to stop in the middle of, especially if you are a cloth diaper addict!  I was able to read the entire thing in just a matter of a few hours (and remember I have 2 toddlers!). : )

You can view the complete table of contents here at The Humbled Homemaker.

Now until June 17th, you can get 20% off your copy of Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by using the code arestfulplacecloth during checkout.

Also, Erin has offered to giveaway a copy of Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert to one reader (if you buy the book she promises to refund you if you win it). Enter below in the rafflecopter form (subscribers will need to click through to view the rafflecopter form).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can connect with Erin on her blog The Humbled Homemaker, she has a cute, encouraging and very informative site that I enjoy!

*Disclaimer - This posts contains affiliate links.  I received a free copy of Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert for the purpose of this review.  The opinions are 100% my own and honest.  You can read my entire policy here.

Redeeming Childbirth Book Giveaway!!!

Did you read my review on Redeeming Childbirth yet?  If not, go read it and get familiar with this fantastic book. : )

Angie Tolpin has kindly offered to giveaway a signed copy of Redeemed Childbirth today to one of my readers!  Enter the giveaway below through the Rafflecopter form (subscribers will have to click through to enter on the blog).  Have fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer - Angie Tolpin sent me an e-version of this book for the purpose of the review.  I wasn't compensated in any other way.  Thank you Angie, it truly has been a blessing!  This post also contains affiliate links, you can read my entire policy here. 

Redeeming Childbirth :: A Book Review

Today I want to share with you to my *new* favorite pregnancy/childbirth book : Redeeming Childbirth by Angie Tolpin.

This book has become my favorite pregnancy book because of the huge amount of encouragement through out it's pages.  I have read a ton of pregnancy/childbirth books (here are some of my favorites) and for the most part they are alike and tell you how big your baby is now and what happens during pregnancy, labor and birth, etc.  This book though encourages you to grow in your relationship with the Lord while going through the life changing experience of pregnancy/childbirth.

Pregnancy and birth is just something you don't ever forget, it is imprinted on your heart.  I remember the overflowing joy of finding out a new blessing was coming, feeling the first hiccup or kick, hearing the baby's heart beat for the very first time, growing close to the day you are to deliver and meeting your precious baby for the very first time.  Pregnancy is a precious growing time for both yourself and your baby.

A lot of people (I know I have at times) focus on the negatives of pregnancy: morning sickness, sleepless nights, backaches, outgrowing clothes, tiredness, overwhelmed with household tasks, etc. Though these are all extremely true (more so for others), this book encourages you to draw closer to the Lord during these trying times and rest in His presence.

I wish there had been such a book when I was expecting our first baby. I would have benefited so much for the encouragement within it. This book is written to help redeem your childbirth, help you grow spiritually with the Lord, your family and your growing baby.  I ended up reading this book slowly, I'd read a little and think on it and read a little again.  It is so full of wisdom, I'm sure I'll be picking it back up next time I'm expecting.

I would have no problems recommending Redeeming Childbirth to anyone having a baby!

Be on the look out for an exciting giveaway coming soon!!

You can connect with Angie online on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or subscribe to her email list.

*Disclaimer - Angie Tolpin sent me an e-version of this book for the purpose of the review.  I wasn't compensated in any other way.  Thank you Angie, it truly has been a blessing!  This post also contains affiliate links, you can read my entire policy here. 

Menu Plan and Spring Cleaning eBooks!

Source: amazingpinterestworld.blogspot.com via Tabitha on Pinterest

Happy Monday! Here's this weeks menu.  We normally just have eggs for breakfast that differ just slightly. Sometimes we'll have milk, fruit or toast.  Lunch is normally just left overs or whatever sounds good.

Hamburgers, Broccoli & Sweet Potato Fries
Steak Stroganoff & Asparagus
Out! :)
Burritos - with homemade tortillas, seasoned ground beef, lettuce & potatoes
Beef Braid (similar to the picture above, but with beef and what ever veggie I have that sounds good.)
Chicken Patties and Salad

I wanted to share that this week's bundle of eBooks is Spring Cleaning!  I don't know about where you live but here it's starting to feel more like spring and I'm ready to start purging and letting the fresh spring air through my home.  You can get all five of the below books for just $7.50  I've read the 31 Days to Clean and it's an excellent book.  Totally worth it! :-)




Be sure to check back next week to see which 5 books you can get for $7.50 as there is a new sale every week!

Hope you have a good week!








Linked with Menu Plan Monday

Tell Your Time :: Book Review

I know I just posted a review and don't normally just post book reviews one after another but this book Tell Your Time was great! :)

I got this book just a little while ago while it was free for a few days on Amazon.  I've been wanting to read this book but being one that doesn't spend much on books I had been putting it off. When I saw it come up free on Amazon I got it right away and started reading it!  It is definitely a great book to spend the few dollars on and buy! :)

In this book Amy helps you learn how to manage your time so that all the activities and needed things that need to get done in your day get in.  This book is an easy read and was extremely helpful for me.  I have already made a schedule for myself and have been working on tweaking it to fit just right.  You can download spreadsheets to use right on her site from the links in the book.

I highly recommend this book if you need to get your time managed and you are unsure how to start.  Tell Your Time is a recourse I am sure I'll be coming back to when seasons change and my schedule goes to the side and needs to be brought back in and redone.  It's a fast read and manageable the way it is explained in this book!

~

So, that's one book from my reading list that I've checked off. I've also already read 4 books this month so I'm feeling ahead!  It's so nice to be reading a lot! :)

* Disclaimer - I was not compensated for this review.  This post contains affiliate links.

Taming the Wind :: Book Review

A young widow nursing the wounds of her past...
A cowboy with demons of his own...

About the book:
Though grateful for the blessing of her daughter, Carissa Lowe has accepted that widowhood is her lot in life. Bound by fear and mistrust, she feels incapable of opening her heart again.

Tyler Atherton has never forgotten Carissa. When he discovers she's living with her sister on a nearby ranch, his life becomes intertwined with the lovely widow's. And Carissa's daughter, Gloria, seems determined to wrap herself around his little finger. But while Tyler longs to provide a home and future for Carissa, he is haunted by an obligation he feels unable to fulfill.

Challenged by mounting hardships, can Carissa and Tyler preserve their fledgling love in a land as unforgiving and vibrant as the people who call it home?

The Author:
Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over ninety novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana, and Alaskan Quest series.

I loved this book, it was so hard to put down.  The story is captivating and pulls you right in.  This book is about a young widow woman who moves to TX with her married sister to get away from her past.   Her daughter Gloria is the most important thing to her and she doesn't think she could ever trust a man again after being married to an abusive husband (he has died).  This story is about her overcoming her past and learning to love Tyler.  Along the way Tyler goes on a cattle drive for months with the other men of the town.  Her sister gives birth to a son several months early and they both struggle to survive, finally pulling through.  Lastly Carissa is captured by a grudge holding man thinking she was someone else, just 2 days before all the men arrive back from their cattle drive to Kansas.  After planning and impatiently waiting Tyler along with several other men go out to find her, there is a ransom for her now that the men who took her found out she wasn't who they thought she was.  The men are able to find her and get the bad men away but then to find her extremely ill from malnutrition and dehydration.  Finally after Carissa is able to gain enough strength they are able to bring her back home, a two+ day journey, to her sister and her daughter Gloria.  In the end Tyler and Carissa get married and move onto Tyler's parents land. Now Gloria has a real father, just like Carissa knew she needed.  The author has an excellent style of writing and making everything seem so real.  The history in this book was spot on; another great historical fiction book!

Overall Taming The Wind was a great read!  Just like all other books we should use caution before allowing children to read them, each child's parent knows how mature they are and what types of books are a good influence on them.

 ** This post contains affiliate links

**I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review as being part of the Bethany House book reviewer program. All opinions expressed are my own.

8 Favorite Reads of 2012

Even though I didn't get all the books crossed off of my reading list I made at the beginning of last year I still read some great books.

My 8 favorite reads of last year (no order) are:

1. Making Babies by Shoshanna Easling
 This book is an amazing resource!  It is filled with SO many great things, from recipes to homemade skin care, to making tinctures and tons of tips and tricks.  I was really impressed by this book, even though I have already read this book it is still sitting out for me to keep going back too.  I reference the recipes all the time.  Everything I've made from it has been fantastic and still healthy!  I have the DVD's for this series as well and then are great too!  I would say if you only were going to be able to get one, either the book or the DVD get the book.  Everything plus more from the DVD's is in it!  This probably is my all time favorite of the year!

2. Taming the Wind by Tracie Peterson (review coming soon)

3. Captive Trail by Susan Page Davis (review)

4. Long Trail Home by Vickie McDonough (review)

5. Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider
Just to see and hear another's perspective on living a simple life was so uplifting and a great encouragement to me.  I love simple living! Many of the things shared in the book I have applied to my home and myself.

6. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Most people have read Pride & Prejudice before but this was my first time and I loved it!  I love the time frame, the culture, everything about it! :)

7. The Good Wife's Guide by Darlene Schacht
If you need encouragement, ideas and a loving book filled with it, this is it.  Darlene does a wonderful job teaching women how to be wives in this book.  I think this book is a must for all wives! :)

8. The Husband Project by Kathi Lipp
I read this book and did the projects a few months after our baby was born and it was a much needed read.  I have a feeling I'll be going through this book many more times in the years to come.  My husband is definitely worth doing it again! :)

Did you have any favorite books last year?  Have you read any of the ones I've listed here?  If so, leave a comment I'd love to hear how you enjoyed it. :)

*This post contains affiliate links.

Captive Trail :: Book Review

About the Book: 
The Captive Trail is second in a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896.  Although a series, each book can be read on its own.  
Taabe Waipu has run away from her Comanche village and is fleeing south in Texas on a horse she stole from a dowry left outside her family's teepee.  The horse has an accident and she is left on foot, injured and exhausted.  She staggers onto a road near Fort Chadbourne and collapses. 
On one of the first runs through Texas, Butterfield Overland Mail Company driver Ned Bright carries two Ursuline nuns returning to their mission station.  They come across a woman who is nearly dead from exposure and dehydration and take her to the mission.  
With some detective work, Ned discovers Taabe Waipu identity.  He plans to unite her with her family, but the Comanche have other ideas, and the two end up defending the mission station.  Through Taabe and Ned we learn the true meaning of healing and restoration amid seemingly powerless situations.

About the Author:
SUSAN PAGE DAVIS is an award winning author who has published more than thirty novels in the historical romance, suspense, mystery, and romance genres. She's a past winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year Contest and a two time winner of the Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest. Susan is a longtime homeschooler and former school teacher. A Maine native, she now resides in Kentucky with her husband Jim. They have 6 children and 6 grandchildren. Visit Susan at her website: www.susanpagedavis.com.

My Review:
I read this book out of order as well as the last one I reviewed. :(  You can read my review of book #3 for this series here.  I can't wait to read the 1st book in this series and all the other ones.

Captive Trail is about a young girl, Tabbe who was captured by Indians (the Comanche's).  When she got older she was going to be forced to marry one of their leaders, a man who enjoyed raiding and stealing. When the time grew near and she had an opportunity she stole the fastest horse and escaped.  

During Taabe's escape her horse stumbled and threw her off injuring her quite a bit making it hard for her to travel at all.  Some of the men in the near town found her laying almost unconscious on the road and brought her to the Sister's house for care.  They were able to clean her up and treat her wounds but since she was captured so young she had forgotten her family and their language, so it seemed impossible for them to find out who her family was.  

Ned, one of the men who found her, was determined to find her family and bring her back to them.  Finally through Taabe learning how to communicate while under the Sister's care she was able to remember a few things and Ned was able to find her family.  When he was going to bring the good news to her he finds the Sister's house under attack by the Comanches (trying to get Taabe back).  Between the Sisters, Taabe, and the men with Ned they were able to defeat the Comanches and he was able to bring Taabe home to her family.  The story ends with a visit from Ned to Taabe (her real name was Billie).

This book was a fantastic read and I'm keeping it to read again! :) I love historical fiction and this one was no exception.  The author did a really great job at capturing you into the book, it was so hard to put down.  I'm pretty sure I read it in just a day or two. :)

I see that this book can be ordered on Amazon for as little as $0.99 for a Kindle Edition. :)

*I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Looking for Christian entertainment?  Look no further than Christian Cinema.  Our family has enjoyed several films from them. (Please note - we do not endorse all content they promote).

The Good Wife's Guide - Book Review

I really enjoyed this eBook; I put it on my phone and read it whenever I had a few moments! I appreciated that it was a quick read and straight to the point. Being a wife and momma means you don’t have as much time to read. : ) It’s a very encouraging book packed full with truth & inspiration to be a good wife.

The first part of this book goes through life experiences and pares them up with the Bible. Encouraging & inspiring us as wives to take on our God given role and flourish.

Purpose is found in those quiet moments when no one but God sees the work of your hands. ~ Darlene Schacht 

The second part of this book is about “Practical Application” - managing your time and housekeeping well. This section is extremely thorough and goes through so much. Darlene shares her best tips on organizing, deep cleaning, regular cleaning schedules & cleaning recipes.

In the deep cleaning your bathroom part (section 2, schedule 6) Darlene gives 53 steps to get it done. I didn’t know you could find 53 things to clean in the bathroom, it’s pretty much the smallest room in most houses. I feel quite motivated after reading this book and want to get some deep “Spring Cleaning” done, hopefully soon!

I loved this poem that was in the book:

A Kitchen Prayer 

Thank God for dirty dishes, 

They have a tale to tell; 

While others may go hungry 

We’re eating very well. 

With home, health, and happiness, 

I shouldn’t want to fuss; 

By the stack of evidence, 

God’s been very good to us! 

~Anonymous 

I didn’t necessarily learn something “new” from this book but was encouraged to continue to strive towards always being a better wife to my husband & momma to our children.   A good, respectful, godly, happy, joyful, etc wife makes a happy mom & example to her children.

I think this book would make a great gift or read for a new wife or one who has been married for awhile!! :) Its well worth the $2.99 for the eBook format and the $11.95 for the printed copy (I’d love to get a printed copy some day – this is definitely a read again book!)  The printed copy just was release April 16th!

You can read more about Darlene on her site here, I'm sure you will be encouraged there by the things she shares - I have been!  The Good Wife's Guide can be purchased here.




{I love the background song...}

Table of Contents:

Foreword by Candace Cameron Bure

Part 1:

The Good Wife’s Guide

Learning to Manage Ourselves

Being Selfish is Not Okay

Group Your Life Inventory

Time Well Spent

My Desire for Curb Appeal

Domestically Challenged

What Will They Take Away?

Repetition, Pattern, Order

Laughing Over Spilt Milk

Biblical Submission Defined

No Need of Spoil

Living in Unity

The Treasure of Your Heart

Enhance Your Inner Beauty

Love and Let Go

Part 2:

Toss Out 25 Things

Organizing Your Home

Housekeeping Schedule

Deep Clean Your Kitchen in 5 Days

Deep Clean Your Bedroom

Deep Clean Your Bathroom

Which Chapter would you like to read the most?

**A big thank you to Darlene Schacht for providing a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.

The Money Saving Mom's Budget - Audio Book Review

I've been reading Money Saving Mom's site for the last 2+ years, her money saving tips are always beneficial and encouraging to me (she always shares great recipes and testimonials too!).  Living life isn't all about money, but having financial goals and a vision can make life so much less stressful!

Since I read MSM's site I didn't know if I'd learn that much new from this book but I was so surprised!  Crystal is all about making things manageable and not biting off more than you can chew.  She breaks down everything into steps and makes something like budgeting easy!

This book has more than just money saving tips & budgeting, it's also filled with helpful tips on time management, organizing, de-cluttering your home, etc.

I was very encouraged by this book and feel even more motivated to press forward, blessing my family (with much help from my husband) by managing our finances best to my ability!  I thoroughly enjoyed having this as an audio book too as I was able to listen to it while still being able to go about doing my daily tasks! :)


About the book:
Crystal Paine, who has helped busy women everywhere take control of their finances, presents her most effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels.  With hundreds of inspiring “why didn’t I think of that?” TIPS, plus WORKSHEETS, Paine breaks down your goals into easy, manageable steps so you can:

• Achieve a complete financial makeover
• Set up a realistic budget
• Never pay retail
• Slash your grocery bill
• Organize your time & your home
• Use coupons wisely
• Pay with cash only
• Live simply
• Become debt free
• Choose contentment
• Make every dollar count

About Crystal Paine:
Crystal Paine is a wife and homeschooling mom to three young children who has been writing on topics related to frugality for the last five years—and living a frugal, simple, and debt-free life since she was born. Her blog, MoneySavingMom.com, is one of the top personal finance blogs on the web averaging over four million pageviews per month. Crystal has contributed to articles in Woman's Day magazine and All You magazine, as well as being mentioned on National Public Radio and CNN.com, in USA Weekend, and Real Simple magazine and numerous other local newspapers and radio and television stations. www.moneysavingmom.com

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this audio book for the purpose of reviewing if I chose to.  These are my honest opinions of The Money Saving Mom's Budget.

Long Trail Home :: Book Review

Long Trail Home
Vickie McDonough
Texas Trails Series

Book Summary:

The Long Trail Home is third in a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896.  Although a series, each book can be read on its own.

When Riley Morgan returns home after fighting in the War Between the States, he is excited to see his parents and fiancee again.  But he soon learns that his parents are dead and the woman he loved is married.  He takes a job at the Wilcox School for the blind just to get by.  He keeps his heart closed off but a pretty blind woman, Annie, threatens to steal it.  When a greedy man tries to close the school, Riley and Annie band together to fight him and fall in love.

But when Riley learns the truth about Annie, he packs and prepares to leave the school that has become his home and the woman who has thawed his heart.  Will he change his mind and find the love he craves?  Or will stubbornness deprive him from the woman he needs? Through painful circumstances, Riley and Annie learn that the loving and sovereign hand of God cannot be thwarted.

My Review:

I fell in love with this book and it's characters!  I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and this book was just that and wonderful! Filled with much drama, love, forgiveness.  I actually didn't realize this was the 3rd book in this series until now (I thought it was the first but I guess I was confused) - it flowed beautifully and perfect all by it's self, though like all good books it ended too soon.  I can't wait to read the others in this series.

Annie is a abandoned young girl who pretended to be blind so she would be excepted in at the School for Blind children in town.  Everyone in the town thinks shes blind except for the 2 main caretakers for the blind children.  When Annie is an adult and the Lord pricks her heart about honesty she knows she has to let everyone know that she lied and that she actually never was blind.

She falls in love with Riley and wants to tell him so many times that she actually isn't blind but every time she started something else came up and she would put it off until some other convenient time. It wasn't until there was a big storm and some of the blind children were missing that she ended up having to tell him, no so gently, that she's been able to see all these years.

Riley & Annie along with the townspeople learn the importance of telling the truth and forgiveness.  Riley & Annie marry and are able to adopt one of the blind boys from the school where Annie had been living and working all these years. They move back onto Riley's family farm after repairing the damage & start their family together... 

And I won't share more before I ruin the entire story.......

Disclaimer:

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

*This post does contain referral links

My Favorite Pregnancy Reading Resources

With just over a month left before Baby #2 arrives I though I'd share some of my favorite reading resources for pregnancy! :-) Here are some of my favorites:



The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy

I personally don't own this book (one day!) but have read most of my Mom's copy.  It's a wonderful resource for just about anything pregnancy related.  Shonda Parker is gifted with much knowledge about naturally staying healthy, her other books Mommy Diagnostics & Naturally Healthy Woman are great too!

Under the Apple Tree

During my first pregnancy my midwife loaned me this book.  It's wonderful and very helpful, especially for a first-time mommy-to-be!

 

Natural Childbirth the Bradly Way

Wonderful book!  I learned a lot from it.

I also enjoy Baby Center for their weekly emails of baby's developments. :-)

What are your favorite books for pregnancy &/or childbirth?
  
**This post contains affiliate links. 

Sisters of the Quilt ~ The Complete Trilogy :: Book Review

Sisters of the Quilt ~ The Complete Trilogy

by Cindy Woodsmall

Can Hannah find refuge, redemption, and a fresh beginning after her world is shattered? 
When the Heart Cries
Her life among her Amish community brutally interrupted, seventeen-year-old Hannah Lapp faces questions neither family, nor fiancé, nor even faith can easily answer. The first book in the Sisters of the Quilt series, When the Heart Cries will ignite a broader understanding of others’ beliefs and a God-given strength to deal with pain we all experience.

When the Morning Comes
Rejected by those she loves, Hannah Lapp leaves her Amish community and seeks refuge in the world outside, leaving her family and friends to wrestle with the painful truths that emerge in the wake of her disappearance. As she struggles to find her place in the confusing Englischer world, her community deals with the turbulent aftermath of her departure.
 
When the Soul Mends
Hoping to help her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community she fled in disgrace more than two years earlier. When hidden truths are revealed about her former fiancé, she must choose whether to return to the Plain life or to the Englischer man who adores her in this captivating conclusion to the Sisters of the Quilt series.
 
This three-in-one collection includes the entirety of the best-selling Sisters of the Quilt trilogy now at a new low price! 

My Review:

I was a little disappointed with this book with some of the content being adult only (in my opinion).  Though a captivating and great read I wouldn't want a daughter of mine to read this book until she was older or married (I only have a 17 mo boy right now...).  It might just be because of my upbringing and the sheltering that I had when I was at home.  Every family and parent has different ideas of what is age appropriate for their children and I'm sure that would play a big role on who/what ages could read and benefit from this book.  For me, this was a neat adult book - really enjoyable!

It was a wonderful story though, heartache, healing and forgiveness were shared in a way that touches you.  The story was very well thought out and researched, it doesn't seem much like a fiction book, with very real life happenings in it.

Through all the heartache and bitterness reaped on Hannah (main character) one of the best things I found about the book what her devotion to God.  Though she left the Amish she didn't leave all faith.  She still trusted in God and waited on Him to bring healing to herself, her family, and Amish community.  She doesn't return to the Amish faith but she does forgive those who wrongly accused her.  In the end she marries a Plain Mennonite man, the man that she's (secretly) loved since the beginning of the series.  A huge thing that comes across in this series is the fact that forgiveness is everything - many wrong accusations and misunderstandings become nothing with true forgiveness. 

** I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review all opinions are honestly my own. 

-------------

Go visit Lessons From Ivy and read her review and enter her giveaway for The Good Wife's Guide eBook! :)

Book Review - For Men Only

I know that almost/all my readers are women but this book was just so good!  It's not necessarily "For Men Only" as in many ways this book would help a woman compare and understand how her husband takes the things she does and says.  I have asked my husband (Daniel) if he'd write a review of this book - since it is written for men. : )

For Men Only

By: Shaunti Feldhahn

Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 192
Vendor: Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
Publication Date: 2006
Dimensions: 7.00 X 5.00 (inches)

I enjoyed reading this book as it is filled with insightful details about the inner life (or might I say confusing life) of a woman. When Tabitha first showed me this book I knew it was a must. I have read many marriage books, so I thought to myself “I won’t learn much”, man was I WRONG! I learned so much that I am going to be reading it again & probably even visiting a few chapters a 3rd time (mainly the chapter on listening). I found that the area I thought I was an expert in; I was not even close to understanding (can you guess what I am thinking of?). Have you ever had your wife tell you that you aren’t listening when you have listened and are now trying to “solve” her “problem”? I sure have, but there is hope! I learned that she really doesn’t want me to fix the problem, she wants me to:

1. Give her my full physical attention
2. Give her my full mental attention
3. Listen for the right thing (most of us guys think: I should filter out all the emotion and listen to the facts. But we have it backwards. We need to filter out the facts and focus on how it makes her feel.)
4. Lastly acknowledge what her feeling is and affirm/sympathize with it (even if we disagree with her thoughts)

Here is a warning it contained:

Don’t Try These at Home!

“How not to listen”

• Tell her she’s overreacting,
• Question her version of the facts,
• Wonder aloud about the time of the month
• Ask her to quit crying, or
• Offer spiritual correction (“are you sure you're not just envious?”)

Overall it was VERY worth reading (so much so, that I bought the companion book: For Women Only. for my wife). It even comes with a helpful quick start guide. I hope you take the time to invest in your marriage and read it.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review all opinions are honestly my own.

****The post contains affiliate links. 

Plain Wisdom - Book Review

Publisher's Description:
Two friends from different worlds—one Old Order Amish, one Englischer—share the truths that bring them together. Best-selling novelist Cindy Woodsmall might seem to have little in common with Miriam Flaud, a woman immersed in the culture of Old Order Amish. But with nine children and almost 60 years of marriage between them, Cindy and Miriam both have found the secrets to facing life with strength and grace. Whether enduring financial setbacks, celebrating new babies and times of prosperity, grieving the crushing losses in the deaths of family and friends, or facing disappointments with their respective communities—through it all they find guidance for each day by looking to God. With poignant recollections, unexpected insights, and humorous tales, the two women welcome you into their unique friendship. You’ll also gain a rare glimpse into the traditions and ways of the Amish as Miriam recalls special occasions and shares family recipes throughout the book. Plain Wisdom is a heartwarming celebration of God, womanhood, and the search for beauty that unites us all. So grab your cup and your quilt and settle in for a soul-comforting read with Plain Wisdom.

Author Bio
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author of six novels whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Miriam Flaud is an Old Order Amish woman who has lived within one of the most structured societies in the United States. She’s experienced the abundant joys of that lifestyle as well as troubled times. She and her husband have six children and five grandchildren.

My Review
I really enjoyed reading through Plain Wisdom by: Cindy Woodsmall & Miriam Flaud.  It was especially neat to read how these two women from totally different lifestyles were able to come together and become friends and learn from each other.  This book is loaded with practical wisdom on being a mother to many or a few children as well as so many other things.  There are several Amish recipes mixed in as well that look pretty good.  There are a few I'm going to try someday, hopefully! :)  One of my favorite quotes from this book is:

Finding peace with our imperfect world and its imperfect people isn’t always easy, but if we don’t find a way to let go of our stringent ideals of how things should be, we’ll never be free to enjoy the greatest gifts life gives us. ~ Cindy Woodsmall

Cindy is a novel writer (written many other books), wife and mother, Miriam is an Old Order Amish wife & mother.  In this book they share stories from their lives - their own childhoods, raising their children, homemaking, farming (for Miriam), and being wives.  They bring their stories back to the scriptures many times and share the things they learned from the things they did or didn't do.  I loved the easy read and it was a blessing to learn from this book.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review all opinions are honestly my own.