Reviews - Chaos Appreciation

Dear youTube

April 12, 2012 By TheTadey Leave a Comment

I will admit, I am not a big youTube watcher. I watch some things, when I get the feeling to watch some things. I’ll watch a friends video. Occasionally, I’ll get bored and I’ll go to you and search something silly like “hair up dos” and then get all depressed watching some cutesy college girl show me how to do a french braid (something I already know how to do).

My daughters, unlike their mom, LOVE you. They would spend all day watching your silly videos, copies of their favorite cartoons, music videos, “how to make your mom nuts” videos. Most of what they pick out is pretty decent and clean. They know what we consider appropriate and for the most part they do a good job of sticking to the kid stuff.

We have recently added a content filter to our network. If there are too many “flagged” words then the page is blocked. It sounded perfect. Until….

My girls went to watch their favorite Taylor Swift video and it was blocked.

Taylor. Swift. Seriously??? WTHookie Hoo YouTube?

So I went on my laptop and typed in the url and scanned the page to see what “flagged” words got this innocent video blocked.

Oh look… there were a half dozen f-bombs and b-words where some ignorant nitwit with too much bandwidth and too much time decided to sit around and comment on filth on all the videos.

I realize it is NOT your job to block out ignorant users. I mean, if you did then we would have this gem. I do think it would be helpful to your more intelligent users if you allowed us the option to hide comments. Allow that to be our default set up. My blog can do it, I know you can do it.

I’m sure my kids would enjoy being able to use your site again.

Sincerely,

Disappointed Mom

Love and Blessings, The Tadey

The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood : A Review and Giveaway

December 8, 2011 By TheTadey 6 Comments

When I attended Relevant last October I had no way of knowing the profound impact it would have in my life. I met friends, made friends, found amazing new authors and musicians. I met artists and motivators. I found myself hugging and giggling with successful business women. I knew it would be fun, inspiring and informative. It was so much more than that.

I remember meeting Shelley Noonan. She sat at our table at dinner, ready to field our questions. I hate to admit that I didn’t know who she was aside from my assumption that she was a blogger (it was a blog conference). Before I left Pennsylvania I probably hugged her a dozen times (and not one picture!). As I sat, curled up on my couch, reading Beautiful Girlhood and Mrs. Noonan’s book the companion guide, I wished I could hug her again. Offering these books to me, and my three daughters, for review was one of the best blessings I brought back from Relevant. All the things I didn’t know how to talk about, all the questions I didn’t know how to ask, they are all here. Easy for my daughter to read. Easy for us to discuss.

Mrs. Noonan gets the conversation started for me; offering a variety of levels of conversation that lets me review the chapters with each daughter at the level of maturity and comprehension they are at at the time.

My oldest is only ten years old. The magazines can call her a tween if they want to but I’m fighting that thought with every fiber of my being. I sat with her, as she read chapter one. I really thought she would appreciate them, as I felt there were some points being made to which she would relate.

Her blank stare comforted me as it told me “not yet mom”. I see where the book and Companion Guide are going to become an invaluable resource for my daughters and I in the future (maybe even the very near future).

Some of the topics covered include:

The transition from girl to woman
Obedience
Being Beautiful
Truthfulness
Disposition
Purpose
Ambition
Attire and Modesty
Friendships
much much more!

The Companion Guide includes Discussion Questions that prompt mother and daughter to share stories, feelings, and dreams. Then there are Bible Activities and Applications to take the concepts even deeper. The Lessons end with wonderfully chosen quotes and journal prompts that invite the mothers and daughters to consider how the lessons impact them personally.

There is even a book (and companion guide written by Shelley) titled Beyond Beautiful Girlhood for the 13-18 year old set.

I still have a few years left before I have to get into that one!

If that wasn’t enough, Shelley Noonan also runs the blog :

where she provides more ideas, crafts, recipes, etc. to help you and your daughter grow even more closer.

Pumpkin Seed Press has been kind enough to let me offer the Beautiful Girlhood and The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood SET to one of my readers! WHOO HOO!

So…. look, below, enter, win, NOW! Drawing ends on the 15th and is limited to those with addresses in the United States.

You can see more of my official disclaimer here. Mrs. Noonan was kind enough to give me these books for free in exchange for an honest review. I asked Pumpkin Seed Press if they would bless my readers with a copy of the books and they agreed. **The above pictures of the books will link to Amazon affiliate links…. if you would prefer to order them directly from Pumpkin Seed Press you can do so here.**

Love and Blessings, The Tadey

Filed Under: Encouragement, Faith, Reviews, The Chaos Makers Tagged With: Beautiful Girlhood, girlhood, girls, giveaway, Pumpkin Seed Press, Shelley Noonan, teens, The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood, tweens, womanhood 6 Comments

Overcoming the Nevers – Week 4 – A Final Review and Giveaway

December 6, 2011 By TheTadey 5 Comments

In Overcoming the Nevers by Gardening Your Life and Nurturing Seeds of Truth, Teri uses her life experiences as a springboard to help readers move on from the crippling, joy-stealing “Negative Nevers.” The book shares the tools that Teri has learned as well as practical tips and applications for using them in your life to overcome your worst nevers. Are you willing to discover the truth about who you were created to be? Overcoming the Nevers inspires and equips you with the opportunities to become your best YOU.

This past week has been rough. In an effort to make progress toward another one of my nevers ( I never thought I’d have partial dentures before 40) I had two more molars pulled last Friday and for the most part I’ve felt like my face was broken ever since. I was given some decent pain medication but Ibuprofen seems to ease the swelling and that eases the pain better than the prescription stuff. I tell you that to offer up and ~~excuse~~ explanation as to why this post will be a bit choppy. I’m still a bit foggy headed and bullet points work best for me right now.

In the last few chapters of Teri’s book, she discusses the daily evaluations, or re-evaluations, that should be done to maintain the progress you’ve made. I’ll admit I was skimming a bit through part of this as it sounded a lot like work and I can barely remember to take my vitamins and brush my teeth nevermind sitting down and journaling my personal evals everyday. Then, like she does through out the book, she made it easy for me.

You, Others, God, Life. Just ask “How did I do? Was I nice to ME? Was I kind to OTHERS? Did I seek out God and foster that relationship? What can I take from today? ” Quick little questions I can ask myself as I walk about, as I shower, as I ….ahem… brush my teeth. No need to write it down, it’s just for me anyway.

I know that I need to start committing time each day to asking God to show me areas IN ME that need work; and I need to learn to be quiet and listen (without trying to defend myself) and the correct my behaviors.

“Prayer is when you talk to God and meditation is when you listen to God.” – page 160

One of the first realizations I came to was that the ones I love the most are the ones being hurt the most by my negative treatment (emotionally) of my self. How can I raise confident daughters if all they ever see is mom treating herself like the ultimate slacker-loser-weaklink-bad mom? If they see me as good, then see me treat myself as if I were all wrong and bad, what kind of lesson am I teaching them?

The next point that caught my attention in a big way was on page 171 when she spoke of her disdain for the word “try”. This is the second time this thought has been brought before my eyes in the past 24 hours. It’s time to stop “trying” to do things. Either do them, or don’t do them, but “trying” is just an excuse to justify my procrastination. Sometimes the “don’t do it” is okay.

The end of her book talks about being a light. This is an area I struggle with because I’m not the aggressive evangelical Christian that I thought I had to be in order to be a good Christian. (um, yea, apparently “aggressive evangelical” is not required…who knew?)

Her final questions asked me to list ten people right now to whom I would want to be a light.

I prayed that I might be a light to you. My reader.

or readers,

One or many,

It doesn’t matter quantity.

What matters is that I take the time to keep my spiritual cup filled so that my light can keep shining, for whomever God needs it to shine on.

Teri has given me a new set of tools, a set of steps, that I can use daily to refine myself, overcome my nevers, and grow in my relationship with God. She has graciously offered, in exchange for my honest review of her book, to offer a copy of her book – her tools- to one of my readers. Giveaway ends next Monday, December 12th!

(for my full disclosure policy click here)

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Teri is the President and Founder of Keeping it Personal. She is also a writer, speaker, and sought-after personal growth expert who enjoys great conversations while sipping coffee, photography, and soaking up as many sunsets as she can. Teri is passionate about helping others as an encourager and a cheerleader to many. The author lives a joy-filled life, deeply devoted to her husband, her two boys, and her relationship with God. Connect with Teri at TeriJohnson.com.

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