Music to Prepare Your Heart for Thanksgiving: A Review

Thanksgiving and Praise Music Go Together

When our hearts are especially thankful, we can often express our thanksgiving and praise best with music. Even when our hearts are heavy, music can remind us of all God has done for us and help us remember his faithfulness during times stress. Songs of praise can often bring gratitude back to our hearts. Today I'd like to share some music and verses that help my own heart give thanks for God's many blessings.

Prepare Your Heart to Praise the Lord with Music - Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

Let's get started with a song I first heard back in the seventies when I had many albums by the St. Louis Jesuits. I think I had all of them. Even though I'm Protestant, the Catholic Church was more innovative in writing music that expressed what was in  my young adult heart. Here's a sample I found on YouTube so you could hear the complete song, "Glory and Praise to Our God."




Even though  I'm now old, I still appreciate the simple melodies and beautiful harmony of many of the St. Louis Jesuits' songs.

The Music in This Thanksgiving Album Has All I the Qualities I Want

When I started searching Amazon for some of my favorite songs of thanksgiving and praise, I wanted to find an album with a variety of styles and artists. If I'm going to listen for a while, my attention wanders if the voices or music styles don't change periodically.  It's especially important to me that the rhythm changes. Even creators of albums by a single artist try to vary the rhythms as they put an album together.

I also wanted music with understandable words. All you need to do is listen to YouTube for a while to know that some choirs and smaller groups enunciate their words more clearly than others. It's wonderful that some videos show the words as they are sung, but most of us aren't able to watch our music on video when we are driving or doing the dishes. I don't know about you, but I normally listen to music to keep from getting bored while I'm doing some physical task

My personal music preference is songs with strong melody that beg me to sing along, and at least some harmony as the music flows. I want music that will lift my spirit, and tunes work with the words to do that.

This album meets all my criteria. There are a few songs included I wouldn't buy separately, but they work in the album to vary the styles and rhythms.  Click through to see a complete listing of all the songs and sample them right from the page. Although the thumbnails featured on the videos show different covers, the songs are the same ones by the same artists you will find on this video. OCP puts many of the songs in several different albums. If a song is only from a different album, I will tell you.

Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 26

What's in the Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 26 Album?

Here are some of the videos I've found that will let you hear more complete recordings of some of the artists featured on the album. Most of the traditional hymns included are sung by the OCP Session Choir. Here is their YouTube presentation of one of the most popular Thanksgiving songs you will find in the album -- "Now Thank We All Our God." It dates all the way back to Pilgrim times and I grew up singing it every Thanksgiving.



I'll be the first to admit that the cover of this album is not very exciting, but one isn't going to listen to the cover.

There are also many songs associated with the St. Louis Jesuits which you can stream or still get on CD's.  Among them was the song in the first video I showed you above. This next one, also on the album, is by Bob Dufford and the St. Louis Jesuits. I'm giving you the visual version here. It's prettier than the album cover.






The album also features another of my favorite Thanksgiving songs: "Let All Things Now Living." It's sung to the popular folk tune of "The Ash Grove" by the OCP Session Choir.







Now let's vary the style and the rhythm a bit. This one is bilingual:
"Alabaré / O Come and Sing" by Manuel José Alonso and  José Pagán. It will start you dancing. It's also on the album.

The songs by Grayson Warren Brown are a bit slower and reflect a different cultural style.  Here's "Been So Busy." This artist was new to me.

If you'd like to sample more of this artist, which I did, you can not only steam his music, but also buy his CD. I like that, because I don't have an MP3 Player. Actually, I do, but it's ancient and I never figured out how to work it.

Greatness and Glory Are Yours [CD]Check Price

While checking out all this music, I see that to get the music I really want to buy and play it in a portable form I may need to invest in an MP3 Player. I'm checking out this one.

Still More Songs to Check out from More Artists on this Album

"Grateful" by Tom Tomaszek is also included in the album. Here it is complete. It's yet another style.




All these new styles are getting to me. I need to calm down a bit with another traditional hymn by the choir. Here's another of my favorites: "All Creatures of Our God and King." It dates back to St. Francis of Assisi in 1225 and was translated into English by William Draper in 1926. It appears some of the words have been modernized since then. The tune dates back to 1623. This version is from the Cambridge Singers and a different album, but the song is also sung by the OCP Session Choir on the Glory and Praise Album linked to above. I put this version here because I like the extra organ and trumpet music in many of the selections.



The O Praise the Lord of Heaven album it comes from features only a couple of the Thanksgiving hymns in my featured album. Most of the selections in O Praise the Lord of Heaven will appeal more to those who are "high church" or who enjoy classical music. If that's you, try the downloads from this album.

O Praise the Lord of HeavenCheck Price

Let's change the style again with "Lift Up Your Hearts" by Roc O'Connor - a song that comes from our featured album:



Now we'll bring in a female vocalist, Sarah Hart.  She sings "Hallelujah is Our Song" in our featured album.

If you enjoy this artist and style, you can buy the CD or stream the songs by clicking the link below.

Above Earths LamentationCheck Price

We've almost got this album covered. I haven't shown you all the songs, but you can sample the rest on the Amazon site. I do want to leave you with one last song from the album by an artist who was new to me and I'm glad to have met. It's another song I love, "Alle, Alle, Alleluia" by Richard Ho Lung. It will wake you back up if the slower songs were making you drift off.

If you enjoyed that song, you might want to check out others by the same artist and a couple of others on Working for the Lord. Most feature the faster rhythms, and some of the songs include female vocalists.

Working for the LordCheck Price

We've Come to the End of the Album

At least we've reached the last song from it I want to share with you in video. This is the version you will find on our featured album. The hymn has been around  with many different tunes. The English translation by Jane Campbell has been around since 1861. This version of "All Good Gifts" is by Kevin Keil.




I hope you've enjoyed our video tour of Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 26. If you'd like to purchase the album or individual songs just click the link to see the Amazon listing where you can listen to parts of each song. You can stream 13 of them for free if you Try Amazon Music Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial. That membership will also allow you to listen to many of the songs in the other albums featured here. If you'd like to do that, I'd really appreciate it if you'd click the affiliate link above to look at the offer instead of the one on whatever Amazon page you land on if you go to look at the music.

Glory & Praise: Third Edition, Vol. 26

I hope this music will help you nurture a grateful heart and teach you more songs to help you praise the Lord.

Photo Adapted from Pixabay Photo

For more Thanksgiving music, check out what our contributor Heather Burns, wrote: Thanksgiving Canon, A Hymn for the Ages

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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Jenga Classic Game Reviewed

Family Fun For All Ages

Playing Jenga Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com

It is that time of year again, we are all looking for gift ideas. Today I would like to review the classic game of Jenga for you to consider as a gift for a child or the entire family.

We love to play games in our house. Board games are fun but when the entire family gets together some of those are too difficult for the little ones to play. Not all of the adults like playing the simpler games like Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land so the the youngest can play along. 

That is why I love the Jenga game. Even the littlest family member can play. We have one who still delights in losing by pulling out a block and causing the tower to fall. She used to clap and say, "Do it again, do it again" or "I did it! I made it fall!" She has reached an age now where she understands that the object is to remove a block without making the tower crash and has become more skilled at playing. She is a little like her Grandma in not being too awfully competitive; losing doesn't bother her like a few of the adults who get perturbed when they lose. I think that is one of the reasons that I have always loved to play games with the children. It is fun to show them what it feels like to win but it is just as important (in my humble opinion) to show them how to lose gracefully. Depending on who is playing at the time, sometimes the kids see an example of what it looks like to be a "sore loser" and that is important for them to see, too. 

Jenga Classic Game

It is a fun and inexpensive game that is easy to play although it does provide some chances for skill and strategy as the tower grows and it becomes less and less stable. Because the blocks are made of wood; it isn't going to break and it is extremely easy to store away when the game is over. We've even played with the blocks like building blocks from time to time instead of playing the actual game.

If you are looking for a gift idea for a child, I recommend that you consider the game of Jenga. Both children and adults can enjoy playing it and it never goes out of style.

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 Meaningful Gifts by SimplyYoursByDesign

Personalized ornaments and bracelets by SimplyYoursByDesign

As the season of serious gift shopping fast approaches, I want to bring attention to these personalized and meaningful gifts. In this review I will show you gifts that are not mass produced, are handmade, and are personalized to your specifications. These are gifts that are meant to last through the years.

Earlier this year I ordered custom metal garden tags from SimplyYoursByDesign and was extremely pleased with both that shopping experience and  the quality of garden tags I received. I expect that the experience with their gift items would be the same.

Engraved Double-Sided Cuff Bracelet

This lovely double-sided cuff bracelet is stamped with one word on the top side and is personalized on the inside.  This example shows the top side word as "blessed". That word can be exchanged for a word of your choice. The inside is a list of names separated by hearts. Perhaps the names of someone's children? Or a proud grandparent's grandchildren?

The top side could be engraved with the word "remember" with an important quote on the inside. Or perhaps "never forget" on the top side with a date or memorial on the inside. 

These bracelets can be as personal and unique as you can imagine - within the character limits of course. And they are available in several different metals.

engraved cuff bracelets by SimplyYoursByDesign

Engraved Metal Ornaments - Personalized for Your Family or Theirs

Many families have ornaments that they use year after year. And eventually pass down through the generations. A wonderful tradition that is even better when the ornaments don't just say "Baby's First Christmas" but also includes baby's name! 

My readers are probably more imaginative than I am and can probably come up with some fantastic ideas for ornaments. These are the ideas I've had for meaningful ornaments:

• gift for grandparent with the grandchildren's names
• baby's first Christmas
• special dates or events that have occurred 
• family name ornament
• parent ornament listing the children's names
• memorial ornament - to always remember
• ornament for pet
• couple's first Christmas together (imagine the same ornament of a different metal each subsequent year!)

some of the MANY ornament possibilities offered by SimplyYoursByDesign

SimplyYoursByDesign on Etsy

customized garden tags

As I mentioned, I had ordered personalized garden tags earlier this year (see that review here) and as a result, I continue to recommend SimplyYoursByDesign. 

When you order your personalized item, remember that this is a small family business and the items are engraved by hand. If you are a last-minute shopper and desire instant gratification, these are probably not the gifts for you. The folks at SimplyYoursByDesign list the current production time on their policies page, so be aware of that when you are considering ordering.

If you are looking for a special and personal gift for someone (or maybe for yourself) these may be just the things you were looking for. 

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 of 3 Original Gift Ideas for Cat Lovers

3D Cat Duvet Here - Various Sizes

Via BeddingInn

Cat lovers are so much fun to buy for! And there seems to be an endless supply of funky cat gifts to choose from.

Only true cat lovers understand the connection between feline and human. We've heard all the reasons why; they're independent, when they want love they'll let you know, and yes they're smart. Whatever it is that forms that connection, it exists and it's deep.

3D Kittens in the Sky Duvet

If the person you're giving the gift to has a sense of humor and appreciates funky home décor, they'll love this artsy kitties peeking through to the sky duvet set.

This set comes in three sizes, Twin, Queen, and King and consists of a duvet cover, a flat sheet and pillowcases. However it doesn't come with a comforter insert, so you'll have to acquire that separately if needed.

The material is a blend of fifty percent tencel and fifty percent cotton, making it not only a funny choice but also a comfortable one.

Lifelike 3D Kitty Pillows

Fun Cat Pillows - An original gift idea 

From BeddingInn

These are the cutest pillows aren't they!

Best of all they're affordable. At the time of writing, if you're looking for a gift under twenty dollars, these will fit the bill. Note that prices can change, and although the price is under twenty dollars at this moment, it could go up or down.

The photo of the pillows shows three kitties but the price only includes one. When you visit the link you'll see there are two cat pillow choices, versus three depicted here.

The price of these pillows make them a good multiple gift purchase. Acquire several and keep them on hand for housewarming or to give to the kids of the household you're visiting.

Freaky Fun Kitty Mug

From BeddingInn

A Freaky Kitty Mug

This freaky kitty cat mug is perfect for that quirky friend who enjoys a gift that's funky. This kitty mug literally stands out; look at the cat stretch.

Again, at the time of writing, the mug is currently under twenty dollars. Of course, that can change but for now it's ideal if you're looking to spend money within this price range.

Give this one as a teacher gift, an office party gift, a hostess gift, gift for the kids of the home you're visiting, or give several of them as set to make a main gift for that special cat lover in your life.

So whether it's bedding, pillows or a mug, these are affordable gifts to stay under a hundred dollars, and even under twenty dollars.

Novelty gifts are remembered and laughed about for years, so don't hesitate to choose one.

Happy Shopping!

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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The Coffeehouse Mysteries - A Series Review

Buy the Coffeehouse Mysteries by clicking here!

If you love reading murder mysteries in coffee shops then Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse books are ideal for you. Well maybe not the one where the caramel chocolate latte is poisoned, but.....

I do like murder mysteries - both the easy to read cozy mysteries (which Cleo Coyle's ones are) and the grittier ones by the likes of Ruth Rendell or Kathy Reichs.

The Coffeehouse books are a little different in that they involve coffee - yes a whole series of books that unite both coffee and murder, want to know more?

Let's review the series of The Coffeehouse Mysteries, be warned this could become almost as addictive as your morning cup of Joe!

Clare Cosi is the Star of the Coffeehouse Mysteries

A Coffee Lover & Sleuth Too!

Clare Cosi is the heroine of these murder mysteries and she works as manager (soon to be partner) of The Village Blend a coffee shop that has been in Greenwich Village, New York for decades as it was started by her ex-mother-in-law, referred to simply as Madame!

As well as being the manager Clare seems to somehow have a connection to murder on a regular basis and then wants to solve the case - her ex-husband (and soon to be partner in The Village Blend) claims she has a Nancy Drew fixation ........and he might not be wrong.

Throughout the book Clare shares little tidbits about coffee - making it, the differences between beans, coffee folklore and more. To give you some background Clare moved away from New York with her daughter Joy when her marriage ended and only recently returned to New York for the first book in the series - On What Grounds. During the time she was away she worked as a food and coffee writer so has all of this knowledge which gets sprinkled through the books.

Clare has a good relationship with her ex, but the man she'd like in her life is a Police Detective called Mike Quinn which is pretty handy when you're after details of a case as well. Clare also has a good relationship with her ex-mother-in-law who is also a little nosy and loves to help Clare out when she's trying to solve a case.

Image from Pixabay, adapted by Lou of Lou's Designs

Why I Like The Coffeehouse Mysteries Book Series

The murder mysteries always seem to have a connection to The Village Blend Coffeehouse which could give you pause before drinking there ....... unless you like puffer fish that is. For those of you who don't 'get' that sentance then you need to read book #3 - Latte Trouble!

What sets these books apart from other whodunnits is the coffee. As I mentioned before sprinkled throughout the books are little bits of coffee trivia which I found really interesting. The trivia didn't detract from the story line, but it did add another layer to the story which I enjoyed.

To further seal the coffee influence with these books you'll find recipes from the stories at the end of the book. If you're in a book club you could recreate a Caramel Chocolate Latte to drink while you discuss the ins and outs of Latte Trouble to really get in the mood.

Who is Cleo Coyle?

The Author of the Coffeehouse Mysteries

Cleo Coyle is actually two people, husband and wife writing team - Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini. They released the first book - On What Grounds - in September 2003 and now they even have their own website with recipes and a forum for fans - The Virtual Village Blend.

Cleo Coyle Books in Order

I'm linking to books here for you, but I should mention that I've been reading the kindle editions of these books and am thoroughly enjoying reading them that way.

On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 1) is the first of these books and it's where Clare Cosi returns to take over as the manager of The Village Blend.

I actually haven't read this book yet as I started off reading book 2, then book 3 and I haven't looked back! I will read it once I've finished the rest of the series though.


 Through the Grinder (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 2)
Through The Grinder is cool because you get to see inside the murderer's mind without it revealing who the person is.

In this book we also see Mike Quinn's jealous side as Clare gets herself a love interest who (rather predictably) turns out to be a main suspect in a rash of murders made to look like suicides and all customers of the Village Blend.

 Latte Trouble (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 3)
Latte Trouble is the third book in the coffeehouse mysteries and this time the murder hits even closer to home with the murder weapon being a poisoned latte poured by the lovable Tucker - can Clare's chief barista be a murderer?

This book could be the end for Clare as she's taken into the seedy underworld of the fashion industry and drugged, but wait I know I have more of these books so it'll turn out okay!

 Murder Most Frothy (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 4)
Murder Most Frothy doesn't actually take place in Greenwich, but at the Hamptons.

In Latte Trouble we were introduced to David Mintzer, celebrity restaurant owner, who was impressed by Clare's coffee knowledge.

In this the fourth book in the series, David has brought Clare, Joy and Madame to stay at his Hamptons' home to help train his staff up as baristas and of course this means that someone is going to be murdered while they're partying their way through a Hamptons' summer.

 Decaffeinated Corpse (A Coffeehouse Mystery Book 5)
Decaffeinated Corpse is the fifth book in this series and is the one I'm currently reading.

One of the interesting things I've found with this book is about how decaffeinated coffee is made because this book is all about a new coffee bean that is grown as a decaffeinated bean.

I was surprised by the first body that we 'meet' in this book (although it's the second murder in chronological order and the first wasn't a surprise to me), when the body fell onto the sidewalk I thought I knew who it was going to be and I was wrong which is always a good start to solving a whodunnit!

The following books are the rest of the series in order. I haven't read these yet, but will add a short description to them as I do.

• French Pressed 
• Espresso Shot 
• Holiday Grind 
• Roast Mortem 
• Murder by Mocha 
• A Brew to a Kill 
• Holiday Buzz 
• Billionaire Blend 
• Once Upon a Grind 
• Dead to the Last Drop 
• Dead Cold Brew 

 Due to be released in April 2018 - Shot in the Dark

Do You Love Cozy Mysteries? We Do!

The contributors here at Review This often review books for you and I've found that a lot of us really enjoy a cozy mystery or two, in fact one of our contributors, Bev Owens, has actually published a couple of her own cozy mysteries which are awesome. 

So, if you want a break from the fast pace of New York (where the Coffeehouse Mysteries are set) then why not take a trip to Beaver Falls with Beverly Owen's Up cycling mysteries.

Here are a few of the other cozy mysteries we've reviewed for you..

Mystery Series Review: Cats, Cupcakes and Killers
Author Sylvia Selfman has done just that with her Izzy Greene series in Cats, Cupcakes and Killers. All seven mysteries are published together ...

Reviewing Cozy Mysteries and Favorite Women Sleuths
Like cozy mysteries starring smart, female sleuths? ... My favorite genre is mystery and right now I'm particularly attracted to easy-to-read cozy mystery stories

Mrs Fix-it Mystery Series Reviewed
A very enjoyable series of mystery books with Mrs Fix It as the female sleuth. ... I was a little sad when I came to the last page of the 15th book.

Reviewing The Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series
I recently read the Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series by Leighan Dobbs and enjoyed it immensely. It was pretty easy to get attached to the ...

Chef at the Water's Edge by Kee Patterbee - A Mystery Review
A celebrity chef is found dead in a lake. Was it an accident as the police reported? Or was it suicide or murder? Can you solve the mystery ...

We're not all a 'murderous bunch' and we review plenty of other books too, but at the moment I just can't get enough of the cozy mysteries that are out there and I'm sure that you'll love them too.

 If you're not into the more grisly murder mysteries then the cozy mysteries are for you. I once heard them described as the Mills and Boon of mystery books and that made me smile because they are light reading and in general they don't contain descriptive violence (although obviously there is murder involved). I think of them as 'genteel murder mysteries' similar to Agatha Christie's books, but without the nostalgic feel of a different era.

Grab a coffee and let me know what you think of this series of books and don't forget to check out some of the other cozy mysteries too.

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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