Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Long Good-bye

I am so excited to be able to read and review for the TLC Book Tour....The Long Good-bye by Meghan O'Rourke.  My review will be part of the book tour on April 6th.  I don't want to give too much away, but this memoir is by far one of my favorites and was so meaningful to me.  I can't wait to share my review with you all!

Have a great week.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Consider It Done - Review and Giveaway

As a parent/caregiver, we wear many hats. We may care for your children (and sometimes even your spouseJ). We work hard. We work very hard. And sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day, am I right?! Today I am introducing you to Julie Subotky, author of the brand new book Consider It Done and CEO of her company, which holds the same name.

What is Consider It Done all about? Subotky shares her secrets in the book for accomplishing hundreds of life’s most bizarre, off-beat, and yet often inescapable tasks. Filled with practical tips, hints and advice as well as hilarious stories of near mishaps, crazy wild goose chases, and outrageous requests, Consider it Done is sometimes zany, often surprising, and yet always useful…. especially for a busy people like yourself. Subotky wrote the book just after she gave birth to her first child!
What type of useful tips will you find throughout these pages?
· Learn how to replace a matching spoon from your great-grandmother’s antique silver set,
· Make the perfect martini,
· Guarantee that your luggage will not get lost on your next family vacation,
· And learn how to organize your closet in 20 minutes!
Consider It Done will walk you through all of these tasks, and so many more!
I know that i have benefited from Subotky’s advice…. And Consider It Done!
For more information about the book and the great stores where you can find it, please visit:www.consideritdone.com/book.

My Review:  What fun I had (and am having with this book). This book is filled with so much information that even if the "how to" didn't apply to me, I had to read some of them because they were so funny or unusual.  Here are just a few.....

Ones I tried (and it worked):  How to efficiently pack for a trip (I had to go to China for work and didn't want to check my luggage - space was no longer an issue).  How to write a resume. How to get your office mate to use her "indoor voice" (oh the brownie points I could have scored if my boss knew it was me who finally got her to find that other voice).  How to locate a discontinued pair of running shoes (my husband is still in awe - since I found them for him!)

One on my "to-do" list:  How to get your kids to sleep in their own bed (this should have been my first one).  How to find the perfect job (I will let you know how this works).  How to lay off chocolate (then I wouldn't need the How to lose the last 5 pounds one!!!).  How to get rid of a mildew smell (my husbands car-phew) or maybe I will have to try How to get rid of a stubborn smell.  My husband wants to try, How to keep your basement organized (basement, seriously - the whole house needs it).  How to eat for an entire week (nice, eh?)

Ones that are too funny:  How to get your guy to ask for directions (when I stop laughing I will move this to my "to-do" list).  How to change your name just because you feel like it (I always said I was going to do this as a kid!).  How to clone your pet (hmmmm). How to get and keep a pet lion (that is all my house needs).  How to say no (oh...maybe this should be under "to-do").  How to get your wife to let you watch the game in peace (I think this could be how to watch your favorite tv show in peace!!).   How to stay sane as a new mom (just accept the fact that it is part of being a mom!).  How to fit more TV into your life (maybe that should go under ones I hope to never have to use).

Ones I hope to never have to use:  How to find a dentist in another country (yipes).  How to signal your dinner date that you need the heimlich (and still get asked on a second date) (seriously??).  How to hire a snake dancer (terrified of snakes).  How to ship a (dead) body.  How to get rescued form a desert island (don't call Gilligan or the Skipper!).

In all seriousness, this book is to great.  There are 228 different tasks in this book.  This would also make a great gift.  




Now for the best news…..as a writer for Outnumbered 3 to 1 blog, we are giving you a chance to win a copy!  The author Julie Subotky, has given us one book for a giveaway.  

Become a follower of this blog and post a comment (one comment letting me know you are a follower/or became a follower and another comment letting me know what you are reading now = two entries).  

For more chances to enter and win....go to Outnumbered 3 to 1 and see all the ways you can enter as well as all the other giveaways.  Best of luck to you all!

Contest closes March 31, 2011 (11:59 pm est) and is only open to US residents.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Top Ten Tuesdays - Books you had to have....but haven't read yet!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here by The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!


This week's topic:

Top Ten Books I Just HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Bookshelf
As Jen puts it.....We all have them. That book that you needed to buy so badly and had every intention of reading it as soon as possible...but they're still on your bookshelf collecting dust or sitting in a pile on the floor.

Well here we go with my top ??  Given you don't have to have ten items ..... I thought it would be okay to have more than 10!  I really do hope to get through these books this year.  Can anyone offer me speed reading lessons or advice?

1.  Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham (the first book was hilarious)
2.  Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo (I have heard such amazing things about this book)
3. The House on Oyster Creek by Heidi Jon Schmidt (what can I say....loved the cover)
4. In Office Hours by Lucky Kellaway (I had to have this when I was in London...paid way to much for it and it sits.....)
5. Portion of the Sea by Christine Lemmon (loved her Sand in My Eyes)
6. Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphiel (salam witch trials)
7.  Secret Lives of Husband & Wives by Josie Brown (who doesn't love smut)
8.  Little Blog on the Prairie (modern day meets Laura Ingalls)
9.  Another Summer by Georgia Bockoven (and I have The Beach House too)
10. The Daughters by Joanna Philbin (have the second one too....The Daughters Break the Rules - who doesn't want to support Regis' daughter?)
11.  Momzilla by Jill Kargman (another book I had to have when in London)
12. Let's meet on Platform 8 by Carole Matthews (Yup....another London book - this is actually Sophia Kinsella writting under another name!)
13.  Neurotica by Sue Margolis (see #7)
14. Rules for a Perfect Life by Niamh Greene (see #11)
15. The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer (love this YA books)
16. Knit one, Kill Two by maggie Sefton (I love to knit and like a good mystery)
17. Casting Spell by Barbara Bretton (see #16 and looked really good)
18. Death by Cashmere and Patterns in the Sand by Sally Goldenbaum (see #16 and LOVED the covers)

Please send the speed reading lessons/advice right away!
Thanks for blogging by!