EmpowerMoms

The Spider and the Sparrow by A.L. Sowards

I enjoyed this historical, romantic fiction story that takes place during WWI time period in France and Germany. This story is rich with history! You can tell that the author spent alot of time with her research and details before releasing this book.

“The Spider and the Sparrow” follows 4 main characters- Evette, Claire, Julian and Warren. They each have a big part of the story and it’s interesting how different their upbringings and lives are.

The story has a steady plot with some twists and turns. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will definitely enjoy this one!

There is war violence and death in this book-not suitable for young adult readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

Book Description:
May 1915. After tragedy strikes during the Second Battle of Artois, Frenchman Julian Olivier will do anything to get out of the trenches. So when British Intelligence recruits him to spy behind enemy lines, he jumps at the opportunity. Just before he begins, however, he has a chance encounter with a young French woman who leaves his heart marked for the remainder of the war—even if he doesn’t know her name.
Warren Flynn is a Canadian airborne hero, and dogfights with the Germans are all in a day’s work. Second only to his love of flying is his fascination with Claire Donovan, the daughter of an American munitions manufacturer living in Paris. Warren flies Julian into Germany and soon receives orders to post the Allies newest operative—an attractive peasant woman named Evette in Claire’s home.

As a dangerous ring of spies and saboteurs threatens to turn the war against the Allies, Julian discovers goodness in his enemies’ hearts. But even if he survives, will he ever be reunited with the woman whose memory he can’t erase? Will Warren survive the war, and will Evette unearth the infiltrator in her own territory before it’s too late?

You can purchase a copy here:

Biography:
A.L. Sowards grew up in Moses Lake, Washington, then came to Utah to attend BYU and ended up staying. Now she’s a busy mom with young kids, but she does her best to squeeze writing time in between naptime, stroller rides, and homework sessions. She enjoys reading, writing, learning about history, and eating chocolate, sometimes all at once. As an author, she is known for heart-pounding action, memorable characters, careful historical research, clean romance, and family-friendly language. Several of her novels have been Whitney Award finalists in the historical fiction category.

For more information, please visit her website, ALSowards.com

Love, Stock, & Barrel (Marriage & Mayhem Book 2) by Crystal L Barnes

This was such a great, historical western romance written in the 1880s time period. I haven’t read book 1 yet but they can be read as stand alone titles.

Dinah is a funny, headstrong woman who runs away to Texas to find a man who is mentioned in her dead mothers journal. She finds him in the town of Crystal Falls but he doesn’t want to talk or answer any of her questions about her deceased mother. She also meets a handsome rancher named Russell who is having a hard time balancing work and family. Together they find a way to help each other and get the answers they are seeking.

“Love, Stock & Barrel” is a clean, christian fiction with themes like faith, God, prayer, trust and forgiveness through out the book. I did not find the book “too preachy” and enjoyed the steady plot and interesting characters. I hope there is another book that continues to follow Dinah and Russell’s story.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the Book:
Hiding from a rat of a fiancé, Dinah Lexington makes tracks for Texas and who she hopes is her late mother’s relative. She’s seeking answers but finds more than she bargains for when she gets caught in a shotgun wedding—with the rifle pointed at her.

Russell Cahill can’t believe his father is demanding he marry the feisty redhead. The sharpshooting female would only add to his troubles, but how does one argue with a gun and an attraction he’s fought to ignore?

Sparks fly. Secrets surface. Loss threatens.

Will a dream for love shatter forever, or will the pair find a marriage worth lock, stock, and barrel?

You can purchase a copy here:

About the Author:
Crystal L Barnes is an award-winning author, who also happens to be a born-n-raised Texan. She is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), her local ACFW chapter, 19th Century Writers, and her local church. In 2012, she was a semifinalist in the ACFW Genesis contest. She has a degree in Computing Science because she loves putting things into their proper place, and she enjoys writing because she gets to share her love of old-fashioned things and the Lord. Find out more about Crystal at www.crystal-barnes.com or connect with her on Facebook, Google+, or Pinterest. Want to stay up to date on the latest happenings? Sign up for Crystal’s Newsletter on her website.

I purchased this BRAND NEW Jessica Smith 6 Mile Mix from Amazon and got it Tuesday night when it was released. I did the warm up, cool down, bonus stretch and miles 1-4 on Wednesday; and then miles 5 and 6 the next day so I could post this review this week.

I really like the customized menu! I tried it out on Thursday with selecting the warm up, mile 5, mile 6, mile 1, and cool down. The cool thing about the custom menu is that you can select any workout you want to do, in whatever order you want to do!

If you want to do just the strength training segments with the band-you would select mile 2, 3 and 5. If you want to do just cardio-you would select mile 1, 4 and 6.

I highly recommend always doing the warm up and cool down segments because miles 1-6 are fast paced and she gets right into the workout. The bonus stretch segment is really good as well! You will need a chair for the bonus stretch.

The warm up and all the mile segments show a countdown clock on the bottom right of the screen. The cool down and bonus stretch do not have a clock countdown. I like the clock feature because when I’m feeling a little tired I can always push myself to do more when I see what little time I have left. It’s also really helpful for my 5 year old to be able to see the clock when he’s exercising with me.

The first day I tried the workout with a friend and we both agreed that the time went by REALLY fast (and we did 4 miles!). I was pleasantly surprised that although I have alot of home workout dvds and Jessica Smith workout dvds, that this one is very different! She has alot of new movements and patterns that I’ve never done before.

I was hesitant to buy it because sometimes resistance band workouts irritate my upper back, but I love Jessica Smith workouts so I bought it anyway. I’M SO GLAD THAT I DID! I really love it and plan on doing this workout with her phase II calendar rotation with other Jessica Smith workout dvds. I made sure to the bonus stretch both days so my back wouldn’t hurt after using the resistance band and I haven’t had any trouble.

Jessica and the cast are using 6 foot resistance bands but she says in the intro segment that you could use whatever length you have at home. I only had a 5 foot one which I used and it worked fine. I knew a 6 foot one would be better so I bought a set online to use the next time I did this workout.

The music is great and just loud enough to be heard. The usual cast of Beth and Debbie are in it which I love! Debbie shows modifications and Beth shows the more advanced higher impact movements. This dvd uses the same background set as her Walk Strong DVD set.

Here is the time breakdown for each segment so you can plan accordingly:

Warm up (6:10 mins)
Mile 1 Steady Burn (15:47 mins)
Mile 2 Upper Body Sculpt with band (15:25 mins)
Mile 3 Lower Body Toner with band (15:35 mins) *you are on the floor from 10:50-15:35.
Mile 4 Cardio Interval Abs (15:25 mins) 3 rounds of 3 different intervals
Mile 5 Today Body Tune Up with band (16:05 mins)
Mile 6 Speed Walk (12:15 mins) with jogging
Cool down (5:00 mins) no clock
Bonus stretch with chair (5:50 mins) no clock

Main Screen

Customize your walk! Select which segment you want to do in whatever order you want.

You will be using a resistance band for Mile 2, 3 and 5.

Jessica recommends using a 6 foot band in length-that’s what they are using. I only had a 5 foot one so that’s what I used.

LET’S TALK ABOUT BANDS!
A 6 foot one would be easier to do exercises like this one which is why she recommends this length.

I went ahead and ordered this set from Amazon for less than $20! I’m pretty sure this is the set that Jessica Smith is also using.

You can purchase it here if you need a set:

LET’S TALK ABOUT SHOES!
I typically wear indoor running shoes (Asics) when I do indoor fitness walking dvds. That’s what I wore on Wednesday when I did the first couple of workouts on this dvd.
However, I noticed my right knee felt aggravated afterwards so on Thursday I decided to wear my Ryka cross trainers and didn’t have any issues!

The reason I wore cross trainers instead of running shoes is because I was doing alot of moving around and side to side with this workout dvd.

Cross trainers are made to cushion your feet and protect your joints when you go up and back and side to side.

Running shoes are just made to cushion going up and back like with typical running and walking.

I found this out years ago when I realized certain workouts aggravated my knees and my back when I wore running shoes (like dancing, HIIT and cardio workouts) which is why I switched to wearing cross trainers.

I highly recommend Asics Cross Trainers or Ryka Cross trainers!
These are the Ryka Dynamic Cross-Training Shoe that I’m wearing:

Here is my FitBit Charge HR stats from Wednesday night when I did the warm up, mile 1, mile 2, mile 3, mile 4 and cool down. Did bonus stretch after stopping my FitBit.

On Thursday morning I did the warm up, mile 5, mile 6, mile 1 and cool down.

You can watch the INTRO video here:

Create your own custom walking plan every time you walk with us! Using the main DVD menu, choose your own personal program from our walk segments:

Warm Up (5 Minutes): This walking specific warm up will have you ready and raring to go on your daily walking adventure.

Mile #1: Steady Burn (15 Minutes): Walk strong and steady for this brisk mile to build your endurance while you burn calories.

Mile #2: Upper Body Sculpt (15 Minutes): Strengthen and sculpt your upper half using a resistance band while we continue to walk during this multi-tasking mile.

Mile #3: Lower Body Toner (15 Minutes): We’ll tone and tighten everything below the belt with this lower body focused walk.

Mile #4: Cardio Interval Abs (15 Minutes): Blast off fat faster with this combo of belly fat burning interval training and targeted standing abs moves during this mega mile.

Mile #5: Total Body Tune Up (15 Minutes): Rev up your metabolism to burn calories around the clock with this strong, total body sculpting walk. .

Mile #6: Speed Walk (12 Minutes): This fast paced mile is designed to help you improve your fitness and boost your burn in less time.

Cool Down (5 Minutes): Wind down your walk with a proper cool down designed to help restore and recharge your body.

Stretch (5 Minutes): Spend a few extra minutes with us anytime to stretch out tight, tired or sore muscles with this series of stretches designed specifically for regular walkers just like you.

Mix and match your miles as you see fit – try one or two on days you are pressed for time or create a longer walk anytime you want. We’ll be here to walk with you anytime – rain or shine!

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A flat resistance band

You can purchase a copy here:

I have been using my Live Infinitely 32 oz. Infuser Water Bottle for a week now and really like it! It came from Amazon as described & in a good shipping box so none of the pieces were cracked or broken.

It was very easy to take apart all the pieces to hand wash them before use.

I’ve filled my fruit infuser with strawberries and cherries so far. Its not a strong taste which I like, and the fruit stays in the infuser part without leaking pieces of fruit into my water.

Some things that I like about this water bottle:

❖ Comes in fun colors! I ordered the purple one because it’s my favorite color.

❖ Appears to be leak proof. I’ve only had it for about a week though so I can’t comment on the longevity of this product.

❖ I love the thumb releasing flip top, side hand grips, and a carrying loop. Makes it really easy to drink and carry around! Love that they put these details into this water bottle!

I received this product complimentary from the Tomoson Blogger program for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

Product Description
Did You Know That According to Boston College Dieticians Over 66% of Americans Don’t Drink Enough Water Daily?

You’ll feel inspired to drink more when that Amazon package comes rolling in on your doorstep and you engineer your first infusion creation.

Our infused water bottle gives YOU the power to develop thirst-quenching recipes that fit your busy lifestyle and personal taste preferences.

Simple to Use:
Simply toss your favorite fruits or veggies into the infusion basket, fill with water, give it a little shake and allow about 10 minutes for the infusion water bottle to work!

Check out the Health Benefits:
✓ Green tea+Mint+Lime: Fat burning, digestion, relieves headaches, and congestion.

✓ Strawberry+Kiwi: Immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, cardiovascular health and digestion

What Separates Live Infinitely’s Water Infuser From Other Bottles?

❖ Full Length Top Infuser allow the fruit to flavor the water the entire time! Industry First!

❖ Made of quality Eastman Tritan Copolyester, which is eco-friendly, BPA free, dishwasher safe and leak proof.

❖ Each infusion bottle features a thumb releasing flip top, dual hand grips and a carrying loop

❖ All of our water bottles are backed with our 100% money back guarantee

❖ FREE infusion recipe eBook with every purchase as our way to say THANK YOU!

You can purchase one here:

$89.99 for Garmin Forerunner 15 Small WITHOUT heart rate monitor.

Color choice of:
Violet/white
Teal/white
Red/black
Black/green
Black/blue

Special price is only good for TODAY Thursday March 3rd!

I have a pink Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS watch and I have found it very useful with pacing myself while doing race training and walking.

Product Description
Style: Without Heart Rate Monitor | Color: Violet/White | Product Packaging: Standard Packaging

Easy-to-use GPS Running Watch with Heart Rate

Tracks distance, pace, heart rate¹ and calories

Activity tracking counts steps and calories and reminds you when it’s time to move

Compatible with foot pod² for recording distance indoors

Up to 8 hours of battery life with GPS on or 5 weeks in watch/activity tracking mode

Save, plan and share your activities at Garmin Connect

Run with all your heart. Forerunner 15 captures essential stats from your run like time, distance and pace. When paired with a heart rate strap¹, it also records your heart rate and heart rate zone so you’ll know when you hit your target. Training with heart rate also allows you to monitor when you need to rein it in and when you can push yourself harder.

Monitor Your Activity Between Runs
Want to track the steps you take throughout your day when you’re not working out? Now you can, without wearing a separate activity tracking device. Forerunner 15 counts your steps and the calories you burn all day. When you upload your data to Garmin Connect, this allows you to monitor your progress toward fitness goals and see overall fitness trends. Forerunner 15 also reminds you when it’s time to move if you’ve been sitting for more than an hour. When you get that cue to move, just walk for a couple of minutes to reset the inactivity indicator.

Motivation by the Mile
Forerunner 15 has an auto lap function that automatically alerts you when you complete each mile, giving you a friendly beep and a backlit screen that flashes your time for that mile. When you complete your run and save it, you’ll see a summary of how you did, including your total time, distance, average pace and calories. Forerunner 15 even lets you know when you achieve a personal record, like your fastest mile or longest run to date.

Train Indoors or Out
For outdoor runs, Forerunner 15 uses GPS to accurately record your time, pace and distance. To track distance and pace when you hit the treadmill or an indoor track, just pair Forerunner 15 with an optional foot pod, which attaches to the laces of your shoe.

Wear it All Day
You won’t have to worry about charging Forerunner every night. The rechargeable battery will last up to 5 weeks in watch/activity tracking mode or 8 hours when using it with GPS on your outdoor runs. Forerunner 15 has a water rating of 5 ATM (50 meters), which means it resists rain and sweat and can even join you for a swim.

Get Connected
With a simple connection to your Mac® or PC, you can upload your activities to our free online fitness community, Garmin Connect. Here, you can see your run on a map, get more detail on each mile, see a daily summary of your activities and share with friends. You can also join online challenges and earn virtual badges for extra motivation.