Classic Story Bible

Recently I was invited to review the Classic Bible Storybook.

Classic Bible Storybook is a collection of more than 120 stories written by Kenneth N. Taylor, translator of The Living Bible and best-selling children’s book author. Inside you’ll find: Each story presents the accuracy of God’s Word in language children can understand. The illustrations are realistic and will capture the imaginations of both young and old. Comprehension questions after each story reinforce the themes and help readers engage with the text. It’s the perfect book to help children learn to love and reverence the Word of God.

My first experience with The Living Bible was a hardback green pocket edition of "Living Letters". This was Kenneth Taylor's paraphrase of the Epistles. Honestly, I didn't give it much thought. I was raised in a King James Version household. The New International Version (NIV) came out when I was in college, and my mom was not thrilled when I switched. But, I recently learned that Kenneth Taylor didn't originally intend to paraphrase the Bible. He started out writing out books (Epistles) in his own words for his children. Eventually, this led to a paraphrase (and more recently, a translation) of the entire Bible. The Classic Bible Storybook is a hardcover edition with 121 stories on 270 pages. The pages have an aged look. (Similar to tea dying). The stories are fairly short (1-3 pages) with great pictures. If you had a children's Bible 30 years ago (at least that's when I got mine) you will recognize the artwork of Richard and Frances Hook. The pictures vary in size (from small inset to full page) and color (full color and grays). My favorite feature is 3-4 relevant questions at the end of each story. (i.e. Why did Jonah try to get away from God?" and "Why was Jonah angry that the people of Nivevah were sorry for their sins?) Each story includes Scripture references. Okay, enough of the facts. What did the kids think? I started reading from the beginning of the book (usually a good place to start!). My kids (3, 5 and 11) sat and listened well. Okay...the 5 and 11 year olds sat well. The 3 year old rarely sits still! I was impressed with how much detail the stories included. The information was presented in a way that was clear to understand, but it didn't "water down" the Gospel. (This was important to me, as I mentioned, with my lack of positive exposure to The Living Bible. After a few nights of reading, I decided to go head-to-head with the Jesus Storybook Bible (JSB). I started with the story of Daniel, and then Jonah. Each night, I read the Jesus Story Bible version, followed by the Classic Bible Storybook (CBS). The JSB had full color pictures on each page, and the author took some liberties with the story. The liberties did not, in my opinion, "dumb down" the material, but it did make it more like a story book. When I read the same story in the CBS, I was surprised that my kids didn't mind fewer pictures (1-2 on most stories). The CBS gave more details. For example, in the Jonah story, the JSB ends with the people of Ninevah confessing. But the CBS went on to tell of the vine that grew and died, and ultimately, Jonah's choice to see God's heart for the lost. The questions (see above) took us to a discussion about praying for terrorists to come to know Jesus. My 5 year old said, "So, bad people can become good people if they love Jesus?" Yes. She gets it! Bottom Line: The Classic Bible Storybook is a great way to share the stories of our faith in a way our children will understand. I'm looking forward to many more nights reading these stories to my kids.

Powder Art Review and Giveaway

Crescent, a leader in the art and framing industry, is providing a solution for parents looking for a hands-on alternative that encourages both creativity and educational development. Crescent’s new arts and crafts product, Powder Art,™is a mess-free twist on paint by numbers and a great activity for kids to explore their artistic abilities and build their reasoning and motor skills. The innovative peel and paint art activity uses revolutionary dry paint powder made of recycled paper, instead of paint. With easy-to-use paint-by-number designs, Powder Art allows kids to choose to follow the color guide or they can explore their creativity by either designating different colors for their design or mixing colors together for a customized picture. Powder Art is available in six designs appealing to both boys and girls. The suggested retail price per kit is approximately $8.99, making Powder Art a great value at around two dollars per art activity. Powder Art is available at select specialty retail locations and PowderArt.com.

This week I had the opportunity to try the Powder Art Peel and Paint sets. The suggested age was 5 and up. I chose to start with my 11 year old (Chewie). I chose not to try it with Crunchy (5) first. I think she will enjoy it, and she's been begging to do her own . We'll probably try it this weekend.

The cardboard package came with everything we needed to get started:

• 8 PowderArt colors (in small zipper bags);
• 4 5"x7" Peel and Paint designs
• 1 paint brush
• Plastic "Palette tray"
• Full color instruction sheet

Chewie was excited to get started. He chose the giraffe from the Jungle Animals. I chose the Fairy from the Magical Moments set. Chewie started with dark colors (black, blue, green). I started with the light colors (yellow, white). I quickly realized I should have read the directions (or at least realized there was a reason that black was #1 and white was #8). Some of my colors "bled". (Specifically, the black dots on my yellow moon.) Chew did not have any of that problem because he started with black. (I know...it makes sense. I just didn't think!) I thought about not telling you about my goof up, but I didn't you all to make the same mistake!

As you can see, Chewie's picture turned out very well! He really enjoyed it. He's anxious to try some more, and he wants me to get some for his next birthday party.

I only had two complaints, but they were minor. Some of the peel and stick pieces were a bit difficult to get off. Chewie quickly figured it out. I think the younger ones would have more trouble. (The instruction sheet did give a helpful tip to bend the design slightly to help release it.) The other thing was the paint baggies. I'm not sure how it could have been done differently, but I had a hard time getting it out of the baggie and into the tray.

The Powder Art kits get kudos from my family! Scroll down past the pictures to find out you can win a set to try!

First color: Black

4th color: Purple

All done!

Mom's finished piece

Win one of five (5!) packages of Powder Art.

To enter: Visit Powder Art and leave a comment with which pack you'd like if you win. (You can change your mind later.)

For extra entries (leave an extra comment):

• Suggest a theme for a future pack of Powder Art
• Add my button to your blog
• Follow me on twitter
• Twitter about this giveaway
• Follow my blog
• Subscribe to my blog

Contest ends Monday, March 16th.

Limited to US addresses.

Mak Rak crafts

Thanks to Faith Approved I had the opportunity to try out "His Kids Crafts" from The Mac Rak. These kits are all-inclusive.

Everything you need to create quality family time and memories with your kids, in one bag!

Glue, scissors, play dough, sequins, googly eyes....if the craft calls for it, you will find it in the kit. The kits are hand-assembled by a mom. (And, I would guess, with some help from her children!) I sat down with my daughter, Crunchy, this afternoon to try out the kit. Our kit was the April Bible Craft: a fun foam cross magnet with hearts spelling "God" and "Love" . Out kit included: clear instructions (with a picture of the completed project); 3 cross in different sizes; 7 letter hearts (the O is shared); a small glue bottle, and a strip of magnet. I read each of the directions to Crunchy, and she was able to do the project by herself. (She probably could have done it with just the picture, but I wanted to see how easy there were to follow. They were well written.) I really liked the final two instructions. The first was to get a Bible and read John 3:16. (Instead, Crunchy quoted it for me a couple of times. Thanks AWANAs!) The last instruction was to discuss why God loves us so much and why Jesus chose to live, die and be resurrected for us. It was an easy way to bring the activity from just a craft to a teaching time. The kit was well put together, and included encouraging notes on the packaging. My daughter enjoyed the time we spent together, and it was great to have a finished project in a very short time. Individual kits start at $3.75. Ours was $4.25. There is an option for a monthly subscription for $4.00 a month. In addition to the Bible crafts, there are featured crafts and surprise crafts.

My model Crunchy introducing the kit.

The kit comes with everything you need.

Gluing on the letters

Quoting John 3:16

All done!

Pampering for Mom2Be

I was a fortunate mom, after years of infertility, I had pretty easy pregnancies. But I still would have loved to have been pampered during that time. If only I had lived in the Chicago area.... I could have visited Stork Snapshots Not only do they provide 3-D and 4-D ultrasounds, they offer a maternity spa. There are massage services with names like: lighten up, free your mind, free loader, the yummy tummy, maternity massage, 4th trimester healing hour, and the smoothie. There are also facial services, such as: mommy on the move, beautiful beginnings, bare essentials, get your glow on, and great expectations. They also offer a variety of items in the StorkStore for baby (blankets, music, clothing, and my favorite bling pacifiers!) and parents (diaper bags, jewelry, L & D gowns, and shirts). The owner and momtrepreneur, Pat Chiamas-Ebeling wants to give away a Teddy Heart Beat Bear (or a $10 gift certificate toward any item in the Stork Store!) And you don't even have to live in the Chicago area. In fact, you don't even have to be in the United States. Stork Snapshots will ship it anywhere! To enter (by Saturday, March 7th): Just leave a comment. Try to use a little bit of effort. tell me something about you. For extra entries (leave an extra comment): Tell me something you'd love to have (or give) from the Stork Store If you make a purchase from the Stork Store, come back and take another entry Add my button to your blog Follow me on twitter Twitter about this giveaway Follow my blog Subscribe to my blog

Safety Caps

I recently had the opportunity to try out a product called SafetyCaps. They say that "necessity is the mother of invention". In this case, it was Daddy who invented. One day, George Decell,'s daughter, Sage, choked on a plug protector he had removed to plug in the vacuum cleaner. Shaken, George decided to fight back. He didn't want anyone else to face the fearful situation he had endured.

When he couldn't find another solution, he set out to create a new, safer product. He invented the SafetyCap. The SafetyCap is almost an inch wider than traditional plugs. They also feature vent holes, similar to a pacifier, to prevent choking. (I never realized that was why pacifiers had holes on the side, but it does make sense!) SafetyCaps are also clear, so they blend into the wall. My kids are big enough that I don't use many outlet covers, so I took them to some experts. I showed the SafetyCaps to the teachers in the baby and one-year old rooms at the daycare in my office. The teachers were impressed with the idea. The state requires that all outlets---even the ones up on a counter that the kids can't reach--have a safety plug when not in use. But, they worry about the choking dangers of the usual ones.

George has offered my readers a great giveaway. One reader will win a 24 pack of SafetyCaps. And, if the winner has placed an order between now and the end of the contest, George will send 96 SafetyCaps instead of 24!

To enter:

Leave a comment telling me about a favorite safety product, a product you wish someone would invent, or something else related to child safety. Make sure your profile is visible, or include your e-mail address in your comment.

For extra entries (leave a separate comment):

*Visit SafetyCaps and share something you learned.

* Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name)

* Subscribe to my blog

* Follow my blog

* Share this on Twitter (leave a link)

* Post my button on your site

* Tell Ellen or Oprah about SafetyCaps

Contest ends February 28th.

Jesus Storybook Bible

I recently had the opportunity to review The Jesus Story Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago. Wow! I was impressed! This is a hardcover book with about 350 pages. The book is divided into 43 stories. At the top of each chapter is the Scripture reference where the story came from. The stories are very easy to read. There were some artistic liberties (like God said, "Hello light") but I didn't think it took away from the story. The best part of the book, is that it truly does show how the story of Jesus is woven the Bible. This weaving starts with creation and the fall....

Before they left the Garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve; "It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you!...."

After the Tower of Babel, the thread goes on....

People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them. And, one day, it would.

After telling the story of Abraham offering Isaac, the story continues....

Many years later, another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on his back. LIke Isaac, he would trust his Father and do what his Father asked. He wouldn't struggle or run away. Who was he? God's Son, his only Son--the Son he loved. The Lamb of God.

Throughout the book, the Story continues. The illustrations are very well done. The colors are vibrant, and the pictures are varied. Some pages just have "portraits" with the character names underneath. Other pages have illustrations that cover the entire two page spread. Every so often, you have to turn the book sideways because the two page picture is tall instead of wide. That said, the style of the illustrations are not really my style. I don't like the faces. But my kids loved the pictures. The night I received the book, I sat down with my kids (11, 5 and 3) and started reading. After finishing the first story, we looked through the pictures. The kids were able to identify most of the stories from the picture. Each night since, we have read one chapter. (Well, some nights it was two because they begged for more!) Every time a statement was made about The Secret Rescue Plan or some other reference to Jesus' birth, my kids (well, the 11 and 5 years old, at least) were able to tell me what it meant. My kids have a pretty good Biblical foundation already, but they enjoyed this retelling. My 11 year old did correct a few things, but he still asks for "one more story!" My 5 year old has gotten the most out of the stories. The 3 year old doesn't like to sit still for anything, but he did pay attention. Last night he wouldn't let me read until he was settled. I think this Storybook Bible would also be appropriate for someone with a limited (or no) experience with the Bible. The Jesus Storybook Bible retails for $17, but both ChristianBook.com and Amazon had it for less. Thanks to Faith Approved for this review opportunity.

Kissing and Cooking

Recently, I did something I had never done before. I contacted an author and asked to review her book. I first "met" Kim Reutzel when I answered a HARO request to interview couples who have been happily married for more than 20 years. I answered her questions, but before I submitted them, I decided to check out her website. It turns out she is an author, speaker and pastoral counselor. As I checked out her website, I saw references to a new book: Kissing and Cooking I was intrigued. So I wrote Kim a note. I reminded her how I "met" her, and told her my husband and I are marriage mentors for our church. And I asked her if she would be interested in sending me a copy to review. I also gave her the option of sending a copy to giveaway. She did one better. She included a 3rd copy to give to our pastor who heads the marriage mentoring ministry. Kissing and Cooking (which was released on December 30, 2008) is a small book (about 5" x 7") with 230 pages. It is an easy read. The book is divided into two parts: There are seven chapters with recommendations to spice up your relationship followed by twelve date night recipes. Each chapter is broken into subsections that are short bites (1-3 pages long) so it was easy to read a section at night, even if I didn't have time to read an entire chapter. (I absolutely hate putting a book down in the middle of a chapter!) I read the book over about a week before going to sleep. I think someone could actually read the seven chapters in 2 or 3 hours, if there were no interruptions. (If you are like me, you rarely--if ever--have 2 or 3 hours uninterrupted!) I read through most of the recipes in one sitting. The chapters include faith based biblical advice on subjects such as: communication, turning conflict into compromise, controlling your thoughts, having realistic expectations, building on your differences, spending time together, and love. One chapter, Let's kiss and make up!, focuses on fighting fair. "Conflict is inevitable; compromise is a choice". In this chapter, Kim gives some helpful tools to use to help resolve conflicts. Kim encourages you to focus on the issues, our temperament, our feelings and the real need to reach a healthy compromise. I like how Kim compares compromise to a golf game that is scored "best hole". For each hole, the team member who has the best score provides the score for the entire team. When you come up with a workable solution, you both win. "You either both win in marriage or you both lose". (p. 102) The second half of the book includes detailed recipes and instructions for date 12 nights. The recipes vary from full 4 course meals to movie snacks. Each menu includes a shopping list (divided into three categories: pantry, produce, other); an open-ended question to answer during dinner; detailed cooking (and kissing!) instructions for each menu items (with kissing quotes mixed in); a Scripture passage; a table prayer; table topics (discussion items); The Marriage Planner's advice: and advice from other couples. This would be a great gift for any couple: newlywed to long married. For the newlywed, it would be great to help them get their romance off to a good start. An "old" married couples could use a new spark to rekindle the romance. Want to buy it? Price $14.99 includes free shipping and free audio download of book. Visit Kim's store. (There are some other fun things there too!) Want to win it? I have an autographed copy of Kissing and Cooking for one reader! To enter, leave a comment with one way you spice up your marriage (keep it G-rated please!). It doesn't have to be something you've tried yourself. Want some extra entries? (leave a separate comment for each) * Visit Kim Reutzel's website and tell me something about her or her products. * Follow me on Twitter. * Add my button to your blog (code on the upper right) * Follow my blog (on blogger, Google (or anther reader), or my RSS feed) * Blog about this contest. (leave the link) * Tweet about this contest (leave the link) * (Shameless plug for my husband's new ministry!) Visit Mac4Missions and post something that you learn there. Entries will be accepted until Thursday, January 15th. I will contact the winner by e-mail. (Make sure your blog profile is public, or include an e-mail address in your comments.) Winner will have 3 days to respond or another name will be drawn. (US shipping address only.)