Since the beginning of January, I’ve been going through the Lean Cuisine #31Days Challenge with other members of Collective Bias. It’s been somewhat of a struggle for me, as I’ve struggled to cut down on my chocolate and sugar intake; I have an addiction.:) No, but seriously, I crave sweet, and those cravings can be a huge struggle when you’re trying to usher in a healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family. When I had the opportunity to review this book, I knew that it was exactly the right time to do so.

Made to Crave, written by Lysa Terkeurst, has to do with Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food. Oh boy, the subtitle alone is enough to get me. How to satisfy my cravings with my Heavenly Father….rather than chocolate. I knew this was going to be a hard book to read and apply to my life….but I’m up for the challenge. What I truly appreciate about the book is that within the pages, the author relates her own VERY REAL struggles, her own challenges, her own findings as she started to let go of the cravings and turn to God instead of the junk food. She gives insightful devotional type chapters that are short and sweet, leaving you with substance to think about. At the end of every chapter are also Personal Reflections, things for the reader to think about and ponder, to work through. I also appreciated the fact of how she related that this journey can’t be done alone; we need those accountability partners and friends (hence, my Lean 11 partners) to help us wade through the cravings and struggles we will, no doubt, face.

Chapter 5, We Were Made for More, really spoke to me. Her quote, “We were made for victory,” is so motivating and inspiring on this journey that I am on. To be honest, I haven’t completely finished this book yet. I plan to finish it slowly, along with my healthy lifestyle journey, because I need this substance, the verses she gives, to help me stay on the path. For me personally, I plan to extend my #31Days journey to the rest of this year, as I hope to get back to a healthier weight….and as I usher in healthier foods and recreation for my family, as well.

I’d definitely recommend Made to Crave as a resource for anyone who wants to cut the junk out of their life and get onto the path toward victory. It’s not the book that will get you there….but the book will encourage you and uplift you along your journey. You can purchase Made to Crave for $8.99 on Amazon. You can also read more reviews on Litfuse. Read further to learn more about the book, the author, and a great contest you can enter to possibly win a KINDLE.

About the book: Just because a woman finally fits into her skinny jeans doesn’t mean she’s won her battle with food. Too often, women overlook the spiritual component to their physical struggle with healthy eating. Made to Crave taps into the desires God gave you to consume food without letting food consume you!

Made to Crave is the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. The reality is we were made to crave. Craving isn’t a bad thing. But we must realize God created us to crave more of him. Many of us have misplaced that craving by overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. If you are struggling with unhealthy eating habits, you can break the “I’ll start again Monday” cycle, and start feeling good about yourself today. Learn to stop beating yourself up over the numbers on the scale. Discover that your weight loss struggle isn’t a curse but rather a blessing in the making, and replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory. You can reach your healthy weight goal – and grow closer to God in the process. This is not a how-to book. This is not the latest and greatest dieting plan. This book is the necessary companion for you to use alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan you choose. This is a book and Bible study to help you find the “want to” in making healthy lifestyle choices. 224 pages. Companion Bible study DVD set also available. http://madetocrave.org/purchase-resources/

About Lysa: Lysa TerKeurst is an author and speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey.

Today, Lysa and her ministry team at Proverbs 31 Ministries encourage more than 375,000 women through their daily online devotional. In addition, she co-hosts a 1-minute inspirational radio program aired on more than 1,200 stations around the world. Plus, she touches hearts through their monthly magazine, P31 Woman. Lysa’s blog averages over 70,000 avid readers per month. She is the award-winning author of 14 books, including her newest releases, Made to Crave and Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl. Other noteworthy books include What Happens When Woman Say Yes to God, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, Capture His Heart, and Capture Her Heart. Visit Lysa’s website for more info and to visit her blog! http://lysaterkeurst.com

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Made-Crave-Satisfying-Deepest-Desire/dp/031029326X/ref=sprightly-20

Win a brand new KINDLE from Lysa Terkeurst during the Made To Crave KINDLE Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of Made to Crave and the MTC Small Group DVD Study Set, Lysa is giving away a KINDLE prize package worth over $175.00! To enter just click on one of the icons below! One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle with Wi-Fi & the New E Ink Pearl Screen
• KINDLE editions of Lysa’s Made to Crave and Becoming More Than A Good Girl

But, wait there is more!

Lysa will be announcing the winner of the Made to Crave KINDLE Giveaway on February 8th during the Made To Crave Party on Facebook!

During the party Lysa will chat with guests, host a trivia contest or two, and give away lots of other fun prizes (copies of Lysa’s other books and Amazon.com, iTunes & Starbucks gift certificates) – including a live Author Chat with Lysa for your small group!

Don’t miss the fun! Lysa is looking forward to learning more about you – so be sure to stop by Lysa’s Facebook Author Page on February 8th at 5:00 PM PST (6 PM MST, 7 PM CST, & 8 PM EST).

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book, free of charge, from Litfuse Publicity Group, for the purposes of this review. All views/opinions are my own.)

The third book in the Lancaster County Secrets series is here, The Choice, written by Suzanne Woods Fisher. Oh, how I love this author and her ability to weave a story, twisting in the tiniest of details to create a masterpiece. This book focuses in on Lainey O’Toole and Bess Reihl. Lainey has come back to Stony Ridge, just passing by on her way to culinary school. However, circumstances, or maybe Divine Providence, dictate a different kind of future for Lainey, one even she herself couldn’t have predicted. For as long as she can remember, having been placed in the foster care system from the age of ten, Lainey has just wanted a family, a sense of belonging. When she decides to stay in Stony Ridge, she starts to feel that belonging within the Amish community. There is something about this simple life, even with all of its sacrifices, that draws her more and more toward home.

Bertha Reihl is grandmother to Bess Reihl, who comes to stay with her over the summer and help with her rose growing/jam making business. Bess and Jonah moved away to Ohio years ago when Jonah’s wife was killed in a terrible accident. Bess is just coming of age, also starting to feel her first love. The story weaves around Bess and Lainey’s transformation and their growth. Not everything is as it seems, and there is a mystery surrounding Lainey. I don’t want to give up the story, but I will say that it’s a story that kept me turning page after page. Then again, Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of my favorite authors. Read more reviews on Litfuse, and you can also read more about this book below….

About the book:

Fifteen years ago, Lainey O’Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn’t have known that her choice would impact so many.

Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.

Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm–and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.

Lainey’s and Bess’s worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

“Beautifully written, ‘The Search’ is a skillfully woven story that takes readers through unexpected twists and turns on the long country road toward truth. Fans both old and new will find themselves immersed in this heartwarming–and surprising–tale of young love, forgiveness, and coming to grips with the past.”

About Suzanne:

In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook…the latter two with sporadic results.

Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.

After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn’t even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. “That’s why there’s no food in this house!” said her slightly insensitive sons.

Undaunted…Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she now has numerous  books under contract with Revell. Also look for Suzanne’s Amish non-fiction, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, a non-fiction book of stories and examples about the Old Order Amish, as well as Amish Proverbs, and coming in Spring of 2011, look for Amish Values for Your Family. The Choice and The Waiting are the previous books in the Lancaster County Secrets Collection.

Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

Link to buy the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Search-Novel-Lancaster-County-Secrets/dp/0800733878/ref=sprightly-20

Suzanne Woods Fisher’s latest installment of the Lancaster County Secrets, The Search,  is just out and to celebrate Suzanne is hosting The Search iPad Giveaway!

One Grand Prize winner will receive an iPad Prize Package worth over $500 and includes:

• A brand new iPad (16KB with Wi-Fi)
• Signed copies of all three Lancaster Country Secrets books (The Choice, The Waiting, & The Search)

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form/s, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 3rd at Suzanne’s Everything is Coming Up Roses Facebook Party. (Did you know The Search takes place on a rose farm?)

Congratulations to Molly on winning the DotMine Planner Giveaway.

Thank you to all who entered. Be sure to enter our Valentine’s Choccreate Giveaway going on right now, and have a wonderful day!

Chocolate….what more can I say? Chocolate and I have had an understanding for quite some time. I love chocolate; it’s my one weakness when it comes to food. Lately, I’ve been trying to very much limit myself as to how much I eat, so I got my family involved in this review; that way we could share the chocolate and enjoy it over time.

Choccreate Chocolates is a place where you can basically design your own chocolate bars. It’s fun to do, but it’s also perfect for gifts. What do you decorate the chocolate with? Try fruit, nuts & cereals, gourmet items, themed candies, sprinkles, herbs & spices, etc. Choccreate was brought about through childhood memories, rich in a mother’s legacy of preparing chocolates for her children every holiday season. I was excited to create some chocolate of my own, one bar for each person in my family. It was super easy and honestly, kinda fun!

First of all, I had to choose between milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate. Then I was able to choose different toppings. The toppings are priced differently, so I mixed and matched. Some of the fruits available include bananas, raisins, figs, blackberries, etc. Nuts & cereals include granola, corn flakes, pumpkin seeds, pecan nuts, etc. Gourmet includes things like 23karat gold powder, candied violet flowers, mimosa flowers, etc. Extra ingredients include Cheddar Gold Fish, gummi bears, M&Ms, mini pretzels, brown sugar, etc. Themed decorations include mini hearts, blue/pink feet, red white & blue stars, etc. Herbs & spices include chili powder, cinnamon, granulated honey, etc. Some of the ingredients sounded wonderful, and others seemed questionable, but to each his own, I guess.:)

Here’s a peek at what I created. The kids were so excited, they tore into them before I could even get pics. Don’t worry, I didn’t let them eat them all in one sitting; they’re still working on them, a little bit at a time. First of all, the box they all came in was beautiful, all wrapped up with a bow. The box is definitely reusable; I’ll probably use it to store scrapbook items or crafting supplies.For my husband, Dan, I made a milk chocolate bar with mini pretzels. One of his favorite snacks is chocolate covered pretzels, so this was perfect for him.For my son Jacob, I made a white chocolate bar with mini hearts. He loves white chocolate, and the mini hearts were perfect for Valentine’s Day.For Jaden I made a Smores candy bar with milk chocolate, mini marshmallows and Teddy Grahams. He loves it, and it did turn out so cute!Finally, for myself I made a milk chocolate bar with raisins; one of my favorite snacks when we go to the movies is chocolate covered raisins. Yum!I tried a couple bites, just so I could give my honest opinion (likely excuse, huh?). Each bar is very yummy; I have to say the Smores bar is my favorite so far. The chocolate is not quite as creamy as I would like, but it is very good. The toppings really add to the whole flavor and feel of the bars. It’s a unique gift, perfect for Valentine’s Day or even Easter, both of which are coming up soon. Prices are definitely affordable. My most expensive chocolate bar was $5.15. These would make great “just because” gifts, as well….hint to all the husbands out there. In fact, you can use a special discount for 20% off with the coupon code: heartprints, valid through 2/28/11.

The great news is that, thanks to Choccreate, I’m giving away a $25 gift certificate, so that one reader can create their very own chocolate creations! You can enter to win by doing one or more of the following; just be sure to leave a separate comment for each way that you enter. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Friday, February 4. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada. Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

1. Visit Choccreate Chocolates, and let me know exactly what kind of bar you would create if given the opportunity; what toppings would you use?
2. Add Choccreate Chocolates as a Friend on Facebook.
3. Follow @choccreate on Twitter.
4. Tweet about this giveaway; you can tweet once daily to earn extra entries.
5. Blog about this giveaway, being sure to link back to Real Heart Prints.
6. Follow the Choccreate Blog.
7. Leave a comment on the Choccreate Blog.
8. Follow Real Heart Prints or subscribe to my posts.
9. Follow @missmalu on Twitter.
10. Stumble this post.

(Disclosure: I received 4 chocolate bars, free of charge, from Choccreate, for the purposes of this review. All opinions/views are my own.)