Books to Help Me Make Time for Myself and for God -- Mommy Time Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This past year has been very stressful on everyone. Mental health issues are up everywhere. As a mom and wife I think I have probably had to take the most risks with the virus. I am the one who generally goes to run errands. I am the one who goes to the grocery store. I am also the one that deals with making appointments for vaccines, etc. I don't know about where you are but there is a huge vaccine shortage in Massachusetts. And it doesn't help that the federal government has pressured the states to make everyone eligible by a certain date. Adding more people into the mix has just made it harder for the people who were already qualified to get appointments. Steve qualified almost three weeks ago. Today we were able to get him an appointment for next Friday. It has been very hard and frustrating. I have definitely felt like I need time for myself and I definitely need time to connect with God. One way I do this is by journaling and today I'm going to share a perfect journal for both things. It is The Confident Woman Journal by Joyce Meyer. 

Mommy Time Posts--Otomi Journal and Quilt Update

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this journal in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you make time for yourself? For self care? As mothers we tend to have the weight of the world or at least of our homes, families and work on our shoulders. It is hard to find time. A friend recently shared a post on Facebook of a conversation between two women. It involved finding time to meet God in mountains. In the Bible men are often climbing mountains and meeting God. Women however are back tending to the house and family. Does this mean women do not have God in their lives? No, the conversation shared that God knows the role women play and meets them at home. God is always with us to care for us because we don't have the time to just take off and climb a mountain. However it is important for us to take the time to take care of ourselves. I have decided to try to share products, activities and things about self care and mommy time on Fridays. First a quilt update. A few weeks ago I shared a review of Wintertime Shimmer. I decided to try the wall hanging option and instead of winter try to capture the beautiful autumn colors outside. I still have to do the applique on it and am planning on putting a female cardinal on instead of the male. (Yes I have an obsession with the female cardinals.) Anyway, here is the pieced portion of the quilt.

 I have to say it was very quick to piece and I love the pattern. I may make a winter one as well. I do find quilting, sewing, and crafts as part of my self care. I have a strong need to create and if I ignore the pull towards crafts I find myself lost. 

One of my favorite self care activities is journaling. There are times when the emotions are too much and I just need to let them out. I find my journal helps with this. Do you love journals? Hazel and I love them and tend to collect them. I was fortunate enough to get sent this beautiful Otomi Journal to review. 

This journal has embossed Mexican embroidery design all over the cover. It is based off the traditional embroidery of the Otomi People in Central Mexico. They are an indigenous group to Central Mexico.

Inside the journal there are lined pages. Then every fifth page of so a print from the traditional embroidery appears. They are animals or flowers. 

I love the little surprises of the print. The pages themselves are thick and a good quality. I haven't started to use it but plan to keep track of some health data so I know what to tell doctors when I have appointments. Nowadays they tend to be telehealth appointments so it is important to be able to tell my doctor everything I need to since she is not really examining me. 

Plus if I get my act together I will be able to use it to track my diet and exercise. How would you use a journal? This one is absolutely beautiful. I love the added touch of its culture. They also have Otomi Notecards if you would prefer to send the beauty to your friends and family. I would love to hear how you are doing some self care these days!

Books to Help Her Take Care of Herself and Others -- Tweens, Teens, Adults and Younger

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in return for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. Some of the links are affiliate links where I will receive a small percentage of any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

Have you ever woken up feeling a bit off? That is how I feel this morning. I knew I wanted to write a review but I didn't sleep well and feel like I might be fighting the cold that is going around. When I looked at my review shelves I didn't turn to the books I was planning on reviewing but looked at books that inspire self care. I added a few that would involve being oneself and health and I created this grouping to share with you today. Most of the books are for tweens through adults but one book which we will start with is for ages 3 to 6. It is It's Okay to Be a Unicorn! by Jason Tharp. This book is not available for sale until February.

Christian Gifts for Tween Girls -- Review & Giveaway

Disclosure: Wee Believers sent me this gift pack and offered one for a giveaway to one of my great readers!! All opinions are my own (or Hazel's).

Do you want a meaningful gift for a tween? Wee Believers offers some great Christian products and has an entire line, Let Your Light Shine, for tweens, and Hazel LOVES them. We reviewed some of their products previously. Hazel was really excited that we got another gift pack to review. This time the theme is Love and we LOVE it!! First there is the Love Heart-Shaped Affirmation Pillow. 

Let Your Light Shine Review

Disclosure: Wee Believers sent me these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Last month I got to share with you the wonderful journaling Bible I have. Hazel was very jealous of this fun way to read God's word. However Wee Believers has saved me from sharing or purchasing another one. They have an amazing new line called Let Your Light Shine that is perfect for 8+ year old girls. I showed Hazel their collection and let her pick which items she liked best. She chose the Joy Devotional Journal and matching Joy Medium Accessory Case. 

Choosing a Bible -- Bible Reviews

Disclosure: I was sent these books free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hazel is getting old enough that the story Bibles are a bit young for her. She wants to be able to look up scripture. It is time for a new Bible. How do I choose one? Well I was able to get two different types of kids' Bibles as well as a journaling Bible (which I am going to keep for myself). I am going to share all three with you today. The first Bible is the ICB Blessed Garden Bible from Tommy Nelson. 

Journal Sparks -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent this book to review free of charge from Storey Publishing. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

Do you need a spark for your creativity? I think every crafter goes through a dry spell. Life gets busy or you just don't feel like creating anything right then. Today's book helps everyone find a little creativity spark. The book is Journal Sparks: Fire Up Your Creativity with Spontaneous Art, Wild Writings and Inventive Thinking  by Emily K. Neuburger.  You may remember Emily K. Neuburger from Show Me a Story. 

Delving into Bullet Journaling with Paper Mate and Sharpie -- a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: I was sent these pens to review free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.

Have you discovered bullet journaling yet? My first introduction to it was someone coming into work and asking for a bullet journal. Now Paper Source sells many journals, but we did not have the official bullet journal nor had I even heard of it. I did some research on-line. For those who are like me and don't know, Bullet Journal or BuJo, was created by Ryder Carroll. He is a digital product designer in Brooklyn, New York. Through trial and error he came up with a system that worked for him. People say a bullet journal is like a planner, an organizer and a diary all in one. It is hard to understand this until you try it. (Source) The instructions for bullet journal says you can use any notebook, but they do sell an official BuJo Notebook. I decided to just us a journal I had at home. Mine has lines unlike the ones on bullet journal site which has a dot grid. From what I can tell bullet journaling is about finding a system that works for you. It is meant to be a quick way to organize yourself and be flexible to help each person. When I searched Pinterest I found ones that are used by students, teachers, and even for planning weddings. You can check out my Journals Board to see what I found.