Building the Columbia River Highway {Book Giveaway & Review}

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! Hope everyone is having a lovely week so far!

I love to read about interesting things in history, and it's even more fun to read about places I'm familiar with. What's most fun of all, though, is when I read something written by someone I know! It's easy to put a real voice to the narrative---just like my friend is reading to me from miles away! Today I'm sharing a great book with you, Building the Columbia River Highway: They Said It Couldn't Be Done by Peg Willis. I'm even giving away a FREE COPY in a worldwide giveaway, so make sure to check out the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win. If you just can't wait to get your hands on the book, you can purchase one in my Etsy shop.

Book Description: An Artist's Dream, an Engineer's Nightmare. When nine-hundred-foot ice age floods carved the Columbia River Gorge through the Cascade Mountains to the sea, little space was left for man to form a highway of his own. It took an artist-poet-engineer extraordinaire to conquer this reluctant piece of real estate and produce the nation's first scenic highway. Meet Sam Hill, the mover and shaker, and Samuel Lancaster, the polio survivor, who turned modern engineering on its ear to create a "poem in stone." Today, Oregon's historic Columbia River Highway is hidden among the trees, where it meanders past spectacular waterfalls and dramatic views. Ride along with Peg Willis as she explores the beginnings of this miracle highway and the men who created it.

My Thoughts: Building the Columbia River Highway tells the story of one of my favorite places on Earth---the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge. Unless you've actually been there, it's hard to imagine how amazing it really is, but Peg does a great job in getting you close. Up until this past year, I'd lived my entire life within 2-20 minutes of the Columbia River and spent months' worth of hours fishing, boating, swimming, and driving in this beautiful area. Even so, there was great info in Peg's book that I wasn't aware of.

I love how Peg discusses obvious geological events, like the ice age and floods, while staying true to her Creationist point of view and giving glory to God all the way. Thanks for helping us Christians to look intelligent! Building the Columbia River Highway is an excellent resource for homeschoolers, history buffs, and anyone interested in the further settling of the West.

Now it's time to win your own copy! This one's open to readers worldwide! a Rafflecopter giveaway Linking with:

Our October Healthy Habits with LISTERINE #sponsored #MC

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for LISTERINE. I received samples for this review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

A few weeks ago, we received a big selection of LISTERINE floss, rinses, and breath strips to try out and we've really been enjoying the results. Oral care and hygeine are really important to my husband and I---especially when it comes to our kids. With a big family like ours, it's important to establish good routines for the kids when caring for their teeth and gums, as well as our own. With a few great plaque and cavity fighting products, along with regular dental checkups, we can have a healthy oral care routine and feel good about the outcome.

The Avengers themed anticavity flouride rinse is great for kids as it helps prevent cavities and removes particles that they might miss when brushing. Even though I can see they've really been trying to be more thorough in their brushing, it's nice to know they're getting in this extra backup afterward.
As I said before, most of the kids really like to floss and the soft floss in the Gentle Gum Care line is just right for sensitive gums. A few of the kids have established a good habit of nightly flossing and have the winning smiles to prove it!

Jamie has been using this Healthy White mouthrinse. It removes and prevents stains, is gentle on tooth enamel, and helps kill germs. He is starting to see a whitening difference for sure, and appreciates that it's not a strong or harsh formula. He's also asked for more of these breath strips for his pocket at work. 

As for the handled flosser, either I didn't get the hang of it or it was just too much of an impact on my sensitive gums, but it wasn't working out for me. However, Jamie likes that it gets back into hard to reach places and will probably want some replacement pieces for it soon, as well.

Overall, I think we're pretty satisfied with our LISTERINE experience. What are your favorite healthy habits and routines?

Check out this list of locations to purchase LISTERINE products, as well as these healthy habits videos on YouTube.

Tahitian Vanilla Berry Smoothie for a Prenatal Protein Boost #CollectiveBias

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

You all know how ready I am for another sweet baby! Brenna will be two in less than two months and I'm missing those snuggly 3:00 am feedings and tiny diapers and tiny toes... As much as I'd love to be expecting a new little one right now, there are a few simple things I can be doing in the meantime to prepare myself to have the healthiest pregnancy possible. One important thing is to focus on good nutrition. I recently found this awesome new product, Baby Booster, that gives a good dose of protein---and more---before, during, and after pregnancy. In some cases, it even helps with the dreaded morning sickness.

Babies are always welcome as precious gifts around here, but they don't come without some sacrifice. Many pregnant women have a hard time getting the nutrients they need to keep themselves feeling energetic and healthy during pregnancy. I've had 10 pregnancies and each one of them could have been so much better than it was if I'd have focused more on nutrition. 

I found Baby Booster at Collier Drug in Johnson. Baby Booster can be found at several Northwest Arkansas Collier stores, or online at TheBabyBooster.com. Lynzie and I had a little too much fun drooling over the cute boutique items in this store! Lots of cuddly stuffed animals, sweet smelling lotions, and several flavors of Baby Booster to choose from.

Baby Booster is a safe choice for pregnant and nursing moms, as well as diabetics and those who eat gluten free. With 20g of protein and only 2g of sugar, I was able to use Baby Booster to satisfy my hunger cravings and sweet tooth at the same time! As you'll see in my recipe below, I didn't add any extra sweetener to my smoothie and was actually surprised that the powder gave the drink just the right amount of sweet flavor. Baby Booster contains no soy, preservatives, artificial sweeteners or flavors, and no gluten. Plus, it includes all of your daily vitamins!

This is both a milk soluble and water soluble powder so it's excellent for use in many of your favorite recipes. I made this simple and delicious shake using the Tahitian Vanilla flavor. To make this smoothie, just mix 1 c. milk, 1 c. frozen berries, 5-8 ice cubes, and 1 scoop of Baby Booster. Mix it up in a blender and enjoy any time of day.

Let me know if you try Baby Booster. I'd love to hear about your favorite ways to use it.