"It's not the money that comes in, but what you do with it that counts"

This saying is something that my lovely mother has told us kids over and over since we were little, and it's still as true today as it was then. Everyone wants to save money and see a little bit more left in their bank account at the end of the week, but how do we do it? What ways can we creatively stretch that dollar and make it go further without feeling like a beggar on the streets? These questions and more are all answered in The Complete Tightwad Gazette written by Amy Dacyczyn.

Everybody knows how to save money, the principle is as old as the moon: Spend fewer dollars than you earn. What people really want to know is where are they spending their money and how can they reduce that amount. Amy's book is an encyclopedia of ideas on ways that you can reuse, replace and cutback to save money and have fun while you do it.

Pros:

• Wide variety of ideas
• Common sense, down to earth advice
• Lots of ideas for actual lifestyle changes, not just quick fixes
• Much more than just couponing and snowballing your debts

Cons:

• Some information is a little dated, like the fact that the Internet wasn't around yet
• Sometimes nutrition takes a bit of a back seat to frugality
• Not really a con, but Amy spends quite a bit of time explaining that everybody's version of success is different and, likewise, you might find that her goals don't necessarily match yours

Liked/Loved:

• Short bite sized sections, perfect for when you have just a few minutes spare
• Something for everyone
• Available in a nice sturdy hard cover binding
• Nice 'book-in-hand' feel to it - mostly for the avid readers among you!
• Informative, but also entertaining to read

Some big changes come into eight-year-old Miguel's life - changes that confuse him and that he cannot understand. Why, when his drunken father decides to change his ways and Miguel no longer needs to be afraid of him, should his best friend tell him that he can no longer be his friend?

Why, when the long-hoped-for day arrives that he can go to school, should the neighbours not speak to him but whisper about him as he passes?

Then suddenly a great sorrow comes to Miguel's family, and with it other things that make him afraid and bewildered. 

But Miguel's life is not all sad. New friends and new ways bring new experiences and many joys. Birthdays bring surprises, and market days bring special happiness. Then there is Canala, one of Miguel's special pets; and there is the special gift that he receives - that disappears.

Then comes the earthquake, and....But this is telling you enough. You will want to read this very interesting book for yourself and see how God works everything out to make Miguel a very happy boy. 

This book is brought out by Rod and Staff Publishers and can be purchased from their distributor Milestone Books
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Photo from www.drmomherbs.com

I am so happy to be able to share with you today a review of one of my favourite health books, 'Be Your Own Doctor' by Rachel Weaver M.H. This book has long been one of my favourite herbal resources and is filled with so much great information. Rachel Weaver, as stated on the back of her book, is an educator, midwife, consultant and mother of nine, who has spent years learning and discovering all she can about natural health and herbal remedies, testing her knowledge on countless friends, clients and family. She has written four herbal health books to date, with Be Your Own Doctor being her first, and continues to extend and expand her knowledge whenever she can. Mrs Weaver is a certified Master Herbalist, but she makes it clear that she is not a medical doctor and says that the information in her book is not designed to keep you from going to your doctor, but rather to help you to see when you should go to your doctor and when you can meet your health care needs at home, realizing that many health care issues can be treated simply and easily at home. 

Topics Covered In The Book:

• How to deal with colds, flus and fever.
• How to stop bleeding, heal woulds and deal with emergencies.
• Re-mineralizing teeth and healing abscesses.
• Recipes to make your own tinctures, poultices, teas and salves.
• Resolving colic and making your own baby care supplies.
• How to deal with most family health problems in your home.
• Understanding hormones that are going haywire.
• And much, much more.

Pros:

• Easy to read.
• Much time is spent on day to day issues that you will actually face.
• Offers recipes for how you can make most of the remedies yourself, as well as where you can buy them ready made.
• Most of the remedies use ingredients that can be easily sourced or that you have on hand already.
• Remedies are organised both by ingredient and ailment, so if you are wondering what you can do with the parsley growing in your garden, you can go to the chapter on that or, if you have a bad sprain and want to know what you can do to alleviate the pain, you can go directly to that section without having to page through the whole book. A small thing, but so helpful if you plan on using the book often. 

Cons:

• While not really a con, this book is printed by a small publishing company and can be hard to purchase if you live outside the US, like me. However, I have found it available for purchase at places like eBay, Barnes & Noble, Better World Books and Thriftbooks.

• It can be difficult to source some of the supplies that Rachel Weaver mentions in her book if you are outside of the US. She does provide a list of suppliers at the back of the book, but many of these are US companies and will not ship to Australia. However, you can find most of the supplies at online stores such as iHerb.com.au or on eBay and Mrs Weaver does offer alternative treatment ideas for many of the health issues discussed.

What I Liked/Didn't Like About The Book:

• I love Mrs Weaver's down to earth, common sense way of looking at health. She presents health information that is detailed and accurate, but in a way that is simple to understand and interesting.

• The stories! Rachel Weaver has filled this book with over one hundred true life stories of how she, or others she knows, have used the herbs to treat heaps of different health issues, showing you what worked and what didn't. By reading these real accounts you are able to remember so much more of the information in the book and are inspired to try out different ideas for yourself.

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“It is so easy to get caught up in our own little world that we don’t see the needs, sorrows and longings of whom we pass by”

Today I would like to share with you this truly 

God Bless

Written by Anita