B is for Book Depository

I discovered Book Depository in April and since I have spare fund in my Paypal account waiting to be spent, I browsed around and found these lovely books that I cannot simply turn down. Yes, it was a bad thing to do online shopping when you have the budget, since almost always you’d just end up splurging!  Laugh

I was able to buy a number of books for myself, my sister and the little man. This copy of The Little Prince, one of my all-time favorite books, is one of the first ones to arrive. Who can resist this? It is a very good read, something that I would love for the little man to read when he is bigger and only costs me $2.78! The books are also individually shipped in bubble wrap envelopes to make sure the owner receive them in very good condition. And what’s best about Book Depository is that they offer free shipping worldwide, yes, including the Philippines! You just have to wait for awhile before your orders are shipped, but I tell you it was well worth the wait.

Apart from The Little Prince, I also ordered the following books:

  • The Silver Linings Playbook {$9.80}
  • Guess How Much I Love Your ~ Hardbound {2.65}
  • Cars 2 Ultimate Sticker Book ~ {6.64}
  • Cars 2 Lift-and-Look Book ~ Board Book {11.04}
  • Mater’s Amazin’ Adventures in Paperback {3.88}

I just stopped myself from ordering a copy of the latest book by Paolo Coelho, but I will be eyeing that the next time I order. If you have not discovered Book Depository yet, I think it is high time that you check them out now!  Grin

Sharing this post with Blog Photo Challenge and Fat Mum Slim’s June #fmsphotoaday.

Motherhood Matters By Connie Sokol, A Blog Tour

motherhood books, books, book review, simple pleasures, reviews, giveaways

I never joined blog tours simply because I am wary of not making the schedule due to a lot of other things that I have to do both online and off, most especially offline, since as most people would agree, mothering can really be quite time-consuming and demanding. But when I saw the Motherhood Matters Blog Tour, I just felt like I had to sign up for this tour and I am glad that I trusted my motherly instincts. This books is just great and is a perfect bedside book for any mums out there! Read on to know all about it and join the giveaway towards the end of the post, too!

Check out the Tour Schedule here!

Mothering Matters in a Nutshell

motherhood books, books, book review, simple pleasures, reviews, giveaways Here is a little synopsis about this lovely Motherhood book:

Motherhood is a divine calling—but it may not always feel that way. Now you can show the women in your life how much they matter to you, with this delightful and heartwarming volume of wit and wisdom about the divinity, reality, and rewards of motherhood. Fresher than flowers and sweeter than chocolate, it’s a perfect gift for the women who give so much.

In these hectic days where life’s demands can quickly become a heavy burden, Motherhood Matters helps you find more memorable moments and take the stress out of the to-do lists. Written with clarity, concision, and wit, this short, yet indispensable handbook is better than flowers, more guilt-free than chocolate, and gives back to the woman who sacrifices so much of herself every single day.

Motherhood Matters is chock-full of inspiring anecdotes and touching stories that will surely inspire mothers of every age and stage. It is filled with the author’s very own life experience and journey, bearing and raising 7 children! Yes, 7 and I am not sure how she ever managed to do it!

Motherhood Matters is available in both hardcover and Kindle editions through Amazon:

About the Author

motherhood books, books, book review, simple pleasures, reviews, giveaways

Connie Sokol,  a national and local presenter, and a regular speaker at Education Week is also a mother of seven. She graduated with a degree in Elementary Education at Brigham Young University. Apart from her mothering duties, she is also monthly contributor on KSL TV “Studio 5,” and regular blogger for KSL “Motherhood Matters.” She is a former TV and radio host for Bonneville Communications, and columnist for Deseret News and Utah Valley Magazine. Mrs. Sokol is the author of several books including the award-nominated romance Caribbean Crossroads, the 8-week Challenge program of Faithful, Fit & Fabulous, Life is Too Short for One Hair Color Series, as well as talk CDs and podcasts. Mrs. Sokol marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats.

To know more about Connie and her books, do visit the Connie E. Sokol Website.

Mum’s two cents

A must-read for every mum!

Apart from being a great read, Motherhood Matters is also an inspiring book that I thought all mothers should have and read. It is a perfect Mother’s Day gift to your mums or your mum friends and even yourself. Mothering can really be quite a tedious job and it can take it’s toll on anyone. It can be frustrating on occasions and energy-draining, too, just imagine having to reason with a toddler who simply refuse to see reasons! That is why we need reinforcement and inspirations like this book to keep us on our toes, to remind us that we have probably the most noble and the most rewarding job in the world, to make us feel that yes, it is okay to be a mother and be confused with it all since it was after all a confusingly profound profession. The book also reiterates mum’s various valuable roles in shaping the lives of her children, from painstakingly preparing meals with love in her kitchen, to being a “lioness at the gate” to make sure she protects her offspring from any harm that would come their way to being the very first people given the task to educate her children and shape their spirituality. Tall order, I know! That is why I am convinced that more than an inspiration and a guide, this book is also a salute to all the mums out there who do their jobs, albeit with complain sometimes, every single day with never ending love!

I would love to devour and read this book over again. Now am thinking of having my 128-page e-book printed so that I can get to read it every time I want to.  Either that, or am keeping my fingers crossed that someone will gift me with it for Mother’s Day! Wink

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes goes to this lovely book! Be joyfully reminded about the divinity, reality and the beautiful rewards of motherhood!

Join the Tour Giveaway

Thank you for making it this far, to reward you for your patience here is your chance to $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash. This giveaway ends on 15 May, 2013. Simply wait for the Rafflecopter widget to load and join. Good luck and advanced Happy Mother’s Day to you mums! Smile

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Mumwrites is not compensated for this post. I was provided a free e-book copy of the book mentioned for review purposes. Opinions stated here are 100% my own and does not, in anyway, reflect the opinion of the author mentioned. Either am I responsible for the fulfillment of the prize item for the giveaway included. This post contain affiliate links that will allow mum to earn a small amount which will be used to power up her site. 

Book Review: Heaven is for Real for Kids

Reviews, book review, books. Booksneeze, books for children

I received this book from Booksneeze some time ago but I did not get the chance to post a review about it soon enough. This is quite a good book and am sure mums out there would love to add this to their little libraries at home.

Heaven is for Real for Kids in a nutshell

Reviews, book review, books. Booksneeze, books for children

Colton Burpo was able to experience something that  few people have in this life, he was able to see Jesus and visit heaven during an emergency operation when he was 3 years old. His vivid story about the different characters he was able to meet in Heaven, including the people with wings, the angels, the animals and Jesus Christ himself, is what prompted his father, Todd, to write this book in the first place.

 Here’s what’s written at the back of the book:

a three-year old boy…

a miraculous trip to heaven…

and a very important message for kids…

Jesus really, really loves children.

And he really, really loves you!

Reviews, book review, books. Booksneeze, books for children

Colton saw Jesus Christ and his great-grand dad in Heaven

Colton shares kid-to-kid what it is like to be with Jesus, what heaven looks like, and who you will most likely see once you get there. He answers elementary questions like whether there are animals in heaven or how tall the angels were. This book is based on the New York Times bestseller, Heaven is for Real, this time it was told from Colton’s perspective. This book will show kids, through beautiful illustrations and first-person storytelling, that heaven is indeed real. The book also offers children comfort and assurance that heaven is a happy place, provides parents with a guide for talking with their kids about heaven, as well as includes Scripture references and a Question and Answer section, too. It even includes current photos of Colton for the readers to see.

Dear God, 

Heaven sounds so wonderful! I pray that YOU will be with me as I grow and learn more about YOU.

Please forgive me when I mess up. Help me to be loving, kind, and forgiving. I want to follow Jesus in all things.

I love you, Lord!

In Jesus’s name.

Amen. 

 

About the Author

Todd Burpo is a pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church and a volunteer fireman, and also works with a garage door company. His wife, Sonja, is a children’s minister, busy pastor’s wife, and mom. Colton, is an active 12-year old who enjoys football and music. he has an older sister, Cassie, and a younger brother, Colby.

Wilson Ong, who did the colorful illustrations in the book, on the other hand, spent nine years as an art teacher and attended the Art Students League of New York and has exhibited his work nationally and has garnered various awards.

Mum’s two-cents

What I love about this book is the kid-friendly manner of story-telling it, something any kid of any age can easily relate to and understand. The concept of heaven is complicated as complicated gets especially in the eyes of a child and this book makes this concept much easier for the little ones to understand. The colorful illustration also lends an even more child-friendly air to the book by making the story more interesting for children. Colton’s down-to-earth vivid narration also allows for parents to teach the kids about the concept of heaven and God’s love with ease. This is a must-read for every family with children! A beautiful bedtime story, too.

You may purchase the paperback copy of Heaven is for Real for Kids, and it’s grown-up edition, Heaven is for Real, on Amazon for only $10.19 each:

I give this book 4 dog ears! ^_^

I received a free copy of this book for review through BookSneeze®.com. However, views + opinions on this post are 100% my own. 

Reading More Books in 2013

books, reading, simple pleasures, me-time, Blog Photo Challenge

Yep, that is one of my goals for the New Year, too, to build up my virtual bookshelves/library and go back to my first love ~ reading. Last year I was able to read more books and complete my Shopaholic Series collection. Even when I was busy looking after the little man and keeping the house organized, not to mention doing all these activities online, I was able to squeeze in finishing a number of paperbacks during my downtime. This year I plan to read more books in my stash that has been lying dusty for ages now, including classic novels, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

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something beginning with “t” ~ Tolstoy Wink

I have also started stocking up on books late last year by buying them as gifts to myself {it was one of my simple pleasures in life! ^_^}. I chanced upon these hardbound copies of The Witch of Portobello by Paolo Coelho and Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella on this e-bay shop and I just can’t resist. The books are sold at only P200 each! Oh and I also got a copy of J.D. Salinger’s The Cather in the Rye the last time I went to the bookstore. And my sister, Bel, gifted me with this millennium edition of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina last Christmas! ^_^

Am all set for the first quarter of this year with plans to finish all these books on my stash. What have you been reading lately?

My 8th share for Blog Photo Challenge and #fmsphotoaday.

Sharing the whites here, too:

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