Energems

I'm sure at one time or another, everyone has found themselves in need of quick energy. I know as a mom of a teenager, and babysitting a 1 yr old I sure do! I do drink coffee, but don't tend to make it much at home and it's expensive at specialty stores. Energems are great for on the go energy. They are low-calorie and great tasting. There are a variety of flavors mixed with chocolate. Who doesn't love chocolate?! I think the peanut butter flavor is the best. I also received regular chocolate and chocolate mint. They are all good, it just depends on your specific taste as to which one you would like best.

I noticed that when I take the Energems it's a pretty quick response on energy. It doesn't have a "hyper" energy reaction which is leaning towards what I expected, but more just  an ability to get done what needs to get done.  It's not recommended for under age 18, but I did let my 16 yr old take some on days when he was really having a hard time getting going. His thoughts were " They kind of have a strange after taste for a few minutes but the peanut butter ones are really good! I think they give good energy but sometimes I don't notice it until later when I realize I'm not tired anymore" Great thoughts and honest.

Especially now around the Holidays, we feel like we have to do it all…and then some. Energems are the perfect thing to keep with you for when you just need a quick energy boost. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Academic Planner

As a homeschool mom, I was thrilled to be offered the chance to review this academic planner!
If you saw my desk you would know how unorganized I can be! This was a huge blessing to me and an encouragement to start being more aware of controlling the chaos.

I love how the planner is set up. There is a place to write in your subjects for the semester and then each week  has a page to write in the work for the week. There is a section also at the bottom where you can write in after school activities, extra classes or whatever notes you need. Here is our planner. Obviously this week is empty due to Thanksgiving week. We plan to write in what actually gets accomplished…if anything.  Normally the page is full of instruction and activity.

What I especially enjoy is how easy it is for the student to follow and  use independently. For example, what I do at the beginning of the week is write in what needs to be done on each day. There is a small square in each of the larger squares where the student can check it off when it's done. This allows the student to work on their own, and allows mom not to have to keep asking if the work is getting done. It's working great for us!
You can learn more and find one for yourself at www.orderoochaos.com

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Allied Shirts Review

I am thrilled to share with you about Allied Shirts. They provide you with a chance to use your creativity and design your own shirt or hoodie. There are different styles of shirts that are offered and they range in affordable prices.

Allied Shirts's website is very easy to navigate. You are taken through the process of designing your chosen shirt with clear directions and great pictures of how the final product will appear. You can try different options and then make your final choice.

For my shirt, I decided to surprise my son with a shirt for him to wear. I ordered the Budget Tee, in a military green color, which is of great quality and durability. I then added the wording I thought he would love. I loved the quick and easy process of ordering. I received the shirt in just a few days of ordering. I was really happy with how the shirt arrived.

So here's the final product pictured above. It's kind of hard to make out the wording in the picture, but it says "Called to Serve".  Simple but draws attention.  You can also add a name, numbers etc on the back of the shirt. Allied Shirts would be great for a team t-shirt jersey, or for field trips for schools. They could also make great gifts for Christmas with fun personalized wording for the recipient.

I am thrilled with how the shirt turned out. I will be recommending them to everyone I know who needs or wants this fun type of shirt or sweatshirt!


Find them on Facebook and Twitter

Disclosure: I received a free T-Shirt from Allied Shirts in exchange for an honest review. My reviews are always honest and my own opinion. My opinions may differ from others.

Minecraft with Homeschool

One of the nice things with homeschooling is the chance to be creative in how subjects get accomplished. This can also be the most stressful thing to a homeschool parent. Although homeschooling is very popular now, there are still many people who are either completely opposed to it   or just don't know a lot about it.

We have homeschooled our son from the beginning and is now in 11th grade. We have tried many different approaches to learning throughout the years. Most recently, was adding in Minecraft. I have to admit, I was one of those parents who thought minecraft was just another addicting video game and put limits on it. After hearing about so many people incorporating it into school, I decided to check it out in more detail.

What I found, is there are many ways you can use it to learn about a wide variety of subjects. It allows the child creativity in learning and a way to put a personal touch on thinking.  Right now he is trying it out for a couple subjects. He has been studying Business Math, so I am having him create a city with buildings, roads, all types of stores that would be in a typical city, and set up a money system and learn/show how that will work.  He is also using Minecraft as part of Language Arts. For a child who hates to write (like mine) this is great. We are just starting so it's not very informative yet, but I can see ahead to great things. I had him choose a favorite book and recreate it. He chose to recreate the land of Eragon. He's reading the book again to find details to make things as close to the book as possible. He decided to focus on the major areas first which are most needed in the story. After he designs an area, he is taking a picture and writing about it on a blog he created. I'm hoping he will be comfortable writing about something like this and become more confident in his writing. To me, that makes it worth doing whatever it takes.

If you want to check out what he's doing, you can find his blog at My Adventures in Minecraft. I'm sure he'd love to see what you think!

Every Hill and Mountain by Deborah Heal

Book Summary (from Amazon)


Those who have read Time
and Again and Unclaimed Legacy know
that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project with
11-year-old Merri. And they know that the summer is not going the way Abby had
expected--but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John
Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program
called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life.
Not her own, of course, but those of the people who lived in Merri's old house.
And the Old Dears' old house, and...well, any old house.


And since the program worked so well for the Old Dears' family
tree project, Abby's college roommate Kate hopes it will help her find out more
about her ancestor Ned Greenfield. And Kate's fiancé Ryan thinks the program
has lucrative commercial potential. 


Abby and John reluctantly agree to help Kate, but only on
the condition that she and Ryan promise to keep the program a secret, because
if it fell into the wrong hands...well, no one wants Big Brother invading their
privacy.


The two couples take a trip to the tiny town of Equality,
set in the hills of southern Illinois and the breath-taking Shawnee National
Forest. According to Kate's research, Ned Greenfield was born there at a place
called Hickory Hill.


The mayor, police chief, and townspeople are hospitable and
helpful--until the topic of Hickory Hill comes up. They seem determined to keep
them away, telling them, "There's nothing there for you to see." 

Eventually they find Hickory Hill on their own--both the
mansion and the lonely hill it sits upon. Built in 1834, Hickory Hill stands
sentinel over Half Moon Salt Mine where the original owner John Granger
accumulated his blood-tainted fortune. 


Abby and her friends meet Miss Granger, Hickory Hill's
current eccentric owner, and they eventually get the chance to time-surf there.
Their shocking discovery on the third floor concerning Kate's ancestor Ned
Greenfield is almost too much to bear. What they learn sends them racing to the
opposite end of the state to find the missing link in Kate's family tree. And
there they are reminded that God is in the business of redemption--that one day
he'll make all things new.


My Thoughts:

What can I say? Again, I was brought into a unique look at history from the perspective of Abby, John and Merri. I found myself intrigued again with how they find themselves involved with some type of "history mystery". There is so much great information wrapped up in this wonderful adventure. I loved how the relationships continue to grow and develop in this book. I really feel connected and involved in the story. The story focusing around the underground railroad leads itself in a direction for many stories to be told. 
I love the dynamics between the original time-surfers and the idea of bringing Kate into their secret.  Ryan was the perfect "bad guy" in the book. In a way you could imagine something would happen with him at the center of the trouble, but it was exciting learning to what degree he was willing to go to.
The people in Equality were great additions. The characters were well developed and they all had a very important part in the creation of the story.
I was sad to see the book end. I think this series was written in a way that could easily add more books to it and never run out of creative time-surfing ideas. I feel God is using Deborah Heal in a mighty way to show stories of God's love and redemption in new and unique ways to reach people all over. Good News is, as you can learn more about on her BLOG, Abby, John and Merri are back for more! I know I can't wait to read them!



Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are completely my own and may differ from others.

Ageless Derma foundation review

I received the Iced Coffee color of the Loose Mineral Foundation from Ageless Derma. The packaging was nicely done. It arrived safe and in great condition.

I enjoyed being able to try out a new product. I've always used the same thing and was excited about a new brand. I was not disappointed. The color was a nice shade of tan which seemed to coordinate well with my skin tone.

What I enjoyed was the light feel to it. It felt like I didn't have any foundation on at all. ageless derma allows your skin the ability to breath while helping to make your face feel and look wonderful. The foundation appeared as a natural blend, which was something I felt had been missing in my previous foundations.

I think the only thing I wish was different is for the foundation to automatically come with a sponge for application. I had to use my own which already had been used prior to this color foundation. It will not keep me from using the product however. I am impressed with the brand and will continue to use the products in the future.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Maddie's Choice by Joyce Zeller Blog Tour and giveaway!

Romance writer Maddie Taylor is fed up with New York City. She is getting nowhere with her latest manuscript and does not believe true love exists outside of her imagination. When a friend, Jonah Spartman, dies and wills her half of his Arkansas cattle ranch, she sees the chance for a new beginning. Jonah has also left behind two orphaned great-grandsons desperate for affection and an accounting book in the red.

The other half of the failing ranch belongs to Gideon Spartman, Jonah’s grandson, who believes all capacity for love was torn from him during his tour of duty in Afghanistan. Rugged and sexy, Gideon is the enthralling physical manifestation of the hero in Maddie’s current manuscript. He is far from happy to be sharing an inheritance that is rightfully his. As she senses the need behind Gideon’s rough and unwelcoming exterior, Maddie acknowledges her own yearning for love and family.

Jonah’s will requires Maddie to stay on the ranch for three months. When that time is up, will she return to her comfortable but emotionally barren existence or embrace the challenges of her new life, which include cattle rustlers and drug dealers? Maddie’s choice proves to be far from simple.


This book is great! I enjoyed the idea of it being a writer who learns to deal with life and finds herself so fixed on her books, she forgets to have an outside life. It will get you hooked on the idea of the story, and the storyline keeps you interested.

The book was not exactly what I expected, but led me on a journey which was unexpected which is a nice thing! I enjoyed the ride the book took.

I encourage you to find this book and read it for yourself. You will find yourself connecting to the characters and rooting for them throughout the book.

Here is your chance to win a $25 gift card for amazon or pay pal. 
Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find out more about the author and Maddie's Choice at these places:

oyce Zeller's Web Site:
http://joycezeller.com/
Joyce Zeller's Blog:
http://joycezeller.blogspot.com/
Joyce Zeller's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/joyce.zeller

Joyce Zeller's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jzeller9847

Joyce Zeller's Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6060540.Joyce_Zeller

Maddie's Choice Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18369023-maddie-s-choice

Book Tour Site: http://maddieschoice.blogspot.com/


You can find a copy for yourself at any of these locations:

Kindle buy link ($4.95):
http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Zeller/e/B005N0BVCS/

Nook buy link ($4.95):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/joyce-zeller

Smashwords buy link ($4.95):
https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=joyce+zeller

Amazon paperback buy link ($14.95):http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603819592?tag=tributebooks-20
Barnes and Noble paperback buy link ($14.95):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/joyce-zeller

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in order to do my review. My reviews are always honest and my own opinions.