Baker Publishing: Uncovered: Secrets of a Sexy Marriage by Susie Davis

Having a happy and sexually satisfying marriage isn't work--it's fun!
Uncovered shares the secrets of understanding your husband and making your marriage your top priority using biblical wisdom, practical sense, and a bit of feminine charm. With plenty of wit and realistic advice, Susie Davis shows you how to get over your naked self and love your body what "speed sex" is (hint: it doesn't mean breaking records) the importance of letting your husband be a man how to move from roommate to playmate and much more


Each chapter also includes a top secret section called The Male Room where real married men reveal their true feelings about their wives and marriages.

If you're ready to improve your relationship--and have fun--with the most important person in your life, this is the book for you.


WHAT I HAD TO SAY:  I will admit that I requested this book because I have a friend who is having some trouble with her marriage in this area.  I read it and now I will send it to her.  I enjoyed reading it...after being married for over 13 years, it was fun to read something that shared ways to keep things lively.  My favorite part of the book was the Male Room.

If you are ready to read this, head over to Baker Publishing and grab it!!
Price: $12.99

ISBN: 978-0-8007-3392-6
ISBN-10: 0-8007-3392-4
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5
Number of pages: 176
Carton Quantity: 64
Publication Date: May. 10
Formats: Paperback

FWC: The Overseer by Conlan Brown

Today's Wild Card author is:

Conlan Brown

and the book:

The Overseer
(Firstborn (Realms))
Realms; 1 edition (May 4, 2010)
***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva
Publicity Coordinator, Book Group
Strang Communications for sending me a review copy.***


Product Details:


List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Realms; 1 edition (May 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599799553
ISBN-13: 978-1599799551

WHAT I HAVE TO SAY: This was a really good book!  I knew that I would like it because I loved the other one (Firstborn).  It was equally as confusing and hard to follow in some places, but overall, it was great!

Titanic Unit Study

In anticpation of a trip to Branson, we decided to do a quick Unit Study on the Titanic.  I started with the teacher's guide from the Titanic's Museum website and then spent time googling Titanic lesson plans.  There are tons of  FREE resources out there!  We also checked out MANY books from the library.  We started on a Monday morning with Titanic: The Complete Story that we checked out of the library.  The video is 5 hours long, so we broke it up into smaller sections.  They watched the first section and took notes.  Then we started reading Tonight on the Titanic and Titanic: A Nonfiction Companion both by Mary Pope Osburn. (There are some worksheets attached to that link).  Riley spent some time out front with chalk drawing what he has already collected from what we watched.

Tuesday we watched the second part and took a few more notes.  They both read Pig on the Titanic: A True Story (simple, but cute).  They have been taking fairly good notes.

Thursday we watched the Timeline section of the Complete Story.  We made a poster of the timeline that we will use to refer to as we continue our study.

Friday I finished up reading the books we were in the middle of and the kiddos browsed through other books that we had for the lesson.  We used sidewalk chalk and drew the Titanic, as well as a poster to do some Titanic art.

While in Branson, we did get a chance to explore the Titanic Museum.  We loved it.  The kiddos loved that they knew what was going on and they also love being able to answer the random trivia questions around the museum.  Sadly, there were no camera's allowed, so this was all we got:

I decided not to list all the books we used because I know all libraries are different, so I encourage you to check out what is offered at your library and use the resources there.

CREW: Kregel 2nd Shipment

My final review for the Crew is one of the Circle C Adventures by Susan Marlow, from Kregel Publishing.  This is a great adventure series that is great for my kiddos.  I have read a few of them and I always enjoy these stories. The book we received is Andrea Carter and The trouble with Treasure.  Samantha is in the middle of a couple of other books right now, but she has this one on her table ready to read!!

The Trouble with Treasure, to me, was a cute story that kept you on the edge.  Waiting to see what was about to happen next.  The characters were easily lovable and were also easy to relate to.  I am sure Samantha will love it as well, I will be sure to share her thoughts on it!



**Disclaimer: This book was sent to me free of charge in exchange for my review.  For more reviews on this product, please visit the Crew, linked above.

CREW: Lobster Network

I LOVE this idea!  Lobster Network!  It is a swap board of sorts...yet, it's so much more! 

First, let me warn you, as of this posting they are just getting up and going, so the *inventory* was minimal - however - once this catches on..it will be awesome!

On Lobster Network, you sign up and you can list all of your items - for sale, for borrow, for trade, for give away!  Think of ebay - just much more options!  I can list my inventory and if I have things that I want to KEEP, but don't mind someone borrowing - I list it that way.  If I have stuff that I want to get rid of - FREE - I list it as a give away.  I think that this could be something great!

Another neat option on Lobster Network - groups!  I set up a PRIVATE group for my local HS group.  We can borrow, trade and swap between us - all local to each other! 

I have been in the middle of hosting a yard sale and next week, I will be attending our annual Junk in the Trunk Used Curriculum Sale with my HS group.  Once all of that wraps up, I will be listing all of my items (cheap!) on Lobster Network.

I also want to add, I have had the pleasure of working with the family responsible for Lobster (through the Crew this year) and want to say that I think the customer service here will be better than any you've ever seen!

CREW: Cerebellum/Standard Deviants

Cerebellum Corporation sent the some of their products to the Crew for us to review.  I received the Chemistry AP Exam Prep DVD.  The DVD was high school level college prep materials that went WAY over our heads!!  I think if we were in the market for this type of material - this would be awesome, however, it really does nothing for my 4th graders!

The Right Call by Kathy Herman

It’s summer in Sophie Trace, the setting of Kathy Herman’s latest page turner, The Right Call. Based on 2 Peter 2:19b: “For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him,” The Right Call demonstrates how we’re all slaves to something—either to God and righteousness or to the flesh and its pitfalls.



Ethan Langley is home from college for the summer, eager to renew his friendship with Vanessa Jessup (Police Chief Brill Jessup’s daughter) and her infant son, Carter. Before Ethan is even settled his world is rocked by a random shooting that leaves four people dead, including someone close to him. Ethan tries to deal with his grief by staying busy and concentrating on his growing love for Vanessa. When a coworker from the previous summer, Stedman Reeves, seems somewhat obsessed with the shooting—but also sympathetic to Ethan’s deep loss—the two seem to connect.


While Chief Jessup is scrambling to find a suspect in the shootings, Ethan gets a late-night call from Stedman, who sounds panicked and needs to see him right away. Stedman confesses shocking details: due to a series of bad choices, he is going to be framed for the murders. All the evidence points to Stedman’s guilt, and he knows that there is no way he can prove his innocence. Stedman implores Ethan to go to Vanessa’s mother with this information.


When the wrong people find out that Ethan knows too much, those around him are placed in danger. What should he do? Going to Chief Jessup with the truth could save Stedman from doing life in prison—but it could be a death sentence for and Vanessa and Carter. He’s been dealt an impossible hand, but it’s his move. Will he make the right call?


WHAT I HAVE TO SAY:
The Right Call is the third book in the Sophie Trace Trilogy.  I know I have read the first one, The Real Enemy, but I have not gotten a chance to read the 2nd one yet.  Since I have read 1 & 3, I know I will go back and read the second one.

The Right Call was one of those books that you start to read and don't put it down until you are finished with it!  I love those kinds of books - that you feel like you need to finish- RIGHT NOW!

I don't like giving away the story-lines of books I read, but I will say this...go read this book!  Better yet, go read the entire series!!

**Disclaimer: This book was sent to me free of charge in exchange for my review.

The Right Call by Kathy Herman
David C Cook/March 1, 2010/ISBN: 978-1-4347-6784-4/352 pages/softcover/$14.99
http://www.davidccook.com/ ~ www.kathyherman.com

Chosen by Ginger Garrett

“The guard stepped into the room I was in and held out his hand. Seeing him in my bedroom, his armor and sword reflecting the breakfast sun, was a nightmare I could not shake myself from. I was led past Mordecai to the entrance of our home, where several men stood with scrolls. The commissioner rode on a horse and judged me from his perch. A knowing glance passed between him and the guard, and then the men began to write.”
“I had been chosen.”

Chosen is the first release in beloved author Ginger Garrett’s new Lost Loves of the Bible trilogy. Chosen tells the story of Queen Esther, the young woman with the future of her nation in her hands. Wrenched from a simple life for her beauty, Esther finds herself at the mercy of King Xerxes. Leaving behind her only relative, her cousin Mordecai, and her first true love, Cyrus, she is thrown headlong into the unrestrained extravagance of palace living. Quick of mind and strong in spirit, she refuses to suffer the fate of her harem sisters and boldly challenges Xerxes to give of his heart before taking his pleasure, thus sealing her place beside him as queen. While conspiracy spins its diabolical web, Esther’s mind and spirit waver, and she is forced to confront the past in order to save her future—and that of an entire nation.

Based on the historical account of Queen Esther of Persia, Chosen, by Ginger Garrett, is a contemporary account of this beloved and ancient story. Uniquely written in first-person diary format, renderings of Esther’s thoughts and experiences are interspersed with current-time news excerpts, which show how Esther’s tale is woven into our own lives.

A fresh examination of one of Scripture’s most inspiring personalities, Chosen has been described by bestselling authors Brock and Bodie Thoene as “A story that is sure to be a classic! Exciting, dramatic, and filled with truth. A great read from the first page!”

Chosen by Ginger Garrett

David C Cook/April 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6801-8/304 pages/softcover/$14.99

WHAT I HAVE TO SAY:  I really enjoyed reading this book and feel it was a real eye opener!  This is one that I truly recommend and encouage you to read!

Bronze Award Ceremony

The service unit planned a nice Bronze Award Ceremony.  There were 40 girls in all that received the award.  Here are a few pics of the ceremony:

Just FYI! Sharing the WORD!!

Leading Pastors from 50 Countries to Converge in Dallas
for Launch of Global Proclamation Commission

From June 4-13, 2010, RREACH will host a strategic reunion to implement massive 10-year plan to reach one billion people with the message of Christ

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—On June 4, 2010, prominent and distinguished young pastors from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe will meet in Dallas, Texas, for a dynamic 10-day strategic reunion. These 100 leading pastors from over 50 countries are all graduates of RREACH’s GPA (Global Proclamation Academy) held on the historic campus of Dallas Theological Seminary each summer. They will initiate the Global Proclamation Commission (G-Pro Commission)—a human capital campaign to exponentially improve the quality of the proclamation of God’s Word and the perception of the Lord Jesus Christ to perpetuate spiritual health worldwide.

Over the next decade, RREACH’s vision is to fulfill Jesus’ Global Proclamation Commission (Luke 24:47) by strategically connecting, systematically uniting, and spiritually strengthening large numbers of pastors into a Global Proclamation Community. “Our ultimate goal is to connect, unite, and strengthen 100,000 pastors from 200 countries by 2020 for the purpose of influencing their congregations to reach into spiritually needy contexts,” says Ramesh Richard, Ph.D., Th.D., the founder and president of RREACH, which is the sponsoring organization of the GPA. “This global community will be made up of a few thousand pastoral cohorts with 25 pastors in each group, thus enabling us to reach our vision—to change the way one billion individuals think and hear about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Global Proclamation Academy was established by Richard in 2005 as a ministry of RREACH in concert with Dallas Theological Seminary where he serves as Professor of Global Theological Engagement. Its annual three-week summer program was created to strengthen and connect influential younger pastors from around the world by gathering them together to explore biblical spirituality, theological discernment, and effective preaching with experienced master-coaches drawn from across the United States.

“Since Christianity has now become a non-Western religion, younger pastors from developing economies need reinforcement and relationships in order to stabilize the future health of the global Church,” says Richard. “Before the Church in the West fades to the fringes of the Faith, the Global Proclamation Academy harnesses her leaders, resources, and institutions to invest in those already making a great and beautiful impact for the Lord Jesus. We must prevent churches from internally imploding wherever they are externally exploding.”

From June 4-13, 2010, a decade-defining reunion of GPA graduates from 2005-2009, along with many of their wives, will provide the human infrastructure to build an expanding network of influential and connected pastoral leaders who shape the future of the Church for effective ministry worldwide. Structured times for prayer, planning, instruction, and fellowship, along with a special program for the wives, will culminate in the launch of the G-Pro Commission during “Launch Weekend” on June 11-13 at DFW’s new Grand Hyatt Hotel.

For more information, please visit www.TheGPA.net

It's about that time of year!

If you're researching or buying homeschool curriculum, you have to check out the Vendor Hall at the Schoolhouse Expo! It's open to everyone. Browse through companies such as Rainbow Resource, WriteShop, Apologia, Latin Road/Phonics Road, Multiplication Shake, Go Phonics, and MANY MORE!


Latin Road/Phonics Road has freebies in their booth. Rainbow Resource has a free shipping offer. Spears Art Studio has a free CD. Real Science by Gravitas has a 25% discount coupon.

There is just so much to see. Stop by and meet the virtual hostess from each company, browse their selection, and look for "conference specials".

SchoolHouse Expo

CREW: Madsen Method

When this first came in the mail, it was a little overwhelming.  I was lucky that I got it the Saturday that we started our Christmas break and I had a couple of weeks to look over it and 'figure it out'!  The books, at first, were a little hard for me to follow, but I read through all of them and decided to give it a shot.  I was ready to start back with this new program when we started up after the holidays!

The kiddos were super excited to start something new.  The first week was a pretty easy, albeit silly, week with Madsen.  We are looking forward to seeing how well this works for us.

Some time later:  Well, we have used the Madsen Method books for 3 and a half months and I am sad to say that I just don't think they are the right curriculum for us to use.  There was a lot of repeat for my kiddos, but I didn't feel I could skip any of it because I wasn't sure how it would be used in future lessons.  That was the main thing that caused us issues.  The kiddos quickly got bored with it because they knew what I was teaching them. 

So, while I don't think it is the fit for us, I do think it would be a great for a young child, just starting out with learning to write, read and spell.  I can see where it would be very beneficial for a young child just starting out.  The concept of the four parts of your brain working together to teach you, for you to learn is great.

*Disclaimer: This product was given to me free in exchange for my review. For more reviews on Madsen Method, please visit the Crew, linked above.

CREW: BeeYoutiful

BeeYoutiful  sent us some of their products to use and review. With my Lupus, I am pretty skeptical about trying new things, especially putting new products on my face. However, I did get the Lavishmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion and the Lavishmint Hydrating Toner.

My first thought when I opened the lotion was 'Wow! That is mint!!'  I was even a little worried that it may burn because the mint was so strong.  I waited until bedtime to put it on, in case it did cause an issue or I had a reaction.  It felt really cool and didn't burn at all.  My face was pretty strong for a few minutes, but that quickly went away.

With my Lupus, my face stays pretty red, but I also have dry flaky skin that we can't seem to get under control with out the use of steroids.  I have even tried over the counter lotions with very little results.  These products from BeeYoutiful have helped keep my flakiness (at least on my skin) to a minimum. 

I am making me a wish list for BeeYoutiful products, as I would like to see how some of the other things they have to offer would work for me.

*Disclaimer: I was sent this product free of charge in exchange for this review.  For more reviews about this product, please visit the Crew, linked above.

Combating the Commandment of Confusion: A BookSneeze Review

A dastardly villain plots to steal the armor of God.


The Commandant of Confusion and his side kick, Chaos, interrupt the Bible Adventure Training Academy and steal the Bible Team’s secret weapon, which helps them put on the full armor of God “anytime, anyplace.” There is a warning label on the secret weapon that reads in part, “this device contains the most powerful weapon known to man, follow instructions closely to prevent severe harm.” Will the Commandant heed the warning? Will the Bible Adventure Team recover it?


Scripture lesson: “God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33 (ICB)

MY THOUGHTS:  Well, actually, these are Samantha and Riley's thoughts!!  They sat down the other day and watched this video with me.  I thought it was ok - it was cute, but at the same time, kinda corny.  Samntha said that it was an ok story and Riley thought that it was a really good show...he also said it had a great message!

**DISCLAIMER: This product was sent to me free of charge in exchange for my review. 

Awards and such....

Tonight was our monthly Leader's Meeting, however, it was also the End of the Year Meeting, which meant awards. Since I am the Awards person...guess what that meant....yeppers....standing in front of the whole group passing out awards.  There are recognitions also that just require filling out a form on their part.  It hasn't ever really been encouraged, so I worked on them a little this past year and got a few to fill out.  I plan on really hounding them this coming year.  There is no reason to not get the recognition you deserve for the volunteer hours that you put in.  Things went well and now it's back to the drawing board on how I can increase participation.

Spring Recital

Samantha has gotten better about her 'stage fright/nervousness' by singing on kids praise team at church.  She had her Spring Recital today and did ok.  She had the piece memorized, ,but took her music up there with her.  During the song she looked up and saw the music but didn't know where she was at on it, so she got a little off.  Next time if she says she knows it then she can leave her music with me!!

She is looking forward to summer lessons - Miss Charlotte has said they will be learning Disney and she asked if she could learn Somewhere Over the Rainbow!  That will be fun for next Spring Recital!!

An *AMAZING* Amazing Race

One of the ladies in our homeschool group spent from about December until now working on an end of the year event that would be more fun than just your typical field day.   She set it all up at the park near us and had 10 different stations for the kiddos to visit and complete a *challenge* of sorts in order to get a clue as to where they were headed next. 

I was at 'Canada' and it was Disc Golf.  She had a blurb about disc golf and then what the challenge was and once they completed that, then they got the clue as to where they were going next.  Since I was basically stuck at a station all day, I am not 100% sure what the other stations were...I know that from my place they were headed to England (I think) to make butter and spread that on some crackers.  There was a box sorting/stacking place, there was a sponge/water/bucket type thing, a song station, a puzzle station.  But I am not sure what all went into each of them.

It turned out to be an awesome event - we had over 90 kiddos participate in it!  I am hoping she sticks around and pulls something like this off for our year end next year!

Also that morning before hand, at the park, we had our annual Out of the Trunk used curriculum sale.  I did really good - spent $5 and made $30!!  There were several cars and lots of goodies.  This is always planned before our states convention, so folks will be able to see if they can rule out some of their list at a cheaper price.  We all had picnic lunch together between the events, so made for a nice day!

Bronze Award!

They did it!  Seven of my 10 girls spent the day on their project and have earned their Girl Scout Bronze Award.  They set up an education booth at the local Animal Shelter on the day of National Adoptathon.  They were going to host this booth at the Pet Fair, but it was rained out, so we adapted and overcame the issue and carried it off without a problem one!

They worked hard during the month of April and came up with posters, powerpoint shows, fliers, brochures and props to have at a booth.  The actual day of the event, due to the changes, they spent the morning hours doing some volunteer work at the shelter - brushing cats, bathing dogs, feeding kittens, and some general things that needed to be done around there.  Here are a few pictures...I have to be careful about who I post on my blog  -I know some parents won't mind!

This was a Catahoula that was new to the shelter and had not been named yet.  Since it took ALL 7 of the girls to bath her, they named her *Scout*!

Oh, and since we were inside the shelter for the booth instead of out in the open - we also *advertised* by the road.  Having all the girls by the booth was a bit crowded.

 (The pics I have of them at the booth, I can't share online b/c of request of their parent)

They all worked hard and had a great time as well!  I am proud of them all!!  Award Ceremony is coming up soon...will share when it is over!