Tag Archives: Blog Book Tour

October 29, 2018 · 3:42 am

“How Do You Take A Bath?” Blog Book Tour & Giveaway

If you are looking for a fun picture book, How Do You Take A Bath?, really fits the bill. You will smile and laugh as you follow elephants, pigs, monkeys, hippos, and more in this charming read-aloud from veteran author Kate McMullan. Perfect for fans of Five Little Monkeys Jump in the Bath, How Do You Take A Bath? is a fun and educational picture book that brings together adorable baby animals and bath time.

How does a pig take a bath? It sinks in the mud! What about a chicken? It thrashes about in dust! And a cat? Why, it licks itself clean, of course! Sydney Hanson’s adorable illustrations toggle neatly between animals in nature grooming themselves and humorous depictions of children attempting the animals’ bathing tactics. By the end of the book, the child finally makes his way to the bathtub, no mud baths or lick baths about it!

Check out my video review of this book:

The book’s fun, rhyming prose makes it perfect for storytime and provides the facts to back it up for science discussions. With How Do You Take a Bath?, teachers looking for a classroom read-aloud and parents searching for a new book about bath time need look no further!

Giveaway:

Random House is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own hardcover copy of How Do You Take A Bath?! Thank you Random House for the review book and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US residents.

How Do You Take A Bath? Hardcover Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget. Good Luck!!!

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Filed under Blog Tour, Books, Giveaway, Home & Garden

Tagged as Blog Book Tour, Books, giveaway, Penguin Random, review, Sweeps

August 22, 2018 · 10:42 am

“Homespun” Blog Book Tour- Amish & Mennonite Women in Their Own Words

I love learning about different cultures and religions. The most profound thing I have learned, is that when we really take the time to learn about others, we usually discover we are more alike than different. I think our world could benefit greatly if we all took the time to learn about others.

Given my feelings, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review a new book edited by Lorilee Craker. The book, Homespun: Amish and Mennonite Women in Their Own Words,

Is there a better way to connect and get to know someone than over a cup of coffee or tea? That is exactly how it feels reading the stories of the Amish and Plain Mennonite women in this book. Editor Lorilee Craker, bestselling author of Money Secrets of the Amish, collects these personal writings about hospitality, home, grief, joy, and walks with God.

Hear from one woman who struggles with feeling inferior to her sister, from another about her longing for a baby, and from a third who accidentally bought stretchy material to sew her husband’s pants. tEach woman’s story is a testament to the grace of God and the blessings of community.

This book is such a great read, one to savor while laying back and enjoying the end of summer. Homespun is such a comfortable read, it is so hard to put down. As I read the stories of the women on the pages, I found there was much more I had in common with them than not. The stories draw you in and make you laugh, cry and connect. You will love this book.

Learn more in my video below:

Behind Amish romance novels and tourist spots and television shows stand real people, with longings and loves just like the rest of us. Every Amish and Mennonite woman has a story. In Homespun, you get to hear some of them.

About the editor:

Lorilee Craker is the author of thirteen books, including Money Secrets of the Amish; Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me; My Journey to Heaven with Marv Besteman; and the New York Times bestseller Through the Story with Lynne Spears. Connect with Lorilee on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“Life According to Og the Frog” Book Review & Blog Tour

Friday was the last day of school for my little ones, but even though the saying goes “no more teachers, no more books”, that is not exactly true in our house.

We are a book loving family, so a summer without books, would be a miserable summer. Even if your middle school child is not an enthusiastic reader, The Life of Og the Frog by Betty G. Birney will be one they want on their summer reading list.

Now, you may be familiar with the adventures in The World According to Humphrey who is the class pet in Room 26. This book also takes place in Room 26, but it is told from the perspective of Og the Frog! Og used to live in a marsh, but he has found himself as the newest class pet in Room 26.

There is so much Og the Frog wants to know. Of course he misses his friends from the pond, everyone except the bullying bullfrogs. The water in his tank is very clean, maybe a little too clean, Og the Frog enjoys a little muck every now and again, after all. The classroom is full of strange, unfamiliar noises and there is a furry, squeaky fellow living next to him, who is very entertaining. The kids are sure friendly and they put the biggest, fattest crickets right in Og’s tank!

All these new experiences give Og lots of inspiration for what he loves to do best, making up songs and poems. All was going along fine, Og the Frog was trying to figure out Humphrey, getting to know the kids better and then there was the frog debate. The debate had to do with whether or not to send Og to live in his own environment at Piney Woods or let him stay in room 26.

Og the Frog had a lot of feelings during the debate discussion and vote. Would he have to say goodbye to the kids he lovingly refers to as the Tads. What about Tabitha? Tabitha’s whole life had changed just like Og’s had. Og thought about Mandy, the little girl who finally started seeing the bright side of things thanks to his help. Let’s not forget about Humphrey who Og was finally beginning to figure out.

The tads had a discussion and took a vote. As their teacher starts pulling out the folded slips of paper and reading them to the class, it is only a matter of minutes before Og will know his fate.

About the Author:

Betty G. Birney has won many awards for writing for television, including an Emmy, three Humanitas Prizes, and a Writers Guild of America Award. In addition to the Humphrey series, she is the author of The Seven Wonders of Sassafrass Springs and The Princess and the Peabodys. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where her parents grew up as neighbors on Humphrey Street.

The Life of Og the Frog is a good book to read aloud with your kids or to let them read aloud to you. Of course, it makes wonderful reading for kids in grades 3-7 to read on their own as well. Let me know if, The Life of Og the Frog will be hopping onto your middle schooler’s summer reading list.

Overwhelmed? Discover, “Why Motherhood Matters” #Giveaway

Tomorrow, I have to go for two ultrasound scans. To say the least, the last few weeks have been a rollercoaster. Already dealing with having our lives torn apart for the last year, as we have had to undergo a near total renovation of our house. This required moving out, having all our belongings packed by a less than careful mold remediation company and now dealing with a less than ethical contractor who took a large deposit on work he never even started.

So, now on top of everything, we are starting the litigation process to bring this contractor and his partner (wife) to justice and get our money back. They have caused us weeks of delays and much angst. I ended up being rushed to the hospital one night thinking I was having a heart attack. They found out that, thankfully, I was not having a heart attack but tomorrow I need to have an echocardiogram to rule out mitral valve prolapse and my thyroid levels (I am hypothyroid) were very low. This could be the reason for the chest pain etc. I had my levels tested again and they are normal but the doctor felt an enlargement in my thyroid, and that is the other scan I am going for. I would love your prayers and good thoughts because I am feeling a big weary.

Speaking of being weary, motherhood itself can leave us feeling overwhelmed. Add to that health issues, and it can sap our energy as we worry about something happening to us, and what that would mean to our family. As much as we try to stay positive, those negative thoughts creep in. Since I was told there was an enlargement on one side of my thyroid, it feels that the fullness I felt from time to time in my throat, is now constant. It also feels like something is pulling from my collarbone when I turn my neck. As much as I try to push it from my thoughts, they find a way of creeping in. This morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn, and could not lie there because of the thoughts that kept coming into my mind. I had to get up and do something to try and take my mind off tomorrow.

As mothers, our lives are so full and no matter how much we get accomplished, we tend to focus on all the things we did not get done. We are so critical on ourselves. It can easily leave us feeling overwhelmed. Maybe you have even wondered if you were succeeding at motherhood. We tend to berate ourselves about everything we did not complete or do. Worse yet, social media has introduced us to hoards of “supermoms” who only make us feel worse about ourselves. We have to understand everything is not what it seems on social media, and the “supermom” you see, is probably hanging by a thread just like you are many days.

I understand that many mothers feel overwhelmed and have at least fleeting thoughts of inadequacy. That is why I want to introduce you to, Why Motherhood Matters by September McCarthy. The author has been a mom for 25 years (close to how long I have been a mother but, I have a few years more on the job, lol), like myself ,she continues to raise young children and loves her young adults.

September imparts words of wisdom and grace in key areas of Christian parenting, including faith (getting honest with your family about your need for Jesus), wellness (learning to take care of your kids and yourself), education (raising a new generation with creativity and character), and relationships (speaking to the heart of your children in unique ways). On the pages of the book, you’ll find sweet anecdotes and gentle guidance for those moments you need both a breather and a lifeline.

More About September:

September McCarthy is a writer, speaker, blogger (One September Day at www.septembermccarthy.com), wife, and a home-educating mother to ten beautiful children. Today, she juggles motherhood and being a grandmother as her older children are married with families of their own. She is also the founder and director of Raising Generations Today, a nonprofit ministry designed to equip and inspire moms to reach the hearts of their children for God’s glory.

Giveaway:

We are happy to run a giveaway for our readers. One lucky Mommy Ramblings’ reader will win their own copy of, Why Motherhood Matters. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Open to residents of the USA.

Why Motherhood Matters Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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Filed under Blog Tour, Books, Giveaway, Mommy Ramblings, parenting, Spiritual

Tagged as Blog Book Tour, giveaway, Inspiration, Motherhood, Parenting, Why Motherhood Matters

September 9, 2017 · 8:26 pm

“There’s A Monster In Your Book” #Giveaway

We love picture books, we love all books to be honest. That’s right, one big, happy, book loving family is what we are. I want to share a brand new, hot off the presses picture book with you called, There’s A Monster In Your Book. This is a shake, wiggle and tickle the monster out of this book, read-aloud bedtime story, that is so fun to share with your kids. The book is written by Tom Fletcher, a YouTube star, musician and children’s book author.

With the irresistible pull of Hervé Tullet’s Press Here and the charm of The Monster at the End of This Book, Tom Fletcher’s inviting interactive read-aloud will have kids tilting, spinning, and shaking the book to get the adorable little monster out! That’s right! He’s out of the book . . . and in their room somewhere. Uh-oh!!

The co-author of the Dinosaur That Pooped series has created a monster that readers will fall in love with—and want to play with—again and again! It will get your own little monster tuckered out and snuggled in!

Tom Fletcher has a huge social-media presence, with over a million followers on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. His videos “Buzz and the Dandelions” and “My Wedding Speech” went viral and have been viewed tens of millions of times all over the world.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of this almost-too-fun book, just enter our giveaway below.

Giveaway:

Penguin Random House is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of There’s A Monster In Your Book! Thank you to Penguin Random House for the review book and for sponsoring this inspirational giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US Residents in the contiguous 48 states.