Dial© Deep Cleansing Hand Soap (Review & FLASH GIVEAWAY)

Dial© has a new kid on the block – Dial© Deep Cleansing Hand Soap. It comes in three delicious “flavors” or fragrances –

• Yellow Raspberry & Black Sugar
• Water Blossoms
• Coconut Lime Verbena

The good folks at Dial© graciously sent me two bottles of their new hand soap – the Water Blossoms and the Coconut Lime Verbena. I LIKE this! The Water Blossoms is my favorite of the two, but the Coconut Lime Verbena runs a tight second place. The aroma is amazing. There are tiny little micro-scrubber beads in it that help you really scrub (exfoliate) your hands to get them a deep clean, but your hands are left moisturized.

I don’t know about you, but Winter and very frequent hand washing to stay as free of germs as possible has really left my hands a mess. I am looking forward to these new Dial© hand soaps to help soften and moisturize my hands.

FLASH GIVEAWAY: I was sent coupons to share with my readers but sadly they expire March 31, 2014. So we’re going to have to move fast on this one! Begins March 5 & ENDS March 11 @ 12:01 ET (EDT). Open continental USA addresses only!  You will have to respond quickly if you win so I can mail the coupons right out to you! You must redeem them by March 31!......

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SABI DAYBOX Extra-large weekly pill box with eight detachable day cases (Review)

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Keeping track of your medications and when you have taken them is vitally important. Having them easily accessible improves the likelihood of an individual's taking them as instructed by their physician. Not taking your medications as prescribed can lead to deadly consequences. Not remembering that you have taken them and then taking them mistakenly a second time, can lead to deadly consequences. For these reasons, a system is essential.

The Sabi company has created a line of tools that help take the guess-work and error out of taking your medications. Their pill boxes can be used for prescription and non-prescription pills. The compartments are large enough to hold "fish oil" capsules.

The Sabi Extra-large weekly pill box is has three compartments for each day (with an extra compartment - 8 total).  There is a single top for each day's compartment made of a soft vinyl that is easy to open and shut. See product description below:

• Capacity: 27 capsules per day. Fish oil fits!

• Dimensions:  H: 11 in x W: 4.1 in x D: 1.4 in

• Compartments (x3/case): H: 1.2 in x W: 1 in x D: 1.1 in

• 8 x 3-compartment pill boxes inscribed for each day of the week

• Individual daily pill boxes easily clip together and detach

• Each individual pill box topped with easy-peel rubber lid

• Extra-deep pill box compartments hold pills of all sizes and shapes

• BPA-free

• Cloth-cleanable

The DAYBOX pill box is Sabi's largest pill box, a weekly pill organizer for medication management featuring eight pill boxes, each inscribed with the day of the week (plus one extra!) and each with three extra-spacious pill box compartments, suitable for storing a large number of large-sized pills, vitamins and supplements. Eight individual daily pill boxes clip together to form a beautiful weekly pill box and easily detach so you can tote with you one daily pill box at a time.

Each daily pill box is covered with a soft peel-back rubber lid that is easy on the hands to open and close, making loading with pills easy. Rounded compartments make extracting pills easy as well. The individual daily pill box fits well into any purse, bag or briefcase.

The DAYBOX weekly pill box makes it possible for even the heaviest pill, vitamin and supplement user to tote and take their pills in style.

Personally, I think that the Sabi Extra-Large Daybox Weekly Pill Box is really a nice design. Once a week you organize your medications so that you can be certain to take them correctly. Then daily if you are on the go you can detach that day's compartment, tuck it into your purse or pocket, and be on your way with the assurance that you have your meds for the day with you. 

Check out the Sabi website here and learn more about this and other products.  Other places to see more about Sabi..... http://blog.sabi.com, Twitter,  and, of course, https://www.facebook.com/Sabibrand

DISCLOSURE:  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

"Wildwood Creek" by Lisa Wingate

ISBN:9780764208249
Bethany House

About the book:  Allie Kirkland has always heard the call of her father's unfinished destiny. When she's offered a production assistant's job on a docudrama filming in the hills near Moses Lake, Texas, the dream of following in her director-father's footsteps suddenly seems within reach. The reenactment of the legendary frontier settlement of Wildwood is a first step into the film industry. A summer on set in the wilderness is a small price to pay for a dream.

But in 1861, the real Wildwood held dangerous realities. Town founder Harland Delavan held helpless residents, including young Irish schoolteacher Bonnie Rose, in an iron grip. Mysterious disappearances led to myths and legends still retold in the region's folk songs. Eventually, the entire site was found abandoned.

When filming begins, strange connections surface between Allie and the teacher who disappeared over a century ago, and everyone in Wildwood--including Blake Fulton, Allie's handsome neighbor on the film set--seems to be hiding secrets. Allie doesn't know whom she can trust. If she can't find the answers in time, history may repeat itself...with the most unthinkable results.

Review:  My first impression was "here goes another book that jumps back and forth between characters and time zones!" Those are not my favorite stories because they can make it very hard to understand and keep everything straight. However, since I like a good mystery I thought I'd give this one a try. 

The events of Wildwood Creek are about 150 years apart, but both main characters from each separate storyline have a lot in common. Bonnie Rose and Allie Kirkland each lose their dear fathers at an early age which has a great impact on the development of their inner strength and on the young women they eventually become. Lisa Wingate does an excellent job intertwining the time zones so that they miraculously come together in the end. Allie's character takes you back in time to Wildwood Creek, where she makes discoveries about its people and also about herself! 

The book even has a surprise ending, so keep reading! I recommend reading this book. (Guest reviewer Mary P.G.)

About the author:  Selected among BOOKLIST'S Top 10 of 2012 and Top 10 of 2013, Lisa Wingate skillfully weaves lyrical writing and unforgettable Southern settings with elements of women's fiction, history, and mystery to create stories that Publisher's Weekly calls "Masterful" and ForeWord Magazine refers to as "Filled with lyrical prose, hope, and healing.” Lisa is a journalist, an inspirational speaker, a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, and the author of over over twenty novels and countless magazine pieces.

Her books have held positions on many bestseller lists, both in the U.S. and internationally. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, a Christianity Today Book Award nominee, an Inspy Award nominee, a two-time Carol Award winner, a LORIES Best Fiction Award winner, and a Utah Library Award winner. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.  Visit Lisa at her website: http://LisaWingate.com

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy "Wildwood Creek" from Bethany House a Division of Baker Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.

The Ozeri BP5K Digital Blood Pressure Monitor

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Medical professionals are urging their patients to become aware of the numbers of their personal blood pressure. Today, stroke is a major player in the disabling of men and women. It doesn't just affect the seniors in the population, either. Strokes strike all ages. Often, elevated blood pressure is an indicator of risk. But this is not intended to be a medical article or a warning. It is a review of a tool that can help folks become aware of their own “numbers.”

Besides strokes, there are other indicators for which people should frequently check their blood pressure readings. Your own medical professional will tell you why, when, how often, and the indicator of what those readings portend in your own case. So how do you go about doing this since you are not, as I am not, a medical professional? You obtain your own device, and you use it.

Previously, I had a device that measures the pressure at your index finger. It was handy and better than not checking, but I often wondered how accurate it was. I have also had an upper arm blood pressure measuring cuff. Today, we’re going to look at a wrist device that I was recently given to try out and review.

The Ozeri BP5K Digital Blood Pressure Monitor is so convenient to use. You can easily wrap the velcro strap to fasten it onto your wrist. (I’m right handed and I placed it on my left wrist.) The monitor has as a voice system that instructs you if your wrist/monitor is positioned correctly in relation to your heart. Once you have it in place, it automatically begins to compress and measure.

This monitor shows your blood pressure reading. It also has a green, yellow, red bar on the side and a slider that positions itself next to the color code indicators to tell you if your blood pressure is normal, bordering on high, or high according to the standards of the World Health Organization hypertension guidelines. Your pulse reading is also shown, and there is an indicator that shows if the heart is beating erratically (irregular heartbeat Arrhythmia).

You may save in memory 90 blood pressure readings for two people. A total of 180 readings. It will also calculate an average of your saved readings. Prior to using, you may set the date/time stamp.

I have found the monitor to be easy to use, convenient, and I believe it to be accurate. It comes with a nice hard-plastic case for storage or travel. I personally believe the Ozeri BP5K Digital Blood Pressure Monitor to be more accurate than the finger monitor I previously used and more convenient and easier to use than the arm/cuff monitor I have recently been using.

So there are no excuses for avoiding taking your blood pressure reading on a regular basis. And, you’ll probably make your doctor very happy. I know it will make my doctor happier that I can now conveniently and accurately keep track of my blood pressure. You see, . .. . . . . I survived a stroke & I know the risks!

Ozeri Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor. Notice the red, yellow, and green bars
which are indicators of normal, higher than normal, and high/dangerous
blood pressure readings. The sturdy plastic case box is ideal for
storage or safe travel.

 .

Product Information:  CardioTech products offer clinically proven technology and are used by physicians and hospitals around the world- Compact, portable and simple to use, the Ozeri CardioTech BP5K Blood Pressure Monitor is an advanced wrist cuff monitor with a new intelligent voice guided feature that alerts you to the proper positioning of your wrist for accurate blood pressure measurements- The audible voice also automatically provides a hypertension assessment after each measurement- With ample memory, the Ozeri CardioTech Blood Pressure Monitor stores up to 180 blood pressure readings with date and time memory recall 90 readings x 2 users, and automatically classifies each blood pressure reading according to World Health Organization hypertension guidelines- It calculates average blood pressure readings based on all readings in memory, AM versus PM readings, or the 3 most recent readings- The Ozeri CardioTech Blood Pressure Monitor also detects irregular heartbeat Arrhythmia for an improved understanding of your hearts health- SKU: OZRI020

DISCLOSURE: I received a free Ozeri BP5K Digital Blood Pressure Monitor from the manufacturer for the purpose of providing an honest review. No compensation was received for this review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. Opinions expressed are solely my own.

The A-Z of C.S. Lewis, An Encyclopedia of His Life, Thought and Writings by Colin Duriez ((Review & Giveaway)

About the book:  A Complete Guide to His Life, Thoughts and Writings

Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis's death, this complete guide covers all of Lewis' works, from his literary criticism to Narnia.

C. S. Lewis's work is widely known and regarded, but enthusiasts are often only aware of one part of his work-his children's stories and his popular theology; and yet he wrote so much more, including science fiction and literary criticism. This volume brings together all aspects of C S Lewis's life and thought. Arranged in alphabetical order, it begins with The Abolition of Man-written in 1943 and described as "almost my favorite"-to Wormwood, a character in The Screwtape Letters. This book will delight anyone who is interested in C. S. Lewis and wants to learn more about him, his thought, his works, and his life.

Review: Outside of reading The Chronicles of Narnia to my children, my interest in C.S. Lewis was limited to the movie "Shadowlands" and reading several portions from Essays on Theology and Ethics.  This volume has once again piqued my interest to read more of Lewis's works.  From the very preface of the book, the quote on how to enjoy a book by Lewis (p. 9) caught my attention. 

Having grown up in a home filled with old books, and blessed with  an attic which was a childhood hideaway for he and his brother, Warren, to play in for hours, explore writing and drawing, it seems like a happy childhood.  Unfortunately, sorrow engulfed the family's life when Lewis's mother died of cancer when he was nine.  His father was unable to cope with his grief and sent Clive Staples or "Jack" as he wished to be called, to a boarding school in England from their home in Belfast.  He was later moved back to college in Belfast, then to several other schools.  However, he was never happier than when sent in 1914 to a private tutor.  He briefly served in the First World War, until he was injured and subsequently discharged.   During all this time he had been writing poetry intended for publication. 

In this volume, you can read of his close relationships with other authors of his time.  Many of them met weekly at a favorite pub to fellowship and intellectually challenge each other as they read portions of their current writings aloud. They were known as "The Inklings".  Lewis was especially close to J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and Hugo Dyson.  He credits Tolkien and Dyson with drawing him to Christianity.  Through my overview of this volume, I have been challenged to read The Pilgrim's Regress, written after Lewis's conversion to Christianity and in response to The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.  Reviews of all his works by Duriez, a lifetime student of Lewis,  are very helpful when read prior to the actual writing.
 
Whether you are looking for specific information on the writings of Lewis, information on his closest earthly relationships, or merely browsing through this alphabetic text, you will find many entries of interest with cross references to lead you, as Aslan said, "higher up and deeper in" to the world of C.S. Lewis.   I recommend this book to lovers of C.S. Lewis and those who desire to get to known and understand his varied and treasured contributions to 20th century literature.  (reviewed by Carly Karns, Teacher at Alamance Christian School)

About the Author: Colin Duriez was for many years a commissioning editor at Inter-Varsity Press UK. He has subsequently appeared as a commentator on DVDs of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, and BBC television's The Worlds of Fantasy. He is also the author of The Inklings Handbook (with the late David Porter), J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Story of Their Friendship, and Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings, and has contributed to definitive reference works relating to Tolkien such as The Tolkien Encyclopedia (Routledge). 

GIVEAWAY: One copy of The A-Z of C.S. Lewis is available as a giveaway prize. Entries may be made via the Rafflecopter form below. Begins March 1 & ENDS March 24 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. Open to USA residents only.
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DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of The A-Z of C.S. Lewis, An Encyclopedia of His Life, Thought and Writings by Colin Duriez  and Published in 2013 by Lion Hudson in Oxford. was provided byin exchange for this review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer. No compensation was provided for this review.

Where Courage Calls by Jannette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan (Review & Giveaway)

ISBN: 9780764212314
Paperback $14.99
Bethany House a division of
Baker Publishing Group

About the book: Her courage and her heart will be tested in ways she never expected . . .

Beth Thatcher has spent her entire life in the safe, comfortable world of her family, her friends, and the social outings her father's wealth provides. But Beth is about to leave it all behind to accept a teaching position in the rugged foothills of western Canada. Inspired by her aunt Elizabeth, who went west to teach school several years ago, and gently encouraged by her father, Beth resolves to put her trust in God and bravely face any challenge that comes her way.

But the conditions in Coal Valley are even worse than she'd feared. A recent mining accident has left the town grieving and at the mercy of the mining company. The children have had very little prior education, and many of the locals don't even speak English. There isn't even a proper schoolhouse. In addition, Beth's heart is torn between two young men---both Mounties, one a lifelong friend and the other a kind, quiet man who comes to her aid more than once.

Despite the many challenges, Beth is determined to make a difference in the rustic frontier town. But when her sister visits from the East, reminding her of all the luxuries she's had to give up, will Beth decide to return to her privileged life as soon as the school year is over?

My thoughts:  Those of us who remember the days when there were not many Christian fiction books available recall with delight when authors such as Grace Livingston Hill (one of the earliest I recall), Jannette Oke, Frank Peretti came along with books written by Christian authors, published by Christian publishing houses, and that were good stories with wholesome characters. Of course, with Mr. Peretti’s books, he had some really evil characters to which he exposed us but his books were clean, safe reads.

Having not picked up a Jannette Oke book in a few years, it was a delight to begin turning the pages of her gentle writing. A well-told story, good characterization, and a trip into the days of early Americana will delight. Jannette Oke and her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan, have written a story that transmits with one voice the reader into the depressed coal mining area of Canada. They bring in a spoiled, never deprived of anything, young lady who wants to teach. Her teaching opportunity brings her into the midst of desolation, deprivation, and despair.

A mining disaster has occurred prior to her arrival leaving the mothers and children of dead miners to cope. No education. No resources. New miners who have migrated from Italy and whom the mothers and town fear and simply don’t trust. Then the miracle of a young gentile lady, who is going to teach these destitute children, arrives. She brings hope and happiness.

Though the story is not truly a romance, we still have a couple of heroes dressed in the red jackets of the Canadian Mounted Police. Strong, honest, problem solvers who seem to arrive at the right moment each time.

There is the rough, but good, lady who runs the boarding house and who has taken in two orphaned teens; and the old retired miner from Italy, who has learned to speak English and who is wise and caring.  These bring richness and warmth to the story.

All-in-all, This “Oke” story is a good read. One you won’t mind handing to your teen to read or your church friends.
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GIVEAWAY:  One of Chat With Vera's readers will be the recipient of a copy Where Courage Calls. Just use the Rafflecopter entry form below.  Begins February 27 & ENDS March 20 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. Open to USA residents only.

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary review copy was provided by Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. I received no compensation for this review.

"It Had To Be You" by Susan May Warren

My thoughts on the book: I had not recently read one of Susan May Warren’s books but I did know her to be an author whose work I delight in reading. I was not at all disappointed while reading It Had to be You. The characters are strong yet human. Sweet yet edgy.  Conflicting yet steady. Tempted yet strong in the faith.

So we meet Eden who is a proclaimed reporter who is hung up in the obituary section of the local newspaper. Eden is one of many siblings – all of whom have successful lives, and Eden feels so left out. Eden is, however, the supporting, emotionally and physically, family member of younger brother, Owen, who has moved now into the realm of the famous as a National Hockey League player. He is a young team member. On the same team is bad boy J-Hammer, Jace, who Owen tries to emulate.

Eden and Jace collide in the hockey arena and in their emotions which seem to keep them both in turmoil. They end up trying to pick up the pieces of Owen’s life when a bad choice brings tragic circumstances that affect Owen, Eden, and Jace.

Eden’s and Owen’s family is one you will love getting to know in the book. Of course, this being the second in the Christiansen Family series, some readers will have already made their acquaintance. I had not (much to my chagrin). Reading book two, It Had to be You, without reading the first in the series did not hamper my understanding or enjoyment. Go for it! Feel the hockey puck flash down the ice and the soaring emotions as life decisions are made.

Let's hear from Susan about It Had to be You..... click here

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of It Had to be You from the publisher, Tyndale House Publishing, Inc., in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. I was not compensated for this review.