Intentional Parenting

"Intentional Parenting: Autopilot is for Planes" by Sissy Goff, LPC, David Thomas, LMSW, and Melissa Trevathan, MRE is an in-depth look at some of the most common parenting myths, and how to make your life as a parent more satisfying and less stressful. This book tackles principles such as patience with your child, being consistent, and staying connected with your child.

I thought this book offered some wonderful, real-world answers to some very common parenting issues. For example, my favorite tidbit of wisdom was in the chapter on patience - so much of our irritability at times can come from running late. This book recommends starting your day 15 minutes earlier to avoid the extra tension of running late to an already busy parenting schedule.

Some of the points that are made are common sense, but there are some really valuable nuggets in this book, and I would highly recommend it to any parent who wishes to be a better parent to their child(ren). After all, raising good children starts with being a good parent! I would give this book a 4/5, and definitely will be attempting to apply some of the ideas from this book to my own parenting adventure. 

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogging program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. 

Lord, I Give You This Day

"Lord, I Give You This Day" by Kay Arthur is a year long devotional that is meant to inspire, uplift, and bring you closer in your walk with Christ. Kay Arthur does a wonderful job of incorporating Biblical truths with our busy everyday lives and challenging us to take pause and really evaluate our hearts. What I loved about this devotional was that each day's devotional is one page long, so it is extremely easy to find the time to read it every day, no matter how busy you might be. Whether you're a stay at home mom, or a busy student, or building a career, this daily devotional can easily fit into your schedule. Kay Arthur so wonderfully writes about things we all need to hear, such as grace, faith, relying on God, righteousness, meekness, and forgiveness. Arthur has a genuine talent for connecting with her readers and creating an inspiring devotional. The only thing that I would change about this book is that the days are labeled. Instead of just going from "day 1" to "day 365", each devotional is dated from "January 1" through "December 31". This makes it feel like I am missing out on something if I do skip a day. Other than that, I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone - I think that there is something in this for everyone, whether you are a mom, dad, student, or business professional. Wonderful Biblical references, great ties to daily life, and very well written. Love it. 


FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org as part of their blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was NOT obligated to write a positive review.

Humble Heart

"Humble Bumbles Humble Heart : A Book of Virtues" by Amy Meyer Allen is an adorable children's book that features Biblical virtues through an adorable story featuring animal friends. This book teaches young children the importance of the virtues: humility, love, thoughtfulness, faithfulness, mercy, encouragement, comfort, courage, and joy. Each virtue has its own short story featuring a different animal character - for example, the story that explains mercy features Percie Pig. The stories themselves use easy to understand words, perfect for young children, and they really break down the virtue to its most basic form so that a young child can truly get a grasp of what each virtue is about. The last page of each story asks a simple question, designed for young children, to help them tie in how this virtue can be present in their own life. It also features a Bible verse that reinforces that particular virtue. The illustrations in this book are vivid and inviting. This is a wonderfully written, thoughtfully designed book that is ideal for children ages 3 and up. I would highly recommend it for parents or grandparents of any young child. I loved it, and so did my 4 year old!

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was NOT obligated to write a positive review.