Ladder to the Moon Book Review!

Hey All,

I got the chance to review the amazing children's book Ladder to the Moon. Here's a bit about the book:

From Maya Soetoro-Ng, sister of President Obama, comes a lyrical story relaying the loving wisdom of their late mother to a young granddaughter she never met.

Little Suhaila wishes she could have known her grandma, who would wrap her arms around the whole world if she could, Mama says. And one night, Suhaila gets her wish when a golden ladder appears at her window, and Grandma Annie invites the to come along with her on a magical journey. In a rich and deeply personal narrative, Maya Soetoro-Ng draws inspiration from her mother’s love for family, her empathy for others, and her ethic of service to imagine this remarkable meeting. Evoking fantasy and folklore, the story touches on events that have affected people across the world in our time and reaffirms our common humanity. Yuyi Morales’s breathtaking artwork illuminates the dreamlike tale, reminding us that loved ones lost are always with us, and that sometimes we need only look at the moon and remember.

The story was a little sad for me as I identified with the little girl in this book since I was raised partly by my grandmother. This story has a the little that girl learns from her grandmother about the challenges faced by people around the world, and is encouraged to reach out and help. The writing and the drawings in this book are beautiful. My niece, nephew, and teen also thought it was a beautiful book and they enjoyed listening to me read it to them. It truly is an inspiring book that should be shared with your kids. The message of this book is beautiful. I highly recommend it.

For more information on this book, including a link to buy, visit Ladder to the Moon's website.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review by the Clever Girls Collective. I was not compensated in any way and all opinions are my own.

The Fearless Baker! Book Review! Great Book!

Hey All!

Have you always wanted to learn to bake from scratch? Well do I have the book for you! THE FEARLESS BAKER, written by renowned pastry chef Emily Luchetti offers 175 easy-to-follow recipes along with straightforward advice specifically geared toward beginners.

Luchetti and co-author Lisa Weiss arranged kitchen sessions with a group of novice bakers aka ordinary folks like you and me who enjoy baking but have always felt nervous about baking from scratch. To write this book they learned what questions often arise for the beginner and came up with this amazing book to turn who ever reads it into fearless bakers.

This books gives some of the best tips and advice I've ever read in a cook book! The book is easy to understand and has some great baking tips and some amazing recipes. And I love that she reminds the reader to always read the recipe completely before you start. I know I need that kind of reminder as I am always guilty of skipping a head in a recipe. The Fearless Baker is full of great recipes. The recipes I tried turned out amazing and I'm sure I'll love all the rest when I try the rest of the 175. Hopefully I can get to try them all. 

Emily Luchetti has developed a nationwide following for her innovative yet approachable dessert creations. She is executive pastry chef at Farallon and Waterbar in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has authored five successful cookbooks, and contributed to The New Joy of Cooking and The Farallon Cookbook. She won a 2004 James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef.

Lisa Weiss is a food writer and stylist whose work has appeared in such publications as Cook's Illustrated and Cooking Light. She has co-authored six cookbooks, including The Farallon Cookbook, the James Beard Award-nominated The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco with Cecilia Chiang, and the bestselling Complete Meat Cookbook with Bruce Aidells.

***Disclosure: I was not compensated or paid in any way for this post. I received a review copy of this book and I am sharing this for the benefit of my readers. All opinions are my own.***

Home-Ec 101 Book Review! Love it!

Hey all!

How many of you honestly deep down inside hate housework?  I know we all still have to do it regardless of whether we like to do it or not. Trust me I am the Queen of cleanliness, but I do have some clutter and can always use some more tips on how to make everyday living easier.  I was excited when I was given the opportunity to review the book Home-Ec 101: Skills For Everyday Living. The book was actually written by a fellow blogger named Heather Solos, who is the blogger of the blog Home-Ec 101. The book is humorous, original, and entertaining. The chapters are very easy to follow and fun to read.

You can find tid bits like:

-Quick, easy cleaning solutions for every room of the house, so you can get the job done and get on with life.
-Instructions for removing stubborn stains and offensive odors from fabric.
-Simple fixes to wardrobe malfunctions including broken zippers, missing buttons, and fallen hemlines.
-Troubleshooting advice for common problems with home appliances.
-A minimum home maintenance guide to prevent or catch major repair problems.
-A basic plumbing tutorial that includes clearing and preventing clogs, stopping a running toilet and retrieving items dropped down a drain.

This amazing book Home Ec-101, is great for anyone. It's not just for moms. It's great for college students, someone living on their own for the first time, for a homemaker, of even MEN. How many men do you know who how to sew or make a meal plan? They should know these things in order to take care of themselves. And this book will give anyone who reads it the basics of how to do anything from laundry to vacuuming. This book makes doing all these every day tasks that an everyday person does just a little bit easier. Heather Solos book also keeps your attention through out the book as she also delves into topics ranging from clutter, appliance maintenance, and stocking the pantry in a funny and witty way.

This book really did teach me a ton of new tips that will help me in my every day cleaning and also in my current Spring Cleaning. It's sure to help me keep my home clean and organized. I'm very happy to have gotten the opportunity to read this helpful book.

So if you need some tips on keeping your living space clean and organized, you need to quickly pick up a copy of Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living – Cook it, Clean it, Fix it, Wash it! It’s very reasonably priced for $13.59 on Amazon.com. It's also available for the Kindle and Kindle on Ipad. You can also find it at Barnes and Noble here: Home-Ec 101.

***Disclosure: I was given a digital review copy of this book courtesy of the One2One Network. I am also in the running to win a Kindle and $25 visa gift card for this post. I was not paid or compensated in any way. All opinions are my own.***

Denise Austin- Get Energy! Empower Your Body, Love Your Life Book REVIEW!

 

Hey All!

I'm sure you're like me with busy schedules, a demanding job, and what seems like hardly any time to spend on yourself, let alone fitness. I know many of us battle to get more time in the day just to get things done and stay awake. But energy is something that is in our control, even when time is short. Now 50 years young, fitness guru Denise Austin shows readers how to super-charge their lives, using her innovative lifestyle plan. She eats the right foods at the right time of day. She uses the power of stretching and breathing to feed her body with energy-enhancing oxygen. She uses mini-workouts to get energy even on her busiest days--and now you can too!

And in case you don't know who Denise Austin is, She is a powerhouse in the fitness industry! She's created more than 80 workout videos, written 10 fitness books, and starred in Denise Austin's Daily Workout, the longest-running exercise show in television history. But that's not all Austin is known for. Her energetic and upbeat personality has become her trademark. In her new book, Get Energy! Empower Your Body, Love Your Life, Austin lays out a lifestyle plan that will have you feeling more energetic in as little as one week.

 
Denise shows you how simple changes can add up to increased energy levels throughout the day. From the way foods are consumed to the way people sit in their chairs, readers won't believe how Denise's quick and easy plan will dramatically increase their energy levels. In as little as a week, results will be felt: radiant skin, more restful sleep, and a sharper mind...so follow Denise Austin and prepare for a fitness wake-up call!


This book gives you some great advice on how to get energized in a healthy way. Denise Austin will certainly change lives with this book as it's changing mine. I've been trying to incorporate her tips in my daily life and trying to get to bed earlier is the one I've been focusing on, which has been a task to do, since I always have so much to do in a day, But each day I take it one step at a time. I take a little break to relax and stretch. And it really has been a great way to get an energy booster. I will be using the tips I found in GET ENERGY! to help me when my energy levels drop!

You can find more info on Denise Austin on website, Facebook, and Twitter at the following links:

DeniseAustin.com

http://www.facebook.com/DeniseAustinOnline?ref=ts

http://twitter.com/deniseaustin_

Also, you can download her FREE iPhone App here.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for ways to find more energy in your day. It's surely helping me find more and I'm sure it will help you too!

**Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book. I was not paid or compensated for this review. Results may vary from person. All opinions and experiences are my own.**