"Approval Junkie: Adventures in Caring Too Much"

disclaimer:  I received this book for free from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

"Approval Junkie:  Adventures in Caring Too Much"

by Faith Salie

  The way Faith sees it we all have a bit of Approval Junkie in us.  Which really makes a lot of sense when you think about it.  Why else would people have to have these lavish houses with perfect yards, cars that have all the latest gadgets, or sending our kids to school wearing only the biggest name brand clothing?  It's because deep down we all want to feel accepted and maybe even liked.

  This book is a story of how Faith's desire for approval led her through many challenges but she does it with a humor that will leave you laughing throughout.

  Don't worry, Faith isn't going to ramble on and on about ways that you can change the way you are, she more or less lets you see how to embrace it.

Mommy in PA: 

 With chapter titles like "Howler Monkey", "Face for Radio", "What I wore to my divorce", and "Wait, Wait ...Don't tell me about Batman's nipples", how can this not be hilarious.  

  With a bit of Approval Junkie scattered throughout my life, ok so  maybe a lot, I really related with Faith.  Although I did have some difficulties understanding what she was talking about with some of her vocabulary which really made me think that I should have gone to college, LOL.  

  I just can't say it enough how funny she is.  Although this was not a self-help book so much as a good humor read it was worth every last second.  Thanks for the fun, Faith : )

Lifetime Movie Club!

disclaimer:  We will possibly be receiving a free trial  of the club from US Family Guide in exchange for this post.  

Lifetime Movie Club (Free Trial)

  Watch your favorite Lifetime Movies on your time on your choice of devices.  Movies are commercial- free and there is a new movie added daily.  

  Mommy in GA and Mommy in PA have been a fan of  Lifetime movies for years.  We are really excited about having this service available to watch on our tablets/phones.  

  Currently the supporting platforms are iphone, ipad, ipod and Roku players with more coming soon.

  

What are you waiting for? Start your FREE 7-DAY TRIAL of #LifetimeMovieClub to watch your favorite #Lifetime movies now!

Just click here for your 7-day free trial : )

"Iesodo Joy"

disclaimer:  I received the product below for free in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions remain my own.

"Iesodo Joy"

  With the kiddos all home from school for the summer we as parents are left trying to figure out ways to keep them entertained.  Often times when it is too hot outside our kids are left either watching tv or playing video games.  Well the tv shows and video games these days are nothing like the ones we had growing up.  Sometimes it is practically impossible to find something that is appropriate for our kids.

  Well in steps FishFlix.com.  FishFlix is one of the top destinations online for Christian and family-friendly dvds.  

  I received "Iesodo Joy", it is one in a series about Iesodo and his friends available at FishFlix.com.  Here is what we thought:

  Mommy in PA:  This movie was beautiful!!!  Not only in the telling of the story of the Nativity but also in the animation and the music.  

  My son is a little too old for this movie as I believe this is actually meant for about 2-5 years but I wish we would have had this when he was little.  This is a great way to get small children to understand the story of Jesus's birth in a way that they can more easily understand.

The story is about how Iesodo's friends are planning his birthday party but there are others trying to keep them from celebrating.  See how the friends come up with a solution. 

  The artistry is amazing, the characters are just so darn cute  : )  My favorite characters are the tortoises, I really wish there would have been more of them but they were the ones carrying the three wise owls so they weren't seen a whole lot.  

  I also loved the music.  There are a couple of the songs on here that I personally would have downloaded and played for my son all the time when he was younger.  

  I love the idea of having a whole series of videos using these characters because it is easy for the kids to recognize them after just a short time.  I believe that this series can help a lot of parents have an easier time teaching their children about the Bible.

  

  The wonderful folks over at FishFlix.com are offering a special deal right now.  Get a $5 coupon to FishFlix.com just by joining their email list or by texting 5-GIFT to 44222.  

"Colors of Loss and Healing"

disclaimer:  I received the following product for free in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions are my own.

"Colors of Loss and Healing :  An Adult Coloring Book for Getting Through Tough Times"

by Deborah S. Derman, Ph.D.

  So I know a lot of you are probably wondering how a coloring book could possibly help a person through tough times.  Well Deborah had a lot of experience with death and healing as she witnessed the death of both of her parents in a plane crash, she lost a close friend to suicide, her husband passed away when she was pregnant with their third child, and she also survived breast cancer.

  So if anybody knows how to teach others how to cope with their grief than I believe Deborah is qualified : )  She puts it this way:

  "The emotional and physical pain were just too great to handle.  I made a deal with myself to try to live for just one more hour at a time.  I looked at my watch at 10 a.m., thinking I would just try to live until 11.  Coloring, for me, is a beautiful metaphor for taking things one small step at a time.  Just pick up a pencil, and fill in one space.  Don't worry about filling the whole page or completing the whole book.  Healing from loss is a lifelong process.  We need to make meaning of the loss as we move forward in our lives."

  This isn't just an adult coloring book either, it also features a word or phrase on every page as part of the overall picture design.  Each page is focused on part of healing.  Some of my favorite examples are "One Day at a Time", Forgive, and Breathe.  Each page also has a place for you to write your thoughts and feelings about what the word on that page means to you.

  Mommy in PA:  I really didn't know what to expect with this book.  I wasn't sure if I would even like any of the pictures as I totally expected just a bunch of flowers or designs like most of the other adult coloring books I have seen.  I was totally surprised that this one features all kinds of nice pictures including animals, flowers, household settings, and even music themed.

  I love the words on every page idea.  It really does help to think about what each of the words means to you, even if you currently aren't dealing with any majorly tragic event it still helps to think about when you did and how you coped then.

  I am not really into using colored pencils and decided to use my ultra fine point permanent markers.  Now if you really want to do the writing parts or even the next picture, this is not a good idea as they bleed right through.  I am going to have to get some colored pencils for the rest of the book I guess    : )

  I think another way that this helps with grief is by taking your mind off of it for awhile.  If you are busy concentrating on filling out these tiny little patterns than you aren't really thinking about much else.  You can get lost in these pictures for hours.