Book review: "Pastors' Wives" by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen

I just finished reading "Pastors' Wives" by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. I finished the book, BUT I was seriously offended by this book as a whole.

I understand that this is a fiction book. However, it was extremely difficult for me to read it as fiction because I am a pastor's wife. I felt like this book shed a very negative light on pastors' wives and that was hard to stomach from my perspective.

The three pastors' wives in this book seem to be drama magnets and that's what the entire book centers around. I feel like that is not an accurate representation of pastors' wives. As a pastor's wife, I do whatever I can to stay out of the limelight and not attract drama. I also did not care for the fact that the senior pastor's wife had so much control at the church (this stems from my personal religious beliefs as a LCMS Lutheran).

I could list many more "issues" that I had with this book, but that's not the point. If you are able to read this book strictly as fiction, then you will likely enjoy it. If, like me, it hits closer to home, then it will more than likely not be as enjoyable for you (and may be slightly offensive).

Read more reviews and more about the author at the Litfuse website.

Enter Today - 5/2 - 5/23!
Through May 23, you can enter to win a free iPad Mini! Join the Facebook party on May 23 to see if you are the lucky winner.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: "It Happened at the Fair" by Deeanne Gist

While we were out of town for a week, I read the book "It Happened at the Fair" by Deeanne Gist. I don't read many historical fiction novels, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This is a very long book (about 400 pages), but I honestly read it fairly quickly. Once I got started, I was hooked into the story and couldn't wait to continue reading!

This story focuses on the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The main characters are a man and a woman. The man, Cullen McNamara, is an inventor who is showcasing his product at the Fair. The woman, Della Wentworth, is a teacher of the deaf who is at the Fair with her students. Of course, I am sure that I don't have to tell what happens by the end of the fair. ;)

This novel included so much fun information about the 1893 World's Fair - the descriptions were incredible and easy to imagine. If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend "It Happened at the Fair!".

Read more reviews and learn more about this book on Gist's Litfuse website.

Enter Today - 4/29 - 5/22!  

Through May 22, you can enter to win a free iPad Mini. Join the Live Webcast Book Chat on May 22 to find out if you won!

 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: "Mommy Time" devotional by Sarah Arthur

I recently began reading the devotional book "Mommy Time" by Sarah Arthur. Each devotional thought is very quick and easy to read. I have been reading one each night and that's working nicely for me, especially at this stage in my life!

I would definitely recommend this book for any mom, especially a new mom, as Arthur focuses more on a mom's life shortly after baby's birth.

You can learn more about Sarah Arthur and "Mommy Time" in her Q&A.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sign up to be a Purex Insider! {Test & keep products for free!}

If you are a blogger, Purex Insiders is currently accepting applications for new members!

I have been a part of this program for several years now and I love it! I have tested so many different products, including laundry detergent (lots of it!), household cleaners, ant bait, air fresheners, and more.

After you sign up, Purex Insiders will offer you new products to test. Once you sign up for a product test, they will mail the product to you. After testing the product, you need to write a review of the product on your blog within a certain time frame. Quite often, Purex Insiders will also include a few coupons for free products that you can give away to your readers!

If you would like to get an idea of the products available through Purex Insiders, check out my most recent review and giveaway (which is now closed).

If you are a blogger, I highly recommend signing up for Purex Insiders - it's a fantastic program!

{Closed} Review: Purex with Crystals and Purex Natural Elements laundry detergents {plus a giveaway!}

Update: This giveaway is now closed.

Today I have a extra-special double review AND giveaway for you! I recently had the opportunity to try out two new detergents by Purex:

Purex with Crystals fragrance (liquid detergent)

Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash (liquid detergent)

I always enjoying trying new laundry detergents and Purex has never let me down. These two new detergents were no exception to that!

The Purex with Crystals is Purex detergent with the addition of Crystals fabric softener. I don't normally use fabric softener, but will use it when I get it for free. I did enjoy having it already added to my laundry detergent. This Purex detergent also has the new "Dirt Lift Action," and it definitely cleaned our clothes very well.

The Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash detergent uses naturally-sourced ingredients. The Tropical Splash scent smells great, too! Again, this detergent also has "Dirt Lift Action" and I felt that it cleaned our clothes very well.

Once again, I was not disappointed with either of these Purex detergents and would highly recommend them!

Onto the giveaway!

Purex Insiders has provided me with three free product coupons for each of these two detergents. Both coupons expire at the end of 2014, so you have lots of time to use them!

Here are the details of this week's giveaway:

• There is a maximum of three entries per person.
• Mandatory entry - Answer this question in the form below: How many loads of laundry do you do during an average week?
• Optional entry - "Like" Our Frugal Happy Life on Facebook and check the box below in the form (or just check the box if you already do).
• Optional entry - "Like" the Purex Facebook page and check the box below in the form.
• This giveaway will close on Friday, April 19 at 7 PM CST.
• I will choose three winners - each will win one coupon for free Purex with Crystals AND one coupon for free Purex Natural Elements.
• Any comments left on this post or on Facebook will not count. You must use the form below.

Disclaimer: Purex Insiders provided me with a free bottle of Purex with Crystals and a free bottle of Purex Natural Elements so that I could review them. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: "Lead Your Family Like Jesus"

I recently read the book "Lead Your Family Like Jesus" by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges and Tricia Goyer. It took me way too long to read this book (my own fault), but I really enjoyed it! I have been slower with my reading since Hannah was born, but at least I am reading. :)

This was really a great book. It was packed with tons of practical advice and was very applicable to our family. After having Hannah seven weeks ago, I have quickly realized what a big responsibility we have as her parents! We need to lead our family in every way, so I will take all the help and support I can get.

Blanchard, Hodges and Goyer discuss how important it is to transform our hearts, heads, hands and habits as parents in order to lead effectively. They packed a lot of useful information in this book as they discuss this transformation.

I highly recommend this book for any parent!

Enter Today - 3/25- 4/16!
Read more reviews of this fantastic book over at Litfuse Publicity Group.

Disclaimer: A free copy of this book was provided to me by Litfuse Publicity Group and Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: "Fear, Faith and a Fistful of Chocolate" by Debora Coty

I recently read "Fear, Faith and a Fistful of Chocolate" by Debora Coty. This was an interesting book that did not take me too long to read.

While I did feel like this book had plenty of practical advice in it, I did not care for the book overall. Coty's writing style was a little strange and often, it seemed like it was too conversational. When I read most books, I expect a high quality writing style (with some sense of formality) and this book just didn't utilize that style.

From a Christian standpoint, I was also bothered by Coty's use of the name "Papa God," which she obviously used for God. This seemed unnecessary to me and quite odd. I also did not care for the many different Bible translations from which she quoted. She used translations such as the Contemporary English Version (CEV), New Living Translation (NLT) and the Message. None of these versions translate the Bible close to its original languages and unfortunately, this means that often the true, original meaning of a verse is lost in favor of a contemporary version.

This was an interesting book and certainly contained helpful, practical advice and insight, but unfortunately, these other concerns of mine made the book less enjoyable.

Enter Today - 2/14 - 3/6!
Through March 6, you can enter to win a Kindle in celebration of the release of this new book. Then join the Facebook party on March 7 to connect with Debora and see if you win the Kindle!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of "Fear, Faith and a Fistful of Chocolate" from Litfuse Publicity Group for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review: "Miracle for Jen" by Linda Barrick

This week, I read "Miracle for Jen," a true story by Linda Barrick. This is a fantastic, inspiring book!

Linda writes about the tragic car accident that nearly claimed the lives of their entire family. Miraculously, God spared all of their lives that night - but led them down a long and difficult road. Their experience on this road created an inspiring testimony that they now share with millions of people through public speaking, the Internet, and now this book.

Linda's daughter Jen (age 15 at the time of the accident) suffered an extensive and traumatic brain injury. Doctors gave the family almost no hope for her survival, but God was with Jen during her long road to recovery. While she is not completely back to "normal" (and never will be), the Barrick family (especially Jen!) is okay with this - and even embraces it. Their entire story is extremely inspiring and provides a wonderful testimony of God's amazing healing power.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Miracle for Jen from Tyndale House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing it. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Ghirardelli Valentine's Day treat box

I recently received a Valentine's Day treat box from Ghirardelli. Just like last time, I was definitely excited to get this package in the mail!

The package contained a few different Ghirardelli products:

• Milk Chocolate & Strawberry
• Dark Chocolate & Strawberry
• Sublime White Vanilla Dream

I have to say that while I enjoyed all three of these Ghirardelli products, the Milk Chocolate & Strawberry was by far my favorite! The strawberry filling was excellent and paired so well with Ghirardelli milk chocolate.

I definitely love my chocolate, so you won't find me turning it away - and these yummy treats were no exception. :)

Disclosure: Ghirardelli provided me a free box of chocolates. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: "God Gave Us Easter" by Lisa Tawn Bergren

I recently reviewed the book "God Gave Us Easter" by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Since we are expecting our first baby (any day!), I was excited to review a children's book as we are attempting to build a children's library.

I thought this was a great children's book! It told the story of Easter in a beautiful way - and in a way that would make sense to a small child.

I appreciated that Bergren addressed the Easter Bunny. She reminds children that he is like Santa - The Easter Bunny reminds us of "gifts and happy surprises," but God is the One who gives us Easter. I also appreciated that Bergren intertwined a number of other Bible stories into this book and made connections to Easter with each one.

"God Gave Us Easter" has earned a place on our bookshelf and I look forward to reading it to our daughter.

WaterBrook Press is offering a free Easter coloring sheet to go along with this book. You can also learn more about author Lisa Tawn Bergren by visiting her website.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Book Review: "Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska" by Tricia Goyer & Ocienna Fleiss

I recently had the opportunity to read and review "Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska" by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss.

I really enjoy reading fiction books and this book definitely worked for me! I had not read anything by Tricia Goyer prior to this book, but I have heard so many good reviews about her writing. In fact, a number of her other books are actually on my 2013 Reading List!

For the first few chapters of "Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska," I did find myself a bit confused. The story switches between present time and events in history (told in the form of letters between people), and I had a difficult time keeping the two stories separate when I first started reading.

Eventually, though, the stories began to make more sense...and by the end of the book, the two sets of stories were intertwined in a way that definitely made sense to me.

The authors did a great job of intertwining faith throughout this book and encouraging readers to trust God and His plans for them. I would certainly encourage you to read this fantastic book by Goyer and Fleiss!

Enter Today - 1/21-2/11!
See more reviews of "Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska" at this link. You can also enter to win a special Glacier Bay Prize Pack. The prize will be given away on February 12 during an author chat on Facebook.

Disclaimer: A free copy of this book was provided to me by Litfuse Publicity Group, for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

{Closed} 20 Mule Team Borax Review + Giveaway {three winners!}

Update: This giveaway is now closed.

 

As a Purex Insider, I recently had the opportunity to review 20 Mule Team Borax.

 

I have never used Borax in my life, so I had some learning to do for this one! For this review, I used Borax as a laundry booster, but it can also be used as a multi-purpose household cleaner.

 

One thing I really like about Borax is that is 100% natural mineral - sodium tetraborate. Borax is meant to soften water, so it works best in homes that have hard water. Truthfully, I am not sure what kind of water we have here - we are on a well, but the condo association has a fantastic water filtration system.

 

Using Borax is easy - just add a half cup to every load of laundry to help improve your detergent's cleaning power and help keep stains from being re-deposited back onto your clothes.

 

After using 20 Mule Team Borax on our laundry for two weeks in a row, I am not certain that it really helped improve my detergent's cleaning power. Unfortunately, I found that the Borax powder left a residue on our clothes after washing, although that residue seemed to mostly "disappear" after drying for about ten minutes (I air dry and then "fluff" in the dryer).

 

That said, it certainly didn't harm our clothes and there's always the possibility that our clothes really are cleaner now and I just don't know it! I'd also like to try using 20 Mule Team Borax as a household cleaner because I think that could be a great way to use it!

 

 

Purex Insiders provided me with three coupons to give away to you! Each coupon is valid for a free box of 20 Mule Team Borax. The coupons don't expire until the end of September, so you have plenty of time to use them.

 

Here are the details of the giveaway:

• There is a maximum of three entries per person.
• Mandatory entry - Answer this question in the form below: Have you ever used Borax before?
• Optional entry - "Like" Our Frugal Happy Life on Facebook and check the box below. (or check the box below if you are already a fan.)
• Optional entry - Leave a comment on 20 Mule Team Borax's Facebook page. Check the box in the form below if you do this.
• This giveaway will close on Saturday, January 26 at 7:00 PM CST.
• I will choose three winners - each will win a coupon for a free box of 20 Mule Team Borax.
• Any comments left on this post or on Facebook will not count. You must use the form below.

Borax is also running the "Fresh Year, Fresher Laundry" sweepstakes on Facebook right now! You can enter to win the grand prize of $1,500 or one of 171 coupons - each for a free box of Borax.

Disclaimer: Purex Insiders provided me with a free bottle of 20 Mule Team Borax so that I could review it. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Dial holiday foaming hand soap

Recently, we received two bottles of Dial holiday foaming hand soap from Purex Insiders. These soaps are awesome!

My husband told me, "I want to wash my hands twice just so I can keep smelling that soap!"

Truthfully, I don't even know exactly what scent it is, but that doesn't even matter to me because these soaps smell wonderful! All I know is that the bottles are filled with Dial Complete antibacterial foaming hand soap - and it smells amazing.

Honestly, we normally use homemade foaming hand soap (made with Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild castille soap), so we aren't used to scented soap anymore. But this scented holiday foaming hand soap is definitely a nice change for us!

The holiday design of the bottles also adds a nice festive touch to our home. It will be great to have this in our guest bathroom as we are expecting a number of visitors over the next several weeks!

Disclaimer: Purex Insiders provided me with two free bottles of Dial Holiday Foaming Hand Soap. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: 10 Secrets to Life's Biggest Challenges by Peter Lord

Just this week, I finished reading "10 Secrets to Life's Biggest Challenges" by Peter Lord and Kent Crockett.

I really enjoyed this book and felt that it had quite a bit of practical advice in it. Lord discusses challenges such as temptations, relationships, conflict, managing money, submitting to authorities, and more. I know that I certainly face all of those challenges in my life! I appreciated the advice that Lord offered throughout his book.

I also enjoyed the fact that Peter Lord used a Biblical basis for his advice and thoughts. I'd encourage you to read this book for practical advice on the issues you may face throughout life.

If you would like to receive review copies of books, you can sign up with Bethany House, too!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of 10 Secrets to Life's Biggest Challenges from Chosen Books, a division of Baker Puiblishing Group. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book review: "The Bridesmaid" by Beverly Lewis

I recently read "The Bridesmaid" by Beverly Lewis. I have enjoyed all of Lewis' books and this one was no exception!

Lewis is an exceptional fiction writer and I really enjoy her series that focus on the Amish lifestyle. There is certainly something to be said for the "Plain life" and its benefits. This book tells the story of Joanna Kurtz and her quest to find her husband. The book kept me guessing the entire time, but has a fantastic ending (of course!).

This is Book 2 in the series and I am definitely looking forward to Book 3!

To view the book trailer for "The Bridesmaid," head over to You Tube to watch it.

If you would like to receive review copies of books, you can sign up with Bethany House, too!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of The Bridesmaid from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Enter to win free Purex + Oxi detergent!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a free bottle of new Purex + Oxi liquid laundry detergent!

There are three coupons up for grabs - each for a free bottle of this new Purex liquid detergent. Click over to this post to fill out the form and be entered to win!

*You must click over to the original post in order to enter.

Giveaway closes on Monday at 3 PM CST.

Enter to win free Purex + Oxi laundry detergent! {3 winners}

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a free bottle of new Purex + Oxi liquid laundry detergent!
There are three coupons up for grabs - each for a free bottle of this new Purex liquid detergent. Click over to this post to fill out the form and be entered to win!

*You must click over to the original post in order to enter.

Giveaway: Free Purex + Oxi laundry detergent

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a free bottle of new Purex + Oxi liquid laundry detergent!

There are three coupons up for grabs - each for a free bottle of this new Purex liquid detergent. Click over to this post to fill out the form and be entered to win!

*You must click over to the original post in order to enter.

{Closed} Purex + Oxi Review and Giveaway {three winners}

Update: This giveaway is now closed.

I recently had the opportunity to test Purex's new laundry detergent, Purex + Oxi. I always enjoy testing laundry detergent!

I do like Purex detergent and this new detergent certainly didn't let me down. It cleaned our clothes very well, rinsed out well, and smelled nice (without being obnoxious).

I'd highly recommend this new detergent from Purex - you will not be disappointed, I assure you!

And just for fun, Purex Insiders provided me with three coupons to give you - each for a free bottle of new Purex + Oxi detergent! These coupons don't expire until the end of 2013, so you will have plenty of time to use them.

Here are the details of the giveaway:

• There is a maximum of three entries per person.
• Mandatory entry - Answer this question in the form below: Describe your laundry routine (one sentence is fine!). 
• Optional entry - "Like" Our Frugal Happy Life on Facebook and check the box. (or check the box if you are already a fan)
• Optional entry - Leave a comment on Purex's Facebook page.
• This giveaway will close on Monday, November 12 at 3:00 PM.
• I will choose three winners - each will win a coupon for a free bottle of Purex + Oxi laundry detergent.
• Any comments left on this post or on Facebook will not count. You must use the form below.

Purex is also running a sweepstakes where you can enter to win $6,000 in prizes! One lucky winner will win $2,500 and twenty five second place winners will each win $25.

Disclaimer: Purex Insiders provided me with a free bottle of the new Purex + Oxi detergent so that I could review it. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book review: "When to Speak Up and When to Shut Up" by Dr. Michael Sedler

I recently had the opportunity to read the book "When to Speak Up and When to Shut Up" by Dr. Michael Sedler.

I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend reading it. Sedler has plenty of great advice about learning when to speak up and when to be silent. He backs up everything he says with Biblical principles, which I really appreciate.

The principles Sedler recommends can be applied to relationships in any life situation...work, home, social gatherings, etc. I firmly believe that it is important to learn when to open one's mouth and when to keep it shut!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of When to Speak Up and When to Shut Up from Chosen Publishers. The opinions expressed here are my own.