When You Have An American Heart - A World of Good

Find American Heart by Faith Hill Here
And More Inspirational Songs About America Here

Stand Beside Her and Guide Her

"From the small town Friday night lights, to the Broadway neon burning up bright, We're all the same and it's in our veins, A spirit that you can't keep down, A fire inside that'll never burn out if you are the owner of an American Heart" (Lyrics from American Heart by Faith Hill)

America The Good Representing a World of Good

The inspirational song by Faith Hill, American Heart, reminds us about not only the good in America, but also in people who proudly call themselves members of the free world.

Free speech, compassion, human rights and the collective good remain a constant work in progress and as a Canadian, like my brother and sister Americans, I'm blessed to be a part of it.

As people of earth, our diversity along with our sameness are the weights that create the balance. It's cliche, but it really is our differences that teach us and our common ground that unites us.

As an example, even with a physical border between Canada and the USA, the earth doesn't shift when you place a foot on one side or the other: Stand on one side, or stand on the other, I'll venture a guess our aspirations are fundamentally the same; those being prosperity, peace and the pursuit of happiness.

We all know Canadians and Americans share the longest peaceful border on planet earth. This speaks loudly about the people who inhabit both sides of this man-made invisible line.

The most successful friends on the planet have earned a few bragging rights and the Oscar should go to the people of both countries, not our governments. For it's the people who set the pace in a free country; it's people who push governments one way or another, and in a free world governments reflect who we are.

Belting out the lyrics of American Heart, Faith Hill sings these inspirational words 'We're all the Same'. The song is speaking to the soul that makes up America. Today I'll push these worthy sentiments forward to encompass my own country, and even further out to wrap these words of hope around the planet.

When times get tough, play Faith Hill's song American Heart full blast:

Cause it beats like a drum down in New Orleans
Sings like a Motown Melody,
It dreams like California,
Bigger than a Texas sky,
it Bleeds,
it Scars,
it Shines when Times get Hard,
and you can't break an American Heart..

(Lyrics from American Heart)

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Reviewing Vegan Holiday Cookbooks

Jennifer Katzinger Vegan Holiday Cookbook

As a vegan cook, the holidays are especially tricky. Most holidays including Thanksgiving, usually center around a big meat dish. Here I'll give you my reviews of the vegan cookbooks I've used throughout the holidays.

Some are better than others, of course. Some give you menus to work from while others have given me ideas to get me started on my own menus for the various holidays. Whether you want to serve a full vegan holiday dinner, or just need some good ideas for vegan dishes for your guests, you can find the recipes and ideas you need in each of these vegan holiday cookbooks.

My Favorite Vegan Holiday Cookbook

Gluten-Free and Vegan: Celebrating the Year

My favorite, the one that I turn to most often, vegan holiday cookbook is by Jennifer Katzinger titled, Gluten-Free and Vegan: Celebrating the Year with Simple, Satisfying Recipes and Menus. I've reviewed it more extensively in an article for Cooking for the Holidays site, so I'll just summarize here.

Author Katzinger is a long experience vegan chef, but she's a baker by love. Her desserts are amazing. She shares her vegan and gluten-free versions of traditional holiday desserts. It's her Thanksgiving menu, with all of the simple recipes that I turn to most often to celebrate this holiday. Appetizers, main courses, side dishes and desserts are all combine to make a great Thanksgiving dinner.

Happy Herbivore Holidays

The Happy Herbivore Vegan Holiday Cookbook

Lindsay Nixon has made a name for herself as the Happy Herbivore. She has many cookbooks on the market, but her Happy Herbivore Holidays and Gatherings: Easy Plant-based Recipes for Your Healthiest Celebrations and Special Occasions is one of her best in my vegan opinion.

I was delighted at how easy her recipes are. Since I'm basically a lazy cook, I needed simple, yet tasty recipes. She has a wealth of them. And she doesn't require exotic ingredients in her recipes. That sure helps if ethnic markets are not close by.

Fair warning here. If you are already a Happy Herbivore fan and have others of her cookbooks, you will discover that she recycled many of her other recipes. But, these are organized for those big holiday celebrations.

The good news is that all of my non-vegan friends and relations enjoyed my vegan menus. Even my son-in-law didn't feel the need to rush to McDonald's for a McRib sandwich or two! Now that is a true compliment to the Happy Herbivore.

Planning Your Own Vegan Holiday Menus

But I Could Never Go Vegan

If you want to plan your own menus for the holidays or just looking for interesting vegan recipes, I have a favorite cookbook for you. But I Could Never Go Vegan, by Kristy Turner, is it. Forget boring standard fare, Turner gives you an amazing collection of unique and interesting recipes.

Avocado and Kale Florentine is one of those unique and interesting recipes. I've included it many brunch menus. Talk about a hit! Author Turner has plenty of these hits. Her vegan Cheesy Veggie Stromboli is usually part of my vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Savory Corn Cheesecake makes a stunning presentation of your holiday table.

Whether you want a full menu to make a vegan holiday meal, or just looking for something special to add to your table, any of these cookbooks could be your answer. Each one holds a special place in my cookbook collection.

You can always find more cookbook reviews at Review This! Books. 

 

Posted by: BuckHawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Travel Money Belts & Pouches

Best Gift for a Traveler

Premium Money Belt Expert Travel for Women and Men
with Rfid Blocking and 2 Credit Card Sleeves

A Travel Money Belt or Travel Pouch may not be the prettiest gift you will ever give, but it could easily be the most important gift for anyone who travels.

A travel money belt or travel pouch is not our first thought when preparing for a trip.  Unfortunately, we might not see the need for a money belt until after we are victimized while traveling.  Having a purse or wallet stolen while traveling can quickly ruin the most anticipated and expensive trips.  Not only are pickpockets everywhere, you simply cannot pack your valuables and expect them to be safe in a hotel room or on a plane.  

A Travel Money Belt really will give you safety and peace of mind.

There are several different styles of travel money belts and pouches.  Over the years, I have traveled extensively and I feel uniquely qualified to recommend the best travel money belts available on the market today.

Image:  Premium Expert Money Travel

 

TRAVEL TIP
Never carry anything in your wallet you cannot afford to lose! 

 

My Personal Favorite Travel Money Belt

 Eagle Creek Undercover Money Belt DLX 
Choose the Right Size:  Don't look for the smallest money travel belt.  Look for the best size money belt.  You will want to carry the following items in your money belt, so choose a money belt that will hold them all securely.

• Cash
• Passport
• ID ~ Drivers License
• Credit Cards
• Insurance Cards
• A List of Wallet Content
• Emergency Contract Information

My personal favorite travel money belt is the Eagle Creek Travel Gear Travel Money Belt.  Based on my own personal experience, this is the Travel Money Belt I would most highly recommend. 


WHY THIS IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE TRAVEL MONEY BELT 

1. Two(2) Pockets are zippered to avoid spilling content when riding amusement park rides or other activities that may turn you upside down. 
2. Wide enough to hold a passport ~ US Passports measure 3 1/4" x 5" 
3.  Moisture-wicking, breathable mesh back panel

Also Available in Mocha 
 

A Gift for the Traveling Couple

 Travel Pouch Compact Security/ Hidden Money Waist Belt - 2 Pack + 1 LED Adjustable Focus Flashlight with Carabiner

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TRAVEL TIP
Wear Travel Money Belts & Pouches UNDER your blouse or shirt

 

 Lewis N. Clark Deluxe Neck Stash, Beige

Most Highly Recommended Money Pouch  

Some travelers prefer a Travel Money Pouch. They prefer to wear a pouch around their neck instead of a money belt around their waist. This is especially true for people who do not see well or who don't want to lift their shirts in public should they need to access additional funds or ID.

This Travel Money Pouch has two zippered pockets, two inner compartments and an adjustable neck strap.  I have used this style myself when I know I will definitely need access to my passport, credit card or cash.

Bra Travel Pouch

For a lady who doesn't want to wear a money belt or doesn't like the travel neck pouch, there is a reasonable option.  This Bra Pocket Travel Safe is highly recommended for those who wear a bra.  It secures to your bra straps instead of having a separate neck cord or belt.

You won't be able to carry as much in this travel pouch, but it is definitely sufficient for cash, drivers license and credit cards.  Personally, this is the style I would use for things like my passport that I am not comfortable leaving in a hotel room, but will not need access to when I am sightseeing.

 Nude Bra Pocket Travel Safe Wallet

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 Travel Money Belts are Essential for Travel Safety!

 

See More Product Reviews on ReviewThisProductReviews.com

 

 

Related Travel & Safety Articles
How to Pack for Your Vacation 
Tips for Traveling
Clever Travel Companion Leggings with Secret Pockets Reviewed
Tomtom Portable GPS Navigator Review

Product Review of Travel Money Belts & Pouches Written by:

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Thoughtful Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts

Reviewing Gifts Your Hostess Really Wants

You've been invited to a friend or family member's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Lucky you! So now you have a dilemma: what would be the perfect hostess gift to say thank you for the hospitality?

To make your job easier, I've  chosen five different gifts that I'd love to receive if I were serving as your Thanksgiving hostess this year. While your hostess may not have the same tastes that I have, I think there should be an idea or two here that will work to elicit a "Thanks for being so thoughtful!" response from your hostess.

Give the Gift of a Seasonal Spa Treatment

ButterCosmetics on Etsy

Who wouldn't need a spa treatment following a busy Thanksgiving day, or even a long weekend, of cooking, eating, and entertaining? This is a first class gift item, handmade with the best, soothing, healing ingredients you'll find anywhere. Honestly, I'm not usually much of a spa gal, but I would love to treat myself with these bath and lip products. A Thanksgiving hostess gift definitely fit for a queen.

A Gift for the Thanksgiving Cook

MilkandHoneyLuxuries

Look at this "I'm Thankful For You" serving spoon. Show me a cook who doesn't need another serving spoon and I'll show you . . well, it doesn't matter because any hostess could use an additional big serving spoon at Thanksgiving dinner. And how special is this one? Hand stamped with the words, "I'm thankful for YOU" with a heart, this is beautiful and such a very thoughtful gift! This premium vintage serving spoon is made to order by the creative and well-known folks at Milk and Honey Luxuries. I adore it and bet your hostess will, too.

The Hostess Gift That Keeps on Giving

DaySpring Cards and Gifts

Gift your hostess with a plate of your own specialty cookies, candies, or bread presented atop this "Share" Giving Platter. How does it work? The hostess gift arrives on the plate, homemade or even store-bought by you. The printing on the plate says "share," and a simple canvas tag with a verse is included, tied with a ribbon of jute. The verse on the tag begins, "This plate has no real owner, its journey never ends. It travels on a spontaneous path to neighbors... family... friends."

So after Thanksgiving, when life has settled down for a few minutes, your hostess friend can add her own goodies and present the plate to yet another neighbor or friend. Perhaps the plate, eventually, will make its way back with you since, as the verse says, "its journey never ends." Consider this gift idea for a hostess who is known to be a "giver." She'll love passing the blessing along in the future.

A Simple "Thank You" Will Do 

Thank You Figurine by Willow Tree

This "Thank You" figurine by Willow Tree on Dayspring would be a beautiful choice for a hostess. She's little, just 5 1/2 inches high, but her message ("So appreciative of all you do!") is a big one that will encourage and lift up your hostess each time her eye catches this thoughtful gift.

Artist and sculptor Susan Lodi creates every figure in her Willow Tree collection with expressions revealed through gestures and absence of facial features, so the recipient can interpret its meaning in a personal way. What a beautiful way to show your appreciation for the kindness your hostess shows you.

Say "Thank You" With Flowers

Beautiful, Fresh Fall Flowers from FTD and DaySpring

When in doubt, flowers are a tried and true thank-you gift for a hostess. This beautiful, fall-colored Give Thanks Fall Bouquet would make a perfect, seasonal choice for a Thanksgiving hostess. More arrangements are available at the link. Good news is that all you have to do is the ordering; FTD delivers!  

How did I do? I hope you've discovered the perfect gift for your Thanksgiving hostess this year. I'd love to know what you chose, so don't be shy about leaving a comment below. I hope both you and your hostess have a very happy Thanksgiving!

~ Susan

Still looking? Check out these Gift Reviews from our Review This! team.

~Susan Deppner
Read more of my reviews.

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Review: Two Biographical Novels about Theodore Roosevelt for Middle Schoolers

These Books Bring Theodore Roosevelt to Life

I loved reading biographical fiction when I was in fifth grade. I still enjoy it today. I recently reread Bully for You, Theodore Roosevelt by Jean Fritz in order to review it and to compare it with an ebook I had just purchased,  Bully! (The American Hero Series) by Ryan Stallings. Both books are aimed at middle school students. Both books will help students learn more about Roosevelt, since the details of his life are accurate. They just use different techniques to introduce "The Colonel" to young readers. 

In the first, Bully for You, Theodore Roosevelt, Fritz introduces our 26th American President by telling the fascinating story of his life. In the second, Bully!, a fully grown Roosevelt enters the modern world from the past to interact with a grieving boy and his father. 

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States in his private office, White House, Washington, D.C., courtesy of Library of Congress Public Archives, Copyright Expired

Bully for You, Theodore Roosevelt

Jean Fritz is known for writing biographical fiction for young people. I have a page of mini-reviews of Jean Fritz's books here and some biographical information.  In Bully for You, Fritz shows us how a weak child disciplined himself to overcome the physical odds against him to become strong. His father had challenged him to make his body, telling his son, '...without the body, the mind cannot go as far as it should.' Young Theodore took this to heart, working out regularly in a gym his  father built for him. It took strenuous effort, and he had to exert himself, but he did become strong. He continued to push himself against all odds in his adult life. 

I believe Fritz does a good job in capturing the reader's interest with her humorous and action-packed account of Theodore Roosevelt's life and accomplishments. But the book is more than plot and action. It is full of ideas.

For example, young Roosevelt had read that you could  conquer fear by acting as if you were not afraid. He decided this might also work in conquering unhappiness. When he was working through his grief after his father's death, he acted happy in the only way he knew how. He threw himself into activities he enjoyed. It helped somewhat as he grieved. 

One can learn much in this book about politics and how things are done in both the state and national governments. The chairman of the Republican party called "Teddy" a madman and a dam*ed cowboy when it appeared he might be nominated for Vice President. Any of that sound familiar? 

After William McKinley was assassinated and Roosevelt became president, his friends reminded him that McKinley had been the most dignified president ever, and they urged Roosevelt to act in a more dignified manner. They didn't like the way he dressed for his walks or the way he charged full steam ahead through his agenda and activities. Roosevelt decided he would continue to be himself. 

I would recommend this book to any middle school student who needs to read a biography of an American historical figure. It is entertaining and offers much insight into American politics and history. Even adults who don't want to work at reading history will learn much from this book. Find a more detailed review of the book here. 

 Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt! (Unforgettable Americans) Bully! (The American Heroes Series)

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Bully! by Ryan Stallings

In Bully! we meet exactly the same Teddy Roosevelt presented in Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt. We just meet him in a different context. He enters the modern era as a transformed teddy bear to help a grieving father, Senator Paul Douglas, and his son Jamie, through a terrible time in their lives. Jamie had just lost his mother to cancer.

If one reads the Fritz biography, first, one will see why "The Colonel" as Roosevelt asks to be called, is uniquely qualified to help the family heal. He also knew grief and loss, and although he was a weak boy, as was Jamie, he determined to become strong and he succeeded. He knew how to help Jamie face and defeat the bullies who were assaulting him. As a family man, he knew how to make Paul understand he was failing at his most important task and to help him find a way to succeed.

Before Jamie's mother died, she bought him a teddy bear she had planned to give him for his eighth birthday. Paul gave it to him in the limo as they were going to drop Jamie at school after the funeral service. Paul thought they should resume their normal routines as a way of dealing with grief.

 It was a horrid day for Jamie, and you can read more about it in my longer review of this book. After his traumatic experience, Jamie comes home to an empty house and his father stays away all night working. Jamie sits the bear on a rocking chair facing his bed and tells him 'I wish I had a real Dad.'

When Jamie woke up the next morning, the bear was gone. Instead, a man he did not know was sitting in the rocker. Jamie was scared to death -- so scared that he screamed. So did the man in the chair, and he had a very high voice. They both kept screaming, but when they were out of breath Jamie finally asks the man who he is. He soon discovers his intruder is none other than Theodore Roosevelt, who says he came because Jamie asked him to. He asks Jamie to call him "The Colonel." Jamie stopped being frightened and was soon happy to have the Colonel as his friend.

Both Jamie and Paul learn a lot from Roosevelt to help them cope with loss and go on with life. Colonel shares many of his own experiences with the two and becomes part of their lives until he is no longer needed. Although the author means for the readers to learn about the life of Roosevelt, he also addresses in words and actions how to deal with grief, how to deal with bullies, and how to be a good parent. In addition, Roosevelt (as the Colonel) helps Paul make decisions about his political future.

Although this book is supposed to be for children 7-15, I think a child should be about ten before reading it independently. It might work as a read-aloud for younger children, but parents would be wise to include discussion as they read it. The transformation of the bear into the colonel can be confusing, though no more confusing than the transformations common in fairy tales. The big difference, though, is that Roosevelt is a historical figure many children have studied.

As an adult, I had to keep asking myself how other characters in the book would deal with meeting Roosevelt. Jamie's teacher and many others thought he was an actor. There was no way people were going to believe he was really the historical Roosevelt back among them. We can see how this might work if only Jamie could see and interact with him, but everyone saw him when he was with Jamie or Paul. He even got arrested and jailed a couple of times. If readers are willing to accept this convention, the book is an educational and enjoyable read. I think it would be best used as families or classes read and discuss it, especially if a child is dealing with grief or bullies.

Shirts with Theodore Roosevelt Quotes

Theodore Roosevelt is very quotable. He was a wise man. Below is a sampling of shirts from Zazzzle that capture some of his wisdom and advice. If you click through, you can find shirts with the same quotes available for women or children and in many styles and colors. 

 Teddy Roosevelt T-Shirt Theodore Roosevelt Quotes T-Shirt Theodore Roosevelt Quotes T-Shirt Theodore Roosevelt Quotes T-Shirt Theodore Roosevelt Quotes T-Shirt

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I couldn't resist adding this one last quote I found on a bumper sticker. Enjoy!

Roosevelt on the Senate Bumpersticker

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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