Book Review: Sleep It Does a Family Good

Book Review: Sleep It Does a Family Good by Dr. Archilbald D. Hart

I am reviewing this book for Tyndale Publishing. When I decided to review this book I thought it was going to be like every other book about sleep I’ve read. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t. Sleep it does a family good talks about sleep and sleep problems from a Christian and pro-family aspect. Dr. Hart begins the book by talking about why your family needs sleep and also why we dream. Then the author goes on to help you determine your family’s sleep habits and how to help them avoid hazardous sleep disorders. He helps the reader to see that most families are suffering from sleep deprivation. This discovery leads into the third part of the book, overcoming your family’s sleep deprivation. He offers tips for helping children sleep better along with possible childhood and teenage sleep disorders and their intervention strategies. He also talks about what a family’s sleep bank is and how we can deplete it as well as ways to increase it. He also talks about how sleep affects spirituality and vice versa. It was fascinating because I don’t think I’ve ever read about the correlation between the two. He gives tips on how your pre-sleep routine can be both distressing as well as spiritual. This book offers practical solutions to sleep problems that plague families. I give this book 4 out of 4 stars.

I is for Imagination

I is for Interesting

Today I discovered something interesting Well actually someone. Someone I knew of in elementary school but didn't meet till today. His  name is Shell Silverstein. Shell Silverstein is an poet, comic, songwriter and overall Renaissance Man. Today I read my students some of his poetry and they just loved it! I did too! His poems are so fun and interesting so I'm going to share some with you. Plus, I was having a hard time coming up with something for I. 


Messy Room
Whosoever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp. 
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair, 
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp. 
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor. 
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV, 
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet, 
His vest has been left in the hall. 
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed, 
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall. 
Whosoever room this is should be ashamed! 
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I  knew it looked familiar!


The Meehoo with an Exactly Watt This one reminds me of the 3 Stooges skit about Who's on First.
Knock Know!
Who's There
Me!
That's right!
What's right? 
Meehoo!
That's what I want to know!
What's what you want to know?
Me, who? 
Yes, exactly!
Exactly what? 
yes, I have an Exactly watt on a chain!
Exctly what on a chain?
Yes!
Yes what?
No, Exactlywatt!
That's what I wnat to know!
I told you -Exactlywatt!
Exactly what?
Yes, it's with me!
What's with you?
Exactlywatt-that's what's with me.
Me who?
Yes!
Go away!
Knock Knock.....


My favorite one of Shel Silverstein's poem's is called Sick. I know we've all felt this way when it's time to go to school or work. 


Sick
"I cannot go to school today."
Said little Peggy Ann McKay. 
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, 
I'm going bind in my right eye. 
My tonsils are as big as rocks, 
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen, 
And dog you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut-my eyes are blue--
it might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and sap and choke, 
I'm sure that my left leg is broke==
My hip hurts when I move my chin, 
My belly button's caving in, 
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is tiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth.,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's been, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
there is a hole inside my ear. 
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say? 
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye. I'm going out to play!"


Who are your favorite poets and authors? If you would like to learn more about shell Silverstein check out his webpage. Enjoy! 

H is for Hodgepodge

H is for Hodgepodge
In honor of my 100 post. I've decided to list a hundred hodgepodge facts about me.Enjoy!

A Hundred Things About Carol 

1. I currently live in the same house I grew up in

2. I've lived in the same town I am currently living all my life-well except 4 1/2 years when I went off to college. 

3. Sophie is the first "inside" dog I've ever owned. 

4. Rosie is the first cat I've owned

5. my parents were abusive- they still are

6. I broke the abuse cycle. Praise God!


7. I read books voraciously 

8. I love to draw and paint

9. My dream job is to be a childrens librarian.

10. I love to bake

11. I have a gluten allergy

12. I met my husband in high school. We did not get together until 10 years later.

14. I am tall. 5'11" to be exact

13. I am a Christian and so is my hubby

14. I love working with children

15. But I love coming home to a nice, peaceful, and Child free home.

16. I wish I knew how to decorate

17. I love taking photos. 

18. I am the unofficial photographer at my church. 

19. All the car's I've driven (and currently drive) are Nissans

20.Tulips are my favorite flower

21. I am not analytical but thankfully my husband is!

22. After a long day I love a warm bubble bath

23. I have two nieces and one nephew

24. I take medication-a lot

25. I am working to make healthy changes so I can get off some of these meds

26. My wedding ring is a fire topaz. I used to think that diamonds looked like a fire topaz

27. Now, I like fire topaz rings better than diamonds

28. I much rather be cold than hot

29. I love being outside and enjoying nature. 

30. I love to sing but I can't carry a tune in a bucket

31. I love all music except heavy metal and rap

32. I grew up listening to country, contemporary Christian and hymns

33. I don't like last minuteness

34. I like be prepared and knowing what's going on-in advance

35. I am learning to enjoy exercising. I've still got a ways to go though

36. I don't like to exercise but I LOVE the way I feel afterwards

37. I  love to laugh! 

38. I learning to drink water and tea and not soda

39. I used to drink soda every day now I drink sodas only 1 every couple of weeks or so. Unless it's a Mexican coke.

40. I love chocolate!


41. My husband is my best friend

42. I love the hot chocolate from McDonald's! It's the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted besides Abulita hot chocolate

43. Spending time with God is the best way to start my day. 

44. Sometimes I don't spend time with Him and it really puts me in a funk

45. I can be really anal about some things

46. I can also be a slob too

47. I am a first generation native Texan

48. I love Texas!

49. I like to dress up occasionally

50. I do not like to wear dresses or hose!

51. I love wearing Crocs or my boots

52. I am trying to shed a few pounds.

53. I am not trying to obsess about a number about what weight I need to get down to-I am just trying to be healthier. 

54.I love snuggling on the couch with my hubby and babies

55. My babies are a miniature daschund and a calico cat

56. My feet are always cold

57. I love Burt's Bee products.


58. Their products are gluten free and they feel great too!


59. I love the Twlight Series.

61. I wish my hubby would sparkle. (Twlight fans-you know what I mean)

62. Turner Classic Movies is my favorite TV channel

63. I only have one TV in my house. Can you believe it!? 

64. My hubby and I like it better that way. 

65 And no, the TV isn't in the bed room. 

66. I like to play Scrabble. I am not good at it yet but I am learning

67. Glee is my favorite tv show

68. I wish we had a horse. 

69. My brother had a horse when I was growing up

70. My parents gave me a real cabbage one Christmas when I said I wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid. Thankfully they had bought me a real Cabbage Patch too. 

71. I like purses. I have a ton of them. My husband thinks I could start my own purse store. 

72. I don't like a lot of shoes. I have 3 or 4 favorite pairs that I wear with everything. 

73.I grew up in a Baptist chruch but now I attend a Lutheran one. 

74. my favorite colors are blue, green and purple

75. I tent to say what I think. This is a good thing but sometimes it's also a bad thing. 

76. I love blogging. It's therapy to me.

77. I like to draw and paint with watercolors.

78. I like to go on nature walks. 

79. I like being punctual. I'm ocd about it actually

80. I didn't like vegtables growing up but I am learning to like them now

81. My veggies so far are carrots, apples, oranges, pumpkin and brocoli, colifour and asparagus.

82. The clothes in my closet are arraged by color. 

83. I like to scrapbook but sometimes I get frustrated with it because I want something to be perfect and it's not.

84. I like spending time in God's word

85. I collect teapots

86.I collect ladybug and daschund stuff (anythign and everything from pens, to doormats, to magnets to shoes)

87. I love tex-mex

88. I will drink a coke made in Mexico any chance I get. It use real cane sugar and it taste fantastic.

89. I love to take photos

90. I have been a susbtitue teacher, cashier, and secretary

91. I am very opinonated

92. My husband is my best friend

93. My dream cars would be a Chevy camero  and a Nissian Titan

94.  My parents retired and moved to Arkansas. 

95.  Third Day is my favorite band EVER! 

96. I believe in the power of forgiveness.

97. I can be extroverted and shy at the same time.

98. I belive in the power of forgiveness

99. I belive that our thoughts greatly affect our actions

100. I believe in Jesus. 

G is for Gluten Free

G is for Gluten Free
Last October my life changed forever. At the time I thought my life was ending but it was just the beginning.... Last October I was diagnosed with Celiac disease. My friend Linda over at Gluten Free Homemaker does a much better job of giving an overview of Celiac disease than I could ever do. I am going to quote her blog.
Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease which affects both children and adults. In people with celiac disease, the body reacts to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, setting off an autoimmune reaction. This reaction causes the production of antibodies which attack and damage the small intestine. Specifically, damage is done to the villi which line the small intestine and are crucial to the absorption of nutrients.

This damage to the villi can result in diarrhea or constipation, weight loss, other gastrointestinal problems, malnutrition, and failure to thrive (in children). It also affects other organs in the body and can lead to irritability, poor concentration, fatigue, bone and joint problems, anemia, reproductive problems, depression, and problems of the nervous system.

Celiac disease is not an allergy. Allergies can be outgrown. As an autoimmune disease, Celiac disease cannot be outgrown. There is no cure and there are currently no drugs to treat it. The good news is that it can be treated with a change in diet. People with Celiac disease can lead healthy lives by completely avoiding gluten. Once on a gluten-free diet, the villi in the small intestines will heal over time.

Based on a prevalence study done by the Center for Celiac Research, it is believed that 1 in 133 people have celiac disease. Diagnosis is made through blood tests and small bowel biopsy. The celiac panel blood tests include tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and anti gliadin (AGA) tests. A positive tTG result is very suggestive of celiac disease. A positive AGA result can indicate celiac disease or wheat allergy.

Since going Gluten Free my health has made a total 180. I have more energy, I have clearer thinking and no more abdominal pain. The way I look and think abut food has totally changed too. I try to eat fresh, whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, veggies, eggs, and rice. This has been a real change because I used to never eat fruits and veggies. I  feel so much better that I don't mind eating them so much anymore.  I am also VERY careful about eating processed foods. Gluten can be in foods that you never thought it would be-like catchup.

If you have any questions or comments about Gluten Fee or Celiac disease I'd be happy to answer them. Just email me or post the questions in the comment section. Thanks for reading. Stay tune for tomorrow. H is for Hodgepodge

F is for Favorite Things

F is for Favorite Things
Here are a few of my favorite things. Cat kisses, White Zinfandel, Sleeping In, and Fresh Fallen Snow,

Vintage Stuff, Britisth accents, making someone laugh, snuggeling, being barefoot, and fresh air. The smell of fresh ground coffee, blooming trees, getting mail (snail or email) from someone I love, and girl talk.

The color purple, The Wizard of OZ, breakfast for dinner, gummy worms, watching Glee and green tea frapacinos. These are some of my favorite things. Of course, a post about my favorite things would not be complete without the song My Favorite Things from one of my favorite movies-The Sound of Music. Enjoy! 

What are some of your favorite things? 

E is for Essentials for Life

For E I've decided to do a book review on a book I recenlty read. It starts with E so it counts right? I read Essentails for Life  by Marcia Ford 

I read this book for Book Sneeze. The book discusses several topics that the author considers to be essential for life in this current fast paced society. It does a wonderful job of helping people remember the things that are important in a Christians life. This book is divided into four sections:What do I believe, How do I grow closer to God, What should my character reflect and How do I live my everyday life. Within these four sections are about 12 sub-topics. These sub-topics have key principles that are expounded upon by using a mixture of scripture, quotes and interesting facts. The topics also have a “what's essential” box at the end of the each section. The “what's essential” box gives readers a summery of the topic along with things to do and not do.

I thought this book was very interesting. It is a good reminder for Christians of what things are essential in life. The short sections make it any easy read. I think it would be a great gift for people as well. 

Do any of you review things on your blog? What do you think about people reviewing things on their blog? 

Oh My Goodness!

I just got a blogging award. This is the first blogging award I've ever gotten. Thanks coffee rings everywhere !  I just wanted to take a quick break to thank her for the award and to pass it on.

This post describes the award.

So, to get things going, I wanted to give this award to these really prolific bloggers who I visit very often. They are listed in no particular order. [Drumroll please]


1. Hallee The Homemaker


2. Alamo North

3. Elizabeth Patch.com


4. Folksy Musin's


5. It's a Hodgepodge Life


6. Living By Faith, Hope and Love


7. Single and Sane

D is for Dachshund and Ducky

D is for Dachshund and Ducky

Since my last post in a to z challenge was about my cat I've decided to do this one about my dog Sophie and the fact that she is a Dachshund and her new love Ducky. But more about Ducky later. First, I want to tell you little about Sophie. She is a miniature Dachshund aka "wiener dog."  Dachshunds originated in Germany and are recognized by their long bodies and short legs.   There are three different sizes of Dachshunds with three different coat types-short, long, and wire haired. Now to their personality. They have A LOT of personality-at least Sophie does! First and foremost Sophie thinks she is a human. This attitude effects everything she does.  I am never alone. I have a long, low shadow following me around the house. When I try to get some alone time she cries. Typical kid right? Sophie is such a people dog. She has to greet everyone she sees and people rarely stay strangers long when she is there. Her favorite place to be is between her momma and daddy. She tries to sleep between us and often she sits on the couch with part of her on me, and part on my hubby. She has acquired some English too. Selected words like outside, food, toys and play. She loves to play. She especially likes to play with her  new rubber ducky. 
My mother in law recently gave Sophie a rubber ducky to play with.  At first, I was not crazy about the duck. Sophie already had a ton of toys and most of them make noise. I was sure this one would be no different. But I was wrong.  First of all, it is small enough that she can put the whole thing in her mouth and secondly it hardly squeaks! I love the duck almost as much a she does because of these things. 

In honor of Sophie's new I've made a song. Well actually I "tweaked" a song. I took the "Rubber Ducky song from Sesame Street and made the words to apply to Sophie. If you haven't heard the original song you can Google it.  Here's my version: 
Rubber Ducky
OH!
Rubber Ducky
Your the one
You make play time
Lots of fun!
Rubber Ducky
I'm awfully fond of you! (bobobodeo)

Rubber Ducky
Joy of joy
When i squeeze you you make noise
Rubber Ducky
You're my very best friend its true

Every Day
When I make my way to the toy box
I find a little fella who's
Cute and yella
And chubby
Rubba dub dubby!

Rubber Ducky
Your so fine
And im lucky that your mine
Rubber ducky im awfully fond of you

ooh....
Every Day
When I make my way to the toy box
I find a little fella whos
Cute and yella
And chubby
Rubba dub dubby!

Rubber ducky your so fine
And im lucky that your mine
Rubber ducky im awfully fond of
Rubber ducky im awfully foooond
Of you! 


 Do you have a pet with a personality all their own?