This book was tailor made for moms. From what I could see it was a love letter/words of encouragement from one mom to another. The scriptures and devotionals picked were like your own cheering section at the end of the day that we are all doing ok.
I love to color, and I have a really hard time calming down and just being. I, however, find most “adult” coloring books to be too complex and stress me out even more. These coloring pages were fairly simple, and they allowed me to let go and relax at the end of the day. I will say though that I usually do my devotional right before bed, and I did find it hard to do the coloring there. It takes me about 30-45 minutes to color a page, and I found myself dozing off before I could get done if I did them in bed. (This has nothing to do with the author, I am just an exhausted mom.) So I do the coloring while I am watching my TV shows after George goes to bed, and then I read the devotional portion right before bed and write my joys and concerns for the day in the margins.
I have really struggled with making time for scripture and knowing how to pray, so devotional or guide books like this help me in my walk with the Lord.
Each page (or day) had a scripture, a brief explanation of application, and a simple prayer. I like this approach because it helps things come alive for me. As I said then I will add my thoughts for the day in the open spaces.
This is a great devotional for moms who need to focus on self-care but find it hard to do so. It’s things like this that can keep us grounded and be the best for our families. The idea of combining a stress relieving activity with a devotional was genius in my opinion!
Begin to build your family discipleship and become the key disciple-makers in your children’s lives with Melissa Spoelstra’s new book, Total Family Makeover.
George is two. In the short time we have been in year two, we have seen George explore his emotions and who he is as an individual. With that has come tantrums and unfortunately George being a bully. There have been days where I wonder if he will ever learn to listen.
This book could not have come at a better time to give me hope and encourage me as a mom of a spirited young man.
There were a couple statements that really resonated with me.
My son’s behavior is not a report card on me as a parent. She went more in depth about where this will lead you, and I sat in tears realizing this is what I had become. I was comparing myself to other mom’s because my kid was hitting. I was doubting how to control this little being, and I was extremely embarrassed.
Along with that, God is the perfect parent, and we disappoint him regularly. I do at least a couple times a day. So how can I expect myself to be perfect and raise a perfect child? That is just setting myself up for failure to have that expectation on myself.
It is a different mindset of shifting how our kids respond to things to how we are actually teaching them. In other words, I need to focus on my spiritual direction in order to be able to train George.
This book has a great format too. It makes it really easy to pick up and read for the practical ideas and not feel weighed down by text.
Spoelstra weaves in scripture with practical activities for you to explore for modeling and training. I really like this aspect because I can be really dense sometimes, and at the end of the day when I am reading before bed, sometimes I just need someone to tell me the bottom line.
With George’s increase in communication and sense of awareness, Tom and I have talked at great lengths at what we want to model and hopefully instill in George as a Christian family. We want him to learn about Jesus and have compassion for the world, and these are definitely things we can start now even though his sentences consist of two words or just “No” or “mine.”
While I believe this book was intended for moms, Tom and I are really using it to give us a better foundation as parents and set the tone as a team. It has opened our eyes to different things we should be considering and habits that we should be creating now. It also reaffirmed some of the things we were already doing. To be honest though, it is hard to think about being responsible for your own spiritual development as an adult, but then to tack on the daunting task of helping a child build their own concept of God, it can be a lot. This was great to see that our worries are common and reaffirmed that we are on the right track. At the end of each chapter there are discussion questions that we can talk about and that has been great for our marriage as well. While we have been together for 10 years, we learned a lot by going through this book together.
And the examples she gives where invaluable for me at least. I love to hear what other parents do so that was my favorite part of the book.
There is a lot of scripture throughout which I think would lead this book to be a great Sunday School class option or for any new parent class that a church may do. If anything it would be a great gift for a baby shower.
This book is great. I didn’t feel like I was getting lectured to; it was more like getting coffee with a mentor. It is filled with ideas and things that just make sense. It focuses on the basics of establishing values, and to me that is so much more important than how to teach my kid how to dress himself. (Although that is a basic that eventually I would like for him to fully master.)
Disciples are made, not born. Whether your children are babes in arms or teenagers getting ready to leave the nest, making disciples at home starts with you! Give your family a makeover with this practical approach to helping your children learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Plan an evening of fun, pizza, devotionals, and games with your family! Melissa is giving away a Family Fun Night Prize Pack.
JoJo admitting loving both. It is a bit concerning that she thinks about the other guy with each one. So is that really love?
Her mom has a really good point about both of JoJo and Jordan being the center of attention and them being too alike.
Jordan said “me” a lot and not in the right way grammatically.
Why do we still put so much emphasis on asking for permission to marry the girl? While it is nice in theory to feel like you have their blessing, but why isn’t it both ways with the woman being expected to do the same with the in-laws? I say that, and I didn’t ask Tom’s family…
Do you think they pick out the gifts for the families on their own? How real is that part?
Wait Robbie, you wanted to marry her on your first date? How is that real?
There was not as much emphasis on the brothers this time as with Ben. And still nothing from her sister…
When Robbie and JoJo were talking about being in love, you could see the skeptisism on her family’s faces.
I think her family is spot on with Jordan being a good NYE date.
Robbie’s speech to JoJo’s parents was very sweet.
I still think she is going to pick Jordan because the heart and lust sometimes get confused.
JoJo gets her bluntness questioning honestly. Her family is so straightforward.
JoJo’s sister is just there for a free ride. She has said nothing…
Robbie is so forward. They are cute, but there is something that is just dinging that something fake here.
That boat with Jordan…That seems so romantic and special.
Jordan seems to talk football announcer play by play when he is doing his interviews..
I do think Jordan has a point that it wasn’t right to ask JoJo’s parents when he doesn’t actually know how she feels. This is so weird.
Why is she pushing so hard for Jordan when she has all these doubts?
JoJo reading Jordan’s letter…I don’t know how to read her.
I thought she was going to pick Robbie before Jordan’s letter now.
Um they both have really nice handwriting.
I have NO IDEA WHAT SHE IS GOING TO DO!
Well part of this process is that someone has to feel the pain. Remember you last season?
AHHHH Robbie is first!
Why do they let them talk first…she needs to stop Robbie.
She has said that to everyone that she wanted it to be them…Luke, Chase, Robbie…
It has been Jordan since day one, and we all know it.
Robbie was a gentlemen wishing her happiness and good luck.
No telling him you loved him does not help!
I do love watching proposals. Somebody get proposed in front of me please!
Well I wish the best for them and apparently they are moving in together but they have some hurdles to overcome.
Did you watch the finale? What do you think of this season?
It’s no secret that I love books. One of the most important things I am trying to pass on is that love of reading to George.
I am excited to be sharing about Usborne and all the book greatness that it has to offer. They have been part of our journey to make George a reader for over a year now. I was super excited when my sister-in-law became a consultant so we could ride this addiction together! And I love supporting her small business endeavors. So here I am hosting a party to share the goodness!
But books…this is all about them books!
Are you familiar with Usborne? They are the 2014 Children’s Publisher of the Year – widely respected in the industry, but more importantly, widely loved by KIDS! Their books are also backed by a lifetime half-price replacement guarantee, for whatever reason. If your kids are anything like George, books tend to get well loved (aka destroyed) so I really love that I can replace his favorites easily and cost-effectively.
Did you know that growing up in a home with a large collection of books has a huge impact on educational attainment? A child in a home with 500 books will complete an additional 3.2 years of college and earn nearly $1 million more in their lifetime. Isn’t that crazy? Usborne has really motivated us to have books EVERYWHERE. We have a bag full in the car, he has a reading tent in the living room, a whole bookcase full in his room, and we even have about 10 in his bed. We are well on our way to helping George in that million more earned.
Did you know that reading imaginative and relatable fiction helps children learn to read for comprehension? Not only that, but by taking an objective look at how characters relate to others, it actually helps children develop empathy. Check out Usborne’s selection of fiction here! (We love the Dirty Dinosaur!)
I love how these books make it fun to LEARN! Peter Usborne, the founder of Usborne Publishing, has said that books should be magnetic, stylish, and promote wondering…and they DO! George has learned body parts and animal sounds and how to say things like “tractor” from these books. I am attempting to collect all the Big Book series!
Want to know the secret to keeping your kids occupied while you make a phone call? These books will keep your kids occupied and happy while they PLAY all day long. We have gotten the Wipe Clean books for our nieces who just started school. Super fun!
Our personal favorite books for George are the “That’s Not My Series” and the “Noisy” sound books. He has learned so much from these books, and I honestly attest his obsession to tractors/construction vehicles to these books. George even sleeps with the “That’s Not My” books. We love the phonics book series-they are fun for me to read with their sing songy rhymes. We use the Muddle Match books in the car because they are more interactive, and they have taken George a lot longer to beat up. We are also going to be going after all the astronaut/space stuff here soon because Tom loves space and that is a great way for them to bond. There is a lot of research out there about the importance of the father reading to their sons, so having a subject that Tom loves encourages that more.
They do some really cool things with books. I recommend looking at the shine a light books, busy books, and the ones where you build stuff. I am constantly amazed at the ridiculously cool things that they do with books! It is making me relive childhood all over again through George.
Ready to shop? I have a party running for the next week so I hope you get as excited about the books as I do! Be sure to think ahead to any upcoming gifts you might need for birthdays, homework helpers, or boredom busters too! I love stocking up on books to save for presents all year round. There is really something for everyone!
Have you seen stuff that you would love in your kid’s hands? You can shop my party here until August 14th.
Once payment is received, the books will be on their way to you within 48 hours!
Let me know how I can help! I LOVE giving personalized recommendations, and I could speak about Usborne for days!
In addition to these videos, here’s a mini catalog you can flip through to get ideas. Every time I go through the catalog, my wishlist gets longer and longer…
Thanks for your interest! If you’d like to host your own party via Facebook to earn FREE BOOKS or would like information about working with Usborne Books & More, contact Emily (my awesome sister-in-law) by clicking here. She’s a teacher so she knows a lot about how to prepare students for reading. She’d be happy to answer any questions you have about specific books or offer recommendations!
Thanks for reading about Usborne and consider supporting my party. You wont be disappointed!
I’m impressed JoJo can look so put together and fabulous after crying like that. I am a spotchy hot mess after a good cry.
Jordan gets the first rose. After this Luke hesitation, I think she is going to pick Jordan to go all the way.
My heart just dropped for Luke. He looks so lost.
Why is she holding his hand after she just ripped his heart out?
I don’t understand this goodbye…she seems so heartbroken. I don’t understand how she didn’t know how he felt. He made a freaking heart rose trail for her?!?!?
Luke for the next bachelor!!!
So what do you think happens to their individual rooms that they forgo for the fantasy suites? I am sure one of the staffers then uses it right?
Robbie is calling her Joelle. That is sweet.
How does Robbie have esthetician quality hair when he wakes up? And JoJo’s too. Mine looks like frizzy dookie.
I would not really call JoJo’s outfit on Jordan’s date sporty. Tennis shoes don’t make it sporty.
We would love that hike.
Yes Jordan is too good to be true. He is not ready for a serious relationship.
JoJo likes to grill Jordan.
Is she going to say “This is our first breakfast together.” to every one?
It can’t get better than this” said you 24 hours ago on your last date.
I want to be upset about people who sneak up for extra time like Robbie did, but at the same time, if I was in his position I wouldn’t want to be away from the person I love either.
Country Clubs and Coloring Books?
Chase blowing up at JoJo…He should press her. He was blindsighted.
He looks so angry…Don’t tell him that you all would have a great relationship if they had met outside the other relationships. That’s gross to tell someone you are everything I ever wanted.
BAHHHH Chase came back to the rose ceremony. She shouldn’t let him stay…I like him, but he shouldn’t come back.
Chase just redeemed himself, and opened it up for her to pull a Mesnick or for him to be the next bachelor.
I do think Alex was really immature and very confrontational. I think Luke’s explanation of how military training is ingrained in you is very spot on. (clarification I don’t think that all military are immature. It can jut be hard for them to reintegrate into normal social situations that aren’t military related.)
Evan talking about Chad’s steroids is so weird.
Bahaha they are all going nuts about Chad.
I feel like they are making a big production about Chad…getting his own trailer and the security walk. Come on?
Chad dating other contestants ex-gf. “We aren’t all bad guys?” Wow they are getting personal with the intimate.
Nick getting up to fight Chad…why is that necessary? But Daniel’s comment about Americans resorting to violence-wow. Because that is helpful.
Is Chad drunk?
I agree with Chad that Jordan is using this to get famous.
Hmm that video of Evan and Chad…it does kind of look like Evan pushed him a little. But Chad’s reaction is ridiculous. Hitting a wall is better than cursing?
I really like Wells. I hope he finds love in Paradise. He made some intelligent comments. But I do think by his comments to Chad that some things went down in Paradise.
Luke is an adorable hopeless romantic. I didn’t expect you to go home either. Luke as the next bachelor!!!
JoJo seriously could be a model. She is always so perfectly put together.
Luke is such a gentleman.
Chase was also very gracious about the experience.
I think either Luke or Chase will be the next Bachelor.
CHAD IS EATING FOOD!
Wow Chad’s comments about Robbie and Jordan (while maybe some truth) was a pretty low blow.
Good for you JoJo saying that she shouldn’t waste her breath on Chad. He is stirring the pot, and she was spot on that he was soaking all the attention up.
Oh sweet Vinny’s mom. She loves her son. I love the embarrassment!
JoJo was hard to read about how this all ends.
Taking a look at the finale clips…all the guys are like why am I watching this.
My favorites: I have none. I don’t like either Jordan or Robbie. However, I do think she is going to pick Jordan.
findingmyyellow.com 