Maybe Today Book Review

I received this book free from Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Maybe Today by David Butler and Emily Belle Freeman is a lovely hardback book that has pages full of inspiring quotes, thoughts, and messages for uplifting your day. This small 120 page book is perfect for gifting. Its short, but ever so sweet words help motivate anyone who reads them to live a more meaningful, fulfilling life.

Maybe Today consists of five holy patterns described within that, when lived daily, will lead to a soul-satisfying life closer to Christ.

• Tilt Your Soul (prayer)
• Let Down Your Bucket (living water)
• Seek a Compassionate Detour (service)
• Take Off Your Shoes (gratitude)
• Be All In (commitment)

These 5 principles are key to having a life of contentment. Each holy pattern has things to ponder, scriptures to read, quotes from wise famous people. I also love that it has beautiful color photography to go with the messages.

These encouraging messages stay with you after reading them. If you apply them to your life you will become blessed greatly. Read this little book. It will change you for the better. At the end of the book it features an invitation to share the book and pass it on to a friend or family member that needs some uplifting too so that you also "multiply goodness".

Be Social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/multiplygoodness
Twitter: https://twitter.com/multiply_good
Website: http://multiplygoodness.com

About the Authors:

David Butler by day is a high school religious educator sharing his love for the scriptures and his belief that there is a power for good innate in every human soul. By night he is a fort builder, waffle maker, sports coach, and storyteller for his six favorite little people, also known as his children. Somewhere in between he is a motivational speaker and writer. He also teams with Emily in coauthoring the blog: www.multiplygoodness.com.

Emily Belle Freeman is a mother of four, a coach’s wife, author of the bestselling A Christ-Centered Christmas, and an adored inspirational speaker. She finds great joy in studying the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. For a few minutes every day Emily forgets about the laundry, leaves the dishes in the sink, and writes. She coauthors a blog that is a stopping place for hearts seeking all that is good: www.multiplygoodness.com.


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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter by Emily Belle Freeman Book Review

I received this book free from Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

You might have heard already how some of the traditions of Easter tie into Christ. The egg can be likened to the resurrection tomb, Jesus' death can be likened to the sacrificial lamb of the Passover as Jesus is often called the "Lamb of God", Lilies were growing in the where Jesus went to pray His final days in the Garden of Gethsemane, bunnies are a symbol of renewal and new birth, and the cross is a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus. These are some of the main Christian symbols of Easter and their meanings.

Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter: Seven Traditions to Lead Us Closer to Jesus Christ by Emily Belle Freeman is a great book for the Easter holiday! As a follow-up book to Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas and The Peter Potential, it helps us remember that Jesus Christ should be the center of the Easter Holiday. The author, Emily Belle Freeman, shares her insights by retelling the stories of the followers of Christ during the time surrounding His crucifixion and resurrection. Each chapter has a brief first-person narrative from the perspectives of Jesus, Mary, Lazarus, Simon, Mary Magdalene, and others. Also there are wonderful traditions to symbolize each of these stories. You will discover the meaning behind the wheat baskets, the forget knot, the red egg, and other traditions to add to your festivities. At the end of this short, but sweet, book you feel as if you know each one of these important people even more deeply and you also come away with seven Christ-Centered Easter traditions that you can apply to your own Easter celebration.

With only 96 pages this small book is a treasure to be had. The author has a gift of storytelling that brings the thoughts, emotions, and character into seven disciples in Christ's life, death, and resurrection. These people have life breathed into them by the author. A scripture is placed at the beginning of each chapter with a black and white line art illustration of the tradition to go with each beautifully woven true story. At the end of each is a tradition with a hymn to play or sing, the scripture passage to read with questions to ponder, the description of the tradition to try, and words that sum up the lesson. These stories and traditions exemplify Easter and all that is so holy about it. The symbols are enriching and help us bring back the true meaning of Easter and make it a "High Holy Day" of celebration in each of our hearts and homes.

About the Author:
Emily Belle Freeman is a coach's wife, a mother of four, an author, and a sought-after inspirational speaker. She coauthors a popular blog putting religious teaching into practice: www.multiplygoodness.com.


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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Sam's Christmas Wish by George D. Durrant, Illustrated by Dan Burr Book Review

We received this product free from Shadow Mountain to facilitate this review and participate in the blog tour. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Since loosing his job a few week before Christmas, Sam Edwards isn't looking forward to Christmas. He also isn't looking for charity from anyone for him or his family. Christmas brings a mysterious surprise left anonymously at his home, without any tracks to follow. Sam's heart changes when seeing his family's reaction to the gifts and kindness of this unknown someone. With the spirit of Christmas renewed in him, he makes the wish to have the opportunity himself to do something good anonymously for another. Only when he is old and sickly does he get the chance to have his wish fulfilled and granted. Read this book to find out how.

Sam's Christmas Wish is a wonderful book with gorgeous illustrations that helps get the Christmas spirit of love, gratitude, service and sacrifice flowing through us. I love this beautiful book. This book is a tearjerker. I couldn't help but tear up while reading it. Such a great miracle and blessing Sam became because of the remembrance of one act of service that opened up his heart to others. I love the heartwarming story and message it tells of the reality of the: joy of service, true giving, and the miracle of love. I would recommend this book to anyone needing some more Christmas spirit in your home. This book is so inspiring and begs the question to ask ourselves, “What gift will I give in secret this Christmas?”.
 
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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog! 

God Bless Us, Every One!: The Story Behind A Christmas Carol - Book and DVD Review

We received this product free from Shadow Mountain to facilitate this review and participate in the blog tour. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Have you ever wondered what inspired Dickens to write the most famous Christmas story of all time? God Bless Us, Every One! tells the story of the creation of A Christmas Carol, a tale that has instilled the spirit of Christmas into millions of hearts, and the experience of the man behind it.

This volume is beautifully illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator, Brandon Dorman (The Wizard, Fablehaven series, The Candy Shop War series). It tells the true story as well as some fanciful imagination behind the writing of Dickens's most famous work and reveals how the desperate and downtrodden Dickens discovered the spirit of Christmas for himself with a little help from his own literary characters.

As Charles Dickens dipped his pen and began to write the classic tale A Christmas Carol in the autumn of 1843, the spirit of the story captured his heart and mind in an extraordinary way. Dwindling sales of his previous books had resulted in a desperate financial situation for Dickens, who had used much of his income to support worthy causes and needy family members. But the book which he had intended as a quick solution to his problems turned out to be much, much more.

In addition to magical illustrations and wonderful story, there is a DVD accompanying this book. The characters we've fallen in love with are brought to life as John Rhys-Davies (ax-wielding dwarf Gimli in the Lord of the Rings trilogy) reenacts his book in a production with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and other thespians.

This book and DVD is heartwarming and the illustrations are gorgeous. I love the moral Charles Dickens learned for himself and feel we need to also apply this lesson to our own lives. My family loved the special effects in the program on the DVD. It was also fun seeing John Rhys-Davies in something else besides Lord of the Rings and I didn't know he was also an author. This book and DVD shows that he is very multi-talented. I enjoyed both very much! This set would make a great addition to anyone's home, especially during the holidays.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

12 Days of Christmas with Six Sisters' Stuff Review and Giveaway

We received this product free from Shadow Mountain to facilitate this review, an opportunity to host a giveaway and participate in the blog tour. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

One of my favorite blogs to read is the Six Sisters' Stuff blog. This blog was created by 6 biological sisters: Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra that wanted to stay in touch and share recipes, crafts, projects and neat ideas with each other while apart. Growing up with just sisters and no brothers in my family I can relate with this blog a lot...even though I only have 2 younger sisters. These sisters also share another similarity with me...they are all of the LDS/Mormon faith. Their blog is also in the "Why Are YOUR Favorite Bloggers Mormon?" list of blogs that I frequently visit.

Six Sisters' Stuff is back for the holidays with their third book, 12 Days of Christmas with Six Sisters' Stuff. This book is loaded with creative ideas for Christmas. There are 144 recipes, DIY crafts to Deck The Halls with, homemade and handcrafted gift ideas, party ideas, ways to serve, family traditions, tips, and more. This book is split up into 12 topics having 12 different fun ideas underneath each. It definitely is a great way to organize the book. It has 143 pages packed with full color easy recipes, crafts, projects and ideas similar to the ones on their blog. These were all compiled as a collection of their family favorites. You can make all kinds of things from it that are simple to create and easily affordable too. Both their blog and the book reminds me of the many creative things we made at Young Women activities and still make in Relief Society. A table of contents in the front and an index in the back keep it simple to find everything. I will definitely be keeping this book on hand as a go to book for helping me: create yummy meals and desserts quickly, decorate my home for the holidays, and create unique one of a kind gifts for friends and family.

The recipes in this book look so delicious! I can't wait to try out these desserts: Cherry Chocolate Muffins, Nutella Banana Bread, Eggnog Gingerbread Trifle, and Almond Joy Bars! Yummy! Again the Six Sisters' Stuff does not disappoint when it comes down to slow cooker meals. I love my Crock-pot and use it a lot! I will be trying out the Slow-Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup and the Slow-Cooker Ham and Pineapple Sandwiches soon.

I love that this book makes it easy to make so many neat things for the home and others. I love to throw together cookie plates for neighbors and friends and this cookbook makes it easy to do so because it has 12 to pick from! Not only that, but the 12 Days of Christmas with Six Sisters' Stuff has wonderful ideas for gifts that are inexpensive and easy to make. I love the Burlap Handprint Tree Skirt, the Wood Photo Blocks, and the Christmas Monogram Hanging.

This book is wonderful to get us in the holiday spirit, deck the halls, and get together with family and friends in "The Most Wonderful Time of Year!". Celebrate the joy of the season with the Six Sisters' Stuff.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
12 Christmas Cookies
12 Days of Christmas for Your "True Love"
12 Family Traditions
12 Christmas Brunch Recipes
12 Sanity-Saving Christmas Tips
12 Christmas Party Ideas
12 Spectacular Christmas Treats
12 Ways to Give Back
12 Gifts for Neighbors
12 Quick and Easy Family Dinners
12 Homemade Christmas Gifts
12 DIY Christmas Decorations

Buy the Six Sisters' Stuff Books:



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Prize: 4 entrants will win a signed copy of The 12 Days of Christmas with the Six Sisters.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff: 52 Menu Plans, Recipes and Ideas to Bring Families Together Book Review and Giveaway

We received this product free from Shadow Mountain to facilitate this review, an opportunity to host a giveaway and participate in the blog tour.

One of my favorite blogs to read is the Six Sisters' Stuff blog. This blog was created by 6 biological sisters: Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra that wanted to stay in touch and share recipes, crafts, projects and neat ideas with each other while apart. Growing up with just sisters and no brothers in my family I can relate with this blog a lot...even though I only have 2 younger sisters. These sisters also share another similarity with me...they are all of the LDS/Mormon faith. Their blog is also in the "Why Are YOUR Favorite Bloggers Mormon?" list of blogs that I frequently visit.

Six Sisters' Stuff is back with seconds with their newest cookbook, A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff. So many mouthwatering meal and recipe choices! It is jam packed with over 150 new recipes broken into 52 menu plans to share with family and friends. It has easy to follow instructions and every recipe is accompanied by gorgeous full color photos. Each meal has a entree, side dish and dessert. You can also take those meals and mix and match other recipes from the book to make different meal offerings. The ingredients that the Six Sisters use are usually found in the home making the meals even easier to throw together at the last minute. Making three-course meals couldn't be more simple and stress-free when following the Six Sisters. Also tucked in throughout are tips, crafts, helpful checklists, traditions, ideas and activities; all easily found by table of contents and index.

My favorite meals from this cookbook have to be the slow cooker ones. I love my Crock Pot! The Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas sound so good too! I really would love to try the Homemade Bread Bowls because I love soup. I am also on a fruit kick so the Ambrosia Fruit Salad, Berry Cheesecake Pudding and Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad look absolutely delicious. These and so many other recipes grace the pages of the A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff Cookbook.

I love that this cookbook makes it easier on the cook to make healthy and homemade three course meals for their family. Dinnertime especially is supposed to be family time. So gather around the table with your family and partake in the delicious food that Six Sisters' Stuff has in store for you.

BUY IT
You can purchase the Six Sisters' Stuff book at DeseretBook.com for $21.99 List Price $18.69 Sale Price (at posting date).

WIN IT
Prize: 10 winners will receive a copy of A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff Cookbook. This giveaway is the same giveaway hosted on my blog and all the blogs that are participating in the blog tour.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Christmas From Heaven Book and Mormon Tabernacle Choir DVD Review

We received product free from Shadow Mountain to facilitate this review.

The Christmas From Heaven book and Mormon Tabernacle Choir DVD is the heartfelt true story of a young cargo pilot by the name of Gail Halvorsen in the US Army Air Corps who was assigned to fly in much needed supplies to a war-torn, Soviet-blockaded Berlin. Not only did he do this duty, but he went far above and beyond to give some beacon of hope to the children living there as well. With his acts of kindness he became known as The Candy Bomber or Uncle Wiggly Wings and spread the joy of giving to other sympathetic Americans.

This story touched my heart and helped me get into the true spirit of Christmas. I loved the book with the wonderful illustrations and actual photographs. Tom Brokaw is a great storyteller as well as a newsman. He tells the story beautifully of "Hal's" generosity. I loved the DVD that came along with the book. The narration that Tom gives with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing in the background is profound. I love the portrayal of the events by the children and actual parachutes of candy falling from inside the Tabernacle. We also get to meet the Candy Bomber himself on the DVD, now 90 something years young, and wearing his uniform from when he was in service. This book and DVD is a wonderful addition to my library and I think it will become our new tradition to read and watch it every Christmas.

List Price $21.99, Hardcover. Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at select retailers nationwide.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Six Sisters' Stuff Book Review - Recipes, Crafts, Etc.

One of my favorite blogs to read is the Six Sisters' Stuff blog. This blog was created by 6 biological sisters: Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra that wanted to stay in touch and share recipes, crafts, projects and neat ideas with each other while apart. Growing up with just sisters and no brothers in my family I can relate with this blog a lot...even though I only have 2 younger sisters. These sisters also share another similarity with me...they are all of the LDS/Mormon faith. Their blog is also in the "Why Are YOUR Favorite Bloggers Mormon?" list of blogs that I frequently visit.

I received their awesome new and very first cookbook for free to facilitate this review. This book is a great resource for meals that can be prepared and cooked quickly so that family can be enjoyed around a table. Meal preparation is difficult for some, but it certainly doesn't have to be. More than 80 great tried and true recipes from on hand ingredients grace the pages of this book with easy to follow instructions and gorgeously represented by full color photos. This book has the recipes categorized into: main dishes, slow cooker meals, sides, salads, breads, and desserts. When I first got the book I looked through the pages and the recipes made my tummy start rumbling because they all looked and sounded so good. I am going to have to try the Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos because I love taquitos and never have tried making them myself. I have had a similar version of the Grilled 7-Up Chicken  before at a barbeque in Utah and it is delicious! The Creamy Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes is a similar recipe I use at home, except I haven't ever put the ranch in with it...I will have to try that. I love slow cooker meals too because you can just throw the ingredients in the crock pot and let them simmer all day making the house smell just divine. The German Chocolate Cake Bars I definitely need to try because I love German Chocolate anything! There are so many other yummy sounding recipes in this book that I am going to have to try soon!

The crafts, helpful checklists, ideas and activities are scattered throughout the book in various locations easily found by table of contents and index. I will be putting the Spring Cleaning Checklist to good use soon. The Ice Cream Cone Piñata sounds like it would make a great party. I love the family theme of this book and that many of the crafts and activities ca be done as a family to create memories that will last. There are so many other fun crafts and ideas too that I now want to incorporate in my everyday endeavors from this book.

This book has 208 pages packed with full color easy recipes, crafts, projects and ideas similar to the ones on their blog. These were all compiled as a collection of their family favorites. You can make all kinds of things from it that are simple to create and easily affordable too. Both their blog and the book reminds me of the many creative things we made at Young Women activities and still make in Relief Society. A table of contents in the front and an index in the back keep it simple to find everything. I will definitely be keeping this book on hand as a go to book for helping me: create yummy meals quickly, beat boredom, and conquer clutter.

Join the Family Dinner Challenge and Enter to Win a Six Sisters' Stuff Cookbook
According to Pew Research, only about half of families make dinner a daily ritual and another third eat together a few times a week. Roughly one in 5 families (20%) eat together only occasionally or never. In conjunction with the book’s release, on March 4, 2013, SixSistersStuff.com have launched a 4x4 Dinner Challenge. Families are encouraged to eat together as a family at least four times a week for four weeks. Families can register online at www.SixSistersStuff.com and receive meal tips, ideas for family activities, and helpful recipes to assist in making this challenge a reality. You can also enter to win one of 2 cookbooks while you are registering! “We grew up knowing the importance of feeding our families a home-cooked meal and sitting down to eat it together,” said Camille, the oldest sister. “Even the busiest of people can make the food and project ideas we share, which will give you even more time to spend with your family and loved ones.”

BUY IT
You can purchase the Six Sisters' Stuff book at DeseretBook.com for $21.99 List Price $19.79 Sale Price.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.