Mailbox Monday - March 23

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday! It's that time again. I am thankful to say only one book made it's way into my mailbox last week. I've read all the books in this series, so I am glad the author sent this one along.

The tranquil little town of Willow Ridge is facing a startling challenge. Wealthy Nora Glick Landwehr is determined to make it her home again--and put her past to rest. Cast out by her own family, Nora can't reconcile with Old Amish ways or her strict father. But she'll do anything to help her community embrace the future . . . and make amends to the daughter she had to give up. So, she certainly has no time for her reckless new neighbor Luke Hooley. They disagree about almost everything. And how can she trust him if he always seems to believe the worst about her? Somehow, though, his unexpected support and passionate heart are helping her find her own way in faith. And Nora will discover that even in the face of insidious lies and unyielding judgment, God creates unexpected chances for forgiveness--and love.

What did you receive last week?

The Friday 56 - Week 219

Welcome to Week 219!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post to the Linky at Freda's Voice. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

It all made sense: how he had so much power and control here in Whitechapel among stronger, meaner, older men than him...how he knew about me, including that I was a vampire hunter....

Learn more at Goodreads!

Welcome Spring Amazon $10 Gift Card Giveaway!

We might be getting a couple of inches of snow today, but it's still the first day of spring and time to celebrate. Enter below for your chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Good luck to all who enter!

Terms and conditions:

* Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
* Contest ends at 12:00 AM EST on 3/31/15.
* Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to claim the prize before a new winner is selected.
* VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.


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As A Busy Moms Thinks: Post-op

I am nearly four weeks post-op. The surgery went well and recovery hasn't been bad despite the horrible back spasms I ended up with as a result of lying on the table for too long. Physical therapy started last Friday, so that should help.

The one tricky thing that amazes me about my experience is that I never realized exactly how much I do around here that keeps the household running. Since I am still two weeks away from being fully functional, my filthy floors that I am not allowed to vacuum or wash are driving me insane.

No one around here wants to help. In all fairness, the hubby works twelve hours a day and certainly doesn't feel like doing much other than relaxing when he gets home. But what about those kids I have waited on hand and foot for more than a decade? Why is it so hard to get them to help out?

They have a chore list, but it turns into an argument when they won't honor their commitments. Granted, their main focus has to be school, but is it so hard to bring your laundry up to your room each day and put it away? Is it too much to ask that once a week they vacuum a couple of floors? And don't even get me started on the state of their rooms. You need a Hazmat suit just to enter the Lil' Diva's room.

I'm struggling not to overdo it, but I definitely don't want to pull something out of whack and end up back in the hospital. Say a prayer for me that I can get the kids to contribute a bit more.

Kindle Freebie: Snowflake Tiara by Angela Breidenbach and Valerie Comer

What if you were caught doing something good, but the man you loved didn't see it that way?

The Debutante Queen by Angela Breidenbach ~ 1889 (Helena, MT): Calista Blythe enters the first Miss Snowflake Pageant celebrating Montana statehood to expose the plight of street urchins. But if her hidden indentured orphan is discovered, Calista’s reputation and her budding romance with pageant organizer, Albert Shanahan, could both unravel. Will love or law prevail?

More Than a Tiara by Valerie Comer ~ 2014 (Helena, MT): Marisa Hiller’s interest in competing in Miss Snowflake Pageant for the city of Helena’s 150th anniversary is at zip zero zilch when she discovers the official photographer is Jase Mackie. Can Jase make amends for past mistakes and offer her, not only a tiara, but a partner in her crusade to help needy children and families?

File Size: 492 KB
Print Length: 336 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Gems of Wisdom (August 31, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00N70PXZW

Purchase here!

Wordless Wednesday

First Chapter Review: Out of Control by Shefali Tsabary, PhD

BLURB:  Every parent wants the golden key to raising well-behaved, academically gifted, successful, happy children. Embedded in the collective psyche is the notion that discipline is the cornerstone to achieving these goals. Out of Control offers a never-before-published perspective on why the entire premise of discipline is flawed. Dr. Shefali Tsabary reveals how discipline is a major cause of generations of dysfunction. The author goes to the heart of the problems parents have with children, challenging society’s dependence on discipline, daring readers to let go of fear-based ideologies and replace them with an approach that draws parent and child together. The key is ongoing meaningful connection between parent and child, free from threats, deprivation, punishment, and timeouts — all forms of manipulation. Parents learn how to enter into deep communion with their children, understanding the reasons for a behavior and how to bring out the best in the child. Far from a laissez-faire, anything goes, approach, this is how a child learns responsibility and takes ownership of their life, equipped with character and resilience that flow naturally from within.

COVER: This color scheme is very appealing and soothing. The blended circles appear to signify the connected and harmonious relationship between parent and child.

FIRST CHAPTER: The opening chapter of Out of Control sets the stage for what is to come. In a few pages, the author is able to outline her philosophy on child rearing.

KEEP READING: Definitely. I received this book quite a while ago, but simply haven't been able to sit down with it. Two recent events with my children have made me realize I can't afford to put off reading it any longer. All of us seem to be at the breaking point lately considering our overloaded schedules and medical issues that have cropped up for many in the family. We need our home life to be more peaceful so that we can deal with the other issues better.

This first chapter is designed to quickly outline Dr. Tsabary's philosophy on why discipline doesn't work and get you thinking: Is she right? I look forward to reading more.