How Kids Think

WE HAVE A WINNER  Did you enter the drawing for the beautiful romantic cupcake set I'm giving away? If so, the winner announcement follows this post, so read on!


How Kids Think

Any mom knows how tough it is to keep the whole family happy when it comes to food on the table, or even in the cupboards, for that matter. I try my darndest not to run out of the staples my husband cares most about, such as eggs, milk and cream for coffee.  But keeping the offspring happy can be tricky.

For instance, anyone following this blog knows how I've reformed my eating habits. I eat mostly organic, fresh foods, and have drastically decreased consumption of processed foods for the family. If anything, it raises the challenge of keeping happy campers because the kids need to re-learn healthy habits, too.

Kids are supposed to learn quickly, aren't they? Ha--witness the list I found on the fridge this morning: 

Older child put up the list. Youngest child added items 2 and 3: "Junk Food" and "Maccoronie"(sic)"


 The youngest knows it would be fruitless to say to me, "Mom, we need junk food!" but apparently putting it on a list is different. (I'm surprised she didn't add "Thou Shalt Buy," before her items.)

Just so you know, I sometimes DO buy food I consider "junk" because it's my fault I've raised junkies, and I don't want their transformation to healthy eating to cause withdrawal pains! (Some people consider sugar to be a drug, by the way. Sally Fallon includes information about this in Nourishing Traditions, a book I've spoken about before here on the blog. Dr. Mercola also warns about sugar as being drug-like; check out his post called "Is Sugar More Addictive than Cocaine?")

At the same time, I believe our penchant for preferring sweets is a God-given thing, so it's not all bad. Fortunately, I'm seeing my older daughter making more and  more healthy desserts, with no prodding on my part. (I'll share some of those recipes eventually.) She benefits in two ways: learning the ropes in the kitchen, (as she experiments with substituting healthy sweeteners for empty calories in white sugar) AND by discovering that eating healthy can be satisfying and yes--even sweet!

Are you trying to re-educate the youngsters in your life? How is that going for you? Maybe you're still trying to educate yourself--aren't we all! Share a comment and you'll be entered in my new drawing for the following:

  
Inspiring Women of the Faith--Stories about Sojourner Truth, Florence Nightingale, Corrie Ten Boom and many others. This is the sort of book I like my daughters to read; books that show women have always had gumption--courage--and used it for God. Recently I noticed in the Book of Chronicles, for instance, that there was a woman named Sheera who is credited with building three cities! A woman--in ancient Israel--BUILT three cities. (I'm not saying she was the actual brick-layer, but she WAS the mastermind, the architect, the visionary and director. I call THAT inspiring.)


Leave a comment and you're in the drawing for the book.

AND NOW: WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE JUNE GIVEAWAY:

   

 The winner of this lovely set (left) is MELODY, "Missionwife." 
Congratulations, Melody! Perhaps you'll find a healthy dessert recipe here or somewhere else (like Wellness Mama) so that you eat well while eating beautifully. :)
 

Welcome to the Regency!

My youngest daughter in front of a regency gown display at the Cincinnati Museum
Just for fun, I thought I'd share some illustrations from my favorite era in history to write about: The Regency, of course! If you're not familiar with this turbulent dawn of the nineteenth century in England, please check out my free PDF, "Welcome to the Regency." It will give you a fun, quick overview so that you'll understand what it means to read a "regency romance" as opposed to Victorian, or Early American, etc.

Far too often, this blog is SERIOUS, so today is just for FUN. I have an eclectic collection of period illustrations, and I'll be sharing some of my all-time faves. 

Here goes!

The "quintessential" Regency Evening Get-Together. Cards and Conversation.

The female waistline shows that this illustration is actually post-Regency (but pre-Victorian) and I love it because it is indicative of a wonderful spirit of worship which existed among the faithful during even the hedonistic Regency.
A Regency Girls' Day Out?
Headgear 1802

 Bonnets! 1812
I use the above as the background of my Twitter profile--gotta love a great bonnet! 

 
This exquisite outfit fascinates me. The shawl is a work of art in itself.  

This woman's hat looks suspiciously like a mobcap. I love it's exuberance of lace. This portrait, in fact, was the model I used to imagine the housekeeper for Mr. Mornay's residence in The House in Grosvenor Square

Quintessential Early Regency Style--feminine and beautiful
I have a weakness for illustrations with mothers and children. I'll do a post someday with this theme. (Btw, look how nicely the serving-man is dressed!)


Lord Grantham. A Regency hunk. :)!
A many-caped greatcoat. (I love to put one of these on any of my heroes when they're at the whip, that is, driving an equipage.)
Men's Fashions 1810
Hope you enjoyed this peek into this beautiful era. Don't forget to download my free PDF "Welcome to the Regency," if you haven't, already. 

CURRENT GIVEAWAY:  Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for the current giveaway:

Leave contact information in your comment, please, so I can notify you if you win! Drawing will be held on 
Sunday, June 19th, after midnight.

Sale Ends 11:59pm, Monday, June 10th!



I don't often use my blog for promotion, but this sale was too good not to share. I was pleasantly surprised to hear from my publisher (Harvest House) regarding the current sale of my regencies, as well as to receive the wonderful image (above) that they made. Isn't it pretty?

So now I know the details of the sale, and it's all good: Except it's ending 11:59PM, Monday, June 10th.

Here's the scoop:

They are available at bargain-basement prices wherever the ebooks are sold: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD.com, (The lowest price I've ever seen! Only $1.59 here!)  iTunes, etc.  (Would you believe I didn't even know they were available on iTunes? How neat.) 

A Regency Inspirational Romance Series:
Before the Season Ends – on sale for $1.99
The House in Grosvenor Square – on sale for $2.99
The Country House Courtship – on sale for $3.99

They told me, "That means your readers can get the entire series for less than $9.00, which is a really great deal."

So go get your summer reading on the cheap!

But the sale ends Monday night--please tell your friends.
 
And if you've read my books but are interested in other Christian fiction, check out the rest of the sale Harvest House is doing  by clicking HERE.  Don't go on vacation or relax this summer without a few good books! 

 NEW GIVEAWAY!

 I promised to show a picture today of this month's romantic but fun giveaway, and here it is: 

 Isn't it sweet? The set contains 24 paper cupcake cases & 24 paper cupcake toppers. The toppers read 
"love," "always," "forever," and "yours." 
Adorable!

Leave a comment telling other readers why they would want to get and read any of my books (especially now, while they're on sale!). If you've got the books or one of them but haven't read it yet, tell us what made you buy it, or what you're hoping for from the book. Just share something relevant, reader to reader and you're in the drawing for this lovely, elegant set. 

Thanks so much, and  may you find a great summer read (or two)!

Warmest Blessings,

Linore
Small print: Drawing open to US/Canada Only. People from other countries may enter, but will receive an ebook as their prize (one of my books). All winners are drawn using random.org. Drawing ends Sunday, June 16th.

Three Things & Contest Winners!

1. Announcing

...winners for the last two giveaways here at Woman of Faith!  (Finally!) The first giveaway winner receives
the book English Country House Murders, and the CD, "Voices of the Faithful," from Beth Moore Presents.

And the winner is....MARY PRESTON. Congratulations, Mary! I'll need your mailing address to send your prizes so please email me at Linore(at)LinoreBurkard(dot)com.

The 2nd giveaway was for a free copy of Pearls from the Sea, by MaryLu Tyndall and Debbie Mitchell.
And the winner is....VICKIE MARNEY. Congratulations, Vickie! Your ebook will be automatically mailed to you by one of the authors.

Hope you both enjoy your prizes. :)

2. UPDATE to "If Sickness Doesn't Kill You, Modern Medicine Will."

Last week I wrote about having gone for a CT Scan at my doctor's request, which he felt was necessary because I have high cholesterol. I mentioned that high cholesterol, according to the latest science, has absolutely NO causative relation to heart disease, especially in women. I went for the scan, received a chest full of radiation (yuck!) and said I'd get back to you with the results. I felt that maybe the toxicity of the test would be worth it if I found out something useful.

So--the results came back (the very next day): I have a score of ZERO cardiac calcium. "You have NO heart disease," the nurse told me during the call. So I underwent getting all that radiation to find out it wasn't necessary. I am trying to console myself with the fact that it was good news--even though the test WASN'T necessary--it is far better to find out that I have no diseased cardiac arteries, than to feel it was worthwhile getting it because I do. 

Bottom line: Don't be eager to undergo tests that aren't necessary, especially if they entail radiation exposure. If I could turn back the clock, I'd ask, instead, for a test that measures arterial blockage in the neck, and that is far less toxic, if at all. I'm not sure why my doctor didn't suggest this test to begin with, and I will ask him that at my next opportunity. 

3. The Sale Continues! (But for how much longer?)

 

It's odd to be an author and not know when your books go on sale but it happens. Recently I was on Amazon and discovered accidentally that my books (the Kindle editions) were on a deeply discounted sale! Apparently, ( a reader told me) that the Nook editions are also at these bargain prices.

Before the Season Ends   Only $1.99                                    



The House in Grosvenor Square  Only $2.51

The Country House Courtship  Only $3.03

I love sales because it means more readers take a chance on me; some of my dearest friends are women who read my books and contacted me! Of course I enjoy getting more readers anyway, but a great deal on my books is something I'm happy to tell others about. I love a deal myself, so I can totally identify with you on that.  

The Regency Books on Sale on Nook

Stay tuned for an announcement of the new drawing--June is the month for weddings and romance, so I have something beautifully fun and romantic to give away! All commenters this month are automatically entered in the drawing, so even if you comment today, it counts.  I'll have a picture of the June giveaway by tomorrow.
Hugs and Blessings,
Linore