Only Love Today

     Only Love Today—Reminders to Breathe More, Stress Less and Choose Love by Rachel Macy Stafford is a book that was given to me to review. It is a hardcover book of four chapters named after the seasons.

     Each chapter is then broken down into many short essays. Most of these seem to be like the author’s diary entries of her day with her family. Then at the end of the essay is a “Today’s Reminder” that gives you a simple exercise to do. Throughout all of these is the theme…Only Love Today.

     While the stories the author tells about her life and her family are interesting I found that after reading so many of them it just wasn’t meaningful anymore to me. I do admit that my children are all grown and that I have grandchildren so I am not at the point in my life that the author is. Perhaps if I was younger and in the midst of raising my family this would be something I could relate to.

     This author has an easy style of writing so you can read an essay fairly quickly. I think it might be meant to be read one each day. 

I have been given the book to review from Thomas Nelson Publishers. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Tips for Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is thin or fine-textured skin. It reacts quickly to both heat and cold; so it can sunburn easily. It is commonly dry, delicate and prone to allergic reactions. Temperature changes, some detergents, cosmetics and alcohol (used on the skin) can all cause irritation, leaving the skin red and blotchy. Sometimes sensitive skin is associated with conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, etc. People with sensitive skin need to take special care of their skin. Here are some tips…

*When choosing make-up, especially foundation and blusher, buy oil-free products. Make-up that is water based and non-cosmedogenic (non-pore clogging) is the best option. There are also oil-absorbing foundations that keep oil off the face. It’s a good idea to look for fragrance-free products also.

*In taking care of sensitive skin keep it clean. Most skin like this will react badly to dirt and dust. This skin type is often susceptible to acne problems and breakouts.  Use a mild, soap-free cleanser  but don’t over wash your face (i.e. more than twice a day.) Do not use exfoliants. Use an astringent on oily areas only, but discontinue use if redness occurs.

*Get a good night’s sleep. They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing. Having the right amount of sleep can actually help the skin regenerate. This is also the time when the skin can take a breather from going all day with make-up.

*It is important that you follow a cleansing routine every day. Remember to always remove your make-up before going to sleep. Turning in for the night with make-up on will only result in clogged pores and eventually, acne. 

*Remember that sensitive skin tends to pick up dirt and grime easily and react to it. Prevent irritation by minimizing contact with your skin. This is especially true with your face as this is the most sensitive skin area on the body. Pinching existing zits will also lead to irritation. Minimize scratching or even touching your face.

*Sensitivity can also increase with age. It has been reported for example that the skin gets more sensitive in women at the beginning of menopause.

All skin types have special needs. I hope these tips help if you have sensitive skin.

    

         Really Woolly Easter Blessing by Bonnie Rickner Jensen and illustrated by Donna Chapman is a delightful book for little ones. This softcover board book contains cute poems, Bible verses and prayer starters all with an Easter/Spring theme. It is sturdy and well-made.

     This is a great book to begin teaching small children about Jesus, the story of His resurrection and His love for them. It does this through the use of rhyme and sweet colorful illustrations that go along with each little poem. Each poem is entitled “The Blessing of _____________” with titles like “The Blessing of Easter”, “The Blessing of Forgiveness”, “The Blessing of Friends” to name a few.

     This would make a wonderful gift for Easter or any occasion where you would like a Spring themed gift. I plan to give this to my little grandson for Easter. You can find the book on Amazon.

I have been given the book to review from Thomas Nelson Publishers. The opinion expressed here is my own.

  

       This review is about the book Greater Than Gold by David Boudia with Tim Ellsworth.  David Boudia is a Gold Medalist in the10 Meter Platform Diving. This book is about his journey to the Olympics and how he found Jesus along the way.

     Boudia tells of wanting the gold medal even as a young boy. He started out in gymnastics and then switched to diving. He was very driven mostly by the accolades, awards and popularity that comes with winning. Boudia was a heavy partier. He smoke, drank and treated people unkindly.  His first try at the Beijing Olympics was very disappointing for him partly because of this. He figured he needed to do something different.

     David Boudia got a different coach and a different mind-set. He turned his motivation for winning from personal satisfaction to wanting to do it to glorify God. Along the way he meets people who can help him with this and also the girl he eventually marries.

     He finally wins gold at the London Olympics. What follows is a whirlwind of interviews, speeches and lots of traveling. He realizes that fame comes with a price. He also realizes that his diving is paying the bills so he continues on with it (and I think he got a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics.)

     I enjoyed learning about what goes on in an Olympic athlete’s life. The training, the sacrifices families make and sometime the heartache. It definitely takes a special someone to make it to that major competition.

     Reading his thought processes about God and sin in every circumstance got to be a little much for me.

I was given a copy of this book to review but the opinion is my own.

We Remember

Go Big or Go Home

Go Big or Go Home; The Journey Toward the Dream by Scotty McCreery is a fun read. It chronicles his life as a young child who worshiped Elvis to his journey to become an American Idol winner to launching a career as a Country Music singer. He won American Idol in 2011 at the age of seventeen.

     I have never watched American Idol but I am a fan of the VOICE so this book was particularly interesting. I am also not a fan of Country Music but I still really enjoyed the story.

     Scotty McCreery is a very devout Christian and he shares with us how that faith helped him get through some struggles as he made his way through the American Idol experience. He tells us how the Scriptures he read and the life lessons he learned helped him become the man he is today. His family was a huge support for him.

     Reading the book makes you feel like you really know Scotty and he’s talking to you. His life story makes you believe that with love, faith and family anything is possible. He had a dream to become a famous Country Artist and he persevered until that dream came true. He has had four Top 15 radio hits, has toured with Brad Paisley (he tells about that in the book) and Rascal Flatts, headlined his own tour and won the ACM New Artist of the Year Award all by the time he was twenty-two.

     This is an inspirational book that I highly recommend. It would make a great gift for any fan of Scotty McCreery.

     

The Berenstain Bears Mother's Day Blessings

    

 The Berenstain Bears Mother’s Day Blessings by Mike Berenstain is another story about the Berenstain Bear family. Interestingly the author is the son of the original creators of the Berenstain Bears, Stan and Jan Berenstain. Stan died in 2005 and Mike has taken over drawing and writing about the Bears.

     This is a cute story about the cubs wanting to do something special for their mom for Mother’s Day. Their father suggests going out for brunch after their Church service. On their way to church they discover many mothers that have to work on Mother’s Day. Each of these mothers is lucky enough to have children that are still honoring them by bringing them flowers, cards or gifts. It didn’t focus much on the Bear family as much as it did the other mothers they drove by. The big message the book said is that it’s important for a mother to have her children around her. I would like to have had the message be more about the blessings of motherhood.

     While the Berenstain Bears are a delightful family and this particular book has a Christian message I’m not enamored with the book. To me there is too much text to keep the attention of most little preschoolers who would need it read to them. (Based on my experiences with little ones.) Older children who can read the book themselves will find the storyline not all that interesting. (Based on my teaching of second graders.) 

I received this free book to review. However the opinion here is my own.