I was almost giddy when I opened up my package from Tyndale and found the beautiful book inside, My Princesses Learn To Be Brave. The latest in a new line of stories that combines Biblical stories with applicable truths, this book instantly captured the attention of my princess-loving three year old daughter. In fact, before I even showed her the book, she saw it laying on the counter. She picked it up and asked, "Can we read this??" She could not wait. It has been a regular in our evening book rotation. 

This is my first time reviewing a cookbook, and I am so excited! My husband and I love watching the Food Network show, "Chopped." The basic gist of it is a trio of talented chefs are presented with a "mystery basket" of ingredients. From the onset, they seem like a horrible hodge-podge of clashing flavors and the chefs are tasked with the challenge to make something delicious using all of them. Cotton candy and kale, sausage and strawberries, eggs and carrots. Somehow, by the end of the show, delectable dishes are presented to the judges and a winner is chosen. 

The NIV Essentials Study Bible is a giant conglomeration of some of the best study Bible tools that Zondervan has offered. I'm one who likes to dig deep into individual scriptures, as well as look at the meaning and context of entire books. Reading the historical backgrounds and getting extra tidbits of archaeological information helps bring the inspired Word to life. Though the NIV is no longer my preferred translation of the Bible, it is (in my opinion) the easiest to comprehend. I usually have my Kindle with me when I go to church, and I love having all of the study tools at the tips of my finger when I want to look up something quickly. The NIV Essentials Study Bible combines the best parts of six different Bibles and study materials. They are:

If we know each other in real life, or if you've read my blog for very long, you may know that I'm a little bit obsessed with this whole concept of "home." There is something so spiritual and sacred about creating a place of rest for my loved ones that has whispers of Greater Things to come. The Nesting Place, Written by long-time blogger Myquillyn Smith, this book fleshes out the decorating philosophy that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Because I'm a busy mom of two little girls, I don't have time for perfection. As much as I wish I did, that is something I've actually worked really hard to let go of. Ain't nobody got time for that right? Myquillyn has a house full of boys and yet the pictures of her home are absolutely stunning. One of the biggest things I loved and appreciated about this book was the idea that you don't have to own your home to make it a refuge for your family. She begins the book with a quick recap of the 13- yes, thirteen!- homes she has lived in. Many of them were rentals and because of that, this book is brimming with fantastic ideas for people who are renting or not able to make major changed to their homes. As a fellow renter, those tips and ideas are worth the read alone! 

We mixed up sidewalk chalk for the kids to paint the drive with. (Water + corn starch + food coloring) They had a great time with that, except, as usual, Gia decided it needed to be all over her. For a while, the kids ran around back and apparently, that lack of adult supervision gave them the perfect window of time to paint each other! I love that we live so close to friends who have kids Gia & Joey's age. I can't wait to watch them grow up together. They're all within just a few years of each other.




I love this picture above... the street lights all down way... love it.


The air was so thick with smoke that you could smell the sulphur from the fireworks. It was pretty overwhelming at first, but you got used to it. Joey loved the fireworks-- the noise didn't even flich her!


This pic looks like Gia was touching the fire but she really wasn't. We put a solo cup over the sparkler handle so the kids could hold onto them without getting burned. It worked pretty well except that we used metal sparklers, and even the handles get hot if they held on too long to them!