Prone To Wander Smartphone Review & Giveaway

A year ago I was fed up with my nearly 4 yr old phone and since my dad was getting an upgrade, he gave me his two year old Samsung S6 Edge. Now, I'm the kind of gal who likes to have her phone completely encased in case anything happens to it. With an Edge, they don't make cases that completely encase it. So, I modified one for a regular Edge. I could only deal with that for so long.

I finally took the case off and I've been caseless for about 2 months. Two very long and scary months. Then the expected happened. I've dropped it a few times, but this time the back cracked. UGH! I haven't told my dad yet, either. I've never cracked a phone in all the years I've had one. Of course a week later I received a beautiful set of three Prone To Wander LA phone cases for review!

My phone cases have always been rather...dull. The previous one was blah white. The one for my 4 yr old phone that my son now has sported my favorite football team. Who knows before that. None of my cases have been feminine. None of them were inspirational or faith based which is where these come into play!

Have you ever seen so many amazing options of an item you're looking for and find it's nearly impossible to pick which one you want? lol That's what it was like when saw my 3 set options. I finally just said, "send me whichever ones because I love them all!" Checking out the beautiful Prone To Wander LA phone cases was, well, heavenly.

I've actually been using the Blessed cover since the day they came. I kept forgetting and forgetting to ask my husband to take pictures for me with his phone because, well, I can't use my phone to take pictures of my phone. HA! We finally got to go out of town for vacation where I got him to snap some pics for me.

The website has more than just phone cases. They also have items for the home. They have pillow covers, canvas banners, letter boards, and prints. Their phone cases are made for most iPhone and Samsung models. I don' know how much longer I'll have my dad's old phone before I finally decide to upgrade, but when I do, I'll be grabbing one of these covers for it.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to enter the GIVEAWAY to get a cover for your phone!

A Refuge Assured By Jocelyn Green

A Refuge Assured
by Jocelyn Green
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 9780764219078

As you know, I'm a lover of historical fiction. I really enjoyed author Jocelyn Green's first book The Mark of the King a year ago. When I saw A Refuge Assured come up for review, I jumped at the chance.

Summary:

Fleeing One Revolution to the Aftermath of Another, She Seeks and Dreams of Peace
Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia, but danger lurks in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers begin to suspect a young boy left in her care might be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement Asylum offer permanent refuge?

Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate his hard-won farm near Asylum, but he soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they are drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.

My Review:

I haven't read many books that are set or based in France. My hope was that A Refuge Assured would be similar to The Mark of the King. While it's begins in France and the characters make their way to the United States, that's where the similarities end. This time refugee, Vivienne Rivard ends up in Pennsylvania instead of the south.

Vivienne is able to escape France during it's tumultuous revolution. She ends up completely alone and penniless. All she has to help her get started with her new life is the lace she was able to smuggle out of France. Vivienne takes a job at a boarding house by learning how to bake. One of the women who has a room next to her also has a little boy, and it turns out he may be the next king of France!

As people begin to think Henri could be the hidden king, Vivienne ends up taking care of him and seeking refuge in the small town of Asylum. Before escaping there, she had taken a new job that introduced her to Liam. He wants to live a simple life on his farm, but everything seems to be conspiring against him to not allow that to happen. Liam helps Vivienne and Henri get to Asylum, but things don't go quite as planned.

While I liked the story, some parts didn't work for me. First the author goes back and forth with using Vivienne and Vienne, sometimes 2-3 times on the same page. It took me a little bit to figure out it was the same person. The start and stops with the chapters were kind of rough for me. It seems like very different writing from the first book.

About the Author:

Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning and bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including The Mark of the King, Wedded to War, and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. Her books have garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and have been honored with the Christy Award, the gold medal from the Military Writers Society of America, and the Golden Scroll Award from the Advanced Writers & Speakers Association. She graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, with a B.A. in English, concentration in writing. Jocelyn lives with her husband, Rob, and two children in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.

The Dating Project Movie & Giveaway

Talking to my kids about dating was always a priority for me as a mom once my kids hit middle school. My girls have been out of school for about 9 & 7 yrs! Hard to believe. My sons are now at that age and things have even changed since my girls were in schools. The Dating Project sounds like it will be a great movie for us to see together since the dating landscape has changed for this generation.

I have no idea what challenges my older son will face that are different than my daughters. I'm guessing mostly the fact that social media will play a bigger role for him and his brother. My youngest son is in his first year of high school and dating isn't on his radar. He's got other priorities as did all of my other kids. Literally, thank God!

About the Movie:
Half of America is single. The way people seek and find love has radically changed. The hook-up, texting and social media culture have profoundly altered the dating landscape. Traditional dating has become “outdated,” yet men and women still seek meaningful relationships. People are frustrated in love, but does anyone really know how to connect in today’s virtual world? 

THE DATING PROJECT is a new non-fiction film from executive producer Steve McEveety (The Passion of the Christ, Braveheart), produced by Paulist Productions, Mpower Pictures and Family Theater Productions that follows five single people ages 18-40 as they navigate beyond the hookup culture to traditional dating. Professor Kerry Cronin from Boston College is featured throughout as she teaches ad encourages her students to return to traditional dating. There is no script. There are no actors. These are real people trying to find love and happiness in an age of swiping left or right.

For Tickets & More Info, visit: TheDatingProjectMovie.com

This movie is ONLY in theaters April 17, 2018.



You have the opportunity to win 2 tickets to the movie! Be sure to enter TODAY and follow the social channels to keep up with everything going on with the movie.

Website: https://www.thedatingprojectmovie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDatingProjectMovie/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dating_project/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dating_project 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMp5QeouxPmI4Ja9YgIQUwg

2nd Annual Spring Showers Giveaway

Spring is FINALLY here and what a better way to celebrate than with a giveaway! Andersons Angels, The More The Merrier, This Mamas Life and Woven by Words have teamed up to bring you a FUN Spring Showers Giveaway Hop! I don't know about you but I am always looking to win some fun and new stuff!

I'll be doing a giveaway of my recently reviewed Aromatherapy with Essential Oils Diffusers and a $5 Amazon gift card!

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Aromatherapy With Essential Oil Diffusers

Aromatherapy With Essential Oil Diffusers
by Karin Parramore
Publisher: Robert Rose
ISBN: 978-0-7788-0588-5

I'm excited to be partnering with a new publisher based in Canada! I chose two books to review: 1 for me and 1 for the guys. Today will be the book I was excited about, Aromatherapy With Essential Oil Diffusers. It will benefit my whole family, but the guys were more interested in the 150 Best Donut Recipes. That will be coming soon.

Summary:

Diffusing essential oils can improve your health and well-being.

Aromatherapy and essential oils are more popular than ever, as more and more people discover that concentrated aromatics can be used in a therapeutic way, to address imbalances in our bodies that can lead to poor health.

In this perfect companion book to your favorite diffuser, Karin teaches you how to diffuse essential oils, from ammi to ylang ylang, to improve your physical, mental and emotional health and to destress your time, your work space and even your car.

Part 1 covers the history of aromatherapy, explains the different types of diffusers and teaches you how to choose, use and store essential oils.

Part 2 provides detailed instructions on diffusing essential oils to treat various health conditions and offers over 160 formulas for specialized oil blends.

My Review:

About a year ago I purchased my first essential oils kit and diffuser. I'd heard so much about the benefits of essential oils, I figured I'd make the investment. My only issue? I had no clue what I was doing or how to use the oils. So, I used them a few times and that was pretty much it. Fast forward to this month and I've learned a lot from this book!

The author starts by talking about the history of essential oils. She talks about scent memories in Saudi Arabia, and having lived there for 2 summers, I could relate to visiting the souk and the "heady scent". I think my first scent memory is going to Catholic church with my mom and the altar boys carrying the thurible filled with incense. Wow, that was overpowering too!

Also, did you know there were so many different types of diffusers or ways to diffuse essential oils? I clearly didn't. Let me just say, there's a lot to learn. A lot of beneficial ways to incorporate them into your life. As expected, how essential oils are created is pretty fascinating. I like that I can now read a bottle and understand how it was created. I also love the large section detailing a variety of essential oils used in the book.

Now, let's get into the practical side of diving into using these products. First of all, it's quite an investment. Initially purchasing the oils you may want to opt for a kit or else build up your supply little by little. Keep in mind that the prices of different oils can vary greatly. You may end up with some sticker shock. Also think of how you want to do most of your diffusing. I think the one I have is an ultrasonic diffuser. I need to try one of the passive ways for my car.

It was kid of funny going through all of the blends. Typically I had at least 2 of the eo's and always needed that third one. I've entered that fun stage of pre-menopause, and have had a delightful time with night sweats. I'll need to get some bay laurel to try this blend out. One I'd like to try for my son is for his acne. For that one I need eucalyptus citriodora. Of course as soon as I started writing this review one of my sons and my hubby had cold symptoms. I really need to get stocked up for colds and allergies!

Now that I understand how to better use aromatherapy around our home, I plan on doing it more in different rooms. I've typically only used one in my bedroom. I'm also going to use my essential oils for cleaning around the house. I'd love to go chemical-less! I can't wait to put more of the blends in the book to use.

About the Author:

KARIN PARRAMORE, LAc, CH, is the owner/formulator of Luminous Presence facial treatments and skin care products. She teaches at both the National University of Natural Medicine and Ashford University in the Bachelor's of Complementary and Alternative Health program.

Karin obtained Chartered Herbalist status from Dominion Herbal College in 2001 and has a degree in Chinese Medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine. She has been a practicing aromatherapist since 2002. She lives in Portland, Oregon.