A Lady in France: A Review

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Jackie

I believe that I have fallen in love with memoirs and my latest read was exceptional. A Lady in France is Jennie Goutet’s memoir that takes you through her life. The good, the bad, the ups, and the downs and it’ll be a book that will have you smiling, nodding your head in agreement, and at times crying.

I first learned of Jennie through blogging and have been reading her blog for a couple years now. I have become fully enchanted with it because she has done what so many haven’t…. she set out with a dream for her life, to marry a French man and live in France, and she did it. She and her family live outside of Paris in a home that they have spent a great deal of time looking for and renovating.

Jennie first started her memoir on her blog and I was going to read the posts but they seemed so long and I usually found something else to do. But I did buy the book! I’m starting to wonder if everything happens for a reason and this is why. When she started writing posts on faith I read them and commented once that I liked them even though I wasn’t a believer but my life changed and I found my way to God.

I didn’t know much about her memoir but I do believe that it came at the right time and that is why I think things happen for a reason as well. As I read through it I was amazed at the parallels in our lives and how much I wanted to know more about her, her walk in faith, and how she got to where she is today. Aside from that she has traveled to incredible places, Europe, Asia and Africa, helped out so many people in life, spread joy and love, all the while battling her own demons…. depression and anxiety (something that I too deal with). I feel that she is one of those people that you wish you could be, one who has done so much good in their lives and experienced so many things and all in a short amount of time.

Her book is wonderful, heart warming, and beautifully written. I consider Jennie to be a friend and value that deeply as she has touched my life through her words in her book as well as through emails that we have exchanged. Even if the friendship wasn’t there I would highly recommend this book to anyone that I know it is most definitely worth the time to read.

If you haven’t visited her blog yet take a few moments to read and I’m sure that you too will love it.

Just a few random facts

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Jackie

Life is funny sometimes. You meet people and make connections, lose contact for a bit, and then one day you meet up again. This happens in real life as well as with the friends that we make online through blogging and social media and it recently happened to me (again). Sara from High Heels and Training Wheels tagged me along with some other awesome bloggers to share a little bit about ourselves and answer some questions.

I’ll admit that she did this like a week ago and I’ve just been lazy… I’d like to come up with some other excuse that it is really good but I can’t. So we’ll go with the truth… I’ve been to lazy to write. But I’ve put it off long enough and really want to try and write more so here it goes!

Do you believe you have a purpose in this life? If so, what is it?

I’d like to think that we all have a purpose in life and that we all know exactly what it is, but that would probably be wrong. Well, just the part about knowing what that purpose is. I think that we wander around aimless more or less once in a while trying to figure out what it is that we’re supposed to be doing. For me, well I don’t know yet. Right now I am trying my best to be a good mom, a good friend, a good wife, and a good Christian. None of it’s easy that’s for sure.

What scares you the most in life?

There is a lot that scares me in life but this is not to say that I walk around in fear of something bad happening all of the time. I fear death, whether it’s mine, my husband, kids, parents, siblings, or other family and friends. I’m afraid of how my kids will get along without me around, what will happen when my oldest goes off to college in the fall, how my youngest will turn out because he’s such a busy & loud little boy right now, and if I’ve made the right choices every day.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Well, right now it’s any place where there isn’t snow, ice, and constant cold weather. This winter has been rough here in Michigan and I read an article yesterday saying that this state has the most snow cover than any other state and that the Great Lakes have more ice than they have had in years. So, warm and sunny.

What is your favorite way to unwind?

This is an easy one! Reading. I love getting lost in a good book.

What’s your home decorating style?

Decorating style? This is funny…. It’s called cluttered, messy, and lived in. I’d love it to be something beautiful and fit for a magazine but in reality I have 4 kids, a husband, and work full time so it is what it is.

What’s a favorite childhood memory?

I find this one a bit challenging. Not because I don’t have good memories of my childhood but more that I can’t seem to remember many of them because of all that bad that happened. This is something that I am working through in therapy. But I do remember holidays with my sister and parents before they divorced, camping together, spending time with my grandparents, and large family gatherings.

If money wasn’t an issue would you want a bigger home, smaller home, or stay where you are living now?

I think that I would get a new house. The one that we have right now is okay, but there is a lot that we want to do with it and we also want more land (which is not an option where we live now).

What was your favorite age? Why?

Favorite age… Let’s see. I can look back at my life and say this or that was a good age because of X but honestly I have to say 41. 41 is my current age and it has taken a lot of time, a lot of change, and turmoil to get where I am but I have learned a lot along the way. Right now I am moving towards a really good place because of the therapy and becoming a Christian (again). I am starting to understand things that have happened in my life better and seeing things in a new light.

What’s a guilty pleasure?

I have two…. chocolate and Diet Coke.

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Nothing, because I am not a spontaneous person. I’m a big chicken and am always worried and wondering, “what if?”.

Why do you blog?

Ummm…. well, lately I haven’t been doing much blogging really. I’m at a point where I don’t know what I want or should do with my blog so I don’t have an answer for this one. Cop out, huh?

So, there are some rules that go along with this…

~~1) Acknowledge the nominating blogger~~. ~~2) Share 11 facts about yourself~~. ~~3) Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you~~. 4) List 11 bloggers. 5) Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they’ve been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you

I’m skipping 4 and 5 simply because I’m lazy and I don’t even know if anyone still reads my blog! I’d have to hunt people down to actually play along… seems like a lot of work doesn’t it?

Anyway, there you have it….. just a few random facts about me.

Tell me something random about you now.

Free Books for Michigan Students!

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Jackie

Reading is such an important skill… actually it really is required to be able to function in our daily lives. What’s sad is that many families can’t afford to buy books but this new program from Michigan Friends of Education helps with that and provides free books for Michigan students!

I love reading and always have. Getting lost in a book for hours while curled up on the couch is one of my favorite things to do. It’s so easy to get pulled into a story and let your imagination run wild with picturing everything that the author is saying. Reading can take you on journeys around the world and into places that we have never imagined.

This new program is incredible and makes it possible for all kids to get immersed in reading and going on those magical journeys through books. I am happy that I can share this info with you and hope that you’ll in turn share it with others as well.

MFEfamily.org is all set to offer their free book program to all students from Michigan who either struggle to read or cannot afford to buy new books!

Michigan Friends of Education (MFE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the community, especially for Michigan families who cannot afford to buy books for their children. The new book program makes it possible for families to get books for free. MFE believes that every child deserves an opportunity to learn, grow and fulfill their dreams. Therefore, this program is focused towards helping kids who struggle with reading or want to improve their reading skills.

“We worked closely with a variety of publishers and booksellers to make this program available to Michigan families,” said Menachem Kniespeck, president & CEO of MFE. “The response from families has been overwhelmingly positive. Our volunteers are working extra shifts to quickly get books into the hands of thousands of kids.”

How to get books for free from MFEfamily.org

The books are free of charge and families may select as many as 14 books per order. Families are only responsible for the shipping charges along with a nominal handling fee of just $2. The shipping cost depends upon the total weight of books, packaging and package size.

Who is eligible for the MFEfamily.org Free Book Program?

Anybody residing in Michigan is eligible for this program. There are no income qualifications; however, families grappling with household finances, or those who have struggling school-aged readers, are encouraged to visit the site.

What kinds of books are available?

The free book program has a mix of chapter books, leveled-readers ,study aids, and activity books at all grade levels. The inventory changes frequently as new books arrive on a regular basis.

Donations

Those wishing to make a contribution towards the Michigan community and make the future better for the kids can visit the www.mfefamily.org site.

For more information about Michigan Friends of Education, visit www.mfefamily.org

About MFEfamily.org

Michigan Friends of Education is a nonprofit organization that is committed to helping students from Michigan excel in school and beyond. And for this purpose, we are running a free book program which has received quite a good response from the community. Our aim is to reach out the more than 700,000 kids in Michigan living in poverty.

Disclosure: I wasn’t given anything in return for this post but fully believe that reading is vitally important. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Resolutions & Word for the Year

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Jackie

It’s been over a month since I poured my heart out and let you all know where I’ve been in my life and what’s been going on. My life was completely in the hole… a deep, dark hole that I struggled to climb out of and when I did manage to get closer to the top, where I could see the light, I’d slip down again. I’m not in that hole any longer, but that is due in part to taking anti-depressant and anxiety meds.

Meds are not the answer though. I fully feel that they’re only part of the healing process and becoming whole again.

The best way that I can explain it what a close friend said to me. You have to take care of yourself mind, body, and soul and when you focus on one area too much you tend to let the other areas slip. Through the medication, therapy, taking care of my physical health, and working on my relationship with God I will be where I want and need to be eventually.

As the new year began the usual things flew around social media like setting goals, resolutions, and a word for the year. I thought about this and tried to think what would my word for the year be (no resolutions here… I never keep them). At first I couldn’t think of anything … no words came to mind and then after some time many words came to mind and I couldn’t figure out how to narrow it down to just one.

So instead of a word for the year or a resolution I have a phrase… a sentence if you will.

Lost Lake Quote

This is from one of my favorite authors, Sarah Addison Allen. She posted this on her Facebook page promoting her new book that is coming out this month and when I saw the quote it spoke to me… so I saved it and it’s my current image on my phones lock screen.

Every word of it is true. I am trying to leave the past behind, work on forgiveness, dealing with my depression and anxiety, and becoming a better person all around. In essence, I’m transitioning to another version of myself and yes, it is hard. Damn hard.

Recently, Jennie from A Lady in France (by the read her book… it’s awesome!) and I have emailed back and forth a few times. I’ve spoken to her briefly about where I am and the journey that I am on and she shared with me a piece of scripture that someone shared with her when she was first on her path to being a Christian. Now, I am sharing it with you.

This is special to me and I keep a tab open to this scripture and read it at least once a week. It’s a reminder that I am not alone and that there are good people out there. More importantly good friends who really do care about me and how I am doing.

Philippians 1:3-11

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Did you come up with resolutions or a word for the year?

Surviving a Winter Storm in Michigan

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Jackie

Hello there! Did you think that I had fallen off of the face of the earth? Well, I didn’t but I did take a little break from blogging and all the social media stuff that is involved with it. It was really nice too and I never felt rushed or pressured to get something written.

Anyway, I’m back but probably in more of a limited fashion…. you know, just getting my toes wet more or less.

So how to survive a winter storm in Michigan… I’m sure that you’ve seen the million Facebook updates from people across the mid-west and the tweets as well about the rain, ice, snow, blowing, drifting, and let’s not forget the sub-zero temps that keep us locked up in our homes for fear of frost bite within mere minutes.

I have a few tips to help you survive a winter storm in Michigan… or where ever you live.

These are in no particular order.

1. Totally forget how to drive in the ice and snow. This is especially important to those of you in Michigan and even more so if you’ve lived here your entire life.

2. Wait until the last minute and then rush to the store and stock up on all the essential items you’ll need. Like chips, beer, and wine. Skip the real food.

3. Realize that you don’t have real food and go out in the midst of the storm and shop for real food.

4. Stalk everyone you know on Facebook. Get bored with that and find new friends on Facebook to stalk.

5. Try to remember what a normal day is like where the kids actually go to school and you can go to work.

6. When the county gives the all clear and the state of emergency has been lifted go outside and stare in wonder at the world of glass that you live in. Trees covered in ice are actually very pretty when the sun shines through them.

7. Make sure that your snow shovels are securely put away in the shed so that when you need them you can’t because there is a three foot snow drift in front of the door.

8. Use the spaded shovel that wasn’t put away to attempt to remove the knee deep drift that’s at your door. Toss the shovel and give up quickly.

9. When driving on a snow covered road always go very slow and drive in the very middle of the road. It doesn’t matter what kind of car or truck you have either. Oh… only move over a little bit if you see an oncoming car.

10. Make sure that you have a generator. Maybe two just in case the first one dies.

Now, if you hadn’t noticed some of these are a bit tongue in cheek. Funny, but definitely things that I’ve seen or have happened to me or have done and no, I’m not telling you which(s).

Lost

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Jackie

I’m lost… I’ve been lost or so it seems for weeks and weeks. In all honesty it’s probably been years.

Almost 10 years ago a very good friend told me that she saw signs of depression in me and she knew this because her brother had suffered depression. She was concerned for me and didn’t want to see me hurting. I blew her off… I was fine I told her… there was nothing wrong… I didn’t need to talk to anyone about anything… least of all I didn’t need to go to therapy.

Time passed and I lost that friend in my divorce.

She was right. She was 100%, absolutely right without a doubt. I was suffering from depression, but I refused to acknowledge it because I didn’t think that it was affecting me or my daily life. As I look back at that time I couldn’t have been more wrong.

More time passed and the depression seemed to have…. subsided for lack of better words. Really, it was more or less in remission.

It came back.

It came back with a vengeance and brought along it’s good friend anxiety and since mid-October it’s like my life has been a living hell. An emotional roller coaster that I can’t seem to get off no matter what I do. Ups… downs… fears… hurt… crying… tension… sleepless nights… upset stomach… not being able to eat… It’s been terrible and I’ve been barely getting by daily and have looked forward to bedtime when I can just go to sleep and not think, not worry, and forget about it all (unless it’s one of those sleepless nights).

There are days where I don’t want to get out of bed and I’d just rather sleep the day away.

There were times that I locked myself in the bathroom and just cried and cried.

Yes, there were even times that I wondered if everyone would be better off without me.

This time I recognized the symptoms and knew that I didn’t want to live like this… I couldn’t live like this. I had to do something.

I started shopping around for a therapists. Holy crap…. it’s freakin’ hard to get into see one! These are some seriously busy people! I’ve managed to get in to see the nurse at the therapists office and after a lengthy discussion I was sent on my way with two prescriptions and an appointment to meet with the therapist. But it couldn’t happen soon enough.

I turned to the program at work to that is available on a short term basis to help employees with issues that are affecting their lives and therefore their job. So far I’ve had 3 meetings with the licensed counselor/pastor that runs the program. Pastor you ask? Yes, he is both counselor and pastor…. and you’re right if you know in saying… hey, you’re not really a religious person.

The meetings with him have helped me understand a lot of things and because I’m seeing another therapist we’ve moved on to religion and the roll that it plays in my life and where I am with it. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately and especially after reading the book by Anne Lamott, Help, Thanks, Wow.

Now, with an open mind and open heart I am trying to heal my mind, my soul, and my heart. They’re all connected I think and make me whole… or not whole which is where I am now.

What I really want is to be whole again.

I want to be the best mom… the one that my kids deserve.

I want to be a good wife… the one that my husband signed up for and thought that he was getting.

I want to a good friend, a good employee, and most of all I just want my life back.

I am going to do whatever it takes to heal.

I will say that with the help of two incredible friends…. one in real life and one online… I have made progress and no longer feel like I am alone in this. I am ever so grateful for the conversations that I’ve had with them, their caring words, their friendship, and their love. They have lifted me up when I was at my lowest and are always there for me. I don’t know that I could ever repay them for all they’ve done.

You know that commercial on TV…. depression hurts… it’s true. Every. Damn. Word.

I am finding my way, slowly. But I will no longer be lost.

This may have sounded a bit disjointed and that is because I simply wrote… no editing… just wrote.

This week I’m linking up with Mama Kat for her World Famous Writer’s Workshop with the prompt: Talk about a problem you tackled this week. And because this is a difficult time for me and a difficult post to get out I’m linking up Shell from Things I Can’t Say for PYHO.

K’nex, Lincoln Logs, & Little Pieces Oh My!

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Jackie

As a little kid growing up I loved Lincoln Logs and building all sorts of houses, barns, and anything that my imagination could come up with. Especially if my Barbie’s could fit in it!

What I love about Lincoln Logs and K’nex is that they both require you to really think and figure things out. How the pieces fit together best, how to get the building or car built the way you want, and how to get them all to work together the right way.

I will say that I had to follow the instructions that came with the Lincoln Logs to get the ranch to look exactly like the picture… which is exactly what my son wanted. But in no time we had a ranch and the horse and cowboy were ready for a hard day work rearranging the yard that I just set up for them.

This set includes 124 real wood logs, plastic windows, a door, roof, and a horse and cowboy. It’s recommended for ages 3 and up but my 3 year old still needed a little help getting things to work the way he wanted.

Now the K’nex are a totally different story!

The first set that my husband set out to put together was the Typhoon Frenzy Roller Coaster Building Set and let me tell you… it came with a multiple page manual on how to put it together. With over 640 pieces to the set this was a challenge to put together and he worked on it for just over 3 hours from start to finish. It’s recommended for ages 9+ and I can understand why and would suggest that it might be better for an even older kid.

Once it was put together and running my 3 year old and his 11 year old sister LOVED playing with it!

I’ll also say that the majority of those 640 pieces are pretty darn small so in order to not lose them I suggest sorting them into a couple bowls or something similar.

The 521 Piece Value Tub was loaded with everything that you need to build cars, motorcycles, giant flowers, stick people, and pretty much whatever you can imagine. This one is recommended for ages 7+ and was a lot easier for my 3 year old to play with because he could quickly connect the pieces on his own and still have fun. Definitely not something that he should be playing with alone though.

I can’t imagine any boy (or girl) who wouldn’t love to find one of these under the tree on Christmas morning. They’re great for imagination building and hands on play.

All of these toys are available at Toys R’ Us. For more fun check out K’Nex on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and You Tube.

Through the Toys “R” Us® Mom Blogger Promotion I was sent, Lincoln Logs® Redfield Ranch Set and K’nex to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A new way to peruse the magazines with issuu

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Jackie

I was selected for this opportunity as part of the Girls’ Lunch Out network. All views expressed are entirely my own, and were not influenced or directed by either Girls’ Lunch Out or Issuu.

If you haven’t figured it out yet I love cooking and baking. If you weren’t sure take a peak at the incredible Fall Favorites series that I’ve been running for the past month or even my weekly Monday Menu. It’s not just writing about food or making food that I like, but it’s always buying fun cookbooks to flip through and drool over the amazing recipes and beautiful pictures. And then there is my guilty pleasure…. magazines. Cooking & baking magazines fill the shelves and change every month so there is always something new for me to try out but as you might guess those can get pretty expensive after a while.

I’ve found a way to help with my food magazine obsession… issuu. And after reading it a few times it started to recommend articles and magazines to me based on what I’ve been reading.

issuu_logo

Because food is one of my passions I found magazine after magazine to browse and my all time favorite was this one….

A week of Chai? Yes, please! I am not a coffee lover at all, but Chai tea is perfect! From traditional Chai, to Chai truffels, and hot chocolate Chai I’m trying to figure out how to print this baby out and keep it forever!

So what exactly is issuu? Well, it’s like Pinterest for magazines – so cool!

Serving over 7 billion page views across 15 million publications to more that 80 million unique monthly visitors, Issuu is the fastest-growing digital publishing platform in the world and is rapidly becoming the place readers go to discover new content and publishers use to find a worldwide audience. Publishers can use the Issuu platform to upload visually rich content, and gain granular insight on reader characteristics and preferences and access to new business models.

Best of all is that it’s free!

Super Cool Features:

Detailed stats and analytics.
Timed launch/postponed publishing date.
Share to facebook, twitter and all major social sites.
All major document formats supported including PDF.
Embed widget, lets you embed great magazines right on your site.
Publications stored in their original format.
Up to 500 pages per publication.
Audio supported. Strike the right tone.
Robust SEO.
Industry leading Kbyte footprint.
Support and help center. Real-human support.
Javascript API and Search API for advanced site integration.

You’ll want to check issuu out for yourself, right?

Look ’em up on the usual places like Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and of course their site.

Comforts of Home Giveaway

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Jackie

This past year I have read many books and the greater majority of them were on my Kindle. Without my Kindle I think …. no, I know…. that I would have stacks of books all over the place (more than I do now).

Here are some of the best books that I’ve read this year.

The Paris Wife – Paula McLain
Sweet Salt Air – Barbara Delinsky
The Dark Witch – Nora Roberts
Fallen Women – Sandra Dallas
Size 12 is Not Fat – Meg Cabot
War Brides – Helen Bryan
The Invisible Girls: A Memoir – Sarah Thebarge

To me books are an escape from the every day life, it’s a way to travel the world, experience new and exciting things, and a way to stretch my imagination beyond it’s limits. I can get lost in a book for days and days…. barely stopping to do much else when it’s an amazing book. I love when an author can spin a story in a way that grabs your attention and pulls you in so deeply that you can’t set the book down.

My Kindle was one of my favorite Christmas gifts aside from my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Now you have the chance to win one of them to have for your very own!

I along with several other amazing friends have teamed up to bring you the Comforts of Home giveaway and there are three amazing prizes.

5 quart Artisan Series KitchenAid stand mixer (winner’s choice of color)
Keurig K65 Special Edition Brewing System
Kindle Paperwhite Touch Screen E-Reader

All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter below and if you win the Kindle let’s compare favorite books!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The “Comforts of Home” giveaway begins Monday Dec 2 and ends at 12:00 AM on Monday, December 9, 2013.

Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.

All entries are optional with the exception of leaving a blog comment. We will never sell, distribute, or spam your email.

Three winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter (powered by Random.org). The first person chosen will choose between a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, Keurig K65 Brewing System, or Kindle Paperwhite. The second person chosen will chose between the two remaining prizes. The third person chosen will receive the remaining prize.

This is a non-sponsored post. Prizes were purchased by a group of participating bloggers. KitchenAid, Keurig, and Kindle are not affiliated with this giveaway.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.

This promotion is powered by Rafflecopter. Metric Feat LLC (“Rafflecopter”) does not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion. Participants must read and agree to Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy before entering and participating in this promotion.

Holiday Shopping – Choosing Between a Notebook and a Tablet

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Jackie

With holiday shopping having started so early this year many people are scouring the internet for some of the best deal on electronics, games, all sorts of toys and my guess is that many of them will buying them on Cyber Monday.

Choosing Between a Notebook and a Tablet

There is no denying that technology is a wonderful thing. You can now keep in touch with friends and family while traveling, do some work during your daily commute, watch your favorite TV shows on your mobile phone, and even do your weekly shopping without needing to leave the couch.

Technology is all about convenience. You may remember when the first laptops appeared on the market, transforming personal computing and allowing people to be much more mobile. Over time, and as per consumer demand, laptops became more compact and lighter, and just when you thought you had seen everything, tablets made their grand entrance.

According to the latest data, more than 190 million tablets will be sold during 2013. Tablet specifications are now at pretty much the same level of the best lightweight notebook computer, so it is not surprising that they are as popular as the best-selling Acer laptops. If you are having trouble deciding between a laptop and tablet, keep in mind the following considerations.

Benefits of owning a laptop

Traditionally, laptops have been considered work tools. Laptops have higher storage capacities than tablets, so if you use your computer daily and need to store large amounts of files, a laptop might be right for you. Because of their design, laptops are also sturdier than tablets, so they are a good choice for business people who are always on the move. Students may also benefit from having a laptop rather than a tablet, as it is much easier to switch between screens when doing research and to type your assignments on a laptop. A laptop might also be the best choice for professionals who work with images or specific software, such as graphic designers or architects.

Who should buy a tablet?

The main thing to bear in mind is that tablets are not intended to replace laptops. They are designed for different purposes and are ideal for people that need to be extremely mobile. Generally speaking, tablets are mostly created for recreational use, you may want to buy a tablet if you are going on holiday and need internet access on a lightweight device where you can read books, play your favorite games, or watch movies. However, keep in mind that the performance and processing power of tablets is limited, so if you are a hardcore gamer, you are better off buying a laptop.

Are you looking for a laptop, tablet or full size computer this year for someone on your list? How will you decide which one to get?

Special thanks to Elma Humpries for guest posting for me today while I recover from my turkey & sugar coma at work.

With Just a Bit of Magic

Author Archives: Jackie