Wisdomantics Game Review & GIVEAWAY! (12/24) #Wisdomantics

*Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

About the game:

For 2-4 players, ages 12+

Wisdomantics–New King James Version (NKJV) is an interactive DVD board game for players of various faiths who desire to gain the vast wisdom of King Solomon. Wisdomantics-NKJV utilizes the proverbs of Solomon and blends chance, knowledge and strategy to create a fun experience while you learn! The game’s intent is to bring individuals together to learn how to cope with numerous situations in a fun and relaxed environment. Inside the box you’ll find 2 interactive DVDs with 400 questions, score cards, blessing cards, and more!

My Review:

I played Wisdomantics with my kids who are 7 and 8 years old.  We were able to easily set it up and get the gist of how to play it.  The rules that came with the game were a bit confusing, but I was also sent a revised set of rules that straightened out the confusion for me.

The idea of the game turned out to be fairly simple.  On your turn, you choose a question from the DVD and have 30 seconds to answer.  If you get it wrong, the next person has 20 seconds to guess and the third person has 10 seconds.  If you get it right. you get to choose an "Advancement" Card and move your token around the board by what it says on the card.  (The second and third guesses only get to receive a Color Tile.  They don't advance on the board.)  Along the way you can earn Color Tiles that you place on your Temple Scorecard.  There are a few ways tiles are earned, but the main goal is to complete your Temple Scorecard first to be the winner.

I really enjoyed the game myself and the challenge of it.  I also thought it was a neat way to learn verses from Psalms.  The kids, on the other hand, found it too challenging.  I had expected it would be hard for them as they were 4-5 years too young for the recommended age to play.  We ended up working together as much as possible on each turn.  I still hope to have the chance to play with my husband soon and see what he thinks!  I can see it being fun for him between the challenge of it and most likely beating me...he's a bit competitive. ;-)

 Another aspect that I liked about the game was that the questions were on the DVDs.  I really liked that we didn't have 400 cards and having to set different times for each guess...the DVD automatically did it for us.  I do wish that we didn't have to click through all the numbers each time it was someone else's turn though.  It would be nice if the game automatically moved on to the next question.  Not a huge problem by any means, but it slowed the game down a bit.

A really neat game if you're looking to try a new faith-based game this Christmas!  Be sure to check out the Wisdomantics game website to learn more about it and try to win the game below!

Buy It!
Wisdomantics can be purchased for $29.99 at the Wisdomantics website.

GIVEAWAY!

Congrats to comment #8, apple blossom!

One lucky reader is going to win a copy of the game, "Wisdomantics"!

To enter to win leave a comment below. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address with the comment, so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Extra Entries:(1 extra entry per method. Leave a comment for each.)

*Subscribe to my blog in the upper left hand corner.

*Follow me through Google Friend Connect
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*Tweet this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment
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*Pin an image from this post to one of your boards
*Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post and let me know which post.

Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. Giveaway will end Wednesday, December 24th, 2014 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen shortly after and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.

Christmas Season Happenings

I'm always amazed at how busy the Christmas season is.  Even after giving up doing a couple things this year to try to keep it calmer, and trying to get other things done ahead of time, the rest of the time has somehow been filled in with a bunch more!  I always stress, but it always seems to work out. ;-)

The first weekend of December Morgan and Blake spent Friday evening at my parents.  They went to a special art event at the studio Blake paints at.  They liked it so much, they actually went back AGAIN Saturday morning-LOL!  (I'll have to post pictures soon...they made gifts, so I can't quite yet.)  Rich and I went out Christmas shopping Friday evening since I knew that time would be very limited after that night.

Then, Saturday morning, after doing a bunch of wrapping, Rich and I dropped off some donations, picked up the kids from my parents' and headed out to get our Christmas tree.  No pictures this year because both of our phones died just before trying to take pictures.

My sister, our good friend, and I had planned to go to the Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo with our kids Sunday evening. We were fortunate to have a clear evening, though quite cool.  It was really neat with 5 million LED lights to look at, ice sculptures, hot cocoa and really cool glasses that we bought that turns the lights into snowmen (very fun!)

All the kids ready to go see some lights!

 My sister with my niece, Morgan and Blake in front of a big reindeer.

 Blake really liked the dinosaur lights!

The busyness of this past weekend started earlier that I expected when our furnace quit Tuesday night.  I spent most of the day baking to keep the house warm, plus had the space heater running.  I ended up putting a blanket over the door frame between the kitchen to the living room to keep the heat in the kitchen, then just stayed in there until it was fixed.

A different way of using a blanket to stay warm! ;-)

Even though I called the repair guys in the morning, they didn't make it to our place until around 7:15 that night (super busy guys!), so our house, besides the kitchen, had gotten down to 50!  Brrr!!  In the time I was waiting for them, the eye doctor called to let me know Blake's glasses were in.  I was super anxious to get Blake his new glasses (just found out he needed them the week before) so I checked in with the furnace guys to make sure I wouldn't miss them and we ran to get the glasses after the kids got out of school....obviously had plenty of time! ;-)

Blake in his new glasses!  Of course wearing a coat in the house since it was a bit chilly.

Thankfully the furnace was fixed with a $20 part and we've been blessed with warmth ever since.  I'm also thankful for the time baking, because I didn't get much more time after that to bake for a cookie exchange I was participating in over the weekend.

Thursday was spent at my mom's working on projects for the kids.  (I'll have pictures after Christmas.)  There was some worry about driving to my mom's since I found out that morning there was a bulge in the truck tire.  Our tire person wasn't able to put our spare on (had a meeting to be at), but we had decided I'd been driving on it for weeks, thinking it was just mud making it off balance, so it would probably be fine for the day. I just went slow-ish on the back roads to and from my mom's.  That afternoon, the kids and I put the ornaments on the tree that we'd wanted to do the previous day, but it had been too cold in that part of the house.  Of course there were spelling words to practice, baths, etc. the rest of the evening.  (Rich has been working some long hours, but he put the spare on the truck that night for me until our new tire gets here.)

My little helpers after decorating the tree this year.

Friday mornings I volunteer in the school library.  Then Morgan went to a friend's after school and I took Blake to my parents' so Rich and I could go to his work party.  (My mom is awesome, because that night she not only picked Morgan up from the friend's, she then took both kids to paint some more at the studio!)  Rich and I didn't get home until late...10:00ish...I'm getting old, so 10:00 is late-LOL!  A GREAT time at the party though...he works with some fun people. :-)

Saturday was more running.  I went to get the kids from my parents, then took Morgan to Rich's parents', so she could help get her horse ready for the Old Fashioned Christmas Horse Parade in the neighboring town.  Blake and I then ran home to meet up with Rich, then ran back to the neighboring town to find Morgan before the parade.  It was a super neat parade and a very proud, tears-in-eyes, mom moment seeing Morgan riding her horse in the parade.  (She was safe with Grandma holding a lead rope beside her and also had a helmet on.) We only made it home for a short time before going to Rich's Fire Department's Christmas party and again didn't get home until 10:00ish.  More fun times with great people! :-)

Morgan looking a little nervous before the parade.

There's a smile!

Sunday was church, but just before we left we heard that Morgan had to see the newspaper.  So we stopped to grab the Sunday paper and found that Morgan (and Grandma and the horses) made front page of the B section!  That afternoon was the cookie exchange (again thankful for our furnace dying to have cookies ready.)  A very nice time at the exchange, as always, and spent much of it with a beautiful sleeping baby in my arms. :-)  The kids weren't with me as they went to their Grandpa's Kid Christmas party for his work.  We were blessed with a quiet Sunday evening as a family after the craziness of the past several days.

Morgan making the paper!

This week is a bit quieter so far.  A lot to do, but not as much running.  I'm very much looking forward to Christmas break with Rich and the kiddos and hopefully some relaxing, baking, crafts and just enjoying our days together. :-)

Thanksgiving Travels 2014

Several months ago, my parents invited Rich and I to go with them on their annual trip to see a play in Canada the Friday after Thanksgiving.  We left after Thanksgiving dinner with Rich's family Thursday and arrived in the Toronto area that evening.

Friday morning, we got going bright and early to fit in some sightseeing before the play.  My parents and I had been to Toronto before, but Rich hadn't and there were some places we thought he might enjoy.

Our first stop was Casa Loma.  I could really go on and on about this place, and all I learned while there this time, but I'll spare you all that reading. ;-)  This first picture is the back side of the castle with some remodeling going on with one of the towers.  (We never made it around front of the castle.)

This is the stable that we got to through an underground tunnel from the castle.  It's absolutely beautiful!  The stalls are actually made out of mahogany if I remember correctly.

The carriage house was obviously beautiful as well.  It was around the corner from the stable...same building.

After we made our way back through the tunnel, we went to where the swimming pool was suppose to be. (The castle was never finished.)  There is a small theater area in there now and we learned all about the amazing man whose home Casa Loma was.

We then toured the castle and the whole place was decorated for Christmas.  This room was called the Oak Room.

The gorgeous main floor hallway.

This is the library.  It may have been my favorite room.

The conservatory with a domed stained-glass ceiling and a little fountain.

This is the sitting room of the lady of the house's bedroom.  If you can take a closer look at the picture, be sure to check out the chandelier! 

The view from the top of on of the towers was quite awesome!  We could see the CN Tower quite clearly. :-)

After leaving Casa Loma, we made our way to the building where the Hockey Hall of Fame was.  My parents and I knew of a neat place to eat there called "Marche"  I think it's the only one in North America and it's quite an experience...at least for us small town folk. ;-)  They gave us each a card (like a credit card) and we walked around to different stations to collect the food we wanted.  Each station put the cost of the food onto the card and when we were done eating we took the card to a checkout area where we paid for the meal.

We then went to the Hockey Hall of Fame.  Rich was able to see and read about some of his favorite players who are now 'legends' at the Hall of Fame.

The most exciting thing was seeing the Stanley Cup...

...and touching it...and getting lots of pictures of and with it. ;-)

We also saw our first 3D movie in a little theater in there.  It was only about 25 minutes long, but kinda neat to experience!

That evening we made our way to the theater for the play.  My parents were actually featured in the program this year because of the distance they come, and the number of years they've been coming, to see one the 4 "Walt Wingfield" plays.  (A series of one-man plays about a man who leaves his job as a stock broker to farm.)  We first enjoyed the plays back in the 90's when we saw them on PBS and have loved them ever since!  For Rich and I, it was neat to see the play in person and really appreciate how talented this one man is to be able to change his voice, his mannerisms, his everything, in an instant to become another of the several characters in the play.

This is the actor, Rob Beattie, playing the character "Freddy" from the website.

We got back to our hotel fairly late, 10:30-11:00 PM and pretty much crashed after a very full day.

The following day was more laid back.  We worked our way to the Niagra area stopping at wineries, and distilleries, and a brewery along the way. We checked into our hotel and made our way back out to do more wine tasting and explore the town of Niagra-on-the-Lake.  We got back to the falls in the evening and Rich saw them for the first time as they were lit up.  (The ones below are the American Falls.)

Bright and early the next morning we went down to the falls again to see them in the daylight before there were big crowds.

The American Falls

Niagra Falls from a distance

The falls up close where you can see the horseshoe shape :-)

I had been to the falls such a long time ago I didn't remember the whole experience of it.  It was fairly loud, but the mist that gets you as you approach it is like taking a shower!  Thankfully there was no wind and it was a mild morning, probably near 50 F.  

Being it was now Sunday, we grabbed breakfast, checked out of the hotel and started making our way home.  Of course we had to stop at a couple more wineries along the way and made it the bridge thinking we were basically home...not the case!  The wait at the bridge on the Canadian side was about an hour, then we got the U.S. side and had to wait about another half hour to get through customs....then we were almost home!  LOL!

It was a wonderful trip and I'm very thankful to my parents for inviting us to go along this year. :-)

"Jesus Boat: Witness to Prophecy" Review

*Disclosure: I received the following DVD in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.

About "Jesus Boat" from the Press Release:
The astounding prophetic rebirth of Israel is told through the discovery of an ancient and unlikely artifact found under the shores of the Sea of Galilee. A first century fishing boat, identical to the boat Jesus sailed upon with his disciples, was destroyed in the years Israel was destroyed by the Romans, but found 2000 years later in a series of astonishing events that even scientists called a miracle. Mirroring Israel's own story of devastation and survival, the boat from the time of Jesus, would rise against all odds and float upon the Sea of Galilee once more as the oldest surviving freshwater boat in the world. Featuring commentary from some of the great theologians of our day including Franklin Graham, Joel Rosenberg, Jay Sekulow, Skip Heitzig, Chuck Smith and more.

To learn more about "Jesus Boat", please visit the website: http://jesusboatmovie.com/

Check out the trailer:


My Review:
Watching this documentary, "Jesus Boat", was truly fascinating.  It made me realize how much I hadn't learned about the prophecies that have come true, as recent as this past century,  and how intriguing it all is. I also loved learning about the Jesus Boat itself and how the timing of it's sinking, and being discovered, paralleled the time of Israel's fall and rise.  On top of all that, so many aspects of the finding of the Jesus Boat were nothing short of a miracle.  A very exciting discovery that actually brought me to tears as I watched.

This film is a must see!  I know you will find all that you learn through it as amazing as I did!
 
Buy It!
"Jesus Boat" can be purchased at the film's website for $19.99.

Rumors of Wars DVD Review

*Disclosure:  I was provided the following film in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any other way.

About "Rumors of Wars" (from the press release):

In the post apocalyptic future, Agent Shaw (Ben Davies, Courageous) works for the only surviving government working to bring order to a world full of decay and violence.  Shaw offers little mercy to those that would stand in the way of the government’s edict, that everyone submit to an implanted chip that tracks their movements and purchases.    He is certain that those “zealots” that would put their belief in God ahead of the beliefs of society, could lead the world back on the road toward destruction.   The zealots need to be eliminated.   But his faith was challenged when he found a small book in the rubble near one of the “rebel” encampments- the diary of young college student named Roxy (Jennifer Cooper), who was at the epicenter of the chip’s creation years before.  She was a young aspiring journalism major whose life took a dark turn when she began researching Mr. Zurn (Eric Roberts, The Dark Knight), the man behind this implanted chip. 

Rumors of Wars is a a suspenseful, action packed film that centers around two converging stories- the “last days” of our present and the final days of our future.  Written and Directed by Paul Tomborello, and starring Ben Davies, Jennifer Cooper, and Eric Roberts, the DVD comes to stores November 11^th. 

For more information go to rumorsofwarsmovie.com.

Check out the trailer here. (I would have loved to post the trailer in this review, but I couldn't get it to embed.  Please take a moment to click through and check it out!)

My Review:
I really enjoyed "Rumors of Wars".  It's definitely one that will keep you on the edge of your seat!  I think the writer did a wonderful job with the plot and the actors were great as well!  It was just very entertaining and stirred up several emotions throughout the duration of the film.  It's also one of those films that really makes you think, which I love! :-)

I highly recommend seeing "Rumors of Wars"!  You'll be glad you did! :-)

Buy It!
"Rumors of Wars" can be purchased at amazon.com for $14.99.

Jesus Daily Devotional Review & GIVEAWAY! (12/14) #JesusDailyBook

*Disclosure:  I was provided the following in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any other way.

About the "Jesus Daily" Devotional:

Based on the major themes found on the most active Facebook page in history, JESUS DAILY is a 365-day interactive devotional that goes beyond even the fan page to create a deeper experience and cultural movement that celebrates your redemption in Christ. JESUS DAILY presents a devotional thought but also challenges you to respond to each daily reflection using a variety of social media tools. 

JESUS DAILY is a worldwide revolution in how you can connect, share, and worship the Father personally and with other believers.

About the Author:

Aaron Tabor, MD, started the Jesus Daily Facebook page in 2009. He is the President of Gene Facelift, a gene therapy biotechnology company developing anti-aging and wound healing drugs. Dr. Tabor is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

My Review:
I was so happy to receive this devotional!  It came at a great time when my devotion app on my phone got updated and I could no longer access the devotions without internet. I usually read the devotions when I was where there was no web access, so I was quite disappointed.  With the "Jesus Daily Devotional" being a hardcover book, I can take it anywhere, internet or not, and it will hold up better than a paperback!  Yay!

While this devotion can be read without web access, most of the 'Daily Interactions' cannot be done without the internet.  The reflections at the end of each devotion encourage you to use some type of social media to interact with others.  I think this is a great aspect of this devotional, but difficult to remember to do if the internet isn't available during your devotion time.

Not only did I receive a copy, but I also received another to share.  I'm excited to have to opportunity to gift it this Christmas and I pray that it will be a blessing in the person's life as they are encouraged in their faith each day.

Be sure to look into this little devotional as well as check out the JesusDaily.com website for more daily inspiration!

Buy It!
The "Jesus Daily Devotional" can be purchased at several locations, including: Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com, and Walmart.  The hardcover book ranges in price from $9.49 (Christianbook.com) to $12.80 (Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Amazon).

GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations to comment #6, Sandra Davis!

One lucky reader is going to win a copy of  the "Jesus Daily Devotional" and a T-shirt!

To enter to win leave a comment below. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address with the comment, so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Extra Entries:(1 extra entry per method. Leave a comment for each.)

*Subscribe to my blog in the upper left hand corner.

*Follow me through Google Friend Connect
*Follow me on twitter.
*Tweet this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment
*Follow me on Pinterest
*Pin an image from this post to one of your boards
*Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post and let me know which post.

Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. Giveaway will end Sunday, December 14th, 2014 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen shortly after and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.

Harvest Snaps Review

*Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Harvest Snaps. I have been compensated for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Harvest Snaps (from the website):

Good-for-you and great taste can be hard to come by these days, but for us they’re like two peas in a pod. Inside every bag of Harvest Snaps we combine taste, quality and simplicity. Sprinkle that with the passion we have for fresh, natural ingredients, and you get one "snaptastic" snack.

When it comes to "what’s inside" Harvest Snaps, it all starts with the clean flavors and essential nutrients Mother Nature intended. Our Snapea Crisps are made with all-natural peas – 70%* to be exact – while our Lentil Snaps come packed with 65% authentic lentils and their powerful combination of nutrients.

With each handful (yes we said handful) your body will soak up Vitamin B, calcium, iron, folate, potassium and dietary fiber. Finish that off with a high level of protein and fiber and you’re sure to feel satisfied without feeling sluggish. Not to mention, these snappy little snacks are gluten-free**!

Of course, you can’t have good ingredients without good partners, and you canbet the farm that we did our research before we planted the first seed. We recently made the decision to source Canola/ Sunflower/ Safflower oil for the entire Harvest Snaps range of products. Our commitment to transparency and providing healthier-for-you options drives our innovative process.

Our non-GMO crops are grown and harvested in rich North American soils. Our farmers are just as passionate about raising crops as we are about delivering our product to you.

Check out the silly little Harvest Snap video:


My Review:
I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed tasting each flavor of the Harvest Snap Lentil and Snapea snacks since they arrived at my door a couple weeks ago.  Each of the different kinds have all had great flavor, a nice crispy crunch and have generally been very satisfying.  My favorites were probably the Tomato Basil and Caesar flavors, but they're all super tasty!  I could easily reach for a bag of Harvest Snaps over a bag of chips any day!

It was also exciting to know that the Harvest Snaps were a healthier choice when I had the munchies.  The snacks are baked, have more fiber and less fat and salt than potato chips.  And, for those who watch their gluten intake, they are gluten free!

Buy Them!:
Visit the Harvest Snaps website to see where you can find some of these yummy snacks near you.  They can be found at most major grocery stores.

Awaken Love: The Song Couple's Devotional Review & GIVEAWAY! (12/10) #awakenlove #seethesong

*Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

About the Devotional:

"Awaken Love: The Song Couple’s Devotional" is a 6-week book for couples that can help awaken love in their marriage. With daily relationship insights and prayer points drawn from the Song of Solomon, this devotional will help couples grow in their relationship with God and one another. 

Inspired by the Song of Solomon, The Song is both a full-length movie and resource for churches to explore God’s plan for relationships, love and marriage.

About the author:

Kyle Idleman is the Teaching Pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, the fourth-largest church in America. Author of the award-winning and bestselling book, not a fan., and presenter of eight of City on a Hill’s curriculum series, he regularly speaks at conferences and events around the world. Kyle and his wife DesiRae have four children.

For more information about the Devotional, other resources, or to see if the movie is playing near you, check out the following sites:
Website: http://www.thesongmovie.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeeTheSong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSongMovie

My Review:
My husband and I are only a few days into the "Awaken Love" devotional, but I can already appreciate the wisdom and advice that the author, Kyle, delivers through this book. Not only does he give advice, but there is some humor mixed in to make a little more fun.  

Being that it's sometimes hard to find time to spend together each day, I also appreciate that this devotional doesn't take a lot of time to read together.  Each day's devotion is about two pages, maybe 5 minutes of reading?  Then there is "The Bridge" section, at the end, where Kyle gives discussion ideas to go along with the devotion that may add another 5 minutes.  The whole devotion may take ten minutes and it's totally worth the time!

I plan to finish the rest of the devotions with my husband to get the most out of this devotional and the advice in it.  I hope you will also pick up a copy and read through it with your spouse as well.  I'm sure you'll be happy that you did! :-)

Buy it!
"Awaken Love: The Song Couple's Devotional" can be purchased at amazon.com for $11.70. (Paperback)  

GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations to comment #3, April W!!

One lucky reader is going to win a copy of "Awaken Love: The Song Couple's Devotional"!

To enter to win leave a comment below. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address with the comment, so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Extra Entries:(1 extra entry per method. Leave a comment for each.)

*Subscribe to my blog in the upper left hand corner.

*Follow me through Google Friend Connect
*Follow me on twitter.
*Tweet this giveaway and leave the URL in your comment
*Follow me on Pinterest
*Pin an image from this post to one of your boards
*Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post and let me know which post.

Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. Giveaway will end Wednesday, December 10th, 2014 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen shortly after and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.