The Low Pressure Guide to Parenting Your Preschooler

The Low-Pressure Guide to Parenting Your Preschooler is brilliantly written to liberate parents from the expectations of having to be super-parents. It relieves the pressure to follow long lists of rules, to be perfect, and to be enslaved by the idea that, “If you don’t do this, your kids will turn out terribly.” This book shows parents that it’s really not their job to make sure their child turns out “right.” Instead, the author encourages parents to learn the much simpler and more rewarding role God has for them. This book . . .

Assists parents in recognizing the difference between controlling and influencing actions when it comes to raising preschoolers.
Provides a four-quadrant grid that visually clarifies what parents can and can’t control and what they are and aren’t responsible for when it comes to interacting with their child
Distills the mountain of parenting advice and material down to four overarching principles that are clear and doable

The Low-Pressure Guide to Parenting Your Preschooler makes the job of parenting simpler and reduces the stress parents feel when it comes to parenting.

My thoughts: We put so many pressures on ourselves when parenting, since we want what we think is best for our kids and hope that they will turn out perfect. This book was an excellent reminder for me that we are all imperfect creatures, but that God knows that about us and loves us anyways. So, I, as a parent, need to have some grace for both myself and my children. This book has so many excellent points. I really needed to read this one! I appreciated the reminder not to get caught up in the small details, but to enjoy this phase. The good, the bad, and the ugly.;) This book is not about letting your kid run amok, but about learning what is important and what can be let go. I highly recommend this book for parents of preschoolers!
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Take Ten: favorites from a specific genre

I figured I would feature my very favorite Christian historical fiction, since I seem to read a fair bit of it.;)

1. A Haven on Orchard Lane


2. An Elegant Facade


4. Chivalrous


5. Harvest of Rubies


6. Anchor in the Storm


7. The Reluctant Duchess


8. A Refuge at Highland Hall


9. The Sea Keeper's Daughter


10. Maggie Bright

A Lady Unrivaled

White Is Quickly Becoming the Top Name in Edwardian Romance

Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile--even if it's just in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows very well the danger that has haunted her brother and their friend, and she won't wait for it to strike again. She intends to take action . . . and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds, then so much the better.
Lord Cayton has already broken two hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could convince himself to love her. Now he's determined to live a better life. But that proves complicated when old friends arrive on the scene and try to threaten him into a life of crime. He does his best to remove the intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won't budge. How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her--and his daughter--from those dangerous people who seem ready to destroy them all?

My thoughts: Wow! I was thrilled to get this book and had a hard time not wanting to just stay up all night and read through Ella's story.;) As it was, I still managed to read through it fairly quickly, and then was sad for the Ladies of the Manor series to be at an end. I would love for the characters to make and appearance in some of Roseanna's upcoming stories.;)
This story is a wonderful conclusion to the series. I loved Ella's character and how she is so full of joy! It was also delightful to get to know Lord Cayton, after his being on the fringe of the previous stories. The historical aspect is rich and I love that there is more going on with the secondary characters.
I highly recommend this book, but also suggest that you start at the beginning of the series, since they definitely entwine and add as the series progresses. Not to mention, they are all just wonderful, so you will want to read all three.;)
I received this book from the author and Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Home on the Range

Can the brother left behind and a woman without hope work together for the good of two precious children?

Nick Stafford stayed in central Washington, working his family’s large ranch after his brothers left to pursue other passions—but his toughest job is being a single dad. As a child he watched his father fail at marriage and parenting, so Nick was determined to show him up. He’d be a better husband, father, and ranch manager than Sam Stafford ever was. Despite that commitment, three years after Nick’s wife left him, he has a daughter in trouble at school and both of his girls are facing issues that force him to rethink his stubborn plans.

For Dr. Elsa Andreas, life fell apart when tragedy caused her to abandon her family therapy practice and retreat to the backwoods of Gray’s Glen. Her school principal sister believes Elsa can guide the Stafford girls and that working with kids will draw Elsa out of her protective bubble.

Summer on the Double S teems with life and adventure. Amid the bounty of God and land, will Nick and Elsa find the courage to build futures based on faith rather than fear?
About the Author
Ruth Logan Herne has more than a million books in print, including eighteen Love Inspired contemporary novels and Back in the Saddle, Book 1 in the Double S Ranch series. Ruth is a founding member of Seekerville, a popular writing collective blog. A country girl who loves the big city, Ruth and her husband live on a farm in upstate New York.

My thoughts: I have been eagerly awaiting this story ever since finishing the first book in the series, which was about Nick's brother, Colt. This story didn't disappoint! Ruth weaves a wonderful story of loss and healing, hope and love. Her characters are richly portrayed, making this story feel like coming home and catching up with old friends. Two thumbs up!
I received this book from blogging for books in exchange for my honest review.

Make it Zero

"When we correct the factors that keep children at risk, we can make a difference in the lives of those children and the adults they'll grow up to be." - Mary Frances Bowley

Children are meant to imagine bright futures and then chase them. But for the millions of at-risk children in America, this is nearly impossible, because trauma clouds their lives like a heavy fog, and in that fog they lose their hope. Make it Zero is a call to bring it back to them.

Tying shocking statistics to real stories, Make it Zero explores various forms of childhood vulnerability and offers specific ways for everyone to help end it-for good. It reveals the world of opportunity behind a single moment of compassion, and it teaches us that when we help the hopeless dream again, we ourselves come more alive.

This book is for everyone. It's for moms of children they love. It's for men who are protective of those they care about. It's for anyone who lives in a community where there are children. It's for college students and nurses and bus drivers and grandparents and aunts and uncles. The bottom line is this: if one child in America is unsafe and unprotected, then they're all at risk.

Each of us is only one person, but one person determined to act is powerful. Moments can multiply into movements and create groundswells of change. Make it Zero is your moment. To be inspired. To be empowered. To join the movement of restoring hope to every child.

My thoughts: This book is incredibly! It has so many stories to set the reader on fire to change the world and help make it a better place for children of all ages. I really appreciated all the resources included, since it is easy to get all fired up to do something, only to feel at a loss and not move forward to actually help. This book will make sure you won't have an excuse. A must for those who work in ministries, schools, hospitals, or have children of their own. Basically, I think everyone should read this book.
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

God made the sun/ God made the Moon

An engaging die-cut board book that introduces little ones to the concept of sunlight and daytime

God Made the Sun is a celebration of God's gift of daytime to the world. Beginning with the first rays of sunlight and moving through the day, this book reminds little ones that God's love shines on us just as the sun shines on the earth. With its lyrical rhythm, sweet illustrations, and novelty die-cut feature, the book will serve as a welcome reminder of God's presence in our lives.


An engaging die-cut board book that introduces little ones to the concept of moonlight and nighttime

God Made the Moon is a celebration of God's gift of nighttime to the world. Beginning with the first sleepy yawn and ending with a bedtime prayer, this book reminds little ones that God's love shines on us just as the moon shines on the earth. With its lyrical rhythm, sweet illustrations, and novelty die-cut feature, the book will be a welcome addition to any child's bedtime rituals.

My thoughts: My daughter is in love with this set of board books! She loves to have them read to her, in part because of the colorful pictures and also because of the die cut to the pages. I think she likes that the sun or moon shrinks and is on each page. I enjoy the lyrical text and that one features a girl, while the other one has a boy, making them perfect for my daughter and son!
I received these books from Worthy in exchange for my honest review.

Priceless

The powerfully compelling novelization of the major motion picture by Joel and Luke Smallbone of the band for King & Country.
James Stevens was, at one time, a good man with a great life. After the tragic death of his wife and losing custody of his little girl, James is at the darkest crossroad of his life. Angry, desperate, and unable to hold down a steady job, he agrees to drive a box truck on a shady, one-time trip cross country for cash—no questions asked. When he discovers what he is delivering is actually a who, the questions in his mind begin haunting him mercilessly. James becomes an unlikely hero who must fight to save the lives of two young women and finds himself falling in love with one of them.
Can love, strength, and faith redefine his past and change the course of his future?

My thoughts: This book is heartbreaking on so many different levels! I was surprised by all the twists and turns in the story that I didn't see coming. The story sheds light on some issues that go on right under our noses, human trafficking and modern day slavery. This book shows how a slippery slope can start, but that there is hope and a way to turn things around. I look forward to the movie!
I received this book from Worthy in exchange for my honest review.