Potluck Survival Guide by Cherie Kimmons {A Review}

I've shared before that I love to entertain, but I'm horribly disorganized and it can make planning a meal for a large group intimidating (or downright stressful)! The Potluck Survival Guide is a great guide for busy moms everywhere. It's part cookbook, part instruction manual, and one heck of a good read!

It doesn't matter if you're not an experienced cook, Cherie breaks it down with easy step by step instructions. If you are an experienced cook, you'll still find this book to be a goldmine. These recipes can easily to be used to feed a small family or a soccer team.

This is one of the best books I've read on feeding a large crowd. Many of the meals start off with prepared ingredients like frozen veggies or instant mashed potatoes which drastically reduces prep time. It also includes recipes that can be prepared the night before. It also includes serving information so you can plan accordingly depending on the size of the crowd.

This is a book you need to pick up! It's humorous, down to earth, and absolutely delightful.

Potluck Survival Guide can be purchased from Five Star Publications for only $18.96 (regularly $24.95).

Disclosure: Potluck Survival Guide was provided to me free of charge by Five Star Publications in conjunction with Mama Buzz. All opinions expressed here were my own.

Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein & Todd Hillard {A Review}

Buy		Read

Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein and Todd Hillard
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
List Price: $12.99
Ages: 12 and up



Rarely do I find a book that both of my girls love as much as I do. Although this book is geared for teens, it is a great read for anyone who has ever longed to make a difference. My basketball loving, book hating daughter called it the "best book I ever read." My book loving, basketball hating daughter said she felt "challenged to make a difference". I read it last month during the 30 Day Giving Challenge and was motivated to think outside the box with the way I gave.

Take Your Best Shot chronicles the story of 9 year old Austin Gutwein. After watching a video of
a 4 year old girl in Zambia who has been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic, he told his parents he wanted to do something to help her. Although most parents would be tempted to dismiss this desire, his parents believed he could make a difference and placed a call to World Vision.

When Austin spoke with World Vision, they asked him what he liked to do and his response was "I like basketball." Little did they know that God would use this small boy who wasn't good enough to make his school basketball team, but loved basketball, to touch the lives of hundreds of kids in Africa (and thousands of kids across America).

Here are some thoughts from my daughters:

"This is the best book I've ever read. It made me think about what I can do to help people. I know that with God's help, I can make a difference too."

"Have you ever felt like a book is speaking to you? Or like a hammer is hitting you really hard on the head saying "Hello!?! Have you figured out the message God is sending you here? Well that's what Take Your Best Shot did to me. I mean Austin is no older than me and he is already helping millions of children in Africa. Reading what he had to say really got me going. Lately I've been given more than I deserve and yet all I want is more. A feeling of guilt is now kind of haunting me. I now know that if Austin can be bad at basketball and still save lives, I can do the same. I believe that maybe it's time to take MY best shot!"

I can't tell you enough how highly I recommend this book and I think it's highly fitting that I'm reviewing it on World AIDS Awareness Day. This would make a great stocking stuffer for the teen in your life or would make a great book to read out loud as a family if your children are a little bit older.

Disclosure: Take Your Best Shot was provided to me free of charge by Thomas Nelson in conjunction with Mama Buzz. All opinions expressed here were my own and those of my daughters.

The Attitude Girl by Mila Bernadkin {A Review}

Being a teenager is hard (and being the mom of one is really hard too, but this isn't about me). Mila Bernadkin is a wonderful storyteller who has obviously had a lot of experience with teens. You can tell that she really "gets them" and the characters she crafted are extremely realistic.

The Attitude Girl is the story of Victoria Benson (Vicky) , a 17 year old who is tackling some pretty hefty issues with the help of her closest friends, Alex, Chloe, Jackie and Liza. When Vicky's mom loses her job, Vicky has to come face to face with her shopping problem. She's not too thrilled to find out that she can't shop whenever she wants. This news is the catalyst that pushes Vicky's already questionable attitude over the edge.

This book is written as a first person narrative and includes both Vicky's external interactions and her inner dialogue. As Vicky deals with her mom's unemployment, her feelings of abandonment by her dad, her shopping "problem" and the all to frequent teenage pressures to drink, be sexually active, and to fit in, she learns the importance of friendship.

I thought the story was masterfully written and extremely realistic, however, I wasn't a big fan of the frequent swearing and sexual situations (although I do realize that's part of what makes this book so believable).

Here's a few thoughts from my teenager:

The most important event that happens in Attitude Girl was when all five friends deal with a hard relationship. All five girls deal with hard decisions, Alex and Vicki find out that a best friend is more important then a guy they both like, Chloe learns to step up for herself and not be the “baby” of the group anymore, and finally Liza pays the consequence for a bad choice she made with her boyfriend by finding out that she is pregnant.

The Attitude Girl teaches great lessons about decisions and friendships. Mila Bernadkin basically wrote a story about what an average teenage girl with a single mother goes through everyday. As a Christian, I don’t agree with the language Mila used in her book. Also I believe from my point of view I wouldn’t recommend this book for a junior high student because of some of the topics the characters talk about. Overall, I thought the Attitude Girl makes a great point, as I said before, about how some decisions and the friends I choose to hang around with can ether give me a positive consequence or a negative consequence.

I also really like that the author is from Ukraine...just like me!

You can get a copy of The Attitude Girl from Five Star Publications for $16.95.

Here's a few pieces of information from the Media Kit.

In her debut novel, a first-place winner in the Arizona Authors Association Annual Literary Awards contest, Ludmila "Mila" Bernadkin draws on her experience as a teacher, mother and advanced graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature to identify with the tremulous world of confusing emotions and mixed messages of "maturity" today's teens live in as they feel their way through the process of becoming young adults.

Born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine, a beautiful resort city on the Black Sea, Bernadkin emigrated from the former Soviet Union and came to the United States in 1977. She graduated from the Brest Music College with a BA-equivalent degree in theory of music and music literature, and accepted a teaching position at a children's music school. After moving to the States, she became a Senior Programmer-Analyst, working at several of the largest financial institutions in New York City. However, medical reasons forced her early retirement, which turned out to be a blessing as she realized her life-long dream of becoming an award-winning published writer.

Bernadkin resides in Brooklyn, New York, with her daughter, a graduate student who is working on her Master's degree. Bernadkin loves to travel, listen to music and read.

Disclosure: The Attitude Girl was provided to me free of charge by Mila Bernadkin and Five Star Publications in conjunction with Mama Buzz. All opinions expressed here were my own and those of my daughter.

Curse of the Spider King {A Review}

When I first looked at The Curse of the Spider King: Book 1 in the Berinfell Prophecies, I'll be honest with you, I wasn't too jazzed. The cover of this books has lots of gross looking spiders with knights riding on them. I hate spiders and I'm not a big fan of the fantasy genre either. This book by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper was written for ages 12-17. When I offered it to my kids to read, my 14 year old grudgingly offered to read it. I was pleasantly surprised when an hour later she came out of her room and told me "This book is amazing!" And from the time she finished the book, she has asked time and time again "Do you know when the second book is coming out?"

I'll let her tell you in her own words what she thought.

When I first saw the book Curse of the Spider King, I thought it was the lamest book ever, but I was just judging by its cover. As I started reading it, I couldn't pit it down. Curse of the Spider King was amazing. I just wanted to keep reading and never put down this mysterious book.

The book is about seven 13 year olds who live in our world, not realizing that someday they are going to save a world beyond their own. I love the characters Batson and Hopper created. The seven teens are my age and it sort of gives me something to think about...What would I have done if it was me?

The end of the book had a one chapter sneak preview of the second book. I'm so glad there is a second book!!! I can't wait to read it. And this time, I won't judge a book by its cover.

As a mom, it's comforting to know that books put out by Thomas Nelson won't be full of bad language and questionable morals. I can allow my teens to read them without having to read them first!

If you have a teen, this book would be a great Christmas gift! You'll definitely want to check it out.

The Curse of the Spider King: Book 1 in the Berinfell Prophecies
By: Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper
Ages: 12 - 17
Put out by: Thomas Nelson
Price: $14.99 (You can purchase this book from Amazon by clicking here or clicking on the image of the book in the left sidebar.)

Disclosure: This book was provided to me free of charge by Thomas Nelson in conjunction with Mama Buzz. All opinions expressed here were my own or those of my sweet daughter.

Purple Trail {A Review and Giveaway} CLOSED

I love hosting parties and helping to coordinate events, but I have to be honest about my hostessing abilities. I'm not very organized and I usually end up having a nervous breakdown the day of the party...especially when it's at my home. I've even been known to stuff everything sitting out around the house (mail, shoes, etc) in my dryer to make my house look neater. I have a hard time remembering who is coming, how many friends they're bringing, if they offered to bring a food or drink (and half the time, I'm not sure what kind of food to provide as a main dish). Party planning can be overwhelming, but I have found a great tool...Purple Trail. Purple Trail is like having your own event planner!

I'm sure you're wondering what makes Purple Trail so special and what exactly it is they do!

• Purple Trail allows you to create and send out online invitations (and birthday cards and holiday cards...) without those annoying ads that many online invitations and cards come with! They have hundreds of pre-designed online invites, ecards and announcements to choose from. Choose one and send it as is or you can customize it with your own photos, videos, music, and embellishments. You can even choose to make your own design from scratch. The Design Center is super easy to use. If you don't believe me, just check out this video.
  
  

• You can also create a matching event website that is interactive. Not only can guests find all the necessary details (directions, dress code, etc.), but they can also RSVP and add their two cents about time and location. And...they even have a potluck feature where guests can specify what they're bringing to the party (I really like this feature...makes my life easier for sure)!
  

• Purple Trail allows you to share your invitation via Twitter and Facebook. Plus, with the easy to use Address Book, you can import your contacts from Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail.
  

• If you're one of those people who is always looking for a good reason to entertain, check out the Party Trail section of the site. You're sure to find a reason for gathering or celebrating! Whether you're planning a basic dinner party, a Girls Night Out (or In), or a football party, you're sure to find some fun ideas and great tips.

• Purple Trail even allows you to interact with your guest after the event. You can design and send thank you notes. You can even share photos and videos of the event and allow your guests to do the same.

Purple Trail has several plans available to you. These plans range in price from Free to $49.95/year. To find out more about these plans, click here.

Purple Trail has graciously offered to give one of my readers a Basic Membership which is valued at $14.95/year.

Want to Win It? Simply head on over to Purple Trail and leave a comment here with your favorite design style. This is required!

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{Disclosure: I was provided with a Premium Membership to Purple Trail in conjunction with Mama Buzz.}

Jantsen's Gift by Pam Cope and Aimee Molloy

One of my deepest desires is to make a difference...in my family, in my church, in my community, in the world. If you've ever dreamed of making a difference, this book is for you!


Jantsen's Gift is the story of a woman who seemingly has it all...a great family, a job she loves, and a beautiful home, yet she is plagued by an internal restlessness, a desire for more. In the first few chapters, Pam shares the devastating loss of her 15 year old son, Jantsen, to an undiagnosed heart ailment. Crippled by grief, Pam struggled to complete even the simplest of tasks.

Pam was pulled out of her downward spiral when her family traveled to Vietnam over Thanksgiving to see an orphanage her family was considering as a recipient of Jantsen's Memorial Fund. On that trip, Pam saw the devastating needs of children in Asia. She was awakened to the horrors of slavery and child trafficking. She saw first hand how devastating it can be for a child to live in an orphanage, without even basic necessities. This trip was the catalyst Pam needed to not only get her life back, but also to change the lives of others. Pam went on to start Touch A Life Foundation and rescue children in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Ghana. She also adopted 2 kids from Vietnam during the process.

This book is a story of hope...of triumph over tragedy...of one mom who makes an incredible difference. As an adoptive mom, I have seen the difference hope and security can make in the life of a child. When kids don't have to worry about where their next meal will come from, where they will sleep, and if they will be safe, they can focus on learning, making friends, and reaching their potential!

If you have ever dreamed of making a difference in the life of a child, this book is for you. Read it with a box of tissues nearby...you'll need them! If you'd like to read more, visit Hachette Book Group or check out the Open Book widget in the sidebar of this blog. If you're part of a book club, check out the Reading Group Guide! This book can also be purchased on Amazon for $18.24.

(Disclosure: I was provided with this book, free of charge, by Hachette Book Group, in conjunction with Mama Buzz. All opinions expressed are my own and were in no way influenced by the free book!)