25% off Blurb Photo Books

Now through Monday December 17 you can get 25% off with Blurb with the promo code FINALHOLIDAY (and it'll ship in time for Christmas). Creating their photo books is so simple: just upload Instagram or Facebook images with a click.

We made one this fall. It shipped fast and turned out beautifully. Truthfully, it was easier to design than our Christmas cards. What a fun gift idea. (Affiliate.)

UPDATE: I made three books tonight (12/16), and I know they're going to be much-loved. Blurb will still ship in time for Christmas Eve, however, there is an expedited shipping upcharge. If you're ordering multiple books, it's still a great deal.

And When She Was Good {Book Review}

And When She Was Good, by Laura Lippman, is two stories woven together: one about a suburban soccer mom (who also happens to be a madam) and the other a sad tale of the life that led a teenage girl into prostitution.

It is a compelling novel, and the modern storyline is surprisingly normal and neither sensationalized nor especially provocative. Heloise is a loving mother who most people believe to be a respectable lobbyist. Her firm, supposedly advocating for pay equity for women, employs pretty co-eds as upscale escorts. It's all relayed in a manner most matter-of-fact, neither unseemly nor glamorized either. It is what it is, and the life and business affords Heloise the opportunity to provide very well for her small family.

But then another suburban madam is murdered. The police start asking questions, and Heloise realizes that she knows the woman from their shared and troubled past. Her secrets may be catching up to her, and the normal life she's planned may elude her and her son yet.

It is certainly an interesting mystery and well-woven tale. The only drawback for me was that I didn't resonate with Heloise at all. She wasn't especially sympathetic, but neither was she portrayed as a villain. She was written in a way that made her seem far off, not easy to relate to or cheer on (or despise, for that matter). The story was interesting, but it fell flat for me because I didn't feel particularly invested in Heloise's character. Her son's character was barely developed at all; he's almost a fringe figure, even though we are told how all of Heloise's decisions are carefully measured and made around him. If their characters had been written more warmly, I think I would have enjoyed the book more.

Book provided to me for review by TLC Book Tours.

God Gave Us Love {children's lit review}

"Choosing love is always right."

God Gave Us Love is a sweet board book written by Lisa Tawn Bergren, with illustrations by Laura J. Bryant. It's less a story than a conversation between a polar bear grandfather and his granddaughter about the nature of  Christian love.

"I think this is God bringing out the best in us," whispered Little Cub.  "I think God is giving us love right now."


It touches on faith and family and choosing love even when we are frustrated.  The narrative lacks, but the teaching is good, and it opens the door to a worthy conversation with preschoolers about what it means to demonstrate God's love to the people around us.

"Grampa, could we ever do something to make God not love us?"
"Nope.  He always hopes for the best in us.  He sees a bit of himself in us.  And that bit is love.


I like that explanation of the imago dei in child-like terms and its reassurance of our worth as God's beloved.  What a fabulous lesson to set in young hearts.

The pictures are playful and appeal to little eyes.  The text engages my four year old, but even a baby would appreciate the animals, and the study board pages will stand up to many reads.


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Review copy provided by WaterBrook Multnomah.

When God Created My Toes {children's lit review}

The painted illustrations in When God Created My Toes  are beautiful and the rhymes sweet.  The family in the book appear to be multi-racial, perhaps Asian, which I found to be a welcome departure from the white faces that are standard in much children's media.  The young dad with the hipster-looking glasses was fresh type, too.

The book is appropriate for very young preschoolers.  There is no narrative and the pictures are simple.  The family's home is also simple, which I appreciated.  The rhymes reinforce the idea that God created each of us, and the little girl imagines God delighting in creating each part of her:

When God created my hand
Did my fingers snap?
Did he help me clap?
Did we cheer for angel bands when God created my hands?

It does entertain the apocryphal idea that children originate in heaven, which I found a little off-putting.  I probably wouldn't purchase a copy myself, but my kids are enjoying it.  It is a sweet little story that reminds kids that they are fearfully and wonderfully made by a creative God who loves them.


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I received a copy from from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group but was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Review: Couples Who Pray {Rushnell / DuArt}

I knew that Couples Who Pray was not the book for me from its very first sentences claiming that prayer is the key to achieving what men and women desire most of all:  great sex and meaningful communication, respectively.

Those kind of gender stereotypes make me crazy.  Can we please stop reinforcing the idea (especially in Christian circles) that women are not as into sex as men?  Not only it it not true, but it has a way of making women feel like really enjoying sex is somehow unfeminine or wrong, which is not what God designed for us at all.

The final promise on page one for those who follow their 40 Day Prayer Challenge set off more red flags:  "your gauge of happiness will absolutely soar!"  Isn't prayer firstly about growing in intimacy with God, not the benefits returned to the pray-er, especially ones as fleeting as happiness?  In scripture, God's promises of blessing and joy are rarely the same as those our culture defines as happy.

The authors, Louise Duart and Squire Rushnell, married in 2000, just two years before Jim and I, and we hardly feel qualified to write a book on marriage!  Theirs is also a second--and third--marriage, and while I don't mean to come down on divorcees, I do think their writing a marriage primer is a bit premature and presumptuous.  It is based on a speaking series they did called Everything I Know About Wrecking Relationships I Learned in My Last Marriage, and while I get their angle, they didn't sell it for me. 

They use the acronym LAUGH (laughter, appreciation, understanding, God, honor, support) to demonstrate their Six Steps To A Happy Marriage.  None of the steps are from scripture or have anything to do with love, sacrifice, or humility.  The book read more like spiritual self-help than anything truly rooted in biblical principles.  I'm trying to remember if Jesus was even mentioned at all.

The authors have an entertainment background.  Rushnell was an ABC exec and Duart is a comedienne who now speaks for Women of Faith.  The book follows the 40 Day Prayer Challenge experiences of nearly two dozen couples, most of whom work in the entertainment industry or Christian publishing, including famous names like Denzel Washington, Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford, and Rick Warren.

I found their focus on fame to be a little strange.  Some of the couples had never prayed together, and part of the book is focused on why we should pray, presumably to convince the uninitiated.  The target audience can't be Christian couples looking to grow, since it doesn't have the depth to encourage or strengthen believers.  Prayer is always framed as an intimate way to grow closer to your spouse.  While marital intimacy is important, the authors misrepresent prayer as something of a utilitarian exchange rather than a spiritual discipline designed to change our hearts and draw us closer to God's.

Certainly, couples should pray together, and I applaud the authors for trying to encourage couples to strengthen their marriages through the prayer, but I cannot recommend this book.  Its themes are ultimately rooted in self-help and vague religiosity instead of core gospel truths and scripture.

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I received a review copy from Book Sneeze and was not otherwise compensated.

the happiest mom & parenting magazine {giveaway}

***contest closed. congrats to courtney!*** 

meagan francis, blogger at the happiest mom, released a book of the same name: The Happiest Mom: 10 Secrets to Enjoying Motherhood.  she sent me a copy to check out, and i am pleased to pass my copy along to you (if you don't mind a few peanut butter smudges!)

the book is a light-hearted and quick read, pleasantly arranged with cheery artwork.  the chapters are short and to the point, each exploring one tip, like "take the easy way out," "trust your gut," "look out for #1," and "love your love life."

the advice is friendly and practical, a welcome reprieve that distinguishes itself from the pack of parenting tomes written by "experts"--the kind that have a way of whipping new moms into an exhausting and idolatrous pursuit of The Right Answer.  francis' approach is much more low-key. sisterly, even.  bonus: the book comes with a tear-our card for a free year of Parenting Early Years.  i planned to use this myself until i remembered that i don't even read the magazines i already subscribe to--so it's a twofer giveaway for you:)

there is nothing groundbreaking here, but i suspect there are a million moms who need this kind of permission to discover what works over what's "right."  it would be a good read for a brand new mom or the worrying type in hot pursuit of perfection and feeling shamed to be coming up short.

want a copy?  just leave a comment saying what makes you a happy mom (or what steals your happy.)  if you aren't a mom and still want to read/give, say something else. i'm not picky:) make sure i have a way to get in touch with you if you win.  entries close wednesday, may 18 at 11:59 PM, and random.org will chose a winner from among comments.  good luck!

if you're visiting {so much reviews} for the first time, welcome.  you can also find me writing at so much shouting, so much laughter, on facebook, and twitter.  i hope you'll follow this blog or subscribe: i'd love to keep in touch:)

Two Years of Kiwi Magazine for $4

kiwi magazine is a fantastic parenting resource with a natural living focus.  i love it and was so happy to read about this great offer through Mamapedia Sweet Deals.  the articles cover everything from whole foods for picky eaters, natural remedies, and green cleaning tips, plus all the ads are from earth-friendly companies, for things like organic food, cloth diapers.  great, right?

just enter coupon code 1YEARKIWI2 for a $2 one-year subscription or 2YEARKIWI4 for a $4 two-year subscription.


thanks to faithful provisions for this great deal lead.

real food / holistic health book sale

stephanie over at Keeper of the Home is running a great book sale featuring titles from a number of real food bloggers.  25% of the proceeds are earmarked for a filipino orphanage and another 25% is going toward the stephanie's fundraising to adopt a child.

from making whole foods affordable to recipes for healthful snacks and herbal healing, there is so much great information available in these books.  you can learn natural ways to care for your family and take care of needy kids at the same time.  it's a double win:)

sale ends monday night, november 1st.