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Music Monday: Casting Crowns – It’s Finally Christmas
I love Christmas music, you guys. It gives me all the feels. Like, literally, ALL of them! I love hearing and singing about the birth of Jesus Christ. I think this is why I’m such a fan of Christmas music. Thanks to Christian Art Media, this weeks review sets the mood just right! It is Casting Crowns’ latest festive offering called It’s Finally Christmas.Well, for those who don’t know, Casting Crowns is a 7 piece contemporary Christian band from the sunny state of Florida. The one thing that I’ve always admired about them is their stunning vocal arrangements… I mean, if you’re looking for vocal perfection, you should have a listen to some of their harmonies… amazing!
On this their latest festive EP, the band gives us a collection of original Christmas tracks, beautifully written and flawlessly executed. The album also boasts two reworked Christmas anthems, O Holy Night and What Child is This. Both songs are kept true to it’s original melody, and the musical arrangement is simple yet haunting. I really enjoyed listening to this EP. You can check out my complete review over at Gateway News.
Win your own set of Christmas albums!But wait… there’s more! Remember I said that I’m giving away a collection Christmas-themed albums to one of you (thanks to Christian Art Media)? Well, that’s definitely still happening! Whoot whooot! I’ve changed the entry mechanism, to give everyone more of a chance. Simply complete the rafflecopter below! Giveaway closes on Tuesday, December 19th!
Find the rest of the reviews here:
Lauren Daigle – Behold -
Music Monday: Jeremy Camp – Christmas:God With Us
For those who prefer your more tradish Christmas sing along songs, you need to check out Jeremy Camp’s totally rad Christmas offering called Christmas: God With Us. Jeremy is a really cool contemporary Christian artist and his festive album is very rock meets pop meets U2.I really appreciate that he’s stayed true to the traditional Christmas songs, not altering any of the classic melodies or words. He has, however spiced up the music and arrangements a bit. But in a really great way. In fact, I almost feel like he’s somehow added an element of fun to these age old classics.
All the faves are on here. Namely Jingle Bell Rock, Joy to the World, Away In a Manger, the works. If you’re a contemporary rock fan, and you like to get your Christmas music on, this is definitely one for you! You can check out more on Gateway News, where I did an official review for Christian Art Media.
Win your own set of Christmas albums!But wait… there’s more! Remember I said that I’m giving away a collection Christmas-themed albums to one of you (thanks to Christian Art Media)? Well, that’s definitely still happening! Whoot whooot! I’ve changed the entry mechanism, to give everyone more of a chance. Simply complete the rafflecopter below! Giveaway closes on Tuesday, December 19th!
Find the rest of the reviews here:
Lauren Daigle – Behold -
Gary Chapman’s Conversation Starters made my family talk {Giveaway!}
Ever sat around a supper table and literally heard crickets, because the conversation was just that non-existent? Or do you find that one child is a chatterbox, leaving no room for any of the others to share? Or do you just want to get your family or spouse talking more? You and me both, pal! Which is why I literally squealed when my friends over at Christian Art Media sent me a parcel so amazing, I’m sure I heard angels singing when I opened it. Introducing: Gary Chapmans 101 Conversation Starters. If you love board games and group games, like I do, then this is right up your alley! (Stay tuned to find out how you can win a hamper for you and your family!)
So, for those not familiar with the geniosity that is Dr Gary Chapman: He is the brilliant psychologist (with more than 30 years experience, yo!) and the author behind the highly popular New York Best Selling Five Love Languages book. Dr Chapman says that each person has their own unique language, pertaining to their own, unique personality and characteristics. We all give and receive love in different ways. He explains that by knowing your partner or children’s love language, you can finally take the mystery out of what they really want and expect. Knowing your child’s love language can help you to understand them better and will give you the “cheats” on how to get the best out of them!
According to him, the 5 Love Languages are: Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Physical Touch. For example, my love language is acts of service. When Chris washes the dishes, or gives me a food rub, I’m like “woah, this guy really loves me!” His, on the other hand, is physical touch. So, if I’m upset with him for like, a week, and avoid contact, he really feels the burn!
Anyways, so based on the amazing Love Languages series, and together with Ramon Presson, Dr Chapman has developed the 101 Conversation Starters cards. This handy tabletop resource is designed to get you, your family and your spouse talking! With 101 probing questions, 101 Conversation Starters for Families blends just the right amount of fun and thought-provoking questions, to help develop a culture of meaningful conversation in your family! I simply adore the 101 Conversation Starters for Couples cards. These offer 101 probing questions for couples, with the aim to enhance the relationship and create a deeper intimacy.
If you’re looking for an affordable way to create a fun atmosphere, at home, during the summer period, then I highly recommend these! And hey, aren’t the ‘couples’ cards a really legit way to spend a date night indoors? The 101 Conversation Starters cards and Love Languages books are available online or at your nearest CUM Books store.
We played the family game, this past week, and learnt a bunch of really interesting things about each other. For starters, Kyle wants to leave the country. But we always knew that. Chris realized that he needs a dedicated day, in the week, to spend with the family (yep, the cards told him this!) and now everyone knows that the one thing I want for Christmas is to be 16 again! That last one was meant to be funny, but only I thought it was. Oh well, you can’t win them all. And talking about winning, I want to give one of you a hamper, as part of my Christmas Crazy festivities! Woohoo!
The hamper includes both the 101 Conversation Starters for Families, 101 Conversation Starters for Couples AND the 2 accompanying Dr Chapman Love Languages books, that will help you to work on building better relationships within your family and marriage! AAAACK! I know, right?!!To enter, simply follow the rafflecopter prompts below, and check out my Facebook page on Friday, December 15th to see if you’re a winner! Yep, there are hundreds (I’m exaggerating) of ways to enter… I wanted to give you as many chances and options as possible! This prize is that good! Good luck ya’ll!
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Music Monday: Matt Redman – These Christmas Lights
For those looking for a more contemporary listen this Christmas allow me to introduce your ears to all that is Matt Redman. Matt is a 2 time Grammy award winner, worship leader and renowned singer and songwriter in the christian music circles. I mean, I am all for putting “Christ” back into Christmas… and that’s exactly what he does on his festive album, These Christmas Lights.For starters, the album is filled with a collection of original Christmas themed songs … so if you’re preconditioned to “bleugh” at the mere sound of jingle bells, this one is for you! Secondly, as I’ve mentioned Matt is a really top songwriter and as a double score, he features the vocal prowess of Chris Tomlin, Natasha Bedingfield and the great Tasha Cobbs, on this album.
Some of my favorite picks include the duet with Bedingfield. I mean, the lady has a set of pipes on her! Cobbs also does her fair share of vocal wowing, on the duet ‘Glory to you in the highest‘, where she totally does justice to an amazing song that is kinda like a reprise of the traditional Christmas tune, ‘Hark the Herald angels‘.
Matt is a story teller. He has been gifted with the amazing ability to paint pictures, with words and music and I love that he has taken something that is often completed and utterly pulverized (I’m talking about Christmas, yo) and reinvented the way it’s told, in a way that is more personal and intimate.
There’s a whole lot more that I can say about this one… and I did, over here at Gateway News. You can check out the complete review there.
Win your own set of Christmas albums!But wait… there’s more! Remember I said that I’m giving away a collection Christmas-themed albums to one of you (thanks to Christian Art Media)? Well, that’s definitely still happening! Whoot whooot! I’ve changed the entry mechanism, to give everyone more of a chance. Simply complete the rafflecopter below! Giveaway closes on Tuesday, December 19th!
Find the rest of the reviews here:
Lauren Daigle – Behold -
Music Monday: Top 25 Christmas Hymns compilation
I love me some Christmas music. And I’m not entirely fussy when it comes to who is doing the singing (or instrument playing), as long as it’s done with excellence. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do have my favorites. But also, I’m okay with just about any version of ‘Hark the herald angels sing’, yo! Which is why I’m so excited to tell you guys about this week’s Christmas music review, Maranatha Music’s Top 25 Christmas Hymns 2-CD set. What’s better than a Christmas album? A Christmas compilation album, duh!Christian Art Media sent me a bunch of fantastic Christmas albums to tell you guys about, but I think this one right here got me the most excited. I love that there are 25 whole festive-inspired songs for us to put on loop, during the ‘most wonderful time of the year’! At first I was like, huh, are there really that many Christmas-related songs?! Well yes, yes there are. Besides for the usuals, I was introduced to a bunch of treasures (some of them probably older than I am) that you probably won’t find on your latest pop sensations Christmas release.
My favorites are here too though. You know the faves, ‘Joy to the world’, ‘O holy night’, ‘Silent night’ and the classic ‘The first noel’. For the full review check out my article on Gateway News.
Win your own set of Christmas albums!Ahhh, I love Christmas! Do you love Christmas too? Well then, you should totally enter my Christmas music giveaway! Every Monday I review a Christmas album, and I add some of my faves to a special Christmas music hamper, which I will be giving away to one of you!
I’ve changed the entry mechanism, to give everyone more of a chance. Simply complete the rafflecopter below! Giveaway closes on Tuesday, December 19th!
Find the rest of the reviews here:
Lauren Daigle – BeholdMatt Redman – These Christmas lights
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Prepping for 2018 with Priscilla Shirer
With the end of the year quickly approaching, I find myself looking back on the past year… mistakes made, lessons learnt, that sort of thing. I love this aspect of life… that we are always growing and learning. No one year looks like the next. Well, it doesn’t have to, that’s for sure. We were gifted with choice and the ability to change and (most importantly) adapt to that change. So to help me get my house in order, I picked up two insightful reads (sent to me by Christian Art Media) and I really want to give one of them to one of you!
Firstly, do you guys know who Priscilla Shirer is? Well, she is the lead actor in the amazing Christian blockbuster War Room and is an author, motivational speaker, actress and evangelist. Priscilla has inspired me, since watching that movie, and I was super keen to hear what she has to say in her new devotional book called Awaken.The 90-day devotional will have you reading with intention. In fact, the back of the book says that “this kind of reading is not merely for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment. With this kind of book you’re praying for something more – to hear from God, receive His direction, and be refreshed in the depths of your soul.” Uhm, yes please!
Each day has a dedicated message with the sole intention to equip you to better hear God’s voice, empowering you to make sound decisions about the rest of your life. I needed this for 2018!
I was also so excited to get my hands on Chrystal Evans Hurst’s latest book, She’s Still There. Chrystal is actually Priscilla’s sister. Priscilla has highly recommended this read and, in the foreward, says: “each page will take the numbness away from your emotional limbs and spark a flame in your soul to mine the treasure you’ve been given by God. It will shine a spotlight on the clutter in your life that you’ve been too busy or too tired or too disinterested to unpack so that you can get to the good stuff.” In She’s Still There, Chrystal shares the secret to loving and honoring your life… even if your story is messy. She speaks about her teenage pregnancy and struggles with her weight. Man oh man, I can relate with so much of what she has to share!
When I opened the book and saw the title of the first part called “Fight for your life”, I could immediately feel the hairs on my arm stand on edge. Isn’t that what we feel we constantly need to do, ladies? We’re always fighting for our lives… for our happiness… for justice, acceptance, sometimes even for love. This book will equip you to reject the lie and move forward. Expect to be equipped and refreshed!
Giveaway! Can I please give this book to one of you? Consider it a Christmas present! To enter the giveaway, simply make sure you’re following my Facebook page over here and drop a comment on the specially marked post (like the one above) letting me know what you find the most interesting about it.I’ll draw a winner on Monday, November 20th at midday and will do an announcement on my Facebook page.
Update: Congratulations Carren Brandt!
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What my kids are playing with: Transformers, Fantastic Gymnastics and Yo-kai
It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year and if you’re anything like me, you have your Christmas gifts list covered. Spreadsheet brain, remember? Christmas shopping for my kids is usually a mild affair anyways since they are all so very predictable. Kyle wants electronics. Seth loves to learn new things, and Karis… well, she’s a princess. If your kids are not as predictable as mine are, then this post is for you. My friends over at Hasbro is keeping us in the know, with all things toy-related, and sent me some information for moms and dads who leave toy stores with a “huh” expression on their faces. Some of my favorite picks, from Hasbro, for this year’s Christmas stockings, are: Transformers, Fantastic Gymnastics and Yo-kai.
Transformers
If you didn’t know (who evens are you), Transformers are human-like robots with the unique ability to turn into vehicles or beasts. I’m sure you knew that though. Right? With the newly released Transformers: The Last Knight movie, Hasbro has released a bunch of updated Transformer toys and regalia that is sure to make your little one squeal with delight on Christmas morning. Karis had a ball of a time transforming Optimus Prime (head honcho over at Transformers headquarters) from standing mode into truck. Considering the fact that the movie did really well in South Africa – ranking number 1 at the Box-office in South Africa during opening week – these toys are still pretty popular. Kids are also encouraged to #pledgeYourAllegiance and join #teamautobot to help Optimus Prime save the world by defeating the Decepticons or join #teamdecepticon and help Megatron take over the world. Choose your faction on www.morethanmeetstheeye.co.za
Fantastic Gymnastics
If you have a big family and are looking for fun group games, Fantastic Gymnastics is the perfect game for you! So basically the game requires players to flip the gymnast figure around the high bar, hitting release at the right moment to let him fly and try to stick the perfect landing. It’s super fun! You can play solo, head-to-head or challenge friends to a tournament. Get into the swing of things with this compelling and fun game, ideal for ages eight and up.
Yo-kai
If you’re down with having your kids stretch their imagination, then you should totally allow them to experience the world of Yo-kai with the Yo-kai Watch and Medals. Yep, I know that you know what a Yo-kai is because kids are going nuts over this children’s anime series based on the video game of the same name. So anyways, with the Yo-kai watch toy, children can imagine summoning Yo-kai characters, and when used with the medals, the Yo-kai watch plays sounds, music, and phrases. Insert one of the collectible medals displaying a Yo-kai into the watch to hear the character’s name, tribe song and more sounds.The latest board games and toys from Hasbro are available from Toys R Us, ToyZone, Toy Kingdom, Hamleys, Lilliputs and other major retailers. You can also shop online at Takealot.com
Disclaimer: All product mentioned above was sent to me by Hasbro, but the opinion in the post is entirely my own, I promise.
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“Christmas Crazy” has officially started!
So it’s November 1st and I’m over here trying hard to contain my inner jingle. In case you didn’t know, I really love Christmas and December, like, a lot! Let’s just say, when I jingle bells, I jingle all the way! (Thank you for your polite laughter) I’m not kidding though. My spirit animal is probably a reindeer. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, yo! I love everything about it. I love the gift wrapping and tree decorating. I love the horribly delightful, B-grade Christmas movies and eating trifle at 11pm after taking a late night swim. I’m ready for it. Are you? It’s time to get Christmas crazy! And to celebrate, I want to rub some of my festive off on you. No, it does not have a smell, I promise. But it does feel reaaaally good!
My Spreadsheet Brain and I have the following Christmas related content coming to a blog post near you:Music Monday
Remember how much I love Christmas music? Well, I will be sharing all the latest Christmas albums with you guys every Monday. And, thanks to Christian Art Media, we give away a bumper pack of Christmas albums to one lucky winner, at the end of the series! Check out our Music Monday posts, as of next week, to enter!Gift ideas and fun activities
Guys I’ve also spotted some really cool Christmas activities that I’d like to try out with the fam. Look, we all know that I have a lot of children. As the lazy holidays draws near, I’ll be hard pressed to find things to do that does not require me to rob a bank. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you in the know. I also have a bunch of really fantastic Christmas gift ideas to share with you guys! I mean, I really suck at choosing gifts for other people. I’ve begun to check out different gift ideas for the kids, my hubby and hey, for myself too. I mean, opening presents is like, my thing. Unwrapping presents comes second only to winning stuff. I like to win stuff. And I know that you like to win stuff too. So how about I run a couple of giveaways that would allow you to win some awesome Christmas gifts for you and your loved ones? Deal!Thankful Thursday
As you all know, I really value my relationship with God. Even though the glits and glamor of the festive season puts me on a natural high, I’m also all about celebrating baby Jesus. His birth and death is, after all, the foundation of my faith. I am so thankful for grace! Because of this, and to keep the main things main, I will be reviewing selected faith-inspired books from Christian Art Media, every Thursday. And yep, you guessed it, we will be gifting someone with a bumper pack of books at the end of this series too.Are you guys as excited as I am? Aaaack! What do you have planned for the festive season? Our tree goes up in two weeks time and I could not be more thrilled. Clearly.
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Loving your rebellious child {Giveaway!}
I was a rebellious child. Well, I was mildly rebellious. But I often wonder what on earth my parents were thinking when I fell pregnant at 19. Or when I went through my “party till I die“ phase. Granted, I was pretty much a good girl, but I’ve had my moments of basically throwing my parents hard work and sacrifice right back into their faces. Fortunately, that soon ended… we all made it out alive, with our original teeth intact. But it got me thinking: what would I do if one of my kids started rebelling? Well, the other day, I picked up a brilliant book titled ‘Loving your rebellious child‘ by H. Normal Wright, that deals with this tough subject! -
Want to cook like a gourmet chef with Daily Dish?
So if you follow me on social media you may have spotted my cooking frenzy last week, as I attempted to cook with Daily Dish. Well, let me start off by saying that I’ve never been a fancy meal kinda girl. In fact, if anything, I’ve always opted for easy meal ideas for my family… mainly because I don’t have the time, know-how and (let’s face it) special ingredients needed to make fancy shmancy dishes. Are you like me? Well then friend, grab a seat because I may have something special for you.
