4 hours ago
Today is Memorial Day, and if you are like our family, you are probably going to a barbecue or using the extra day off to full advantage in some other way. And I truly hope you have a wonderful, fun-filled day, but at the same time, I hope you take a minute to think about Memorial Day a little more deeply too. Because the thing is...Memorial Day is not about barbecues.
Memorial Day is a day to remember and show gratitude to those who have died in defense of our country. It's a day to remember the fallen, those who have died. I think we overlook this a lot, because Memorial Day has largely become a party holiday, the kick-off to summer, etc. But we have this day off, because we live in this country that is free. And we live in freedom in this country because men have died to protect it. Most of us will never be called upon to sacrifice in that way, and the reason we won't is because others have already sacrificed for us. These men and women gave everything they had for people they would never meet, out of love, and duty, and honor, for God and country and freedom. And the only reason we can go to parties and pools today in freedom is because of them.
We took a trip to our military cemetery with the kids the other week, to visit the graves of my grandfather and great-great-grandfather. And we looked around at all those graves, many of men who died while fighting for our country, and I explained to my kids that many soldiers have died to make us free. I'm so glad we did it, because while we celebrate in some ways today, this is a solemn day. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking it's just about barbecues.
Full thoughts on Tommy Nelson today...and I hope you take a little time today to thank God for our freedom in America, and for those who have died to keep it for us.
Sometime last year I became aware of the vast array of audiobooks that are available these days - and I also became aware of how much more "reading" I could sneak in through audiobooks! Who says you can't read and drive at the same time?
I listen to audiobooks while I drive places, while I fold laundry, while I cook dinner, and while I clean out closets (the current project). I've listened to them while doing yard work. I've even listened to them before I go to sleep when all the lights are out. On top of all that, there are a lot of books I know I would never even get around to reading that I've been able to cross off my list because of the wonder of audiobooks. I'm a big fan!
So for those of you who might be interested in giving audiobooks a try, I wanted to share how I've obtained quite a few books to listen to for free (or very inexpensively). Here are all my secrets. You are welcome.
Overdrive
If you have not heard of Overdrive pull out your phone right now and sign up! It's an app that works through your public library, so you do need a library card. Once you are all signed up, you have access to an unbelievable array of ebooks and audiobooks! I really got started through this app, and it's so nice because if you come across an audiobook that just isn't doing it for you, you've invested no money and there are many more waiting for you to try.
Audiobooks.com
I signed up for Audiobooks.com because I saw a book I wanted to listen to on there, and realized that Audiobooks.com gives you a free audiobook credit for signing up! Shortly after signing up, I also got an email with an offer for another free credit for leaving an iTunes review. That's two free audiobooks! It is a monthly subscription membership, but you can cancel anytime, so I just cancelled before I got charged for another book credit.
Audiobooks.com also has a fantastic selection of free audiobooks that you can download and listen to through the app. These include a lot of classics! Some are Librivox recordings that have been compiled into an audiobook format through the app, which is the most convenient way I have found to access Librivox audiobooks. Some of the free books I am most excited about (for myself and for the kids) are Under The Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott, The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Chronicles Of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery (never read this one), Dr. Doolitte, Little Bear, The Bobbsey Twins books, and more!
Audible
Most people think of the monthly membership fee with Audible, but in case you weren't aware, you can download the Audible app and use it without creating a monthly membership. And why would you do this? Download the app now and go to the "Channels" tab. Look at the top and choose "Featured". Scroll down a bit and you should see a banner for free audiobooks to stream for Amazon Prime members! I'm listening to Pride and Prejudice right now, under "Celebrity Voices, Classic Stories". They have a selection of 20+ free, high-quality audiobooks that you can stream right now.
You can also sign-up for a membership trial for two free books, and if you don't decide to keep it, you can cancel anytime (even before you are charged the first time). I haven't used the two-free-books deal yet, because I'm waiting until I finish more of the audiobooks I already have, but rest assured, I will be taking advantage of that in the future!
ChristianAudio
ChristianAudio is another audiobooks service much like the two listed above, and they also offer a free book for signing up for a membership (haven't taken advantage of this yet either, but I will eventually). However, ChristianAudio is great because they actually offer a free audiobook each month, just for entering your email. No other strings attached! They also have a reviewer program that you can sign up for to receive free audiobooks - this is open to you even if you aren't a blogger!
Amazon Whispersync
This is the option where you have to pay, but at a deeply discounted price. Amazon often offers Whispersync audiobooks as a package deal with their Kindle books - this is neat because you can switch between the ebook and audiobook anytime, and Whispersync will save your place. If you are interested in a book, check the Kindle version on Amazon, and then look underneath the price. If Whispersync is available, there will be a checkbox to "add Whispersync audio for $______." These deals are often great for audiobooks, especially if the Kindle book also happens to be on sale. The best deal I've gotten was probably the Anne Of Green Gables audiobook and Kindle book combo for $2. Read the ebook in the Kindle app, and be sure to download the Audible app to listen to the audio - all of your Whispersync audiobooks will show up under your Amazon account in the app!
(Affiliate link below.)
And to finish this off, I wanted to answer a common question:
"Isn't it hard to listen to audiobooks with kids running around? I wouldn't be able to focus."
While I understand why you might think that, I don't have a problem with this for two reasons.
First, I don't expect to be able to sit with my eyes closed and focus on every word of my audiobook (which is the only way I would hear every word of my audiobook). You can enjoy an audiobook without being 100% focused on it, and you might just have to realize that even if you miss a sentence here and there, you are will still hear and understand and enjoy 95% of what's going on. The question is, is it okay if you lose 5% of non-critical words through listening to the audio version as a mom of young kids, with all the distractions that entails? I say it's okay. It's okay with me. It's the tradeoff for getting more books in through taking advantage of audiobooks. And if the thought of missing a few sentences really bothers you, try picking a book you aren't as invested in from among some of the free options I listed here! Sometimes I'll choose to listen to books I've already read, or books I feel a little more casual about, to ensure I don't feel like missing that 5% robbed me of something.
Second, earbuds. A lot of audiobooks, even Christian ones, aren't necessarily appropriate for young kids, so most of the time I listen through my earbuds. This also helps me to be able to still hear my book when I'm cooking dinner and the kids are running through the house driving fire trucks on the wood floors (very noisy). I really want to get some sort of wireless earbuds (like these maybe? I can't afford Airpods, so these look like an acceptable alternative), because that will make my audiobook-listening even more accessible and convenient! I'm thinking these would be great for situations like working out and listening without wires connecting me to my phone, or sneaking my earbuds in while waiting for a doctor's appointment. This will open up even more audiobook listening opportunities!
So there you go, all my audiobooks tips and secrets!
Do you listen to audiobooks? What has been your favorite audiobook?
The only other word of caution is that a narrator can really make or break an audiobook, so I'd be interested to hear if anyone has a favorite!
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and ProYo, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #ProYoHighProteinIceCream http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
As most of you know, the first trimester has left me exhausted during most days over the last couple months. Combine pregnancy fatigue with four energetic kids, and I am really valuing a little quiet during nap time lately. I've been avoiding the to-do list, keeping my laptop closed, and taking that time to refresh during the day. It's really helped me to recoup and be ready to handle the pre-dinner chaos! I either take a nap, or I settle on the couch with a book or the remote...and ideally I want some sweet treat that I can enjoy every now and then all by my lonesome!
During some of my pregnancies I craved anything sweet, and it didn't even matter what it was. But this time around heavy, overly fatty desserts just sound gross. But at the same time, my sweet tooth is demanding to be satisfied! It's a real conundrum.
However, I recently discovered ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream! This is a type of ice cream that uses less fat and a high protein content in it's formulation, so I had to give it a try.
I picked up a few different flavors at King Soopers, and I wanted some sort fruit sauce to top it with that would also be less sweet than traditional ice cream toppings...so I came up with this triple-berry ice cream topping recipe to enjoy with my ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream! I'm really happy with how the sauce, and my dessert, turned out - I didn't douse the fruit in sugar, so the berries kept that slightly tart taste, which is perfect on top of sweet ice cream.
Triple Berry Ice Cream Topping
1 1/2 c. of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries (frozen)
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. cranberry juice
1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, until fruit is thawed and sugar is melted.
2. Mash berries up until desired chunkiness is reached for your sauce.
3. Increase to medium heat and let mixture reach a rolling boil. Boil for five minutes.
4. Remove from heat and pour into glass container. Refrigerate until cool, and serve over your favorite ice cream!
The topping should keep for one week in the refrigerator, and this recipe produces about 3/4 c. of topping. I would double the recipe if you intend to share with guests (hint: ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream is also soy-free and gluten-free, which is really useful to keep in mind when I'm entertaining since some of my friends have food sensitivities).
I tried this triple-berry topping over the Vanilla Bean flavor, and I thought the flavors mixed together well (I also think it would be good on top of the Coconut flavor)! ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream uses a sugar and xylitol blend, so despite having a lower sugar content, it tastes just as sweet and delicious as normal ice cream. I thought this made the tart berry topping a perfect counter. The next flavor I'm going to try...Dark Chocolate Toffee! Yum.
If you'd like to try ProYo Low Fat High Protein Ice Cream, ProYo has a great coupon right now for buy one 14 oz. container, get one free - available now through 7/7, while supplies last! ProYo High Protein Low Fat Ice Creams are available nationwide at Kroger and other Banner stores. You can find a store that carries it by using this store locator!
What is your favorite ice cream topping?
Maybe I'll get some ideas for another homemade topping recipe in the future!
I typically like books that are light-hearted, quick reads on vacation - the typical beach read, but I went a slightly different direction this year. This time I chose books that I knew would probably not disappoint me. After spending last year's vacation on a book that ended with a not-great message, I wanted to skip over moral depravity and choose something a little more likely to contribute to my intellectual growth. And of course something that I'd enjoy reading. So here we go!
(I hope you don't mind that I used affiliate links below. Trying to up my chances of recouping some book costs, since I spent too much on vacation books...yikes!)
Fiction/Non-Fiction Books
The last time we took this particular trip, I made it through five books on my vacation. That's alot, even for me! However, I chose five books for this trip as well. I highly doubt I'l get through all of these since they are all a bit more meaty than the books I brought with my the last time we went to Arizona, but still, it's best to be prepared when it comes to books.
Persuasion - Ever since I finished my third Jane Austen book in high school, I've been hesitant to pick up another one. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I had precious few Jane Austen books left, and if I read them all I would never again have a new Jane Austen book to read. I realize now how silly this was, since I've been itching to pick up Emma as a re-read. I am not a re-reader, but I will re-read Jane Austen and probably enjoy it every bit as much as the first time. Still, Persuasion is one of her books that I haven't read yet. I've decided I need to just go ahead and read all of Austen's works instead of trying to spread them out.
Deal Alert!! You can actually get the kindle version of Persuasion for free and add the Audible narration for $0.49, as of the last time I checked! Get yourself over there and grab it if you are a fellow Austen fan!
My Cousin Rachel - I picked this up because I read Rebecca last year. And despite that book ending rather horribly (it's not really a spoiler because you kind of get that sense of impending doom from the start), I somehow weirdly really liked it. I feel like maybe it's not a great book for a Christian girl to enjoy, but I kind of did. Even the ending was a weird sort of poetic justice that was weirdly satisfying. In a weird way. Anyway, Du Maurier's writing is just fun to me because in Rebecca there was just the right amount of creepy, so I decided to just go for it and try My Cousin Rachel. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
The Big Four - You just cannot go wrong with Agatha Christie.
The Choir Immortal - This book was still in the mail when I took the picture above. Several years ago I read House Of Living Stones, and I loved it and then forgot about it...until I realized that Schuermann's third book in the series was coming out and I hadn't read the second! I remember liking the characters and small-church-in-a-small-town atmosphere in the first book, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. This is just my happy book, in case I get tired of the potential tragedy and crime from the other books on this list.
The Life-Giving Home - Two different people recommended this book to me recently, and then I saw that Elizabeth was reading it too...so I decided to go for it! I've read a bit by Clarkson, but this will be my first full book by her.
Activity Books
And of course, no road trip is complete without some fun activity books, right?
Wipe-Clean Usborne Books (this is my blog friend's consultant link, just FYI) - I wanted something for the kids to do in the car that wouldn't get too messy or complicated, and I thought these books looked fun! They include a bunch of mazes, tracing, etc, with a dry erase marker that wipes clean. I think the kids will love them. I got four, even though I'll probably confiscate Clarice's pen...or give her a washable marker that matches her shirt. But she would be indignant if I left her out.
True North Guide To The Grand Canyon - We're going to Arizona this year, and I remembered these guides from the homeschool conference I went to last year. I hold to a young earth creationist perspective, and was excited to see these guides from Ken Ham's publishing company (I'm a Ken Ham fan). I'm excited to take these along as we tour the Grand Canyon on vacation! It'll also give me some interesting things to tell the kids about what we're looking at (since I don't think they'll be as awed by the Grand Canyon as we are.)
Audubon's North America Field Guide To Wildflowers: Western Region - This one is me trying to sneak a little more nerdy nature study/science in on this trip, for me and the kids. Plus, I've been dying to have this guide for a while, and I figured this was a good chance for me to use it!
Sodoku - I haven't done a Sudoku puzzle in forever, and I'm horrible at them, so I'm not sure what possessed me when I picked up this book. I am hoping I won't get quite as carsick with this, as opposed to regular book in which I will be sick for an entire day if I dare read a chapter. We shall see. I am also packing pencils and erasers.
Brain Games - Unlike me, Derek is the Sudoku master, and whizzed right through the extra-super-hard puzzle book I bought him last time, so I'm hoping some of these will stump him.
What kind of books do you like to bring on vacation?
(Affiliate link below.)
I really enjoyed this book, and thought the author did an excellent job with some of the internal struggles with the characters. Even the character that I didn't want to like, a drug addict with an attitude, I couldn't help but sympathize with. She made the characters really believable and at the same time likable.
I listened to the audio of this book, and I think they picked a great narrator. I thought she really brought out the characters emotions well. Often with women narrators I think it sounds creepy when they read the male characters' lines, but this narrator did an excellent job at reading male characters. She did a different voice for each character, but in such a natural way that it didn't feel ridiculous or weird at all.
I didn't realize this book was part of a trilogy until I got close to the end and couldn't figure out how the author was going to wrap everything up! Now I want to pick up the next book to see what happens! This was not your typical Amish fiction, because it brought in both worlds in such an interesting way, and I really enjoyed it!
Note: I received the audiobook for Fraying At The Edge for free from christianaudio in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.
Note: I partnered with/received compensation from Babywise.Life to write this post. Although this is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
When you have a baby, there will always be a period of time when the baby won’t sleep. Looking ahead to when this baby is born, I am expecting the typical new-parent sleep deprivation. But I’m also strategizing on what we can do to help this baby learn to sleep through the night, because I know with five kids I’m going to need as much sleep as I can get!
Now, I think some kids naturally fall into better sleep patterns than others, and I’ve definitely noticed that with my four kids so far. But I do think that there are certain ways that parents can gently encourage their kids to develop good sleeping habits. With some guidelines to help, Derek and I must have hit on the right combination for our kids because all four started sleeping through the night consistently (I define that as sleeping for at least an 8-hour stretch at night) by around two months old. I'm tentatively confident that this baby will do the same!
So for the sake of review for myself, and maybe some extra strategies for those of you in a current sleep-deprived baby stage, I wanted to share a few things that worked for us.
I make sure baby is getting a full feeding every time.
What I mean by a “full feeding” is making sure your baby eats until they don’t want to eat anymore. Newborns love to fall asleep while nursing, but I did everything I could to make sure my babies stayed awake until they were done eating. If you let them, babies may fall asleep before getting their stomach full, or before getting the more satisfying hindmilk. If they don’t get a full feeding, they are going to want to eat again sooner. That’s not helpful for a good night's sleep! Especially for the last feeding before bed, I make sure they stay awake and get as much milk as possible.
I try to avoid bad falling-asleep habits.
I try to make sure my baby doesn’t fall into a habit where they need something to fall asleep. To be clear, there have been many times when I nursed my baby to sleep, or let them fall asleep in a swing, etc, but I just try to avoid letting these things become a habit. It’s better for nighttime sleep if babies also learn to go to sleep on their own from an awake state, so I try to give my babies a chance to practice that.
I don’t let them nap (at all) in the last stretch before bed.
During the day we loosely follow an eat-awake-sleep pattern for baby, but between the second-to-last and the last feeding of the day, I do everything I can to keep my baby awake the whole time. This is pretty much common sense. Can you fall asleep easily if you take a nap an hour before bedtime? I want my baby to feel good and tired by the time bedtime rolls around. After the last feeding, they go straight to bed.
I recognize that I might have to be creative in figuring out my individual, unique baby.
One of our kiddos would not fall asleep by himself for weeks, until we figured out that a night light and a white noise machine were what helped him feel comfortable. With two older siblings constantly around during the day, he just didn’t like to feel like he was all alone at night! Another kiddo needed the thermostat at exactly 72 degrees for him to get good sleep at night. With all my babies I did the things listed above and also had to figure out what would help them individually to sleep better, and every kid was a little different.
If some of you have read Babywise, you may recognize a couple of the ideas above from that book! My mom gave me the book that came before Babywise when I was pregnant with Wyatt - and I’m so thankful she did, because as a new mom I had no idea what a day with a baby would look like, and that book gave me a good idea of what to expect. Some of the overall principles from Babywise for helping develop good sleep habits obviously stuck, and they have worked really well for our family!
What Do you Mean By "Gently"?
The reason I say that these are ways I gently helped my babies sleep through the night is because as a mom you need to work around your babies' needs. After all these years of practice I’ve had with my babies, I’ve learned it’s up to me as their mom to do what I can to help my baby learn how to sleep, while also being flexible when unique situations arise. There are going to be days where you break all the "rules", and that's okay! To me, the ideas I got from Babywise and other sources, including some of the ideas I listed here, were a great jumping-off point as guidelines for me to encourage my babies to sleep. But part of finding confidence as a mom is learning when you need to do something a little differently, and feeling good about following your instincts. That's the spirit in which I share these tips, as things to keep in mind as you help your baby figure out how to sleep well!
Did you try anything specific to help you baby sleep through the night? When did your kiddo start sleeping through the night?
For more ideas, I really loved this article on encouraging newborns to sleep at night - it included some things I’ve done with my babies, and some things I didn’t think of (like using a different nighttime swaddle)!
(Affiliate link below.)
Overall, I thought the book was good. It was hard to get past the initial "this is not what I was expecting", but once I did get over it I started to enjoy it. Since each chapter is written by a different author/blogger, it was more like reading a collection of blog posts than a book...and with that came a lot of variety. Some of the chapters I really enjoyed and felt challenged by, and some were just okay.
After each chapter are a couple quotes and some short "challenges" to help you get started in connecting with your community. I liked those sections, but found myself skipping past them a bit toward the end of the book, but mostly because the format was different in the version I read. I'd love to see how pretty everything looks in the print and finished Kindle versions of this book!
This is more of a devotion type book, so if you pick it up I'd say to expect to read it in short sections. It's not the type of book you can sit down and read several chapters at once, at least for me. However, I enjoyed it overall!
Note: I received a digital galley of this book for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.
(Affiliate link below.)
Each chapter is short and to-the-point, but every page is also full of great ideas for ways to use teachable moments with your kids, fun stuff to do together, creative discipline ideas, and encouragement to use every opportunity to train your child in the way they should go. I found myself not necessarily wanting to skip to the next chapter, because I wanted to remember some of the things he had just shared! Not all of the chapters pertained to me (a lot of them included school/teacher-realted tips, which I probably won't need since we're homeschooling), but I still got a lot out of this book.
This definitely isn't a book to read once and put forever on the shelf, it's a book that could be a reference when you need a quick shot of encouragement or creativity in parenting. I really enjoyed it!
Note: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.
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