My spiritual word of the year

Last year as 2015 was slowly coming, I decided to seek God to see which word I could concentrate on for the new year.  My word was REST.

As I discovered Bible Art Journaling, one of the first drawing I made was the word REST.   Today, as I ponder on the word that keeps coming to me in the past week or so which I believe to be my word for 2016, I want to reflect on the past year and how I dealt with the word.

If there is one thing I know for sure after much reflection is that REST wasn't definitively not part of my summer time.   The main reason was that we were driving insanely too much.  Why?   Well, we had parked our RV near Peterborough this year because we had season passes to Canada's Wonderland.  We thought it would be a good idea.  But driving to the RV was about 3 hours and then there was another 1h30minutes to go to Canada's Wonderland.  Both needed to be drove back when we get back to the RV or home.   Added the numbers of times we did this, well.... By the end of the summer I was more drained than at the beginning g of the summer.

So our homeschool journey in September after picking up the boys in a camp in the US was not starting on a good foot.  But with naps,I think I am more rested now than back then.   

What I have learned through all this is that it is essential to make sure you rest in order to be refreshed. 

Okay so my experience probably wasn't super great but I want to seek God once again for a word for 2016.   So I started asking God about new word and one keeps coming daily.... PRAY.

So I am going to concentrate on PRAY for 2016 a reading more about prayers and developing a stronger prayer life in order to deepen my relationship with my Father in Heaven by speaking to him, praising him, thanking him and simply talking to him.  One of the books I will read at the beginning of the year will be the Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer.   

Zenspirations

With the popularity of bible art journaling pouring through the internet whether on Pinterest or facebook groups dedicated to the trend, I have seen numerous people highly recommending the books of Zenspirations from Joanne Fink.  I was somewhat curious about them and decided to approach the publisher to see what was the fuss all about.  I have received two of the Zenspirations books to review.

Zenspirations Dangle Designs – Expanded Edition

http://www.d-originals.com/zenspirations-dangle-designs-expanded-workbook-edition

Zenspirations dangles are unique patterns that add interest and texture to any design. Although they may look complicated, they are actually quite easy to create! All you need is a pen, a piece of paper and your imagination. Gifted calligrapher and designer Joanne Fink shares her fun and relaxing techniques for adding dangle patterns to your drawings. Whether you like to journal, draw or doodle, you'll find intriguing ideas here for crafting, designing and decorating with dangle patterns. This expanded edition includes a bonus workbook section that gives you a place to play, experiment, and create new, exciting dangle designs. This is where you can practice drawing all the dangle design components, experiment with new techniques, and develop your own unique dangle style.

 

 

Zenspirations Letters & Patterning

http://www.d-originals.com/zenspirations 

Patterning is fun, easy and relaxing - and it is a great way to add interest and texture to any design. Joanne Fink presents creative monogram and pattern techniques, offering intriguing ideas for filling borders, edges and spaces with creative flourishes. These decorative borders, frames, shapes, and alphabet will appeal to a spectrum of tastes and styles. Use Joanne's techniques to create details, depth and beauty reminiscent of classical architecture, medieval block printing and manuscript calligraphy. Whether you like to journal, draw, doodle, design, or craft, you'll find a world of inspiration here.

 

My Thoughts

To be honest I am a bit disappointed with the size of the books.  Both are quite thin with respectively 34 and 50 pages.    Though I must admit that they would be light if you decide to bring them with you to appointments or on a trip.   The Dangle Designs book was the expanded version which allow the person to practice within the pages of the book.  Both books offer advice on how to construct a dangle and offer numerous ideas on how to do one by yourself.  In the Letters & Patterning book, the author will also offers advice on the tools and materials, pen techniques as well as watercolors to embellish the dangles.

Needless to say if you enjoy doing craft and enjoy bible art journaling, these books offer numerous ideas on how to decorate and/or journal.    However, I would strongly suggest that you be wise with your money and look for sales for these titles because honestly I couldn’t justify the amount suggested for them in my head.

If you are still on the lookout for something special for someone in your life who enjoy journaling then these two books are great to expand their drawing skills.

Zenspirations Dangle Designs and Zenspirations Letters & Patterning are both available at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Design Originals for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Five Times I Met Myself

 The Five Times I Met Myself
Written by James L. Rubart
Published at Thomas Nelson

About the book
What if you met your twenty-three-year-old self in a dream? What would you say?

Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling. His coffee company. His marriage.

So when he discovers his vivid dreams—where he encounters his younger self—might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing.

Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go . . . and his greatest fear is that it’s already too late.

My Thoughts
I almost passed this title off…. but the cover page was intriguing – not to mention the title as well.  Then my eyes stopped on the author’s name.  The name was known to me… that’s when I recalled reading some of his books earlier in the year.  So I double-checked for titles of this author on my Kindle account and there they were…. I had discovered this author out of the blue earlier this year and enjoyed his type of writing.  This book – The Five Times I Met Myself – was his latest title.   So I read the description of the book and I was hooked.  The idea of time travelling via dreams has grabbed my attention.

I zoomed through this title – in the midst of homeschooling and Christmas preparation.   It was my way of recharging my batteries in a way.   I enjoyed the plot and the story line.  I have found that the style of writing from James L. Rubart was different than most authors and I particularly like it.    It is intriguing to think that the main character could alter the timeline by meeting his past self and giving him guidance.    At the end of the book, the main character realized that…. wait a minute I won’t tell you what happened because the book is so good that I strongly suggest to get it to read it yourself. 

This book is definitively a book to discover in 2016.   Take the time to unwind and read it at your own time.   Besides, I think you will like the story and would love to discover the other titles he has as well.

The Five Times I Met Myself is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.
 
The book is also available on Kindle and Kindle app.
 

NERF N-STRIKE MEGA SERIES ROTOFURY BLASTER

NERF N-STRIKE MEGA SERIES ROTOFURY BLASTER
From Hasbro Canada

About the product

Unleash the rapid-fire fury of the Mega RotoFury blaster! This long-range blaster launches darts up to 90 feet from its. Who will withstand your attack when you can fire up to 10 Mega Whistler Darts at your target without reloading? The Whistler Darts will scream through the air as you dominate the battlefield with the rapid-firing Mega RotoFury blaster!
Includes blaster, 10 Mega Whistler Darts and instructions.
• Mega RotoFury blaster fires Mega Whistler Darts up to 90 feet
• Includes 10 Mega Whistler Darts
• Rotating drum fires 10 darts at a time without reloading
• Slam-fire action
• Mega Whistler Darts scream through the air

My Thoughts

Geared for people ages 8 and up, this mega blaster will bring some joy for any child who is into Nerf blasters.   My junior high has Nerf nights throughout the year at the church (yes you have read correctly – at church!) we attend where the kids can be strategic and have a blast at the same time.  My son missed the first Nerf night a couple of months ago because he had a fresh stitch from a recent accident he had after the swimming lesson.  He was so disappointed that he couldn’t attend it.  Consequently, he is so looking forward to the Nerf Night on December 18th.  So I know without a doubt that he will enjoy having this jewel of a blaster in his hands.  

The blaster comes with 10 darts that are bigger than the regular darts from other Nerf blasters.   That is why it is part of the MEGA series.   The dart are huge in comparison of the ones we usually have.    The Rotofury has a rotating drum which will shoot the 10 darts rapidly directly in a slam-fire action to an unsuspecting target.   To make it more fun for the person controlling the blaster, the whistler darts will scream through the air as it try to reach the target.  The dart themselves could go as far as 24 to 28 meters .  A Mega dart performance chart can be found in the back of the box.

The Nerf N-Strike Mega Series Rotofury blaster is great for indoor and outdoor play.   Make sure you keep track of the darts so that you don’t loose them.   The Rotofury blaster apparently works better with Mega Darts only.  It is strongly recommended not to modify the darts or the blaster itself and to use only darts designed for this product. 

The NERF N-Strike Mega Series Rotofury Blaster is available for purchase at your favorite toy store, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

    

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Star Wars The Force Awakens RC BB-8

Star Wars The Force Awakens RC BB-8
From Hasbro

About the toy

Launch into action and adventure in the world of Star Wars! Discover the exciting stories of good versus evil in a galaxy of starships and vehicles. BB-8 is the spherical, loyal Astromech Droid of the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. Picture new moments of adventure! This RC BB-8 figure rolls in any direction and makes expressive droid sounds as you lead him into adventure. Collect and battle with this and other figures and vehicles from Star Wars. (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)
Star Wars products are produced by Hasbro under license from Lucasfilm Ltd. Hasbro and all related terms are trademarks of Hasbro.
• Includes BB-8 body, BB-8 head, remote control, and instructions.
• Movie-accurate appearance
• Create adventures and scenes from the Star Wars Universe
• Makes expressive droid sounds
• Rolls in any direction

My Thoughts

I am so looking forward to the new Star Wars movie to come out in theaters on December 18th.   We are planning to bring all the kids to see it and let me tell you that they are looking forward to it as much as us the parents are.    As soon as the trailer was released, I immediately fell in love with the new Astromech droid BB-8.    And to be honest, I fear that R2-D2 has been replaced as the cutest droid of all time…  BB-8 is the spherical, loyal Astromech Droid of the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron.

Before receiving the Hasbro version of the BB-8, I had seen some reviews about it saying that the head would pop out and so forth.   I usually don’t care much about these kind of reviews and wanted to test it myself.   Apparently, the head stays on top while rolling, can roll in any direction, makes expressive droid sounds.   To allow this functionality, the body and the head contain magnets in order to hold them together.  

So this morning, I proceeded to product test the BB-8 I had received.   After inserting the batteries in the body part, the droid was making sounds already without having the body fully assembled.   Once I put all the parts of the BB-8 together, I followed the steps to make is roll.   At first, I didn’t wait enough to make sure that the head was aligned properly on it.  The consequences were disappointing because as soon as you make the robot move, the head would fall.   But I decided to wait a little bit more before repositioning the head on it and I was rewarded.   As soon as I made the droid more, the head would reposition itself immediately.  Gently droid noises were heard too.  Even my husband thought it was cool.   The control is limited on the directions you can do with it – one side will go forward and backward and the other side allows the head to change direction which in turn will move the droid in that direction next time you move it.   Bottom line, it was fun to control the BB-8 and I can see that this less expensive version of the BB-8 would make a great gift this Christmas for children.

The installation is quite easy.  All you have to do is open the body sphere in order to insert the section that will contain the batteries.   Insert the batteries and close the sphere.   Once this is done you can position the head over the sphere in order to complete BB-8.   Insert batteries as well in the remote control and voilà BB-8 is fully operational.   Note that you will need 6 batteries to operate this RC – 4  AA for the BB-8 and 2 AAA for the remote.  To turn BB-8 on, you have to gently shake the main sphere, set the body down and position the head on top of it.  The head should align automatically.    With the help of the remote control, you will be able to roll forward and backward, rotate the head left or right, as well as roll left or right.  To stop BB-8, all you have to do is hold it upside-down for 2 seconds.   Note that BB-8 will go to sleep mode when it is inactive for 5 minutes. Sometimes while you play with it, the head might fall do to impact.  To re-attach the BB-8 head, set the body down and allow it to settle.  Then you can place the head back on place and it will align automatically.  For best performance, the remote needs to be aim directly to BB-8.  Be aware that the remote control operates on infrared frequencies and that sunlight and or some indoor lighting may interfere with communication between the controller and BB-8.  This RC is recommended for indoor use only.  It is strongly recommended to keep it away from dirt and water.

The Star Wars The Force Awakens RC BB-8 from Hasbro is a fun gift for the young Star Wars fan in your life.  It will definitively provide hours of fun in the months to come.

The Star Wars The Force Awakens RC BB-8 from Hasbro is available for purchase at your favorite store, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

NIV Bible for Men

NIV Bible for Men – Fresh Insights for Thriving in Today’s World
Published at Zondervan

About the Bible

This is not your dad’s Bible. The highly approachable yet spiritually challenging NIV Bible for Men takes the insights from today’s young pastors and authors—who look and sound the same as you, facing the same expectations and temptations—and the truths of Scripture to create a devotional experience that enriches your spiritual life and brings you closer to God every single day.

My Thoughts

This new bible for men will inspire the man in your life in digging deeper in God’s word in order to become the man He wants him to be.   The daily reading in this bible are challenging, and thought-provoking and will encourage him to grow spiritually and deepen his relationship with God.  

Each reading begins with a tweetable statement that introduces the day's meaningful, concise topic designed to address the challenges and expectations that will instantly connect with today's guys, such as career, sexuality, leadership, pornography, relationships, financial stability, spiritual growth, substance addiction, culture, character, education, self-image and more. NIV Bible for Men features include: 260 weekday devotions from young pastors and leaders such as Matt Chandler, Shane Claiborne, Craig Gross, and Gabe Lyons.

It contains two methods to engage: reading through the Bible canonically from Genesis to Revelation or by topic using the topical index 52 "Myth Articles" state commonly accepted myths in our culture today, then refute those myths with answers from God's Word.   Each devotion is based on a specific verse from the bible and the reader will get a main idea at the top of the devotion.  This main idea could be tweeted if desired.  After reading the devotion, the reader can bring it to life by pondering on questions to see how it can apply in his life.  For an easy access to the next myth the reader can discover the page at the bottom of the devotion.  The following authors have participate in providing devotions in this bible: Sammy Adebiyi, Danny L/ Akin, Thabiti Anyabwile, Steve Arterburn, Simon Baker, Mark Batterson, Jon Bloom, Johnathon Bowers, Stephen Brewster, Kurt Bubna, J/ Budziszewski, John Burke, Matt Carter, Tim Challies, Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, Shane Claiborne, Neil Cole, Wayne Cordeiro, Steve Cornell, Larry Crabb, Clay Crosse, Brent Cunningham, Jim Cymbala, Matt Dabbs, Kevin DeYoung, Matthew Dickerson, Greg Dill, Eric Douglas, Ron Edmondson, John Eldredge, Andrew Farley, Nick Farr, Tom Gilson, Bob Goff, Billy Graham, Jim Grassi, Ryan Griffith, Craig Groeschel, Craig Gross, Randy Hageman, Hank Hanegraaff, Josh Harris, Brandon Hatmaker, Chris Haw, Christopher D. Hudson, Todd D. Hunter, Michael Hyatt, Bill Johnson, Dr. James Kennedy, Dan Kimball, David Kinnaman, Ted Kluck, Jared Latigo, Rick Lawrence, Jonathan Leeman, Jason Locy, Ben Lowe, Max Lucado, Gabe Lyons, Jeff Manion, Mike McKinley, Rick McKinley, Scot McKnight, Erwin Raphael McManus, Steve McVey, Erix Metaxas, Tony Morgn, David Murrow, Jeremy Myers, Rory Noland, John Ortberg, Jonathan Parnell, C. Michael Patton, Mike Pettengill, Joel C. Rosenberg, Jonathan Ryan, Chris Seay, Christopher Shaw, Ronald J. Sider, Jerry Sittser, Steve Sjogren, Charles Specht, Andy Stanley, Glenn T. Stanton, Jarrett Stevens, Halim Suh, Dr. Dennis Swanberg, Leonard Sweet, Charles Swindoll, mark Tabb, Tullian Tchividjian, Joe Thorn, Bill D. Thrasher, Chris Tomlin, Paul Tripp, Jon Tyson, John H. Walton, Rick Warren, John White, Darren Whitehead, Steven Wickham, Timothy D. Willard, Jared C. WIlson, Pete Wilson, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Micael E. Wittmer, Philip Yancey, and Dr. Ravi Zacharias.

Looking at the list of the men who wrote the devotions I will admit that I recognize some of the names but many are unknown to me.   However, I am slightly disturbed to see the name Tullian Tchividjian and to see that the biography included in there has not being update.   This man has resigned as the pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church after admitting to an adulterous affair (on both side from what has been revealed) and has since filed for divorce back in August.    I would have hoped that the publisher would have been careful in not incorporating a leader who is having personal struggles in this bible geared to uplift men.  So I was curious and checked what he has written in the bible.  Through the list of devotions, I was able to identify four that was written by him (D148, D204, D220, and D238).   I then preceded to check the theme of each of these – one was about legalism, one about idolatry, one about God’s spirit living in us, and finally the last one is about morality vs moralism (the trap of emphasizing the importance of “good” Christian behavior.   To be honest, I wished there would be only one devotion of him in this bible but it isn’t the case.  Nevertheless, though he has issue to resolve in his personal life, I am sure some men can benefit from the devotions written by him.  It is just sad that the autobiography is not reflecting the current position he held and the fact that he is in the midst of a divorce.

As I flipped through the pages of this Bible in order to review it, I can see how it would be beneficial for any men whether old or young (even with the issue mentioned above).  

NIV Bible for Men is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

My Little Pony Mealtime Set

My Little Pony Mealtime Set
From ZAK

I recently received a complete dinnerware set for a child based on the My Little Pony television show.    The set is composed of a PP tumbler of 9 ounces, a melamine place of 8 inches and a melamine bowl of 5.5 inches.   Friendship is definitively magic with this cute little dinnerware set for anytime during the day.

The whole package also come in an easy-to-wrap gift box and would make a perfect gift for a birthday, Christmas or a special celebration for a young child in your life.   The set is recommended for a child ages 3 and up but nothing can stop you in blessing a mom-to-be with such a set so that she can be prepare when the child is in age of eating in a plate.   It could also be very useful to have in your own home if you have friends with kids who come to visit every once in a while.

These durable dishes are the perfect size for little hands.   The character images are large and easy to see which will add fun and flair at mealtime.   Whether you are serving cereal, soup, a snack or dinner, your child will be delighted to eat with Twilight Sparkle and all the friends from My Little Pony.   

 

And at the back of the box you will find some fun eating and exercise tips to help your kids to stay healthy.   The set is completely BPA free and dishwasher safe.  However, it is highly recommended not to microwave it. 

If you know a child that is completely enamored with My Little Pony, you might want to consider getting this wonderful set this Christmas season or just because you want to bring joy in her life.

My Little Pony Mealtime Set is available at a store near you, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Star Wars Board Games

With the new Star Wars movie – Episode VII The Force Awakens – coming out on December 18th, you must have expected a panoply of numerous toys and games coming out with the Star Wars theme.  Well, already on the shelves of stores around you, you will see such items.   Imagine how delighted I was when I saw a new Monopoly Star Wars, a Star Wars Battleship and a Star Wars Risk at my local Wal-Mart recently.   It was just in time for the Christmas holidays and I wouldn’t be surprised whatsoever if these would sell like cupcakes this year. 

Monopoly Star Wars

In the new Monopoly Star Wars you must be prepare to conquer worlds like Coruscant, Kashyyyk, Hoth, Genosis, Dagoban, Tatooine, Kamino, and Endor.    Inside the box you will find four characters available in this version; Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Finn, and Kylo Ren. Personally, I am a bit disappointed that there isn’t more characters to play with.  With our family of six, it isn’t even possible to have a game where everyone can play.   I understand that nowadays families are generally smaller but not everyone stops at 2 kids… 

The board itself has a circle shape compare to previous editions and you will find that even the money is different than previous editions as well.   This Star Wars version of a classic game will challenge you and your friends to dominate the universe.  The game is somewhat similar but the twist is that you will end up trading planets and bases instead of properties.   You will find Force cards to change your destiny as you play whether Empire or Rebel ones.   Also included in the package of this game, you will have 44 bases (22 Rebel and 22 Empire which are double-sided).

Prepare yourself to conquer the galaxy with your token with this out-of-this-world Monopoly version.

Star Wars Battleship

This new Star Wars Battleship game has everything you will need to play the classic game with the twist of being in the Star Wars Universe.  The game is composed of ships from the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  All you have to do is hunt, strike and win in order to conquer your opponent.

The game includes a space grid base, a vertical target grid, 8 plastic starships, 8 clear risers, 8 clear starship bases, 60 red hit pegs, 140 white miss pegs, an easy to store case.   You can chose to play as the light side or the dark side and battle head-to-head with a friend. 

 

Star Wars Risk

Finally, your game night wouldn’t be complete if you don’t take out your Star Wars Risk Edition.    Do you wish to control the fate of the Empire?  Well this fun game will allow you to recreate the dramatic final moments from Return of the Jedi.  The gameboard has a  special shape of a Tie Fighter and features 3 scenes for combat.   The ships include an assortment of Star Wars starships. – 20 X-wings, 16 y-wings, 15 B-wings, 56 tie fighters, 6 rebel fleet markets, Millennium Falcon token, as well as the Executor token.    

• The best part of this edition of the Risk game is that you now have two ways to play – 2 players or 2 teams.   Players (or the teams) will choose to play as the light or dark side of the force.   Special Empire or Rebel order cards are also included in the box as well as five dice.  I personally find that the shape of the board as well as the colorful pieces included in this edition of Risk will make it a hot item for the Christmas season.

 

In conclusion, I know that many families probably have older edition of these classic games but having it under a well beloved theme as Star Wars can incorporate some excitement and fun in your game nights with family and/or friends.

The new Star Wars games based on classic editions of Monopoly, Battleship and Risk are available for purchase at your favorite store, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Polar Express

The Polar Express 30th Anniversary Edition
Written by Chris Van Allsburg
Published at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

About the book

A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical trip to the North Pole . . . 

Through dark forests, over tall mountains, and across a desert of ice, the Polar Express makes its way to the city atop the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish. 

For millions of readers worldwide, this mysterious journey to the North Pole has become a beloved classic. In this 30th anniversary edition, the inimitable artistry of Chris Van Allsburg is revealed in a never-before-seen fashion, with a new jacket design and expanded interior layout. Includes author’s note, downloadable audio read by Liam Neeson, and golden "All Aboard" ornament.

My Thoughts

I’ve always wanted to get this book to read during the Christmas season.  So I was very pleased to have the opportunity to get a copy of the 30th Anniversary Edition of the book.  

Contrary to the movie, the story in the book is not that long.   Beautiful illustrations are complementing the story as you go through the pages.   The story is simple and will present the magic of Santa Claus.   The book itself is a hardcover book and would make a wonderful book to discover during the season of Christmas.  

Personally, I really enjoy this story and I have no problem to read this book and watch the movie with my children.  However, I know that for many Christian parents the subject of Santa Claus is a touchy subject.   We have decided not to dwell too long on Santa because it is a fictitious character.  We prefer emphasizing the birth of Christ in our yearly celebration.    The book is a beautiful story which bring joy to the kids when I read it.    The important thing for us during the season is to spend time as a family.  Reading together brings memory.   And this book will be part of our memories this year.

And to complete the book, a gold All Aboard ornament can be found at the back of the story.   Also, you have the possibility to download the story in order to put it on your portable device and allow your children to listen to it while you are driving.   You can also visit polarexpress.com to discover activities, recipes, and a Christmas Countdown calendar.

The Polar Express 30th Anniversary Edition is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Build Your Own Adventure with LEGO

I stumbled of two fun products while looking at the book table at my local Wal-Mart.   When I saw them I quickly snapped a picture with my iPhone to remember the titles.   Today I am delighted to review these two amazing Build Your Own Adventure with LEGO that is published at DK Canada.

Build Your Own Adventure LEGO Friends

Build Your Own Adventure LEGO Friends is a book with bricks that will inspire kids to build, play, and learn all about the fascinating world of LEGO® Friends. It combines fan built inspirational ideas for building story starters. Your child will get inspired to build with creative ideas, then play out her own adventures using her own LEGO collection. The book comes with 77 bricks to build one exclusive model that appears throughout the book.

The book will begin by presenting Liza and her touring car.  The child will have the possibility to build the car using the bricks included in this set and following the instructions found in the book.  Once this is done, the child can now begin the adventures in the book.   Five adventures can be taken with this book: Picnic at the park, the horse show, Heartlake City carnival, adventure weekend, and surprise party.  Obviously each adventure will require the child to use her stack of Lego bricks in order to be able to build what is require for the adventure.  

I find the instructions clear to follow and easy to do.   I am impressed on how easy it is to replicate common day things like sandwiches as well as more complicated things like the swan boat. I can’t believe how detailed the campsite facilities are – even a toilet is included.  To think that all these things can be build using regular bricks that you might have already!It is incredible what can be done with bricks and a bit of imagination…

Build Your Own Adventure LEGO Ninjago

Get ready for your own Ninja adventure with this inspirational book. This fun book will allow your child to play and learn all about the thrilling world of LEGO® NINJAGO™.  LEGO NINJAGO: Build Your Own Adventure combines fan built inspiring ideas with exciting stories. The child will get inspired to build with creative NINJAGO themed story starters, then play out his own Ninja adventures using his own LEGO bricks. The book comes with 74 bricks that can be used to build one exclusive model that appears throughout the book.

The book immediately start with instructions on how to build Lloyd’s Mech.  Once the child has completed this building project, the adventures can start.   There are five adventures included in this book:  trouble at home, jungle battle, going underground, volcano quest, and icy lands.   Please keep in mind that the pieces included in this set only allow you to build Lloyd’s Mech.  To build anything included in the adventures in the book, the child will have to use his own Lego bricks he has at home.

The instructions are easy to follow and the images are very precise in demonstrating what the scene of the adventure should look like.  I am impressed with the creativity included in the scenes to make them realistic as much as possible.   The interior of the cave is interesting and even includes a crack in the wall.  Note that the scenes do not necessarily include step-by-step instructions.  The book could be a bit advanced for a younger child.  However, an older child would take the time to figure out how to build the house or the vehicles.

These two kits could made a great Christmas gift under the tree for a child in your life.   Both Build Your Own Adventure LEGO kits are available at your favorite store, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

Seven Women

Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness
Written by Eric Metaxas
Published at Thomas Nelson

About the book

In his eagerly anticipated follow-up to the enormously successful Seven Men, New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas gives us seven captivating portraits of some of history’s greatest women, each of whom changed the course of history by following God’s call upon their lives—as women.

Each of the world-changing figures who stride across these pages—Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, Mother Teresa, and Rosa Parks—is an exemplary model of true womanhood. Teenaged Joan of Arc followed God’s call and liberated her country, dying a heroic martyr’s death. Susanna Wesley had nineteen children and gave the world its most significant evangelist and its greatest hymn-writer, her sons John and Charles. Corrie ten Boom, arrested for hiding Dutch Jews from the Nazis, survived the horrors of a concentration camp to astonish the world by forgiving her tormentors. And Rosa Parks’ deep sense of justice and unshakeable dignity and faith helped launch the twentieth-century’s greatest social movement.

Writing in his trademark conversational and engaging style, Eric Metaxas reveals how the other extraordinary women in this book achieved their greatness, inspiring readers to lives shaped by the truth of the gospel.

My Thoughts

While I was reading Seven Men to review a few months ago, I realized that the author was going to publish Seven Women in the fall.   I was greatly excited because I was enjoying Seven Men so much.  I was pleased to see the title being available to review through the publisher and quickly jumped on the opportunity to read it.  I wasn’t disappointed.   Seven Women is as interesting as Seven Men was.   Reading about strong pillars of faith is very good because it allows you to discover how they lived their life as Christians.    

The book contains the biographies of seven women who are still a great example of faith to many who discover their lives.   The seven women that you will read through the pages of this book are Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. Each of these women are extraordinary in their own ways.   Think of Joan of Arc for example.   A young lady who was called by God to lead and liberate the French from the English.  She had to face the fact that back in these days women were not leaders of an army and persuade the future king of France that she would be able to do so.  

I was familiar with some of these women like Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Corrie ten Boom and Mother Teresa and less familiar with the other ones.  However, the author had a way of presenting the information that even if I knew about some of them, I was captivated by their lives and learn a few things about them.  The book is a great introduction to the lives of seven women whose faith was strong.   I think it is a wonderful book, along with the Seven Men one, to discover whether you are an high school student or an adult.   

Seven Women is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

The book is also available for Kindle.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

DK Gift Boutique for this Christmas season

DK Canada has once again put a wonderful Gift Boutique in order to offer fabulous titles for adults or children for this upcoming Christmas season.  I had the privilege to review one of the titles offered in the DK Gift Boutique and can tell you right away that this is a book that all LEGO fans would want to have.  

The LEGO Awesome Ideas book contain new ideas that will unlock the secrets of LEGO building and show your child how to create a world with their imagination.   When I was younger and received my first LEGO box, I had no idea that once day my own kids would play with these as well as their own.   I remember using a book with ideas on building things quite often.  That book I still have but it is nothing compared to the books that DK Canada has published in the past and definitively nothing compared to the new LEGO Awesome Ideas book.   First let me tell you about the cover.  This hardcover book has a 3D section which allow you to see the dimension of an item built with LEGO.  The bird in the left side corner can just start flying away almost!

The book is packed with stunning photography and informative text as it demonstrates how entire models are built up.  Also, the reader will obtain step-by-step visual breakdowns and offering alternative ways to build models.   Each chapter can be easily explored as it steadily creates a themed world and ultimately showcases a dynamic diorama of the complete build, showing readers that they too can build up an entire LEGO world from scratch — model by model, brick by brick.

 

 

The book covers five worlds:

Outer Space: mech walker, all-purpose robots, forklift robot, space rover, space equipment, planetary pod, space door, sci-fi doors and walls, gear doorway, research lab, hydroponics bay, lab tools, aliens and alien life, space-plants and scenery, micro-scale spaceship, micro-space fleet, micro-scale space buildings, Zycon shuttle, and outer space diorama.

Modern Metropolis: basic building, modular buildings, city buildings, city museum, building roofs, tables and chairs, furniture, around the city, making a car, city vehicles, auto bumpers, lights, signs, signals, farmer’s field, crops and vegetables, plants, on the farm, leisure activities, farmhouse, and modern metropolis diorame.

The Wild West: wagon, wagons roll, western scenery, cavalry fort, jailhouse, around town, Wild West saloon, building signs, tow items, steam train, train carriages, old mine, rolling riverboat, outlaw hideout, and Wild West diorama.

Fantasy Land: fantasy house, cube village, fantasy roofs, fences and pathways, waterfall, fantasy river, flowers, fantasy creatures, tree slide, tree-house, castle walls, castle tower, fancy towers, castle features, cream-pie catapult, and fantasy land diorama.

The Real World: cell phone, technology, stationary, kitchen scale, bathroom, science kit, banana, fruit and veg,  gingerbread man, cakes and pastries, popsicle, frozen treats, candies, box of chocolate, and real world diorama.

The book will show how to build the most imaginative world using techniques that will be easy to follow and do for anyone – kids or adults alike.   The images included in the book are bright and will demonstrate what the instructions are explaining.  I really enjoyed looking at all the examples included in this book.   I am speechless to see how the Fantasy river is made – so easy to do…. if only we had all the pieces required.  Another favorite of mine is definitively the butterfly and the flower gallery.  Oh and the adorable crayon box is just the perfect one to build for playing with dolls for my daughter. And to surprise someone this Christmas you could trick them with a false box of chocolate before giving a real one!

With creative model ideas and visual tips and techniques, LEGO Awesome Ideas will inspire anyone, from beginners to accomplished builders. It is definitively a perfect gift for the LEGO fan in your life this Christmas!  Don’t forget the LEGO Ideas Book and the LEGO Play which also contains a ton of ideas to build.

The Gift Boutique of DK Canada offers ideas for adults and children.   In the adults section you will see titles like Smithsonian Design, Musicals, Smithsonian Wildlife of the World, LEGO Star Wars Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy, The Sherlock Holmes Book, Marvel Avengers Encyclopedia, Desserts, Disney Book, Art a Visual History, Alpine Cookbook, UFC Visual History, Bon by Design The Art of the James Bond Films, Smithsonian History, Quen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family, Smithsonian Music, Paper Craft, The Tea Book, Smithsonian Great Maps, James Bond 50 Year of Movie Posters, Modern German Cookbook, Ultimate Star Wars, Smithsonian History of the World in 1000 Objects, Marvel Comics 75 Years of Cover Art, and Photography.

In the children section, DK Canada suggests titles like Smithsonian Picturepedia, Let’s Knit, LEGO I Love That Minifigure, Star Wars – Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Utterly Amazing Human Body, Great LEGO Sets Visual History, Smithsonian Cars, Trains, Ships & Planes, Star Wars Rebels Epic Battles Visual Guide, Senseational Illusions, Super Shark Encyclopedia, Strange but True!, LEGO Awesome Ideas, Sophie’s Little Library, Frozen The Enchanted Guide, Smithsonian Space! and The Big Book of Dinosaurs.

The LEGO Awesome Ideas is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

  

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.