Review of 50 Ways to Feel Great Today by David Biebel, James and Bobbie Dill

Revell Books sent me this complimentary book to review.

A bit overwhelming reading 50 different "keys to beating stress, worry, and the blues" in one sitting, but some did resonate with me and are ways that I will definitely implement.

Some of my favorites were #2: Brain Jog, #4 Create A Healthy Meal, #18 Journal your Journey, #44: Unplug your Gadgets and Read a Good Book, #49: Work in Your Yard or Garden.

The chapters were only a few pages long, which made for a quick read, but it was like reading 50 mini books as each chapter was so different. Again, not necessarily a book to read in one sitting.

I didn't find the humor in it very humorous, but others may. My opinion only. Some "ways" were more on the pricey side, but one can always be creative.

The bottom line, live life. Get out and do something. Keep your brain active. Be intentional about what you do and do something that makes you feel good. It's not a bad thing to make yourself feel good. You'll feel better about you!

Available December 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

At times I feel like I need to write deep thoughts (like Jack Handy) on here, but I'm really not in a deep thought mode. I would love to devote more time to blogging, but working full time, being a wife and mom takes a lot of time! Plus, I look at a computer all day long and the last thing I want to do when coming home is look at a computer even longer.

So anywho, life is flying by. Our planned day out snowshoeing on Friday was quickly replaced with a scheduled trip to the hospital for an MRI for the little miss (still waiting for the results), then to her choice of restaurant for lunch. From there we went to Pet Smart to find a new fish for Sam (Geoffrey went for a ride down the porcelain water slide after going to fishy heaven on Thursday).

While at Pet Smart, we went to see the kitties. (We once made the mistake of going to see what kinds of animals they had at Pet Smart and every time I go to the store, which is connected to Pet Smart, and have the kids with me, they beg to go see the kitties as they have "out of the cage play time" every day). The kitties are a part of the humane society and use Pet Smart's facilities to adopt the cats out. So into the room we went and Ed fell in love with a big ole orange cat. Play time was in 20 minutes so we waited until then to see the big guy (his weight said: Large). The volunteer took him out, put him on the floor, Ed patted his leg and the cat jumped up and plopped right down on his lap. Love at first pet. We filled out the preliminary paperwork, and had to come back to see the pet counselor a few hours later to finish everything.

So we are now the proud owners of Moose. We decided not to change his name as he's an older cat and it suits him just right. He is so laid back and lovey. His first night was spent meowing and roaming the house. I finally fell asleep at 2 a.m. after being squeezed out of my spot on the bed and sandwiched in between a very large cat and my husband. He also decided he liked my pillow (the whole pillow) and when that became uncomfortable, he plopped down on top of me. Literally. We found him this morning on Alina's bed, covered up with her blanket with his head sticking out. This afternoon he took a long nap with Ed all snug on Ed's chest and didn't move an inch.

He loves being where we are (which means being on someone's lap) and has even shown signs of playfulness when Alina gets out his stuffed mouse. He's perfect for our family and has fit in like a toasty glove.

The girls are now outnumbered in our household. Ed, Sam, Max, Stafford (Sam's new blue fish named after Matthew Stafford) and Moose take the lead, but I think us girls will hold our own quite well. :)

Review of The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy of The Choice to review for them. I was a bit hesitant as it is another Amish based book which have not been a favorite of mine in the past.

This book was different. The writing was simple, but drew the reader in right from the start. I enjoyed the conversations between the characters about Christ and how it's more about relationship instead of tradition. There was heartbreak, unexpected twists and outcomes that were a complete surprise. A great book to have on the shelf that will definitely be read again. I look forward to reading the second book in this series.

A tender story of love, forgiveness, and looking below the surface, The Choice uncovers the sweet simplicity of the Amish world -- and shows that it's never to late to find your way back to God.