The Last Bride --- Book Review

I received this book from Family Christian for review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

I've been reading Beverly Lewis books for years---I've read every adult one she's published so far! While The Last Bride wasn't up there with my favorites of hers, I must say that there was more than one surprise in this one---which is surprising in itself since I found most of the story pretty predictable.

Book Description: In The Last Bride, the sixth book in the Home to Hickory Hollow series from bestselling author Beverly Lewis, nineteen-year-old Tessie Miller is the youngest of her Old Order parents' five daughters - and the only one yet to marry. She has her heart set on Amishman Marcus Smucker, and come wedding season, they plan to tie the knot and start a family together. But Tessie's father disapproves. Ammon Miller has his reasons, and he has put his foot down: the marriage will not go forward. 

Impetuously, Tessie and Marcus take matters into their own hands, eloping to exchange their vows in the English world. After a secret honeymoon, they return to their Plain community to live as singles, hoping that, in time, they can convince the Millers to give their love a chance. But when the unthinkable happens, Tessie faces the biggest challenge of her life - and the almost-certain censure of the People. 

My Thoughts: First off, I must say that what I thought the cover meant by "the unthinkable happens" is not actually what happened. Well, it was---but there was more to it which definitely surprised me. See, now you can stop right there and go buy the book because that's just enough vagueness to get you interested, right?

No? Ok, so this was the first Lewis book I read after being in Missouri's Amish country earlier this fall. I saw my first Amish man, horse and buggy, and Amish-made goods for sale in September in Mansfield. It gave me some real faces to imagine on these made up characters and that was a neat experience. 

Without giving too many spoilers away, I'll just say that while the book definitely did have a happy and redeemed ending, this didn't move me to tears like most of hers normally do. There were several holes left open and the plot line wasn't tight enough to keep me from asking question after question about the scenarios that didn't make complete sense. Still, Lewis is and will probably always be up there in my top five favorite authors, so I'll proudly place this book on the shelf with the rest of the collection and enjoy it for years to come.

10 Festive Sweet Treat Recipes -- Great Christmas Party Finger Foods

We've scoured Pinterest for 10 of the most beautiful and tasty festive sweet treat recipes---all for you to get you in the holiday party spirit! Enjoy and don't forget to pin!

Christmas Tree Brownies from Betty Crocker.com.

Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups from The Gunny Sack.

Strawberries and Cream Pinwheels from Made From Pinterest.

Brownie Butter Cake from Rasa Malaysia.

Marshmallow Popcorn from One Good Thing.

Dark Chocolate Drizzled Cashews from What's Gaby Cooking?

Rainbow Layered Jello Jigglers from Tried and True Favorite Recipes. These look like Christmas ribbon candy!

Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites at Cooking Classy.

Amish Chocolate Covered Cherries from Tastes of Lizzy T's.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip from Food, Folks and Fun.

Make sure to check out these 10 Festive Christmas Party Finger Food Recipes, as well!

Stocking Up For Sick Days at Sam's Club #SimplyHealthy #shop #cbias

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

As much as I love the cold weather, it's also the start of flu season and that is not fun. In our family, sickness never seems to hit us all at once. Instead, it attacks just a few of us at a time---which has its pros and cons. While it's nice that there are still a few unaffected to help those who are down, it also means that sickness stays around the house for a long time. Luckily, there are some things I can do to prepare for the sick season---like stocking up on essentials at Sam's Club.

In addition to the common flu go to items like tea, soup, and lots and lots of tissues, I also like to stock up on a few fun things to help the invalids pass the time and maybe get their minds off their ailments a bit. Last week, I went to Sam's Club and picked out a couple things to set aside for when the sickness hits our house. One thing I picked up was a new movie for the kids. They love the Barbie fairy tale series---and so do I!

A great resource for tips on keeping your home healthy is Sam's Club's Healthy Living Made Simple online magazine. This month they've got an article on flu vaccines that some readers may find helpful. Sam's Club's pharmacy offers flu vaccines, so make sure to contact them for immunization schedules if this is something you desire for your family. 

You can read the article online or download the app to your iPhone or iPad.

I love shopping at Sam's Club because it's the one place I can take all my kids and not feel like we're hogging the aisle! Plus, my kids love all the big boxes and cans of things. It's a great place for big families to do their weekly shopping and for smaller families to stock up on all the essentials---like over the counter products for flu season. You can shop for cough, cold, and flu medicine, as well as visit the pharmacy for prescription refills and flu vaccines. 

Most everyone has a medicine cabinet that they keep stocked with syrups, pills, and first aid supplies, but how many people have a cabinet stocked with toys, craft items, and snuggly blankets---all set aside for sick days? An available shelf or basket in your home is a great place to hide away a few fun things to surprise your kids with when they're feeling down. I remember my mom sometimes pulling color books or snacks out of nowhere when I was a kid. When I was really little, I really did think she was magic! I think she just had a secret stash of fun stuff that she set aside for a time when my brother and I needed a little extra love.

Books they haven't seen in awhile are great to pull out on a sick day, as well as things they don't use often like markers and special stickers.

A new movie is always a treat when your little one doesn't feel like leaving the couch. Coupled with a snuggly blanket, it can make all the difference in raising their spirits. What kinds of things do you do to make flu season more bearable for your family?

Please note: The opinions on immunizations expressed in any of the articles linked here are not necessarily my own. However, I do wish to provide this information to my readers, should you choose to seek vaccinations for your family.