Month: December 2017

December 18, 2017

Maternally Challenged: How My Special Needs Son Taught Me to Sack Up and Laugh

In Maternally Challenged, you’ll discover: That you aren’t alone, all moms worry they don’t know what they’re doing!

About Maternally Challenged: How My Special Needs Son Taught Me to Sack Up and Laugh

Are you parenting by the seat of your pants? Discover a new mindset to embrace the joy and madness of motherhood. Are your kids driving you crazy? Do you worry that despite your best efforts you still aren’t doing enough?

As a mother of two with a special-needs son, author Kathy Chlan knows what you’re going through. With her popular blog, Unfiltered Mom, Chlan has helped countless parents navigate the chaos of raising kids. And now she’s here to help you!

Maternally Challenged: How My Special Needs Son Taught Me To Sack Up & Laugh! explores the day-to-day challenges of raising a special-needs child. Through heartwarming and hilarious personal accounts, you’ll find that you aren’t alone in dealing with family dysfunction. With Chlan’s guidance, you’ll learn methods to re-contextualize your troubles for a new outlook on parenthood and life. You may even start to laugh through the adversity. In Maternally Challenged, you’ll discover: – That you aren’t alone: all moms worry they don’t know what they’re doing – What steps you can take when life throws you a series of curveballs – How to stop dwelling on your mistakes and find time to appreciate the little victories – How to teach your special-needs child that using disability as a crutch is never an option – How to put terrible days and tantrums into greater perspective, and much, much more!

This book is your laugh-out-loud guide to making sense of motherhood. If you like practical advice, using laughter as medicine, and personal stories from one mom’s journey, then you’ll love Kathy Chlan’s motivational resource. Buy Maternally Challenged today to start worrying less and laughing more!

My Thoughts

I started reading Maternally Challenged last night and could not put the book down. I laughed, I cried and my heart was full of joy. Kathy gets parents and gives a voice to everyone who is too scared to admit that yes we screw up, we yell, we make mistakes, we miss things and we are so far from perfect but our kids are happy and loved. I actually found myself laughing out loud at times when I was reading her book and my kids thought I was losing it, so I tried to explain to them what was so funny. It went over their heads but my husband even cracked a smile.

Maternally Challenged is the story of Kathy’s journey through motherhood from just before she was married. We follow her pregnancy that was plagued with extreme morning sickness to a C-section at birth. It wasn’t until they brought their son home that they realized something was wrong, from crying and curling up in pain all through the night to vomiting formula. This was just the start of what was to come – from a massive list of food allergies to alopecia and more. Their life became a whirl of doctors appointments, around the clock care and school for her son at an early age. Through it all, was the constant worry that all parents have – what can I be doing better, am I doing enough, should I try something different?

Their journey was emotionally exhausting (not to mention physically with all the driving from hospital to hospital). This could have worn them out and broken them. Instead they found the key to parenthood and to life in general. Admitting that yes this is going to be hard but laugh. Laugh when you feel like crying. Laugh when you feel like you can’t give one more ounce. Laugh when things don’t turn out like they planned. The road may not be perfect like we see on television but it is our road and we need to make the best out of it.

Maternally Challenged is a beautiful book full of humour, inspiration and guidance. You laugh out loud and you can completely relate to Kathy and her family (I loved how members of her family wrote a letter and it is included throughout the book – especially her brother’s thoughts on Kathy as a child and her clothes!). While we all face different challenges, the lessons that Kathy teaches us can be used in any situation. This is a definite must read book for new parents and seasoned parents!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5+/5

About the Author

“After years of being in the trenches of motherhood, I know how easy it is for your identity to get wrapped up in your kids. Now that mine are all out of the house, I’m a mom with new priorities: I’m trying to find me.

This is a place for moms to embrace the mistakes we’ve made (and continue to make) with no judgments while we navigate a new phase of life. It’s dysfunction at its best. As a mother of two with a special needs son, I know what it’s like to have a family that doesn’t fit the mould—and I love it. My kids are the gifts that keep on giving.

I’m tipping a hat to my journalism past and sharing my perspective on the modern frontier for moms: treating yourself, finding your passions, saying no, and—of course—my family’s crazy stories to help other moms realize that life isn’t so bad. If you had a terrible day and screamed at your kid over Skype or in person, big deal. Here you’ll find inspiration for moms who aren’t sure about what they’re doing. (And don’t worry, there are a lot of us.)

We’ve all got adversities in life. My response? Laugh through it.”

You can connect with Kathy on her blog Unfiltered Mom.

The Giveaway!

My Canadian and American readers can now enter to win their own copy of Maternally Challenged via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 17, 2017

The Shadows in My Heart Book Review

The Shadows in My Heart is a story that will be too familiar to some and unfamiliar to others, but will pull at the heartstrings of everyone.

About The Shadows in My Heart

Big families cultivate chaos. Mary Havens knows this all too well. One of twelve children, she grew up on a picturesque Wisconsin dairy farm. Holidays, graduations, marriages, and newborns filled the farmhouse with the light of laughter and hugs. But for Mary, the unspoken eclipsed that light. Unresolved grief, abuse, religious dogma, and secrets left her in the shadows, lost and alone. Her profound story is one of determination, survival, and the ability to rise above the fray. It is a story that will be too familiar to some and unfamiliar to others, but will pull at the heartstrings of everyone.

My Thoughts

We have been blessed to live in a time where we are encouraged to talk about our emotions, where we are encouraged to talk about something that doesn’t feel right and where victims are believed and told to come forward. The focus is on healing, holding those responsible but also rehabilitating them. Gone are the days when things like sexual abuse and mental health were swept under the covers.

My Grandfather was a very quite man but I loved him for his quirks. He wouldn’t replace something because it was old and even if you bought him something new he would prefer and still wear his old clothes. He was a man of few words but it was in his actions that you knew he was proud of you and that he loved you (from hiding coins around his home to sitting at the head of the table on our weekly Sunday lunches). He grew up in the same time this book was based on and I wonder if he saw the same actions in houses of his friends and how this influenced him.

The Shadows in My Heart made my cry, laugh and understand. Society has come a long way in being open and discussing domestic and sexual abuse but we still can do more. The understanding of how many young girls and boys went through abuse and then suffered mental health consequences from this is shocking. This was the world that they lived in but no one wanted to talk about it. It drives home how important it is to talk about, to let both girls and boys that this is not the norm, this is not love and that they will always have someone to talk about it to.

This was an incredible and yet heartbreaking novel that all adults and even young adults should read. While the topic is sensitive, I feel it is so important for our young adults to read about and understand everything they can about abuse and mental health. Mary is an inspiration and a very typical individual in this type of situation. She endured years of abuse for her children but found the strength to fight back. Her opening up about the situation is what helped the healing process. This book serves as an inspiration for so many struggling with the same hurt in their own home who may not know where to look for help. This is a definite must read novel that you will not want to put down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Mary A. Havens has appeared on numerous talk shows, discussing surviving domestic violence and sexual abuse, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Minneapolis’ Twin Cities Live and The Mary Hanson Show. She was a Twitter contributor for Dr. Phil and The Doctors show. Mary volunteers with organizations for survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence. She enjoys traveling and divides her time between the Midwest, Southwest, and Alaska.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 15, 2017

Speed of Life Book Review

Speed of Life is the heartbreaking yet heartwarming story of a girl who thinks her life is over when really it’s just beginning. It’s a novel about love, family, grief, and growing up.

About Speed of Life

Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it’s a new year and they’re ready for Sofia to move on.

Problem is, Sofia can’t bounce back, can’t recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. Turns out even advice columnists don’t have all the answers, and one day Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down.

My Thoughts

We can be travelling along in life, with not a thought to the future and never really appreciating and living in each moment. In an instant that life we were living can be changed drastically. It could be a car accident, a broken bone, an old secret coming to light and even a death in the family. All of a sudden, the direction we were taking is completely altered and we are expected to somehow move on because no matter what life keeps going regardless of how we feel.

Sofia is a young girl (teenager) who suddenly loses her Mother and unfortunately was the person to find her Mother dead. In that one moment, life as she knew it was over. She was lost, stuck in her grief with no idea on how to get out of it. The little things that used to be so important weren’t so important anymore. Everything reminded her of her Mother which instead of filling her with joy filled her with pain. I think we can all relate to this, it took me almost two years to be able to look at my Grandfather’s room without crying. You constantly expect that person to be there, to make a joke or to jump up and say hello.

We follow Sofia as she struggles through her grief and navigating important milestones in school – including boys. She has no one to go to talk to this anymore – she most definitely could not talk to her Dad. But then to make it worse, her Dad begins to change and has somehow managed to smile again. Sofia turns to her best friend’s columnist for help but ends up getting more than she bargained for again.

Speed of Life is beautifully written, I could not put this book down and finished it in one night. I wanted to reach out and hold Sofia and let her know it does get better. Pain never disappears but it becomes easier to carry. That we need to look for our loved ones in the small moments (maybe a rainbow, a butterfly, their favourite song and so on). It is a story of hope, faith and recovery of a young girl. It is a perfect book for both young adults and adults alike that stands as a reminder that life doesn’t wait for anyone. No matter how broken, hurt and in pain we are – life keeps moving on. It is how we decide to move with it that makes or breaks us.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Carol Weston has been the Dear Carol advice columnist at Girls’ Life since 1994. Her sixteen books include Ava and Pip, which the New York Times called “a love letter to language,” and Girltalk, which came out in a dozen languages. Speed of Life received starred reviews from Kirkus, PW, SLJ, and Booklist. Carol studied literature at Yale, graduating summa cum laude, and has an MA in Spanish from Middlebury. She lives in Manhattan. Visit her at www.carolweston.com.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 15, 2017

Cross The Family Gift off Your List with Enchanted Forest Observation Puzzle

Every Christmas holiday season, I begin the search for the perfect family gift (which I am sure so many of you do too). Every Friday night we try to have a family game night, it helps us unwind after a busy week and we can re-connect over friendly competition and team work. We get to hear about the kid’s week at school and we can tell them a little bit about our week. For an hour or two there is no thought about work, what needs to be done around the house or worry about driving to extra-curricular activities.

Not all family games are suited for bonding and unwinding. You need an activity that requires team work, encourages talking, has a goal and is not connected to an electronic (sorry for all you gamers!).

The Observation Puzzle Enchanted Forest fits all these must have requirements and more. The Enchanted Forest has 100 puzzle pieces to put together as a family. Once the puzzle has been put together around the edges are images of items that you will need to find inside the puzzle.

We had a lot of fun putting this puzzle together. While it is a 100 pieces, the puzzle pieces are on the medium size so that little hands can put the puzzle together with just enough difficulty to help them with their fine motor skills. The box includes a large poster of what the finished puzzle should look like which helps you fit the pieces together.

Once the puzzle was completed, your family can move onto the second challenge – find all the images on the outside white frame within the puzzle. Some of the images were easier to find while others really made you think. This was a great addition to this puzzle and added extra fun to this activity. You can even through some competition in this one – the person who finds the most items wins something special or gets to choose the family movie.

You can find more information on the Observation Puzzle Enchanted Puzzle on iLo307. The puzzle can be purchased at specialty toy stores and select book stores across Canada. The puzzle sells for $19.99 CDN.

What is your favourite product to purchase for a family gift?

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 15, 2017

Seeds of Hope Book Review

Seeds of Hope is a heartwarming tale of discovering love right in front of you.

About Seeds of Hope

Miriam Troyer has had a secret crush on Mark Byler since she was a teenager, but she knows they can never have a relationship: Mark is a big-city attorney and an Englischer. Her Amish community is too far removed from all he knows–and she loves her quiet way of life.

Mark has always loved his visits to his grandfather’s farm, but he’s convinced the Amish life isn’t for him. There’s so much of the world to see and experience, and the excitement of his successful law practice can’t be matched by the slow pace of life found back home in the country.

But when things go wrong and his firm distances itself from him to try to save themselves, Mark finds himself back at his grandfather’s farm. Could life in this simple world be worth living after all? Especially when the teenager he remembers has grown into a woman who could be his future. Suddenly, these two people whose lives seem so far apart may get a chance to really see each other for the first time.

My Thoughts

In Seeds of Hope, you have two individuals from opposite worlds that are connected through their friends, family but who are too worried about what the outside world would think if they were to ever act upon their friendship and budding feelings.

Miriam is a sweet, kind-hearted soul who dotes on her siblings and those in her community. She never asks for anything in return. She has tried to like the men in her Amish community but her heart has been stolen by Mark, who lives outside the Amish world. She begins to struggle with some of her teachings – how could love be wrong – and test the boundaries her Father has set for her.

Mark’s Father left the Amish community but he still has ties with his Grandfather. His one friend and defender in the community has always been Miriam. When his life is thrown upside down and he is left confused and questioning everything he has ever believed or done he heads back to his roots for guidance and hope.

Seeds of Hope is a beautiful story of hope, faith and pushing past old beliefs. It is about following your heart and allowing God to speak to you freely with you listening to him. While our past will always be there to guide us, it does not have to determine our future as these two learned. We can build and create a new future based on hope and love. This is a well written, sweet novel that I truly enjoyed reading.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Barbara Cameron has a heart for writing about the spiritual values and simple joys of the Amish. She is the best-selling author of more than 40 fiction and nonfiction books and three nationally televised movies, and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Her books have been nominated for Carol Awards and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award from RWA’s Faith, Hope, and Love chapter. Barbara resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.