Family Fun - Spades

With the Hearts card game being such a big hit in our house, I'm going to try to teach the older kids to play Spades.  It's a little more complex with the bidding element and the partner play, but it's worth a shot.  I spent hours playing Spades in high school and college.  I'm hoping this will be one more option for entertainment when the kids get older - a way to keep older kids happily engaged on bus trips with sports teams, hanging out with friends, or at the pool.  A good positive alternative instead of getting into trouble!

Family Fun - Uno Attack

We picked up this Uno Attack game at a thrift store a few summers ago.  The kids go in spurts with playing it, but it's a big hit this week.  Personally, I prefer classic Uno (easier to store and a faster paced game), but the kids love the card-spitter-outer gadget!  I love Uno and Uno Attack, because it's fun for such a wide age range.

Happy playing!

Family Fun - Hearts

We've been having fun playing the card game Hearts this week.  I taught my 13 and 10 year old how to play, and my 8 year old has watched us play a few hands.  The boys love it!  I have so many great memories of playing hearts with friends, so it's very fun to share the tradition with my family.  Best of all - there's hardly any storage required for a deck of cards on the bookshelf or in the car!

Nashville's Belmont Mansion - in fiction!

I just finished reading one of Tamera Alexander's Belmont Mansion novels, A Beauty so Rare.  It was another historical fiction novel that I wanted to read in every spare moment.  I loved the glimpses into Nashville history, since I've lived in the Nashville area for almost 20 years.  I enjoyed meeting the characters and practically seeing their strengths and weaknesses. I enjoyed the quiet messages of God's love and grace scattered throughout the book.  But what I loved most was the tale of mercy, leadership, courage and social activism related to the main character's efforts to care for the city's widows and children.  Eleanor's sacrificial love will surely inspire readers to be more aware of people's needs and how they might use their talents, time and money for the betterment of others.  I could easily imagine a book club adopting a service project together after reading the book.

I recommend this book to female readers age 14+, and book clubs would enjoy discussion stemming from the book.  Fun side story - my grandmother also enjoys reading this series, so I'll enjoy talking about it with her.  And I look forward to reading other books in the Belmont series.

I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.