As a single christian 20 something I can relate a lot to this book. Many of my college friends are now married and having kids on purpose. Many of them are “too busy” to hang out with their single friends due to their married and parenting duties. When Booksneeze was offerring this book I knew it would be a great read.

In Larissa Jean’s book Lessons Learned as a Bridesmaid – What Every Single Woman Should Know Before Becoming A Bridesmaid she reflects on several weddings she attended during her young adult hood. She attended and was a bridesmaid in many weddings. The recount was very similar to the movie 27 Dresses. However I don’t think Larissa is unwed due to “commitment” issues like in the movie. Larissa uses the scriptures as a base for many of the chapters. She compares her time in “waiting” to many of the woman in the bible. I thought this was a great part of the book because so many times we are only reading about the “good” people in the bible and we don’t know enough about the people in the bible who have gone through hardships.

She gives the reader a lot of great tips in order to keep you sane while attending weddings and just trying to live through the single years. I know how hard it can be when people ask why a nice girl like you  can’t find a nice go to “settle down” with. I don’t hear it that much as most of my family lives far away or has passed away but even one person asking you that gets old.

I also loved how positive Larissa’s outlook was and didn’t see her singleness as some kind of disease or problem. At one point in her young adult hood she was dating a man just for the sake of dating. She also got so caught up in all the “weddings” and engagements going on around her she kept dreaming of herself and this man getting married and starting a family when they barely knew each other. She finally realized she was dating him and in this relationship because she thought that is what was expected of others and not what she desired.

If you are a single young adult this is a great easy read to help you to realize that you aren’t alone and don’t need to be in a rush to get married. It really helped me understand that “something isn’t wrong with me, it’s just not my time.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

When I first saw this product to review the first thing I thought was, “Bacon Jam? EWWW” But then I started researching and asking others about it and was very intrigued. Even though I’m a picky eater I like to try strange/new foods every once in a while. Bacon Jam in my opinion is glorified BBQ Sauce.

Since you don’t have smellovision you can’t smell my Bacon Jam but it smells JUST like BBQ Sauce!!

I  tried to use Bacon Jam in several different ways for this review. I ate it with Chips as a dip. That didn’t go so well. It was okay but I‘ve had way better dip. Then tonight I used it tonight as a marinade! I rubbed it on my chicken and then baked it in the oven for about 45 minutes. It came out REALLY good.

Baked Chicken Dinner with Bacon Jam!

I also used this on a hamburger that came out really good. Basically anyway that you would u

se BBQ sauce you can use Bacon Jam! I also think that Bacon Jam would be a great gag gift to anyone that loves bacon. Want a better look? Trust me it tastes 10 times better than it looks.

In the end my experience with Bacon Jam was positive and I can’t wait to finish using it! Have you ever tried a new/weird food and found it good or was it bad? I always think about Green Eggs & Ham when trying new foods.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Uncommon Goods recently sent me some of their favorite items for Mom’s to review. After using these items they are really handy and cute! One of the items was a little peculiar but I think it could be a fun gag gift for Mom. The three items I received was a Heart Vase, a Hidden Animal Mug, and a Stackable Lunch Pot. 

I LOVED the Heart Vase the best. They are so cute and easy to put flowers in. I also love that it comes in purple which is my all time FAVORITE color. The only bad thing is that they are very delicate and break easy as they are made of glass. I had it on my desk and it got knocked over and when I went to find it it had gotten broken. You can also only put 1 flower in it. But that can be good for Moms who have little kids that give them 1 flower vs a whole bouquet. 

The next item I reviewed were these animal coffee mugs. These were really fun to review. You put coffee (or your preferred beverage) into the cup and as you drink slowly the animal appears. It’s like a surprise drink! This can also be a great GAG gift/drink to freak someone out. Give Mom or another person a nice hot beverage and as they drink it they freak out when they see an animal in their glass!! PRICELESS!! I bet it would be a drink your family would talk about for years!

The last item in my gift set was a Stackable Lunch Pot. This is a great item for a child or adult to use to pack their lunch. It has 2 separate containers for you to put your different lunch items. You can also store hot or cold items in the pot. I love how nice it stacks up for you to use it for lunch! It fit perfectly in my drawer at work! It also comes with a nice spoon that matches the set.

Overall I loved all the items in this gift set from Uncommon Goods. They have great gifts for mothers day including modern wall art. Click here to view the art.  I suggest you go and check out their website by clicking here and look at all the great gifts they have to choose from. You will be surprised at some of the things you can find for gifts. There are a lot of nostalgic type items that your Mom will love for mothers day gifts. Visit  Uncommon Goods for more Mothers Day Gifts.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Kregel Books gave me the opportunity to review Simon and the Easter Miracle; a Traditional Tale for Easter by Mary Joslin & Anna Lauraschi. Since it is a children’s book and my mom works with children I let her read it and write this review. Make sure to go check out her blog about Life Long Formation!

This book is a simple folk tale about the resurrection.  It mirrors the story of Jesus on Good Friday till his Resurrection on Easter Sunday. While there are pieces of the story missing there are many similarities. The pictures are well done and the message although simple is easy to understand for the youngest of children. I think it is a good story to use to introduce children in Pre-School, Kindergarten and Grade 1 to the Resurrection Story.

Some of the ideas that you can use to teach an important lesson from would be:

• Simon’s journey into town to sell his goods.
• The idea that the soldiers were mean and angry.
• The way Simon just stopped and served God without asking for details.
• Jesus’ meek and mildness and kindness toward Simon.
• The place of crucifixion.
• The Sabbath as a day of rest.
• His joyfulness when the doves appeared in his olive grove.
• Doves as an example of peace; 12 as a metaphor for the number of apostles.

I would recommend this book to my catechists to share with their class in grades Pre K, K and 1.

*I received a free copy of Simon and the Easter Miracle; a Traditional Tale for Easter by Mary Joslin & Anna Lauraschi from Kregel Books. However all opinions in this post are my own.*