April 28, 2014
A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson #review
Adventure, Texas cowgirl charm and so much more are awaiting you in A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson.
Marty Dandridge Olson is ready to leave the pain of her past behind in Texas. She wants and needs to move forward with her life.
She answers an advertisement from a gentleman seeking a Lone Star bride and against her usual actions she leaves her Texas ranch behind and heads to Denver to marry a man she does not know – Jack Wythe.
Jack has been hurt in the past by love and now he wants to marry to satisfy the expectations of the board at his work, Morgan Bank. The board believes a man of his standing in society should be wed. Both Jake and Marty agree that they are done with romance and love and that their marriage will be nothing more then a marriage of convenience.
When money begins to go missing at the bank and a collapsing economy begins to threaten his job, Jake yearns to return to the ranches that he grew up on, much to Marty’s dismay. A fondness has developed between them which helps to complicate the matter.
A Sensible Arrangement is an exciting western novel which I love – there is just something about the west in these days that I am intrigued by! It was full of action and surprise. Marty was a fantastic character, full of spirit and life. She struggled with her faith and her with holding the truth through out the book but her Christian values helped guide her through out the novel. It was a great reminder about the affect with holding the truth can have on our lives. I love the relationship that develops between Marty and Jack (although you can just sense it from the beginning!) and it truly added to the beauty of this book.
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour here. You can also purchase a copy of the book here.
Rating: 4.5/5
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 25, 2014
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre – A Dream Come True! #LDCToronto #review
LEGO – every child’s favourite toy! As children, my siblings and I were always building with LEGO creating farms, houses and our own imaginary worlds. Both of my boys are now fascinated by LEGO (can you blame them?!) and we were thrilled beyond words at the chance of visiting LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Toronto.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Toronto is located conveniently in Vaughn Mills shopping mall and the whole centre is situated under one roof. LEGOLAND is perfect for children aged one to ten.
The Discovery Centre includes:
- an indoor experience with over three million LEGO bricks
- two rides, 4D cinema, workshops, racing tracks, play centres and so much more!
- cafe
- school field trips and birthday parties
Upon entering the LEGO factory (through pretty neat sliding doors I have to add!) you exit into the Kingdom Quest ride. The ride cart sits four people easily and slowly makes it’s way through the Kingdom. The carts had their own little “guns” to shoot at the enemies which was a lot of fun – our youngest racked up the highest score much to his brother’s surprise!
MINILAND was up next and nothing could have prepared us for this part! The entire area was made up of LEGO blocks and represented the Toronto downtown core. It was breathtaking. It included the CN Tower, Rogers Centre and the waterfront. The parts were moving and the attention to detail was incredible – the boats were even gliding across the water!
My personal favourite part of MINILAND? That would have had to be the exhibit of Niagara Falls – the water was flowing off the falls and mist was going over the boat. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre really went the extra mile to recreate the beauty of Niagara Falls.
Walking into the centre of LEGOLAND is that dream come true moment for children and adults alike. LEGO play centres are everywhere for children to build their own creations (they almost looked like little pits full of LEGO!).
They even had several ramps to race their car creations down! Our boys loved the ramps and were convinced that we had to put our own version of these ramps in our basement. We spent quite a bit of time developing the perfect cars out of a variety of LEGO pieces and testing out the speed on the ramps.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre put a lot of attention into every detail – LEGO figures were everywhere and my Star Wars obsessed eldest had to have a shot of his favourite character of the movie. Can you imagine how much patience someone had to have to make this??!
Merlin even received a big hug from our little guy!
It was almost hard to believe that they even managed to fit a ride like Merlin’s Apprentice under the same roof as the rest of the activities – my husband and eldest son soared above us and they were able to take in the whole Discovery Centre from above.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre was full of excitement, creative fun and energy. It pulled our children away from their typical routine and focused on family based play. We had such a fun time and were very impressed with the amount of LEGO available to the children, variety of activities and free play areas. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Toronto is truly a place to unwind, play and have fun with the whole family. We can not wait to go back!
Make sure to follow LEGOLAND Discovery Centre on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with important information.
Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 24, 2014
A Promise in Pieces #review
Quilts can move us especially as they are passed down from generation to generation. They carry memories, family bonds and love. A Promise in Pieces is a story about those memories.
After the end of World War II, Clara Kirkpatrick returns from the Women’s Army Corp to deliver a dying soldier’s last wish – to convey his love to his young widow, Mattie, with apologies for the missed life they had planned to share.
As Clara struggles with her own post war trauma, she thinks that she is not prepared to handle the grief of this broken family. Yet when she meets Mattie and receives a baby quilt that will never cuddle the children they had planned to vow, Clara vows to honour the sacrifices that family made.
Clara becomes a labour and delivery nurse in her rural hometown. With each baby she delivers, she wraps the new babe in the quilt and stitches the child’s name into the cloth. As each new child is welcomed by the quilt, Clara begins to wonder what happened to Mattie and if she would ever experience the love of a newborn.
A Promise in Pieces is a fantastic read taking place in both the past and present. It tells the story of a strong woman, Clara, who has given so much of her life in service to others and to her faith. She has seen so much awful things take place in her life but she still gives. The quilt itself is an inspiring story one that brought me to tears many times throughout the novel. With every name stitched into the blanket to honour those children born and those lost my heart went out to those who struggled in real life with the loss of a child. A Promise in Pieces is heartwarming and the perfect read to remember that our goal in life should be help others. I loved it and can not wait to read more of her work!
To find more reviews of A Promise in Pieces check out the Litfuse Blog Tour here.
Rating: 5/5
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 24, 2014
NIGHTLINE’S Dan Harris’ 10% HAPPIER Kindle HDX Giveaway!
10% Happier by Nightline anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable.
Dan has teamed up with his publisher, Harper Collins, for a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway.
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire HDX
- 10% Happier by Dan Harris
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 10th. Winner will be announced May 12th on the Litfuse blog. Learn more about the 10% Happier backstory and read an excerpt here.
Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by the Litfuse blog on May 12th to see if you won.
April 23, 2014
$200 Women Helping Women Shopping Spree Celebrating A Promise in Pieces!
The latest Quilts of Love release, A Promise in Pieces by Emily Wierenga is receiving glowing reviews.
Emily is celebrating the release of her debut novel with a “Women Helping Women” shopping spree giveaway.
One winner will receive:
- $200 to spend at Emily’s favorite shops, Noonday Collection & Vibella (Click through to learn more about how these companies exist to make a difference in the lives of women!)
- A Promise in Pieces by Emily Wierenga
- A Stitch and a Prayer by Eva Gibson
- Rival Hearts by Tara Randel
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 10th. Winner will be announced on the Quilts of Love blog on May 12th. Then be sure to stop by the Quilts of Love Facebook page on May 29th for the “Quilting Bee” Facebook party with Emily and other Quilts of Love authors. RSVP for an evening of book chat, quilting tips & tricks, prizes, and more!
