Homeschool Basics by Tricia Goyer and Kristi Clover

Reviewed by Martha Artyomenko

 

About the book:

Do you long to homeschool with joy, simplicity, and success? Finally, all the best tried-and-true homeschool advice you’ve been looking for in one amazing book. With more than thirty years of combined experience, homeschooling moms Tricia Goyer and Kristi Clover provide thoughtful and practical advice on how to get started and stay the course in your home-school journey. But they don’t stop there. In this book, Tricia and Kristi unpack tons of great tools that will help you take unnecessary pressure off yourself so you can focus on what is truly important. (Hint: It’s not academics!) Homeschool Basics will remind you that the best type of homeschooling starts with the heart. You’ll find ideas to help you push your fears to the side and raise kids who will grow to be life-long learners and who have a positive impact on God’s kingdom. Tricia and Kristi believe that homeschooling can transform your life, your home, and your family.

My Review:

Do you ever read a book and wish that you were just having a visit over tea and cookies with another homeschool mom instead of reading this book?
This book is the answer to that. Tricia and Kristi have laid out the basics and nitty gritty of homeschooling for you. It is simple, straight forward and written in a conversational manner. It is not done in a way that you will be lost or even feel overwhelmed.

Each chapter and topic is covered throughly, by veteran moms that are doing this still and one of them has grown children that are successful in life. Are you looking for a book where you feel the woman is telling you impossible tasks to achieve and that you have ruined your child if you are not reading to them aloud at least 3 hours daily along with lessons in Greek and latin? This is not that.

This is more, a friendly chat over tea, from moms who know. Pick it up today if you want to homeschool. It will be worth it!

Homeschool Basics by Tricia Goyer and Kristi Clover 

Top book reads of 2014….

This is a very hard post to write. There are so many good books that I read this past year! If any of you would like to see a list that is mostly complete of all the books I read this past year, check out my Pinterest page. I have to say that there were so many books that I read this year that vied for the top spaces. It is not always like that! Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish  I loved this story. It took the story of a young woman that bakes bread for a living. It not only wove a beautiful story with recipes between, but it  had the spiritual truths of bread baking throughout. A Table by the Window by Hilary Lodge Amazon link to buy-  I bought several of these for gifts this year. With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden – I loved the medical history in this one. Click for a full review! Link to buy from Amazon The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron  -Such a story! It stuck with me! Click for full review…. Link to Amazon  In Perfect time by Sarah Sundin – The redemption story in fiction… Click for full review Link to buy from Amazon The Bound Heart by Dawn Crandall – available only in eBook for now and looking forward to the third one….click for full review Link to buy from Amazon  Runner Ups: The Longing by Tamara Leigh- Link to buy from Amazon  This is book #5 in this series. It is a whirlwind of a clean, historical romance from ancient times. When Treetops Glisten by Tricia Goyer, Sarah Sundin and Cara Putnam– click for full review Link to buy from Amazon  Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson- This was a really great book about World War 1. It was almost completely clean, barring some graphic scenes of the war and one other scene. Just to be warned to watch and skim if that bothers you. If you click on the link, it is on sale for only $2.99 on Kindle right now. Sweetened with Honey by Valerie Comer Link to Amazon There are more, but I will refrain and leave those for you to browse the blog and Pinterest page on your own! Non-Fiction:  You can’t make me….but I can be persuaded by Cynthia Tobias Jump Starting Boys by Pam Withers  The Wooden Horse  I hope you enjoyed this and might find a few things you may want to read!

A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer

Reviewed by Martha Artyomenko

I will begin this with the fact that I do not always read novellas. I certainly do not usually read Amish novellas. For some reason, at Christmas time, I find myself drawn to the shortness of them. They feed the need for a story, but yet during the busy time of year, take less time.

This Amish Christmas novella takes place during the time following World War 2. Rose’s fiancé has made the choice to serve as a non-combatant during the war. I was a little confused at first as it made it sound like he joined the military as a full serviceman, but claimed he never carried or fired a weapon. There were many Amish and Mennonites that served in non-combatant positions in hospitals as medics during World War 2. It was during that time the laws changed considering conscientious objectors. They were often persecuted, even though the law gave them the chance to serve without fighting. It was not as badly as during World War 1, where many were imprisoned. Since this was a novella, this book does not go into much of the history of that. It also refers to them as “Pacifists”. This was a title often shunned by those of Anabaptist beliefs. They were not passive in their beliefs, they simply did not believe that it was right to kill or harm someone simply because you do not agree with them or their nation. You loved your enemies instead, and sometimes quite aggressively. You could serve in non-combatant positions, but not in an office. You needed to take the jobs that were serving others. They worked as janitors, nurses, and medical personnel. But many times insisted on serving enemies and friends alike.
The book “One Boys Battle” by Christmas Carol Kauffman is a true story of one boy that served in the military.

For One Moment is another about a German boy.

There are many, many books written on this topic, which many people that are not raised as Anabaptist, struggle to understand. I think if you enjoyed A Christmas Gift for Rose and wish to understand more about this, those are good books to read.

Before I digress more so on that topic, I will talk more about the actual book. I enjoyed the adoption story in this book as well as the history behind it. The topics were heavy, but dealt with in a light manner. This makes this an ideal Christmas time read and you get a minor history lesson just from reading this review.

About the book:

Inspired by a true story, A Christmas Gift for Rose is a heartwarming novella of sacrifice and deep love.
Born in the midst of the hardships of The Great Depression, Rose grew up in Berlin, Ohio, in the arms of a loving Amish family. But she is overwhelmed by self-doubt when she learns the truth of her birth. She was born Englisch and abandoned when her family moved West in search of work. Was she meant to be Amish or would she have been better off growing up with her own kind—Englischers? And was her intended’s gift of discovering her birth family given out of love or fear?
Don’t miss award-winning author Tricia Goyer’s first Christmas novella.

If you would like to win a copy of A Christmas Gift for Rose, please comment on this post and let me know where you shared about this giveaway with a comment about what you learned about Anabaptists today.
Leave an email address to contact you like this barbara(at)yahoo(dot)com

Book Review: Mom’s Night Out- Novelization and devotional

USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer has written the novelization to the much-anticipated movie, Moms’ Night Out. Don’t miss this hilarious family comedy that celebrates real family life—where everything can go wrong and still turn out all right.

And, look for the companion devotional written by comedian Kerri Pomarolli, Moms’ Night Out and Other Things I Miss: Devotions To Help You Survive.

Tricia and Kerri have teamed up for the “No More Frumpy Mommy” challenge.

Motherhood can sometimes seem like survival of the fittest. Every day brings its own troubles, and by the end of the day, you’re spent. Between school, soccer practice, cleaning, laundry, cooking dinner, putting away dishes, and keeping your kids from going at each others’ throats, the last thing on your mind is getting away for an evening. If that’s you, you’re invited to take part in Tricia and Kerri’s No More Frumpy Mommy challenge.

Tricia and Kerri will choose 10 winners to receive a Fandango gift card to see Moms’ Night Out, as well as copies of Moms’ Night Out (the book) and Moms’ Night Out and Other Things I Miss. One grand-prize winner will receive $200 to put toward her own moms’ night out or her own moms’ night out “ride” (getting her car detailed and cleaned).

GO HERE TO JOIN THE CHALLENGE!

My Review:
Not a fan of movies? This novelization of the Mom’s night out movie was just as funny as the movie. The small devotional guide, “Moms’ Night Out and Other Things I Miss: Devotions To Help You Survive”, will have you laughing at the insane craziness of the author, and shenanigans of her children.
I found myself laughing through it and nodding as she took the extreme circumstances that she has faced in mothering, and hopefully embellished a little to make them more humorous for the audience.

We as mothers can be very hard on ourselves. I think often we can go one way or the other where we wonder why we signed up for this mom gig after all. Then when someone hears some of the stories and says “You are not making me want to be a mom now!”, I find myself stopping and saying…”But you know, it really is worth it. There is just something about being a mom that makes all the hardship forgettable and you know you are not sorry you did it.”

I never wanted to be a mom. I was a big sister, and I figured that I already had experienced enough chances at mothering with that. Little did I know that God had something else in mind for me, than my big plans. I still don’t always feel like the warmest, cuddly mom, but I love being a mom.

Mom’s Night Out as a novel, was very similar to the movie, but gives you an inside look at what was going on in the characters minds as well. The real, raw feeling that Ally and her friends experience, can teach you some valuable lessons as you laugh and cry alongside her. This is a book you will enjoy!

These books will speak to you and your mothering friends. It might inspire you to organize your own “Mom’s night out” a little more often, reach out to moms around you to encourage them, and give you some devotionals to try throughout the year. Best of all, it will make you laugh at all the crazy things we go through, and then say it is worth it!

Check out the No More Frumpy Mom challenge as well!

Balanced: Finding Center as a Work at Home Mom by Tricia Goyer

Balanced-Finding Center as a Work at home mom

By Tricia Goyer

Reviewed by Martha Artyomenko

About the Book:

Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom 

How can a work-at-home mom raise kids, juggle a career and take care of family responsibilities with only 24-hour days? Working at home while raising kids and juggling a career and family responsibilities is no easy feat. Author and homeschooling mom Tricia Goyer shares her tips for finding balance among all your many hats as a mom. Balancing is a process and a journey, one that Tricia herself has yet to perfect. But between writing more than forty books, raising and homeschooling six kids, being a wife, and being active in her community, she has amassed valuable tips she shares in “Balanced.”

My review:

Have you ever wanted a book that was a down to earth organizing book? You know, not one of those books that you read and think, “That was nice, wish I could really do that.”

Well, this is not one of those. Even if you are not a work at home mom, this eBook is worth the purchase.

Tricia is a mom of 6, grandmother of two, yet has toddlers still at home that she is homeschooling. She speaks to how to balance your priorities, while taking care of yourself and your family. How to figure out what are the priorities for you and not just what they are for her.

Tricia spoke at our local MOPS group many years back, and the topic that she taught on was one that stuck with me. She spoke on prioritizing your life and living deliberately. The one point that I really remember was her telling us that we are making the memories with our children today, not someday. I appreciate Tricia’s voice throughout this book. She is real. She tells you how it is and she doesn’t waste a lot of time or flowery phrases doing it. She lets you know that she works hard, and she has not gained perfection, but you can also see the proof. She has successful children that are grown and living lives that speak for how their mother raised them.

I am so glad Tricia wrote this book. I wish it were in print form, so I could buy 100 copies to give away that is how good it is! Right now, instead, I am wracking my brain trying to figure out how to get it to my friends that don’t have an eReader! If you have an eReader, go and buy a copy! If you work at home, you will be blessed, but if you are just a mom that is juggling the many stresses of all you do on a regular basis, you will be blessed as well. This book is a must read for all mothers!