Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Wondering Where To Go For Your Next Read? I Have You Covered

As a voracious reader, I have known what it’s like to be on the hunt for a new book. There are thousands upon thousands of choices and you don’t know where to begin. It’s a problem that readers have faced a thousand times in the past and we’ve all come up with a few ways to find that next read. Whether it becomes a brief fling or the next love of your life is entirely up to you, of course.

Hunting specific recommendations for you
When you’ve really enjoyed a book or even poring through the canon of an author, I know it can be tempting to stay in that niche. Thankfully, there are sites that can help you do that. Places like What Should I Read Next are all about finding that last book you read and helping you find recommendations from it. For example, if you liked Haruki Murakami’s Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, you will get some Paul Auster books recommended thanks to the shared elements of mystery and surrealism. I would personally recommend that any reader stray beyond the waters they’re already treading, but I know what it’s like to have a fixation.
Delve into unexplored territory
Talking about straying into new worlds, there are a lot of ways to do that. Of course, you don’t want to pick up something that’s more likely than not to be a waste of your time. Instead, look to the must read books lists on hobbyist sites or even booksellers. There will be a lot of names you recognize as well as those you don’t. There aren’t really any wrong answers. It’s just good to have a bit of a basis to make your choice from. Those who truly love books (books in general, not just a few authors) rarely give you a terrible book. You might not like it, yes, but you will at least have a new experience.
Let them come to you
Reading this site, you will have undoubtedly seen the books I’ve been reviewing. On some of those reviews, you might see a disclaimer that I received that book to review from the publisher or author. For those who consider reading their favorite hobby, even a passion, therein lies how you find your new books. By starting a blog and simply offering to review, you might start receiving all kinds of titles from all kinds of sources. Of course, you have to review them as well. But that process can only deepen your love of books and help you pinpoint just what exactly you like and don’t like about them. It’s an introspective practice as much as it is a guide for readers.
Whether you want to stick to things you like or you want to go for something bold, there are ways to make sure you get a good read. Even if you don’t personally enjoy it, it’s worth exploring your boundaries and trying things you’ve never tried before. That’s how you expand your consciousness which is one of the reasons we all read in the first place.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Supermom! Easy Ways To Stay Fit And Healthy When You Are A Busy Mommy

When we are busy with the kids, our health gets put on the back burner. After all, there is little time to think about our health when we are changing a ton of nappies or taking our child to school! But taking care of your health is so important if you want to live a happy and healthy life. After all, you want to be around for your kids for as long as possible. Therefore, here are some easy ways to stay fit and healthy when you are a busy mommy.

Cut Back On Snacks
When we are busy with our child, we tend to snack throughout the day. After all, you might not have time to make a healthy breakfast when you are taking care of your kid. But then you tend to feel peckish, so you start snacking in the day. But the more unhealthy snacks such as crisps and chocolate you consume in the day, the more weight you are bound to put on! Therefore, you need to cut back on the snacks in your home. Make time to have three healthy and filling meals which will stop you from snacking. And if you are peckish while you are taking care of your kid, you should opt for a piece of fruit instead. That way, you can fill that hole without turning to high-sugar foods.


Get Fit While Playing With The Kids
A lot of us struggle to find time to exercise in the day. After all, we are so busy with our child that it goes to the back of our mind. And by the time they head to the land of nod, you are too cream crackered to start exercising. But you can aim to get fit while you are playing with your kid. For example, you could do some crunches while you are playing with your child’s Lego. Or you could get your child to do some yoga postures with you. After all, it will be a fun game for them to try and do the pose. Also, you should opt for physical activities to do with your child. It might be a game of football in the garden or even a bike ride around the block. Both of these will help to ensure you get fit while spending time with the kids! And it will assist in ensuring your child is getting enough exercise too.


Find Time To Attend Appointments
As you are busy looking after the kids, it can mean you have to cancel appointments. After all, you think you will organize it for a later date. However, for the sake of your health, you need to be attending appointments. Going to the doctors is so important if you think something is wrong. After all, they might spot something early which could save your life. So you should make sure you don’t delay going to the doctors. However, it can be hard to go in the day when you are busy with the kids. Therefore, ring your doctors and see if there are any appointments you could go to in the evening when your other half gets home. The same thing applies to the dentist. You need to go to appointments at least once a year to ensure your teeth stay in good condition. You can look on sites similar to 24hourdental.org to find a dentist you could go to first thing in the morning or in the evening! That way, your hubby can take care of your child while you get your pearly whites checked over!


 flickr
Go To Bed Earlier To Get Some Sleep
It’s hard to get enough sleep when you are a busy mommy. After all, little ones can be up for half the night. And it means you don’t get the recommended eight hours of sleep you need to stay healthy. Without a proper night’s rest, you might start experiencing higher blood pressure. And as well as this, it can lead to an increase of stress hormones in your body. So you might end up getting stressed out. And you can have reduced concentration skills which mean you might make mistakes with your child. Therefore, to ensure you get enough sleep, you need to make sure you head to bed early. That way, you can get some rest before your child wakes up in the night. And make sure you split the wake-up calls between you and your partner. That way, you won’t feel as exhausted the next day.


Don’t Skip Meals
When you are busy with your kid, we have a tendency to skip meals. After all, we just don’t have the time to prepare meals for ourselves. However, if you start skipping meals, you might feel light headed and faint. As well as this, it can lead to snacking and a bad mood. Therefore, you need to make time to consume meals. You might want to prepare your food at the same time as you make your kid’s dish. Or you could even make the meals the night before that you can consume the next day. That way, you and your child can eat meals together, and you will stay healthy.


Take Your Child Swimming
Little ones love to splash around in the pool. And it can make for a great day out for you and your child. But there are also health benefits for you if you take your kid swimming. For one thing, swimming is an excellent form of exercise. It can tone muscles and build up your strength. And it’s excellent for keeping your heart healthy. Also, swimming is relaxing so it can ease any stress you are feeling in your body. Therefore, take your child to the swimming pool for some water fun to keep fit!


Give Yourself Some Time Off
It’s so important as moms that we have time off. After all, it can help us relax and ease any stress we are feeling. So many women affect their mental health if they spent too much time inside with their kid. Therefore, if you want to stay fit and healthy, ask your partner to take care of your child for a couple of hours. You ought to go for a beauty treatment such as a back massage. And going for some beauty treatments will help you to feel like a yummy mummy too!


Exercise During Nap Times
One good time of the day to fit in some exercise is when your little one goes for a nap. After all, it gives you some time to fit in some quick stretches. Move into the next room and do some squats and crunches to help you lose weight. And if you are lucky enough to have a home gym, you could use equipment like a treadmill for 15 minutes to help you shift the pounds. And you can keep the baby monitor with you so that you are there once your child wakes up!


Go For A Jog When Hubby Gets Home
When your husband gets home from work, it’s an excellent time to get fit. After all, he can watch your little one while you head out for a jog around the block. Therefore, spare thirty minutes of your day to get some exercise into your life. You could even meet up with a fellow mummy to go for a jog around the area. You will feel much better once you return home after getting some exercise into your day!

And try and fit some meditation or yoga into your day. As it says on mylittlemoppet.com/, it’s perfect for moms as it helps to build mindfulness. That way, you are with your child, your complete focus is on them!
Pixabay

Friday, November 25, 2016

Yummy Mommy: The Dos And Don'ts Of Being A Glam Mom

family-775059_960_720.jpg

No one wants to get older but, sadly, it is one part of life that we are unable to avoid. And one of the first signs that you’re getting old is having kids! Even though kids are a miracle and bring joy to many families, bringing them up can be extremely stressful. And all this stress can make you look a lot older than your years. There are plenty of anti-aging techniques that you can use to help turn back your body’s signs that it’s getting older. Not only that, though, but there are many ways you can take back your life and become a glam mom! Here are some steps that should help you add some glamour to your life.



Don’t Wear Too Much Makeup

Many women agree that wearing makeup can cover up a multitude of sins. However, this isn’t isn’t always the case. Especially if you are too heavy handed with the makeup brush! In fact, wearing too much makeup could make you look older than your years. If you apply too much foundation, it could end up looking cakey. And this will end up drying out your skin. Not only that, though, but too much mascara can result in your eyelashes looking like spider’s legs. And no one wants that!



Do Have Beauty Treatments
You deserve a treat every now and then, and there is no nicer treat than enjoying a beauty treatment and your nearest beauty studio! Some beauty studios even specialize in special treatments for parents. Including ones like a mommy makeover. It’s important to spend some time with yourself every week, and what better way to spend your free time than relaxing at a beauty salon!






Don’t Forget About Accessories
If you are struggling to find the time to hit the shops for a new wardrobe, there is a simple way to jazz up your current outfits. And that is by adding some simple but effective accessories! Accessories are a great way of bringing a bit more color to your outfits. For instance, if you have a dress that you now think looks a bit drab, you can brighten it up by wearing a silk scarf over it. You can also use statement jewelry to grab people’s attention. If you can’t afford a lot of expensive accessories, simply buy some statement shoes and a statement purse. These are key items that can really add sophistication to any outfit!



Do Focus On Your Good Features

Do you love your curves? Then why not show them off in a fitted dress or skirt? If you love you legs, you can always showcase them in a cute midi dress. Just don’t go overboard with a miniskirt, as that could end up looking slightly trashy. Whatever you wear, be sure to highlight your good features. Not only will you look amazing, but you will feel exceptionally confident!



There is no excuse being a slummy mommy anymore! Not now you know all the dos and don’ts of being a glam mom!

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Review: The Way We Fall by Cassia Leo

The Way We Fall (The Story of Us, #1)
Cover Source: GoodReads.com
Title: The Way We Fall
Author: Cassia Leo
Series: The Story of Us #1
Version Reviewed: ARC, eBook
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

GoodReads Synopsis:
Maybe we shouldn’t have fallen so fast and so willingly.
Maybe we shouldn’t have moved in together before we went on our first date.
Maybe we should have given our wounds time to heal before we tore each other to shreds.
Maybe we should have never been together.
Houston has kept a devastating secret from Rory since the day he took her into his home. But the tragic circumstances that brought them together left wounds too deep to heal.
Five years after the breakup, Houston and Rory are thrust together by forces beyond their control. And all the resentments and passion return with more intensity than ever.
Once again, Houston is left with a choice between the truth and the only girl he’s ever loved.
Review:
I'll be perfectly honest. Since I joined NetGalley in  2011, I have been terrible with keeping up my feedback ratio and when I first joined, I went a little request crazy. I requested way too many books for me to keep up with.  That was a rookie mistake that I've learned not to make again. This past year, I've been trying to get to some of these books and, though I haven't done as well as I have planned, I intend on making 2016 the year of NetGalley. I plan on reading as many requested books as I possibly can in the coming year with full intentions of finally getting my ratio to a good percentage (seriously, it's bad).

That being said, The Way We Fall is one of the books I requested a while back and ended up never getting to. Until now, that is. And let me just say that I fully regret never taking the time out of my reading schedule to give this one it's time in the spotlight. This story is absolutely amazing.

For the NetGalley reading challenge I joined this year, my goal was to read a certain number of books. Not a large amount, but enough to force me into reading some that were on the list. It's late November now and I was two books short of meeting my goal so I took a look through my list and decided to pick up The Way We Fall. From the the moment I began reading, I was glued to the story and wanted nothing more than to continue on with it. Every moment that I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be. There was so much heartbreak and yet so much love in this story that it drew me in completely and continually left me needing to find out the answers to Rory and Houston's past.

I honestly could not get enough of this book. It was such an emotional rollercoaster but one that was amazing to be on. The story between these two was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking that it was impossible not to root for them. The name of the series is very well fitting to the characters and their story and I honestly cannot wait to get a chance to continue on with it.

Such a gorgeous story. If you like a good romance with a side of emotion, I highly recommend The Way We Fall.

Rating: 5 Stars.


Friday, November 18, 2016

Review: Monster Blood by R.L. Stine

Monster Blood (Goosebumps, #3)
Cover Source: GoodReads.com
Title: Monster Blood
Author: R.L. Stine
Series: Goosebumps #3
Version Reviewed: Finished, Paperback.
Website: www.rlstine.com
I received this book as a gift.

GoodReads Synopsis:
While staying with his weird great-aunt Kathryn, Evan visits a funky old toy store and buys a dusty can of monster blood, It's fun to play with at first. And Evan's dog, Trigger, likes it so much, he eats some! But then Evan notices something weird about the green slimy stuff it seems to be growing. And growing. And growing. And all that growing has given the monster blood a monstrous appetite...






Review:
I am so happy to be going through the Goosebumps series again. I didn't get to read many of them growing up and now that I have the chance, I'm finding so many amazing gems!  I cannot wait until my daughter is old enough to enjoy the creep that is Goosebumps.

Monster Blood was a great installment to the series. There was a lot of curiosity and creepiness that came along with Evan and his monster blood. His weird great-aunt Kathryn was definitely odd and left me wondering the entire time what secrets she held.

R.L. Stine is great at making you wonder how the story is going to end. He loves to write twists and this story was definitely not a disappointment in that sense. The ending of this book was such a twist that I was honestly shocked. It turned out waaay different than I thought it was going to but I loved it nonetheless.

Rating: 3 Stars.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Review: #Bae by Cambria Hebert

#Bae (Hashtag, #7)
Cover Source: GoodReads.com
Title: #Bae
Author: Cambria Hebert
Series: Hashtag Series #7
Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook
Website: www.cambriahebertbooks.com
This book was gifted to me.

GoodReads Synopsis:
Happily-ever-after.
That’s what happens when you get married.
Right?
Turns out sparkly rings, cake and a fantastic wedding do not automatically grant you that, not even when it’s all you truly want.
I’m even starting to doubt the bottomless, unconditional love I share with the man I married will be enough.
I can’t have happily ever after, know why?
Because I can’t give Romeo what he truly wants. I’ve tried. So hard. I won’t be happy unless he is and something is missing. Someone.
Paparazzi are in my face. The flashing cameras and prying eyes are everywhere. My secret is getting harder to hide, and I know the second the scoop is dished the grip I have on the fraying rope of that happily ever after will snap right in my face.
In our face.
I can’t let that happen. No matter what.
Because with or without a happy ending, Romeo comes Before Anyone Else.
Review:
Oh, this book was a long time coming. I'm a huge fan of Cambria's so I've always been well aware of the constant barrage of questions that she has received this past year about whether or not Romeo and Rimmel would have a baby of their own, and whether or not we would get the lovely chance of reading it.

I'm so glad that we did.

I admit that I was a little turned off by the title of this book at first. I've just always really disliked the term "bae" but it was easy to get over, especially considering it worked for the story and it fit. Like most things, Cambria used it in a way that made it special.

I was shocked at how the book was going in the beginning. The characters touch on a pretty sensitive topic that tugs at a lot of heartstrings for a lot of people, me included. But at the same time, it was nice to read a story that was so real and raw. It wasn't a perfect little fairy tale for the couple, at least not in the beginning, and it made them even more relate-able and easy to fall in love with.

It took me forever to read this book, though I'm not exactly sure why. I just kept taking breaks from it but, as soon as I could, I would delve back into it. I'm not sure if it was the subject matter or just life in general (keeping with the theme, I'm pregnant too! Yay!) that kept me from sitting down and finishing it, but I'm glad that I finally got to.

Romeo and Rimmel's story is a beautiful one and, though I'm bummed that this will be the last book in the series, it wrapped up their story nicely and was well suited to the Hashtag family.

Overall, a great book that I absolutely loved.

Rating: 4 Stars.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Review: Buffering by Hannah Hart

Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded
Cover Source: GoodReads.com
Title: Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded
Author: Hannah Hart
Version Reviewed: Finished, Paperback
Website: www.bufferingbook.com
I received this book as a gift.

GoodReads Synopsis:
The wildly popular YouTube personality and author of the New York Times bestseller My Drunk Kitchen is back! This time, she’s stirring up memories and tales from her past.
By combing through the journals that Hannah has kept for much of her life, this collection of narrative essays deliver a fuller picture of her life, her experiences, and the things she’s figured out about family, faith, love, sexuality, self-worth, friendship and fame.
Revealing what makes Hannah tick, this sometimes cringe-worthy, poignant collection of stories is sure to deliver plenty of Hannah’s wit and wisdom, and hopefully encourage you to try your hand at her patented brand of reckless optimism.
Personal note:
Hello, my darlings! I am incredibly pleased to present BUFFERING: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded!
As a big fan of memoirs, I wanted to try my hand at writing about the events of my life that deserve a little more consideration than can be accomplished in 140-characters or a 6-minute vlog. Now on the cusp of turning 30, I'm ready to expose some parts of my life that I haven't shared before. Before, it was all about privacy, process and time. And now the time has come! I’m ready to put myself out there, for you.

I'm a little nervous about all these vulnerable words going into the world, these tales about my love life, the wrestling I’ve done with faith, how I feel about sex and my family and myself. I’ve had a lot of trials, a lot of errors, but also a lot of passion. Here’s the thing--I've always found comfort in the stories shared by others, so I hope my stories, now that I feel ready to tell them, will bring you some comfort too.
And when you read this book please remember: Buffering is just the time it takes to process.
Enjoy!
Love,
Hannah
Review:
Hannah, oh Hannah. I am a huge Hannah Hart fan. I've been watching her YouTube videos for a super long time and I never seem to get enough of her. She's funny, smart, compassionate, entertaining, and yeah, I totally have a crush on her. Thankfully, my husbands a fan too, so he doesn't mind. ;)

One of the things I've always been curious about is Hannah's past. She has shared a few little tidbits about her life growing up but has always kept any information about her family or childhood pretty tightly wrapped up. Until now, anyway.  I was insanely excited when I learned that she was writing another book and even more thrilled when I learned that it was a memoir.

I received the book for my birthday and, since I was visiting family, I couldn't sink into it until later that night, when every one else was bedded down for the night. I honestly can't even tell you how long I read, but I know that it was quite a while.I devoured chapter after chapter in no time and completely lost myself in Hannah's world.

It was shocking to learn so many of the ins and outs of her past and the conditions in which she was brought up. It was even more shocking to understand so much of it. Coming from a pretty poor town in Eastern Kentucky, I've seen and known a lot of people that have lived in similar conditions and, at some points in my life growing up, I lived in them as well. My life was no where near as extreme as Hannah's but there were many ways in which I found myself understanding and knowing what she was going through.

There's a lot to take in in Buffering; Sexuality, Religion, Family, Lust, Growth, Mental Illness, and many, many more pieces of Hannah's life and her journey. The writing was absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed the inclusion of color photos and pages from Hannah's personal journals growing up.  It's a beautiful look into a life that has been perfectly described as fully loaded and I enjoyed every second of it.

Rating: 5 Stars, hands down.