Sonicare toothbrush for kids

Getting little kids to brush their teeth is a never ending battle for parents everywhere. I have experienced the gamut from reluctant cooperation to sitting on a screaming kid and forcing a toothbrush between their tightly clenched teeth. (not even kidding!)

The Sonicare toothbrush for kids has helped stop the screaming and hiding in our household. They like the vibrations and music, they know nothing about the added plaque removal.

The Sonicare toothbrush has an ergonomic handle and two vibration levels, low for kids age 4+ and high for kids 7+, with two different sized heads for the two age groups. The toothbrush has a timer that gradually increases in length until children are brushing for the recommended two minutes. After a length of time a little tune plays telling the child to move to a different area of the mouth, ensuring they get to all the teeth. For the kids' entertainment there is an interchangeable front panel to keep giving a fresh look to keep them interested.

The Sonicare for kids is designed to bring kids to independent tooth brushing from parents help.

Trinity and Sam have really enjoyed brushing their teeth since we have been using the new toothbrush! I'm sold!

You can buy a Sonicare For Kids at Walmart, Amazon and Target.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Sonicare and received a free Sonicare For Kids toothbrush to facilitate my review.

Perfect Stranger ~ Book reviews

I got the chance to review this amazing pair of novellas through Random House called Dinner with a Perfect Stranger and a Day with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory. I wasn't really sure what I was expecting out of these books, but I was just blown away. They are amazing! I read both books in about 2 hours. They are fast and easy reads, but so worth reading! David Gregory did a fantastic job of getting the gospel out in these books in a way that hits home without being preachy. The first book is about Jesus talking to a man and his conversion, the second is about his wife after he turns into a "Jesus freak," and her conversation with Jesus and her conversion.

These are a must-read and a definate choice to have in your church and personal library.


Summary Dinner with a Perfect Stranger:
You are Invited to a Dinner with Jesus of Nazareth. The mysterious envelope arrives on Nick Cominsky’s desk amid a stack of credit card applications and business-related junk mail. Although his seventy-hour workweek has already eaten into his limited family time, Nick can’t pass up the opportunity to see what kind of plot his colleagues have hatched. The normally confident, cynical Nick soon finds himself thrown off-balance, drawn into an intriguing conversation with a baffling man who appears to be more than comfortable discussing everything from world religions to the existence of heaven and hell. And this man who calls himself Jesus also seems to know a disturbing amount about Nick’s personal life.………….."You’re bored, Nick. You were made for more than this. You’re worried about God stealing your fun, but you’ve got it backwards.… There’s no adventure like being joined to the Creator of the universe." He leaned back off the table. "And your first mission would be to let him guide you out of the mess you’re in at work."………….As the evening progresses, their conversation touches on life, God, meaning, pain, faith, and doubt–and it seems that having Dinner with a Perfect Stranger may change Nick’s life forever.

Summary Day with a Perfect Stranger:
What if a fascinating stranger knew you better than you know yourself? When her husband comes home with a far fetched story about eating dinner with someone he believes to be Jesus, Mattie Cominsky thinks this may signal the end of her shaky marriage. Convinced that Nick is, at best, turning into a religious nut, the self-described agnostic hopes that a quick business trip will give her time to think things through. On board the plane, Mattie strikes up a conversation with a fellow passenger. When she discovers their shared scorn for religion, she confides her frustration over her husband’s recent conversion. The stranger suggests that perhaps her husband isn’t seeking religion but true spiritual connection, an idea that prompts her to reflect on her own search for fulfillment. As their conversation turns to issues of spiritual longing and deeper questions about the nature of God, Mattie finds herself increasingly drawn to this insightful stranger. But when the discussion unexpectedly turns personal, touching on things she’s never told anyone, Mattie is startled and disturbed. Who is this man who seems to peer straight into her soul?


Author Bio:
David Gregory is the author of the best-selling books Dinner with a Perfect Stranger and A Day with a Perfect Stranger, and coauthor of two nonfiction books. After a ten-year business career, he returned to school to study religion and communications, earning graduate degrees from The University of North Texas and Dallas Theological Seminary. A native Texan, David now devotes himself to writing full time.

For Parents Only

When I was asked to review this book by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice I was thrilled. I gained so much insight from Shaunti's book For Women Only. I was really looking forward to finding out what our teens are thinking.
However, I had no idea that it was going to change my parenting forever. Right from chapter one. By the time I was done with chapter 2 I was apologizing to my 18 year old son, Drew. I wish I had known the things I learned in this book before he became a teenager. It would not have changed his actions, but it would have made our relationship so much less strained.
I remember doing the things I did as a teen, but I really can't grasp the feelings. This book helped me to see the reasoning behind things that I forgot about.

Drawing on a nationwide survey of teenagers, Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice answer tough questions such as:

• Why do teens rebel?
• What do moms need to understand about the “tough and tender” boy who values respect over love?
• What do dads need to understand about their daughter’s need for affirmation?
• What are the six biggest pet peeves teens have about their parents?

When we understand these things it frees us to communicate with our teens in healthy ways rather than constantly butting heads, possibly damaging relationships permanently.
Don't we all want peace in our homes? Especially during the holiday season?
I cannot recommend For Parents Only: Getting Inside the Head of Your Kid enough. It is a must-read for all parents. Buy this book for all parents you know when their first child turns 10 so they can be prepared! You can purchase For Parents Only on Amazon.


Author Bio:
Shaunti Feldhahn is the author of For Women Only and numerous other books, with sales totaling nearly one million copies. A nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and public speaker, Feldhahn earned her master’s degree at Harvard University. She and her husband, Jeff, have two young children. Lisa A. Rice is the associate editor of Christian Living magazine, the mother of two teenage girls, and a screenwriter and producer.

Watch for a give-away of this book in December on my contest blog: The Good Stuff.

Sisters of the Quilt Review

When the Morning Comes is book two in the Sisters of the Quilt series by Cindy Woodsmall.
"Fans of Beverly Lewis and the Amish genre will be thrilled to discover this new author.." Tamera Alexander
That quote was on the back of the book, and I was skeptical. But I was more than surprised as I read the first book, When the Heart Cries. I read it cover to cover and then grabbed When the Morning Comes because I had to know what was going to happen to my favorite characters! I am a huge fan of Beverly Lewis, and I am thrilled to discover Cindy Woodsmall's writing!
Book one is about an Amish girl who is raped and her trials living in an Amish community. She can't tell anyone after her parents because they hide everything. She had no idea what had happened to her and her parents explained it to her. She got pregnant from that rape, and she hid it from everyone. The consequenced of deceit caught up to her, and she fled.
Book two picks up with her fleeing her little Amish community and her fiance, whom she thought had left her. She goes in search of a family secret and finds some peace and happiness, but later has to go back and face her past and help her sister. She dealt with her rape, found peace, made a new life for herself, and is happy in spite of what life had dealt her. But the book leaves you wanting more as it ends with her heading home.
I cannot wait for book three!
You can purchase the book here.
I am going to be giving away a few copies of the book on The Good Stuff blog soon.

An Inspirational book

I just read The Right Words at the Right Time Volume 2: Your Turn! By Marlo Thomas.

This inspirational book is a collection of stories submitted by people who were moved or changed by the words spoken by someone at just the right time.

The very first story had me crying. I am a bit patriotic, and maybe a little sentimental, and the story just hit right in my heart.

I really enjoy reading books that I can can read in short bits when I don't have a lot of time, but I can still complete a story or two. But I don't lose my place, I can pick it right back up in an hour, or a day or a week.

Most of the stories were really moving to me. One of the stories made me think about what I would like to do but that I put off or don't think I could do. So many times we think about how long it will take, and how old we will be when we get through it. But the words "You'll still be 40 if you don't do it." were really profound. Time is still going to pass, why not go for what you want in life?

This book would make a great gift for anyone.

Beverly Lewis's The Parting

Have I mentioned meeting Beverly Lewis? Did I mention she read my blog and sent me an email? I didn't? Well she did.

Ok, enough name dropping and bragging.

I finally got to reading her new book, The Parting. It is book one, so I'm left wanting. The book is about Nellie Mae's falling in love and the disruption to her family and Amish community by many families being saved. There is a bit of mystery in the book, which we do find out about. But the ending is not satisfying, I need to find out what happens next.
This is why I refused to read the Left Behind series until there were many, many books written! I don't like waiting for the next book for a year until I can get answers!
I love Beverly Lewis' writing style. I love that it is about the Amish, but also that my daughters can read this and be encouraged about not being physical before they are married. Not just sex, but not even kissing before marriage. The times it does happen in the books, you see why it shouldn't, and when it doesn't happen, you can see why it shouldn't happen and why it is such a blessing to wait. You really truly don't know that you will marry until the vows are said. No regrets that way.
Oh, this isn't a courtship post! haha!
This is a great book, as usual, but not my favorite series so far. I can't choose between Annie's People and Abram's Daughters, they are the best series of books I have ever read.
I highly recommend this book, and any by Beverly Lewis.

(this is not sponsored in any way, I just love her books, bought it myself and had to share!)

Book Review~ Boo Humbug

I was able to review Boo Humbug, by Rene Gutterige this month.
I have not read the first three books in the Boo series, but that didn't make reading this one difficult, though it may have shown me why some (all) of the characters were so bizarre! They were all weird like that TV show Northern Exposure. Just weird, weird things were going on. But it all fit. Especially if you have ever lived in a small town, which I have.

Rene Gutterige did a great job of wrapping up the end and I will admit to even shedding a tear or two. The gospel message well done. I am glad I read Boo Humbug, though it is not the type of book I normally read.

Summary: Readers have come to love the eccentric characters from Skary, Indiana, in Rene Gutteridge’s popular Boo! series. Now, in Boo, Humbug! they’re back – and they’re stirring up a large amount of holiday havoc.

It’s Christmastime in Skary, and the town is planning an original production of A Christmas Carol with a horror spin. As showtime approaches, things go very awry for director Lois Stepaphanopolis. She panics when she discovers that her marketing director loathes Christmas and that the audience has been promised not Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but the real Christmas story. Can the actors pull off the improv of all improvs and convince their community to embrace the true meaning of the Christmas season?

Boo, Humbug! offers readers a delightful glimpse into small town, community life with heartwarming humor and winsome characters. And in the end, the true meaning of Christmas shines out bright and clear, in a decidedly un-Skary way.

Rene Gutteridge is the author of 10 novels, including the Boo series, the Storm series, The Occupational Hazards series and My Life as a Doormat, a Women of Faith selection for 2006. She has been published over 30 times as a playwright, and holds a degree in screenwriting, graduating magna cum laude from Oklahoma State University. Rene is married to Sean, a musician, and they have two young children. They make their home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

You can find Boo Humbug! at Amazon.

Never Look Back by Kathy Herman

Never Look Back is book #2 in the Phantom Hallow series by Kathy Herman. Book #1 is Ever Present Danger.
I loved both books and look forward to a third! These books were suspense, murder, mystery, faith, and romance all bound together. I highly recommend the Phantom Hallow series.

Summary: The day Ivy Griffith walks out of jail after serving her sentence for withholding evidence in the Joe Hadley murder case, she is ready to put her years of pain and drug abuse behind her. A new job at her parents’ Christian camp in Colorado promises stability in this new season, but she is unprepared for her brother’s indifference toward her and her son, Montana . When camp worker Rue Kessler takes an interest in Montana, Ivy hopes the attention will make up for the rejection her son is feeling—and she doesn’t mind the attention Rue directs her way either.
Then a rash of crimes turns deadly, and Ivy suspects that Rue isn’t all he appears to be. But how can she condemn another when she knows the pain of accusation? The mysteries increase as Ivy struggles to move beyond the secrets of her past. Along the way, she discovers that the hardest person to forgive might be herself.
This fast-paced suspense novel continues the Phantom Hollow series with a rich exploration of the risks and possibilities of starting over.

Author Bio: Award-winning author Kathy Herman has been on staff at the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) and at Better Books Christian Center in Texas . She has conducted educational seminars at CBA conventions in the U.S. and Canada , served as a judge for the Gold Medallion Book Awards, and worked as an independent product/marketing consultant to the CBA market. She is the author of twelve novels, including the bestsellers Tested by Fire and All Things Hidden. Kathy and her husband, Paul, live in Tyler , Texas .

Review of Mosaic by Amy Grant

“Like everybody else, I wish I were in better shape or had planned an upcoming event little more thoroughly. I wish I were neater. I wish I weighed what I weighed when I was in the thirties. But all those things are for another day. This day—at a hundred and forty-five pounds, at forty-six years old, with a few gray hairs and not quite enough sleep—this is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” p. 144

Grammy Award–winning artist Amy Grant has lived in the spotlight since bursting onto the Christian music scene as a teenager thirty years ago. In that time her work, marriage, and spiritual life have been subject to varying degrees of adulation and criticism.
Now, in her first autobiographical book Mosaic, Grant bares her heart and soul, giving readers an intimate glimpse into her everyday life and the lessons she’s learning along the way. From lighthearted reminiscences of her Tennessee childhood to painfully honest reflections on the journey of faith, her vivid writing draws readers into her world while simultaneously creating space for them to rethink their own perspectives on life.
With honesty and depth, Grant offers poignant and often startling insights on motherhood, marriage, friendship, faith, loss, forgiveness, and redemption. Never-before-shared stories about her husband, country music star Vince Gill, provide a look into her life as a celebrity, while intimate portraits of her mother and musings on the past reveal the various pieces of a life blessed with jagged edges as well as vivid colors. Readers will find their preconceived notions of this music icon stripped away as they settle in for a warmly satisfying conversation with a gracious and wise friend.

Amy Grant's new book Mosaic is now available in bookstores. I decided to review this book because Amy Grant's music is amazing and I wanted to see what her life is like. I enjoyed the stories about her life. I did not like how it was put together, it didn't seem to flow for me, however, the title probably says it best, it is a Mosaic. Just not my style. I believe that if you love Amy Grant you will enjoy her book.



Amy Grant's honesty and openness in her book is endearing to readers. It is encouraging to know that someone who is as famous as Amy Grant struggles the same way I do; weight, aging, lack of sleep. That encourages me. It is a good book for when you do not have time for a long read, you can pick this up and read a small bit without getting lost. It is perfect for squeezing in a minute or two of reading.



Amy Grant is the best-selling Christian music artist of all time and the first to garner the number one spot on Billboard’s chart. Since beginning her career at age 17, she has earned six Grammy Awards and twenty-five Dove Awards, and last year she received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Grant’s numerous television appearances include Oprah; Good Morning, America; and Late Night with David Letterman. In 2007 she’ll tour nationwide, performing with local symphonies in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and elsewhere.
To purchase a copy of Mosaic, CLICK HERE.

Book Reviews

I am doing a couple of book reviews this week, and I have some free copies to give away. If you are interested in doing a book review, send me an email at qtpies5 at msn.com.
Update*
Oh, the books are Mosaic by Amy Grant and Boo, Humbug. I have a Mosaic book review up right now. Boo, Humbug needs to be reviewed the end of the month. I have one of each left to give away. Only by email.

Love Letters to a Child

(This contest has now ended)
Tracey Finck is a wonderful lady and I am so glad to know her personally. Her daughter was my daughter's very first friend when we moved to Minnesota and Tracey befriended me and introduced me to a Bible study group.
When I found out she had written a book I was so excited! I called her and asked if I could promote her book and have a give-away. Tracey has generously offered to give away an autographed copy of her book Love Letters to a Child: A Resource for Parents and Grandparents. Here is some information about the book:

Do you long to connect deeply with your children? To have a positive impact on their lives? To celebrate successes and discoveries as well as ordinary moments spent together? If this is what you want, but the distractions of daily life get in the way, then this book is for you.

Writing a love letter or making an entry in a journal for your child takes only 10 minutes and is an effective way to
Affirm your child’s uniqueness as a creation of God
Bond with your child
Celebrate and encourage character growth
Document milestones in your child’s spiritual journey
Establish a family legacy

This book provides examples and ideas to get you started. Years from now you’ll be glad you did.

You can find the book at Amazon or with the publisher Winepressbooks. I know you are going to love this book, my friend Nikki is using it now and has a review up on her blog.

To win an autographed copy of Tracey's book:
1. Leave a comment for one entry.
2. Link to the contest post for a second entry.

The give-away ends October 14, and the winner will be announced on October 15th. Please leave a way to be reached, blog or email, so that we can contact you if you win. I'll wait 3 days for a response before I pick a different winner.

This contest has ended.

A book review

The Melody Carlson blog tour is from August 20-24th, and I am on board.



I was given a copy of Melody's book Mexico, which is the third book in her Notes from a Spinning Planet series. This series follows a young 19-year-old girl named Maddie through her adventures with her Aunt Sid, who is a reporter.
In the book Mexico, Maddie and Aunt Sid have many minor and major things happen to them, or end up witnessing them, anything that can go wrong, does. A running theme in the book is alcholism, but it is mixed with adventure and friendships and some other lessons. Maddie observes a new friend in her life being destroyed by alcholism. What can she do to help? She does seek advice from adults, which is refreshing. This book is written from a Christian point of view, but I'm torn on whether she should have added more spirituality to it, or if that was just enough for a non-Christian to not be turned off by the book. Maddie does things realistically they way a teen would handle things, not how we want Christians to handle things. I also have not decided if I will let my teen daughter read the book. I do want my daughter to learn some of the points brought up in this book, like being aware of your surroundings and taking heed of that voice that tells you that something is not right, but I don't want her having to see these tough topics yet, either. Over all, it was a pretty good book.

About Melody
Melody Carlson is the winner of the RITA Award and the Gold Medallion and has published over ninety books for adults, children, and teens, including Finding Alice, Crystal Lies, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. Carlson is the mother of two grown sons and lives in a "cabin in the words" near the Cascade Mountains in central Oregon with her husband and a chocolate lab retriever. A full-time writer and part-time gardener, biker, skier, and hiker, Carlson can be found on the Internet at http://www.melodycarlson.com/.


Don't forget about my Blogaversary Give-away!