Full Steam Ahead

Karen Witemeyer has done it again! Every book I read of hers is unique and fun to read.  “Full Steam Ahead” delivered an endearing tale that was hard to put down.

Nicole, the leading lady, is more than just the typical spoiled rich girl; she has spunk, ingenuity, and drive.  She is witty and goes after what she wants, but isn’t the overbearing character that grates on the nerves. The brooding Mr. Darcy…oh I mean Darius... has a rough eccentric edge that makes everyone on the outside think he’s a mean crazy man, but Nicole and those closest to him can see beyond his quirky ways to the brilliant man he truly is. 

The chemistry between the two is laughable at times and endearing moments later.   I loved the history of the era that was weaved into the story, and the message of forgiveness and redemption that knit the tale together. 

I highly recommend this book as a clean fun read.  I look forward to Karen’s next book…she has yet to disappoint!

I was given a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Meant to Be Mine

Not very often is a second book in a series better than the first, but Meant to Be Mine blew Undeniably Yours out of the water! The storyline is fairly predictable, but the dialog and banter between the two main characters (Ty and Celia) keep you turning the pages and wanting more! 

Becky Wade does a very good job keeping the book from being just another sappy Christian romance novel.  Ty’s personality is extremely likable and his struggles are ones that people can relate with.  The same goes with Celia.  The tension between the two and the desire for control is almost laughable. 

I greatly enjoy a well-written book and this is one book that I wish didn’t end quite so soon.  There aren’t very many books that I’ll stay up into the wee hours of the morning to finish, but I couldn’t put this down!  I’m looking forward to the third book in the series!

I was given a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.  

A Sensible Arrangement

This is one of the first books I’ve read by Tracie Peterson, and it won’t be the last.  The storyline, albeit predictable, was entertaining and fun to read.  I enjoyed that the characters seemed more like real people, not your typical “Christian romance” character that is pretty much perfect except for one minor flaw. 

The main character Marty is struggling spiritually and personally and it is very enjoyable to read how she is dealing with it and how the others around her respond and interact with her.  Her maid, Alice, is another character you can love…may we hope a book in the series will have her as the leading lady???  

I didn’t feel like the book quite “ended” though.  There were so many things that I wanted to know more about what happened, so I’m hoping that the second book in the series will answer some of those questions. 

In all honesty, this book was mostly about the interaction between Marty and her staff…there was not a whole lot of depth built between Mary and Jake’s (her husband) relationship.  Something seemed to be developing between them, but it just wasn’t the amount of interplay I’ve come to expect between leading characters.

Overall it was a very enjoyably read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I was given a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.  

Not Just Another Amish Fiction

You know those books you can’t put down and stay up all night reading?  Well sadly this isn’t one of them.  I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t relate with the characters.  The lead character, Molly, is not very likable and is an obsessively controlling person.  Her best friend, isn’t really a friend at all and the men in the story are incredibly fickle. 

I did like the Amish culture weaved into the storyline; it wasn’t like every other Amish story that I’ve read.  It was one of the few books that I didn’t know right away who the “heroine” was going to end up with.  The grammar in this book may have profited from a bit of editing, but that’s forgivable!

This book is a good Amish retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but I couldn’t get into it.

I was given a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Diapers Diapers Diapers

I have a confession to make: I love cloth diapers...not just a "oh they save us money"...but that giddy Christmas morning excited when a few new ones "miraculously" show up in the mail. After trying more than a dozen different kinds...I have my favorites and I thought I'd share!

First of all I'd like to mention a couple kinds of cloth diapers that I dislike so much that I won't even bother reviewing...they might only deserve a one star rating: GDiapers and Kushies. They are in a why bother box...they don't fit very well and leak like crazy! I also have several types of covers to use with prefolds, but honestly I never use them because I like the convenience of grabbing a diaper, snapping it on, and being done.

     BumGenius                       Rumparooz                  Charlie Banana 

Now onto the wonderful ones that make me wonder why I ever used disposables!  I have three brands that I use all the time: BumGenius, Rumparooz, and Charlie Banana.  They are all one size diapers that can be used from 8 pounds up to potty training.

My youngest at 10 days old wearing a BumGenius 4.0

My favorite by far are the BumGenius 4.0! They're INCREDIBLE! (and yes all caps were needed) These babies wash up like a charm, never leak, are super soft, and are customizable for bedtime because they are a pocket diaper so you can add extra inserts! The inner lining is suede cloth which is very soft and keeps the baby's bottom dry and the inserts are microfiber and absorb very well.  Diaper rash is nonexistent with this on his little bum!

BumGenius 4.0's are the least bulky diaper that we have, which is nice when my little guy is wearing pants!  I also think these diapers are super cute, but I may be a little bias because of the model! 

Bum Genius Freetime Diaper

I also have BumGenius Freetime all in one diapers.  I like them as well but not like the 4.0's. They don't hold as much pee as the 4.0's and take longer to dry. They're easy to use, but not a good choice at night.

Rumparooz Diaper

Rumparooz are a great diaper...but a bit expensive.  They have a stay-dry fleece lining similar to the Charlie Banana diaper.  Rumparooz have 4 different sizing levels (snaps) that work well when the baby is very small, but unfortunately these diapers are smaller than any of the other ones so even on the biggest setting my very chunky 6 month old is on the last rise and doesn't have much room to grow.  The pocket opening in the back is also larger than the others and doesn't have a flap to cover it which makes it a bit messy with poo! But the "6-hour soaker" insert is great and never leaks!

Charlie Banana Diaper

Charlie Banana diapers are adjustable by tightening the leg elastics instead of using the snaps in the front like on the BumGenius or Rumparooz diapers.  These are also a pocket diaper, but the opening is in the front instead of the back.  The inner material is a fleece that is thicker so it is a bit warmer in the summer than the 4.0's. I do like these when my babies are small because the insert is much skinnier.

Large Inserts from Left to Right:
Bum Genius 4.0, Rumparooz & Caarlie Banana

Charlie Banana also uses 6 snaps to fasten the diapers instead of 4 like the other brands, which makes it a little harder in the middle of the night when I don't have my glasses on and am trying to "feel" my way to changing a diaper!

     BumGenius                       Rumparooz                  Charlie Banana

You can see in the side-by-side comparison above that BumGenius have the ability to be the biggest diaper.  I love how white and clean the suede cloth always looks, but the other two are nice diapers as well!

As for washing diapers....honestly it's not as gross as you might think.  If you have a baby, you already wash your fare share of spit up and the accidental blow-out aftermath anyway....and to me, a blow-out diaper is way worse!  I have yet to have a "up the back" diaper mess using cloth diapers because the elastic around the legs and around the back keeps it all where it should be!

I have a simple human step trash can that I use a kissaluv waterproof pail liner in.  Whenever I have a dirty diaper I just toss it in (throwing solids in the toilet...but I never rinse them out or scrub them).  After about three days the pail is full so I toss them in washing machine.  

There are sooooooo many ideas on the "proper" way to wash diapers, but let me just tell you what works for me.  I turn the dial to prewash/cold and just let my machine rinse them out.  I then turn it to the "soak/hot" and throw a small scoop of good old plain powdered Tide in and go on my merry way.  When I remember... sometimes 15 minutes... sometimes several hours later (because realistically how often do you forget you have laundry in the wash???) I just turn the dial to the wash and switch on the double rinse...and wah-lah...diapers are clean.  I hang dry most all our laundry so I do it with the diapers as well, but I have many friends that just toss them all in the dryer! 

Honestly, I probably spend about two minutes of my time "washing" cloth diapers every few days, my machine does the work...I just turn it on!

Bumkins Zippered Wet Bag

When we're out and about...I have a couple wet bags in the bottom of my diaper bag.  Instead of tossing a disposable in the trashcan, I just put the dirty diaper in the wet bag and take it home. I love Bumkins bags because they're waterproof, smell-proof, and have a snapping handle that can attach to whatever! 

Never running out or spending $50 a case for diapers is only a couple of the many reasons I love the convenient modern idea of cloth diapering!