Unglued Review

I am a wife, mother, leader, loyee, and many other things on any given day. I can easily become unglued over a small thing or a mountain on any given day. Lysa Terkeurst in her new series, Unglued, gives practical ways to make imperfect progress in hopes of correcting unglued situations and behaviors. I have been leading the Unglued DVD series at my MOMSnext group and have learned so much from her teaching. That is why I was excited to get my hands on the devotional book she wrote.

If you are like me and have read Jesus Calling several times, this is a great devotion book to pick up. There are 60 days of devotions included and I would recommend reading at least twice!

Each day starts with a verse:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:2

Then a thought for the day:

Choosing a gentle reply doesn't mean you're weak; it actually means you possess a rare and godly strength.

After the days devotion, she ends with a short prayer:

Dear Lord, I accept the challenge to hold my tongue in order to honor, give grace, and have compassion for others. Please give me strength to do this today. Thanks so much. In Jesus' name, Amen

The example above is from Day 47. What a great way to start any day! Each day is a reminder that I can make a choice in how I treat and respond to others. And it will help break the cycle of being led by emotions rather than the Holy Spirit!

*I received this book in exchange for my review. The opinions are mine.*

Crunchy Nut Review

Let me introduce you to my new little friend......

I love to eat cereal....always have.  In fact, if I didn't have three kids to feed every single day, I would probably eat cereal for lots more meals than I already do.  So when I got the chance to try Kellogg's Crunchy Nut cereal through the BzzAgent program, I was very excited.  I was really wanting a snack last Sunday so I broke open the box and had a small bowl with skim milk.  Here is what I loved about this cereal:

*It is very crunchy and it stays crunchy!

*It has bits of real peanut on each flake!

*There are only 120 calories in 3/4 cup of cereal.

*It is the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet, & nutty!

I think this cereal would be great with fruit or raisins added to it.  I also think my kids would love this cereal as a snack without milk.  This cereal is also part of Kellogg's Family Rewards program.   It has a code on the inside of the box that you enter online.  Then you can use your points you earn for merchandise or coupons.  I earned a $5.00 Starbucks card a few months ago, so I am letting my points build back up!  

*I received a sample of this cereal through BzzAgent.  The opinions are mine.*

miracle for Jen review

I am so excited to share this review with my readers.  The book, MIRACLE FOR JEN, was written by Jen's mother, Linda Barrick.  Linda tells the story of how their family was involved in a tragic accident. Their minivan was hit head on by a drunk driver, wreaking havoc on everyone inside the van.  Linda, her husband, daughter (Jen), and son were all injured.  Her daughter Jen was the worst off.  She was not expected to live through the night.  But miraculously she did survive the night!  And she is alive today telling her story all across the world.  Their family are Christians with ties to Liberty University, and Linda talks about the thousands fo people praying for her daughter while she recovered from her traumatic brain injury.

The thing about brain injuries is that they take so long heal from.  A lot of times the person may look perfectly normal, but their brain is not functioning properly.   I believe that waiting to heal from an injury like this is the hardest part.  While waiting for her daughter to heal, Linda talks about the raw emotions she was feeling at the time.

"Later that day....was the first time I could remember being by myself since the accident.  Overcome with emotion, I shut the door to Jen's room and collapsed on the floor at the top of the stairs.  I got on my face and confessed my thoughts to the Lord.  I didn't know what else to do  As I lay there, I didn't hear an audible voice in the room, but I heard GOd speaking to my heart.

Linda, do you love Me as much as you love Jen?

Lord, You know I do!

In that instant I realized that at the root of our greatest fear is often something we love more than God.  I didn't want to love Jen more than I loved God.  I didn't mean to do it, but my priorities said otherwise.

Then you have to stop being consumed with trying to fix Jen.  I don't want you to be consumed with anything else but Me.  I want to be your number one obsession.

Jen is mine.  You have to let go and trust Me."

And that is what this book is all about.  Letting go and trusting God's perfect plan.  This book is a great reminder that His ways are not my ways and His plans are often not my plans.

I was given a copy of this book from Tyndale publishing as part of their Tyndale Blog Network.  The opinions are mine.

shespeaks L'OREAL MAGIC Skin Beautifier

I am excited to share my review of the new L'OREAL MAGIC SKIN BEAUTIFIER B.B. CREAM.  I am always excited to try new skin care products and was interested in learning all about B.B.s (Beautifying Beads).  L'OREAL describes B.B.s as encapsulated pigments infused in an ultra-light lotion with antioxidant Vitamin E.

This cream claims to have 4 beautifying actions:

PRIMES (to smooth texture)

Perfects (to hide imperfections)

HYDRATES (for all day moisture)

CORRECTS (for an even looking complexion)

The sample I was sent is the 812 LIGHT cream.  I took this picture of the end of the tube to show just the little bit of color in this product.  This shade is perfect for winter when I am very pale.  I think I would need a shade darker for the summer tan months.

The consistency of this cream was a bit surprising.  It is a bit on the runny side.  Not the consistency of most facial creams.  And I did learn after the first use that a little bit goes a long way.  The B.B.s do feel a little bit gritty, but when you smooth it on your face, it does not feel gritty.  I know you're thinking this sounds like the craziest make-up review ever!

But overall I was very pleased with this new cream.  I tend to have a reddish complexion, and I love how it tones down the redness on my cheeks.  I have noticed the B.B.s popping up in lots of skin care products, but I will be sticking with L'OREAL!

*I was offered a free sample of this product in exchange for my review.  I am a member of shespeaks, but all opinions are mine.*

Purex Baby Review and Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED!

Do you know how long it's been since I have washed baby clothes?  Well, my twins are almost eight, so it has been a few years.  When I had my first son, I washed all his clothes in Dreft.  When the twins came along, I was using whatever my husband picked up at the Walmart on the way home from work! I really do miss baby clothes.  I just don't miss spit up, dirty diapers, stinky diaper pails, and carseats.  

We went to a Super Bowl party on Sunday and there just so happened to be boy/girl 3 month old twins there.  I had to hold both of them and get a picture.  It brought back a flood of memories of my two little babies who are in second grade now!

Being a Purex Insider has its perks!  I get to learn about new Purex products and share them with my blog readers.  This detergent is brand new for infants and for babies.  Their formula is dermatologist-tested for babies sensitive skin.  It is gentle yet effective in removing stubborn baby stains and has a gentle baby-inspired fragrance.  It is currently available in 50 oz size bottles.

I am lucky enough to be giving away a FREE bottle of Purex Baby detergent coupon to two different readers.  You don't have to have a baby to win this.  If you can't use this personally,  I'm sure you know some mom who can!  To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment saying who would use this product if you won.  I will pick two winners on February 14th.  Just make sure I way to get in touch if you win!

*Purex provided me with a sample of Purex Baby detergent in exchange for a product review.  All opinions expressed are mine.*