Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal {A Review}

We’re big C.S. Lewis fans in our house.  C.S. Lewis is The Man’s favorite author and he reads his books multiple times a year.  The Man quotes Lewis and we talk about his books on a regular basis.  I like Lewis myself, though I lean more towards his fiction writings, like The Narnia series.  I’ve tried to read his other works but have had a hard time.  I can do Screwtape and The Great Divorce with no problem but with some of his other writings I struggle with.  It’s when Lewis starts talking about things at a deeper level that my eyes cross and I want to throw the book across the room.  He writes in a circular way and it sometimes confuses me.


Enter the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal by Stacy Farrell.  In her journal, Stacy asks questions to help you think through and understand what Lewis is writing.  I found the questions very helpful and I didn’t want to chuck the book once!  Ok, maybe I still wanted to chuck it once or twice but I got further in Mere Christianity than I ever have before (I finished Book One!)

The Man, who reads Mere Christianity several times a year, answered the questions as well.  We each did Book One of the journal on our own.  Once we were both finished answering the questions, we went through and talked about them together.  I found this helpful as he was able to clarify a few points for me.  The Man and I also used the questions as a springboard for deeper conversation.  The Man loves talking about Mere Christianity and I often glaze over quickly.  This time I was able to actually discuss it with him instead of just nodding and acting like I knew what he was talking about.

The Man felt like some of the questions were obvious with cut and dried answers.  I didn’t think that there were as many as he did, maybe because he understands the book better than I do.  Some answers are more obvious than others and I think there is a nice mix of “easy” and “hard” questions.  All of the questions made me think in such a way that I was able to understand the material better.  I tend to read fast and often skim or skip important information.  Having questions to answer made me slow down and make sure I was understanding what I was reading.  I like that Stacy Farrell has written an answer key, so if there is a question you’re not sure about you can check and see what she meant.

I’m looking forward to completing the rest of Mere Christianity using the Critical Analysis Journal and talking it over with my husband.  I think we’ll use it with Munchkin when she’s older and she reads Mere Christianity (The Man will insist that she reads it!)  The journal will help facilitate family discussion on the book and help the kiddos understand what they are reading.  The Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal would also be great for small group study, a book group or middle or high school homeschooling families.  You could even use it alone, though I think the discussion it helps create makes studying the book more meaningful.

The Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal is available for purchase from Home School Adventure.  You can use the code 10OFFMC for 10% off through January 31, 2014. 

HAL: The Westerdam {A Review}

This past cruise was my first time sailing on the Holland America Line. We sailed to Alaska on September 21-28, 2013 out of Seattle.  Our itinerary was a day at sea, Juneau, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria, B.C. before returning to Seattle.  Due to rough weather the schedule changed to a day at sea, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Juneau, another day at sea, Victoria and then on to Seattle.  I was sad at missing Sitka as I had not visited there before but visited the other two ports on my previous Alaskan cruise.  The weather was rough at times but I think that’s to be expected when you sail to Alaska at the end of September.  We were on the last cruise north for the season.

The Ship:

The Westerdam was launched in 2004, so it’s almost 10 years old.  There were a few places that I noticed the age, like some chipped tiles in the pool area on deck 9, but for the most part the ship as aged gracefully. 

Our stateroom was on deck 6, the Upper Verandah deck.  Our stateroom was the largest I’ve ever had on a cruise.  We had two twin beds, plus a desk and a vanity.  There was also a couch (that double as a pull out bed) with two chairs and a coffee table.  On our balcony there was a table and two chairs plus two wicker chairs with ottomans, and a small table in between them.  There was also a flat screen TV with a DVD player, as well as access to the ship’s DVD collection.  We had a small vase of fresh flowers and a fruit bowl.  We spent a lot of time in our cabin relaxing and it was a great size.  We did not feel cramped at all.

Oh, wait…there’s the bathroom!  It was also the largest bathroom I’ve ever had.  It has two sinks, plus a full size Jacuzzi tub with a shower PLUS a separate shower stall.  It is possible that two people could shower at the same time, each with their own shower. 

The Crew

The crew has been well trained and is very friendly.  They are always ready with a smile and a Good morning/afternoon/evening and a How are you?  From housekeeping, to the bar staff to the dining room.  They go out of their way to make your trip and experience a memorable one.

I had one odd request on the trip.  I was a nursing mom without my baby.  I could not find my pump before I left so I was hurting.  I was able to hand express some of the milk but I was still in pain and engorged.  While they did not have a pump on board, they were able to give me pain reliever.  I also knew that cabbage leaves would help.  I asked one of the supervisors in the dining room if it was possible to get 3 or 4 cabbage leaves.  He did inquire why and I told him.  He said no problem and got me the requested cabbage leaves.  When I asked him for some more the next night he got them and said that he would put in a request for them so I could get them every night.  He had them for me every night, until I told him I didn’t need them anymore.  I was so thankful that he went out of his way to help me.

The Food

The food superb as I have come to expect on a cruise.  I love eating in the main dining room, called The Vista, as they serve gourmet meals and I am able to try things I normally wouldn’t eat.  I like knowing if I don’t like it I can send it back for something else.  I love soup and enjoy the soup options on the menu and I often order two.  The soup was delicious!  My biggest complaint about the dining room is that my food was not always hot.  My baked potato was cold and undercooked the first night.  Other than these two complaints, the dining room was excellent.

There was also a buffet, called the Lido Restaurant.  Food was always available here.  I’ve had some so-so buffets on cruise ships but this was not one of them.  The food was hot and delicious.  There was also a great variety, from pizza, pasta and salad, to sandwiches, carved meat, to stir fry and and Asian section.

The Greenhouse Spa & Salon

My biggest disappointment of the whole ship was the spa.  As we sailed away from Seattle, Mom & I got facials.  Mom loved hers.  I was not impressed.  The woman who did the facial was ok.  The face, neck and head massage was short (it’s always my favorite part!)  I would not have another one done on this ship.  Then the next morning I got a fire and ice pedicure.  It was nothing special.  The ice part was a cooling mask for my legs that was on for about a minute and then the fire part was a massage with hot rocks.  The massage lasted maybe a minute and half on each leg.  That was it.  I was really disappointed.  I will say that in less than 24 hours the polish chipped on two toes and they did fix it at no extra charge.  We couldn’t figure out which color I had done so they repainted all my toes.  The polish lasted much longer the second time around.  I still feel that it was very overpriced for what I got.  I much prefer the local salon we go to for half the price; they do a much better job.

One highlight of the spa is the Thermal Suit.  There is a hydro pool, filled with warm water infused with minerals.  There is a center part that if full of bubbles that gives a wonderful massage.  At one end there is a metal bed to lay on in the water , with bubbles coming up between the metal rods.  It’s wonderful.  It’s warm and soothing, perfect after a chilly Alaskan day.  After the hydro pool, there are 6 heated ceramic tile beds to lay on.  They are contoured to your body and you have a view of the passing scenery.  My only complain is that 6 beds is not enough.  You have to purchase a pass to access this area, either a daily one or one for the entire cruise.  It is pricey but well worth it. 

There are changing rooms and you are given a key to a locker and a key to the suit.  In your locker is a robe.  You also have the option to get one of four scents of body scrub.  I only got the lavender and it smelled so good.  It was perfect to use in the shower after the hydro pool  but before the heated beds.  We tended to use the thermal suit after dinner and it was usually less crowded and the perfect way to end the day. 

Activities

Compared to other cruises I’ve taken, I feel that the activities were lacking.  There were things going on but it never seemed like there were a lot of things going on and very few that I was interested in.  It wasn’t until our second to last day and our unexpected second day at sea due to a schedule change that the activities were what I expected.  It might have been because the majority of the passengers were my parents age and older.  Sure there were some kids but they were few and far between.  I really won’t complain too much, because even of the schedule had been full of activities, I probably wouldn’t have participated in most of them.

The ship did have a digital lab with a Techspert.  The lab was full of Microsoft computers and the lessons were on Windows 8.  I did make it to one class on how to navigate the new system.  I found the class helpful and learned several new things.  The class was full, mostly with older people really confused by the new look.  This would have been a perfect class for my mother in law who has been complaining about how confused she is by all the new features of Windows 8.

Overall I give the cruise an B+.  The spa experience took away from it a little, as well as the hiccups in the food service.  Other than that, it was excellent.  While I don’t know that Holland America will be my first choice for my next cruise, I will consider sailing with them again.  I think it is an excellent cruise line for those who are a little older and want a more sedate experience.  It is not a party ship by any stretch of the imagination. 

*Holland America Cruise Line has no idea who I am or that I am writing this review.  I simply cruised on one of their ships to Alaska and wanted to share my thoughts, opinions and experiences on their ship.  I have been given no compensation for this review and everything expressed is my own thoughts and views.

Jamberry Nail Shields {A Review}

I was given a half sheet of Jamberry Nail Shields in return for a review.  All opinions are my own.

I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot abut Jamberry Nail Shields on Facebook and Twitter.  I have wanted to try them but at $15 a sheet, I didn’t want to buy them and hate them.  So when Brittany, a fellow milspouse and Jamberry consultant, offered me a half sheet for a review, I thought it was a great idea! 

I read the instructions and watched the videos on how to apply the shields.  It seemed easy enough but I was still nervous.  I gathered my supplies and I grabbed my hair dryer because I didn’t have the Jamberry heater and it worked fine.  I cleaned my nails with an alcohol swab and pushed my cuticles back.  I used the plastic orange stick to take the shield off the sheet once I figured out which one to use.  I heated it for 3-4 seconds and placed it on my nail, pressing down firmly to adhere it.  I kept getting one little air bubble at the top and another one at the bottom. I think it’s cause my nails are curvy.  I then used my scissors to trim the shield and filed it down using a 90 degree angle. I repeated until all the nails where covered.   I did all my nails before heating the shields again.

My left hand was much easier to do than my right.  That’s no surprise since I’m right handed. I have yet to master using my left hand to do my nails.  My left hand came out much, much better than my right.  It looked nicer and lasted longer than my right.  I should have had my mom do my right hand but live and learn.  It took my about a half hour to forty minutes to do both hands.  I think with practice and doing it during nap time it will be quicker and easier to do.  You can see the air bubbles if you look closely but if you just glance at my hands you can’t tell.

I kept them on for a week. I did everything I normally do such as dishes, laundry,  tubby time, cooking, cleaning…I didn’t take it easy on my hands at all.  My left hand lasted longer.  I wasn’t surprised since they were on better.  As the week wore on and the tips of the shields came off, my nails still looked good.  The missing pieces didn’t jump out at me the way chipped nail polish does.  It just blended in with my nail.  It might have something to do with the color of the shield I used.  Chips in my polish annoy me to no end and is one reason I don’t paint my nails very often.  I really enjoyed having my nails done.  It made me feel better, more feminine.  

Right after I took the pictures above I removed two shield from my right hand.  They were ready to come off.  My nail underneath the shield is healthy and you can’t tell I had anything on it. 

What I love:

• I love that they are easy to apply .
• They held up well against daily life (much better than the Kiss Nail Shields I’ve tried in the past.)
• They look great and have so many different designs.
• They are perfect for special occasion and daily wear.
• There is no damage to your nails.

What I don’t love:

• I don’t love the price. $15 a sheet isn’t really in my budget at the moment. 
• The air bubbles that I just couldn’t get out, not matter how hard I tried.
• I have small hands and nails and I’m not sure I’d get more than one application out of a sheet.  Well, maybe one hand and one foot.  I don’t know for sure since I haven’t seen a full sheet.  (Just a note, in the photo at the top of the post, 1/4 of a sheet is pictured.  I was given a 1/2 sheet and it had to be cut in half to fit in the envelop.  I had already used half of it before I remembered to take a picture of it.)
• The learning curve.  I think it’s going to take me 2-3 more times to really get good at applying the shields.  Practice makes perfect! (If you would like to try a sample, you can contact Brittany through her Facebook page to get a free sample.)

I think Jamberry Nail Shields are great and are a good quality.  I would recommend them and am hoping I can get some in the near future!  I might have to have a party, as Jamberry is a home based business and is run similar to Pampered Chef, Scentsy, etc.  You can have an in home party OR an online party.  Either way you earn free and half price nail shields.   One nice perk is that when you buy three sheets, you get one free (some restrictions apply.)  

If you want to know more, you can check out Brittany’s Facebook page and/or her website.  Jamberry Nail Shields would make a great gift or stocking stuffer.  If you don’t want to pick out the design for someone else, you can always give a gift card.