Review and Giveaway: Small Talk

About the book:
Every day, one of Amy Julie Becker’s children says something that prompts her to think about life in a new way. “Mom, does Santa love me?” William asks, after his mother explains the meaning of Christmas…In a chat with her dad about the children who died in the Sandy Hook shootings, Penny asks, “Did they go to heaven?” …”You was a jerk, Mommy?” asks Marilee one morning in the car.
These conversations deepen Amy Julia’s relationships with her children, but they also refine her understanding of what she believes and what God is doing in her own life.
In Small Talk, Amy Julia draws from the wisdom and curiosity of those young voices to reflect on beauty and kindness, tragedy and disability, prayer and miracles. As she moves through the basic questions her kids posed when they were very young to the more intellectual questions of later childhood, she invites us to learn from our own day-to-day conversations with the children in our lives.
This eloquent parenting memoir is about the big questions little hearts ask, the thoughts their words provoke, and the laughter and soul-searching their honesty brings—to adult and child alike.

About the author:

Amy Julia Becker writes about faith, family, and disability for Parents.com, the New York Times Motherlode blog, TheAtlantic.com, The Huffington Post parents page, Christianity Today, The Christian century, and numerous other publications. Her first book, A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny, was named one of the Top Ten Religion Books of 2011 by Publishers Weekly. Amy Julia lives in western Connecticut with her husband and three children.

Official Website: http://www.zondervan.com/small-talk

What a pleasure to read this book! Every chapter, Amy shares the revelations the Father has given her in her daily life as a mom. Revelations that we too can receive if we slow down and let the Father speak through our children. This book was an easy read, not heavy and theological, but anecdotal and practical. Through reading it, I was reminded over and over how we need to come to the Father as children, trusting and naive. Not trying to complicate everything (as we adults often do), but taking His Word for what it says and actually believing it!!! This book was so encouraging! Feeling overwhelmed about motherhood? Read a chapter of this book and you will be grateful once again for the Blessings the Father has bestowed upon you! This book would make a great baby shower gift as well as a gift to a well seasoned mama! We can all use encouragement!

Now you can enter to win this book!! See the directions below.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Giveaway Time
We will be giving away a copy of this book!

1. Leave a comment. This can be done daily.
2. Post about the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter, please do this one, I would really appreciate it. I will give you 5 entries if you do this one, just post the link in a separate comment.
3. Sign up for my RSS feed to hear about other giveaways and other stuff when I find time to post, leave me a comment letting me know that you did, or if you already are signed up.

Please be sure to leave a comment below, otherwise I will not know you have shared my blog etc.

I will draw the blessed winner on Dec 10th.

Review and Giveaway: Growing Up Social

About the book:

-Softcover
-209 pages
-Parent Resources
-Discussion Guides for every chapter (perfect for a bible study!)

Is technology bringing your family closer together or driving you farther apart?

Children today are no longer playing hide-and-seek outside or curling up with a good book—instead they’ve been introduced to a world of constant digital entertainment through television, video games, and mobile devices. And while technology has the potential to add value to our lives and families, it can also erode a sense of togetherness and hinder a child’s emotional and social development.

In Growing Up Social, Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane will empower you with the necessary tools to make positive changes…starting today. Through stories, wit, and wisdom, you’ll discover how to take back your home from an over dependence on screens. Plus, you’ll learn to teach the five A+ skills that every healthy child needs to master: affection, appreciation, anger management, apology, and attention.

•Equip your child to be relationally rich in a digital world
•Replace mindless screen time with meaningful family time
•Establish simple boundaries that make a huge difference
•Discover what’s working for families that have become screen savvy
•Learn healthy ways to occupy your child while you get things done

Now is the time to equip your child to live with screen time, not for screen time. No phone, tablet, or gaming device can teach your child how to have healthy relationships—only you can.


Official Website: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/growingupsocial
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-ANoYvKA1k

Gary Chapman- author, speaker, and counselor—has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages series and the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio programs air on more than 400 stations. For more information, visit 5lovelanguages.com.

Arelene Pellicane- is a speaker and author of 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Wife and 31 Days to a Happy Husband. She has been featured on The Today Show, The 700 Club, and Family Life Today and formerly served as the associate producer for Turning Point Television with Dr. David Jeremiah. Arlene lives in Southern California with her husband, James, and their three children. Find out more at ArlenePellicane.com.

I have had the wonderful privilege of reading this book and sharing it with all of you! WOW...I am not a fan of parenting books, but this one is SO incredible! Doesn't matter if you just have toddlers or toddlers AND teens, this book is for you!

What's so great about THIS book you ask? Well, I know a lot of people grew up with a great family life like I did, however there were a lot of skills that I never really learned and am now still struggling with as an adult! This book helped me to recognize and learn the skills needed to overcome!

They talk about the 6 A plus skills, skills that are needed to succeed relationally! They are: Affection, Appreciation, Anger Management, Apology, and Attention.
Not only do they explain what the healthy skill looks like, but they also offer tips on how to teach these skills to your children (and how to incorporate these skills into your own life!!)

Because we live in a world that is hugely based on "screen time", we need to set limits. This book explains why limits are needed and what screen time does to you. How it affects your social skills, your attitude, your brain...everything!

I loved this book. I highly recommend that even if you don't win this book in the giveaway posted below, please find it in your local bookstore!


"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Giveaway Time
We will be giving away a copy of this book!

1. Leave a comment. This can be done daily.
2. Post about the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter, please do this one, I would really appreciate it. I will give you 5 entries if you do this one, just post the link in a separate comment.
3. Sign up for my RSS feed to hear about other giveaways and other stuff when I find time to post, leave me a comment letting me know that you did, or if you already are signed up.

I will draw the blessed winner on Nov 30th.