Attitude Adjustment...

Illness here, illness there, illness everywhere!  It's amazing how fast an illness can spread through a family.  All it takes is one person to bring in a germ.  The germ then multiplies and spreads from one person to the next.  No matter how often you wash your hands, disinfect your house, it will inevitably go through the family.  This often makes for several days, weeks or even months of illness traveling through your family.

Now there are physical illnesses that spread through a family but something that is even more prominent is how we act and respond to each other.  Our Attitude.  It starts with one person.  It starts with me.  Mom.  I am the one who sets the tone for each day.  Whether I like it or not, I am responsible for the tone of the day.  Often I forget this and tend to blame the proverbial "bad day" on the way the children are or aren't behaving.  

It is hard to be mom, wife, teacher and to admit that takes a lot of courage.  Fortunately, there are women out there who are mentors to those of us who need encouragement through the rough days.  Lorrie Flem is one of them.  

 

The past couple of weeks I got to listen to 2 of Lorrie's .mp3's.  The first I listened to was Keys to a Queenly Castle and the 2nd was Attitude Adjustments.  Let me say that in listening to these I was not only encouraged but convicted as well.  I realized that I was letting my attitude control me instead of me controlling my attitude.

Not only am I responsible for me, but I am responsible for my family.  I am responsible for the attitude in my household.  The talks given by Lorrie are so helpful.  I will be listening to them again as I want to write down her suggestions!  

In Attitude Adjustments, she offers 26 ways to help with your attitude.  Lorrie gives the A-Z's and they are wonderful ways that I will be implementing in my own house.  I need to get my attitude right if I expect my family to have the correct attitude.

I hope that you will go to www.eternalencouragement.com and checkout these 2 talks by Lorrie.  They are wonderful and will bless you.  They start at $6.95 for the mp3 and area also available on CD as well.

Join me and the other Gabby Moms at www.thegabbymoms.com as we review these and other products.  This is such an awesome group of ladies.  :)

Now for some fun.  Lorrie is doing a giveaway!  This is a great way for a chance to win one of Lorrie's talks!  :)  I love free things and I bet you do to.  

So here are the rules for the giveaway.

First go to the link below.

http://www.eternalencouragement.com/theshop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_5

Choose the MP3 you would like a chance at winning.

Then complete the following steps.

To enter:
1.  Go to EE link given to choose MP3 file you want to win
2.  Click on The Gabby Moms tab at EE to go to blog where June's review links are 

posted & comment: 
     a.  which blog you read about the giveaway (Educating our Boys)
     b.  name of MP3 file you want if chosen as winner
     c.  email contact info
3. Winner will be chosen on Saturday, June 18th via random.org.
4. Winner will be notified by email to contact info left in comments
5. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to claim prize or an alternate winner will be chosen. 

I was given these products for my honest review by Eternal Encouragement. 

This is part of The Gabby Moms Program.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.

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Marriage: To Have and To Hold Bundle by Eternal Encouragement Review

I was given the opportunity to review a bundle of products from Eternal Encouragement.  The subject was Marriage.  Marriage is something I will believe in and will defend the sanctity of with my very being.  I believe it is something that shouldn't enter into lightly.  Sometimes we think we are in love with someone but really we are in love with the idea of being in love.  I loved how the products in this bundle not only encouraged me to be a better wife but also touched me emotionally.

I am by no means the wife I imagined myself being.  It is something I have to work on daily.  I am blessed with a wonderful husband and 3 beautiful boys.  We homeschool and are always doing something.  In the shuffle of life, I can tend to forget what a blessing I have in my husband.  I need to remember to not only nurture my family but him as well.  This bundle will help you do just that.

Between the e-books and the 2 wonderful mp3's you will feel blessed and encouraged.  If you are struggling the advice and ideas are wonderful!  Each story that was told, statistic that was shown and advice that was given in this bundle was so very helpful.  I loved the 75 Romantic Rut Cures!  Simple to do but things that I know I will definitely be using.  The story "It Happened One Afternoon" will bring tears to your eyes.  I am always an emotional wreck with love stories. The story of never-ending love was beautifully depicted.

Something else that I am implementing from this bundle is the daily prayer for your husband.  There is a chart in here that covers 31 days of prayer for your husband and specific things to pray for each day.  It also gives Scripture verses to go with each day.  I know I pray for my husband but the prayer is often the same one each day.  Now I will have specific things to pray for each day as I pray for him. 

I am so blessed to have been able to review this bundle.  I hope that when you purchase this bundle that you get the encouragement you need and feel as blessed as I did with these products.


Feel free to visit this blog and many more at The Gabby Moms!
Also, stop by www.eternalencouragement.com and view the many products there including the Marriage: To Have & To Hold Bundle.

"I received this product for honest review from Eternal Encouragement Magazine as a part of The Gabby Moms blogging program. All opinions expressed are solely my own." Read More

Gabby Mom's Review for Eternal Encouragement

Once upon a time I had many magazine subscriptions.  I had so many that I didn't know what to do with them.  Some I would read, some I would not.  As a mom, most of these magazines lacked what I was truly looking for.  I was looking for something to help inspire me to be strong as a mom & wife,  & encourage me in my walk with Christ.  The magazines I had didn't fit the bill.  I stumbled upon a wonderful magazine by the name of TEACH about 2 years ago.  I have been blessed to be able to have that in my hands.

Now you may be thinking this is supposed to be a review about the magazine Eternal Encouragement.  I know.  And let me share a secret.  TEACH and Eternal Encouragement are one in the same.  :)

Lorrie Flem started TEACH approximately 13 years ago. She was looking for a magazine that would help her in her walk as a mom, wife and daughter of God.  Through lots of encouragement and praying she started TEACH.  She decided about a year ago to change the title and magazine format of TEACH to Eternal Encouragement. This is off of the Eternal Encouragement Facebook page. "TEACH is taking a new name that more accurately portrays what we are all about. We are a magazine about looking more like Jesus every day. We have a little on homemaking, mothering, being a wife, and ALL that we send you is rich with . . . encouragement!"

"Eternal Encouragement has four main goals. To help women: look more like Jesus every day, to happily undergird their husbands, to love nurturing and training His children, to embrace putting their first fruits into their own homes."

The content is just as wonderful and the new size (which fits in my purse or diaper bag) is perfect for me.  I take it everywhere!


I know how important it is to have something that is relevant to moms and our daily struggles.  It is not an easy job we have.  We have so many "hats" that we juggle.  Wife, teacher, nurse, chauffeur and so many more that we often find ourselves at the end of the day drained physically and emotionally.  To know that there are other moms out there who have been where we are and that we will make it through is such an encouragement.  The authors of each story in EE have a way of touching your heart.  Whether you had a rough day at work, with the kids or you feel that you will never keep up with the housework, the articles in this magazine will touch your heart and leave you feeling uplifted.

We were asked to review the Spring '11 issue of Eternal Encouragement.  What a blessing this magazine has been.  But before I go into the articles that help me, let me share my family. 

I am the proud mom of 3 wonderful boys.  I am privileged to get to stay home with them and also homeschool them.  Jonathan, the oldest, is the artsy, quiet, and for the most part obedient.  Think outwardly obedient, but inwardly defiant.  Jordan, the middle child, is, well, we think he is Evil Knievel.  He is the daredevil and is always into something.  He is also the one who tends to provoke fights.  He has a short temper which often leaves me frustrated at the things he does.  Josef, the baby, well, ok, he is 1 now but still my baby.  He is a little cutie pie and we are enjoying seeing bits of his personality come out.  He is definitely a momma's boy.  :)

When the spring issue of EE arrived at my house I was thrilled!  It was the first edition of the new name and size and so it has been with me everywhere for the past month.  I don't always get to sit and read it at one time.  So I will look through to see what is most critical at that moment.  Well let me say this issue came just in time!  The key articles I read (in no particular order) are as follows.

• Domestically Challenged Housewife - Our Version of Toy Story
• Temper to Tranquility
• There is No Time Like the Present
• Today

I am always grateful to know that I am not the only one who is going on this journey we call motherhood.  Knowing that I will make it through the day.  And ultimately knowing that God is in control.  We just have to give it to Him.

There is a song that I am reminded of often while reading Eternal Encouragement.  It pops into my head because all the moms have something in common.  They rely on God.  They know that without Him they could do nothing.  It is through Him that we make it through each day.  They ask Him for guidance, help and strength.  This song is a wonderful reflection of what we need to realize every day.  The song is Without Him.  Here is a link so you can listen to it.  The lyrics are below.

Without Him I could do nothing
Without Him I'd surely fail
Without Him I would be drifting
Like a ship without a sail

Without Him I would be dying
Without Him I'd be enslaved
Without Him life would be worthless
But with Jesus thank God I'm saved

Oh Jesus, oh Jesus
Do you know Him today
Please don't turn Him away
Oh Jesus, my Jesus
Without Him how lost I would be
Without Him how lost I would be

I am so thankful that I am able to receive this magazine.  It provides such encouragement to me.  I know it will do the same for you.

Click on Gabby Moms to find out more about us or read more reviews about Eternal Encouragement.
Here is the website to Eternal Encouragement.  www.eternalencouragement.com

I received this product for honest review from Eternal Encouragement Magazine as a part of The Gabby Moms blogging program. All opinions expressed are solely my own."

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Expedition Israel - A Download N Go Review

Expedition Israel, a Download N Go unit study.  Some quick info about Download N Go (DNG).  DNG's are a week long unit study tied in with lapbooking.  Don't be nervous about the lapbooking part.  If you have never done one, that's ok!  They are a fun way to integrate some hands on into your schooling.  DNG's are wonderful.  They have all the research done for you.  Amanda Bennett takes care of all of that so you can spend more time learning with your child.  She also finds extra books to read to your child that are suggested each day.  These are not necessary but always give a lot of extra information.

So where to begin.  I was so thrilled to see we would be reviewing Expedition Israel.  It took me back to a time 12 years ago.  A time when I was 18 and our church was going on a trip overseas.  A trip to Israel.  This unit brought back so many memories for me.  The videos of the cities in Israel, the people, the animals, and the beautiful landscape.  We also learned about great Heroes of the Bible with this unit.  It is so amazing to think about these men of the Bible.  They become real for the kids.  And I got to enjoy watching my kids learn about them.

Each day brought back something different for me and I was so excited to share my stories with them.  From Jerusalem to Bethlehem, to the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee.  I relived my trip through this unit.  But more importantly I shared it with them by showing pictures, telling stories and giving them my thoughts as we watched the videos, read the websites and all the information that Amanda put into this unit. I am so thankful that she put this unit together.  It helped me be better able to share the stories of my trip.  Because she works so hard to find the best websites and videos it made it so much fun to share with my children.  In a sense, being able to share my trip experiences combined with this unit study made it feel so real to them. 

There are also some really cool things to do as part of the lapbook in this unit.  Jonathan's favorite was learning his name in Hebrew. 




My Hebrew Name:   Courtesy of My Hebrew Name  He thought that was "so cool."  He also like learning about the animals.  I was able to share with him my story of riding the camel. (which I highly recommend)  It is definitely a ride you won't forget.

I highly recommend this unit study.  Even if I hadn't been to Israel, this unit would make me want to go.  So you will definitely want to try and plan a trip.  My oldest son, Jonathan has already asked me when we are going to Israel.  I told him we will need to save in order to do it, but that we will plan a family trip to visit this country one day.

Here is what was covered each day.

Day 1: Where on Earth Is Israel?
Day 2: Some of the Special Places in Israel
Day 3: A Bit of History
Day 4: Cool Things to Know About Israel
Day 5: Fun and Games in Israel


Take a look at the inside of Expedition Israel.

Some pictures of our lapbook.

Our Lapbook



Jonathan with the lapbook



Some Pictures of my trip to Israel.

The Sea of Galilee


Me petting a Cat at the Church on the Sea of Galilee


If you would like to purchase Expedition Israel, go here.
To follow the Blog Tour, go here.

**I was given this item in exchange for my honest review**
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Kite Capers - A Download N Go Review

This is my family's review of Kite Capers - a Download N Go (DNG) Unit Study.  For those of you unfamiliar with Download N Go, they are quite fun and simple to use.  I don't know about you, but for me those are good qualities to have in homeschool curriculum!  Amanda Bennett does all the legwork of research for you.  She chooses some of the best videos, informational links, extra reading resources and some awesome activities.

My boys and I have grown to love these unit studies.  They cover a weeks worth of learning.  Each day you learn something different about the topic.

So, lets go fly a kite!  Up to the Highest Height!  I think of Mary Poppins and the kite flying scene at the end when doing this review.  I loved flying kites as a young child.  The colors, shapes, sizes, beautiful designs were always fascinating to me.  A couple of years ago we actually purchased our first kites and took them out for a flight.  There are 2 Spiderman kites in our repertoire as we speak.  We had a blast getting them to fly!  Thanks to this unit study we now want to make our own kites! 

Working on Kite Capers has been so much fun.  The videos were quite awesome.  Seeing some of the creativity in the kites that were made is just thrilling!  Seeing them in flight was breathtaking.  There was is so much to learn about the origins of kites!  It was amazing where it lead us.  We really enjoyed studying this unit.

Here are the topics covered for each of the 5 days.

Day 1: What Is a Kite?
Day 2: The History of Kites
Day 3: Kite People and Places
Day 4: Science Secrets of Kites
Day 5: Goodies and Gadgets of Kites

 Take a peek inside this unit study.  The pictures are beautiful and we loved working in this unit.

Amanda does a wonderful job in putting these units together.  We have really enjoyed using them and doing reviews.

Click here to purchase Kite Capers.  :)

**I was given this item in exchange for my honest review**

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Hoppin Popcorn - A Download N Go Review

Caramel corn, cheddar popcorn, kettle corn or plain ole popcorn.  I bet you can't choose just one flavor of popcorn.  Hoppin Popcorn is a delicious unit study!

For those of you who may not be familiar with Download N Go (DNG), they are a weekly unit study combined with lapbooking.  Now don't be afraid of the term lapbooking.  It's actually quite simple.  Amanda Bennett gives you all the information you need for the unit and then she gives you links for lapbooking instructions.

So I hope you like popcorn, because that is the topic of this yummy unit!  Popcorn, we eat it at movie theatres, at home when we are enjoying family time, sporting events or just as a great snack.  It comes in many different flavors and types.  I know my personal favorite is caramel corn.  The mix of salty and sweet is just divinity! 

With Hoppin Popcorn you discover so many different things!  From what popcorn is, where it began, to the many kinds of popcorn.

So with Download N Go, each day covers something different.  There are different websites for each day, different videos that go with the topic of each day.  I will say that Hoppin Popcorn leaves you hungry so you will want to make sure you have some on hand!  :)

Here is what's covered each day.
Day 1: Popcorn—What Is It?
Day 2: The Story of Popcorn
Day 3: The Flavors of Popcorn
Day 4: The Science of Popcorn
Day 5: Fun With Popcorn

Take a peek inside Hopping Popcorn.

Click here to purchase Hoppin Popcorn!

**I was given this item in exchange for my honest review**



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Eternal Encouragement Newsletter Review

E-mail, e-mail, e-mail...  I don't know about you but I sign up for so many e-mails I think will be useful, but I often don't get to look at them.  Between being a wife, mom, teacher, homemaker and many other roles I don't always get to read everything I sign up for.  I admit it.  I have every intention of reading the tips and advice of being a better wife, mom, teacher, etc.  When we were asked to sign up for the Eternal Encouragement newsletter, I was already a member of this wonderful resource.  This is one of a newsletters I make sure to take the time to read.

I was asked to review two of the most recent newsletters.  This was obviously an easy thing for me to do!  :)  I love to read and love all the words of encouragement in these newsletters.  The first one I was asked to review was sent February 10th and the second one was February 17th.  The topic of the newsletter sent the 10th, which was in time for Valentines Day, covered marriage.  I can think no better topic to cover for that week.  I loved how Lorrie put this sentence regarding disagreements in a marriage.  "Successful couples know how to keep the disagreements from spilling over and contaminating the rest of their relationship."  I believe this to be very true!  My husband and I have had our disagreements, but we always make sure that we don't go to bed angry and that whatever was being discussed was resolved in some matter.  It isn't always easy.  But we always do it.

The other thing I love about these newsletters are a little thing called "Chick Flicks for Mom."  I absolutely love these videos from Lorrie.  They are short, cute and to the point.  I have found them to be very helpful to me.  My most favorite one right now was the one dealing parenting our children and obedience!  The lesson learned from that one I wound up writing down and laminating!  It is now posted in the main area of my house so my 3 boys can see it.  We are working on memorizing the rhyme that was submitted to Lorrie about obedience.

Then there are the Timely Tips in the newsletters!  The two that I am going to talk about in my review are very important to me.  The first one dealt with Praying for your husband.  Now I know we all know we are supposed to pray for our husbands, but do we really know how to pray for them?  The timely tip linked to a document talking about why we need to pray for our husbands and also gave a 31 day plan to pray for your husband.  Each day includes a specific request and Bible verse to go with that request.  I found that very important!  I know that I want to pray for my husband, but I often don't know what to pray for.  This has been a great help!

The 2nd timely tip dealt with a budget!  This comes at a great time for me as I am leading a class on finances at our church.  Having a budget is important but sticking to it is even more important!  Anne Herrick talks about how reading Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover" really helped her and her husband realize they were living outside their means and then gave them the tools to get things under control.  I HIGHLY recommend reading any of Dave Ramsey's books or taking his Financial Peace University course!  (which is what I lead at our church)  I am seeing things in a new way since leading this class.  We are learning to live within our means and also be able to save for our future, the future of our kids and to also be able to give to others!  Seeing this timely tip in the newsletter was just another encouraging article to help us along our way.  You can read this story here.

Along with all those things there is information on sales and discounts on products from the website.  There are some great deals out there!  www.HomemakingWithTeach.com

I HIGHLY recommend signing up for the newsletter.  It has helped me in so many ways.  I want to be a better mom to my boys, a better wife to my husband and a better child of God.  The newsletter is so encouraging and is a great addition to my day.  I look forward to getting this each week.

To sign up for Eternal Encouragement go to www.EternalEncouragement.com.  Once you go there a window should pop up to sign up for the newsletter.  If for some reason it does not, go to this website and scroll down to the bottom.  The sign up will be on the bottom left-hand side.  www.theshop.eternalencouragement.com

Also, take some time to visit us at the Gabby Moms!  We have a lot of moms that are reviewing these wonderful products, newsletters, etc.  www.thegabbymoms.com

I am reviewing Encouraging Moments as an official member of The Gabby Moms blogging program for Eternal Encouragement magazine.  I did not receive compensation for this post and all opinions are solely my own. Read More