April 19, 2016
Stop The Sibling War In Its Tracks
“It’s my turn!” “You picked last time” “I hate that show” “I’m telling, MOM!!!”
How many of you have heard these lines during a sibling war with what feels like a continuous struggle when it comes to picking something to watch, either a movie or television show? For our family, it feels like a constant struggle to balance what I lovingly refer to as the sibling war.
Our two boys are seven years apart, which was not really by choice. We tried for many years for a second child and it just didn’t seem to be happening. When we finally fell pregnant, it was such a surprise! Our eldest was so excited to be a big brother finally and when that day came, he was definitely (and still is) the best big brother.
The balloon popped when our youngest learned that he too gets to watch all of the shows he wants to watch and learned how to choose them using the remote (like seriously how do kids learn how to use that remote so quickly?!!). The problem? He wanted to watch preschool theme shows and his older brother was horrified at the thought, which I can’t quite relate to as I love cartoons and give me Paw Patrol and cartoons any day!
So how do we make this work?
We have tried many methods which includes rotating movie nights, keeping track of who chooses the next movie on a calendar and even rock, paper, scissors! Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how fair you keep it someone always ends up with tears.
The only good thing out of this is that Netflix gets the sibling wars (I wonder how many of them struggle weekly at home with their own kids??) and have created a unique way to bridge the age gap and make everyone happy. With three unique playlists that are geared to a broad age group, you will find movies and shows that will make every child happy.
These three unique playlists are:
- A Tale of Two Distant Ages (our number two choice)
- Sugar and Spice
- Meet in the Middle (our go to playlist)
While it will never be perfect, coping with these tricks sure does make life that much easier at home (especially since summer break is around the corner!). How do you tame the sibling war?
Disclosure: I am a Netflix StreamTeam Member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 18, 2016
Spring Into $260 Cash Giveaway
Spring Into Cash Giveaway
Who is ready for spring?
We sure are! Jen from Ninjamommers.com, Kelly from Citymom.ca and a group of fabulous Canadian bloggers have come together to bring you a chance to win $260 PayPal cash! Because what better way is there to celebrate the beautiful weather than with some extra spending money in your pocket. Maybe update the patio sets, a new barbecue, new clothes – the possibilities are endless. I know I would definitely upgrade my non-existent patio set in order to lay out in the backyard more (hint-hint hubby dear!).
So if you are ready to win $260 USD cash, scroll a little bit lower to the entry form and get those entries in.This giveaway is open worldwide so spread the word using the hashtag #SpringIntoCash and let’s celebrate together the coming of the nice weather with a giveaway. Good luck friends!!!
Giveaway is open to Worldwide. All entries will be verified. Winner will be contacted via email when giveaway has ended. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen. Once winner is confirmed, the winner will be announced via this form. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media Network including PayPal.
April 18, 2016
Ruth Reid’s ‘A Dream of Miracles’ Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Facebook Party
When a suspicious outsider with a shadowy past comes crashing into Amish widow Mattie’s fragile world, can she learn to love again? Find out in Ruth Reid’s new book, A Dream of Miracles.
When Mattie and Bo cross paths, all signs point to disaster. Yet as they face a crucible of trials and tragedies together, longings begin to stir that seem destined only to end in more heartbreak. Is a miracle possible—not only of healing but of forbidden love? What secrets lie in Bo’s dreams? And will Mattie find the courage to face her uncertain future . . . or will she simply run away?
Ruth is celebrating the release of A Dream of Miracles with a Kindle Fire HD 6 giveaway (details below) and an author chat party on May 3!
One grand prize winner will receive:
- One copy of A Dream of Miracles
- A Kindle Fire HD 6
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 5/3. The winner will be announced at A Dream of Miracles Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Ruth and other fans of Amish fiction, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!
RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 3rd!
April 18, 2016
The Winemakers Spotlight Tour
When Caterina Rosetta inherits a cottage in the countryside of Italy from a grandmother she’s never known, she discovers a long-buried family secret — a secret so devastating, it threatens the future of everything her mother has worked for.
About The Winemakers
1956: When Caterina Rosetta inherits a cottage in the countryside of Italy from a grandmother she’s never known, she discovers a long-buried family secret — a secret so devastating, it threatens the future of everything her mother has worked for.
Many years before, her mother’s hard-won dreams of staking her family’s claim in the vineyards of California came to fruition; but as an old murder comes to light, and Caterina uncovers a tragic secret that may destroy the man she loves, she realizes her happiness will depend on revealing the truth of her mother’s buried past.
From author Jan Moran comes The Winemakers, a sweeping, romantic novel that will hold you in its grasp until the last delicious sip.
Where To Buy
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Chapters and Books A Million.
About the Author
Jan Moran is a Rizzoli bestselling and award winning author. She writes historical women’s fiction for St. Martin’s Press (Scent of Triumph, The Winemakers), contemporary women’s fiction (Flawless, Beauty Mark, Runway), and nonfiction books (Vintage Perfumes, Fabulous Fragrances). Her stories are smart and stylish, and written with emotional depth. Jan often draws on her international travel and business experiences, infusing her books with realistic details.
The Midwest Book Review and Kirkus have recommended her books, calling her heroines strong, complex, and resourceful. She likes to talk to readers at website and on social media. She lives in southern California and loves lattes and iced coffee, anything chocolate, and Whole Foods Double Green smoothies to balance it all out.
Connect with her on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
The Giveaway
Author Interview
How did you choose to write a book about wine?
As an artisanal agricultural craft often elevated to art and associated with luxury, winemaking shares many similarities with perfumery, which was the industry backdrop of my last historical novel, Scent of Triumph. And I hardly have to say that the research for The Winemakers was thoroughly enjoyable.
How did you conduct your research for The Winemakers?
I’ve always been fascinated by winemaking and the history wine in Italy and America. Long before I began writing The Winemakers, I had visited Tuscany and spent time in the wine regions of California: Napa and Sonoma valleys, the Russian River valley, Paso Robles, and Temecula. I called on winemakers and producers in the industry and had the pleasure of meeting with luminaries such as Mike Grgich, the legendary co-founder of Grgich Hills in Napa; MaryAnn and Larry Tsai, co-founders of Moone-Tsai wines; and Elizabeth Vianna, the winemaker for Chimney Rock in Stag’s Leap.
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
I often begin with the period of time and the industry I want to feature. At the center of the saga, I place a smart woman with an enormous, heartbreaking problem to solve. After that, the characters come to life in my mind and the story begins to spin itself.
Many books feature strong female protagonists. What is different about your writing?
My characters are highly multifaceted and readers tell me they readily identify with the women I write about. As women, we often juggle love, careers, children, parents, friends, businesses, and so much more. The characters I include are smart, savvy, and stylish, though perhaps untested in life. I like to follow characters who discover themselves and what they’re truly capable of. Resilience is also a common theme in my work—I believe we are all capable of great things, no matter what challenges life throws at us. I write from the heart and, like a method actor, I’m often crying or laughing as I write scenes.
What advice would you give budding writers?
Never give up on your dream. Everyone has a story, and that story deserves to be heard. Many people might not want a career in writing, but they do want to leave a legacy for their family. With today’s technology it’s easier than ever to do just that.
April 17, 2016
The Reflections of Queen Snow White
In The Reflections of Queen Snow White, what happens when happily ever after comes and goes?
About The Reflections of Queen Snow White
On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven’s wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven’s fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White’s own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing: the King is dead.
The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.
It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what “happily ever after” really means?
My Thoughts
Snow White was one of my favourite tales as a child and teen. I loved the innocence and underlying strength of Snow White. This story with Snow White begins many years after the childhood tale ends, with Queen Snow White facing the after effects of her husband’s death and her daughter Raven’s wedding.
Queen Snow White feels lost and alone. She finds no happiness in anything that used to bring her joy, not even with her own daughter’s wedding. She is struggling with her pain and instead of reaching out to others, she caves into her herself and suffers in silence. My heart broke for Queen Snow White just knowing the amount of pain she is going through. Her husband was her sole confident, the one person she could truly be herself with and her best friend. I think of my own husband and how close he is to me and I can’t even begin to imagine life without him. Your heart bleeds for her and you just want her to find the peace and strength we know is inside her and to heal the bond between her and her daughter, Raven.
It is in a state of loneliness and trying to hide from the guests that have in a way invaded her home, Queen Snow White finds herself climbing the stairs to her stepmother’s long forgotten rooms. Here she must face her past in her stepmother’s favourite object, a mirror. I loved how the mirror forced her to confront her pain and to look inside of herself, constantly reminding her that the mirror can only show her the truth not the way she remembers each memory. The story of Snow White makes her seems frail and dependent on her husband, when we see her through the eyes of the mirror we see a whole new picture. We see a strong young woman who has overcome pain and adversity and still sees the beauty in others. She suffered at the hands of her stepmother but instead of causing her to become a person who in turn does this to others, it makes her gentle, forgiving and righteous. I loved how we were guided through her life and those precious and terrifying moments in time, in order to watch her grow and understand her own strength and courage. Queen Snow White learns many valuable lessons throughout the novel, many of these lessons are ones that we all can easily forget in our own pain and even in our happiness. While my heart ached at times for Queen Snow White, I love how she slowly peels back the painful and happy memories in order to emerge a different woman throughout the novel. The story is beautifully written and is one I cherished from start to finish.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.
Rating: 4.5/5
About the Author
David Meredith is a writer and educator originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. He received both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City, Tennessee as well as a Tennessee State Teaching license. On and off, he spent nearly a decade, from 1999-2010 teaching English in Northern Japan, but currently lives with his wife and three children in the Nashville Area where he continues to write, teach English, and is pursuing his doctoral degree in educational leadership.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
