The Big Bang Theory 10.2

The guys meet with the scary military Colonel who, an engineer himself, is impressed with Howard being the brains behind the project. Sheldon was told not to speak but at this insult to his chosen career, he can't take it and promises to deliver the prototype in two months and smaller than they currently have it. This annoys Leonard and Howard till they see their new work space.

Meanwhile Bernadette is angry that word slipped out at work concerning her pregnancy and is worried that she'll lose her big promotion. Penny and Amy do their best to cheer her up.

The Big Bang Theory 10:1

The Big Bang Theory season 10 picks up whee season 9 left off - more precisely, the day after the gang gets together at dinner with Leonard's estranged parents. Leonard's father and Sheldon's mother left the restaurant together and turned off their phones, causing stress and drama for their sons and amusement for Penny. The next morning there is an awkward breakfast gathering wherein Sheldon asks some pointed questions, as is fitting his character. Meanwhile, Penny goes off to the airport and picks up her parents and brother. This lets us meet her mother and brother for the first time and they are quite entertaining.

And while all that family wedding drama is going on, Howard {still freaked out about the Air Force emailing him} gets a mysterious visitor.

All in all, a very fun start to the tenth season. I'm kinda surprised they did it this way, giving Penny and Leonard two weddings and not fast-forwarding through Bernadette's pregnancy to when she has the baby but we'll see how this all plays out.

A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches Book Review

Title: A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches

Author: Tyler Kord

Genre: Nonfiction, Cookbook, Sandwiches, Food, Humor,

Plot: Kord is the chef and owner of No. 7 Sub sandwich shop in New York and has his own unique cooking style, coupled with amusing ramblings on life, politics and food {just to name a few}. Teaming up with a very patient editor {we can assume anyways}, Kord presents to us his first cookbook entirely on unique sandwiches and boy, what sandwiches these are!

Divided into the following categories of Beef, Chicken, Sausage, Broccoli/Cauliflower/Asparagus, Muchin, Fried Things with Gooey Sauces, Seafood Explosions, Vegetable Purees, Meatloaf, and Veggie Burgers along with three additional categories for things to put into the sandwiches, this is a very well laid out book with lots of wonderful pictures to accompany the tasty recipes. So fry up some broccoli, put on some music and make an amazing sandwich.

Likes/Dislikes: While homeschooling moms will and should take a marker to the foul language scattered about before letting their junior chefs delve in, this book was overall very good and hilarious. Many of the recipes looked delicious, especially Chutzpah Express and Bacon Von Braunhut. I haven't yet made one of these recipes but when I next go grocery shopping, I'll hunt down the ingredients and hopefully try something new and delicious.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level and language.

Date Review Written: August 31st, 2016

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publishers in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Happiness Dare Book Review

Title: The Happiness Dare

Author: Jennifer Dukes Lee

Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Self-Help, Happiness
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Plot: In a harsh world of cynicism, the hard and surprising truth is that God wants you to be happy. With bills piling up, medical issues and children screaming at you all day, this can be a very tricky idea to wrap your mind around but with a dose of humor, Lee helps you unlock the secret to happiness and gives you the tools to control your own personal happiness level.

In the book, you'll discover that genetics play a role in your happiness along with life circumstances {but not as much as you think} and your own thoughts. By changing the way you look at life and think about your circumstances and your day to day existence, you can reprogram your brain to be happier. And you'll get to learn a little something about yourself too by taking the quiz to learn what your happiness type is. So jump in today and let's be happy together!

Likes/Dislikes: I really liked the cover and was intrigued to learn how I could be happier. I don't usually read these kinds of books, especially when I'm working through unhappy issues. The first part of the book I just skimmed because it came across as a self-pep talk and was completely boring {of course, that could also have been sleep deprivation thanks to the new baby}, it was also very repetitive but the second and third parts were really intriguing, I liked reading about the happiness types and how to reprogram my brain with just five minutes a day. A lot of it sounded easy to do, especially since I try to do it anyways. I told my husband and mom they should read this book, and shared about it on Facebook so it must be a hit.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level and content {teens don't usually have problems being happy but ya never know. There's nothing graphic or bad in it so anyone can read this book}. Highly recommended.

Rating: Date Review Written: August 3rd, 2016

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own and I wasn't required to write a positive review.

A Beauty Refined Book Review

Title: A Beauty Refined

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Drama, Romance,

Plot: Phoebe Von Bergen is finally seeing more of the world when she accompanies her father on his sapphire hunting trip to America. They see all the major East Coast cities before making their way to a secluded resort in Montana near the sapphire mines. Little does she know, however, that her life is about to drastically change. First she meets handsome Ian Harper, a lapidary very skillful in refining raw sapphires into dazzling gems, and the cheerfully adorable Kenny. These new friends help while away the hours for Phoebe while her father is off at the mines. And then, with a twist of fate, she discovers the truth of her mother's death years ago. A moment in time that left Phoebe heartbroken.

On the road to healing, trouble waits around the corner. Ian knows her secret and thinks he knows how to save her from her life circumstances but it will take skills, trust and faith in God to see his plan to the end. But is the risk worth it?

Likes/Dislikes: This was a beautiful story. It wasn't overly ambitious, was just the right length with a lovely setting, detailed characters and an easy to follow plot that held my interest. I loved it, especially the bits about sapphires and how smoothly the faith element was blended into the story. That's hard for Christian authors to do sometimes. I liked Phoebe and I usually don't like the main female leads. Ian was a little odd at first but he's the kind of character that grows on you.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for content {past accounts of abuse and miscarriages, a main character is viciously beaten, bad guys are shot, etc. nothing overly graphic}.

Date Review Written: July 23rd, 2016

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Little Men Book Review

Title: Little Men

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Genre: Classic, Fiction, Boys, Adventure, Family, Sequel, Christian

Plot: Jo March, the reckless headstrong writer from Little Women returns as a married woman with two babies of her own and a whole school full of boys to take care of. She and her professor husband take in boarders {some rich to pay the bills, some orphaned and in need of care, love and a safe environment to grow up in}. In addition to their charges and their own children, the couple also has the professor's teenage nephews and Meg's adorable twins, Daisy and Demi. The new kid on the block, Nat, discovers the workings of the school {whose nice, whose not, etc.} and makes a friend in Tommy and Daisy whom he rather develops a crush on. But soon he's not the only newbie; a wild girl named Nan and an even wilder boy named Dan soon arrive to help turn the school topsy-turvy in this delightful classic story.

Likes/Dislikes: I loved having a sequel featuring the March girls all grown up with husbands and babies and households to manage. The boys were a rambunctious lot, Nat and Dan being my favorites. Daisy was such a sweet little girl. I read this book out loud to my siblings {one of the few we actually finished} and their favorite scene was when Nan and little Teddy are lost in the woods and panic when Nan thinks a harmless cow is a big scary bear. For some reason, my brothers loved that.

Rating: G- all ages. Highly recommended.

Date Review Written: November 9th, 2015.