Two Great Giveaways this Week!
April 25, 2012 : Filed under Books & Media, Give Aways, Mentoring
We have two great book giveaways going on this week. This is a great opportunity to get some good books for yourself or save for gift-giving.
Don’t forget to click through the links and enter one or both.
The Person I Marry and Other Bower Family Titles
Deadline to enter is Friday night, April 27th, at midnight.
Carla Anne Coroy’s new book, Married Mom, Solo Parent
Deadline to enter is Saturday night, April 28th, at midnight.
Let your family and friends know too!
Book Review: Married Mom, Solo Parent
April 24, 2012 : Filed under Books & Media, Give Aways, Mentoring
Several years ago, while munching on chips and salsa with fellow MMCW writer Carla Anne Coroy, we talked about the book she was writing for an often unrecognized group of mothers. Late last year Married Mom, Solo Parent: Finding God’s Strength to Face the Challenge hit shelves in both Carla’s native Canada and adopted United States.
In her new book, Carla Anne discusses the growing challenge faced by many women nowadays–parenting alone because a spouse travels for work or may be addicted or disengaged from his family. These married women struggle to raise children, run a household, and in many cases work full time without the help or support of their spouse.
Carla Anne shares her personal story of raising four children while her workaholic and computer game-addicted husband was either physically or mentally absent for years. Married Mom, Solo Parent is the real-life testimony of a broken family and the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. Carla Anne shares private struggles openly, even broaching subjects many would consider taboo. She encourages women in similar circumstances to not give up, but to give it all to Christ. Her book is also sprinkled with testimonies and tips from wives who successfully manage homes and raise children while their husbands are away. Think military, truck drivers, oil rig workers, and husbands whose work requires extensive travel.
Married Mom, Solo Parent is not a three-steps-to-a-perfect-family book. Carla fills her book with practical tips and advice. I was surprised at the amount of meaty information such as: emotional divorce, discipline divided, making the most of mealtimes, and honoring the man you don’t see enough. If you are a solo parent, this book will be a goldmine of encouragement and practical nuggets for everyday issues. What you will not find is a husband-bashing or dishonoring book.
Published by Kregel Publications, Married Mom, Solo Parent was reviewed by Focus on the Family and is available through their online catalog and other book outlets. Carla Anne is also a ForeWord Book of the Year Finalist for Married Mom, Solo Parent in the parenting category.
Along with the book, Carla Anne has a companion small group study guide and journal available for free at Carlaanne.com. Be sure and check her out on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest too.
Sitting in the Mexican restaurant sharing lunch years ago, I saw the passion the Lord has placed in Carla Anne’s heart to point women to Jesus. I recommend this book for any woman who is in a marriage filled with loneliness and heartache, raising children while her husband is elsewhere, or for any wife who is overwhelmed with responsibilities falling largely to her.
I have a copy of Married Mom, Solo Parent to give away this week. To enter, just leave an encouraging word or Scripture by midnight, Saturday, April 28th. One winner will be chosen using And the Winner Is and notified by Monday, April 30th. Winner has three business days to respond with mailing address or a new winner will be chosen.
If you are not a Married Mom, Solo Parent, enter the drawing with a friend or family member who could use it in mind.
All outgoing book links go MMCW affiliate CBD.com.
I was not paid or compensated for this review. Carla Anne did bless me with a review copy of her book. The opinion is my own, and I am biased–Carla Anne is a good writer and friend.
Book Review: The Person I Marry and other Bower Family Titles
April 13, 2012 : Filed under Books & Media, Give Aways, Mentoring
When I first saw The Person I Marry I knew I had to get it for my kids. In fact, I was blown away by all the books I saw on the Bower Family Books website! Jan Bower’s fabulous artwork makes these books unique among anything that is available on the market for children. Most importantly, each book clearly and winsomely teaches truths of Scripture to children. The Bower’s have generously offered to give one reader the book of their choice…keep reading to find out how to enter to win!
The Person I Marry gently encourages children to look at character qualities such as kindness and faithfulness when thinking about their future spouse, rather than focusing on externals. The uplifting text includes several Scripture verses and the luminescent pictures are frame-worthy. This book would also be an appropriate wedding keepsake gift. Take a look at this video excerpt from the book and you’ll see why I immediately ordered The Person I Marry along with several other titles from Bower Family Books.
The Person I Marry from Bower Books on Vimeo.
The Jingle in My Pocket is another great children’s title from husband-wife team Gary and Jan Bower. In this book, children learn all about handling money, including the topics of earning, saving, tithing, giving, spending, borrowing, honesty, and diligence. There are many words of wisdom from the book of Proverbs included throughout the book, and Jan Bower’s gorgeous illustrations grace every page. My children loved this book and it was a great and thoroughly biblical introduction to this crucial topic. Click play to watch a video clip of The Jingle in My Pocket.
The Jingle In My Pocket from Bower Books on Vimeo.
Finally, I adore their Little Lovables baby board books Mommy Love and Daddy Love for ages 0-3. My baby loves the tender pictures of mommies and daddies caring for their children. The text speaks of the simple things that parents do every day to show love to their children. These books make a great baby shower gift and they are among my favorite titles to read to my 1-year-old daughter. One thing that makes these board books special is that the pictures show families of various ethnicities.
Daddy Love, Mommy Love from Bower Books on Vimeo.
* One reader will be selected using Random.org to win the title of their choice from Bower Family Books. To enter, view one of the brief 2 minute videos linked in this post or visit the Bower Family Books website to view their other titles and leave a comment about one book that looks interesting to you. Deadline for entries is Friday, April 27, 2012 at midnight. Winner will be contacted by Monday, May 1st, 2012 and will have three business days to respond with mailing address or a new winner will be chosen.
**If you are viewing this post in an email and don’t see the video players, please click on each video title’s link to view the videos online.
Giveaway Winners!
March 8, 2012 : Filed under Books & Media, Give Aways, Mentoring
Congratulations to Chastin Schmeichel! Chastin will be receiving a copy of Crystal Paine’s The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year
If you missed Carla Anne’s review of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget, check it out here. Also, be sure and check out Crystal’s blog for plenty of money saving tips and strategies.
Congratulations to Lisa Anderson who received Basket #1 from the Mom’s Love Rub
Giveaway and Lisa Sutton who received Basket #2. Jan Nellis, owner of Mom’s Love Rub, offers a beautiful assortment of specialty bath products and candles at her online store. Hop on over and check out her out!
Thank you to both Crystal Paine and Jan Nellis for offering these giveaways. You both are blessings!
Review & Giveaway: Money $aving Mom’s Budget
February 20, 2012 : Filed under Books & Media, Give Aways, Mentoring
Some of you have probably heard of the Money Saving Mom blog (www.moneysavingmom.com) and may have been following Crystal Paine there for some time. If you have, you will understand the hype that has been surrounding her book The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year
Right off the bat, Crystal hit a home run with me! I received the book and started by flipping through it. At the back I saw a note that said all of the author’s proceeds from this book will go directly to Compassion International. I love that organization, and I was glad to see this author loves it too. Her generosity drew me into the book, even though it wasn’t next on my reading list.
Crystal helps the reader work their way through the entire budgeting process bit by bit. The table of contents even lays things out by Month 1, Month 2, etc. Getting a handle on your finances is distributed over an entire year.
My favorite parts were the first few chapters. Paine makes it clear that financial stewardship can best be done when you have a handle on everything from clutter to time management. She gives solid advice on how to do these things and provides examples of forms that are extremely easy to use.
Crystal teaches how to manage all aspects of a budget. However, she focuses a great deal on how to save money. I found her main emphasis was coupon shopping. She has great ideas on how to do this, and if you follow her advice you may well save (and MAKE) as much money as she does!
I’m not personally a fan of couponing (mostly because my location makes it difficult) so I found it helpful that she included many other ways to save money as well. I was so excited about all her tips I felt almost giddy! I went out the day after reading it and bought $170 worth of groceries but only paid $7.22. Okay, some of that was because of points we’ve been collecting for a while, but still! Trust me, she’ll make saving money sound like fun!
To enter the drawing for a chance to win a copy of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget by Crystal Paine, simply do the following for a total of 3 entries per person. Comment once per entry, meaning if you do all three you will make three comments. Giveaway period is from Monday, February 20, 2012 until Friday, February 25, 2012. One winner will be chosen using And the Winner Is by random selection. Winner will be notified on Saturday, February 26, 2012 and will have three business days to respond. Failure to respond within three business will result in another winner being selected by And the Winner Is. Book will be shipped directly to winner from author.
* Leave a comment on this post sharing a grocery, couponing, or budget tip.
* Share this giveaway with your family and friends! You can forwarding this email, share on Facebook, and / or share on Twitter. Use our social buttons below!
* Visit Crystal at www.moneysavingmom.com at check out her fun site. Let us know about something you liked over there!
That’s three easy ways to enter three times! Remember, one comment per entry: one comment for leaving a tip, one comment for sharing this post, one comment for visiting Crystal.
Carla Anne Coroy
* Carla received a copy of The Money $aving Mom’s Budget for review purposes. She was not paid or compensated in exchange for her review. Her opinion is her own.
* Out going book links will take you to Amazon.com. Mentoring Moments for Christian Women is an affiliate and receives a commission for sales resulting from using this link.
Mom’s Love Rub Giveaway
January 27, 2012 : Filed under Give Aways, Mentoring
I think about love every day….how much I love my family, how I love the life I’ve been given, and how much I love the Lord.
Love is important to me and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I get excited about another chance to express my affection to those around me. It may sound silly and childlike, but I enjoy showing genuine love to others. I think of it as a special delivery directly from God through me. I also feel like loving others helps to define me as a person who loves God and obeys his commands.
John 13:34-35 New International Version (NIV) 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
This year we’d like to help you feel the love and share some too. We’re offering two packages of sweet treats (no calories to guilt over!) to two winners. We want you to feel pampered and cherished and we want you to have the joy of sharing with a friend as well!
One winner will receive:
- Strawberries and Champagne soap made from high-quality ingredients which will leave you feeling clean and fresh
- Vanilla-Mint Dead Sea salt foot scrub made with ultra-fine salt from the Dead Sea, jojoba oil and jojoba oil beads, sweet almond oil, vitamin E, and essential oils. Use this after you’ve bathed by rubbing gently on your skin, rinse the salt from your feet, and pat dry. The oils will soak into your skin, maintaining a silky smooth layer and your feet feel wonderful for hours. (Is this not perfect for the dry winter season?)
- Speaking of bathing, have you ever wished for a bath to make Cleopatra proud? Use Goat’s Milk Lavender Bath Tea bags to transform your bath into a therapeutic experience that will leave your skin with a healthy glow and lovely lavender scent.
- Two 2 ounce jars of Mom’s Love Rub, a super-moisturizing ointment. First made to use on boo-boos, Mom’s Love Rub is great for bee stings, bug bites, kitchen burns, dry or chapped skin, and soothing massages. Created with primo oils, herbs, and beeswax, it works great for all types of skin conditions. You’ll receive two of these so you’re able to keep one for yourself and give the other one to someone YOU love. Spread a little love….
The other winner will receive:
- Three fun Minty-Mocha Conversation Heart soaps…..please don’t eat them, though you’ll be tempted to. They’re so cute! Share a smile by your sink with a little love message.
- Vanilla-Mint Dead Sea salt foot scrub made with ultra-fine salt from the Dead Sea, jojoba oil and jojoba oil beads, sweet almond oil, vitamin E, and essential oils. Use this after you’ve bathed by rubbing gently on your skin, rinse the salt from your feet, and pat dry. The oils will soak into your skin, maintaining a silky smooth layer and your feet feel wonderful for hours. (Is this not perfect for the dry winter season?)
- Two 2 ounce jars of Mom’s Love Rub, a super-moisturizing ointment. First made to use on boo-boos, Mom’s Love Rub is great for bee stings, bug bites, kitchen burns, dry or chapped skin, and soothing massages. Created with primo oils, herbs, and beeswax, it works great for all types of skin conditions. You’ll receive two of these so you’re able to keep one for yourself and give the other one to someone YOU love. Spread a little love….
To enter the drawings for these two beautiful baskets, simply do the following for a total of 3 entries per person. Be sure and let us know which entries you made. Giveaway period is from Friday, January 27, 2012 until Friday, February 3, 2012. Two winners will be chosen using And the Winner Is by random selection. Winners will be notified on Saturday, February 4, 2012. Winners will have three business days to respond.
* Leave a comment on this post sharing a loving Valentine’s Day memory or something you are planning for this year.
* Visit Mom’s Love Rub (visit her on Facebook and Twitter too!)
* Share this giveaway with your family and friends! Choose at least one method: forwarding this email, share on Facebook, share on Twitter.
AKA the creator of Mom’s Love Rub and other fine products. Visit her at MomsLoveRub.com.
Give-Away: Homemade Convenience Foods in 15 Minutes
November 8, 2011 : Filed under Art of Homemaking, Books & Media, Give Aways, In the Kitchen, Mentoring
Cookbook Review: Homemade Convenience Foods by Marcia K. Washburn, reviewed by Molly Evert
I’m running a marathon right now. My day starts early and ends late as I homeschool our four boys, care for our baby girl, juggle football and Boy Scout schedules for all the boys, and try to keep up with the housework and cooking. In the fall, there are often nights when we don’t sit down to eat together until 8:30. I hate feeding my family additive-laden frozen pizza and chicken nuggets. A trip through the drive-thru is just as bad for their bodies, and it hurts my wallet, too!
When I heard that Marcia Washburn had developed a system to help busy moms get a homemade, nutritious dinner on the table in 15 minutes or less, I was intrigued! She raised five boys and understands that my sons will polish off the ingredients while I cook if I can’t get the meal done fast enough.
Marcia claims that by following her Homemade Convenience Foods system you will always have the ingredients on hand to prepare at least two dozen different menus. I read through her book in one sitting, eager to see if her program could give me some tools to feed my family lightning fast, healthy meals on a reasonable budget. I confess that I hoped that her system was some unheard of miracle which would help me get a gourmet 15-minute meal on the table without any advance prep work at all. I guess that was unrealistic. The truth is, I usually can’t even find all my ingredients in 15 minutes because my pantry, refrigerator and cupboards are so disorganized. Could Marcia’s book really come to my rescue? I was excited to find out!
Marcia provides several lists of common ingredients you’ll want to keep on hand in your refrigerator, freezer and pantry, and she gives ideas for prepping ingredients ahead of time in order to save time later during the busy weeknight crunch. Although I am a veteran in the kitchen, I still found several useful ideas and quick-to-make recipes in Homemade Convenience Foods. I spent a few hours shopping, organizing my pantry, and prepping my ingredients for the week, and then challenged myself to make a week’s worth of lunches and dinners in just 15 minutes or less. Game on!
So how did the challenge go? I think I did pretty good, and I give Marcia’s book a thumbs up. I tried to keep lunch prep to less than 15 minutes, though dinner prep sometimes took 20 or 30 minutes from start to table when I used my own recipes. I usually serve more than one course and I am cooking for seven every night, which may account for the extra time. Many of Marcia’s recipes truly came in at the 15-minute mark, and using her tips I was able to get many of my own family’s favorite recipes on the table more quickly than usual. Marcia’s tips were helpful, and even 30 minutes is an acceptable window for supper prep, in my opinion. I often don’t think about what to make for dinner until about 4:00 pm., and her quick-fix recipes and prep tips gave me a lot more options.
My family enjoyed several of the recipes Marcia included in her book. Better still, her systems and tips were easily adapted to my own tried and true recipes. Some of her recipes called for either homemade or frozen bread dough, which was a pleasant surprise for me, since I bake all our bread from scratch, and I will benefit from her ideas for streamlining my bread making process.
One reader will win a free copy of Marcia’s e-book Homemade Convenience Foods. To enter, please leave a comment about one of your cooking challenges. For an extra entry, leave a comment with one of your own quick-fix recipes (15 minutes prep or less). For a third entry, repost this on Facebook and leave a comment letting us know. This contest will end at midnight on November 15th. The winner will be drawn using Random.org from the comments we receive.
Marcia’s e-book normally retails for $5.99, but she is graciously offering our readers a $1 discount on the e-book edition if you purchase by November 15th. Homemade Convenience Foods is also available in a comb-bound print edition for $5.99 plus $2 shipping and handling. I received a digital copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
Exposed: Pornography & Marriage
June 30, 2011 : Filed under Books & Media, Give Aways, Marriage, Mentoring
In today’s episode Carla Anne Coroy interviews Ashley Weis, author of Exposed: A Novel, and Gerry Pettyjohn, as sex addiction counselor. Together they discuss some of the questions and topics sent in to Mentoring Moments since the first episode of this conversation a few weeks ago.
From how to handle the fact that your husband has a several decade porn addiction to how to help wives release their early-marriage dreams and find true, pure dreams and expectations for marriage, you’ll hear practical tips on how to deal with, heal and become restored within your marriage.
On today’s show we also announce the winner of the contest to win Ashley’s book, Exposed: A Novel. Please listen in, enjoy the 30 minutes of conversation and pass this on to a friend or family who could use the encouragement and hope. Click here to listen.
Carla Anne Coroy
End of the Month Freebies & FYIs
June 29, 2011 : Filed under Books & Media, Give Aways, Mentoring
A Place of Healing by Joni Eareckson Tada
Audio book read by the author
Free download at Christianaudio.com through June 30, 2011.
“In this eloquent account of her current struggle with physical pain, Joni Eareckson Tada offers her perspective on divine healing, God’s purpose, and what it means to live with joy.”
My Audio School
June is audio book month. My Audio School is offering free daily audios on a variety of subjects. Take advantage of these last two days! My Audio School is great for summer listening!
Book Winner to be Announced Thursday!
Thursday, June 30th, Carla Anne will announce the winner of Amy Weiss’ new novel, Exposed during a special podcast with Amy and counselor John Pettyjohn. They will be answering reader-submitted questions. You can read Carla Anne’s book review or listen to the first podcast here.
FaceBook Book Club
Currently Reading: Married to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards
Emily Beth’s internet has been out making it difficult to post discussions. She wants everyone to know she’ll be back on track next week.
Coming in July & August: Grace-full Outreach
In July & August you will notice a distinct focus to many of our posts–reaching a lost world with the Gospel of Christ. During this time you will receive relevant resources, tools, and how-to on fulfilling the Great Commission on a foreign mission field to right in your own home. Jump in and join our discussion by commenting daily!
Is Mentoring Moments for Christian Women an encouragement to you? Share our blog link with your family and friends! www.MentoringMoments.org
Exposed: A Novel about Porn Addiction
June 8, 2011 : Filed under Books & Media, Contemporary Issues, Give Aways, Mentoring
The book arrived in my mailbox beautifully packaged with rose petals. The feminine touch was evident! The cover of the book was delicate and yet intriguing. I’d promised to review the book, but now I was anxious and eager to read it.
Ashley Weis wrote Exposed: A Novel
Weis does an excellent job of portraying the pain, hurt and all the powerful emotions every woman experiences when she discovers porn in her marriage. As the reader I felt the hurt, the anger and the bitterness.
While Ally was busy dealing with her broken marriage, a young girl named Taylor was unknowingly growing up too fast, trusting in promises of fame and fortune, and giving herself away to be loved. As Taylor’s photo shoots become the very drug Ally’s husband craved, she found herself becoming a broken, worn out-woman longing for hope, love and help from God. Being a porn star wasn’t at all what she dreamed of being, but it was all she was until God gave her a gift growing within her womb. Would she ever be able to love and protect this child? Who would raise this baby?
Weis’ writing is fast-paced, emotionally charged and raw. The images created are vivid, the scenes are realistic, and the story is captivating. I didn’t want to put it down. Sometimes the story became so painful I wanted to stop reading… but couldn’t. I had to read to the end.
Dealing with pornography from both angles – the betrayed wife and the porn star – Weis captures the struggle with the industry as well as with the effect on marriages. With the use of fiction, she gives structure to the healing process and hope to those who are caught in the mess of porn in their own lives.
I highly recommend this book to those who want to better understand what a woman goes through when porn affects her marriage, as well as to those who love a tightly written, emotionally-raw read.
Ashley Weis has a ministry to help women in the shadows of pornography at www.morethandesire.com. You can purchase Exposed: A Novel
Because of the widespread use of pornography both by church members and non-church members, I have invited Ashley Weis and sex addiction counselor Gerry Pettyjohn to discuss the book and the effect of pornography on wives. Click here to listen to this informative interview.
Ashley and Gerry would love to answer your questions about pornography, steps to healing, protecting your kids from porn or other related questions. Please leave a comment here with your question or send an email with “Exposed Questions” in the subject line. You will either receive a personal email response or we will discuss the questions in a future call.
Everyone who leaves a comment or posts a question will be entered to win a copy of Ashley’s book Exposed: A Novel. Give away deadline is Friday, July 1st at midnight.
