New Historical Fiction I Can’t Wait to Read this Year

by | Apr 22, 2023 | Book Nook

Spring to Early summer is a season in the publishing industry, and as such I find myself eagerly awaiting the release of several books! A few of these are by authors who I have talked about before, a few are by authors I am not yet familiar with but am looking forward to reading! Here are the books I am looking forward to reading this year! 

 

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner

Susan Meissner has become one of my favorite authors; not only for her ability to tell an enrapturing story set against a historical backdrop, but also her books are clean! You don’t have to worry about what you might encounter within the pages of her books! 

 

Her latest book Only the Beautiful tells the story of 17 year old Rosanne in California in 1938. Rosanne sees flashes of color according to different sounds that she hears, a secret she swore to her dying mother that, she would not disclose to anyone. Later, in a moment of vulnerability, she breaks this vow and soon after also finds herself pregnant. She is then sent to a place where inherited “flaws” are not tolerated…

 

In 1947 Helen returns home to California, after spending the war years witnessing the horrors of what trying to purify a race can cause. Helen begins to learn what really happened to her friend, Rosanne, and soon realizes that while a war was just fought in Europe, there are still battles to be fought at home too. 

 

 

Daughters of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt

Ms Gerstnblatt is a new author to me but I am looking forward to this historical fiction novel set in Nantucket in 1846. Many of the women who lived in Nantucket at this time enjoyed more freedoms than women in other regions at this time period; their husbands were largely sailors who were gone for months and even years at a time. Eliza Macy turns against her progressive ideals and targets Meg Wright, a pregnant free black woman who is trying to relocate her store to main street. Then there is Maria Mitchell who loves running Nantucket’s Atheneum and enjoys spending her nights observing the night sky, but she shoves down her heart’s deepest desires, which threaten to break through. Then one July evening a fire breaks out in town and quickly grows. Everything these three women own is at stake and they are forced to decide if working together to rebuild their lives is worth working together. 

 

The Cuban Heiress by Channel Cleeton

Ms Cleeton’s books never fail to immerse into the world of the character’s. Set in 1934 on a luxury cruise ship, Catherine Donhan and Elena Palacio find that their pasts are colliding. Catherine is an heiress and seems to have it all- except for the fact that it’s all a lie. As soon as her ship sets sail Catherin’s life is threatened and she must team up with a jewel thief in order to discover who wants her dead and why. Elena has been betrayed and left penniless, returning to Havana will give her the chance to right the wrong that has been done to her… but she is hungry for revenge and the target of the fury is aboard ship… Set aboard the SS Morro Castle this story was inspired by the true story of the SS Morro Castle

 

The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen

Again Lynn Cullen is a new Author to me, although I have heard of her Other book, Mrs Poe. This novel is based on the true story of a woman who is applying the same determination to finding a cure for polio as she did to rise out of poverty and become a doctor. The Woman With the Cure is set  in America in the 1940s and 1950s polio is a petrifying illness. While many of her colleagues are racing to see who can come up with a vaccine first, Dorothy Horstmann just wants the world to have a cure. She searches out the virus where it dwells, in the blood. Her discovery thrusts her closest colleague to the front of the vaccine race, and Dorothy is asked to validate his vaccine, while receiving little credit for the part she played in it… 

 

These are the books I am looking forward to this year; what about you? What are some of the titles you can’t wait to get your hands on? I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on social media, on pinterest or Instagram @ EssentiallyEmmaMarie!

 

 

 

 

 

Like Little Children

Like Little Children

by | Apr 16, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

 

 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” 

Matthew 18:3 NIV 

 

Have you ever been afraid of asking a stupid question? Worse have you failed to ask a question for fear of appearing dull only to find yourself totally lost, kicking yourself for not having just asked the question you needed to gain clarity? Mark Twain’s quote, “I would rather keep my mouth closed and appear dull than open my mouth and remove all doubt.” may not be the best advice to follow in these circumstances. 

 

My mother is in a small group. One of the ladies in her small group has a sweet little granddaughter- about 7 years old who we will call…Arri.  At the end of one of these small groups, the leader led a closing prayer after which everyone was invited to add their prayer. The group had just concluded an in-depth discussion on a section of Revelation. At the end of the prayer time the daughter decided to pipe up, “And dear Lord please help me to understand all this!” They all laughed and my mother told me how cute it was but it made me think; cute? Or was Arri just acting as Jesus tells us to act? 

 

Young children are known for their many questions; they continually ask why, why, why- sometimes to the mental distress of their parents!! But these questions are also so full of innocence- they don’t posture or act like they know the nuance of everything in the world around them, instead they ask questions, not being afraid of what anyone else might think of their questions. They want to gain clarity in their little world.

 

Arri didn’t feel the need to act like she understood everything that was being said; instead, she was willing to admit that she really didn’t get much of any of it- but she wanted to understand more! 

 

Perhaps this is why in Matthew 18 Jesus called a child to him and placed the child among them and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of his child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV version)

 

It is easy, especially for those of us who have grown up in the church to not want to admit when we don’t understand something. There are familiar passages which we feel that we should understand but when we think about it, we realize we have lots of questions; but to ask them questions would appear elementary. However, we will never come to the end of discovering new things about God. There will always be more to learn, but if we never stop to ask questions, and truly dig deep into God’s word, then we will inhibit our growth, and thereby not fully open ourselves up to invite God to do the work He so wants to do in our lives. 

 

Proverbs 12:15 Tells us, “The way of fools seems straight to them, but the wise listen to advice.” (NIV) If we are never vulnerable to seek advice how can we listen to wise counsel? 

 

The next time you are in a small group or bible study, (or anywhere else for that matter) remember these verses, and go ahead and ask the stupid question!  Allow yourself to like the little children, even if it makes you uncomfortable, and see what God does in your life as a result! 

 

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Asking How, Not Why

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How to Clean Glass Shower Doors

by | Apr 13, 2023 | Cleaning

Chances are, if you have a walk-in shower, you have glass shower doors! More and more people are going tub-less and opting for a beautiful walk-in shower with stone or tile and sparkling glass shower doors—at least for the first couple of weeks. Then those beautiful glass doors that were sparkling can easily look dingy, streaked with leftover soap and accumulated water spots. It is at this time many people make the fatal mistake of reaching for the Windex to clean those pesky marks off of the shower door but don’t do it!! Windex, while a great option for glass, can ruin your beautiful, and likely expensive, shower doors. So instead of reaching for Windex, try reaching for a different household product.

Chemistry

I’m not the biggest fan of chemistry either but I always find it easiest to remember to do or not to do something if I learn what is behind it. All shower doors come with a coating on the doors to repel water. This coating can be harmed if you use an ammonia-based cleanser on the glass. To steer clear of harming the glass, you’ll want to select a cleanser that is acidic-based or Ph-neutral. 

 

The Cleaner I Like

There is a great variety of glass cleaners on the market but my favorite general glass cleaner is vinegar and water. Use distilled white vinegar and mix it in a 1:1 ratio with water and pour it into a spray bottle.

 

For Cleaning 

I like to mist the shower doors with my vinegar and water solution, then grab one of my microfiber towels, and wipe down the door. This usually only gets about 90% of the water so then I wipe down the door again with a paper towel. Using the paper towel, I feel a lot of friction but that’s how you know you’re getting the doors really well! The microfiber serves to remove any soap scum more effectively than just the paper towel would and it also conserves how many paper towels you use. I’m also a fan of using the Norwex Window Cloth to take the place of a paper towel and really polish the glass shower door. 

 

For Stubborn Buildup on Glass

All glass doors will show wear over time, especially if you live in an area that has hard water. However, this takes a long time for most shower doors. The only shower doors that I have seen that I haven’t been able to clean are one that have had ammonia or other harsh cleanser used on them. 

 

Sometimes there will be a lot of built-up soap. In these cases, I very gently use a wet non-scratch sponge to remove the buildup. If you go in with a brand new, dry, non-scratch sponge and scrub really hard it will still scratch your glass. Beware and use caution! 

 

While I love the vinegar and water solution for regular maintenance, I do find that every so often I need something with a little more oomph to my cleaning and the product that I have found that I really like is Rain-X Shower Door Cleaner. This is a particularly nice product for removing any oil-based soaps that have left a residue on the glass shower door. 

 

So there you have it! What products have you used to clean your glass shower door? Any recommendations? I would love to hear from you!

Glorious Day

Glorious Day

by | Apr 9, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

 

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.

Matthew 28:6a

 

My Daffodils have finally broken through the soil. It seems late this year—is it? Is it just because life has seemed so gray for a while now?

 

 I love to use gray in my home. I love that it’s one of those chameleon colors: gray says, “You want fancy, here is this” or, “Oh you want casual, “What do you think about this?” It can dress up, dress down, recede into the background and pull things together. But, do you know what is hard for gray to do? Make a big punch of an impact. 

 

We can be blinded by bright white, we can be knocked down by sharp black, but gray is just there—lingering…. Where I live this time of year is gray. The snow has come and for the most part gone; the brightness of spring is just beginning, but gray, gray has been here the whole time, in the background, shading everything. After the Christmas festivities life calms down, the white of winter recedes, leaving gray where the light of white of snow had been. And we wait—until it is finally time for spring in all her glory to start bursting forth. 

 

I wonder how the women would have described their mood as they went to the tomb that day, ready to prepare the dead body of Jesus properly. I can’t imagine walking into a tomb where the one that they had placed such faith in, lies. In Him there was supposed to be joy. He was supposed to change everything! Blinding white—that’s what Jesus was. Pure, kind, humble, wise. Everything good was who Jesus was and more! 

 

He was supposed to be the Savior—they had hopes of him freeing them from Roman oppression. Now he was gone, they had watched with their own eyes, as he had hung until dead, suspended by nails in his flesh, on that cross. 

 

Did they feel black; lost in a grief so dark that they felt as though they could barely put one foot in front of each other? Did they feel red with rage at the one who had done this to Him—red as their red rimmed eyes which hadn’t been dry since before Friday morning. 

 

Did they feel gray— lost, hopeless, unable to make sense of all the promises He had made? Unable to make sense of all the hope they had placed in Him; what did it mean now that he was gone? 

 

 

And what did they feel when greeted by angels at the tomb! What was it like to be told that the one they mourned had been raised again to life! We know at first they were confused, disbelieving; desperately wanting it to be true but unable to believe it- it sounded too good to be true! Then hallelujah! It was true! I imagine lightness exploding in their souls like the sun bursting through the clouds at the dawn of a new day!  As glorious as the sun streaming through the clouds after a heavy rain, as colorful as the daffodils bursting forth from the gray earth, more joyous than anything they had ever known: Jesus had risen! Jesus IS risen! His words came true, His promises fulfilled, and their worlds filled with color once more! What a glorious day! 

 

We are told by scripture to remember His death and resurrection. We make a big deal of his birth, but this holiday, Easter, is the day that is supposed to be a big deal! It is a big deal! Our gray lives, the darkness that invades our world when trouble strikes; it is all redeemed by Him! 

 

I don’t know about you but this year I am so ready to revel in the joy of this season! I am ready to be rejuvenated by the new life popping up all around me, and I am ready to live vibrantly, in the fullness of the new life that Jesus gave us when He died upon that tree for you and for me! Happy Easter! 

 

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Not Confined by the Rules of This World

A Breath of New Life

Faithfulness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Microfiber Towels Make All The Difference In Your Cleaning

by | Apr 7, 2023 | Cleaning

The Most Common Cleaning Mistakes I See Being Made Everyday

 

 

 

I am asked by my clients, at least weekly, how I get everything so shiny! The shiny object can be anything from a stainless steel fridge to a glass stove top, to a shiny streak-free granite countertop. In each of these situations, my answer is always the same—microfiber towels! 

 

What are microfiber towels?

Microfiber cloths are made of fibers that are split to make them up to 100 times finer than human hair! Because of this, they are super absorbent—but not just water absorbent! All the fine fibers that make up the microfiber cloth also work to absorb dust and other particles. Because of the super dense nature of these fibers, microfiber cloths can absorb seven times their weight of water! That is why when put into action, the microfiber can absorb more moisture and, therefore, leave your surface that much dryer and shinier than if you used any other cloth. 

 

Where can you use microfiber towels in your cleaning?

 

So where can you use microfiber towels in your cleaning? The answer is just about anywhere! When using microfiber, I like to spray my cleanser on the surface I am cleaning, wipe the surface dry, and then polish it really, really dry with a clean microfiber towel. (This last part is where the great shine comes from.) For instance, if I am cleaning the front of a glass-front stove, I will use my glass cleaner and wipe the glass surface pretty dry and remove all of the dirt build-up; then I take my microfiber towel over it. While this extra step may seem unnecessary, it is that detail that really does the trick and makes the surface gleam.

 

Using microfiber but still not getting the desired result? 

If you are using a microfiber towel as described above and still not seeing the desired outcome, then the most likely scenario is that you are not drying the surface well enough. If you are cleaning your granite countertop and you have washed and dried it, the countertop should look dry; you wouldn’t describe the countertop as any more than damp. That’s when you want to come in with your microfiber towel and really polish the countertop dry. I say polish because you’ll want to use a little bit of elbow grease! Feeling some friction means that you are getting it completely dry and you will get the shiny countertop of your dreams.

 

Where Not to Use Microfiber Towels

Have I sold you on the value of using microfiber towels? If so, you are probably ready to throw out all of your other towels and only use microfiber, but don’t! While microfiber towels are great to dust, shine, dry and polish surfaces, I do not recommend using them to clean surfaces that could have a lot of undesirable bacteria present, such as a toilet. Why not? The denseness of these towels that allows them to trap dirt and water also makes them trap bacteria and other particles you’d rather not have hanging around long term. Since microfiber towels call for gentler handling when washing, you cannot get them as clean as you can regular cloths. For that reason, I never recommend using them to clean heavily soiled areas or areas such as a bathroom or toilet. 

 

Taking care of microfiber towels

Speaking of how to care for microfiber towels, you’ll want to make a few adjustments in how you wash these cloths in order to get the best life out of them and to keep them super absorbent. 

 

First, never wash them in hot water. You can use warm water but it is even better if you stick with cool-cold water. Second, do not dry them in a hot dryer! Drying them on a hot cycle will cause the fibers to melt together, reducing their effectiveness. Dry them on the lowest possible setting and when possible skip drying them in the machine and hang dry them instead. Lastly, if you can, try to wash your microfiber cloths with only other microfiber cloths. This will keep them from collecting lint which will in turn keep them from leaving lint behind when you use them to dust. 

 

I hope you find this information useful! If you have any other cleaning questions or topics you’d like me to discuss just shoot me an email at: alainascleaingservice@gmail.com and I will do my best to get back to you.

 

Disclaimer: All of these cleaning tips have come from my personal experience and that of the clients whom I serve. While the information here should be applicable and safe in most circumstances if you have any doubts be sure to check with the manufacturer for the product which you are cleaning and always test a cleaning product or procedure in an inconspicuous area first!

 

 Other Posts You May Enjoy:

 

The Most Common Cleaning Mistakes I See Being Made Everyday

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