Dinosaurs in Space- Children's Book Review

• Paperback: 30 pages
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing (February 20, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434914496
• ISBN-13: 978-1434914491

 If you have a child that likes dinosaurs and has a wild imagination then you definitely don’t want to miss out on this book. The story flows easily, and there are wonderful illustrations throughout which keeps children intrigued.
I love how the author threw in little details which will have your child asking even more questions about space and science rather than purely about the dinosaurs. It speaks of the Hubble telescope, planets, constellations, etc. And all the while these little details popped up the author never lost sight of the most interesting characters, the dinosaurs.
What I really loved about this book is that it really plays on your child’s imagination and creates a whole new scene for them to imagine. This is really fun for parents and children alike. It's really a book for parents and children, as well as boys and girls. I as a parent fell in love with this book myself.
If I had to give this book an age group I would say that ages 5-9 could get the most enjoyment out of it, although my son is 4 and he really loved it. It really depends on your child and his/her preferences. My son loves dinosaurs and loved the thought that they could be in outer space. Ever since we’ve read the book he likes to look outside at night and see if he can see them up there. He asked me all about the Hubble telescope (that Stumpy Stegosaurus used as a baseball bat), and all about the little dipper which the plesiosaurus siblings took a leisurely drink out of, etc. Those are just a couple of sneak peaks at how much of a fun read this book is. It is definitely one of the more fun imaginative children’s books I have had the pleasure of reading with my son.




If you are interested in purchasing this book CLICK HERE
Check out my star rating of this book on Goodreads
Check out my star rating of this book on Amazon


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Spring Into Fun!

I always forget how much I truly love Springtime. I don't know if this is because winter tends to get so cold in Indiana that I long for Summer, but whenever Spring comes around I am always in awe. I love watching the grass, trees, flowers, etc., come back to life and blossom before our very eyes. This is turning out to be an especially nice Spring here in Indiana so far. We actually had a pretty mild winter as Indiana winters go. We have had temperatures in the 70s and 80s here, and with the spring breeze it has been so WONDERFUL! Gods beauty surrounds us in so many ways and forms, and spring is just one of those proofs.

But with Spring also comes one task that I often find myself having mixed feelings about:

SPRING CLEANING

I always find myself having mixed feelings about Spring Cleaning. I am eager to get started on it, and yet I dread it at the same time. It seems impossible to me that every single year I find stuff stored away in a cabinet or closet that we haven't used all year or have no use for. There's clothes that I've held onto that just don't fit and probably never will again. I find broken toys that I have held on either for nostalgia's sake or because I tell myself that I will fix it. Of course it never happens, and I find it sitting on a shelf forgotten about until I finally throw it away. Why I don't just do these things in the first place I will never know, but every year history repeats itself. So this year I already have an entire closet of stuff that I am donating to Goodwill. Clothes we have all outgrown, toys the boys NEVER play with, items we have no use for, etc.

And then there's the cleaning aspect. Cleaning all the ceilings, blinds, walls, cabinets, crevices, etc,. I always dread getting started on these Spring cleaning tasks, and yet I remind myself how much better I will feel once it is all accomplished. One main thing I have to remind myself of so I don't procrastinate is there is no rush in doing these things. Because in addition to my spring cleaning chores are my regular everyday chores. So a tip from me to you if you are planning some spring cleaning is pace yourself. One day clean the cabinets in addition to your everyday chores, the next day do the blinds and windows, etc. It's so much easier this way instead of feeling as if you have to accomplish everything in one day. This will inevitably stress you out and thus cause procrastination. There's a lot of helpful tips on the web as well. I found some great sites with great tools and tips:

http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/cleaning101/a/springclnngguid.html

http://www.marthastewart.com/267295/spring-cleaning-checklist 

And here's a great site if you want to customize and print out your own personal Spring Cleaning Checklist:

http://www.eprintablecalendars.com/lists/spring-cleaning/ 

And here is one of my favorite sites I found:

Mane and Chic- Spring Cleaning Challenge

There are also a LOT of Spring Cleaning challenges going on right now. I have found a few through google. There's TONS of giveaways for those who participate in these challenges. This is what I found from searching google:

$50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway- Passionate Penny Pincher's Spring Cleaning Challenge

Amy's Finer Things Spring Cleaning Challenge- Win an HE Washer/Dryer Set, DIY Easy Track Deluxe Closet Organizer, and a Professional Steam Pocket Mop

I'm sure there are others out there, but I wanted to make sure to share with you readers some of the things going on out there. Just search and find.

Today in addition to my other chores I am tackling Toys and Books! I find that there are so many books (both my husband's, mine, and the boys) and toys that don't get any use. No sense in keeping them and cluttering up the apartment even more so it's time to purge. I can't wait to have everything all ready for the rest of spring and summer. Just remember to take time away to enjoy Springtime because there is just so much outside to enjoy! Here's some of what we have been up to on the nice days:

Covered Bridge Leading to the trails we walked on

The trails along the river

The river beside the trails

Looking off the bridge, capturing the blossoming trees and flowing water

I love these blossoms! These trees are just beautiful!

Reflection of the sky on the water. It looks just like a painting.

We are planning a family picnic which I cannot wait for. This really is the perfect time of year for picnics. Warm temperatures with a cool breeze makes being outside amazing. I will make sure to come back and share pictures. What have you been up to so far this spring? Any spring cleaning goals your setting for yourself? How do you tackle spring cleaning?

Sincerely,

Tori

P.S. If you haven't entered into my Harlequin Romance Book Giveaway make sure to enter. 9 Days Left. The book is Enticed By His Forgotton Lover -by: Maya Banks

Making Your Home Multifunctional

Making your home comfortable and organized is the most desired goal of all. Your home is your sanctuary so you want it to be comfortable and relaxing. So I'm going to share a few tips to achieve these goals. Let's take a look at the main areas in a home where all of us have issues, furniture.

Couch:
A couch is a place you sit when family is visiting, you want to read, or you just want to relax in front of the TV. In most homes, aside from the dining table, the couch is the most occupied area. So why not make it comfortable? You can easily accomplish this by taking a look at deep seating couches. They are of the utmost comfort, and can still maintain that stylish appeal everyone wants. Here's a few of the perks of a deep seated couch:
   

•        Perfect for lounging as they are extra plush and deep
•        They can make a great bed if you want to have a guest over, but do not have the guest space.
•        Great for those who are extra tall due to the added depth

Another multi-functional piece of furniture you can buy for your home to make your life easier is a table lamp with outlet in base. These are perfect for end tables, or bedside. You have the function of a bedside light, and since there is an outlet in the base this is perfect for plugging in small electronics. This way you can charge your phone without leaving the comfort of your bed. Highly multi-functional and makes things a bit more convenient. Here's some perks of lamps with outlets::

•        You can plug in small electronics, keeping them close by (perfect for cell phones, computers, etc)
•        Heavy base often prevents tipping
•        Many styles to choose from without looking outdated

There are many ways to make your living space more organized and functional with these and other tips. If you look around you can transform your home in many ways creating multi-functional areas that will make your life flow with ease.

Harlequin Romance Book Giveaway

For those of you who didn't know, I have been a Harlequin Ambassador for almost the last year. Sadly the Harlequin Ambassador program is coming to an end. I have loved my journey as an Ambassador, and I have loved sharing books with friends, family, and you readers. I also find it very fun to place the books at random places for people to find and enjoy. These places have included doctor offices, bus stations, and laundry mats. I love Harlequin romance novels, and they are perfect for a weekend read or just to read for fun. They are also very inexpensive which is just great, and you can find them to buy at many places such as your local Walmart, etc. This is really convenient for me since we tend to shop at our local Walmart often. There are so many varieties of Harlequin: Harlequin American Romance, Harlequin Blaze, Harlequin Desire, Harlequin Heartwarming, Harelquin Historical, Harlequin Intrigue, Harlequin Medical Romance, Harlequin Nocturne, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Historical, Love Inspired Suspense, Silhouette Romantic Suspense, Silhouette Special Edition, and SO MUCH MORE! You can visit their website, http://www.harlequin.com/, if you want to find out more.

A little tip: the Harlequin website has a really cool feature called Freebie Fridays so if you love free stuff, Harlequin, and romance novels don't miss out on it. :)

Recently I received some copies of:

Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Harlequin; First Edition edition (September 6, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0373731205

ISBN-13: 978-0373731206

Here's the description via the back of the book:
""Have we met?""
Answer: a right hook! Because Bryony Morgan pulls no punches. Even when she's very pregnant and facing down the father of her unborn child. She fell for wealthy hotelier Rafael de Luca when he courted her for her beachfront real estate. Then he disappeared. Now, she's in New York for answers--and she won't accept a brush-off.
 
But selective amnesia after a crash has Rafael puzzled. How could he ever forget a combustible beauty like Bryony? Solution: return to the island where they met, and relive the unforgettable nights in question--until he remembers everything...

***

I have yet to read this, but I can already tell it is going to be a good read. The cover alone is just so steamy I can't wait to get to this on my reading pile. As soon as I read it I will be posting a book review, and if you wish to do the same if you read the novel or if you are a lucky recipient of the giveaway come back and leave the link to your review. I love reading book reviews. I have found so many fantastic books and authors that way. :)

So this is the last giveaway sponsored by Harlequin and without further ado I will get to the details of that. As always I never like to require a lot of entries because it's just too time consuming. I like to keep my giveaways simple. There is only one mandatory entry method, and I added some extra tasks if you want to gain additional entries into this giveaway. The extra's are not mandatory but can increase your chances of winning. Just enter via the rafflecopter form below, and don't forget to leave your name and email address in your comment so if you win I can get all your details in order to get your book sent out to you. Good luck to all!

Sincerely,
Tori

Fantasies of the Waking Dreamer Review

Product Details

• File Size: 128 KB
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0074RPN9U

I enjoyed this collection of poetry immensely. There are various poems in this collection, and the writing style creates such wonderful imagery. This is really a collection of poetry that anyone can enjoy. There are a variety of poems about love, life, happiness, etc.
My favorite poem in this collection is “Looking Back”, in it the author expresses how looking back on life she wouldn’t change a bit of it. It’s exactly how I feel about my own life, and I felt it was wonderfully worded. It’s a very positive wake up if you haven’t really looked back on your life. All the things we each go through in life leads us where we are, and there are so many other’s out there who deal with worse things and hold it inside themselves.
Poetry is often written from the author's lifestyle or views, but it can be just as rewarding what the readers take from it as well. As readers we often have the tendency to read a poem and identify with it in some way based on our own experiences. It makes it wonderful because not only do we know that someone else has felt as us, but can word our emotions so completely. Because as much as I wish it were so, we all can't be such wonderful writers. I felt in tune with the poetry in this collection and took away a little something from each one.
I loved the rhyming style in all of the poems and felt that the author did a wonderful job. Not only is this a collection that anyone can enjoy, but the words flow so smoothly creating a wonderful scene you can easily picture. You are transported into another place with each poem. It makes a great collection to refer to any time of the day or night, it's a wonderful read when your wanting something light, or if your just craving some insightful words of wisdom or experience.
I certainly craved more, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

If you would like to purchase this book click here for AMAZON
If you want to see my star rating for this book on Goodreads click here


Disclaimer: This copy was provided to me by free by the author for review purposes. All opinions expressed, however, are solely mine.

Infant Prize Pack Giveaway WINNER!

I'm pleased to announce the WINNER of the Perrigo Infant Prize Pack Giveaway!

DENISE!

You have won the prize pack giveaway including:
*Perrigo Nutritionals Store Brand Formula
*8oz. Baby Bottle
*Fleece Baby Blanket
*Baby Bib

I have sent you an email with further information, and I look forward to hearing from you.

*Winner has 48 hours to respond before I will have to choose another. If you don't see my email in your inbox make sure to check your Spam or Trash folder depending on your email settings.

Thank you to all the participants who entered, and stay tuned for more upcoming giveaways! I have tons in store that I can't wait to share with you!

Sincerely,
Tori

*Winner was chosen via rafflecopter form which is powered by random.org

Moving's a Hassle

Content by Sol Rosales

Moving is a lot more of a hassle than I imagined it would be, to tell you the truth. I thought it would just be throwing some stuff in boxes and putting them in the truck not this three-week long affair where I had to pack everynight and make sure things were wrapped up tightly and all that. I hated having to rent a moving truck because I think that’s just a silly expense and I’ve been really into looking into all my new utilities and trying to find the best deal. At work the other day I was on www.texaselectricityproviders.com//power-to-choose/Texas/ for about three hours just checking out my options and I still haven’t even decided on a cable provider yet! I think it’s going to be great once I get into the new house but I figure that since all this moving stuff was such a hassle unpacking and things like that are going to be even worse. Who wants to come over and help me next weekend…any takers out there?

Howard B Wigglebottom Book Giveaway Winner!

I just want to say a quick thank you to all of you out there who entered into my Howard B. Wigglebottom book giveaway. For those of you who commented and left me some suggestions as to good ideas for other Howard B. Wigglebottom books I will be passing along your comments. They were very thoughtful and wonderful. For those of you who left me your web url in a comment or are a new follower I will be visiting you sometime this week. I apologize for it taking so long, but you are not forgotten.
So now without further ado I want to give a big congratulations to...

Wrighty!

You won the Howard B. Wigglebottom giveaway!

I chose the winner via the rafflecopter form which is powered by Random.org. I am announcing the winner on this blog post as well as the rafflecopter form, and I will be sending an email out shortly, in which winner will have 48 hours to respond to before I will have to choose another.

Thank you all again for entering, and stay tuned as I have much more giveaway's to come.

Sincerely,

Tori

Life Lately...

Daylight savings time has been kicking my butt today! I woke up later than I wanted to, the kids didn't wake up until later, and even though we tried to prepare for this over the weekend it did us no good. It's going to take probably the rest of this week to adjust to the new time change. I wish we did not have to participate in this crazy mixed up time. How lucky you are in that aspect- Arizona and Hawaii. LOL. Although I must admit I am not complaining at the fact that right now it is almost 7pm and it is still daylight out. How I have missed the sun! This week is suppose to be nice, so I'm looking forward to spending most of the time outdoors soaking it all in.

I can't believe that in just 4 1/2 months we will be moving! I am actually really excited about this considering our current complex has not only gotten so much stricter on certain things, but the crime has been really high as of late. It has just become too much to deal with so we are going to stay until our lease is up and that's it. This time we are finally well ahead of the game though when it comes to moving, which we never have been in the past. In the past when moving time has approached we have procrastinated and had to spend our last week packing EVERYTHING and all in all just going to bed every night with major migraines. This time we already scouted out apartment complexes, and took tours. FINALLY we came across one that we REALLY liked, and we will be moving into. It was kind of unexpected because I honestly didn't have high hopes for the complex, but I was pleasantly suprised. Just another reason why you can't judge a book by the cover. I am quite excited for that upcoming change. And I plan on having everything packed except for the neccessities WAY ahead of time! I'm hoping for a smooth quick move this time, and not one that will take all day and night as it's been in the past. haha.
I know a lot of you may wonder why we are in an apartment instead of a house, but we have rented houses before and the bills are just SO high! Finally we decided to stay in an apartment until we are ready to make the move to purchase a house, and right now that just isn't the time. We aren't even sure that we want to settle down permanently in our state.

On a down note the hubby found out last week that they are shipping out over half the machines in his plant. He is a machine attendent in a plastics factory and has worked there for years. He has always loved his job and has considerably moved up. He was hoping to move up more and was only two positions from Supervisor so this came as an unexpected blow. So far as we know he isn't in any danger of losing his position, as his machine stays put. But we wonder for how long. Selling all the machines that they are is basically cutting around 60 jobs thus far, and there will probably be more to come. If the plant closes down I am hopeful he would find other work. He loves what he does and has almost 10 years experience in the field. He has been trained as everything, and has filled in for supervisor a couple of times when nobody else could.

We have recently all overcome illnesses as well. For the first time EVER every single one of us was on an antibiotic at the same time. I had a severe sinus infection, Josh (hubby) and Levi (our youngest son) had strep throat and ear infections, and Lucas had an ear infection and kidney trouble. They think his hydronephrosus has refluxed and he is on a daily antibiotic until we can get to the bottom of what is causing the hydronephrosus. The daily antibiotic is to keep an infections from setting in. For those of you who don't know hydronephrosus is, it's the swelling of a kidney due to the backflow of urine. The urine basically does not always flow the way it is suppose to and some of it flows backwards and into the kidney instead of through the bladder. This can cause illness and urinary infections. We are not only making regular visits to our pediatrician, but are working with one of the top urologists at Riley Hospital to find out what is going on. It is curable so for that I am extremely grateful, and all we can do is take things as they come, trust, keep faith, and pray. I know God will be there for us, and even through the tough times we will make it through.

Matthew 6:28-30 (NIV)

 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

I just love how my boys are growing up although at times I get saddened because they are just growing so fast! It is amazing how quickly they learn, and I am just one proud momma! They are blossoming into such handsome little guys I hug and kiss them every chance I get. I think I will cry the day that my hugs and kisses embarrass them. So for now I'm getting in as many as I can! LOL. It just seems to go so fast, I blink and they are already 4 and 1. How the time flies!

In other news don't forget about the current giveaway's going on, they are ending VERY SOON so it's the deadline to enter in. Entries are low, only 1 required entry and an optional four if you prefer to gain extra entries for yourself.

Howard B. Wigglebottom Book Giveaway ~Ends at midnight on 03/12/2012 EST (winner chooses a Howard B. Wigglebottom book of their choice. Great for ages 4-8, all the Howard B. Wigglebottom books are wonderfully illustrated and contain important life lessons while keeping your children entertained at the same time. Kids LOVE Howard B. Wigglebottom)

Perrigo Infants Prize Pack Giveaway ~Ends at midnight on 03/14/2012 EST (winner receives an infant prize pack compliments of Perrigo Nutritionals and powered by MyBlogSpark. The prize pack includes a baby bottle, 2 containers of store brand infant formula, a fleece baby blanket, and a baby bib. You can visit this giveaway for more helpful info on storebrand formula)

*I also have another giveaway coming up this week sponsored by Harlequin Romance. I will be giving away 2 Harlequin Romance novels. Title and information upcoming so make sure to stay tuned!

Thank you for visiting me! Hope to see you again soon.

Sincerely,

Tori

Blue Moon Promise Book Review

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 14, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1595549153

ISBN-13: 978-1595549150

This is book one in the Under Texas Stars Series. I cannot wait for the other books to come in this series. I enjoy a good romance, and this book has everything a romance reader wants: intrigue, sass, love, faith, perseverance, forgiveness, etc.

Lucy is someone that we can all identify with in some way. Or at least I know I can. Mainly when it comes to her sense of the need to control. We often forget that only God can control things, and no matter how much we try some things will just be forever out of our control. I often need reminded about things such as this. Because when it all boils down to it there comes a point where we have to just let go and let God.

What truly touched me about this novel is that even though the couple was forced together in a way that neither of then desired and under quite unfortunate circumstances they respected their marriage and families enough to stick it out and make it work. The couple implemented not only prayer in their relationship but bible readings as well. They listened to God, and that is something that we all need to do to have a strong marriage. Over time as Lucy and Nate grew feelings for one another I just couldn’t help but sigh aloud. It was just all terribly romantic and sweet. There were parts where Lucy got so sassy that I just could not but laugh out loud. Considering that I do a lot of my reading when everyone else is asleep this added a bit of fun for my husband in the night. LOL
This novel will really keep you reading, it doesn’t lag AT ALL, and just when you think things are sure to get dull something even more intriguing happens. I was pleasantly surprised at all the mysteries the author was able to keep going, and all the turn of events that were made possible! It was such a nice feature for a romance novel! There are twists with every page turn, and it was truly a hard read to put down. Not just one mystery to unfold, but many. So many that I was constantly trying to guess.
The words just flowed so easily, and I regretted having to put this book down. Even though the characters were fictional I found myself thinking about them throughout my daily activities until I had to remind myself that they were indeed fiction.
The characters themselves have so much life and sass that I could swear I was watching events unfold right in front of me. It was an exciting book to read, and my heart raced in anticipation of what events would unfold next. This book is not only a good read, but I really think that we can learn a lot from it. As I said before it holds a lot of insight on forgiveness, perseverance, faith, and letting go of our constant want to be in control of things.
If you are really into romance novels, particularly historical ones like I am, then this is a book you will want to check out. I just cannot wait to continue in my reading of this series, and plan to keep up on it. If you'd like you can even take a look inside this book HERE.


Want to see my star rating of this book on Goodreads? CLICK HERE




DISCLAIMER: I was provided this book for free through Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. Opinions expressed are mine alone.