Category Archives: Self Help

Look Now – The World in Facts, Stats and Graphics – DK Publishing

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Literally crammed full of fully up to date information, this is even a favorite book of mine.

This is the book for you, if you have ever wanted to take a glimpse into a place you have never heard of before, or wanted to know about a place you have already been to.

The full colour photographs, pictures, stats, and illustrations will have you thinking to yourself “Wow, I never knew that before”.

Such things as -

  • what nations are the happiest and why
  • how much money is in the world
  • how and why populations rise and fall
  • even the chances of being killed by a coconut
  • what country will have you caught on camera an average of 300 times per day

The earth is a giant jigsaw puzzle made of what is called tectonic plates, and since the earth has been round, that they have moved farther away from one another, constantly changing.

Out of the 55 million people who die all over the world -

  • 59% died from a non infectious illness
  • 1% died from nutritional deficiencies
  • 25% died from infectious diseases
  • 6% died from accidents
  • 3% died from war and violence
  • 6% died from birth complications

Also, you have more of a chance of being hit by a meteorite than dying of laughter…The people who die from laughter die because of a weak heart.  It is the increased blood pressure and heart rate that kills them.

Did you know that when women have equal access to education, health care, employment, and power -  societies become richer, healthier and more peaceful?

Did you also know that 1 billion children are in elementary school and high school, but there are 72 million children that cannot access education because their parents are too poor to afford it?

DK Publishing

Baby – The All Important First Year – Baby Center Canada

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This is the Canadian Edition of Baby Center’s Baby – The All Important First Year.

This book is easily the ultimate guide to baby’s first year.

From the second your bundle of joy enters the world, something happens, all of that worry transforms to thoughts – Am I doing this right? Should I do this instead of that ?

This is your confidant resource, right next beside your mom, doctor, pediatrician, or nutritionist – all in one book, ready to be referred to from parental tips who have already been there and done that.

From Baby’s first breath throughout  their first year, with all of those milestones in between that they will achieve in that first year and don’t forget those developmental stages, play, first steps…

All with a unique voice – ALL CANADIAN, with expert opinions guiding you through each day, each smile, as well as a uniquely Canadian website where there is extensive information at your fingertips!

DK Publishing

Baby Center


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Pregnancy – From Preconception to Birth – Baby Center Canada

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This is the Baby Center’s Canadian Edition of Pregnancy – From preconception to Birth.

From the time you start to plan to become pregnant until the news arrives that you are, this Canadian Edition has everything you will need to know and more about what you may be feeling or what is happening while you count down the days until your new little person has finally arrived!

It is your bible, your best friend, your mother (when she isn’t there of course) providing you with the best information possible from professional, prenatal expertise from around the country with tips, information, and even for parents themselves to assure you and also prepare you for one of the largest changes that will happen in your life.

After all, having a baby is probably one of the most exciting and joyous occasions in your life.  That will change your life forever.

DK Publishing

Baby Center

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Ask Me Everything – DK Publishing

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My beautiful, Intelligent son is a cornucopia of stats and facts that I have absolutely have no idea where he gets this from. 

This book is one of his absolute favorites hands down, he loves the full colour, the layout, even the quick and quirky facts that have him hooked the most.  The information isn’t half bad either !  It has something for everyone, EVEN adults.

From how large the universe really is to dinosaurs, the human body, nature, places, society, culture, and of course history, this is an all in one book that will have you combing the shelves of your local library getting more information that you read about in this amazing book.

For instance did you know -

  • Why are there telescopes in space?
  • Why storms happen?
  • When dinosaurs ruled the earth?
  • Why flowers look and smell so good?
  • What goes bump in the night?
  • How do you think?
  • How the brain doesn’t feel pain ?(remember that scene in one of the Hannibal Lector movies where he….well, you get what I mean)
  • Why numbers are so useful?
  • What the largest country in the world is ?

This book and many of the other books could be used for…..HOMEWORK and SCHOOL PROJECTS !!! Ok, I think I ruined it for all of the kids out there, but seriously, what a great book !

DK Publishing

The History Book – A Trip Through History From The Stone Age to The Digital Age – DK Publishing

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The mightiest trip through time is about to begin, Are you ready to learn about one thing after another?!?

Buckle up and get ready for a really fascinating ride through the centuries and time with this incredible book!

From the stone age to the digital age, there are so many facets you will keep coming back to time and time again.

Major events that happened in history to plain ole stuff.  The way it is presented in this fun, full colour appearance makes history actually FUN and engaging.  Might I add possibly EVEN FUN!!

Because, really history doesn’t have to be boring, just because it may have happened a really long time ago, right?

Historical places to historical people and things that have changed the world we live in, something for everyone – something good, something bad, but you will understand none the less.

So who is ready ?!?

DK Publishing

The Rough Guide Book of Brain Training – DK Publishing

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Did you realize that your brain changes over time and how we use it for ?

It is called plasticity

Brain training has been around for ages.  Think about it, we start school when we are 4 years old, but learning and training our brain starts from the moment we are conceived which lasts throughout our lives.  We are constantly learning new things everyday, in new ideas to new places and situations we find ourselves in.

The question remains – does brain training really work? ABSOLUTELY.

Sure it may be hard, takes time, but practice makes perfect as the old adage says right?

So let’s get started!

This little book is literally packed with over 500 puzzles.  everyday for 100 days you complete “daily workouts” which changes from day-to-day.

Then every 10 days, there is a test, so you can see how far you are progressing as you move on, or if you are falling behind, then maybe go back and do some other brain games to catch up.

You can keep track of your progress as well.

Don’t give up ! Your Brain will thank you for it.

Did you know -

  • A Healthy mind and body just isn’t an old cliché – the evidence of physical exercise can help prevent brain deterioration, which is stronger than the evidence that mental exercise can prevent it.
  • Your brain uses around 20% of the total of your body’s energy, which is about 400 calories a day, or a rate of 15 watts, which is the same as a dim light bulb.
  • Your brain has about 100,000,000,000 brain cells called neurons.  If each neuron was a grain of sand, it would fill an average 2 story house!

DK Publishing

Babushka’s Beauty Secrets – Old World Tips For A Glamorous New You – Raisa Ruder, Susan Campos

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Ladies, have I got a treat for you!

Are you tired of going to the beauty counter and paying so much money for your creams and exfoliates, and cleansers?  Are you sick of the sizes that you receive for the money you pay for?

This book will save you money, time, AND still have you feeling like your skin is worth a million bucks!

A Babushka is Ukrainian for Grandmother, Granny, or however you call her in your family.  I know this because I used to call my granny this when I went to visit her when I was much younger.  I am half Ukrainian, so I can so relate to what Raisa is talking about in her book.

Our family wasn’t one that had a lot of money, we had a garden, we canned fruits, vegetables, and made relish, jams, and other yummy stuff to help us get through the winter.  I am the baby of 5 children my parents had, so just about everything was stretched to the limit, we never let anything go to waste.

Did you realize that most beauty products that boast Vitamin C or other natural ingredients only have a fraction in them?  And that you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost.  Raisa’s Babushka used to cook these concoctions up in her kitchen in Moscow while a room full of women would be sitting patiently waiting in another room for their treatments.  Raisa also guarantees that you will not only look like a million bucks, but you will feel like it too.

Have a bachelorette party to plan and no ideas?  Simply have a girls night in and do creams, facials, and other beauty treatments.  All for under $5 !

All without the fancy names, pretty packaging, and or preservatives.

Everything you need is in your refigerator!

There are so many recipes in this little book with just about something for everyone, so what are you waiting for?

GO and get the book !

Hachette / Wellness Central

Browse Inside the book

15 Minute Gentle Yoga – Louise Grime

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This is by far one of the best beginners yoga book I have come across.

As someone who is looking to starting some sort of yoga program, either at home or in a studio or gym, I am wanting to strengthen my body, getting started can be a daunting process.

This smallish book also includes a DVD which highlights all of the poses that are inside the book in an easy to understand, unrushed way so that if you need to go back to a particular section, you can go back or want to take a look at the actual pose in the book for further reference it is all there in the book as well as the DVD.

It shows you everything you need to know how to:

  • Use the Book
  • Advice for Beginners
  • Practising Safely
  • Clothing and Equipment you will need

As well as

  • History of Yoga
  • All about Yoga
  • Adapting your lifestyle
  • Positive Thinking
  • Meditation
  • Of course some useful resources

Every pose is included on the DVD that is on the book all 4  fifteen minute yoga sessions which include

  • Rise and Shine
  • Strengthening
  • Early Evening Energizer
  • Winding Down

DK Publishing

Have fun checking this book and DVD out !

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Help Your Kids With Math – DK Publishing

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I know, I KNOW !! Summer has nearly ended, and with that comes is I don’t want to go back to school moans we as parents are all hearing.  Even in my home my son is saying “Mom, I don’t even want to HEAR that word”  you know the one I am talking about SCHOOL !

But, we as parents probably are hearing the same things that we used to say to our own, am I right ?!?

Well, help in the MATH department is here.

As it says on the cover of the book ” A Unique Step by Step Visual Guide” they aren’t kidding.  From page one to the end this is chock full of full colour diagrams, explanations, and easy to understand english that will have us as parents just as smart or probably just look smart to our kids then they already think we are! Even if they don’t want our help, they can devour the simple steps to allow them to become the math magician they always dreamed they could be… Well, not really, but it WILL help them.

Even if they don’t understand what their teacher is talking about, I know I had that problem, when looking through the book, even I got it.. on the FIRST attempt.

The book covers all of the core subjects from basic arithmetic to geometry, from algebra to statistics, they can follow it step by step themselves or with your assistance.

It EVEN has trigonometry <gasp> !!

Can I see a show of hands who will be getting this book ?!?

DK Publishing

Here are some screenshots from inside the book -

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Q and A with Author Aviva Goldfarb

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Well yesterday, you got to take a peek inside the cookbook, now it is time to welcome Aviva to Serendipitous Readings and have a chat, so, sit down with your coffee and enjoy the questions I got to ask her recently, and thank you so much Aviva for asking them and welcome !

While not making up new and healthy recipes for upcoming books, what is it that you read for pleasure? Are you reading anything now that is just intoxicating, one that has you so intrigued that you cannot put it down?
Thanks for asking! I’m a huge and passionate fiction reader when I’m not cooking and I am always reading something new and interesting. Right now I’m engrossed in “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese and it’s mesmerizing and so incredibly impressive and beautiful. It’s also the first book I’ve read that takes place primarily in Ethiopia, so I’m also learning about a new place, and I think it’s also the first novel written by a surgeon that I’ve ever read, and many of the characters are doctors working in a missionary hospital in Addis Ababa.

With a busy family, what is it like around your kitchen around dinner time? Is there a consensus of what everyone wants? Do you plan ahead?
I built my online menu planning system around planning ahead for a week of meals, and that’s what I almost always do for my family. I find that when I get off schedule and forget to plan ahead and shop for the week, than dinner time is much more chaotic and I remember why I started The Scramble in the first place! I plan a balanced menu for the week, usually with one or two meat dishes, one pasta, one fish, and one or two vegetarian meals. I’m usually testing new recipes so everyone gets to weigh in on whether they like the new dish, but if the kids get too sick of trying new things every night than I spend a week revisiting some of our old favorite dishes.

What was it that gave you the idea for this wonderful cookbook?
The short answer is that I had developed hundreds of new recipes since the last book came out and my publisher was willing to hire me to write a new one because the last one sold pretty well!  But here’s the slightly longer answer. Since the last book came out in 2006, I have become more and more enchanted with buying, growing and eating fresh, local and seasonal food because it tastes so much better and is so much better for our communities and the environment.

As I’ve thought and written more about food over the years since I started The Scramble, I’ve realized that we can’t really separate the food that we eat from the way it’s produced and I’ve learned about the impact our food choices have on the planet.  As I started letting myself really think about how food makes it from pasture or sea to our plates, I decided to start to implement some changes in my shopping habits and my family’s diet. As it turns out, these changes have made eating even more pleasurable, rather than forcing us to make many sacrifices.  What’s more, these little changes, such as eating seasonally and locally, eating less meat, composting, and bringing our own grocery bags to the store are simple to make and are the pillars of a more environmentally friendly diet!

I wanted to share some of those changes we’ve made in my family along with the easy, healthy and seasonal recipes that have made it so easy and delicious to eat in a more environmentally friendly manner, so I’ve put them all together in this cookbook.

Are there any other tips that you could pass along that aren’t already in the book?
I’m constantly trying to learn new things about easy and healthy family meals! Right now I’m trying to teach myself about grilling fruit and hope to share more about that soon on my online newsletter on Facebook or on Twitter.   I’m also trying to grow a lot more of my own produce this year and am battling pests that are trying to devour my chard and bok choy before we do! I made a natural spray by dissolving a little dishsoap and cayenne pepper in a spray bottle of water that seems to be doing the trick!

Are you working on a new cookbook? When can we expect to see it?
Well, I’m constantly developing new recipes for my online subscribers, but I’m still busy promoting this cookbook. My cookbooks are a lot bigger than most authors’ cookbooks and I do all my own recipe development  (mine have several hundred recipes!) so they take me several years to develop and write. I don’t expect to have another one out for at least a few years! I hope your readers will find plenty of recipes to enjoy in this book and my earlier cookbook, The Six O’Clock Scramble, for quite a while.

What can fans of your book that haven’t already visited your website expect to find?
On my website I help busy people take the “scramble” out of the dinner hour each and every night! Each week I send subscribers an email with a week of easy and healthy dinner recipes and a grocery list, and they can either use the complete plan or go online and easily customize it for their families’ tastes and schedules, and it will automatically generate a new grocery list! Each seasonal recipe also includes the side dishes and all the nutritional information, so I try to make it as easy as possible for people to get healthy and delicious dinners on the table every night, and I do it all for people for about $1 a week.

Do you ever get so busy that even you have to order take-out? What is your favorite take-out?
Yes, of course, I’m a busy working mom just like many of your readers! Sometimes my family goes out to dinner, occasionally we even order pizza. I also keep a few healthy frozen meals in the freezer for those nights when things don’t go as planned, or we sometimes have scrambled eggs or cereal for dinner if it’s one of those nights.
But my feeling is that if I manage to cook for the family for 5 or 6 nights a week, I deserve to be taken out for a night, too!

Which people are influences when it comes to other chefs, creators of cookbooks past or present?
Oh, so many! I was very influenced by Barbara Kingsolver’s book  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle about the author’s quest to try to live off of food from her own land and community for a whole year. As far as cookbook authors I admire, there are tons, but a few that come to mind right away are Mollie Katzen, Mark Bittman, and Ina Garten,

If you had to pick one favorite recipe out of the book which one would it be and why is it your favorite?
Isn’t that like asking a parent to pick her favorite child? But if I had top pick a couple that I’m really proud of I might go with the Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Grilled Chicken), which was really fun to create and has the wonderful flavor of the Peruvian chicken restaurants that are becoming so popular, and the Spinach, Basil, and Red Pepper Wraps, which are really fun to make and are great for a light lunch or dinner and even fun to serve as an appetizer if you cut them in little pinwheels. But there are tons of recipes in this cookbook that I want you to try!  In fact, I’m getting hungry just talking about them…

Thanks so much for inviting me to do this Q & A with you today, and I hope your readers get a chance to check out one or both of my cookbooks!

Rough Guides – Cloud Computing and Saving and Selling Online – DK Publishing

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The Rough Guide to Cloud Computing – 100 Websites that will change your life is for the newish person online that will help you find the sites that are best for just learning what is new and hot online, or learning new skills based on what your needs are.

From bookmarks, online documents, emails, applications and music this little pocket-book has it all.

It will help you to be more creative, entertained, and more organized, as well as collaborating online with friends, family and work colleagues.  Share your photos on Flickr, find new music with Last.fm and Spotify

Lets you stay in sync with your contacts, email, bookmarks, and calendars all online so if you are searching for something and you are away from your own computer, you will be able to access from anywhere that has an internet connection.

Some of you may already know about some or most of these websites, but then again some may not, so, I think it would be a worthwhile book to have, even just to see what else you could be missing.

DK Publishing


Embrace the Art of Frugal Living

This is a smallish book as well that is packed with hundreds of websites that will save you money on just about everything that you can imagine.

From comparison shopping sites, bargains with price tracking sites, blogs, and of course Twitter for working the system to your advantage, then there are the coupons and discount codes included inside the book.

Want to sell something on Ebay? this is the guide to have for doing exactly that as well as Amazon Marketplace, or if you are looking for books try Half.com

Then there is gumtree and Craigslist, Rent.com to find a place to live, Freecycle, the list is endless and most likely growing by the minute!

Then there are the places to check for mortgages, real estate, saving on your utilities…did I just hear an amen to that ?!? Look no further this book is chock full of places to be able to do exactly that and more, in more places than just the USA, try the UK too.

Oh, and there are coupons and discount codes in this book as well….

Rough Guides

How To Grow Practically Everything – DK Books

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This book is literally packed with gardening ideas from sowing vegetables to creating a pond for wildlife -  makes all of these and many many more ideas easy!

200+ projects from planting spring bulbs to growing herbs and spices, planters, trees, tabletop containers.

Mixed with step by step projects which will inspire planting designs, plans along with gorgeous full colour pictures, colourways with planting ideas.

All of the basics are covered with a straightforward way to garden care and maintenance – everything you need to know or need to find information that you never thought you would need until now.

From the beginner to an experienced gardener, there is something for every level of gardener – if you are just starting out, or are an expert already.

There are practical ideas for gardens of any size and shape – pots, patios, borders, even for year round enjoyment.

The step by step details and full guidance on materials, locations, and timing.

Growing vegetables for personal use, or a new exciting look that you have been thinking of trying – right down to pruning, diseases and tackling pests with the materials needed and how long it would take you.

Here is a sampling of inside How to Grow Practically Everything -

DK Books

Take a look inside

Falling Apart In One Piece: An Optimist’s Journey Through The Hell of Divorce – Stacey Morrison

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I do not usually read and review these kind of book I try to shy away from them since I have experienced this as well; or ones that tell of painful, hurtful life events such as divorce.  But, this is one I received, I prejudged it, thinking oh here we go when I shouldn’t have.

I was very pleasantly surprised.

Stacey has been together with her husband for the last 13 years.

All of a sudden one day, he says it is over like that.  Can you say huh? What just hit me in the back of the head?!?!  Shock and awe isn’t the only thing I thought, or you would think.

This is Stacey’s personal story through the hell of separation, divorce, and then some…

As she tells you the story of who she is (Editor in Chief) of Redbook; with one amazing resume.  Not only did she conquer her professional dreams, she’s conquered the grief, the heartbreak, among other incredible odds ( A house that will not stop filling up with water) and raising her son just about on her own from when he was just a few months old.

Now, you would think that all of this would have made her say uncle, (she did so much want to give in, but she felt it and think it) but what she shows us is that if you have the determination, the zeal, and the wherewithal, even in the craziness that happens; you can get through it and begin to live again.

We have all heard or maybe experienced the same emotions and experiences (separation / divorce), I know I did.  She gives really great advice for anyone that is going through their own hell of divorce.

At times, laugh out loud funny to gut wrenching, laying on the floor, bringing tears to your eyes.  Stacey had to make sense of what went wrong, what she was responsible for, begin her life again as a divorced, single mom of a son.

Just totally written from the heart, with smarts, don’t give up, but I really want to give up attitude that blossomed into a confident person once again.

Simon and Schuster

The Cooks Herb Garden – Grow, Harvest, Cook – Jeff Cox and Marie Pierre Moine

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This smallish little book is quite the little gem !

Filled with full colour photographs, this is a must for the burgeoning gardener, or one that is an expert ready to expand their gardens.

Growing your own herbs ensures not only an in expensive but readily available resource full of fresh flavours, as well as ideas for that next recipe wanting that extra bit of flavour and colour.

  • Choose – comprehensive herb catalogue full of colour with planting plans for themed window boxes.
  • Grow – Seed, Small plants, or, cuttings?
  • Harvest & Store – essential tips on how, when, what to pick, try to freeze and dry so that there is a supply when you need it.
  • Cook – More than 60 recipes from flavoured butters, rubs, marinades, sauces, salsa, salads, dressings, cordials, teas and syrups to get those creative juices flowing.

Along with the partnering charts, this book will never lead you astray to compliment popular ingredients with herbs.

I just love this book !

I wanted to try to start to grow my own small area so that I can have a ready supply of herbs, what about you?

Here is a glimpse inside the Cook’s Herb Garden -

DK Books

The Superstress Solution – Dr. Roberta Lee

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Are you suffering from these symptoms?

  • Trouble Sleeping
  • Moody, Cranky, Short Tempered
  • Aching – head, neck, back, or even your stomach?
  • Gained weight that you can’t seem to lose?

These symptoms and many more are a part of stress.  We all know that feeling when we go into a huge important meeting, or dealing with someone who is being difficult, right?

All of our lives nowadays are always on the go.  We are beyond busy, hectic seems to be us everyday.  We get up early, go to work, get stuck in traffic.  Then once we get to work the photocopier is broken and can’t be fixed until tomorrow, the important meeting we had is being cancelled or postponed due to something else happening.  We are always connected – to our cell phones, blackberry’s, iPhones, laptops, any sort of thing we are connected with to give us that instantaneous response that we wait for.  Then we get impatient, because it doesn’t come soon enough, or isn’t the news we hoped to receive.

We are all plugged into these things, even our relationships, we cannot seem to shut down, or relax and let go.

This is Super Stress.

Super stress is when our body continuously releases stress hormones, which diverts the energy and nourishment that is needed to keep us healthy.

Super Stress can lead to depression, weight gain, loss of libido, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, early aging, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, among others.

Dr. Lee’s 4 week program is said to counteract all of the things I just mentioned.  You take the quizzes and questionnaires which will lead to your super stress personality.  There is the short-term detox diet which is included in the book, along with a long-term eating plan that is full of stress protective foods and supplements.

There are suggestions to exercises as well as relaxation techniques.  Her book is based on her practices when she travels to the South Pacific, the diets they consume which is a mediterranean style of eating, as well as a program called integrative medicine.

I liked the detail of what is happening to our bodies.  Many wouldn’t be aware of the changes unless something drastic happened to our health.  With us being “turned on” much more than our parents or even grandparent’s have in the past.

She breaks down everything to be able to streamline the process for you in very understandable language to understand the program so that anyone can use it for 4 weeks or for the rest of our lives.

Our lives are so much different today compared to even 20 years ago.  We are pulled into so many different directions at once, not only at work, but at home.  So when do we de-stress ? or rather how do we do it when it all seems to be coming at us, right?

Dr. Lee’s Website – The Super Stress Solution

Random House

Houseworks – How to Live Clean, Green, and Organizied – Cynthia Townley Ewer

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Haven’t we all done this, I know I have – vowed to become more uncluttered in our own home lives, work lives and everywhere else?  Even beginning to start making chores for your children ( I can hear the screaming in agony as I type the word chore)

Like these examples

  • spending 10 minutes or more trying to find your keys when you need them
  • Blowing the budget with take out food two or more times a week
  • Getting frustrated with your recycling when it overflows and you are constantly wanting a better solution?

Sound familiar? I know it does for me.

After looking and reading this book that has some really great tips that we already knew about, and so many more like using dividers in your sock and underwear drawer to adding some healthy alternatives to the mix.

There is everything in this updated edition and more for the person that really wants to tackle the house from top to bottom, to the person that is needing new ideas to what they already do, or to just revamp their entire routine to make it fresh and more streamlined.

Here are some other photographs from inside the book -

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I know for me, I have found some brand new things I want to join into my routine.  What about you ?

This is Cynthia’s Website, where you can get even more Ideas for your home.

DK Books

Soup – Wholesome, Seasonal, Fresh – Forward by Eric Schlosser

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This hardcover at 352 pages, it is literally packed with everything you need to know about making stock, making soup in general – ingredients, tools, how to chop and dice, along with 200 of tried and true recipes for you to make, freeze, and make over again if you find one favourite.

Full of elegant, gorgeous colour photographs to help you along the way, with easy to understand writing, step by step instructions are a god send for those who are chosing to make their first pot of soup to an old pro that has been making soup from the ground up with extra suggestions on new ways to use the multitude of ingredients that you would never imagine that can be used.  I was even surprised.

Here are few more pictures from inside the book -

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DK Books

Browse Inside Soup

Tomato – A Guide to The Pleasures of Choosing, Growing & Cooking – Gail Harland and Sofia Larrinua-Craxton

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If you are contemplating starting to grow tomatoes, or just have a love of eating them then this book is definitely for you.

This smallish hardcover book has literally everything you will need to start to grow your first tomato plants to adding to your repertoire of gardening.

The detailed advice on every part from growing, varieties, diseases, pests, growing them in the ground, growing them in bags, pots or hanging baskets.

There is also a section for when you are ready to harvest, a selection of over 30 recipes to entice you to use your bountiful harvest of tomatoes.

I was really impressed with the full colour photographs and diagrams, along with the descriptions makes this in my opinion the Tomato Lovers Bible.

Who knew that there are over 5000 different varieties of all shapes and sizes that first originated in the western coastal highlands of South America that were grown by the Aztec’s and Mayans.  They also grow wild in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Northern Chile and Peru?

Here is a sampling of the full colour photographs and details from part of the book -

DK Publishing

Sofia’s Website

Love Your Body, Love Your Life – Sarah Maria

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I was a bit sceptical about this book when I received an email for it, but alas, it had me intrigued just by the content of what may or may not be in the book.

With the advent of all of these celebrity shows that tout how slim, skinny or large one or many celebrities have become is basically 6pm news nowadays.  The images of slim people exercising, on diet plans are on every channel that you may or may not watch on a continuous basis 24/7 wanting you to buy that excercise system, go on that diet, or make you feel even worse about how your body image is against one or any people who are healthier and look like they are having way more fun then you have had in a while.  Remember those?

Love Your Body, Love Your Life will hopefully assist you to diminish or end the 5 negative body obsessions, and have you start to live happily and confidently, as well as end the self-destructive thoughts and behaviours that we all do at one time or another.  Yes, you heard me right.  We ALL do it even if we do have a healthy self-esteem.  We are human after all.

It all talks about the 5 steps to end Negative Body Obsession and to start living happily and confidently…

Throughout the book I felt and this is my opinion, it was giving me a case of negative body obsession by how many times it referred to it.  It is threaded throughout the whole book, no matter the positive things it wants you to do.  Like an addiction, that negative body obsession is lurking behind the blinds watch out ! mentality.

Yes, we all have negative images and thoughts that come to us throughout a variety of outlets – television, internet, radio, magazines, but that doesn’t mean that we have to be a size 2 like the model do we? We can be healthy, by doing what we can with what is in our control – eating healthy, controlling our portions, decreasing our junk food binges.  Getting more excercise.

Now, for me I didn’t relate to this book.  For one, the old message of Negative Body Obsession or Image was throughout the book.  I feel as thought if you want to get over the negativity of how you are feeling, the author could have just described it in one chapter and then went onto the more important aspect of the book – giving you the tools you need to overcome feeling like this.

There is quite a long list of recommended reading in the back as well for you to peruse and pick and chose at your leisure.

Author’s Website

Adam’s Media

 

 

Ecoholic – Your Guide to The Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products, and Services – Adria Vasil

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bookCoverUSDo you or have you ever wondered what it takes in terms of resources to make certain things that we use every day?  Have you wondered since the topic of Global Warming has been more and more prevalent in the news and all over that could we use less, another product, or do without? Well this is the book that will help you to make some decisions about the products you use, some you may want to stop using and some alternatives that are not only healthy, but better for the environment.

Here are a few examples;

  • Every year, it takes 3.5 billion GALLONS of oil and about 250,000 trees are used to make the plastic and cellulose in disposable diapers.
  • Researchers have found that Splenda can take up to 7 years to breakdown in waterways.
  • Millions of CONDOMS are said to slip into bodies of water every YEAR, thanks to sewer overflows and all of the men and boys who flush them down the toilet.
  • An investigation into drinking water in 24 major US towns turned up traces of Epilepsy drugs, painkillers, and Prozac to name a few.

Now, you will just have to go out and buy the book to see what else you can do to help the environment, I admit, when I read it, I was quite scared about what we use and what it does to the earth.  Let’s try to do our part to save the only place we call home – Our Earth.

Ecoholic Website

EcoholicTV – Adria’s ant attack! from NOW Magazine on Vimeo.

We Know What You’re Thinking – What Canadians Think and Why – Darrell Bricker and John Wright

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we know what youre thinkingHave you ever wondered what other people think? Have you ever wondered how your opinions match against say someone across the country?  While living out in British Columbia, I had a job which asked questions of Americans on different topics, and it made me want to read this book just to see how or why people think the way they do and how the pollsters crunch the numbers and come up with the answers that they do.

Darrel and John have been asking Canadians questions for years as Canada’s premier pollsters from Ipsos-Reid, which just happens to be the largest market and opinion research company in Canada.

I can almost be sure that at one time or another, you had a phone call from these people, and depending on your mood (yes I have been on the end of that many times asking questions myself) when you decide to answer these questions, do you think that they actually matter?  In one word yes, they do.

From policies, random questions, and some really personal questions such as what would your ideal lover look like, to going out to dinner and a movie would you rather take your dad or Jon Bon Jovi?  The answers to these questions and so many more can be found in this book that actually differs from province to province.

What do they do with all of the answers that they receive, how do they put together all of the data, yes, no and maybes, into such data that a company or organization who pays them to find out, and what does it mean for us the person that they ask, or even what does it do to the landscape of Canada?

We know what you are thinking offers some really interesting thoughts about what people think, along with some funny anecdotes to make it flow better.  It wasn’t as drab and boring as some may think it would be this would be the kind of book you might want to take a look at.  And, yes, I can see the doubt on your face.

Very easy to understand, also with a few unofficial quizzes to see what you have learned during reading the book.  Talking of books, did you know that British Columbia, and the Atlantic Provinces reads the most books It also doesn’t hurt to mention they are both close to oceans ?

QUICK FACTS FROM WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING

• The more formal education you have, the more beer you drink.

• 25 percent of Torontonians name Vancouver as their favourite potential place to live; 3 percent of Vancouverites

name Toronto as their favourite place to live.

• Calgary leads the nation in broccoli consumption.

• 3 percent of Canadians believe that Elvis Presley is still alive.

• Less than 1 percent of Canadian parents with young children hope their kids will grow up to be writers.


The Globe and Mail’s Ten Questions from The Great Big Canadian Quiz

HarperCollins

The Shack – William P. Young

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The Shack

Mack as he is known,  is married to Nan and they have beautiful children.  On a weekend when Nan was out of town, Mack takes his children for a family camping adventure.  After making some friends at the camp and exploring the hills and waterways of where they are  relaxing and enjoying the day, his older children are in a canoe overturn it and need help.  Mack leaves his daughter Missy sitting at the picnic table to run and help his other children in the water.  When he returns however, Missy is gone.  The only thing that shows she was there are her coloring book and crayons.

His new friends help and go on a search around the campground and cannot find her anywhere, then contact the grounds security and the police.  The search begins and someone notices that there was a pickup truck with green camouflage colors that was leaving the campground.  When the investigators go to where Missy was sitting, they notice there is something there that wasn’t there before – a ladybug pin with 5 dots on the top.

The FBI investigator tells Mack  that it is someone that they know as the ladybug killer.  He always leaves a ladybug pin with the present number of girls at or around the same age that he has taken and murdered.  Missy is number 5.

After finding out where the truck was discarded,  finally having some sense of where he would be in the area, the police and Mack search and come across a shack.  Not that it would have been found by anyone else but  when they do, they find a streak of blood inside.  Mack is beyond words, and this is where “The Great Sadness” begins.  After testing, it is found that it is the blood of his daughter.  The murder is solved yet,  he doesn’t have his daughters body.  He blames himself for leaving her.  Nothing will ever be the same.

Three years into “The Great Sadness”  it is the middle of an ice storm, Mack decides to go out and check his mailbox.  It is glued shut because of the pelting ice and rain that is blowing.  Once he finally slips and slides and manages to get the box open there is a letter in there – with no stamps or return address.  Puzzled, he returns to his house and slips and hits his head on the base of a tree.  He manages to get in the house and opens the envelope – it says someone wants him to come to the shack where his daughter was murdered for the weekend, and it is signed “papa”.  Once thinking someone is playing a cruel joke, or  could be the killer playing with his emotions, he cannot understand who it is that sent him the letter.  He thinks that there is only one person that would possibly know his wife’s pet name for god.

He doesn’t tell anyone except for his best friend, who helps him prepare for this journey, he really doesn’t want to do in the first place.  Every time he thinks of the shack he is frozen with anger and fear. He begins his journey where he is at the place where he needs to walk to get to it, the memories from that day when they searched the woods and the accompanying area, he stops and forces himself to keep on going.  He arrives at the shack and steps inside, after a while he gets angrier as he sees the streak of blood on the fireplace, and yells out “Well I’m here” “What do you want from me”.  As he is about to leave, something happens.  It is transformed into a beautiful shack, filled with furniture, and someone singing in the kitchen. This is where his journey begins…

Now, before I talk about anything, I want to say to keep the comments polite and non abusive.  This is a somewhat controversial book, some people love it and some hate it. It is their opinion and please respect it.

For me personally, this book would be great for someone who is needing questions answered, re questioning their faith, whichever their faith is.  It is a personal journey, but there are some points that EVERY person should take into their everyday lives and incorporate them.

  • No one is forced to do anything they do not want to do
  • Everyone deserves love “Birds were created to fly.  Being grounded for them isn’t within their ability.  People on the other hand were created to be loved.  So, for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around.  Living unloved is like clipping the bird’s wings and removing it’s ability to fly”.
  • It shouldn’t be the work that we do, but the purpose that makes it special.
  • Freedom involves trust and obedience inside a relationship of love.
  • People have a great capacity declaring something good or evil, without  knowing the truth.

Personal judging determines good or evil.  We become the judge and what you determine to be good or evil will change over time and circumstance.  There are billions of people on the earth who determine who or what is good or evil.  “So when good or evil clash with neighbors, fights and arguments happen and even wars break out.”

  • “By choosing to declare what is good or evil, you seek to determine your own destiny.”
  • We need to be open and available to others and stimulate and grow those relationships.
  • “Laws gives us the power to judge others freedom and feel superior to them.”
  • Each relationship between 2 people are unique, which is the why you cannot love 2 people the same.  You love differently because of how unique they are, and what they draw or why you are drawn to them, and the more you know one another the richer the relationship is.
  • Forgiveness is to release you from something that is eating you alive, that destroys your joy and ability to love freely and openly.  It doesn’t require you to trust the person.  If they or you forgive and confess it helps you to reach out and begin to rebuild and start to reconcile.

Now, there are many more tidbits of wisdom in the book. I have tried to be as diplomatic as possble.

The Shack Book Site

Buy the Book – Chapters Indigo Borders The Shack

Connected Parenting – Jennifer Kolari MSW, RSW

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I decided to go out of my usual genre which is fiction and was quite surprised.

Connected Parenting is a way of getting to your challenging child, and to either build the bonds that were once there, or to build upon a bond you already have with your child. As a mother myself to a son who was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) I do have some experience in raising a child that has some difficulties.

In her book, I was surprised that all of the things that I have been taught or what was the right thing to do, is right, but with her strategies, to make it even better.

She uses a technique called mirroring and another that is an acronym for “CALM”, which you mirror what your child is saying so they know you know exactly what they are feeling, instead of yelling and screaming day after day and you both becoming increasingly frustrated and confused.

She also includes explanatory cases in which she has come across in her practice in which it can be used in everyday life, even if your child is not diagnosed with a medical condition.

I really liked this book, just for the fact that she made it personable, and easy to understand, lots of examples and let you know that is it OK if you do get frustrated yourself. It’s as much as a learning process for the parent as it is for the child. She also includes examples for not only ADHD, but for Asperger’s Syndrome and other special needs child. As well as setting rewards, consequences, and day to day activities it is a must read for parents that are at the end of their rope so to speak.

I would recommend this book to all parents if they have a child who has special needs or if they just need a little re vamping of their routines.

This book is not yet released, but it will be on May 5th, 2009. So you may pre order at this time.

Connected Parenting Website

Penguin Books

Chapters Indigo

Amazon