Oct 30, 2014

One Stop Shop - Holiday Shopping Fair ~ 11/1 from 8am to 2pm! LOTS of VENDORS!

The One-Stop Shop is Groveland Community Library's annual fundraiser, but it is also a great opportunity to pick up that special something for yourself or someone else!

Items for sale this year will include "Like-New" books; hand-made items: jewelry, yard decorations, soy candles & soaps, scarves, 18" doll clothes , hair bows, planters, and other home decor; and some of your favorite vendors, including: Tupperware, Scentsy, Avon, Thirty-One, Tastefully Simple, and The Pampered Chef. 


Make sure to stop by the DOLL CLOTHES table and see ME!  Yes, I will be there - I have opened my craft supply boxes, dusted off my stuff and joined

Inspired Fall Fun from IAA ~ Check out the latest and greatest for your family!



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NEW toddler class- “Little Yogi’s”
Kristin, our prek dance instructor, is offering ‘Little Yogis’ on Wednesday mornings from 9-930am!
YOu and your toddler will stretch, strengthen and relax using yoga poses, games, stories and meditation.
Cost is $60 for 6 weeks; October 29th- December 10th. Contact us at inspiredartsacademy@gmail.com to register!


Birthdays in October and November!
Does your child have a birthday in October, November, December? If so, contact us for their party! You

Sofia the First and Jake and the Never Land Pirates are making their on-stage debut in Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate & Princess Adventure.

   Experience the enchantment with Sofia the First , then set sail with Jake and the Never Land Pirates in Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate & Princess Adventure playing Peoria Civic Center, November 8.  


Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate & Princess Adventure
November 8, 2014
Peoria Civic Center

Grab your tiaras and doubloons and join us for  Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate & Princess

Oct 28, 2014

Escape Through the Wilderness by Gary Rodrgiuez ~ YA Adventure #review #giveaway

Escape banner 2

Title:  Escape Through the Wilderness
Author: Gary Rodrgiuez
Genre: Tween/Young Adult Christian Adventure
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Tate Publishing (June 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-1-63268-201-7


About the book:
Escape Through the Wilderness cover Sixteen-year-old Savannah Evans walks with a slight limp thanks to a

Oct 27, 2014

THE PROMISE Kindle HDX #Giveaway from Beth Wiseman! ends 11/9

In a daring new novel, Beth Wiseman jumps way outside the box. The Promise will take readers far away from Amish country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by actual events, this is the book Beth has been working toward for a long time.

Curious? Click here to read the reviews, and be sure to enter Beth's Kindle HDX giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
  • A Kindle Fire HDX
  • The Promise by Beth Wiseman
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 9th. Winner will be announced November 10th here.

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Oct 26, 2014

New Regency from Sarah E. Ladd AND a Kindle HDX #giveaway! ends 11/3

Award-winning author Sarah E. Ladd examines how to escape the clutches of a tainted past in the final installment of her Whispers on the Moor series. A Regency-era novel,  A Lady at Willowgrove Hall  cleverly shows that even though our pasts may be shameful or painful, God can take the darkest personal histories and turn them into the brightest futures.

Oct 25, 2014

Kindle HDX Giveaway and Facebook Author Party with Judith Miller!

Here is another wonderful book blast, facebook and twitter party and amazing Giveaway that I've found to share with you!

Don't miss Judith Miller's latest novel, The Brickmaker's Bride . CBA Retailers + Resources raves, ". . . a wonderful story about faith and love throughout life’s trials."

Judith is celebrating with a Kindle HDX giveaway and  a "Refined by Love" Facebook author event on November 4th.

Timing is everything when children are ill ~ Exergen Temporal Scan Thermometer ($50 value) #giveaway

When a child get sick it is not fun to try to take their temperature the "old fashioned way." So I'm a big fan of temporal artery thermometers.  I personally use an Exergen Scanner for all my family and could not wait to bring you this great giveaway so you also have a chance to own one as well!

Make it right every time with ThermoWorks Chef Alarm Digital prome thermometer #giveaway

Keep that Holiday food from being undercooked or burnt with the Chef Alarm Cooking Probe Thermometer.  Without one of these our family meals would not be as tasty and worry-free!

Oct 24, 2014

Keep your toes toasty with a pair of Lugz Boots - #giveaway

With winter coming quickly and cold weather settling in - having a warm sturdy pair of boots is a necessity.  With Lugz, you get comfort, style and warmth - and with this giveaway you get an amazing price too if you win - FREE!

Smile Brilliant Teeth Whitening kit #review and #giveaway ~ get your teeth sparkly at home!


Smile Brilliant's tooth whitening system is more effective than any other system on the market not because the gel is better, but because the trays are fitted specifically for your teeth which ensures it holds to the surface area for prolonged periods of time.

My Review :
I found this to be an effective product that most people can use right in the comfort of their

BIGGEST SALE of the Season - Gymboree, Crazy 8 and Janie & Jack Stock Up Sale ~ #affiliate

*Affiliate links included in this post will give a small monetary compensation to this blog when a purchase is made after clicking on a link.

Check out the latest great sales and discounts from some of our Affiliates


Disclosure: Mom Loves 2 Read has an affiliate partnership with these sponsors.  Any purchase made through the links in this post gives this blog a small percentage commission to help support the ongoing costs of managing this blog and sending out prizes.

THE BACHELOR By Stehpanie Reed ~ Kindle #Giveaway and Facebook Party!

If you love Amish fiction you will enjoy this newest book by author Stephanie Reed!

Don't miss Stephanie Reed's newest book in the Plain City Peace series, The Bachelor . This compelling second book deftly weaves together the strands of a solid, simpler time with the turmoil of an era of change, revealing the strengths of both in its powerful narrative.

“Too Loved to be Lost” Kindle HDX #Giveaway and Facebook Party with @DeboraCoty!

I found a great book blast and amazing Giveaway to share with you!   
 
In our world a woman’s acceptance so often seems contingent on her looks, behavior, or talents. This can lead to fearing loss of acceptance, trying to outperform one another, and a warped view God as a ruthless, judgmental, stern entity just waiting for us to crash and burn. Debora M. Coty's new book, Too Loved to Be Lost: Discovering God’s Intentional, Unconditional, Without-Limits Loveoffers women simple, practical steps for finding healing, security, and revitalization of spirit, body, and faith.

Celebrate being "Too Loved" by entering Debora Coty's HDX giveaway and RSVPing to her Facebook party on November 6th.

Oct 23, 2014

Before Amen by Max Lucado ~ building a stronger, faith filled prayer life ~ #review

{About Before Amen}

Before Amen Hi Res cover Before Amen || (Thomas Nelson, September 2014)

We all pray . . . some.

We pray to stay sober, centered, or solvent. When the lump is deemed malignant. When the money runs out before the month does. When the marriage is falling apart. We pray.

But wouldn’t we like to pray more? Better? Stronger? With more fire, faith, and fervency?

Yet we have kids to feed, bills to pay, deadlines to meet. The calendar pounces on our good intentions like a tiger on a rabbit. And what about our checkered history with prayer? Uncertain

Expectant Parents – New Resource from Focus on the Family {And, iPad Mini Giveaway!} ends 11/2


While many books for new parents focus on prenatal development and the health of a mom-to-be, Suzanne Hadley Gosselin's  Expectant Parents' core purpose is to help new parents understand key issues related to the arrival of a new child in the home, offering practical assistance as they prepare themselves for long-term family success.

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Oct 21, 2014

Wishful Thinking $100 Amazon GC #Giveaway Sponsored by Get My Wish ~ Come enter to win YOUR wish! ends 11/4

Welcome to the Wishful Thinking 
$100 Amazon GC Giveaway

Hosted by Mom Loves 2 Read 
Sponsored by Get My Wish
A special thank you to our cohosts: Deals Fanatics  AND Naturally Frugalicious
and all the wonderful bloggers who are participating in this event!

The Holiday Season is upon us and what a better way to kick it off than with a Giveaway!  At Get My Wish, you can easily sign up FREE to start adding new and fantastic items to your Holiday Wish List!  Have an upcoming birthday or anniversary?  make a wishlist and add your favorite items!
Want to share your secret wants with family and friends for the Christmas season?  Make an "All I Want for

Oct 19, 2014

VeggieTales Beauty and the Beet ~ A story of Unconditional Love #review #giveaway


Beauty and the Beet Puts a Tune-Filled,
All-Veggie Spin on a Classic Fairy Tale Starring Country Superstar Kellie Pickler


Available Oct. 14 on DVD and Digital Download, the Newest
VeggieTales Production Features 10 Original Songs,
Also Offered on a Brand-New Companion CD


About the film:

This brand-new VeggieTales musical premieres Oct. 14 and stars Kellie Pickler (American Idol, Dancing With the Stars), who brings her unmistakable voice to the role of Mirabelle, a sweet-potato singer whose family band is on the brink of superstardom. BEAUTY AND THE BEET blends the irresistible charm of VeggieTales with a heartfelt

Oct 18, 2014

Are you ready for ADVENTURE and FAMILY FUN? Read this #review . . . #RinglingInsider

Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey presents Super Circus Heroes
REVIEWED by Susan and Family!

 


October 17-19, 2014
PEORIA CIVIC CENTER

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey ®  Presents  Super Circus Heroes SM , showcasing wonders from the marvelous to the magnificent, every day is extraordinary in this action-packed super circus, filled with superhuman athleticism, power and pageantry that will have  Children Of All Ages  discovering their own

Get your Spoon River Drive FIX all in ONE Place ~ CREEKWOOD FALL CRAFT BAZAAR TODAY! #local

Get your Craft Fair fix all in one place!

COME JOIN THE FUN 
FIND GREAT GIFTS FOR THE COMING HOLIDAYS, BIRTHDAYS, and MORE!


MORTON: 150 Yordy Rd.

Sat. Oct. 18, 10a-3p.  


FALL BAZAAR:

 Collectibles, hand tools, leather items, designer jewelry, crochet

 blankets, home decor items,

professionally made wreaths, Clothing & Accessories for 18" dolls

 like American Girl, Madame Alexander, Gotz and more

 & so many more wonderful items!




Travel down Main Street down near the Field Shopping Center - watch for YORDY road on the left across from Inspired Arts Academy (where the old Orndorf furniture store used to be)

Oct 14, 2014





New release today: Mr. Katz is a Zombie by M. C. Lesh


Catastrophe looms in North Goethalsburg! When twelve-year-old J.D. is tricked into taking possession of a book of spells, his best friend turns their teacher into a zombie. The zombification of Mr. Katz creates general chaos and a not-so-terrific time for near-genius J.D. Teamed with his best friend Rodney, twin troublemakers, and an obnoxious ghost, J.D. must figure out how to change Mr. Katz back from one of the undead before he: 1. Escapes the janitor’s closet; 2. Eats their brains; and 3. Wears J.D.’s spleen as a hat. Can four boys armed with a slingshot, two boxes of jelly donuts, and a handy zombie guide battle their mindless teacher and live to tell? Probably not. You’ll have to read to find out.



My review: If your son or daughter enjoys “Diary of a Wimpy kid”, Mr. Katz is a Zombie is sure to appeal to them. The first book in the Goethalsburg Ghost Squad series, the story is told from bratty J.D.’s perspective. He’s your regular, average kid-only that his parents are professional ghost hunters! This lands J. D. in an awful lot of trouble-naturally through no fault of his own! Take Mr. Katz’ current zombie like state, for example. Clearly his friend Rodney’s doing, but now it’s up to J.D. to save the day. To make matters worse, Rodney and his chaotic brothers are about as little help as the uncooperative ghost Balthazar. But J. D. is ready to take on the battle-even if it’s with a box of jelly donuts!


A fun story for pre-teens with just the right mix of humor and action filled adventure, Mr. Katz is Available on Amazon as of October 14.



About the author: As a child, M.C. Lesh had to hold her nose in order to eat spinach. As an adult, she hardly ever has to hold her nose when she eats spinach, but she still picks onions out of all of her food. She read a lot of books as a kid. Luckily, she didn't have one of those video gaming machines to rot her brain. (Her friend Lorenzo says they appeal to the monkey part of the brain. She thinks that's an insult to monkeys. Sorry, monkeys!) Mr. Katz is a Zombie is the first book in her Goethalsburg Ghost Squad Series. She hopes you'll return to North Goethalsburg to find out what happens when J.D. meets Martin Barton, suspected werewolf and snappy dresser. She also hopes you never have to be too serious, but in the event that you do, her advice is to keep a yo-yo in your back pocket because that is almost always a good idea.

Visit her website: margaretlesh.com.
Twitter @MargaretLesh

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review, but also bought two more copies for a children's hospital. Yup, spent my own money! Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Oct 12, 2014

Driftwood Tides by Gina Holmes ~ #book spotlight


ABOUT THE BOOK

He made himself an island until something unexpected washed ashore. When Holton lost his wife, Adele, in a freak accident, he shut himself off from the world, living a life of seclusion, making drifwood sculptures and drowning his pain in gin. Until twenty-three-year-old Libby knocks on his door, asking for a job and claiming to be a friend

Oct 11, 2014

Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer ~ #book spotlight



ABOUT THE BOOK
A boy coming of age in a time of war…
the love that inspires him to survive.


For ten year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings

Oct 10, 2014

Mom Loves 2 Read's Newsletter Subscriber Giveaway #2 ~ Come enter to WIN ~ ends 10/31 #giveaway

Newsletter Subscriber's Bonus Giveaway #2

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The Prize :
Winner may choose ANY ebook from the Book Depository or  Amazon.com up to a maximum

Join me at the CIRCUS ~ FLASH #Giveaway for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Super Circus Heros SHOW! ends 10/13 #ringlinginsider


Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey presents Super Circus Heroes
 


October 17-19, 2014
PEORIA CIVIC CENTER

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey ® Presents Super Circus Heroes SM , showcasing wonders from the marvelous to the magnificent, every day is extraordinary in this action-packed super circus, filled with superhuman athleticism, power and pageantry that will have Children Of All Ages discovering their own

A Love Undone by Cindy Woodsmall ~ Confronted with difficult choices, what will happen to this young couple? Amish Christian Romance #review


This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Love Undone
WaterBrook Press (September 9, 2014)
by
Cindy Woodsmall


ABOUT THE BOOK
A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.
A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.
How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way?


At nineteen years old, Old Order Amish Jolene Keim was on the brink of happily-ever-after when everything changed, stealing the future she expected and burdening her with an unbearable decision. For the next

Oct 9, 2014

Hidden in the Stars by Robin Carroll

Hidden in the Stars
Abingdon Press (September 16, 2014)
by
Robin Caroll



ABOUT THE BOOK
Following an attack that killed her mother and stole her ability to speak, 21-year-old Sophia Montgomery has no choice but to accept her estranged grandmother’s offer to return to their family home. Although detective Julian Frazier

Salazon Chocolate Co. ~ A Tasteful Dark and Spicy Treat ~ #review


Salazon Chocolate Co. is a line of 100% organic, single-origin, salted  dark (57% and 72%) chocolate bars. Our salted-chocolate is crafted in small  batches and each bar is hand-sprinkled with our signature touch

Faces of the Dead by Suzanne Weyn #review


When Marie-Therese, daughter of Marie Antoinette, slips into the streets of Paris at the height of the French Revolution, she finds a world much darker than what she's ever known.

When Marie-Thérèse Charlotte of France learns of the powerful rebellion sweeping her country, the sheltered princess is determined to see the revolution for herself. Switching places with a chambermaid, the princess sneaks out of the safety of the royal palace and into the heart of a city in strife.

Soon the princess is brushing shoulders with revolutionaries and activists. One boy in particular, Henri, befriends her and has her questioning the only life she's known. When the princess returns to the palace one night to find an angry mob storming its walls, she's forced into hiding in Paris. Henri brings her to the workshop of one Mademoiselle Grosholtz, whose wax figures seem to bring the famous back from the dead, and who looks at Marie-Thérèse as if she can see all of her secrets. There, the princess quickly discovers there's much more to the outside world - and to the mysterious woman's wax figures - than meets the eye.

My Review :
This was not quite what I thought it would be when I chose to read and review this story.  Parts of it were difficult to read and annoying as it dealt with Voodoo and witchcraft and damage to dead friends and loved ones.  I started out becoming interested in the characters and the story as well as the historical aspects of the book, but soon found I was only reading to try to get to the end to see what happens.  Overall I wasn't as thrilled with this story by the time the story was over and would not read it again.

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Oct 7, 2014

Watermelon Party by Jasmine Cabanaw (book review)




Watermelon Party by Jasmine Cabanaw (book review)


Watermelon Party ties in themes of friendship, sharing, and animal rescue. When a watermelon is set out at Rocky Ridge Refuge, the animals come one by one to join in on the delicious fun. By the end of the book, the animals are joined together, head-to-head, in a circle around the watermelon. The interspecies friendships are a metaphor for overlooking differences, no matter how strange or unique someone else may look. It is a celebration of diversity.
There is also a bonus game of “Duck, duck, goose!” A little duckling rides in on the first animal. In each illustration, the duckling is sitting on a different animal, until the very end, when the duck lands on a surprised goose.
The writing style is light and fun. The repetitive rhyming scheme will help children with their reading skills and learning action words.
The story is based on this series of photographs from a real event that occurred at Rocky Ridge Refuge.

My review:  In this story for young readers, Jasmine Cabanaw emphasizes living in harmony and without prejudice, as demonstrated by the real life residents of Rocky Ridge Refuge, an organization many of us volunteering in animal rescue are quite familiar with. Located in Midway, Arkansas, the refuge is home to 50-60 animals of diverse species, peacefully coexisting and interacting in their daily lives. You’ll find everything from dogs to zebras, to  turtles, to some adorable capybaras. This book will make a great Christmas present for young ones, while teaching them important lessons in friendships and animal rescue.While many of the animals at Rocky Ridge are permanent residents, some of them are awaiting adoption. If you are searching for a pet (or simply want to check out some adorable pictures of inter-species interaction among the animals), make sure to check out their website www.rockyridgerefuge.com .
The book can now be preordered at http://greenbamboopublishing.com/order/


Residents at Rocky Ridge Refuge

Disclosure: I did not receive the item(s) mentioned in this post for free in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.