Fun with Cats in Paris

::About this book::
This gorgeously illustrated adult coloring book draws readers into the secret world of cats in Paris as they explore the city's most famous (and feline-friendly) spots. 

Say bonjour to the cats of Paris as they slink through its fabled streets and alleyways, from Montmartre to the Shakespeare and Company bookshop and into a feline-filled land of playful imagination. Featuring intricate pen-and-ink drawings of tabbies, Persians, Siamese, and more, this evocative coloring book’s frisky kitties lie in wait for your colorful stylings.


::My Thoughts::
Recently I have really gotten into adult coloring books. I love to color, and while I still love children's coloring books I find the adult ones are much more fun and challenging for me. They tend to relax me, and really help in melting away any stress. It's really a great way to relax. They force you to slow down, pay attention to detail, and just really enjoy.
I got the chance to review Cats in Paris, the adult coloring book, by Won-Sun Jang. It is adorable, and very well drawn. There are so many different pictures all dealing with cats in this book. You get cats in various places, and you get various cat patterns and prints. It's just really fun.
This would make a fantastic gift for any cat or animal lover out there.
The pages of this book are not thin, they are more heavy weight. The drawings are amazing, and there is so much detail in the illustrations. The only thing some may have a problem with it that the pictures are on each side of the page. I chose to use just colored pencils in this book so I would not have a problem with colors bleeding onto the other side. I have had no problem coloring in this way.
The pages are not really easy to rip out though. There is no perforated lines. This could be a problem for those that like to rip out and display their finished work.
Another thing I didn't really like is the pictures continue from one page to the next. This just makes it not look as smooth I guess, and if this was really needed I wish there were perforated marks so you could fit the two together to look more whole. However, I still greatly enjoyed this coloring book.
It is one of the more "easy" adult coloring books I have worked in. I would say that older children, and teens could even enjoy this book. I let my 8 year old pick a picture to color in, and he greatly enjoyed it. He had no issues with difficulty at all, and as he loves anything art related he enjoyed it.
The illustration on the cover of the book with the relaxing colors are wonderful, and I feel that the drawings were very fun.
I would recommend this book to those cat lovers out there who also just happen to love to color. I felt it was a very well done book, and although there is some room for improvement, I still had a lot of fun with it.

Buy this book here

My rating::: 4 Stars
Amazon rating::: 3.5 Stars with 63 reviews
Goodreads rating::: 3.80 Stars with 46 ratings

::Product Details::

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill; Clr Csm edition (January 26, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399578277
• ISBN-13: 978-0399578274

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a Blogging for Books member. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Wildflower DVD Review & Giveaway

Have you ever felt like God has let you down? Have you ever hit rock bottom in life and just don't know how you can possibly rise up again? We have all gotten there in my opinion. We may even get there again. We are human. We get scared, we feel alone, we get confused, and our emotions take us away. I watched a movie that brings all that home. WILDFLOWER shows us that we are never as alone as we feel, and we will rise above!

WILDFLOWER is definitely a MUST SEE. I can't even stress that enough!

I am recommending this movie right and left. If you love psychological thrillers you will LOVE this movie. Here's a quick Film Synopsis, and trailer to the movie:::

Creatively gifted, college student Chloe Moray (portrayed by Nathalia Ramos, known for BRATZ, Arrested Development, House of Anubis) finds solace from a difficult childhood in her extraordinary art. But when an alarming dream begins to recur nightly, Chloe starts to believe that it might be a suppressed memory and that she may have witnessed a terrible crime as a little girl. Her search for peace takes her on a journey that forces Chloe to confront her past traumas and leads her to cross paths with Josh (Cody Longo, known for NOT TODAY, Hollywood Heights, Nashville), a young man dealing with his own painful loss. Together they find in each other someone they can trust as they seek to unlock a cold-case mystery from years before. But with the authorities blocking the way, Chloe's new-found hope is challenged in this powerful story of faith, triumph and healing.

I personally am a big movie buff. I love all movies. In our house we even have a weekly family movie night. We watch movies with the kids and then when they are in bed me and hubby watch our own movies. That said, from my standards, this is by far one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time! Now me and my husband watched this alone, as our children are young. This movie did further show that as parents we all need to be very present, active, and invested in our children's lives. We need to talk with them daily, and stay connected. I cannot stress that enough. It is extremely important.

I was definitely on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. My heart raced, my brain raced, I was captured! Wildflower caught my attention immediately and the movie held my attention until the very end. There is so much suspense, drama, plot twists, friendship, family, and faith. I never could guess what would happen next, and I was shocked through it all. This is a positively riveting movie experience that will set you off on a roller-coaster of emotions. The scenes were great, the actors and actresses did a fantastic job! This movie wins every award possible in my book.

It is a clean movie which is just amazing. Especially for Christian families out there. It is so hard to find a GOOD clean movie to watch that includes faith. There is pure genius behind this film, and there is no other way to put it. The way such a situation can be kept clean, and remain as riveting as this deserves a standing ovation. This is a great movie for teens and adults. I wouldn't go younger than teen years because it is a pretty intense movie. It is rated PG-13.

I love that this movie doesn't just provide entertainment. It provides hope! No matter our darkest hour God is with us, and we are not alone. We cannot lose our faith, and we cannot lose our hope. But if we do along one of life's hard roads He will be there with open arms to welcome us back. It never rains forever.

I can see this movie providing so many out there with hope, faith, and courage. It isn't easy to touch down on trauma subjects like this movie does, but WILDFLOWER does an excellent job. This movie far surpassed my expectations. 

Wildflower is available on DVD or VOD starting April 5th, 2016. Grab your copy on Amazon or download it at wildflowerthemovie.com. It will also air on Lifetime Movie Network in June. 

Here's a little treat for all of my readers though...

How about a chance to WIN a FREE copy of the WILDFLOWER DVD!? Just enter below and I will announce the winner on Twitter, Facebook, and of course on here! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

:::Product Details:::

Actors: Nathalia Ramos, Cody Longo, Shari Rigby, Alex Steele

Directors: Nicholas DiBella

Format: Color, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 Parents Strongly Cautioned

Studio: PROVIDENT

DVD Release Date: April 5th, 2016

Run Time: 90 Minutes

ASIN: B01BP47GQU

The winner will be contacted via e-mail, announced on Twitter, Facebook, and on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. There can only be one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.

Winner releases Mommy's Musings from all liability associated with this product/contest. All decisions by Mommy's Musings are final. Complete terms and conditions are listed on the rafflecopter form, and by submitting your entry, you are indicating that you have read and agree to these official rules.

Disclaimer: I received two complimentary copies of this DVD from Icon Media Group. One is for review purposes, and the other for giveaway. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Amish Sweethearts

:::From the back cover:::
Their Two Worlds Couldn't Be Further Apart.
Can Anything Bridge the Divide Between Them?  
For years Zane Beck and his Amish neighbor Lila Lehman were the best of friends. But just as Zane gathered the courage to discover if their friendship could develop into something more, her controlling father arranged for her to be courted by their bishop's son. Zane, heartbroken and frustrated, joined the Army, running away from his shattered dreams.

The passing of time and the distance between Zane and Lila haven't been enough to halt their--now completely hidden--feelings for each other. Any hope for their love grows even more impossible though as Zane's service takes a dangerous turn when he's deployed to Afghanistan. Being on the front-line, confronted with the hard choices of war, has him questioning everything, including whether he can continue to serve or not. But all choices have consequences, and with Lila preparing to marry another, will these one-time sweethearts ever find the life together that they both still long for?

:::My Review:::
This is not your typical Amish romance book. This one steps outside of the box a little bit, and to be honest I was quite surprised by it. This book gives a little of everything, and will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions. It really has just about everything.

Lila is a young Amish girl who has lost her mother, lives with her father, and is the main caretaker of the family. Her sister Rose should be a help around the house but is more lazy than helpful. Lila takes care of the household, helps her father with chores when needed, and works outside of the home to help her family. She is courting an Amish man whom her father wants to see her married to. However, her heart belongs to her childhood Englisch friend who lives next door, Zane.

Zane is a young Englisch gentleman. His heart also belongs to Lila, but they come from two very different worlds. Lila is not willing to leave the Amish. Zane joins the military to get away from his heartbreak of seeing Lila with another man, and is sent on a rather intriguing journey with his Civil Affairs Unit. 
Can the two find a way to make their love work? How could two people from such very different worlds possibly come together?

I loved pretty much all the characters in this book even though I wanted so badly to reach through the pages and give them a good shake. Lila was by far my favorite character. She really had such a pure heart, and was willing to do whatever she could for anyone. However, she also had a stubborn side and wasn't focused on making herself happy. 

Zane is more stubborn than any of the characters in the book. He was tender hearted, but so frustrating I couldn't hardly take it. I just wished time and again he would pour his heart out to Lila instead of carry on.

Rose was my least favorite character. She was incredibly lazy, seemed overly jealous of Lila, and just got on my last nerve. However, I can see where this could lead to a book just about her which I would love to read. There could also be a book about Lila's brother Simon which I would love to read as well.

I was on the edge of my seat time and again while reading this book. There is just so much going on that you can't wait to find out what will happen next. The author does a fantastic job of leaving her readers wanting more. Everything was easy to imagine, and I appreciate that the story flowed so nicely without leaving me confused.

This is book two in this series, but you honestly can't tell. I haven't read book one, and this book does a great job as a stand alone book. I do have to say, though, after reading book two I want to go back and read one just because I fell in love with the characters.

It isn't often you find an Amish book where not only does the Amish girl fall in love with an Englisch boy, but there is suspense thrown in there with it. Zane joining the military definitely switched things up from your typical Amish romance book. I was left wanting to read more about Lila and Zane, but maybe in the future there will be more to their story. Until then I will just have to make do. 

I definitely recommend this book if you love Amish romance. More so if you like a little suspense thrown in. There are so many twists and turns to this book I don't see how anyone reading it could get bored at all.


My Rating:::  5  / 5 Stars
Goodreads Rating:::  4.43 / 5 Stars
Amazon Rating:::  4.5 / 5 Stars
Barnes & Noble Rating::: 4.6 / 5  Stars


If you are interested in this book check it out on Paperback, Kindle, Nook, or Audible.


:::Product Details:::

• Series: Neighbors of Lancaster County (Book 2)
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (February 2, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764215248
• ISBN-13: 978-0764215247

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See: My Misadventures in Dating, Waiting, and Stumbling into Love...

::Goodreads Summary::
Eight setups. Eight awkward dates. Eight things God tried to teach her along the way. (Some of which she’s still trying to figure out.)
Stephanie Rische was starting to feel invisible. All around her, her friends were getting married, and she found herself decidedly alone. Stephanie couldn’t help but wonder if there was something broken in her—was she not pretty enough? Not fun enough? Not date-able enough (whatever that meant)? So she started praying in earnest for God to bring the right man into her life. And instead, He brought her matchmakers. Eight of them, to be precise.

Beloved blogger Stephanie Rische debuts with this charming, vulnerable, and (who are we kidding?) often mortifying true story of a girl who tried really hard to find someone to fall in love with—even when she mostly just ended up falling flat on her face. But amid the most cringe worthy setups and awkward encounters, Stephanie found God’s grace and love meeting her there in ways she never could have imagined—once she opened her eyes to see.


::My Thoughts::
This is such a great book! It is also so much more than just stories of blind dating. This is a book that anyone can benefit from. Whether you are single or married there are great lessons within the pages of this book.
I have always been intrigued by memoirs, and this book held my interest with no problem. I was pulled right in, and felt like I was right there beside Stephanie every step of the way!
Stephanie not only is on a journey to find a true man whose beliefs match her own, but not settle for anything less than she deserves. Despite her times where she felt lonely, hopeless, or just wanted to give up she held fast to her faith and left it in God's hands. I highly commend her for holding onto her belief even through tough times, and not giving in even though she struggled with it.
Stephanie knew what she wanted, and did not give up until she found it!
This book is about community, friendship, faith, love, family, and so much more.
This book has a bit of everything happiness, laughter, suspense, sadness, faith, gratitude, etc. There is just so much you will feel taking this journey through reading.
The author holds nothing back which is amazing when you are reading a book. Every reader wants to know it all! It makes you feel as if you are close friends with the author. I definitely felt that way. I love that she even went so far as to talk about moles, personal insecurities, etc. 
As a married woman myself I believe I now understand my single friends a bit more. Not only that but I value my marriage even more than before. I also was able to see so much more of God's love, and learned some valuable lessons through this story.
I believe for single women out there it can also shed hope and renew faith.
I definitely recommend this book.


My Rating::: 5/5 Stars
Goodreads Rating::: 4.56/5 
Amazon Rating::: 5/5 Stars
Barnes & Noble Rating::: 5/5 Stars


Find this book in paperback, on kindle, or on nook.


::Product Details::

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale Momentum (January 1, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1496404815
• ISBN-13: 978-1496404817

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The Pounamu Prophecy

Goodreads Summary:::
Since she watched her village burn to the ground, Mere's life has been anything but dull. Now as an older woman she has come to stay with Helene and James to finish writing her life story - a tale of injustice, revenge and reconciliation. But Helene and James have their own problems. After five years together, their marriage has become dull, predictable, boring ... and it starts to unravel. Weaving fiction with the traumatic history of the Ngati Whatua tribe of Auckland, The Pounamu Prophecy sweeps from the sultry heat of Australia to the verdant shores of New Zealand.

My Thoughts:::
I really enjoyed this book. It captivated me right away and I learned so much by reading it! I didn't have trouble at all with any words or meanings throughout this book. The author does a fantastic job of writing so whether you are familiar with New Zealand terms or not you know what is going on.

Mere was my favorite character. She really grew throughout the story and I was very impressed by her accomplishments. She was the glue that held the story together so to speak. She was the first character that pulled me in and she kept me captivated. Her heart was amazing even through the trials and tribulations she was put through time and again.

James and Helen were frustrating. Both seemed to put such little effort into their marriage and instead put their careers first and foremost. With that kind of attitude it is no wonder they were having problems. Their communication, or lack thereof, did not help their situation. I wanted to shake both of them and talk sense into them. I was admittedly kept on the edge of my seat wondering what would become of these two next. By the end I warmed up to both of them as well though.

Each one of the characters grew so much for the better which was very nice to see. I was more than pleased.

I had no idea of the severity of the trouble in New Zealand so long ago and feel for all the losses of life and land. It is nice when there are books that bring those points to life, and give a voice for those that cannot speak.

I definitely recommend this book. It has everything. I was held in suspense not knowing what would happen next!

Ratings:::
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars - 5 reviews
Goodreads Rating: 4.08 stars out of 13 ratings
My rating: Five Stars

Product Information:::
Publisher: Rhiza Press
Publication date: October 1, 2015
Language: English
Book length: 208 pages
ISBN-10192513945X
ISBN-13978-1925139457

Buy the book:::
Paperback   Kindle

Add it to your to-read list today!!! :)

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a BookCrash member in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Whispering to Horses by Thomas Nye

Whispering to Horses was a wonderful book. I highly recommend it. I hope there will be either another novella or novel to follow this. I really want to see where things go because I was definitely left wanting more! Thomas Nye never ceases to fail me with his writing style, vivid characters, and how everything is brought to life before my very eyes! But before I go on here is a quick summary of this book.

~

::Taken from the back of the book::
An old fence separates a modern community from their Amish neighbors, until a little boy opens the gate and breaks down barriers between them. Main characters, Matt and Eli, find friendship, hope, and a future through a mutual need, which creates an opportunity for them to learn to understand each other. Eli and his little sisters will touch your heart by Whispering to Horses.

~

Matt was a character I found very frustrating at first. Mainly because he complained constantly of his beautiful surroundings, and took them for granted. He was very selfish with a cold heart for the longest time throughout the story. He had tons of land with lots of yard, but chose to complain about smelling manure from his Amish neighbors. 

My favorite character was Eli, the young Amish boy that lived on the other side of the fence from Matt. However, my heart broke for Eli. He had so much weight on his young shoulders and carried those burdens without complaint. He is a hard working young man who cares deeply for his family. A very admirable young man for sure.

Eli really helped melt the ice around Matt's heart. As the story progressed Eli seemed to bring out the best in Matt. Matt definitely redeemed himself in my eyes by the end. I can't give too much away because I don't want to spoil the surprise of the story, but I was honestly hooked and infatuated with ALL of the characters by story's end. Especially when it comes to Eli's mother Sony. I sense a story of her own, and I would love to see what the future holds for her. This story definitely leaves you craving more, and I highly recommend it if you love Amish stories. 

I could vividly picture every detail in this story, and just could not figure out how it would end. Honestly my mouth was even wide open when I reached the end because it's not an ending you could even begin to expect. That is all I will say on that because, as I said, I don't want to give too much away. It is a must read for sure!

There is also plenty details about the horses in this book so if you are a horse fan you won't be disappointed there either. This story definitely has it all, which is something I have never seen in a novella. The author wrote another fantastic book that will have you on a roller coaster of emotions, and leave you on the edge of your seat!


Get this book in ~ Print ~ Kindle ~ Nook ~


::Amazon Rating:: 5 Stars
::Goodreads Rating:: 5 Stars


::Product Details::

• Series: Amish Horses
• Paperback: 52 pages
• Publisher: Crosslink Publishing (November 2, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 163357041X
• ISBN-13: 978-1633570412

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Happy Homemaker Monday 01/18/2016

Good afternoon everyone! This is going up way late for me, but it has been a hectic day so far! I feel lucky to get this time to sit and write. Usually I get morning time to blog, but the kids woke up a bit earlier than usual this morning. They were excited to have the day off school so they ended up waking up earlier than their usual school time. LOL
Still it has been a good day so far, and I am so glad to be sitting here with you all! I have visited a couple blogs so far on the link up, and plan on commenting later plus visit the other blogs when I get more time. I can't wait! :)
Anyway time to get started!

Photo Credit: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

::The Weather::
COLD! Oh my is it cold. Luckily we didn't have to go anywhere today, but we still have to let out our pup. You can feel the chill right through your clothes. Right now it is only 10 degrees F, and cloudy. The sun peeks through every now and then giving the illusion of warmth. Here's what we are looking forward to this week:

::Right now I am::
Sitting in the living room on the couch while my kiddos play blocks on the floor in front of me. It's rare that they are all currently occupied, but my youngest who is almost one is very into trying to tear down the tower her older brothers are building. Thankfully they adore her so much they just laugh and rebuild it. It's become more of a game to see how high they can get it before she tears it down. Then they all laugh as it tumbles. :)


::Thinking::
About how much I love watching my kiddos play.
Also about how much there is to do this week. I have tons of things on my to do list!
One of my resolutions to myself, or goals rather, was to eliminate clutter. We have accumulated so much stuff over the years. Especially toys, and I can't wait to purge some of those and straighten up my boys room! It is long overdo. Their room is clean, but a bit cluttered in my opinion. They never want to get rid of anything. A long forgotten toy can suddenly turn into a favorite if they know you are getting rid of it. haha!
I also can't wait to get my hands on our entry hall closet. Thanks to Pinterest I have a lot of good organizing ideas.


::On my reading pile::
Just recently finished a wonderful Amish Novella. Whispering to Horses by Thomas Nye!

It took me awhile to get around to it due to the holidays, but I finally did. A review will be coming for that one sometime this week.

I just started The Pounamu Prophecy by Cindy Williams. I am only on Chapter 8 so far as I just started it last night, but I am really liking it so far. I can't wait to see where it all goes!

Also I have been perusing The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook. I picked this up at my library over the weekend, and there are so many great recipes I cannot wait to try them. I think my hubby and children will especially love the Strawberry Pie. Our family loves strawberries.

::On my TV::
Not much of anything. A lot of our shows don't come back on until the end of this month or next.
We picked up some DVD series at the library though we will be watching here and there.
Duck Dynasty Season 8
Whale Wars
The Middle
Survivor man


::Things that make me happy::
Being a stay at home mom. There are some that frown upon it, something I have never understood. I truly love being a stay at home mom. I feel very thankful I get to stay home with my children, take care of my family, the home, etc.


::On the menu for this week::
Monday- Beef Pasta, Baked Potatoes, Peas
Tuesday- Baked Chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn
Wednesday- Taco Salad
Thursday- Grocery Shopping
Friday- see above
Saturday- 
Sunday- 


::On my to do list::
Most of my stuff has already been done. I still have a load of laundry to fold and put away.
I need to wash up our lunch dishes, and get ready to make dinner here soon.


::What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting, or creating::
I am sewing what seems like tons of ripped clothes. Usually it's just mending hubby's work uniforms, but it seems like this has been a month for ripping clothes or tearing them. I have a blanket of my daughters to fix. The stitching came loose on it, and I want to get it fixed before it gets worse.
Both sons have buttons missing off their school uniform shirts so I need to sew some new ones on.
Hubby has two shirts and three pairs of pants that need mended.


::Looking around the house::
Kids toys in the living room will need picked up. They have been great about doing that though so no worries there.
Need to give the kitchen a sweep, and wash the lunch dishes before dinner.


::On my prayer list::
Friends and family


::Bible verse, devotional, favorite quote::

That's all for today! I hope to join you all again next Monday! If you would like to link up with your own Happy Homemaker post please head on over to Sandra's blog: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom