When a struggling young single mother saves the life of an elderly woman, she sets into motion a series of events that will test her strength, loyalty, and determination, all the while setting her on the path to finding true love.

Christine Eisley is the mother of seven-year-old Zach and five-year-old Haley. Her ex-husband provides little, if any, child support and makes life difficult for Christine by using the children as pawns. She works long hours as a waitress to make ends meet, but her job is in jeopardy because she’s often late to work due to the unreliable teenaged sitters she’s forced to use. When Christine saves the life of a woman who works in Wilson’s department store, the owner of Wilson’s wants to find her, to thank her, but Christine has disappeared, losing another job once again. He sets his grandson, Jason, to the task of finding the mysterious “Christy.” Jason, an accountant by trade who has lost his job to downsizing, thinks he is “above” working at Wilson’s. Soon, he discovers that this new task gives him more than he bargains for.

The Christmas Secret is a novel for anyone who wants to see how love is a gift that keeps giving back; that hope is a treasure that never runs dry, and that faith is a miracle that is reborn with each new day.

Donna VanLiere is the New Your Times and USA Today bestselling author of Finding Grace, the Christmas Hope series, and Angels of Morgan Hill. She lives in Franklin, TN, with her husband and three children.  Visit her at her website.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle that seems to have become my life, I was pleased with the opportunity to cuddle up with this book and a blanket for the past several evenings and absorb myself into the lives of Christine and the amazing cast of supporting characters in this book!  I've read the first three  books in this series - The Christmas Shoes, The Christmas Blessing, and The Christmas Hope - but just realized today that I totally missed the fourth book - The Christmas Promise.  Though each book in this series will definitely work as a stand-alone, it's fun to read them all as the characters do all tie together in some way.  I enjoy seeing the names from book to book, and getting just a small glimpse into the lives of past characters I've grown to know and love.  (We also have the 2 movies - The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Blessing - based on these books, and I'd recommend them.)

The Christmas Secret, much like the other books in this series, just continued to amaze me with every twist and turn. Donna has an amazing ability of weaving everything together into a gorgeous tapestry of love, grace, forgiveness, family values, and so much more.  Her stories remind me of a quilt made up of the fabrics of a family's life - there is just so much going on, but it's all put together into one story. 

The ending might make you cry, it might make you smile - no matter what, you'll put this book down with a good feeling.  At least, I did.  With the Christmas season soon upon us, this is a great book to add to your reading list. 

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Ten-year-old Trond Halvorsen lives in Aalesund, a picturesque and friendly Norwegian sea-side town. The only problem is that there is no color! The buildings are covered with beautiful designs that no one knows are there.  With his grandfather’s help, Trond discovers them and dreams of fulfilling these designs with brightly colored paints. But Trond doesn’t have any money, paint is too expensive and there just isn’t any to be had. Join Trond as he sets out to bring color to his town in a splendid Norwegian adventure laced with exotic descriptions of deep blue fjords, dark green pines and vividly colored flowers. Painting Aalesund is a simple, heartwarming story that parents will want to read to their children and again to themselves. 

Tod B. Steward has been writing in one form or another since he was a boy. Much of his writing for children has been inspired by travels with his wife, son and daughter, where he keeps finding stories just waiting to be told. Currently living in Virginia, he has finished Painting Aalesund and Juliet’s Opera, both published or soon-to-be-published by Tate Publishing.

He has recently finished a story about a cat named Enzo, who lives in Rome, Italy and has just sent to Norway for review the manuscript for another story from Norway.  He is in the midst of writing a second Evelyn Burke Adventure and also a story that takes place in the north of Italy.  And sitting on his desk are stories from France, Great Britain, the United States, and even from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

I really enjoyed this little book.  I read it to myself, over the course of several nights, not because I couldn't sit down and read it all in one sitting, but because I really wanted to absorb it.  What a sweet tale of a little boy with the heart and desire to help his town.  In a day and age where everyone seems to be "looking out for #1", I was pleased to read the story of young Trond.  Trond sees his  town for the beautiful place that it CAN be, not the boring, drab place that it IS.  He sets out to find a way to turn his vision into reality.  With hard work and determination, Aalesund is transformed into a lovely town that people come from far and wide to see.  I was blessed by this little book and will definitely be passing it along to my children to read.

You can learn more about the author and his books (both current and upcoming) on his website.  One thing homeschooling parents will appreciate is the extra help Tod is willing to offer kids who read his book - he'll even post book reports on his site! 

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I have been through my fair share of thermometers over the years.  The first one I received, at a baby shower 16 years ago, was the glass variety.  Let me just tell you, I still have not figured out how to read one of those things!   That was quickly replaced by a digital thermometer because this mommy wanted to know if my baby had a fever or not!    Over the years, we've been through at least 4 digital thermometers.  The first one worked good; the rest, not so much.  I've been disappointed over and over again.  So, needless to say, I was thrilled when I found out that I was selected to review the Exergen Temporal Scanner!

Before it even arrived in the mail, I started doing my research.  The thing that really excited me was the speed with which this scanner reads the body temperature.  With just a quick stroke over the forehead, you have a reading.  And it's amazingly accurate - to within .2 degrees F (that's POINT 2!)  Wow! No more sitting with a crying, feverish baby - trying to hold a thermometer under the arm, under the tongue, or (God forbid) in the heiny (which, I must admit, I never tried!)  You can even use the Exergen Temporal Scanner on your sleeping baby; so no more waking them during the night (unless there's a need for more medicine). 

Medical professionals are switching to the temporal scanner, saying that it is much more accurate than the ear thermometers (which were inconsistent), not to mention more comfortable.  I know this to be true, as I just visited my family doctor this morning and had my temperature taken using a temporal scanner.  I commented to the nurse that I had one at home, and she confirmed how much they are loving this new technology in the office. 

Do you know what arterial temperature is?  It is "the same temperature as the blood flowing from the heart.  It is the best determinate of body temperature."  I don't know about you, but when my kids are sick, the first thing  I do is put my cheek to their forehead (you just can't "feel" a temperature with your hand).  If it's where my mother's cheek wants to test first, doesn't it stand to reason that it's where I should be reading their temperature with a thermometer/scanner?  Makes perfect sense to me.

If you're wondering where you can buy one of these for your very own, you'll be happy to hear that they are available almost everywhere now - check your local Wal-mart, Walgreens, Babies R Us, and Toys R Us.  If you can't find one there, you can call Exergen at 1-800-422-3006 or e-mail them at  medical@exergen.com.

Note: This blog tour is courtesy of Parent Reviewers.  The Exergen Temporal Scanner was provided to me for free in exchange for my use and honest review. 

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Books never go out of style, do they?  Recently, Ian has been wanting to be read to more, and he's actually got the patience to sit and listen.  Yesterday, I went to the basement in search of what was once my favorite book.  I can still remember curling up next to my mom, listening to her read it to me.  My copy is a very well-loved copy - complete with crayon markings, courtesy of a 3-year-old ME.  I don't know why I loved it so much, but there's just something special about Miss Suzy and her story.  If you've never read it, check it out at your library.  I bet your kids will enjoy it!

Please tell me about YOUR favorite childhood book.  (I have more, and may share in future blog posts.)

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I love music - I always have.  I was raised on music - my mom always listened to music and had been raised in a musical home.  I attended a Christian school where music was of utmost importance.  I've listened to a LOT of various kinds of music over the years - and have developed an appreciation for various genres of music.  So, I was thrilled when I got the news that I would get to review this new cd by Harry Connick Jr., thanks to One2One Network!

The music on this album transported me to a different time and place.  Sometimes we all need that - the past few weeks have definitely been one of those times for me.  Harry's mellow tones, mixed with the big band music, is the perfect combination.  It's a recipe for romance, if you ask me.  I was quickly seeing myself at a nice romantic dinner for two, complete with fancy place settings, candlelight and ... well, who cares about the food?!  Dinner, followed by dancing - and, this girl who hates dresses is even picturing a black dress and some heels (where did that come from?!)  Yes, that's what Harry's music does.  Amazing, isn't it? 

By now, you're probably wondering about the songs on this album.  I was too.  Most are ones that I either remember from my childhood (remember, I was raised on music) - others are ones that I recognize from various movie soundtracks through the years.  Here's the complete list of tracks (including the artist(s) who originally made them popular):

All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)



To give you a taste of the music, here's a video of the making of Your Songs that you may enjoy.  To learn more about Harry, visit his website or become a fan on Facebook (I did!)  Then, go out and buy yourself this album - it would make a great Merry Christmas to ME gift (be sure to wrap it up for yourself with a nice shiny bow!)

Note: This album was sent to me, free of charge, by the One2One Network.  The thoughts shared herein are my own, based on my personal experience with the music.  Results may or may not be typical.

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In the past 2 weeks, I've won 2 things!  That's 2 for 2! :)  Today, I'd like to tell you about the first prize I won . . .

I signed up to win the Circle of Sentiments contest over at 5 Minutes for Giveaways - sister site of 5 Minutes for Mom.  Wow - was I ever excited to find out that I was the winner!  I have been wanting a personalized necklace to showcase my 3 children for quite awhile.  I had one of those bootie necklaces with a birthstone bootie for each of my girls (still have it, actually), but since Ian has arrived I haven't gotten anything to show him off! 

Truthfully, I'm not a huge jewelry wearer; but I do like necklaces.  I was so excited when I asked if I could get 3 personalized disks, instead of just one, and the answer came back "YES!"  Yippee!  I was even more excited when the necklace arrived in my mailbox just a few short days later!  I know you wanna see it, don't you?!

Isn't it great?!  I just LOVE IT!  I wore it to Gracie's violin lesson last night and it just felt good.  I love that it's simple, yet there's something elegant about it too.  I love that it is JUST MINE.  Nobody else has a necklace just like this one.  It's been so hard (impossible, actually) to ever find anything with Gracie's name on it (Grace, yes; Gracie, no); so the fact that Circle of Sentiments personalizes their items to your exact specifications really makes me happy!  Gracie too!  She was thrilled to see that Mom had a necklace with her REAL name on it. 

My necklace is from the SIgnature Collection, and each disc is the classic size (about the size of a penny).  This size disk can be personalized with up to 7 standard size letters (or 9 tiny ones).  The letters are in all caps.  Because they are hand-stamped (as opposed to being done on a machine), it gives the disks an embossed look.  Both the disks and fine ball chain are sterling silver. 

There are so many options to choose from over at Circle of Sentiments.  I'm liking the Whimsical Collection (love the two-tone disks).  Be sure to head over and check them out for yourself.  These necklaces (and bracelets) would make great gifts for birthdays, Christmas, and Mother's Day.  Circle of Sentiments pays great attention to detail, and will send your necklace along with one silver polishing cloth and an adorable keepsake tin!

What do you want stamped on YOUR necklace?

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Eager Mind is having a Labor Day Sale - Buy 1, Get 1 Free.  I thought I'd share the links to the Schoolhouse Store - you might want to check these out:

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Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I had the opportunity to try a Wanchai Ferry frozen entree.  I must admit that, if I had just seen these items in the freezer case at my local  grocery store, I would have passed them up, thinking they were too expensive.  After trying one, however, I feel quite differently about them.

I am the only one in my household who likes Chinese food.  For that reason, I don't get it very often.  Sure, I could order take-out from the local Chinese restaurant; but it's about 8 miles away and seems rather inconvenient.  In the past, it's been my experience that frozen entrees are "just ok", nothing spectacular or "worth writing home about".  On Wednesday, I changed my mind about that.

I received (via FedEx) a box, containing this:

Thursday, at lunchtime, I decided to treat myself.  Before I received the package, I was told that "each frozen entrée has all the ingredients needed to prepare a great-tasting, complete Chinese meal for 2 in only 14 minutes! They come in five delicious flavors including Orange Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken and Sweet & Spicy Shrimp. Additionally, all of the entrees have no added MSG! " The meal was quick and easy to prepare (I love that it comes with EVERYTHING you need for a complete meal); and, the  best part, IT WAS DELICIOUS! 

I put the whole meal out on a plate (to show off for you):

(gee, I wish I had used a fancier plate, instead of this old Corelle!)

Then, since it was a "meal for 2", I put 1/2 of it in a container (for lunch the next day) and put the rest in this:

(is that not the fanciest little Chinese lunch-at-home you've ever seen?!
If you want a set of your very own - see contest details below)

Let me just say that I was THRILLED with this meal.  It was simple to prepare, fun to look at, and yummy to eat.  The chicken, veggies, and rice were  good quality.  I was wondering what the second 1/2 would taste like the next day (because I've saved Chinese  before and I'm never as impressed the 2nd time around); but it was surprisingly yummy the 2nd day too.  At the grocery store yesterday, I purchased two more because, well, I deserve to treat myself once in awhile.  I'm just sayin ...

Have I made you hungry yet?  Are you ready to go out and try a Wanchai Ferry frozen entree for yourself?  You can find out more about them here - be sure to print out the $1.50 off coupon while you're there.  In the meantime, wouldn't you love to have this great service for 2 place setting (to serve your dinner in)?

Guess what?  I have a set to give away to one of my lucky readers!  All you have to do to be eligible to win is leave me a comment telling me about your favorite Chinese food or restaurant or a funny experience you've had, relating to Chinese food.  Be sure to leave an e-mail address so that I can contact you (if you win).
Additional entries can be gained by doing one or more of the following:

• Blog about this contest (with a link back to this post). 1 extra entry
  
• Share about this contest on Facebook or Twitter (with a link back to this post). 1 extra entry
  
• Subscribe to my blog (using the buttons at the top of my right-hand sidebar). 1 extra entry
  
• And, just for fun, if you're a Disney fan, participate in a recent Destination Disney meme topic (be sure to sign the Mr. Linky with a direct link to your post).  3 extra entries

Good luck!  I'll announce a winner next Saturday, the 5th of September. 
NOTE:  The winner is comment #6- ANGELA.  Congratulations!  I'll be in touch.

*This review courtesy of MyBlogSpark.

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I'm a die-hard body wash user (I much prefer body wash to bar soap). We have our favorite brands, but I've also been known to shop with coupons and try new brands.  One brand that we often buy is Dove; so when I was asked to review their newest body wash line - Dove with Nutrium Moisture - I jumped at the chance.  I received a full-sized bottle of each of the 3 varieties - Gentle Exfoliating, Deep Moisture, and Sensitive Skin. We have tried all 3, and I am amazed - truly! 

Introducing New Dove® Body Washes with NutriumMoisture™ Technology
Breakthrough Formula Cares for Surface Skin Ten Layers Deep

The “Dirty Little Secret” of Body Washes: All regular body washes cause dry skin damage.
Until now, all regular body washes caused dry skin damage. Current body washes actually damage proteins and lipids in the skin’s outer layer (called the stratum corneum) during the cleansing process, which can lead to the loss of critical moisture. When skin lacks proper moisture, dryness, tightness and irritation/redness can all occur. Some existing body wash technologies are focused on minimizing protein damage and alleviating visual symptoms of moisture loss by adding heavy moisturizing ingredients (occlusives) that sit on top of skin. While these additives help mask dry skin damage, they do not address the deeper problem of lipid damage.

Groundbreaking Skin Care Advance
With its fifty-year heritage in cleansing and caring for skin, Dove discovered how to restore skin’s natural moisture while cleansing with body wash. A breakthrough in the body wash category, only the new Dove Body Wash collection contains NutriumMoisture™ technology that cares for surface skin ten layers deep. Unlike other body washes, this first-of-its-kind body wash technology takes a dual approach to healthy, nourished skin by preserving both proteins and lipids during cleansing.

Can your body wash nourish this deeply?
Other moisturizing body washes use a moisturizer that sits on top of the skin.  Only Dove contains NutriumMoisture™, a breakthrough formula of soybean oil and natural lipids that can nourish deep down.

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Last year, the TOS Homeschool Crew received products from MathTutorDVD.com. Ashley and I used the Algebra II DVD and were very impressed. I was fortunate enough to have a great math teacher in high school; Ashley doesn't have that privilege. (She's stuck with me!) We both really enjoyed Jason's teaching, and I could tell that Algebra was making sense to her when she sat and watched him teach. I was impressed, and would have purchases more DVD's for this year, but we chose to go with something more practical this year (she's doing Accounting). 

Anyway, Jason e-mailed me last week to tell me about the newest addition to the Math Tutor line - Young Minds Numbers and Counting. Unlike the other DVD's in the Math Tutor series, this one targets a much younger audience - PRESCHOOLERS!  I jumped at the chance to check it out because Ian is always under foot when the girls and I are working on school; and he's constantly begging to "do school too". He has a few workbooks, but unless I'm available to sit and work with him, they're basically useless. 

That's where Young Minds Numbers and Counting comes in!  Now, I'm not one of those mothers who plops my child in front of the tv as a "babysitter".  But, I do think there is a time and a place for the tv; and when the girls are trying to concentrate on school, that's one such appropriate time!  Let me just tell you two things about this DVD:

1. Ian LOVES it and asks to watch "my school momie" (translation: movie) over and over again
2. It WORKS! In just a week's time, I have seen tremendous improvement in Ian's math skills.  He already knew his colors and knew some numbers (but not counting sequentially).  Now, he is walking around the house talking about what noises the animals make; and he's counting WELL.

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