For the Man who Wants All the Facts, The Catechism of the Catholic Church

With today's media bias there are no shortages of errors and outright lies when it comes to reporting. One area they particularly like to distort is the view and teaching of the Catholic Church.

If your  man is anything like mine, he likes to get all the facts for himself before he forms a real opinion. What does the Church really say about homosexuality? Illegal Immigration? War? Alcohol? Gambling?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains concise and easy to understand explanations of Church teachings on just about every subject. It explains the belief and the reasons for it. If there aren't enough details there then it also offers numerous references where you can find more information.

This is a great book for anyone who wants to know the truth about Catholic doctrine, whether they are Catholic or not. It is well organized and each paragraph is numbered for easy reference.

Any time a disagreement or opinionated argument breaks out about a controversial subject such as euthanasia, artificial insemination, birth control, or anything else, the simplest way to solve it is by checking the facts. Looking in the Catechism is the easiest way to do that.

How about you? Does your man value facts over feelings? Is this the type of book he might find interesting? Please share in the comments below.

Bacon.

It probably isn't polite to compare wedding presents, or to say that one is better than another...but whoever made the rules of manners and etiquette never got a Bacon Subscription for a gift.

Our Maid of Honor in our wedding asked all kinds of questions about when we would be back from our honeymoon and everything. We thought she was just being nice and interested. Her real motive was to plan out when our first shipment of delicious bacon should arrive.

When she told us what she got us for a wedding gift I think my reaction was, "I love you."

Thanks to the passionate folks at Bacon Freak a box filled with assorted flavored packages of bacon arrived at our door step, smelling delicious, every month for six months. The first package even came with a scented t-shirt and stickers all about bacon.

Some of the flavors we got to sample were: Jalapeno, Honey BBQ, Vanilla Bourbon, Sun-Dried Tomato (great for BLT's), Pepper, Hickory Smoked, and Cajun.

I had no idea that such a great little box of heaven could be delivered right to someone's door like that. "New Bacon Day" became a favorite as my husband posted pictures of our box of bacon on Facebook for all to envy.

It is thick-cut and very delicious. This is high quality stuff. It is safe to ship even without any refrigeration because it is cured to last for a long time, but it does come with some freezer packs to keep it from getting too hot.

If you are looking for an amazingly thoughtful gift that is really unique that he is sure to love, head over to www.baconfreak.com and pick out one of the bacon of the month clubs just for him. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Bacon is the key.

What do you think about giving the gift of bacon? Do you have any questions about the products? Share with us in the comments below!

iPad Mini Review

What is that? A big phone? A tablet? 

When I first saw the iPad Mini I thought it didn't make much sense as a size because people would either use their phone for portability or their regular iPad because it is bigger and easier to see things. My husband had a regular iPad so I figured that was good enough. He changed his mind!

He sold his iPad to a friend and bought the Apple iPad mini with Retina Display ME277LL/A 7.9-Inch 32 GB Tablet. It is about the same size as a Kindle Paperwhite but a little heavier. It fits in my purse whenever he wants to bring it some place but doesn't feel like carrying it.

"Retina Display" basically means that it has a sharper image and that you can't see the pixels. Men think they can notice the difference, so it is important. Most say once they've had retina display they don't want to go back to not having it because the old way looks worse.

This model comes in black or white, but cases are sold separately to make it different colors. 

Another option you'll notice when shopping for this for your man is Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi plus a certain cell phone carrier. If you get the regular Wi-Fi one then it can connect to the internet where ever wireless is available. If you get it plus a certain cell phone carrier then it will be able to connect anywhere that there is cell phone service, but it will come with a monthly contract just like a cell phone. I guess in that way it pretty much is a big iPhone.

This model (the retina display with 32GB version) is more expensive than I would have thought, but there are cheaper ones. Here are a couple options if you don't want to spend so much:

This one has 32GB of memory, and Wi-Fi without a service contract, but doesn't have retina display.

This one has less memory (16GB) and Wi-Fi without a service contract, and no retina display. Kind of a basic model.

He loves this one though. He uses it to read sometimes when he knows he will need a computer as well as a book, then he doesn't have to double up and bring the kindle. Plus I think it has some magic where he can read a book on it, and then listen to the audio version of the same book on his phone and it automatically updates so he doesn't have to find his spot. 

The size is more convenient for holding and typing than a regular iPad. It is easy to use, easy to carry, and great to have around. 

What do you think? Do you have or like any of the iPads? Share with us in the comments below!

Pebble Smart Watch and Philips Hue Light Bulbs Work Together

Pebble and Hue

I've written a Pebble Smartwatch review and a Philips Hue Light bulb review before, but now they've combined their powers to become even more awesome!

The Pebble smart watch is a device that connects to smartphones to receive messages, control apps and do all sorts of cool things right on the wrist. The Philips Hue is a light bulb that is controlled remotely through smartphones, computers etc. I'm sure when your man finds out about this he will say what all guys have been thinking...

I can finally control the lights with my watch!

This has been a problem basically since the light bulb was invented. It is so inconvenient to use a switch on the wall. 

The app that controls the lights is easy to use and has a convenient interface on the watch.

This video shows my favorite feature that can be done through the watch. It doesn't just turn it off and on, it does a really cool color changing feature. It can do this with several bulbs at a time.

So if you haven't gotten your guy a Pebble Smart Watch yet, or any Hue bulbs they would make a great combo gift or would be fun individually. 

Remember to check out the full reviews here: Hue Review and Pebble Review.

Do you have any questions about these products that I didn't answer? Have you tried them out? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Jesus Calling Book Review

Jesus speaks to everyone, even men! Sometimes we just don't take the time to listen.

This daily devotional book, Jesus Calling is written from the perspective of Jesus speaking directly to the reader. At first I thought this might be sort of cheesy, especially as a gift for a guy, but as I read more I realized how useful it is as a way to reflect on Bible verses.

There is a short passage for each day of the year, even February 29th. It has a paragraph or two written from Jesus to you about what He wants from you, for you to think about, or for you to do today. Then the Bible verses where these ideas came from are referenced at the bottom. That is great for further reading or more in depth study, if he has time for it.

I like this book as a gift for guys because it isn't overly mushy, it only takes about one minute to read each day, and it is thought provoking. It is an excellent way to start daily prayer time, as it is naturally the beginning of a discussion with Jesus. Quick, easy and meaningful are some of the best ways to describe the devotions in this book. That's just what guys like. (Or get it for yourself and share with your sweetie.)

It is a hard cover with nice pages, and it has a ribbon book mark attached to keep your page. With a price under $10 you really can't go wrong with buying this as a gift for your guy. It is also available for Kindle if your guy has completely given up on paper copies of books.

What are your experiences with daily devotionals? Have you read this book or any similar to it? Share with us in the comments below!

Experimenting with Babies Book Review

When I told my mom that I got my husband a book with science experiments to perform on your baby she said, "You mean to perform with your baby." I said, "No, on." Then I sent her the link to this book: Experimenting with Babies: 50 Amazing Science Projects You Can Perform on Your Kid. 

Ever since we found out we were pregnant I noticed that everyone and everything is focused on mom and baby. Poor dad gets left out all the time. Buying my husband this book is just one of the ways I am trying to help him feel more involved and interested in "baby stuff" by making infants seem fun to him. 

 As you can see, the pictures are just black and white outlines, so it lacks some of the interesting color and humor that Show Dad How has. But, this book is meant to be scientific! It is really cute, fun and easy to follow anyway.

The experiments in this book are meant to test your baby's motor, cognitive, behavioral and language development in fifty different entertaining ways. It suggests ages when the experiments should work and starts right out with newborns and continues on to about two years old. I'm excited to see how this helps with daddy-baby bonding time. 

Do you have any more questions about this product? Do you think the new dad in your life would appreciate this gift? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Show Dad How, for Aspiring Fathers

Instruction Manual with Pictures for the New Dad

Parenting should be fun, or at least not scary. The unknown is the scariest thing there is, so if your guy is a little nervous about this whole "being a dad" thing, get him this book to ease his troubled mind. 

This book, Show Dad How is of course meant to be entertaining, but also has some interesting tips and helpful ideas for men who know nothing at all about being a father. The pictures are cute and funny. There is a part of each section that shows which tools are needed for each job, which is perfect for men. 

It starts out from the very beginning, showing men how they can tell if they are ready to become a dad. Then it gives some tips on how to make that happen. It then progresses through each stage of pregnancy, including how to tell if she is pregnant, and how to make the announcement. There is a useful 40 week plan for what needs to get done when during the pregnancy.

Then it has useful tips about how to deliver a baby during the zombie apocalypse or other such common situations. It gives tips about what gear any dad needs to be prepared, and what to do with the baby once she arrives. 

This is a really fun gift idea for men who want to be dads, who just found out they are going to be one, or who find parenting to be an adventure. Check it out for Father's Day or for a gift to give the new dad at the hospital. 

What do you think? Would this make a great gift for your guy? Mine really likes his but I want to know what your thoughts are, share in the comments below!