Little does Phoebe know that her father’s plans—for the sapphires and his daughter—are not what they seem. If you love historical fiction, romance, and adventure, don’t miss Tracie Peterson’s A Beauty Refined. When Phoebe meets Ian, everything changes. Yet the more he gets to know her, the more he realizes that her family story is based on a lie—a lie she has no knowledge of. And Ian believes he knows the only path that will lead her to freedom.
Join Tracie in celebrating the release of A Beauty Refined by entering to win her Precious Gems giveaway (details below) and by attending her author chat party on August 9!
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 8/9. The winner will be announced at A Beauty Refined Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Tracie and fellow fans of historical 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 9th!
I am very proud to live in Canada, we have been blessed to live in a country where we have freedom of speech, religion and a host of other rights that we tend to take for granted. Canadians have contributed a lot of amazing things to the world, from the discovery of insulin and stem cells to inventing basketball. What I am always surprised with is how many people don’t realize how much Canada has given to the world and how truly beautiful our country is.
Canadians have made a huge contribution to the entertainment industry from animation to production to actors. It is time to celebrate and educate our children on these achievements (yes Canada is much more than Timmies and hockey!). Here are the top entertainment picks sorted by production, animation and actors.
Canadian Animation Picks
Justin Time is a Canadian Animation on Netflix, where Justin and his imaginary friends travel the world learning about nature and other cultures (win win for parents right?).
The Magic School Bus is a Canadian- American animation that I am sure many of you, even adults, grew up with. How can you not love Ms. Frizzle and her crazy adventures in the Magic School Bus. There is so much for your little one to learn about in this great series.
Produced By Canadian Studios
Super Why is all about Wyatt and the Super Readers who solve problems by consulting classical stories.
Caillou, now I know not many people are a fan of him but I love this show as it teaches children about sharing, life skills and playing fair.
Filmed in Canada
Shadowhunters has to be one of my favourite new series (I am very impatiently waiting for the start of the second season). It is based on the book series but they do a fantastic job bringing the story to life and giving their own spin to this series.
Degrassi: Next Class was filmed in Toronto and is the next generation of teens as they navigate life and highschool.
Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days was filmed in Vancouver (who knew!) and is still after all this time a family favourite in our house. We loved the book series and they did a fantastic job bringing the books to life.
Some Assembly Required is filmed in Vancouver and is a huge hit for pre-teens. The series is about a fourteen year old who takes ownership of a toy shop. My kids love it but I am personally not a huge fan.
Canadians have a lot to be proud of and it is important to show our children the great achievements their fellow Canadians are making. Buy Canadian products, support our Canadian teams and choose Canadian films. Show that Canadian pride! What are your favourite Canadian films?
Disclosure: I am a #StreamTeam member and receive perks associated with this affilitation. All opinions expressed are my own.
Finally! Here is a proven, practical way to drink alcohol and lower your risk for problems in Party With A Plan.
About Party With A Plan
Up until now, there have been two primary messages when it comes to drinking alcohol. One is “just say no,” which for the majority of the population is not an option. The other is to “drink responsibly.” But what does that mean? If you ask five random people to define responsible drinking, you will most likely get five completely different answers. This invalidates the term because it can be defined in so many different ways. Party With A Plan gives a concise and research based formula that teaches people how to drink and lower their risk of negative consqeuences. It’s like creating a speed limit for drinking. If you stick to the speed limit, your chance of problems is minimal. However, the more you go over the speed limit, and the more often you go over the speed limit, the more you put yourself and others at risk. This book is long overdue!
Book Trailer
About the Author
Randy Haveson knows addiction. As an alcoholic in long-term recovery (May, 1984), he has dedicated his life to helping others make more empowered choices in their lives. He is a 25 year veteran in the substance abuse field with extensive experience as a counselor, Director of Health & Alcohol Education at highly accredited universities, and speaker on over 100 campuses, speaking about harm reduction, self-esteem, leadership, and supporting students in recovery. You can connect with Randy on his website, Twitter and Facebook.
Author Interview: Tips for Parents
What tips do you give parents on how to teach their kids about alcohol?
There are so many, but I can give you a few tips that are a good place to start. One, when it comes to drinking, it’s important to be a good role model for your kids. If they see parents use alcohol to “unwind” after a long day or they watch mom pour her “never ending glass of wine” while making and eating dinner, they will see alcohol as a coping mechanism. No matter what parents say, it will be what they do that will make the biggest impact.
That makes sense. Isn’t it a good idea to teach your kids how to use alcohol by giving them some when they’re young?
Actually, no. Studies show that the earlier people start drinking, the more potential they have for developing a problem later in life. I hear people say, “But in Italy they drink at a young age.” And my answer is, “We’re not in Italy.” Different cultures have different standards when it comes to drinking. Comparing one to another does not work. In Italy and France, alcohol is seen as a food. In the US, Canada, and most other countries, alcohol is used for entertainment. When a culture sees it as a food, there are significantly less problems associated with drinking. In countries where it is viewed as entertainment, there are many more problems.
What should parents look for if they suspect their child is using drugs or drinking?
First of all, ask them. See how defensive they get. The more defensive, the more concern. Some other signs are: a change in friends, dropping grades, disinterest in things that used to interest them, excessive coughing or sniffling (like they always have a cold), more secretive, and less eye contact. Search their room for paraphernalia (the sock drawer or a shoe box in the closet are common hiding spots). If you suspect something, check it out. Don’t think, “Maybe the problem will go away.” It won’t.
Where can parents get more information on this topic?
I list resources on my website and I am creating a new video series for parents that will give them more tips on how to lower the risk of their kids getting in trouble with alcohol or other drugs. And my newest book, Party with a Plan-The Women’s Edition, was written to address issues that are specific to women when it comes to alcohol.
Kids love electronics! They can’t keep their hands off of them, especially in our home. While we do have set agreements around screen time based on their age, we do encourage both boys to use the iPad. We like to look for apps for our iPad that are educational, fun and age appropriate. We recently downloaded KidloLand Nursery Rhyme app from the Apple store for our youngest son who is four and have been very happy with our experiences with this app.
What Is KidloLand?
KidloLand is designed for children from 0-5 years of age, making it very user-friendly especially for this young age group. The app contains over 260 rhymes and educational songs, as well as over 100 games and activities to keep your child occupied. The songs are educational and help your child learn their ABCs, animals, fruits and more. The activities help children with cognitive skills and hand/eye co-ordination.
Fun, great graphics and music can sum up this app in one sentence. Our four-year old son had no problem navigating through the app to choose a song that he wanted to listen to or to switch to an activity to play. The graphics were fantastic and colourful which really helped to draw our son into the song and keep his attention (which can be a tough job sometimes!). The songs all had the words play out on the bottom and were highlighted as they sang the words. I really loved this idea – not only was he hearing the song but he was also seeing the words pop up on the screen to help with word recognition.
The activities were engaging and he really enjoyed them. I loved how they helped with fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination.
The KidloLand app is a win-win for both parents and children alike! They will love the songs and graphics and you will appreciate the learning and skills that your child will develop.
Miracles are everywhere…Goodness…Showing up in the strangest of ways from people who are just passing us by…Miracles are love…Miracles are God and God is forgiveness..(Miracles From Heaven)
When we think of miracles, we sometimes think of incredible, unexplainable incidents that have happened. While this is definitely one version of a miracle, everyday we are witness to many little smaller miracles that help to make this world a better place. We just sometimes tend to pass them by without second glance.
I think of my own life and how my life has been touched by strangers, and it makes it easy for me to believe in daily miracles. I still remember receiving a phone call at the gym that my childhood dog had passed away and I broke down crying on the machine. I couldn’t function to even walk away from the machine; all I could do was cry and try to hide my tears from others. One woman, whom I did not know, came up to me with a box of Kleenex and gave me a squeeze on the arm before walking away. At that moment, her act of compassion gave me the strength I needed. Another time, after my car accident three years ago, I had an incredibly difficult time forgiving myself for spinning out on the ice and damaging the car. It became so bad that I could not function with daily tasks at home and at work. I was angry, frustrated and depressed. When I went to Church one Sunday morning and sat down in the pews, there were olive leaves placed by the song books. I don’t know who had left them (there were no olive leaves anywhere else in the Church), nor why they chose that spot, but that was a sign to me that God forgave me and that I needed to forgive myself. I still carry that branch (with much fewer leaves on it) in my new car to this day, as a reminder to forgive not only others but myself.
In Miracles from Heaven we witness Anna, a young and active girl, who one day becomes very unwell. Her parents take her to multiple doctors who give a variety of medical opinions, none of which turn out to be correct. Her parents hit their final straw while in the emergency department again and demand the doctors rerun tests. It is then that they discover she has a rare disorder that causes her not be able to digest food properly. Her life and the life of her family is turned upside down as they struggle to understand and treat her disease while travelling back and forth from specialists and managing daily life. We learn how serious this disease really is and the possibility of Anna dying is very real.
My children are my greatest miracles. They are a gift from God to me and I still remember the day they came into this world. I remember the moment they were placed in my arms, wet and screaming and how utterly amazing they were in that moment. After suffering through six miscarriages, I knew how precious life was. While watching Miracles From Heaven, all I could think about was my own children and how painful this must have been for their family (the movie is actually based on the true story and memoir of Christy Beam: Miracles from Heave: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven and Her Amazing Story of Healing) and how frustrated and angry they must have been. We watch as Christy struggles with her faith in God and her faith in others as she tries her best to do anything to keep her child alive. I know so many parents can relate to this as we would do anything for our children regardless of the cost. We watch as the family struggles to keep their faith alive while facing the realities of the disease and the possibility of Anna’s death. Anna’s Father desperately tries to hold the family together so that Christy can be with Anna in another State for treatment.
In those moments of despair in the movie, I loved how an act of kindness would emerge. We don’t always see the full act of kindness until the last scene, but there were so many people who helped lift the family up, carry them in their worst moments and give them hope. From the random kindness of a waitress who offered a personal tour of the city to Anna and Christy, to the receptionist who broke protocol and helped Christy, these moments make this movie that much greater. We are not individuals living separate lives, we are all connected by love and hope. These scenes helped to drive this home for us. It is also helped our family to appreciate how many times our own lives have been unknowingly touched by strangers and we have been left better for it.
Miracles from Heaven has a stellar cast including my personal favourite actors; Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah. Jennifer Garner plays Anna’s Mom perfectly. We could feel her pain, her love, her hope and her despair through the screen. You felt as though you were Anna’s Mom. You cried and laughed along with her and you felt each emotion deeply (be prepared with the box of tissues beforehand!). You want to hold Christy and tell her it will be okay and offer her your help. On the flip side, we have Queen Latifah who offers up her unique ability to make you laugh and smile in the hardest moments. Her character comes in at a dark point for Anna’s Mom and helps her believe again. She becomes an incredibly important person in Anna’s life and it all started in a small restaurant with the kindness of Queen Latifah’s character, as she waited on tables.
Miracles from Heaven is an incredible, inspiring movie of faith, hope, family, and how everyday little miracles make the world a better place. You will cry, you will laugh, but you will also finish the movie feeling inspired and hopeful. It is a movie that you can enjoy as a family, or even appreciate once the children go to bed. For me, it reminded me of how blessed we are as individuals and as a family, to never take this for granted, and to always help others. Our actions, while they may seem small, may be the greatest gift we can give another person.
