Ashley Boulais

Anuschka Rees is the face behind INTO MIND, a style blog that jumpstarted her first book,  "Curated Closet." It reads more like a manual than a book, and in four parts it assists readers in understanding and developing their own style and building a wardrobe that fits their lifestyle.  No more standing in front of a closet of misguided buys, ill fitting trends, and nothing to wear. This is not a book to sit down and read cover to cover.  Overhauling one's wardrobe will not happen overnight.  Rees instructs readers to experiment with styles and colors for a few weeks before deciding on a color scheme or personal style. I liked the book a lot, actually.  It motivated me to go through my wardrobe and scrap the things that I don't like and don't wear.  I now have a mix of clothes that work well together, really just by weeding out the extras and keeping the clothes that coordinate.  I had no idea that the clothes I love most are navy,  mint, and co...

Most moms are familiar with the old classic "What to Expect When You're Expecting."  We read it all throughout pregnancy, thankful to have our anxieties put to ease without calling the office every ten minutes with a new question. This book is bringing back the nostalgia, only it's geared towards moms with questions about their babies' development and growth outside the womb. Written with a question and answer format and organized into chapters based on baby's age, it's very user friendly.  It can be read through all at once, or read during your baby's current age, or read in anticipation of what's to come.   Each section includes helpful charts and visual aides that make a very information heavy book easy to navigate.   Much more than just eating is covered - discussions about milestones, allergies, poop, dehydration, nutrition, comparing different brands of formula and bottle types, and even recipes are included for each age group.  (Many of the...

Wishy-washy.  It's the best way to describe how I felt about this book.  Here's why:  I believe that the author, Banning Liebscher, loves Jesus and genuinely seeks to honor Him and be shaped by Him.  Banning has been in ministry for many years and is both rooted in Christ and has seen countless others grow deeper roots in Christ.  It is evident in his writing that he values the authority of God's word.  The book's description on the back cover captivated me.  I love exegesis and thought that learning about David's life would be fascinating.  It sounded relevant for all ages and walks of life. The book is comprised of twelve chapters.  I'll highlight a few.  The first six deal with why the rooted last, why we need to trust God and not rush the process, and why we need to stop trusting our feelings.  The final six are under three subsections, labeled as soils.  Those soils are intimacy, serving and community. And there is ssso...

Ok, so I'll be up front here.   I'm nerdy.  I love board games of all kinds (though German made are a particular favorite), and I will always giggle at a good pun.  I thought this game would be a lot of fun.  And I was right.  Sort of. The quality of the game is pretty good,  though the cards are a bit flimsier than I expected.  It includes 200 cards (for plenty of gameplay) and a few other goodies,  pictured. The game fits compactly in one small box so, BONUS!, it would be easy to travel with.  Want to know what counts as a pun?  Don't worry,  they cover that too.  Creativity is strongly encouraged. The game is almost two in one. Quick pun (which is really just telling silly jokes from the back of the cards and seeing who can come up with an answer the fastest) is one part (winning gains you extra time) and the other part uses the green and white prompt cards.  With the prompt cards each player is given a certain a...

Influenster has done it again!  :)  I just got an awesome voxbox specifically for breastfeeding moms with products from UpSpring, and it's pretty awesome. In my box there is a blender bottle (more than 12oz!); 9 packets of powdered drink mix in chocolate, berry and citrus that contain fenugreek and milk thistle to improve milk supply; nipple balm; and test strips to determine if breast milk is safe for baby after having an alcoholic beverage.  So far I've tried everything but the citrus mix and the alcohol testing strips.  The blender bottle was totally unexpected but I love it!  It has a little strainer at the top to keep the powder from clumping together as you drink it.  The chocolate mix can be added to child or hot milk or water.  I added it to cold milk, and as you can imagine, it mixed about as well as hot cocoa powder does in cold milk.  It tasted like an iced coffee though and I liked it.  The berry mixed intuitive cold water ea...

I grew up in small town Ohio, so when I saw that "June" is a novel written about a 1950's Hollywood romance in rural Ohio, I felt like it HAD to be on my Summer reading list.  Maybe you should add it to yours too...even if the month of June is officially over. Miranda Beverly-Whittemore is a best selling author who, in this book,  mixes up a cocktail of imagination with a dash of true-to-life places and people.  The story really takes place in two parallel summers, one in the 1950s and the other in 2015.  There's a saying that's something like,  " Oh if these walls could talk"  and I  feel like that saying describes this book perfectly.  It's the story of June and her granddaughter Cassie, a large inheritance, and a secret romance on the set of a film in St. Jude, Ohio. The house, Two Oaks, which Cassie inherits from her grandmother, is a character of its own, and we see its dreams- the ebb and flow of life within her walls. There are themes of r...

It's wedding season!  I'll be going to one in August, so Influenster sent me some goodies to try out in the meantime. What's in the box? - Pantene Expert shampoo and conditioner It smells really good,  very feminine and flowery.  It lathers well and leaves my hair soft and easy to manage.  I don't think it's the best product I've ever tried though and I definitely noticed an increase in scalp itchiness since I switched from my Head and Shoulders.  Probably not a permanent switch. -  Ardell false eyelashes I haven't been brave enough to actually glue them on yet, but I stuck one on abs it seems like application will be a cinch. They're also reusable, I think!  (Not sure how many times.)  I'm very curious about these though and will probably save them for the wedding. - Micellar make-up remover wipes I am sold!!!  Unscented, extra gentle, refreshing and they actually work!  They're great for travel. - Secret Clinical strength Appl...

The perfect novel for a rainy, cool spring day.  It takes place in the dry deserts of Utah along 117, the route that protagonist Ben Jones has driven for over twenty years. Though driving through a desert may seem boring, the plot and characters are far from it.  They're unique, quirky, intriguing and enigmatic.  Loners, and they like it that way. This book has a little bit of mystery, a little bit of love, and a lot of tragedy.  It's moving and heartbreaking in the same breath.  I enjoyed it and read it in two sittings.  Plus the cover feels amazingly soft, almost like leather or suede or something.  I loved how it felt in my hands.  Anyway, I have lots of  positives to say, but this is my critique: There are some characters who I think could have used more depth.  Like why, after twenty years, does one of the characters confess everything he'd been keeping secret for so long? He had no real need to do so since the main charact...

Intimidated by meditation?  I was. I was afraid of setting myself up for failure.  (Is it reeeeaally possible to empty one's mind?)  I was also afraid that this book would be all "new agey" and weird.  But I promise it wasn't! Here's what the book includes: ●  Info for newbies - how to sit, what to do with your hands, benefits and the science behind meditation ●  3, 5, 7, and 10 minute meditations with journaling prompts and a daily mantra ●  Top 5 foods to avoid ●  Tips for continuing your success after the retreat ●  Bonus yoga sequence to aid your weightloss journey! My weight has been my most significant area of discontent my entire life.  And lately, after having three babies in 3.5 years,  that discontent with my body has turned to self hatred.  My inner dialogue was just mean.  I KNOW that I am loved deeply by my family,  my adoring husband, and most importantly, by Jesus Ch...

"(Un)qualified" is the best Christ-centered book that I have read in a long time.  It is relevant, encouraging, theological, engaging and funny without trying too hard.   I think I could be friends with Steven Furtick in real life, because I think we have a similar sense of humor.  But maybe not,  because he hates Pinterest.  So there's that. This book is relevant and necessary because every.single.one of us, as a follower of Jesus,  is both simultaneously unqualified to do anything for Christ, while also being 100% qualified because of and in Him.  When I think about someone in Scripture who is stuck between who God wants him to be and who he is, I think of Paul with his famous "do-do" passage.  (You know the one...I do not do what I want to do, but I do what I do not want to do..."  That one.) But Steven Furtick takes it in a different direction and talks about Jacob.  Jacob the heel grabber, the coniver, the trickster who spend...

I am not a safe house.   But I knew that, and that's why I felt compelled to explore this book. When my son became a "threenager" seemingly overnight, I stopped being a safe house.  I started parenting out of fear and survival.  I started reacting.  I started punishing instead of disciplining.  Or maybe, maybe this is how I've always been and it is just surfacing more with each challenge.  In any case,  I now have three sons three and under,  and I am terrified....not of just having children who misbehave, but of having children who are resentful of me and of God.  Joshua Straub, PhD, and author of this book is a Dad of two young children.  That is to say,  he's in the trenches with us.   He also works with the American Association of Counselors, so he has a lot of helpful skills to offer every reader. There are three parts to the book. Part one outlines why emotional safety is necessary. It requires the reader to ...

I just got my free voxbox and I'm ready to review! What's inside: - Hillsbros Cappuccino.  There are 3 packs of English Toffee.  It can be used to flavor coffee which I WILL be trying in a couple of hours.  It can be drunk as its own creamy, frothy beverage OR it can be enjoyed as an iced cappuccino.  I.might just try all 3!  I also received a 4 pack of k-cups, which I'll share with friends since I don't have a Keurig (sadly). (Influenster, feel free to send me a free Keurig to review.  I have three sons three and under, so I'm sure it would get rave reviews from this mama!) EDIT:  So, I just tried my first English toffee cappuccino mixed with a cup of coffee. Perfect timing because I ran out of creamer today!  The cappuccino powder mixed easily into a frothy mug of deliciousness.  It's bold and rich, but not too sweet.  It has a very creamy taste.   Very good!  I'm enjoying it while the kiddos nap....all 3 at the same time! ...

I'm a sucker for all books about being a mom.   I won't lie, the cover of this one caught my eye with the femine floral print and little blue bird in the top left corner.   It's cover alone made me feel happy and the content of the book is just as warm and inviting as the cover art.  Becky Thompson, the author of this book,  is a twenty-something Mom of three who has been married for nearly a decade.  She writes transparently and with the ease of an old friend.   In fact, my only real critique is that she uses the address of "friend" a little too frequently.  But I digress. There are ten chapters in this book, and because of the conversational style it flows well and is easy and quick to read.  Important for a busy mom. Her message in this book is simple.  It's a reminder that we are deeply loved by our Father, and that because of His love we are equipped to be the loving mothers he has called us to be.   It's a mu...

After reading Marie Kondo's "The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up" I was so excited to see her companion "master class" on tidying up.  The first book gave a wonderful outline of her principles, but as a Mom I was left with a few questions on how to tackle the "miscellaneous" section and specifically wondered why she didn't address how to organize things like T.O.Y.S.   Oh, the toys!  Marie clearly distinguishes between tidying and cleaning, which I appreciate. Tidying deals with stuff, cleaning deals with dirt. But if you have a tidy home filled with only things you love, it's easier to deal with the dirt.  Instead of looking at decluttering as "what do I have to get rid of?" you think, "what do I get to keep?  What sparks joy?"  I wondered after her first book though about those necessities...surely it is impractical to get rid of my hammer just because I don't feel joy when I look at it??  This second book answers th...

I took a risk on this one, and I was skeptical.  A book about a pubescent  boy who had never been outside, venturing out and befriending a bunch of skateboarders?  How could I, a twenty-something female, relate to this character?  Well, I'm glad I took a chance. Michael Christie writes with an authentic understanding of his subject and story content.  The story takes place in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the author's actual hometown, and is about a boy who grows up with his mother who suffers from an illness called Agoraphobia.  This illness, Christie describes, is like a fear of fear.  And he would know.  His own mother suffered from the same illness in real life.  In addition to this,  Christie was once a professional skateboarder, so it only makes sense that Will, our main character, would find much of his courage and strength in skateboarding.  Michael Christie's experiences and knowledge add a lot to the story. The basic plot has al...