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Reading Books Over and Over Again – Booknificent Thursday Link Up Party #35

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Mommynificent

Greetings from a house that is just brimming with excitement here in Malaysia! Grandma and Grandpa are on a plane from the US and will arrive in the next hour. My girls can hardly contain themselves, (and their mom is pretty excited too!)

One of their favorite things to do with their grandparents is, of course, reading books together. At least 5 times today, I overheard Bignificent saying to our little boy (who is one), “Tomorrow, Grandma and Grandpa will be here and they’ll read Hand, Hand, Fingers Thumb and Fireman Small to you over and over.” Ha!!! I gathered that she is just about as weary of reading books over and over again as I am!

Our little guy is in that phase of wanting the same book read to him 20 times in a row, and while it’s adorable, and I (fortunately) happen to love both of these books, it does get a bit tedious after a while. (Those two books are, in fact, my favorite books to have to read over and over again. The above links are Amazon affiliate links in case you have or know a toddler who is also in this phase. Their parents will thank you.)

It’s that time of the week again, when we share the books we’ve been enjoying! As always, I’m also open to any posts about helping others learn to read or improve their reading skills (including adults). Basically, anything literacy-related is fair game. Oh, if you have any recommendations on books that stand up to being read 20 times each sitting, PLEASE let me know in the comments!

And now, it’s time to party!

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Please link up any posts you have, past or present, about books, reading, and literacy. This link party is all about sharing how books are impacting you! Joining in is easy; just click “Click here to enter…” next to “You are next” and copy/paste the URL of a blog post (not your homepage). Choose a photo to upload and then click some of the other great posts in the party and meet new bloggers and find out about new books!

Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?

Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:

You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my Google+ page (I just hit 100 followers!) or my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.

Happy linking and have a great week!

In the Shadow of Jezebel Book Review and Scavenger Hunt

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Mommynificent

Hello and welcome to Mommynificent! I’m so glad you’re here and I hope that you’ll be back often now that you’ve found me! I love books and host a weekly link-up party, Booknificent Thursdays. It’s a fun community of book-lovers who love to share the books that are impacting them. I hope you’ll join us!

I also share recipes and travel tips, and I’ve recently been experimenting with making free printables both here and at our site for homeschoolers, Desperate Homeschoolers! I hope you’ll take a few minutes to look around and get to know us and then share a little about yourself in a comment!

I’m so excited to be hosting this scavenger hunt blog hunt in celebration of the launch of Mesu Andrews’ new book, In the Shadow of Jezebel! (This and any other links in this post that take you to Amazon are affiliate links. If you click on them and choose to buy anything, I will make a small commission but it will not cost you anything extra. Thanks for your support!)

If you’re not already scavenger hunting, read the rules and then jump right in! Somewhere in my review below, there is a single word that is in BOLD AND ALL CAPITALS. Write it down. Then, go to the other stops to find more hidden words. Once you have all the words, unscramble them to find a verse from the Scriptures. You can enter it into the Rafflecopter on any of the stops to have a chance to win a great prize from Mesu herself!

About the Book

Title: In the Shadow of Jezebel

Author: Mesu Andrews

Publication Date: March 4, 2014

Publisher: Revell

Print Length: 417 pages

Summary (Amazon):

Princess Jehosheba wants nothing more than to please the harsh and demanding Queen Athaliah, daughter of the notorious Queen Jezebel. Her work as a priestess in the temple of Baal seems to do the trick. But when a mysterious letter from the dead prophet Elijah predicts doom for the royal household, Jehosheba realizes that the dark arts she practices reach beyond the realm of earthly governments. To further Athaliah and Jezebel’s strategies, she is forced to marry Yahweh’s high priest and enters the unfamiliar world of Yahweh’s temple. Can her new husband show her the truth and love she craves? And can Jehosheba overcome her fear and save the family–and the nation–she loves?

With deft skill, Mesu Andrews brings Old Testament passages to life, revealing a fascinating story of the power of unconditional love.

Purchase

Affiliate Link

My Review of this Book

It stands to reason that I would never have offered to host this scavenger hunt if I wasn’t already a huge fan of Mesu Andrews’ work. What amazes me about the books that she writes is the stories from Scripture that she chooses to tell. They are the stories I don’t actually like reading in the Bible. They are the hard ones to understand, the hard ones to see what in the world God is doing.

There’s Love Amid the Ashes, a novel not only about the sufferings of Job but of Jacob’s daughter Dinah as well.
There’s Love’s Sacred Song, a novel about Solomon and the Shunemite woman from Song of Solomon, who in the novel dedicates herself to showing him the power of true God-given love despite his, shall we say, “roving eye.”
And then there’s Love in a Broken Vessel, which is about the prophet Hosea who God asks to marry a prostitute who proceeds to be unfaithful to him repeatedly.
And now we have this one, In the Shadow of Jezebel, about how a faithful few withstand the onslaught of two of the most wicked women who have ever lived, Jezebel and Athaliah.

So, why do I love these books if I don’t like the stories they tell, you may ask? I love these stories because they help me to unearth the thread of God’s redemptive plan in places I haven’t been able to find it before. When I read these books, my eyes are opened to ways God uses pain and suffering for His glory and the good of His people. I see afresh that THERE is no evil that is too much for God to weave into His redemptive plan.

I find that I turn from these books to the events in my world with better vision; I am much better at finding God’s hand in troubling circumstances. And that, for me, makes them worthy reads!

I was actually in a conference call with Mesu just this morning and someone asked her why she chooses the stories she does. Her explanation was similar to what I described above, that she loves to show God’s redemptive work throughout all of history. She finished with a comment I will keep with me. She said that in real life with God, “Lives are not always happy, but they are hopeful,” and that she wants to showcase that hope that knowing God brings.

Moving on from all the grandiose theological themes above, In the Shadow of Jezebel is a riveting story full of multi-dimensional characters. I found it hard to put down (even though I knew how it was going to end!) I loved so many things about the main character Jehosheba’s journey toward God and toward knowing and being known by trustworthy people after her abusive childhood. There were so many love-able characters (as well as some truly hate-able ones!)

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, hair-raising political intrigue, and/or coming-of-age stories. It is solidly researched and makes for a scintillating read that will keep you thinking for days after you’ve finished it.

About The Author

Author Mesu Andrews Mesu Andrews is the award-winning author of Love Amid the Ashes, Love’s Sacred Song, and Love in a Broken Vessel. Winner of the 2012 ECPA Christian Book Award for New Author, she has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture, bringing the biblical world vividly alive for her readers. She lives in Washington.

Mesu’s Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Stops on the Scavenger Hunt

Got all your clues? Enter the giveaway here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Pinterest Board and Scavenger Hunt Coming – Booknificent Thursday Link Up Party #34

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Mommynificent

Hi all! The baby and I are almost back on our feet. I can’t believe how long this thing has held on, but today is as good as we’ve felt in two weeks, so I’m daring to hope that the worst is behind us. Our poor island of Penang here has three forest fires going, and dengue fever deaths are three times worse this year than last, so I’m counting my blessings that for now, we’re just dealing with relatively small viruses! If you are a pray-er, we’d sure appreciate yours right now!

I did manage to visit all your links from last week, and they were lots of fun as usual! I pinned some of my favorites to my newest Pinterest board, Great Book Reviews. I’ll try to keep doing this each week. If you’re interested in pinning to that board, let me know and I’ll try to add you.

The most exciting thing I’ve been working on is preparing to host my first ever scavenger hunt blog hop! It starts on Saturday at 1am EST and ends on Tuesday at 11:59pm. There are 14 stops and you need a clue from each one to enter for the prize. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun and the book we’re giving away in the prize package is one of the best I’ve read in years. I would LOVE it if one of my Booknificent people were to win!

I guess that’s all from me, so now, it’s time to hear from you! As always, I’m also open to any posts about helping others learn to read or improve their reading skills (including adults). Basically, anything literacy-related is fair game.

And now, it’s time to party!

<div align="center"><a href="http://mommynificent.com/" title="Booknificent Thursdays"><img src="http://mommynificent.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Booknificent-Thursdays.jpg" alt="Booknificent Thursdays" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?

Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:

You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my Google+ page or my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.

Happy linking and have a great week!

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb: A Book Review

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Mommynificent

Today I’m going to be sharing with you a favorite book in our house, Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins and illustrated by Eric Gurney. It’s an oldie, but we love it so much, and I realized that it could count in not one, but two readers challenges I am participating in this year! (Anything that takes you to Amazon in this post is an affiliate link. Thanks for your support!)

I am going to link this up with my 2014 Readers Challenge to meet the challenge for February, to “reread a favorite book from a time gone by and share it with someone you love who is in that phase of life.” This was my second daughter Middlenificent’s absolute favorite book to read between the ages of nine months and three years old. She loved the rhythm and would ask for it again and again. My third daughter enjoyed it too, but not to the same extent as Middlenificent.

This month, we gave it to our little guy. And he loves it. Really loves it! He just turned one on Valentine’s Day, and when he sees this book, he starts patting on anything he can find – the book, his leg, my head – truly anything! He grins and moves his whole body in rhythm every time this book repeats its catchy “Dum ditty, Dum ditty, Dum dum dum.” We’ve been reading it roughly three times a day since all month!

The illustrations are fun and whimsical in this book, but it’s the rhythm and the repetition that we love, oh so much! I’m sure it’s great for learning to read because of its repetition and limited word choice, but, for us, it’s really all about the rhythm. You could probably use it to teach about millions or monkeys or onomatopoeia or a myriad of other topics, but sometimes, I think you just need to enjoy a book without thinking too hard. And that’s what we do with this one. We just love it, and we love it over and over and over again!

The second challenge I’ll be linking this up with is Bruce’s Small Fry Safari Readers Challenge. This book will be my submission for the category of a book with something that comes in pairs in the title. Hands should count for that, right?!

We didn’t actually realize until tonight when I was looking for this book on Amazon for the links that there is a longer version than the one we have and love. We have the board book, which is less than $4. We’re all excited to see if we can find the longer version and see if we love it as much, but I wholeheartedly recommend this board book to you as an absolutely perfect present for any little ones in your life.

The board book stands up to the many rereads this book gets, and for both my second and third children, this was one of the first books they could “read” and so it has been carried around and slept with, and just well-loved all around. I don’t know that the larger paper-paged book would have withstood all the love, so I’m happy we have the board book version.

Either way, at under $4 for a brand-new copy, this is an excellent addition to any baby, toddler, or preschooler’s library. And even older kids, moms, dads, and grandparents will enjoy the catchy rhythm if our family is any indication. My nine-year old still sidles up to the side of the chair whenever I read this one, although she usually only stays for one or two go-rounds!

How about you? Do you have any favorite books with a good catchy rhythm? Some of our other favorites are Pete the Cat, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and we would love to hear about some new ones!

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February Readers Challenge Check-In and Link-Up

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Mommynificent

Welcome to our February Readers Challenge check-in and link-up! How did you do at meeting our challenge for February?

Reread a favorite book from a time gone by (your childhood, your college days, the first year of marriage, etc.) and share it with someone you love who is in that phase of life.

I actually found it much harder than I expected to, and I’m still working on my write-up of the book I chose, so I’ll have to link it up below as soon as I get it done. I can’t believe I’m behind on my own challenge!!! Actually, I’m not really behind because it’s still February, right??

I’m really excited to hear about the books you chose to reread and share! Maybe I’ll even find some new reads to add to my own list! Remember, you can link to a blog post or to your Goodreads review, a post on facebook or tumblr, or simply tell us about your book in a comment on this post.

Feel free to grab and display the challenge button and share about the challenge wherever you like!

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Don’t forget, there are three other sites besides Mommynificent co-hosting this challenge, so be on the lookout for all our posts every month!

The challenge for March is to read a retelling of a well-known story!

Have you decided what you’re going to read for March yet? Be creative and have a lot of fun with it! Remember, it can be a retelling or reimagining of a Bible story, a fairy tale, a classic, a Jane Austen remake – the sky’s the limit. See you next month!

Link-Up Your Posts Here:

In the Shadow of Jezebel Scavenger Hunt Starts on Saturday, March 1st!

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Mommynificent

I am so excited!!! One of my favorite authors, Mesu Andrews, chose me to be one of her pre-release reviewers for her new book, In the Shadow of Jezebel, that comes out on March 4th (yep, that’s an affiliate link). I asked her if she’d be game for me to host a scavenger hunt with some of her other pre-release reviewers, and she was!!!

So, from 1am Eastern (US) time on March 1st until 11:59pm on March 4th, the book’s release date, there will be a scavenger hunt with stops on 15 different blogs!

The rules are simple. Start here. At the end of this post you’ll find links to all of the stops in the hunt. Between March 1st and 4th, click on a link, head over to the page, meet a new book-lover, and read their review of this fantastic book. Somewhere in that post there will be a single word that is in BOLD AND ALL CAPITALS. Write it down. (Note, the words Home and Good Luck are not secret words for anyone.)

Then, go to another stop. That post will also have a word that’s bolded and capitalized. You will need to visit all 15 websites as each one will have a word that you need.

Once you have all the words, unscramble them to find a verse from the Scriptures. There are 14 words in this verse; one of the websites gives a clue as to the specific book it’s found in. Please note, we are using NIV for this verse.

All of the stops will have a space for you to enter the words of the verse. You can enter the giveaway from any of the stops. Entering the verse will unlock some optional bonus entries.

When the scavenger hunt is over, we’ll find out who wins the amazing prize package put together by Mesu and her team!

If you get lost or experience any technical difficulties, you may email me at tina{at}mommynificent{dot}com for help. Any important updates or notices will be added to the end of this post as they happen.

Good luck and have lots of fun!

[UPDATE: There are now only 14 blogs participating, so there are only 14 stops and you will no longer receive a clue as to the book it's in.]

Of Sick Mamas and Babies – Booknificent Thursday Link Up Party #33

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Mommynificent

My apologies that I haven’t made it around to all of your posts this week. My little boy and I are sick, sick, sick this week. Sinus infections and fevers and fussiness (mostly the baby). Yuck! So I’m going to keep this short and sweet this week and go lie down again because my head is heavy and fuzzy. Fortunately, I can still read, so please fill the list with lots of book recommendations for mamas to read to sick babies and for mamas to read after sick babies go to bed!

And now, it’s time to party,…but I’ll be on the couch!

<div align="center"><a href="http://mommynificent.com/" title="Booknificent Thursdays"><img src="http://mommynificent.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Booknificent-Thursdays.jpg" alt="Booknificent Thursdays" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?

Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:

You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.

Happy linking and have a great week!

Free Printable Weekly Meal Planner!

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Mommynificent

I have well over 1000 recipes clipped to Evernote. Most of them are in my Recipes to Try notebook, but there so many that I never actually try them! I also have a notebook of “Master Recipes” which are supposed to be my standbys but even that notebook has gotten so unwieldy as to be unuseful. I’m truly embarrassed at the number of afternoons that roll around with me standing in the kitchen without a clue as to what I’m cooking for dinner.

As much as I want to be a paperless person, I’m coming to accept about myself that, for now, it’s not going to happen. There are a few papers I need in my life to make me more efficient.

a paper calendar with the whole month on one page
a to-do list next to my computer
my go-to recipes
a weekly meal plan

I know, I know. I could easily have all of these on my computer and/or smart phone, and I actually do, but the fact of the matter, for me, is that it significantly decreases my productivity to have to switch windows to get to these things. I am much more productive if they are next to my computer or on my fridge where I can see them while I am working.

So, I’m done feeling guilty about needing some paper in my life, and I’ve decided to make papers (i.e. printables) that I like to look at. I’ve already tackled the calendar thing, so if you’re looking for one, here you go!

Next is the meal planner. I have an old Corelle set of dishes that I have loved for 20 years now. It’s probably hopelessly out of style, but to be honest, I don’t care. Why should I go buy new dishes when I love these and they’re in beautiful condition? And I still love blue gingham and sunflowers just as much as I always have!

So I wanted to make a weekly meal plan that would fit my kitchen decor. I hunted for some clipart that I liked without success, and I tried to make something that I liked, also without success. Then I finally got an idea to just take a picture of my dishes and play with it and see if I could make a header out of it. It worked, and I love it!

I thought maybe some of you would like it too so I’m offering it to you as a free download – no strings attached. (But if you want to thank me, I wouldn’t sniff at a follow on Google+ or a like on my Facebook page!) Just click on the link below and the pdf should open and you can save it. Or you can right-click on it and save it that way. I’ve made it 8 1/2 x 11 for my American readers, but if you’d like to print it on A4 paper like I am, just print it at 105% and it works perfectly!

Meal Planning Freebie

Also, be sure to come back next week because I’m putting together recipe cards with this same sunflower theme of my top 10 go-to recipes. My plan is to laminate them and put them on the fridge next to this laminated weekly menu plan.

How about you? Are there any papers you just need to have?

February 14th – What a Day! and Booknificent Thursday Link Up Party #32

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Mommynificent

Happy Valentine’s Day! February 14th is actually an auspicious day for our family. My husband proposed to me 11 years ago and our son was born last year, both on February 14th.

Our big guy is turning one! This isn’t technically his first Valentine’s Day, but he missed out on wearing the bib last year so we’re going with it!

This year, February 14th is even more special, as it’s the final day of Chinese New Year which just happens to also be Chinese Valentine’s Day! Our Chinese female friends here in Malaysia are actually a little annoyed to have the two days fall on the same day this year because they say their partners may try to get away with only one gift!

And, as I found out from a few of you here and here, February 14th is also International Book Giving Day!

Celebrate International Book Giving Day! We are in desperate need of a book clean-out around here so we’ll definitely be participating! I’ve already got a stack of beginning readers ready to go to a friend, but I’m going to see if I can find anything else to share.

You know, International Book Giving Day is a perfect fit for February’s category in my Readers Challenge: Reread a favorite book from a time gone by (your childhood, your college days, the first year of marriage, etc.) and share it with someone you love who is in that phase of life. If you haven’t gotten a chance to sign up for the challenge yet, hurry over and sign up now! I’m planning to post the link-up for February’s books on February 24th.

And now, it’s time to party! As always, I’m open to any family-friendly posts about books as well as about helping others learn to read or improve their reading skills (including adults). Basically, anything literacy-related is fair game.

<div align="center"><a href="http://mommynificent.com/" title="Booknificent Thursdays"><img src="http://mommynificent.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Booknificent-Thursdays.jpg" alt="Booknificent Thursdays" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?

Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:

You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.

Happy linking and have a great week!

Booknificent Thursday Link Up Party #31

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Mommynificent

Did you see the Readers Challenge I’m co-hosting with some friends? I’m linking it up below and if you hop over today, there’s still time to enter the giveaway for a $20 Amazon gift card! I really hope some of you will join us. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun!

And now, it’s time to party!

<div align="center"><a href="http://mommynificent.com/" title="Booknificent Thursdays"><img src="http://mommynificent.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Booknificent-Thursdays.jpg" alt="Booknificent Thursdays" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?

Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:

You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.

Happy linking and have a great week!