Author: cvegnad

October 18, 2017

How to Turn Your Mom Into a Monster Book Review

Guess what: Mom can be a monster too! It’s up to you to make your mom’s monster come out to play!

About How to Turn Your Mom Into a Monster

Do you like smearing your lunch all over yourself? Do you fight with your sister just because she’s there? Do you find yourself unable to go to bed because mysterious ninjas keep stealing your pajamas? Then you’re a little monster! Guess what: Mom can be a monster too! It’s up to you to make your mom’s monster come out to play.

Our Thoughts

Have you ever read the title of a story and saw the front cover and knew that you were going to love it? Even better that your kids would love it too? This is that book!

We are forever teasing our boys that they have this special magic power that can turn us from nice, quiet parents into grumpy monsters. But it is way too hard to stay mad at them because they are so cute as they do naughty things. Or when they are driving us batty! Those sweet little smiles just can’t help but make us smile too.

This was an awesome book to read together as we could make silly voices and we would alternate turns reading the story. The plot of the story is fantastic and I am sure that both parents and children alike can relate to each page. For example, tooting in public and your child blaming you. Yup, we can definitely relate!

This is a laugh out loud book that is perfect for bed time and basically anytime during the day. Our boys were begging for more! Our youngest even added in his own suggestions for turning Mommy into a monster, boy were they good!

This book is in paperback format and done in bright colours, greens, oranges, purples and blues. The monsters were adorable (just like your child) and not scary at all which is great for all ages. The actual length of the book makes it great for reading any time of the day and the wording is perfect for reading out loud to your child or together. This book is a definite must have addition to your child’s personal library.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Aurora Whittet started out as a wild red-haired girl in Minnesota dreaming up stories for her friends to read. Today, she has completed Bloodmark, Bloodrealms, and Bloodmoon of the Bloodmark Saga trilogy, Mama’s Knight: A Cancer Story of Love, and How to Turn Your Mom into a Monster. She’s a national award-winning graphic designer in her day job. Aurora lives with her family in Minnesota.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

October 17, 2017

The Key to a Perfect Night Sleep: Your Pillow

We all know the awful affects that a rough night of sleep has on our body the next day. We are left feeling drained, irritable, exhausted and sometimes just unable to function the next day. When you add a family and the responsibilities of child care and work into the mix, it can be a disaster.

So how do we find and achieve that perfect night sleep?

The key is in your pillow!

You may be asking how and why your pillow helps with a great night sleep. How many times have you woken up with a stiff neck? A headache? Poor head and neck support during the night can cause a greater occurrence in these types of symptoms the next day. Poor sleep can also lead to increased pain throughout the day, irritability, exhaustion and difficulty dealing with stress. Combine this with young kids and it makes for a perfect storm, with usually your loved ones taking the brunt of it.

So what makes a perfect pillow?

Research has been done comparing traditional pillow design vs a roll pillow vs water based pillow and has actually found that a water based pillow is associated with improved quality of sleep and increased pain relief (research can be found in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cervical Pain).

Mediflow pillows are water based pillows that combine the water technology with the softness of a foam or down filled pillow. There are three versions of the Mediflow pillow: Fiberfill, Gel-Memory foam and down. The Floating Comfort pillow falls under the Fiberfill category and has an amazing ten-year warranty. Water based pillows work by the water adjusting and moving direction as your head moves during the night. This ensures your head always has the same amount of support no matter which way your body moves.

What I loved the most about the Floating Comfort pillow is that you can customize it to suit your needs. All of us need a different level of support while we sleep and that is okay. This design allows you to choose your level of support by the amount of water you add to the pillow. If you like a firmer pillow (which is me) then you add more water – softer pillow, use less water. The choice is truly yours as you decide your comfort level. I recommend filling it up with less first and then test it out to see if it works for you. Adding the water is simple, so you don’t have to worry that it will be difficult to go back to add more water. We filled it up with the recommended amount first, tried it out on the bed laying in different positions and ended up adding a bit more in after we tested it.

The pillow was soft to the touch which our youngest loved (of course he had to steal it from me on the first night!). On top of the water base is a layer of soft fabric that gives you that traditional pillow feel. This pillow is actually softer than the pillows we currently own! It is a bit heavier than our other pillows but that doesn’t affect sleep or how we used the pillow.

I fell in love with the Floating Comfort design, it was soft and provided the exact support I needed. I didn’t have to fold it in half to get the extra neck support and I wasn’t waking up constantly throughout the night to adjust it (win win, right?). This is the perfect pillow for parents of young kids and babies who crave (and most definitely need!) a good nights sleep.

Make sure to follow Mediflow on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest news and more.

Disclosure: I received the Floating Comfort Pillow in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 17, 2017

First Crush, Last Love Book Review

Elizabeth McKenna’s latest novel, First Crush, Last Love, will have you remembering the angst of high school, the grief of a failed relationship, and the happiness of true love.

About First Crush, Last Love

Remember your first crush? How your heart raced and your cheeks flushed whenever you saw him? Jessie Baxter does, and it’s happening again. Ten years ago, despite her best efforts, Lee Archer wanted to be just friends. Now, he wants more, but Jessie’s still recovering from a psycho ex-husband. Can she learn to trust again and make her first crush into her last love?

Elizabeth McKenna’s latest novel will have you remembering the angst of high school, the grief of a failed relationship, and the happiness of true love.

My Thoughts

Do you remember your first crush? The way you felt and how you blushed and stammered? The way you felt that this person was going to be your forever love and that you couldn’t imagine your life without them. It truly is a magical and special feeling. Sometimes though that person can be your forever love and even when time separates you, when you meet them again – those feelings come rushing back.

This book touches on the crush and growing love that Jessie has for Lee. She loves and admires him but he is stuck in an unhealthy relationship with the most popular girl at school. He doesn’t allow himself to have a healthy relationship and I honestly feel this stems from his upbringing and childhood. Life was not easy for him growing up and I truly feel this is what causes him to make the decisions he does, to not have healthy relationships and to be afraid of one who would be healthy and positive for him. Instead he keeps Jessie as a best friend, close enough that he can count on her and have her in his life but never altering their dynamics.

Jessie on the other hand tries to move on from Lee but instead allows herself to enter into a hateful marriage. She wants so much to be love and doesn’t feel like she deserves it and doesn’t know what love feels like, that she accepts being treated awfully, physically, mentally and emotionally abused. Your heart breaks for her throughout the novel.

When the two have the chance to make things right between them, you can see them struggle with their own feelings of inadequacy, distrust and self-confidence. You want to make them give their heads a shake but also understand this is years of damage done to their esteem and self-love, that they need to move slowly and re-learn how to trust and have faith in another person. This is a truly beautiful story of hope, love and a second chance at first love again.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Elizabeth McKenna works as a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company. Though her love of books reaches back to her childhood, she had never read romance novels until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).

She had always wanted to write fiction, so she combined her love of history, romance and a happy ending to write Cera’s Place and Venice in the Moonlight. Her short story, The Gypsy Casts a Spell, is available for free on her site http://elizabethmckenna.com/. She hopes you will enjoy her first contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, as much as others have enjoyed her historical romances.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

October 17, 2017

Hope at Christmas Book Review

Nancy Naigle delivers a heartwarming Christmas story in Hope at Christmas that proves you can always go home again.

About Hope at Christmas

Sydney Ragsdale is looking for a fresh start far away from her controlling ex-husband and the self-doubt that has plagued her since the divorce. Returning to her childhood home in Hopewell, North Carolina is just what her soul needs. Praying some Christmas magic will follow her she moves with her daughter to a farmhouse that once belonged to her grandparents. While there Sydney finds solace working at The Book Bea, her favorite bookstore.

Single dad Kevin MacAlea, Mac to his friends, is the local high school history teacher and baseball coach. He is also the towns best kept secret―he has been playing Santa since his son was born twelve years ago. Mac loves the enchantment of the season and wants his son to share in his joy.

When a catastrophe forces The Book Bea to close before the end of the year, everyone in the small town is feeling the loss. While Sydney is already off-balance by the bad news, her ex-husband breaks a promise to their daughter that sends her running away and threatens the relationship that she has begun with Mac.

As Sydney and Mac try to figure out what their next steps are together they will soon discover that there’s always hope at Christmas.

My Thoughts

While Christmas can be a special time of faith, love and happiness, for others it can be a reminder of loss, hurt and pain. It can remind us of loved ones who have passed, relationships and marriages that have failed and may even darken depression.

In this story, Sydney is just recovering from her ex-husband’s unfaithfulness and their divorce. While he is off building a new life with his new wife, she is trying to pick up the pieces and help not only her daughter heal but herself as well. No easy task right? She does this with such grace and strength, I am actually quite proud of her. You do see her struggle at times but she is one amazing woman who tries to hold it together not only for herself but her daughter as well.

In this moment walks in Mac, the town’s Santa (but that is under cover!) and most eligible bachelor who also comes with a child package. His wife left him and their son when he was quite little and he has had to pick up the pieces and be both Mom and Dad. He does an amazing job at this and you can see the love and hope he has for the future. He falls for Sydney and wants to take that leap of faith with her but can understand and respect how hurt she still is. He has such a kind and good soul.

This was a beautiful story of hope, learning to trust again, recovering from a painful situation and moving into the future. All of this can be difficult but when you find a person who helps you want to be better, appreciates you for you and wants you to continue to grow is an important thing. I couldn’t put this book down!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and SMP Romance.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author NANCY NAIGLE whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing,
and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she currently calls North Carolina home. Nancy is the author of Christmas Joy.

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

October 17, 2017

The Christmas Cowboy Hero Book Review

New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant returns to Texas, where a small-town legend just might find the greatest gift of all in The Christmas Cowboy Hero.

About The Christmas Cowboy Hero

’Tis the season for ex-Navy SEAL Clayton East to come home for the holidays―even if the mood at home is anything but festive. His father is ill. The East Ranch is in financial trouble. And now it’s on Clayton, the prodigal son, to make sure his family doesn’t lose everything

Headstrong Abby Harper is like a mother to her younger brothers, who she’s helped raise since she was a teenager. Keeping them in line is no small task while she’s also working toward her college degree. And now that one of her brothers has been arrested for stealing cattle at the East Ranch, Abby is at her wits’ end. But there is a silver lining: Clayton East. He believes in second chances, and is willing to give one to her brother this Christmas. Letting beautiful Abby―and the inescapable longing in his heart―off the hook, however, is a whole ’nother story. Could it be that the woman of this local hero’s dreams has been back at home all along?

My Thoughts

The Christmas Cowboy Hero is a fun, sexy read from start to finish.

In this novel, we have the dashing, exotic ex-Navy SEAL Clayton who has returned (not happily) to his family home. He has been trying to avoid returning home ever since the death of his older brother. He doesn’t want the responsibility and the family ranch, you definitely can feel there is quite a bit more to his reasoning then what he lets on. It isn’t until further into the novel that you learn more about the truth behind his brother’s death and why he ran away from his family the first chance he had.

Abby on the other hand has taken over the role of Mother and sister to her younger brothers. She has given up everything for them since the day their own Mother left. She goes without so that they can have the smallest of comforts. She is trying her best to the mental and emotional support they need but it is taking a toll on her. When her brother is caught stealing from Clayton’s family farm, the two are forced together.

Clayton sees something in her brother and wants to give him that second chance that he needs and no one has given him. Abby is beyond grateful – the thought of her brother going to jail is too much for her to bear. They begin to work on his family ranch and sparks quickly fly between the two.

You can feel how much the pair want to let go and trust each other but they are always holding a part of themselves back as both are scared to fully let go. They don’t believe they deserve love and a relationship and this really does hurt both of them and their future. You can see it will take something big for them both to learn that they are in this together, to have faith in each other and their love and to let that guide them.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and SMP Romance.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s written more than thirty novels spanning multiple genres of romance including the bestselling Dark King stories, Dark Craving, Night’s Awakening, and Dawn’s Desire. Her acclaimed series, Dark Warriors, feature a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children, a dog, and four cats in Texas.

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