"The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden" by Karen Newcomb

The whole idea of the Postage Stamp Garden is created for people who have little to no space for a vegetable garden. Despite the fact that I actually have a rather large yard, I really enjoyed reading this guide. Plants, flowers and landscaping have always interested me. I love learning about new ways and ideas to arrange plants in my yard.

I think this book offers a lot of valuable insight on a topic I have really not heard much about. Before reading this book, I had never heard of a postage stamp garden. Essentially it means clustering plants together in a small square space. This idea was unheard of to me. The only gardens I really ever see are long rows of tomato, green pepper and cucumber plants. Cluster gardening was completely foreign to me. This type of gardening is ideal for someone who has a small yard or who lives in an apartment with a small balcony.

"The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden" helps you plan which plants you want to plant, and how many of each. It also demonstrates which plants compliment each other and are ideal to plant next to each other. This book also offers valuable insight on when to plant, getting your ground ready, and how to control pests, diseases and critters. There are multiple diagrams of ways to arrange your plants to compliment each other, which I found extremely helpful. I know not everyone is able to visualize how they want their garden to look, so I loved this feature.

I think this book would be excellent for both beginner and expert gardeners. It has some excellent advice and ideas that I will continue to review throughout the gardening season. I rate this book as 5 stars. I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

Tiny Bear Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

"Tiny Bear Bible" by Sally Lloyd-Jones is an adorable cuddly Bible created for babies to toddler age children. It features an adorable fuzzy baby bear on the front cover that is soft to the touch! There are 11 Bible stories included beginning with "God makes the whole wide world- Genesis 1 & 2" and ending with "I am with you always- Matthew 28".

The rhyming stories are nice and short, containing about 8 lines each. There are also adorable full color photos on each page. For the first page of the story, it's a picture describing the Bible story. On the second page, it's a picture of baby bear and his definition of the story. For example, in "Jesus stops a scary storm" a depiction of Mark 4, the first page is of Jesus calming the storm, and the second picture is of Baby bear being comforted during a thunderstorm.

I like how the author gives an example of each Bible story and how we can apply the stories to our lives. I think the stories are just the right length too. I gave this storybook Bible to my 10 month old and she absolutely loves it! She will sit on my lap and is able to sit through 1 or 2 stories right now. She also loves the fuzzy front cover. I would say this Bible probably would be appropriate for a child under 2. My three year old is a little beyond this Bible. She knows it is for babies.

Overall I think this is an adorable Bible! I would definitely recommend it for babies under two years of age. I rate it as 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Adrenal Reset Diet by Alan Christianson, NMD

Having problems losing weight? Getting your metabolism regulated? Producing too much cortisol? Then perhaps you should consider reading "The Adrenal Reset Diet: Strategically cycle carbs and proteins to lose weight, balance hormones, and move from stressed to thriving" by Alan Christianson, NMD.

The idea for this book is to cycle the way you eat carbs and proteins. There are specific times of day that carbs are actually great for you and times when they slow your metabolism. It is also important to eat the right kind of carbs, such as natural carbs that come from fruits and vegetables and not from pasta and breads and other "junk" food.

Dr. Christianson also has a ket to figuring out what state your adrenal glands are in. Are they stressed? Thriving? Or maybe they're wired and tired? After figuring out what level your adrenal glands are, you can better understand how to reset them.

Also included in this book is a database of recipes you can use for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to help keep your reset diet on track. He also includes some great ideas on exercise plans and which exercises are best for you.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the fact that Alan Christianson, NMD is a Naturopathic Medical doctor who specializes in natural endocrinology with a focus on thyroid disorders. To learn more about him and what he does, please visit www.DrChristianson.com.

I think this book has a lot to offer. I found that I learned quite a bit about myself and thyroid disorders by reading this book. I will definitely be trying out some of his ideas here, not necessarily to lose weight, but to reset my adrenal glands to work more efficiently. I rate this book as 4 stars.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

The Berenstain Bears' Country Cookbook by Mike Berenstain

If you had a childhood anything like mine, you probably grew up reading the Berenstain Bears books and watching their movies! Luckily my mom kept all of these books that my brother and I had so that our children can enjoy them too! So my kids are definitely familiar with the characters, and were super excited to see that I was reviewing "The Berenstain Bears' Country Cookbook" by Mike Berenstain. The older generations probably remember the Berenstain Bear books by Stan and Jan, but these new books are actually written by their son, Mike!

This cookbook includes over 40 kid-friendly breakfast, lunch, main dishes, and dessert and snack recipes! Some of the recipes are very simple so that children can do them without any assistance. Others require just a little help from a parent. Some examples of the recipes included are: Bear-y Good Oatmeal, Mini Pizzas, Tomato and Bacon Quiche, Green Noodle Lasagna, and Banana Pops. Most of the recipes include foods that my children already eat regularly, but I did like the fact that there were also some new foods introduced that many kids might be hesitant to try. I think that the way this book is set up, might make kids more likely to try some of healthier recipes that they may not have tried before. For example, one of the recipes is called "Turkey Shaped Sandwiches" which includes yellow and red peppers. Normally, my kids are not a fan of peppers, but I think the cute setup of this recipe might make them more willing to give it a try.

Many of the recipes suggest the use of honey instead of sugar. I thought this was a really cute idea considering that bears like honey, and also a healthier alternative to sugar. The back of the book has a cute little fact sheet about honey. It explains how honey bees work and how much honey they produce. There are also a few other fun facts about honey itself.

At the back of the book, there is also a short prayer called "Grace Before Meals" and then a Kitchen Measurement sheet. My oldest has already learned all of her measurements in school, but it's a cute little reminder. Especially the more confusing facts like converting tablespoons into cups, or how many pinches are in a tablespoon.

All in all, this is a cook book my girls and I all loved and will be using for years to come. I would say the recipes are probably for children for 5 or 6 on up. A child that age will probably not be able to do all of the recipes included in the book, but they can get started on the easier recipes. I rate this book as 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”