Book Review: Proverbs Prayers by John Mason - Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs into Your Life Every Day

I really enjoy starting and ending the day with a light heart, and one way I do that is to read devotionals. The one I'm reading now is called Proverbs Prayers: Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs into Your Life Every Day by John Mason.  It is a 31-day devotional that takes about 5-10 minutes tops per day to read and process.

The thing I love about this devotional is that it focuses solely on the Biblical Book of Proverbs, which I have always found to be positive and life-affirming.  Proverbs contains 31 chapters, making this a perfect one-month devotional.  Author John Mason has included one chapter per day, which is followed by a related prayer.  He challenges readers to read through each chapter and read the following prayer, so that readers can start to see the wisdom God has provided which can be applied to daily life.

I loved working through Proverbs this way, but honestly, it did take me more than 31 days as some days were harder to read through (I needed to re-read some passages to try to really understand what I was reading), but it was worth it.

I especially liked the Proverbs Principles at the end of the book.  They include topics, and definitions as found within the words of Proverbs: Achievement, Advice, Anger, Character, Compassion, Conceit, Diligence, Direction, Discipline, Faith, Friends, Gossip, Guidance, Humility, Knowledge, Laziness, Love, Motivation, Patience, Persistence, Peace, Price, Righteousness, Temptation, Trust, Vision, Wisdom and Words.

This is a beautiful gift-quality book in soft-cover (and available on Kindle), with full-color cover, torn edged pages (adding some texture and beauty to the book), and burnished red accents throughout the book (titles, verse numbers, page numbers), and the folded cover makes it easy to keep your spot in the book.

Proverbs Prayers: Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs into Your Life Every Day (A 31-Day Devotional Journey)
by John Mason
Summerside Press (August 1, 2012) ~ 160 pages
Non-Fiction / Religion / Christian Life / Devotional

Edition Reviewed: Paperback - Review copy received in coordination with LitFuse Publicity for this blog tour, many thanks to both the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review!

About the Book:

Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs into Your Life Every Day

Experience God’s wisdom as never before and find encouragement, peace, answers, and a better life through this devotional prayer book.

Many people read a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs as a regular devotional practice. They consider it their favorite book in the Bible because its daily practical guidance offers tools to make the right choices and have the inner strength to stand against pressure, size up a situation and know how to respond, make fewer careless mistakes, and avoid unnecessary trouble.

In these pages, readers will find a chapter from Proverbs followed by a heartfelt prayer that includes all of the insights from that chapter. In a mere thirty-one days they can pray all of the wisdom of Proverbs for their lives.

About the Author: (from the publisher's site)

John Mason is an author with over 1.2 million books in print, including “An Enemy Called Average”, “You’re Born an Original- Don’t Die a Copy”, and “Let Go of Whatever Makes You Stop”.

He is the founder and president of Insight International, an organization dedicated to helping people reach their dreams and fulfill their destiny. John is in great demand as a speaker throughout the United States and abroad. Learn more about John on his website: http://www.freshword.com

Find out more about John at http://www.freshword.com.

*Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate. I get a very small amount for any purchases made when you click through a link from Wendi's Book Corner, which I then save up to buy more books. :)

Review and Interview with SendFudge.com (Their Raspberry Cheesecake Fudge is Divine)

SendFudge.com is a great way to experience the joys of really, REALLY good fudge... and a great way to help celebrate a special occasion!

I had the pleasure of sharing SendFudge.com's Raspberry Cheesecake fudge with my family, and it was unanimous...

The fudge was amazing!  (And rich)  The flavor was wonderful, and a little goes a long way.

The fudge comes in a really nice gift-quality box that is sealed, so it stays fresh.  When it arrived on my doorstep, I couldn't wait to... well, open it and dive in, but I showed self-control and waited for the boys to join me so they could try it too.

When I opened up the package, the first thing I noticed was the nice smell coming from the box.

I don't know who liked it better, me or the boys.  Let me just say it was probably the best fudge I've ever had (hard to beat Fair Fudge, but this does), especially as it is Raspberry Cheesecake!  And a little goes a long way.  This doesn't look like a huge amount of fudge, but it is so rich and creamy that I think it lasted over 3 days out on the counter... and we were eating it all three days!!

This is now a new favorite "treat" and I hope to make it over to their brick and mortar store here in Washington.  Regardless of whether you are here in Washington and can go to their store, or you are elsewhere and can order online, this fudge is GREAT and would be a nice treat for yourself, or a fun gift to surprise someone special.  (Weddings, graduations, order a few flavors to have out on a pretty plate for a party, indulge for yourself!)

I love to support local authors and businesses, so I was especially excited that Andrew of SendFudge.com agreed to take some time from his busy schedule to do an interview with me.

Before I get much farther, I'd like to thank Andrew for taking the time to do an interview with me - thanks Andrew!!

1. After making over 5500 pounds of fudge, have you found one flavor you like better than the rest?
It's really tough to pick just one that I like better than the rest. The best I can do is pick a few favorites, and even that tends to change. The raspberry, mint, and cookie dough have been my top 3 for awhile, but the maple nut and peanut butter are high on my list too.

2. With flavors like Raspberry Cheesecake and Orange Creme and your new Dark Chocolate Chili Mango, are there any fun stories as to how flavors were developed? 
Most of the recipes have been around far longer than I have, so I don't know all the stories behind them. The Chili Mango was one of my first real experiments, so that was fun to figure out. (There's actually a blog post about it on the site). Sometimes I get inspired by customer suggestions or other candies we have in the store.
The customer response to certain flavors can be a little surprising sometimes. The Orange Creme especially tends to be one that people think is too weird, but once they try a sample they love it.

3. Have you ever received any crazy fudge flavor requests?
Definitely. I've been trying to figure out how to make a good maple bacon fudge. Some suggestions are just too crazy, though; I guarantee I won't be making pickle or barbecue sauce fudge anytime soon.

4. What is your favorite part of making fudge?
It's cool to take plain chocolate or vanilla fudge and turn it into dozens of flavors with a few extra ingredients. It's also fun to see customers react so positively to what I've made.

5. What do you think makes your fudge the best in the world (other than your time tested 50+ year old recipe)?
Ego, mostly. Seriously though, I've tried lots of different fudges and still haven't found anyone selling one I like as well as ours. Homemade fudge ranks pretty high, but no one's grandma makes all the flavors we do.

6. What is your most-requested fudge flavor?
Mint chocolate swirl and sea salt caramel are both really popular and seem to sell out as quickly as I can make them. I'm always amazed by how many people prefer plain chocolate, but I guess it's a classic for a reason.

7. What is the most challenging part of making fudge?
There isn't a lot of time to work with the fudge before it starts to set, so I've got to get it done fast. Other than that it really isn't too difficult, although I've certainly had plenty of practice.

8. What was the biggest challenge of starting SendFudge.com? 
Everyone knows they can send flowers as a gift, but the idea of sending fudge is still pretty new. Our challenge in the beginning is to help customers learn that instead of an expensive bouquet of flowers that will die in a few days, they can give a delicious box of handmade fudge. We also put a lot of effort into perfecting the product quality and overall customer experience so that every single box makes someone's day.

Raspberry Cheesecake Fudge 

by SendFudge.com
1/2 pound ~ $14.99 with Free Shipping to lower 48 states

Edition Reviewed: 1/2 pound of Raspberry Cheesecake Fudge - Review sample received courtesy of SendFudge.com, Thank you for sending me a sample to review!
I hope you will check out SendFudge.com and try out some of their wonderful fudges, and while you are there, check out some of the blog posts by Andrew - he's got a great sense of humor and shares his love of making fudge.  :)

Rock N Learn Ready To Learn DVD's: Getting Ready For Kindergarten

As I've said before, if you interact with kids in any capacity, you will want to take note of Rock N Learn's fun music learning videos and cds. Our family was sent the Rock N Learn Getting Ready For Kindergarten DVD to check out and like the other Rock N Learn hits, this one is wonderful.  The tunes are catchy, the kids love to sing along and then copy what the characters to at home (which is great) - puts a whole new fun to cleaning up their room when they can sing the same songs as on the DVD.

This great learning DVD covers things like learning colors, counting, tying shoes, following directions, holding  a pencil, learning to write, recognizing and printing numbers through 10, learning left/right, walking in line, drawing people, and SO much more.

The characters are fun (and include a mixture of real kids and cartoon kids), the songs are great, and the kids are learning things by having fun and they don't even realize it.  I loved how the kids on this DVD worked together to learn (tying shoes, cleaning up their rooms). We've got two young boys, so it showed them that it is ok to work together (which they generally do pretty well).

The kids love this DVD, which is great as a parent, because I know they are having fun AND learning.  I can feel great about letting them watch this DVD, and they don't even know that it is "good-for-them."  Rock N Learn also has other great DVDs that cover a range of ages from Pre-K through ages 10+.

The suggested age for this dvd is 3-5, but I could see a 6-7 year old enjoying it as well, and still being able to glean some information (or at least reminders) on how to work together.

Check out this sample clip from the Rock N Learn Getting Ready For Kindergarten dvd (found on the Rock N Learn You Tube channel):



Rock N Learn has a great line of educational materials including DVDs, Audio CDs, workbooks and now the addition of iBooks.  They have over 50 products covering early childhood learning (preschool, kindergarden, grade school), languages, language arts, math, science and social studies.  They even have one for dealing with money and change (which my kids need!).

You can find the Ready to Learn line of Rock N Learn DVDs at Sam's Club through the end of September and online at www.RockNLearn.com (US only).

Our family loves Rock N Learn DVDs, and I'll bet yours will too.

Getting Ready For Kindergarten DVD
 by Rock N Learn
45 minutes DVD ~ $19.99
Edition Reviewed: DVD - Review copy received through Karma Media in order to share my honest review with you.
Stay in touch with Rock N Learn: Sign up for their E-Newsletter, Follow them on Twitter, and Like them on Facebook.  They have also created a website www.worksheets-for-math.com to provide parents and teachers free downloadable study materials.

Bebe Bottom Skin Care - A Life Saver When Changing Dirty Diapers

If you had told me a year ago that changing dirty diapers could be painful and hurtful for baby, I would have looked at you funny (while I probably wouldn't have laughed AT you, I would have been laughing on the inside). We have two kids, and the first was so EASY to change when he had dirty diapers, and we RARELY had diaper rash with him... so I've been in shock with little one number 2!! Our littlest hates his diaper being changed and he isn't smelly, so sometimes he plays in a dirty diaper for a little long enough that the mess becomes a problem.

LOL - if you aren't a parent, or don't have a reason to change diapers - skip this post! (Unless you know someone who could benefit from this info) It may be TMI (too much information) for you. :)

In short, with our youngest, if he has a messy diaper, it tends to go un-noticed for a little bit, which ends up with a slightly dried-on hurtful mess. Plus, he hates cold diaper wipes, "Ouchie" was actually one of his first words, not because he hurt, but because the diaper wipes were too cold and I had to scrub at his poor bottom. Often he would have diaper rash, and it would make things worse.

Then, two weeks ago I discovered Bebe Bottom Skincare and I fell in love, and so did our youngest!

Their Baby Fresh Cleanser was developed to help fight diaper rash and make diaper changes easier and less painful.  It is a gentle, natural spray that you spray on when changing a diaper... I spray, count to 10, then wipe, and everything comes right off without any scrubbing!  Plus it smells great.  Our little one now laughs along and tries to count with me and diaper changes are no longer "Ouchies."  He had a bad diaper rash the day the bottle of bliss arrived on our doorstep, and within a day and a half it was GONE!

Baby Fresh Cleanser helps kill bacteria and is made from 88% organic ingredients.  (It includes ingredients such as Aloe and Tea Tree Oil).

It also benefits you by reducing the number of wipes you need during diaper changes.  They estimate that each bottle will last about 1 1/2 months or more.  I also noticed on their website that they recommend that adults can use it for personal hygiene as well.

And as always - a quick mention: This is a Washington family-owned company!!!!  I love to help support local Washington authors and companies.  :)

Baby Fresh Cleanser   
by Bebe Bottom Skincare
8 oz bottle ~ $9.75
Baby care Also find them on Facebook

Edition Reviewed: Regular bottle of Baby Fresh Cleanser - Review sample received as part of a campaign with Karma Media to facilitate my honest review!

LeapFrog Touch Magic "Rock 'N Learn" Products - Fun and Educational

We recently got to host a Backyard "Rock 'N Learn" Party for our friends with LeapFrog, where we got to introduce (and play with) the new Touch Magic Rockin' Guitar and the Touch Magic Learning Bus.  The weather was great and we ALL had a blast, parents and kids alike!

LeapFrog has just introduced a new toy line called Touch Magic, which includes four new learning toys:

Touch Magic Learning Bus (Ages 2-4) There are 3 modes: learning, letter exploration and music.  Kids are introduced to some adorable characters, letters, sounds, words and songs, and they can also create their own music.

Touch Magic Rockin' Guitar (Ages 3+) Learn through music by playing along to ten fun kids songs, or by making your own music.  This learning toy helps kids with motor skills and confidence.

Touch Magic Counting Train (Ages 2-4) Learn numbers, animals and basic words with this fun musical toy that includes numbers 1-20, 10 farm animals and much more.  Sing along, build your own version of "Old McDonald" and associate objects with numbers.

Touch Magic Discovery Town (Ages 2-4) This is a flip board type toy that allows kids to explore a town while learning about people and places, as well as singing and playing discovery games.

Our family got to host a party through MomSelect and we got to try out the Touch Magic Rockin' Guitar and the Touch Magic Learning Bus.  Both were a huge hit!

 The kids made music, learned songs, performed for the Moms, and had a GREAT time doing it.  (And because the kids were having fun and sharing, we Moms got to sit and enjoy watching them for a while)

I think the guitars were a little more of a hit as the kids could perform for us while they were playing, and they could add their own music to the songs as they played.

I'll also add that we had a little one who was under 1 who had a blast with the Learning Bus, and while she wasn't actively learning, she WAS having fun.

As you can see from the pictures, the kids had a great time.  They shared with each other, learned new songs, sang along to the ones they already knew, and worked together to share and play music.

We've been huge fans of LeapFrog products for a long time.  Not only are they fun, but they are educational too.  I've found that they are great for kids of all ages, and are generally safe for younger children too (use your judgement, but even the youngsters can have fun making music).

I know we have a bunch of birthdays coming up this year, and I think these toys will make a GREAT gift that any parent will appreciate, and any child will love.

*Disclosure: I received 2 Rockin' Guitars and a Learning Bus so I could host a LeapFrog Magic Touch "Rock 'N Learn" party with our friends and neighbors via MomSelect and LeapFrog.  All opinions are 100% mine, and as you can see from the pictures, the kids had a blast... the included pictures are of children whose parents approved the use of their images.

Giveaway: Crashers by Lindy S. Hudis (Rafflecopter, 3 Winners, 9/22)

THREE SIGNED BOOKS TO GIVEAWAY !!

This fabulous giveaway is brought to you by author Lindy S Hudis and Karma Media.

Crashers is a modern day cautionary tale in a true to life novel and 3 lucky winners 

A riveting story of love and desperation, greed and redemption.

Fraudulent car accidents is a multi-million dollar racket, involving unscrupulous medical providers, personal injury attorneys, and the cooperating passengers involved in the accidents—and who also receive a portion of the illegal proceeds. Such is the fate of newly engaged, Nathan and Shari, whose joy is tempered by the dark cloud of mounting debt.

A chance encounter with a stranger in whom Shari confides her troubles proves fortuitous: he tells her of a get-rich-quick scheme that will put her and her fiancé on easy street. Seduced by the chance to move from hard times to good times in no time, Sheri takes the carrot offered her, and finds herself acting as a “stuffed passenger”—the “victim” in a staged auto accident. The act goes according to plan and Shari gets her payday, but getting out and breaking free of the insurance fraud underworld will take nothing short of a miracle.

Across the nation, insurance fraud from staged auto accident schemes costs the insured more than $50 billion yearly. Crashers is a true-to-life novel that uncovers how the innocent get lured into the scheme of "cappers" and "hammers."

Ending on 22 September 2012 at 11.59pm EST

Enter to Win!!

Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway