Beautifully Poor

White as Silence, Red as Song by Alessandro D'Avenia is what I would call, the love story of a teenage boy named Leo. It is written in first person, almost as if it is a diary - which is fine by me. I used to read diary type books a lot as a young adult. It is, however, different to read from a young man's point of view. Some of it is just hum-drum regular kid stuff like soccer and hanging with his best friends, Niko and Silvia. A lot of it is his obsession with Beatrice.

The very first section explains the title of the book. Leo compares different things to colors. Silence is white - which to him is nothing because there is nothing within white, no color, no feeling. Silence to Leo throughout the book is almost an enemy, something that distresses his very soul. He then compares his love interest Beatrice to the color red, saying that love is red - it is a tempest, a hurricane "that sweeps you away"*, and an earthquake "that crumbles your body to pieces".*…

Let me say, this book is inspiring. Reading Sanya's story was beyond amazing, and as a runner I found it extremely inspirational, though I am definitely not even close to Olympic material. 
Sanya Richards-Ross began running at the age of 7. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she naturally wanted to be a runner. Running is huge in Jamaica just like Football or Baseball are big in America. She even says that this was her gift from God - to run. I love how each chapter begins with a Bible scripture. 
Sanya tells us her story - the journey of becoming a U.S. Olympic Champion. With the support of her family, Sanya goes on to become a record breaker - a U.S. and World record breaker. Through it all she gives the glory to God, which is amazing for someone who has done so many great things. 
I found this book a great, easy read. It is geared toward a younger crowd, I would say pre-teen - teen. As I said, extremely easy to read, has great sets of facts throughout the chapters. For example, on pag…

I love wine. I didn't develop a taste for it until I worked at what was called the Terrace Bay Inn in my hometown as a college student. We had nightly wine specials so naturally the owners wanted us to know what the wines we were selling tasted like. After that, there was no turning back.

Now this. Winc. Ahhh, Winc! Where have you been all these years! This is a really fun and exciting way to try new wines. It is extremely easy and convenient, and getting wine delivered to my house is just fabulous.


Here is how it works: You go to https://www.winc.com/usfamilyguide (using this will get you $22 off your first month!!) Click Get Started and it will ask a series of simple questions about your palate. How do you like your coffee, how do you feel about salt, do you like citrus flavors, what's your take on earthy flavors, do you like berries, are you an adventurous eater - easy right?

Then you get to build your box. You can choose 2 white 2 red, 1 red 3 white, 3 red 1 white, all wh…

Ever since I read Green Enough by Leah Segedie, I have made a priority of cleaning up our household products to  be greener and healthier. Part of that is beauty products and toiletries, which can be pricey if you don't find the right stuff.

I was introduced to Dr. Jacobs Naturals and am in LOVE. Why? Because their Castile Soap can be used for so many things! It can be used as a dish soap, body wash, shampoo, all purpose cleaner, shaving lather, even laundry soap. The newest thing I'm going to try is bathing my cats in it - HAHA. They get a monthly bath and it's coming up soon, so I am excited to use this.


As a body wash, it has left my skin extremely soft. I have dry skin, and taking hot or long showers dries it out even more - and so does shaving! So having a soap that keeps my skin soft without me having to lather on tons of lotion post-shower is great. I also used it as a shampoo, which I have dyed hair that it cleaned really well - just make sure to wash out the soap…

$22 Off Your First Month of Winc Wine - Winc offers 4 personalized wines each month. Bottles start at $13 each. Winc is not your traditional wine club: we are a direct-distribution global wine company that personalizes the entire wine experience - We are perfecting how wine is made, distributed, perceived and purchased via our Palate Profile quiz that recommends wine based on your unique tastes and I'll add enjoyed on behalf of a new generation of wine drinkers. It takes the hassle and guesswork out of picking a bottle from your local liquor store and delivers the perfect bottle directly to your doorstep. We do all this as part of our quest to improve the experience for consumers, create a platform for artisanal winemaking, and build a grape-to-glass supply chain that's sustainable for the planet. No more intimidating language and steep price points, and more joy in the act of sharing a bottle.

$22 Off Your First Month of Winc Wine - New members can enjoy $22 off of their first…

Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majorsis an inspiring story of faith, love, and hope. The way Katie writes is so moving, so touching that it was hard to put the book itself down. I cried more than once reading about her beautiful life with the men, women, and children of Uganda. Her story is that of trusting God, even when it seems the hardest. I really have no words to describe the welling in my heart right now as I write this review about such a beautiful book.
Katie Davis Majors enraptured me into a world I can only but imagine. I have never seen the dirty floors of a hut, I have never watched women give birth and then die next to their newborn. I have never adopted one child, let alone 13. She is nothing short of inspiring. The way she writes as a real person, someone that is extremely relatable, I believe is the best part of Daring to Hope. I am going to go as far as to say that everyone should at least read this book, if not make it part of their own library for re-reading when goi…