Mom's Journey: Practical Tips for Raising Kids ~ A Review

A great, fun read is Mom's Journey: Practical Tips for Raising Kids - full of sound, practical ideas and tips for raising kids. I really wish I had had this book around when my kids were little - now they are pretty much grown.

I felt like I was sitting down having coffee with a dear friend as I read. Great flow and very conversational.

It's full of plenty of tips:

• talk to your babies, don't use babbling baby talk. It might sound cute but it does nothing to help your baby talk
• minimize and have a neat environment so calmness prevails
• diet
• how to criticize effectively and how to give plenty of love and praise

But the #1 idea from this book - and the most important parenting advice you may ever receive - "It does not matter if your kid is talented or not, pretty or not, fat or skinny, intelligent or not; you have brought him into this world and it’s your role to give him as many tools as you can to go out into this world. Your kid is 100 percent your responsibility.
The best tool you’ll ever give him, more than any education, languages, or literature, is simply to love him just the way he is, to hug him and praise him..."

It is very refreshing to read a parenting book that pulls no punches and tells it like it is. I really appreciated that!

I would recommend this book for new parents - as well as some older parents who may need a refresher. After all, we may be grandparents one day!

I received this book in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions expressed herein are solely my own.

Francois et Mimi 50oz Glass French Press ~ Product Review

Time for another product review!

I was given the opportunity to try out a Francois et Mimi French Press coffee pot and I was super excited to do so! I've heard the hype about these "machines" but have never experienced coffee brewed in one before. I was not disappointed!

My oldest daughter is our resident coffee connoisseur so she did the dirty work and showed me how to make our pot of coffee. We ground some fresh beans (Starbucks...) and put them in the bottom of the press.

Step 2 was to heat the water to boiling and once it boiled, pour it into the pot. Let it steep for about 3 to 5 minutes. The aroma at this point was wonderful!

Then you push the press down so you can pour out your coffee without getting any grounds. Boy, was this a great cup of coffee! Bold and robust and full of flavor.

This is a great coffee press. It is well constructed and not flimsy at all. The carafe is glass and the metal is all stainless. The mess inside is very fine so it will allow water to go thru but keep your grounds safely at the bottom. And, it is a generous 50 oz which makes a FULL pot of coffee - not a single cup - but a full pot than can be shared with a few others (depending on how big your cups are!).

All in all, I was very happy with this item and highly recommend it! I look forward to many more pots of fresh brewed coffee and also using it for tea (not sure how that would work but am betting it will work find with tea leaves).

**Full disclosure - I received this product in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions expressed in this blog post are solely my own.

Ancient Feminine Wisdom ~ A Book Review

I was recently offered an ebook for review titled "Ancient Feminine Wisdom" by Judith Jungman Saadon. This ebook is considered "A Spiritual Journey of Growth".

From the introduction, Ms. Saadon, a psychologist, invites you "to tap into venerable, hidden feminine knowledge, letting you walk in biblical women's footsteps, to discover more about yourself, to help you on the way to fulfilling your dreams and wishes."

The outline of the book is fairly simple: the author takes 9 women of the Bible and gives each woman a chapter. Within each chapter you have a retelling of their Biblical story, the feminine perspective, four insights for personal growth on your spiritual journey (a "how-to" if you will) and a story from the author's clinical days, giving you a modern day look at someone's personal journey.

The Biblical women discussed: Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rachel, Leah, Tamar, Naomi, Hannah and Esther.

So, my thoughts? I enjoyed the break down of each Biblical woman - the retelling of her story directly from the Bible. The book is laid out concisely and you know what you are getting in each chapter. It was also nice to read a modern day clinical example - whether they are fact or fiction is really neither here nor there (ie - the names changed to protect the woman, which I assume (!) they are). It's an example to show you how using the stories of Biblical women can enhance your journey to your dreams.

What I didn't enjoy? The book was a little too mystical and feministic for me personally. Please know that this is solely my opinion. Also, since there was not a conclusion, or any kind of ending really - the author ended at the last woman's story. Period. Fini. The end. Nothing else. - I felt like it just ended. You know, that "wait, that's it?" feeling. Sort of fell flat at the end for such a well thought out book.

I would recommend this ebook if you are looking for a journey of self-reflection and you lean more toward feminist values.

**Per FTC and Amazon guidelines, I was provided a copy of this ebook in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions expressed herein are solely my own.

Danish Dough Whisk ~ Product Review

Recently I was sent a Danish dough whisk to review. I had never heard of a "Danish Dough Whisk" and thought, "why not?".

Let me tell you, this whisk has fast become my favorite new kitchen tool. Why you ask? Because it makes mixing biscuits a breeze!

You see that round metal piece? That's the whisk - strange, huh? That round piece of metal moves your dough and mixes it with ease. I was very impressed - and I'm not easily impressed!


There is little "give" in the whisk itself. It is very sturdy with little to no flexibility. The handle, that I originally thought was going to be too long and odd to hold was quite the opposite. The handle fit just right in my hand and I had no issue at all stirring up my garlic cheese biscuits (from a mix...!). The wooden handle is solid too - not cheap or chintzy in any way.

The whisk cleaned up easily and made it's way into my kitchen tool caddy where it will stay waiting to lend its assistance on my next batch of biscuits. My next venture will be to try it out on gravy and see how it does.

All in all, I was very pleased with this whisk and am happy that I was offered this to try.

You can purchase your own Danish Dough Whisk here (affiliate link):
 

**As disclosure, I was provided this product in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions expressed herein are solely my own.