Giveaway and Book Review~The Sparkle Egg

Easter is just around the corner.  I've recently reviewed a wonderful book that teaches children about the true promise of Easter.  The Sparkle Egg was written by Jill Hardie and illustrated by Christine Kornacki.  It is a beautiful hardcover book with gorgeous full-color illustrations on each page.

Here is my 11-year-old son Chad reading The Sparkle Egg. In the story, Sam tells a lie and has to deal with his guilt afterward.  Through making a sparkle egg, he learns of God's grace and forgiveness.  Chad was glued to this story-he is at an age where he does stretch the truth occasionally.  I have a feeling it really hit home for him! 

At the back of the book, the author tells readers how to make their very own Sparkle Egg. 

The Sparkle Egg is published by Ideals Books, who puts out wonderful, quality books for all ages. To learn more, visit their website at http://www.idealsbooks.com  and their Facebook page.


GIVEAWAY!!!

One The Loose Screw reader will win their own copy of The Sparkle Egg!  The winner must live in the US or Canada.  Check the disclosure below for the sponsor's rules on winning one of their prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"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.

 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.

It's That Time of Year~Prom Dress Shopping!

It's that time of year...when girls in High School are dreaming of and getting ready for their prom.  For many girls, it can be their first (and possibly only, except for their wedding) time wearing a formal dress.  What an exciting time in life, but also a time that could be very expensive!  As a Mom, when I go shopping with my daughter for a special occasion dress, of course I want her to get what she wants, but I also have to be realistic to our family's budget.   

JenJenHouse can help you to not break the bank on prom.  They have beautiful, quality, custom tailored gowns at amazingly affordable prices.  I must say, I was blown away when I saw all of the beautiful prom dresses available.   JenJenHouse carries every style, fabric, and length you can  imagine.  It is very easy to navigate their website and find just what you are looking for. 

My daughter Alyssa is 19 and in college.  It hasn't been that long since Prom time for her, and I asked her to pick her favorite dress at JenJenHouse.  The gorgeous dress you see above is her pick-it is so classy and feminine. I think she would look beautiful in it.  Next it was my turn-it took me forever to choose a favorite, I had so many.  My pick is below, it's so unique!

JenJenHouse not only sells custom tailored prom dresses, they sell accessories, shoes, wedding dresses, and other special occasion dresses.  With Alyssa being my only girl, our Prom dress days are over, but wedding dress shopping is in the future.  After looking at the Prom dresses, we couldn't help but look through the wedding dresses-I've never seen such awesome prices!  When the time comes (hopefully not for a while), we will be coming back to JenJenHouse!  

Children's Book Review~If You Were Me and Lived In...India

If You Were Me and Lived In...India by Carole P. Roman is the latest installment in her series If You Were Me and Lived In... A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World. This series is a wonderful way to teach your children about other cultures and the children who live there.  With easy-to-read text and colorful pages throughout, it appeals to inquisitive children. 

I've read several books from this series, and I learn something new every time!  My 11-year-old son enjoys reading them as well.  Some of the topics covered in If You Were Me and Lived In...India are people's names, food, landmarks, sports, and celebrations.  Also included in all the books are a map showing the capital, and a pronunciation guide. 

Visit http://caroleproman.com to learn more about the author and her books.  You can purchase this book on Amazon.    


*Disclosure: I received this book free in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday~Whipped Cream!

Book Review~Faith: Joseph's Story by Sandra Lea Hardage

I've always enjoyed studying individual people from the Bible in-depth.  I was immediately drawn to the beautifully illustrated cover of Faith: Joseph's Story, A Novel and Christian Bible Study by Sandra Lea Hardage.  Joseph's story is one of perseverance through horrible experiences.  At the tender age of 17, Joseph was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery.  Later, he was falsely accused of a crime and put in prison.  Through it all, he remained faithful to God's plan for his life and emerged victorious.  What a great lesson for us all.

Faith Joseph's Story is written from Joseph's point of view, as if her were narrating.  I really enjoyed that it was written this way! There are nine chapters after the Preface, Acknowledgements, and Introduction:
Chapter 1: Family Life
Chapter 2: Sold into Slavery
Chapter 3: In Potiphar's House
Chapter 4: Prison Life
Chapter 5: Pharaoh's Dream
Chapter 6: Joseph and His Brothers
Chapter 7: Back to Egypt
Chapter 8: The Final Test
Chapter 9: Blessings and Forgiveness

The remainder of the book is packed with great information: an Epilogue, Becoming a Christian, a 75-page Bible Study with a Leader's Guide, and Joseph's Story Poem. 

Learn more about author Sandra Lea Hardage at http://sandrahardage.com/.  She can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.  She was sweet enough to sign my book personally, and sent me a very nice note that I appreciated. 

You can purchase your own copy of Faith Joseph's Story at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

*Disclosure: I received this book free in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Product Review~Colgate Optic White Toothbrush with Built-In Whitening Pen

I've always wanted whiter teeth.  Especially this one tooth that is stained just a bit more than the rest to be noticeable.  I've tried the strips,  which are fine, but I've always wanted that one tooth to match up to the others.  I've found a solution!

Through the Influenster program, I received a great box with the new Colgate Optic White Toothbrush with Built-in Whitening Pen.  It's really neat-the pen fits inside the handle of the toothbrush, so you'd never even know it was there! 

Colgate is  my favorite brand for oral care products, so I knew this would be another great product.  After you brush, pull the whitening pen out and apply it to your teeth and that's it!  You should start having whiter teeth within two days.  I've been using it on my one tooth, and it is definitely getting closer to matching the other teeth. 

A word of caution, though: I used the pen for several days in a row, and then my tooth started hurting.  I had to wait a few days before starting again.  I've since  learned that this is common, and its best to give your teeth a break if they are sensitive.  Other than that, I had no problems at all and look forward to continuing to whiten my teeth this very convenient way with the Colgate Optic White toothbrush with Built-In Whitening Pen. 

Disclosure: I received this product free from Influenster in exchange for my honest review.  all opinions are my own.