Fair Trade Coffee

I am definitely a coffee kind of girl. I love love love my Keurig. And I love love love Green Mountain coffee K-cups!

Through October 31, 2011, Green Mountain Coffe is offering you the chance to save $2 on all Fair Trade Certified Coffees. This offer is good on their K-cup varieties and their bagged coffee. Green Mountain offers the nation's largest selection of Fair Trade Certified coffees.

Here are some of the advantages to buying Fair Trade Certified coffee:

*helping support farming communities

*protecting the environment

*enable sustainable growing practices that result in better coffee

*better working conditions for coffee harvesters

*farmers are paid a fair price for their harvest

WOW! I thought I was just drinking coffee! My all time favorite flavor at Green Mountain is their Pumpkin Spice K-cup variety. This is a limited edition flavor, so if you don't want to miss out, I suggest you order it now!

Another Great Christmas Book!!

One thing I look forward to every Christmas season is the newest Donna VanLiere book. This lady knows how to write a story. Her books are easy to read and always have a few twists in the plot. Just when you think you know how the book is going to end, she throws in a surprise. You can check out her website here.

Can two very different women embark on a journey that explores a long-buried need for forgiveness, hope, and redemption?

That question gets answered as the lives of these two woman unfold and intertwine. This book explores how just a little attention can make a huge difference in someone's life. One of the main characters describes herself like this:

~"I've always felt there are two women inside me: one who is desperate, drowning, and clinging to anything that can float and the other woman who feels the depth of loss and the hope of beauty and is always searching for the marvelous to spring up out of the gray. That woman rarely shows up, it seems."

It is this character who ends up full of hope and forgiveness. What a powerful lesson this book teaches us, not just for Christmas, but for everyday life!

My 10 year old and I read this!

So I decided to read this book with my 10 year old son in the evening right before bed. Some nights we could not stop reading. It is a very exciting and suspenseful book, and my son and I both enjoyed reading it. I love that there are graphic novels with a purpose. My son loves to read the Yu-Gi-Oh graphic novels, so I feel a little better when he has something like this to read.

This book (which is the 3rd in the series) follows Sadie and Saskia Dopple and their friend Erik Morrisey Ganger on another fun-filled adventure. You can check out all of the DoppleGanger series here. I absolutely love the books ending. It includes new beginnings and a look at the past. It is definitely worth reading with your kids. Here is a glimpse at the closing conversation.

"Do you think they listen to what we say?"

"Sometimes."

"And when they get it wrong, do we try again?"

"Always."

"But doesn't it make you angry?"

"If you had ever been one of them, you would understand."

"Look what they did to you."

"IT WAS WORTH IT."

The Love & Respect Experience

I have been a big fan of "Love & Respect" for years! I have read the book several times and often recommend it to friends who are struggling with their marriages. So I was so excited to get this new couple's devotional book. This is an area I have been striving to work on in my own marriage. I know it is not easy to get most men to read a book, but this book is totally worth it. I love that there are 52 devotionals, one for each week in a year's time. So you are not expected to be perfect and read every night together (which would never happen in my home!). One night a week is something I and my husband can do. Marriage is definitely something worth fighting for, and this book will help equip couples to fight!

This is a beautiful leather bound book; it would make a great gift!

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

One Call Away

You only see a person’s front porch! You don’t see the living room, bathroom, or bedroom. If you saw the whole house, you probably wouldn’t want it! How often have I looked at another person’s life and wished I could have it. I think they are so much prettier, or smarter, or well-off financially, or their kids are better behaved, or they have never have to worry about their weight.

As an outsider looking in, you would think Brenda Warner has it all together. She has an amazing husband, kids, house, and life. And while it may look like that to the average person, after reading this book, I quickly realized she is just like you. And me. She has had struggles, insecurities, doubts, and things thrown in her face just like me. She has had to work hard to get where she is today just like me. She has had to rely on God when nothing seems to be working out just like me. Only she has had to do all this under the scrutiny of the public eye because her husband, Kurt Warner, is pretty much a national football icon. Brenda is honest and open about some of her choices she made in the past and regrets she still has to this day. One thing I did learn is that relationships are hard to maintain (especially after your family becomes famous), but should be a priority! We are not made to do life a lone, and having key people in your life to rely on is so important.

New Book!

Tyndale Publishers has a contest to promote Dr. Kevin Leman's new book! You can go here to check out the details. They are giving away this book and other great prizes. Good luck!

The Blessing (not National Lampoon's Christmas style)

This post is long overdue. Let's just say it's been a very busy summer around these parts. The boys finally started school last week, then my 99 year old grandmother died on Wednesday. So the business continues. Nonetheless, here is my review of this awesome book!

As a mother to a college student, a middle schooler, and two elementary kids, I totally appreciate this book. We have had quit the summer. My six year old fractured his femur almost five weeks ago and that has thrown a wrench in lots of our plans. We have spent lots of time at home doing absolutely nothing. All this extra time has let me practice what I read in this book. I grew up in a fundamental Christian home and feel like my parents practiced these principles without even knowing about it. There is no better gift to give a child than knowing they have their parents unconditional love and approval. Now that I have learned the basics principles talked about in The Blessing, I hope to give my children a hope for the future. There are so many negatives forces against them in the world, our relationship needs to be a priority! This book also gives specific ways to communicate to children these ideas.

The following are the key areas addressed in The Blessing: *Meaningful touch*A spoken message*Attaching high value*Picturing a special future*An active commitment*

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions are mine.