Saturday, July 27, 2013

Book Review: Ready for Air

Ready for Air: A Journey through Premature MotherhoodReady for Air: A Journey through Premature Motherhood by Kate Hopper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cathartic read for me. The author had her daughter at 32 weeks due to preeclampsia, and while our situations were not identical, there was so much with which I could identify, from the magnesium sulfate to the C-section to the NICU journey that ended with bringing home a baby with reflux who would only sleep while being held. I'd recommend this to any preemie parent or memoir fan.

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Potty Training the Not-So-Easy Way

To read all about my adventures in potty training Evan, head on over to The Cloth Diaper Whisperer for my post.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Review: God's Little Explorers Preschool Curriculum

Evan just turned 3 at the end of June, and I've decided I needed to add a little structure to our at-home time.  I found a lot of free preschool curriculums in cyberspace, but I wanted something that was easy-to-follow and, most importantly, had a Christian foundation.  That's when I came upon Stacie of Motherhood On a Dime's curriculum, God's Little Explorers.  Stacie, the author, has a background in elementary education, and she homeschools her girls.  The curriculum is 28 weeks, and covers all the letters of the alphabet (one week per letter), but the unique thing about it is that it doesn't start with A -- it starts with X, because X marks the spot for the treasure, and the treasure is God's Word.  The second week is G for garden -- the creation story, of course -- and so on.

Now, Stacie offers the curriculum for free (just follow the links on her website for each week's lessons), but if you're like me and would like it all gathered in one handy download, with improvements and extras, you can spring for the $14 package.*  And all proceeds will be donated to fund the building of an orphanage in India.

We're only on day 2, but I've already reviewed the curriculum, and I'm really impressed.  It's easy to follow, doesn't require a lot of prep (or supplies), and is good even for the craft-phobic like me.  Plus, I really appreciate the biblical focus.  I'm glad I took the plunge.

*Oh, and through July 31, 2013 at 11:59 PM CT, you can save $2 by using the code SAVE2 at check-out!
 

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Two Books About S-E-X

So, reading books with sexually explicit content is totally not my style.  Before I got married, I avoided such books on principle (why spend time thinking about something I was intent on avoiding?), and now that I am married I really don't care to read about other people's sex lives, even if they are fictional.  Then how did I manage to read two in a row?



The Infinite Moment of UsThe Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I appreciate Myracle's talent -- and I met her in person once, and she was really gracious and engaging -- so I was glad to get a chance to read this one before its release. I was looking forward to a sweet story of first love. This is realistic fiction, though, so these 18-year-olds think about sex a lot. And have it.  Wren is a good girl, Charlie is a foster kid from "the wrong side of the tracks," and sparks fly the summer after they graduate.  A little too much description for my taste, but I'm sure teenagers will devour it.



Love OverdueLove Overdue by Pamela Morsi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I should have known, this being published by a Harlequin imprint and all, that there would be sex. But how could I pass up the chance to read a book about a librarian? The library details were well-done, but the love story was a little unrealistic, in my opinion (what's with our culture's reversal of what should be love's natural progression?); namely: boy and girl meet at a club on spring break, have a one-night-stand, and then try to forget each other until they meet again years later and, of course, fall in love. I would have enjoyed this a lot more without the focus on the physical aspect of the characters' relationship and without the guy's meddling mother-in-law (the subplot about her desire to commit suicide was kind of annoying).

All my own opinions, of course. Thanks to the publisher for providing e-galleys for review through NetGalley.