Archive for Books

Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn {Book Review}

jen + | 8 May 2013 | No comments

I love to read and while the practical side of me loves to read non-fiction, my brain occasionally just needs some candy. Especially when I’ve been working so hard on projects at home. So when LitFuse offered up the first two books in the Postcards from Misty Harbor series for review, I leapt at the chance.

The first book in the Guideposts series, Seaside Harmony, is about 3 sisters who meet in Nantucket after the death of their mother. Spread out in both age and geography and with wildly different personalities the sisters argue and bicker in their 50′s in much the same way as they did when they still lived at home. While walking along the beach, one of the sisters remembers the Misty Harbor Inn. Recalling having tea at the high class resort with their mother, one sister fell in love with the idea of buying the old run down inn. It was their mother’s dream to own it as a B&B. This first book is about the struggle of the sisters as they research and decide whether or not to purchase the inn. While investigating the inn, they started investigating its history, including that of the wife of a previous owner who disappeared suddenly.

The second of the books is called Sunflower Summer. It’s probably obvious at this point that they did agree to purchase the inn. In this book, they dig further into the history of this missing woman and even discover a missing room. This second book shares the growing pains of three women running an inn for the first time as well as their interactions with several of their first guests.

When I first started these books, I have to be honest. I was kind of bummed that I didn’t read closer that these books were published by Guideposts. Guideposts are really aimed at, and about, adults around the age of my parents — 50 and older. Not so much at moms with small kids .

BUT my chagrin didn’t last long. The books were really very good. As an entrepreneur, I was very interested in their running the inn. Aside from the business running aspects of the book, the story of the history of the inn and it’s missing woman are captivating — and not yet solved, so I’m interested to read more. The sisters are all very dynamic, different and interact well together, making me interested in their lives and struggles.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good book with mystery, good characters, and/or interest in business. If you are in the prime of your empty nest years, you will probably find the books that much more interesting. Either way, I thought they were good books and look forward to future installments.

* * *

Guideposts Books is celebrating the release of their new Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series with a fun giveaway and a Facebook party on May 9th.

One fortunate winner will receive:

A Nook HD
Seaside Harmony and Sunflower Summer by Evangeline Kelley

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 8th. Winner will be announced at the Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn Author Chat Facebook Party on 5/9. Connect with Patti Berg, Pam Andrews, Barbara Hanson, and Camy Tang (who collaborated together under the pen name, Evangeline Kelley) for an evening of book chat, trivia, and fun! There will also be great giveaways (gift certificates, books, and more) as well as a sneak peek at the next book in the series!

So grab your copies of Seaside Harmony and Sunflower Summer and join readers just like you on the evening of May 9th for a chance to connect with the authors and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the books – don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 9th!

Jen S.

Disclaimer: These books were received by LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Category: Books | Tags: Book Review

ENDED – Last Day to Get Over $640 in E-Books & Freebies for only $29.97!

jen + | 4 May 2013 | No comments

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I’m not normally a very sales-y person because I just don’t work that way, but I was SO EXCITED to see this bundle. While I’m not a hard-core coupon user, I love a rockin’ deal — and this is one! You get 97 e-books for only $29.97. That’s about $0.31 each for the ebooks and courses, not including the freebies. I call THAT a deal. Especially since I’ve paid full or at least half price for many of these books!

The bundle (worth $640!) does have several of my favorite e-books, plus more that are on my to read list (that I already own), but there are several books I’ve been wanting that I didn’t get yet.

I’m really looking forward to finding time to read:

And I’m eagerly waiting for my awesome freebies to show up. With the last bundle that Stephanie put together, I received my orders from Real Salt & Cultures for Health super quick. The sale may not have even been over yet, so I have faith that these stores offering coupons and freebies will be fabulous!

Don’t forget, in addition to the awesome e-books, you can also get these awesome freebies & deals:

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28′s original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Hurry! Sale ends TONIGHT at 11:59pm! Don’t pass up this great deal!

Jen S.

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

Category: 02 - Self, 03 - Marriage, 04 - Parent, 05 - Homemaking, Books, Food, Homeschool, Money | Tags: Deal of the Day

My Favorite Homemaking E-books

jen + | 1 May 2013 | No comments

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A few days ago, I shared about The Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle that runs through Saturday, 5/4. Today, I wanted to share the books that I’ve read, worked through, and/or reviewed.

Raising Rock Stars – Kindergarten

While I haven’t used the Kindergarten one much, we have used the Preschool one for several months. I plan on starting the Preschool one again with my 3 year old this fall and will be adding the Kindergarten activities for my 5 year old because she really likes the stories and the memory verses and misses doing it .

The ABC’s For Godly Girls Curriculum

I purchased this when I first heard about it, but we haven’t USED it yet. I did change how our homeschool day is scheduled and I think that we will start it in the fall when I start doing a letter theme with the 3 y/o. I’m hoping we will be finished with Our 24 Family Ways by then.

The Homemakers Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule

I recently used this e-book from Raising Arrows to get my stuff under control. Unfortunately, I am out of energy at this point in my pregnancy, but the items I implemented from this book worked really well for the few months between the 1st and 3rd trimester where I had energy .

20-Minute Meals

I’ve actually reviewed this book in full — see my post: 20 Minute Meals {Book Review}

Simply Summer

I reviewed this ebook, as well. Check out the full review — Simply Summer Review.

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert

I just purchased this during launch week a few weeks ago and read it from cover to cover. While I’ve used cloth diapers off and on twice, I have learned a few things that have inspired me to give it a better try with the third baby. And of course, I bought some fun new fluff to help others help me . Excellent book with things I didn’t know, even after doing it for several years.

Truth in the Tinsel

We’ve worked on using this for several Christmas’s. The activities are great and the only limitation is me biting off more than I can chew. Having the printable ornaments was greatly helpful in getting more done this last year.

That Works for Me!

I actually made it in this one with a post from my old site – Happy Homemaker Reviews. You can see the full post here: 4 Ways to Freshen Your Room Without Paint.

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

I reviewed this ebook, too. Go to the full post to view my thoughts – How To Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too.

Check out my original post here to find out more about ALL 97 books included in the bundle plus all the great freebies included.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

What are your favorite home management e-books? Are you buying The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle?

Jen S.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Category: 02 - Self, 04 - Parent, 05 - Homemaking, Books, Food, Homeschool | Tags: Book Review, Deal of the Day

ENDED – The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is Now on Sale through Saturday 5/4!

jen + | 29 April 2013 | No comments

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For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

The Bundle Includes:

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing & Decor}
31 Days to Clean
Getting it Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System that Works
Pulling Yourself Together: Implementing a Cleaning Routine that Sticks
Simple Living: 30 Days to Less Stuff and More Life
NOT a DIY Diva
One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler
28 Days to Hope for your Home
Organizing Life as Mom
Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed Homemaker
10 Steps to Organized Paper
Handmade Walls

Education {Homeschooling & Spiritual Teaching}
Princess Training
The Armor of God
My Bedtime Learning Book
Think Outside the Classroom
Raising Rock Stars–Kindergarten Bundle
The ABC’s For Godly Boys Curriculum
The ABC’s For Godly Girls Curriculum
K4 Curriculum (Confessions of a Homeschooler)
Write Through the Bible: Philippians 2, print
Write Through the Bible: Philippians 2, cursive
Balcony Girls–Books 1 & 2 (a mentoring curriculum for teen girls)
Easy Peasy Chores: An Easy-to-Use Chore System That Brings JOY Back Into Family Chores
The Dig for Kids: Luke (Volumes 1 and 2)
Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life

Budgeting {Money & Time Management}
From Debtor to Better
Tell Your Time
The Homemakers Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule
Your Grocery Budget Toolbox
Finding Financial Freedom
Become a Frugalista in 30 Days

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}
Crock On
Wholesome Mixes
20-Minute Meals
Restocking the Pantry
Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking
Simply Summer
Do the Funky Kitchen
Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen
Real Food, Real Easy
Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget
Just Making Ice Cream

Pregnancy & Baby Care
First Bites
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert
Stress-Free Baby Shower
Unbound Birth
My Pregnancy Journey
My Buttered Life Baby Edition
The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year
Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide

Holidays & Special Events
Festive Traditions
Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar
Flourishing Spring
Family Camping Handbook
Truth in the Tinsel
Plan a Fabulous Party
iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide

Spiritual Growth
Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 Woman
The Best of Visionary Womanhood
God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions}
Kept
Love like Him

Marriage/Romance
Rekindling Romance
Good Wife’s Guide
31 Days to Build a Better Spouse
31 Days to Great Sex for Married Couples
Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair

Motherhood
The Heart of Simplicity
True Christian Motherhood
Hula Hoop Girl
When Motherhood Feels Too Hard
Mindset for Moms
From Cube to Farm
4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions
That Works for Me!

Health & Fitness
100-pound Loser
Honoring the Rhythm of Rest
42 Days to Fit
Healthy Homemaking
Personal ePlanner
Nature’s Superb Superfoods: Lose Weight & Revitalize Your Body

Beauty
From Frump to Pump
The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide
Simple Scrubs to Make and Give
The No-Brainer Wardrobe
Embracing Beauty
Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose

Working from Home/Blogging
Your Blogging Business: Tax Tips and Tricks
The Bootstrap VA
How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home
How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too
Simple Blogging

Ecourses
Learning in Love: The Preschool Years
Homeschooling from the Heart: Ages 5-8
Grocery University
Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms
You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen

FREEBIES

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Click here to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device.

Jen S.

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!