Prinly 500 Business Cards Giveaway - 3 Winners!

I have been eyeing different designs of business cards lately. My jewelry business cards need a new look. I like to have a variety of styles because that is just the way I am! Prinly offers over a thousand different business cards with styles that really suit my taste. You can also upload your own design if you prefer. Gerbera daisies are my absolute favorite flower and Prinly has these two designs, which would be perfect for me:



 




 

Prinly has offered to sponsor a wonderful giveaway of 500 Business Cards for THREE WINNERS!

Here are the details of the giveaway:
Mandatory Entry: Please leave me a comment and let me know what you would use the business cards for - business, your blog, mommy cards, etc. Please leave me your email address as well.
Bonus Entries:
1. Follow @prinly on Twitter.
2. Follow Tidbits From A Mom publicly on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
3. Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews on my blog and leave a comment and let me know which review you commented on. (2 entries)
4. Enter another one of my giveaways. (1 entry each)
5. Follow me on Facebook. (1 entry each)
6. Grab my button and let me know where you placed it (3 entries)

7. Subscribe to Tidbits From A Mom through RSS feed or email (3 entries)

This giveaway ends on June 14, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.  *Giveaway is open to residents in the U.S. and Canada only.  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified through email and will have 48 hours to respond.

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Tuesday Hops!

Summer Fit Learning Workbook Giveaway - Weekend Giveaway Only!

My family does not have big plans for this summer as of yet.  Working in a school full-time, I am blessed to be able to stay home with my kids during the summer.  I cherish the time!  My daughter is finishing the first grade this year and I was not sure what to do with her to maintain her skills besides reading.  I received a Summer Fit Learning Workbook to review and I was impressed by everything it has to offer. 

The Summer Fit workbook contains kindergarten to first grade level reading, math, writing, and language arts activities.  What I loved even more was a daily fitness component that lays out exercise routines for your children.  Your child can choose whether they would like “Aerobic, Strength and Sport activities using a Fitness Index developed by professional trainers, school coaches and parents”. You can also go online and you and your child can watch fitness videos that reinforce the workbook.  Lastly, the workbook also talks about character and citizenship values, such as trustworthiness, self-discipline, and courage (to name a few).  Activities and exercises are provided for parents to use in talking with their kids about these positive traints.  “Each week a different value is introduced and reinforced using real world examples of a person who represents that value”.

This workbook is such a comprehensive workbook.  I would love to try the first through second grade version because I think my daughter is more of that level, but I am really looking forward to using all of the activities, particularly the exercise and core values activities with her this summer.

I have been given one workbook to give away for one of my readers!  This is a short weekend giveaway – just until Monday so please enter now!!

Here are the details of the giveaway:
Mandatory Entry: Please leave me a comment and let me know which component of the workbook you're most interested in for your child. Please leave me your email address as well.
Bonus Entries:
1. Follow Tidbits From A Mom publicly on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
2. Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews on my blog and leave a comment and let me know which review you commented on. (2 entries)
3. Enter another one of my giveaways. (1 entry each)
4. Follow me on Facebook. (1 entry each)
4. Grab my button and let me know where you placed it (3 entries)

6. Subscribe to Tidbits From A Mom through RSS feed or email (3 entries)

This giveaway ends on May 30, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.  *Giveaway is open to residents in the U.S. and Canada only.  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified through email and will have 48 hours to respond.

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I received a free sample for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

“Mom’s Notecards with a Sweet Surprise” Review & Giveaway - Five Winners!

With texting, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and other technological conveniences, I notice that people hardly write personalized, handwritten notes anymore. This is why when you do actually receive a handwritten note from someone, friend or family member, it seems even more special.

With Sweet Tweets, you can insert last minute reminders, or simple “I Love You” notes into your child’s lunch boxes, school bags and or camp care packages.

Sweet Tweets are super-fun and extremely versatile, and a great way to make any moment a special occasion! Sweets tweets can also be great to as “forgot about” party favor, placement tags at a birthday party, gift tags and even labels.

Or you can even enjoy them for yourself as you jot down a few “notes to self”!

Created by Bazooka Candy Brands, Sweet Tweets are small, decorated and colorful note cards featuring cute, candy emoticons attached to each. Coming ten to a package, they retail for about 99 cents available for purchase online at www.sweettweetsnotes.com and will be available at retailers nationwide.

This is a great buy, so many treats and cards for so little money! What a sweet way to send a note!

I chose to leave notes in my daughter's lunchbox each day. She loved this and was so happy with her mid-day note! She loved it so much that she started packing notes for me in my lunchbox!

Bazooka Candy Brands has offered to sponsor a giveaway here at Tidbits From A Mom! FIVE WINNERS will receive the “Mom’s Notecards with a Sweet Surprise” Giveaway gift bag and goodies for your next special occasion!

Here are the details of the giveaway:
Mandatory Entry: Take a walk down memory lane and think about that one special message that your mom used to say to you, or placed in your lunch box or book bag. Please leave me a comment and let me know what your special message was. Please leave me your email address as well.
Bonus Entries:
1. Follow @sweettweets on twitter.
2.Follow Tidbits From A Mom publicly on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
3. Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews on my blog and leave a comment and let me know which review you commented on. (2 entries)
4. Follow me on Facebook. (1 entry each)
5. Grab my button and let me know where you placed it (3 entries)

6. Subscribe to Tidbits From A Mom through RSS feed or email (3 entries)

This giveaway ends on June 3, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.  *Giveaway is open to residents in the U.S. and Canada only.  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified through email and will have 48 hours to respond.

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I received a free sample for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Lil’ Teammates Review & Giveaway - THREE WINNERS!

I am blessed to come from New England.  We have incredible sports teams – the Celtics, the Patriots, the Bruins, and the Red Sox.  We have get-togethers with our neighbors for games, no matter whether it is the regular season or the playoffs.  Each time has their rivalry and it is exciting to watch them take each other on! 

There has been a lack of sports figurines for young children until now.  The Party Animal Inc. released a large line of sports figurines for children and sports collection enthusiasts last year that included 208 figurines in Series 1.  Series 2 is due out in June 2011.  These figurines are three inches tall and are officially licensed for NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and over 50 colleges.  I was lucky to be allowed to review six figurines from both Series 1 and Series 2, including the following:

• NEW Limited Edition Referee
• Bruins Slapper
• Red Sox Pitcher
• Celtics Playmaker
• Patriots Running Back
• Patriots Quarterback

Not only are they adorable, but they are so fun!  In terms of movement, the heads of the figurines in Series 1 move.  However, the arms of the Ref from Series 2 move as well.  My kids liked this feature and my daughter thought that the future figurines being able to move their arms as well was definitely a bonus.  I can easily see how kids and adult collectors would want to collect the whole series!  My son, although very young, has already shown an affinity to sports and seems interested in using the figurines in his play.  He took these sports figurines and fit them right into playing with his trains! 

        

The Party Animal Inc. wants to inform readers that if you “Like” Lil’ Teammates on Facebook, they will provide you with a coupon code for 25% off your order at www.lilteammatesshop.com!

The Party Animal Inc. has also generously offered to sponsor a giveaway!  Three readers will win two figurines of their choice! 

Here are the details:

Buy It: You may purchase any Lil' Teammates products here.
Win It: Three winners will receive two free Lil' Teammates figurines of their choice.  Please leave a comment for each entry. Please also leave your email address with each comment.
Mandatory entry: Please leave a comment and tell me what is your favorite sports team(s).  Please leave your email address as well.
Bonus Entries:
1.. Follow Tidbits From A Mom publicly on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
2. Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews on my blog and leave a comment and let me know which review you commented on. (2 entries)
3. Follow me on Facebook. (1 entry each)
4. Grab my button and let me know where you placed it (3 entries)

5. Subscribe to Tidbits From A Mom through RSS feed or email (3 entries)

This giveaway ends on June 6, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.  *Giveaway is open to residents in the U.S. and Canada only.  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified through email and will have 48 hours to respond.

*Disclaimer: I was not provided monetary compensation for this post.  The opinions expressed here are solely my own.  I was provided with free products for the purposes of writing this review. 

Miranda Cosgrove's High Maintenance CD/DVD Review

My daughter discovered the Nickelodeon show “ICarly” this year.  She was an instant fan.  I found myself laughing along with her, which was refreshing!  The first time I heard Miranda Cosgrove, the star of ICarly, sing, I was really impressed.  She has a beautiful voice!                                                  

My daughter and I recently had the opportunity to review Miranda Cosgrove’s new CD/DVD “High Maintenance”.  My daughter was ecstatic when we received the package in the mail.  She immediately placed the CD in the player and we danced and danced through all five songs.  My one-year-old son even came into the room during “Dancing Crazy” to dance!  I think my favorite is “Dancing Crazy” and my daughter’s favorite is “High Maintenance”. 

These are the names of the songs included on the CD:

1. Dancing Crazy 

2. High Maintenance 

3. Face Of Love 

4. Kiss You Up 

5. Syonara 

I am not a formal music critic, but I'm simply a mom who likes to dance with her daughter.  My daughter and I will certainly be reaching for this CD often and we highly recommend it to others! 

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post.  I received a free product for the purposes of the review.  The opinions expressed here are my own. 

Book Review: The Guardian Angel Diary

 
I have often wondered if people have guardian angels. Maybe a relative who has passed on who helps you follow the right path? Who is my guardian angel? Do they send me messages? Do I miss them? If I opened up my heart and mind more, would the message come through?

The Guardian Angel Diary, written by Grant Schnarr, is the story about Nicole and how her guardian angel helps her to face cancer, her fear of dying, family issues, and loss. Nicole begins writing a journal to express herself and communicate with her guardian angel. Through her conversations, she is able to draw strength, courage, perseverance, love, and understanding. She is able to make sense of what has happened in the past, what is happening presently, and what could potentially happen in the future.

I attempted to place myself in Nicole’s place throughout the story. I cannot imagine (a) losing my mother at a young age, (b) being a cancer patient at the age of 16, and (c) attempting to deal with it on my own because my father is drinking and still grieving my mother. Nicole is definitely an inspirational character. As I was reading this book, although fiction, made me think about the petty complaints I have had recently. These complaints are small and insignificant compared to what Nicole was facing.

I enjoyed reading the back and forth between Nicole and her guardian angel. I particularly liked the responses the guardian angel gave to Nicole’s questions. Some of her questions were ones that I myself have contemplated. This book has given me much to think about and has made me want to hug my kids a little longer. Definitely a lot tighter.

More about the Author:

Grant Schnarr is a pastor and life-coach in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania. He is also a teacher at Bryn Athyn College. He is the author of several books, including The Art of Spiritual Warfare, You Can Believe, Return to the Promised Land, Spiritual Recovery, and Way of Wisdom.

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free copy of this book for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Don't Fret The Sweat: Unilver is helping kids and parents with self-esteem!

Having a high level of self-esteem is something that does not appear to come easily to many people nowadays.  Kids, tweens, teeens, and even adults struggle with self-esteem issues for various reasons.  My daughter is only seven and I am beginning to hear her make comments that are a concern.  For tweens and teens, changing bodies and hygiene cause anxiety. 

I have discussed hygiene with my students often because they are so young and are not yet recognizing that they have odor.  Walking into a fifth grade classroom after P.E. can be overwhelming!  I have urged not only daily showers, if possible, but also beginning to use deoderant. 

Unilever, the maker of Dove, Degree, and Suave deoderants, is attempting to help parents and their kids with remaining calm, cool, and collected - particularly in moments that are sweat-producing.  They are encouraging people to check out www.Facebook.com/DontFretTheSweat to receive money-saving offers and read suggestions/tips, tools, and real-life stories on how parents are helping their children retain their confidence. 

Store Brand Baby Formulas Win a Final Round in Court

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of storebrandformula.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a formula user, I was really interested in hearing this news.  When I was ready to wean my son and switch to formula, I scrutinized formulas to figure out which one would be the best for my son.  It seemed that there were some in particular that stated they were the best.  Not only did they say they were better, but they were also much more expensive.  People often say, "You get what you pay for" and "more expensive means higher quality".  According to the Food and Drug Administration, all store brand formulas have to have the same nutrients as national brand formulas.  Another fact that I learned is that you can save up to 50% by buying store brand formulas, which definitely adds up to a lot of money.

Several years ago, Enfamil sent out a mailing to approximately 1.5 million people stating that store brand formulas were "inferior" to their LIPIL brand.  This resulted in a $13.5 million lawsuit being filed against Enfamil maker Mead Johnson for false advertising.  PBM Products Inc., a unit of Perrigo's Co., which makes store brand formula, was able to successfully argue that store brand formulas provide the same level of nutrition as Enfamil brand formula. 

Mead Johnson had been involved in two prior lawsuits regarding this same issue.  “As the litigation history of the parties demonstrates, despite having twice been restrained from disseminating misleading advertising, Mead Johnson continued to do so,” Circuit Judge Andre Davis wrote. “PBM cannot fairly compete with Mead Johnson unless and until Mead Johnson stops infecting the marketplace with misleading advertising.”

 "The Court has made it clear that national brand and store brand suppliers are entitled to fairly compete and advertising abuses will not be tolerated," said Perrigo Chairman and CEO Joseph C. Papa in a statement. "We also appreciate the Court's recognition that PBM could lawfully compare its products to national brand products."

This court decision will now allow more opportunity for store brand formulas to compete with national brands.  This court decision will also bring about more awareness to parents about the nutritional value of store brand formulas.  Nervous parents can relax understanding that they are making an educated decision about their formula choice.  Brand name and more expensive are not always a must.

You can read more information about this lawsuit from Business Week.

Visit storebrandformula.com to read more about formula.

Cymax: Rocking Chairs, Oversized Recliner Chairs, and Leather Recliner Chairs

My husband, my children, and I spend a great deal of time in the family room. We are blessed to have a pretty large room with lots of space for furniture and toys, toys, and more toys. After a long day at work, my husband and I like to lay back and relax. Unfortunately, our leather couches are only somewhat comfortable to lie on. They are cold and have hard sides. We use pillows and wrap ourselves up in blankets.

If I had the funds, I would replace this furniture with more comfortable pieces, which would include a recliner. I love recliners. We always had one growing up, but my husband and I haven’t bought one at this point in time. There is nothing more relaxing for me than curling up in a recliner with a good book (and as you know I read a lot!). What is better than a recliner? An oversized recliner! Cymax has a vast number of oversized recliner chairs to choose from. I found a chair that not only looks like it would be heaven for me to curl up in, but I could also curl up with my kids for “book time” before bed or to watch a movie. This chair is the “Catnapper Softie Cuddler”! Even the name screams, “Sleep on me!”

  Leather recliner chairs are definitely the style of our family room. Not only is this recliner classy, but I could see myself relaxing and watching television in this one for sure! 



In addition to recliners, I found several rocking chairs that I like. My son is not a great sleeper and often needs to be rocked. I love the quiet time I have at night rocking him. I know he is going to grow so quickly and I won’t be rocking him for long! I am a firm believer in finding a comfortable rocker and one that is silent! The one that I have is a bit worn from years of use with my daughter. If I could purchase another one, I would love this one:

 Cymax has such a variety of recliner chairs, leather recliner chairs, and rocking chairs that can accommodate your taste and style.  I would recommend checking out their site and see for yourself!

Tiny Prints Graduation Announcements

I will never forget the pride I felt at my daughter’s kindergarten graduation last year. Like any mom would of course. My daughter had an absolutely wonderful teacher who had helped her learn and grow into a confident and smart little girl. She was surrounded by her little friends who she adored and whom we had come to know very well. I had recently had another baby and my daughter had supported and helped me so immensely.

The class entered the gymnasium to “Pomp & Circumstance” in their little blue caps and gowns. I teared up right from the beginning. The class sang about twelve songs, some were silly and some were tear jerkers. They had obviously been preparing for quite some time and they were adorable. Instead of simply singing loud enough for everyone to hear, they were practically yelling their hearts out.

We had such mixed emotions that day. Pride for what she accomplished that year. Happiness that she was going to be taking the next step into elementary school. A little sadness that she was getting older. I can only imagine what I will feel with her future graduations – middle school, high school, college. As are all moms I’m sure, I will be beaming with pride.

Tiny Prints provides stylish, modern and unique graduation stationery including graduation announcements, graduation invitations, and thank you cards for teens. When graduation season has come and gone Tiny Prints will still be here to fill all your stationery needs with their exclusive designs from the nation's top designers. You'll find summer party invitations, personalized greeting cards, thank you cards, business cards, and even custom wedding invitations. Come try the easy card personalization, powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality for yourself! With Tiny Prints by your side commemorating every holiday and momentous occasion is a cinch!



 *Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review: The Best of Clean Eating

 "The Best of Clean Eating: Improving Your Life One Meal At A Time" is a compilation of over 200 recipes from Clean Eating Magazine.  I was allowed the opportunity to review this cookbook in addition to The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped book written by Tosca Reno.  When I received this cookbook, I was wondering, "What is clean eating?"  I was not familiar with the magazine yet.  I learned that clean eating is "consuming food in its most natural state - or as close to it as possible".  These recipes are purely healthy and when used with the Eat-Clean Diet Stripped book, could really help you lose weight. 

The Best of Clean Eating is a beautiful cookbook.  Bright pictures accompany the recipes.   The pictures are truly mouth-watering.  I am not just saying that!  In addition to the recipes, the book also educates you about food and nutrition. For example, as a sidenote to the recipe for the Spinach and Chicken Sausage Pizza, it states, "A serving of our clean pizza provides more than three quarters of your daily calcium need, but that's not all in the mozzarella cheese.  Spinach is also a good source of calcium: one cooked cup offers about 245 milligrams of the bone-building mineral".  I never knew that about spinach and I am certainly going to be trying that recipe!  Weekly menu plans are also provided for you to ease the burden of planning. 

It was hard trying to decide which recipe to cook first, but ultimately I attempted the Shepherd's Pie. This Shepherd's Pie is made using ground turkey instead of ground hamburger meat.  My family and I eat turkey burgers each week, so I thought they might enjoy this meal.  This meal took me a while to make, so I definitely would not make this a habit in the middle of the week.  The weekend would have been better.  Personally, I enjoyed the meal.  I loved the chives in the potatoes and the tomato flavor of the ground turkey.  The recipe makes a large dish, which I then froze the leftovers so I had another meal for the next week.  I wish I could say that my husband and daughter enjoyed it as much as I did; however, I guess they are not as open at this point to clean eating as I am.  They struggled with eating the ground turkey, which is silly because we eat it in burger form each week!  I think they were just being close-minded!

I am going to attempt a new Best of Clean Eating recipe each week.  I think I am going to make it and not mention that it is from a healthy cookbook and see what they say!  I recommend this cookbook for those who want to get the most nutrition from their meals and not feel guilty about what they are eating. 

Book Review: The Eat Clean Diet Stripped - Peel Off Those Last 10 Pounds!

 
I had one year ago and I am struggling with losing those last few pounds to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight. Those last few pounds are absolutely the hardest to lose. It's as though they just want to hang on forever! I admit that I do things all wrong - I tend to starve myself, I don't exercise, I don't drink enough water, and I do not eat small snacks between meals consistently. I know that I am doing things the wrong way, but I am so focused on my family, work, and the home, that I have been stuck in a rut.

I had the opportunity to review The Eat Clean Diet Stripped - Peel Off Those Last 10 Pounds!, written by Tosca Reno. I had not read any of Tosca Reno's previous books (there were 11!) and was so amazed at the sheer amount of information presented in this one. She is in phenomenal shape! I figure it is certainly worth trying all of her advice. The Eat Clean Diet Stripped teaches people how to trick your body into losing those last ten pounds. It talks about so many different areas in which I struggle!

The book addresses the following:

· How to trick your body into dropping those last pounds (Hint! You get to eat more!)

· The best weight-loss secrets of the physique industry.

· How to use natural herbs and teas to launch your metabolism into overdrive!

· Myth busting: Which foods are supposed to help you lose weight but actually keep the pounds on.

· Eating and training plans that guarantee results! Detox Solutions.

· Tips for conquering cravings.

· Tricks of the trade to make you look 10 pounds lighter right away.

· Over 50 brand new Eat Clean Diet recipes.
I was so thrilled to find this book because I have been really trying to pay attention to the suggestions and I already feel better about myself. Not that I eat completely unhealthy, but I do like to snack everyday. I would love to detox my body from the stuff I put into it. Eating small snacks between meals has definitely helped me cut back on how ravenous I feel at lunch and dinner. One of the suggestions in the book is to drink hot water with freshly squeezed lemon in the morning in order to help your body detox. I never knew of this strategy! I wish I had known because it is so simply to sip my lemon water while at work.

The book includes over 50 recipes that really do not seem difficult to make and are appealing. I went through the recipes with my husband and we agreed upon some to try. He is motivated to change his eating habits as well. I'm not so sure my daughter is as motivated - she loves her chicken nuggets! However, she knows the importance of eating healthy and exercising, so I will still allow her some reasonable healthy treats to balance it out.

More About the Author:

Tosca Reno is the NY Times bestselling author of Your Best Body Now and her The Eat-Clean Diet book franchise, has sold millions of copies worldwide. Tosca's life was like many others, she was miserable being overweight, out of shape and living an unfulfilled life. In her early 40's, she decided enough was enough and discovered this new way of eating clean and exercising. It transformed her attitude and health like she never thought possible, creating a whole new career as a fitness cover model and bestselling author. Today at 52 years old, Tosca is a mother of four and has never looked better.

I would definitely recommend this book to people who are struggle to lose a few pounds. It is FULL of information and well worth the read. It could change your life!

Studypoint Tutoring

The world of education has certainly changed since I was younger. As a student in high school, I was a student who succeeded in the areas of reading and writing. I struggled terribly with math and sciences. My brain simply didn't seem to work the way others' worked. Even now, as an adult, I feel as though I just do not understand certain things in these areas, my eyes glaze over, and I begin to tune out what I am listening to. Then, I try to imagine what it must be like with for students nowadays with all the information they are required to learn prior to graduations. Students nowadays are fortunate enough to have computers, which we did not, and can google what they need to learn and receive help online. However, nothing can replace being able to work one on one with someone tutoring you.

Studypoint is a tutoring company that works with one on one with students in grades K-12 . Tutors can work with students in all major subject areas, including math, writing, reading, science, and foreign languages. In addition to their physical locations, Studypoint also provides in-home tutoring for subject areas as well as the SAT and ACT. Personally, I could have definitely used this when I was in high school because my mother did not have the availability to take me to a tutoring location with her busy schedule. I could have also used the one on one support to prepare for the SAT exam because I was such a poor standardized test-taker.

In addition to the services provided, the Studypoint website provides information to assist students in planning their futures. They list profile information for colleges and universities, a free SAT exam scoring tool to use with practice tests, as well as information about accessing Educational Consultants.

There is a great deal of pressure for students in our society in terms of educating themselves in order to compete in their career fields. If there is a subject area in which a student is struggling, a valuable resource to turn to would be a tutoring company such as Studypoint. The benefits of working with a one on one tutor can be remarkable. I wish I had had this opportunity.

FREE RecipeLion Top Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes ebook

 
This ebook contains 17 recipes from some favorite restaurants, such as Olive Garden, Chilis, and Cracker Barrel! It’s FREE!

Heart of Haiti - 15% off Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace products!

 
There have been so many strong women that I have been blessed to have been able to lean on in my life. First, and foremost, the woman who has helped me most in my life is my mother. As life has thrown me curveballs over the years, my mother has been just a phone call away – any time of day or night. I have always been able to count on her for saying just the right thing to me to encourage me to keep striving for what I want and to help me manage my stress. I often call her to bounce ideas off of her, no matter how silly. My mother was the first person I called years ago when I wanted to bounce around the idea of forming my jewelry business. She was entirely supportive and even helped me pin down the name. She then took it a step further and gave me a large gift box filled with supplies to get started on my new venture. My business then took off and she has been encouraging me every step of the way. I can never repay my mother for her consistent support and encouragement. I hope that I can be everything to my daughter that my mother is to me.

The artists of Macy’s Shop for a Better World/Heart of Haiti collection have created pieces that would make beautiful gifts this Mother’s Day. If you would like to see the entire collection, click here. If you use the promocode CLEVERGIRLS, you will receive a 15% off the Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace products! This discount is from 5/3/11-5/8/11.

*Disclaimer: I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

A Conversation with God: If You Could Ask God Any Question, What Would It Be?

 
I believe that I have spoken quite a bit on here about my choice to convert from being a Protestant to a Catholic.  I have done so much thinking and soul-searching over the years to come to this decision.  I became "official" at the Easter Vigil a week ago and I was so excited.  A religious education is something that has always been missing from my life.  I was always jealous of people who knew and understood the Bible.  They appeared to know all the answers to the important questions.

I had the opportunity to review "A Conversation with God: If You Could Ask God Any Question, What Would It Be?" by Alton Gansky. The title of this book instantly grabbed and really got my wondering what my one question would be...I have asked so many questions, but if I could choose only one, that would be hard!  I think a lot of my questions have to do with heaven and they can only get answered when I get there!

"A Conversation with God" is a beautiful book that is easy to read.  It presents questions to readers that many of us have wondered about and possibly debated about with family and friends.  The questions are organized by categories, including God, Bible, The Future, Pain and Suffering, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Heaven and Hell, Humanity, Christian Living, and Today's World.  What differentiates this book from other books is that it presents the answers from the perspective of God, Jesus, Disciples, and other important people in the Bible.  At first, I had a little difficulty with reading the sections that were speaking for God and Jesus because I had bee taught that no one can speak for them and that it is considered blasphemous to do so.  However, after I put this thought aside, I found it interesting  and helpful to read it as though it was coming from them.  It made it more meaningful.  There were some things stated in the book that I still need clarifying and will possibly ask my teachers about; for example, it states, "There is a myth that good people die and become angels. This is a misconception.  Angels are a special class of creation".  That was not what I was taught.  I guess maybe I have more learning to do!  I also feel this is a book that I could read a few times, not just once.  I feel as though I need to take time to ponder the questions and answers and then read it again to see if it all makes sense.  These are deep questions!  For example, in regards to humanity, "what is our biggest problem?", "what is heaven like?", and "what will we do for eternity?"

Overall, I really wish I had read this book over a year ago.  I would have been well prepared for my RCIA classes!  My daughter has started asking me some questions recently and I believe this book will also be helpful in trying to explain things to her.  As I mentioned before, the text is easy to understand and would help people, especially those without a religious background, to understand the major questions we ask in life.

I would like to thank Booksneeze for providing me with the opportunity to review this book.

So, the ultimate question is, what is the one question you would ask God if you were given the chance right now?