book club, reviews

30 Lessons for Loving

30 Lessons for LovingSometimes you read a book that makes you smile, nod in agreement, and wish that you had come across it sooner! 30 Lessons for Loving: Advice from the Wisest Americans on Love, Relationships, and Marriage is one such book.

The author, Karl Pillemer, talks to “the experts” as he calls them to find out what it takes to have long lasting, happy, marriages.

In the book we hear from the oldest and wisest Americans on everything dealing with love. The book starts at the beginning, with great tips about finding the right partner. If you have single friends, give them this book! I wish it had been around when I was single, but luckily I still found a great partner. And if you aren’t single, get this book for the wealth of great information in the following chapters.

The book starts with what to look for in a partner, then moves forward to tips on marriage, and on to growing old together. What I liked was that the advice applies to all married couples, no matter how old or young you are! Why not save yourself the trouble of figuring it out alone, and take the advice of those who have already been there?

Some of the best advice is of course not the easiest to put into practice, but is well worth the effort. Communication, having fun together, and not trying to change each other top the list of keys to a happy marriage. The funniest thing is, while trying to write this post I was put to the test on one of the tips given; pay attention to your spouse and put away the technology! In a fun twist, every time I sat down to my computer to write this, my husband would come in and ask what I was doing and want to chat. I guess that was my pop quiz to see if I had really learned my lessons from the experts.

The book is a great read, and it’s fun to see these spunky elders still making it work and enjoying their marriages. 30 Lessons for Loving: Advice from the Wisest Americans on Love, Relationships, and Marriage should be on every shelf, and re-visited often.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for my review.

healthy living, reviews

Summer is just getting started.

It feels like summer is just getting started. In fact, things are really heating up around our part of the world. Time to get out in a swim suit and enjoy cooling off in the pool. Luckily I was sent a Flex Belt to review, just in time for this part of the year.

Everyone wants a nice tummy, but it’s a hard area to work out. And if you are busy with vacations, work, and daily life, it can be hard to find time to do traditional ab workouts. The Flex Belt fixes part of that problem because you can wear it around while you do your work, all the while letting it contract your muscles and work your abs!

Also, it’s the first EMS (Electric Muscle Stimulation) product of its kind cleared by the FDA as a class II medical device for direct to consumer sales. It’s the real deal! In fact, athletes and celebrities use it too, that’s how good it is.

FlexBelt Celebrities

I will be honest, it feels a little strange at first because your muscles are contracting but you aren’t the one causing them to do it! I could feel it though, and I think that the more I use it the better my muscle tone will be.

The FlexBelt is pretty straight forward, and it comes with everything you need. I liked that it even included a nice pouch to keep it in when not in use. The FlexBelt website also has tips and videos to help you get started.

I’ll have to check in with an update in a few weeks when I have been able to consistently use it, but right now my husband and I are kind of fighting over it! Yes, it’s great for men or women!

Have you ever used a FlexBelt? Isn’t it amazing?

Disclosure: I received a FlexBelt in exchange for my honest review.

book club, healthy living, reviews

The Looneyspoons Collection: Good Food, Good Health, Good Fun!

5ab0cc63c7194b5b857937090275b47aMy husband and I have been trying to be healthier, and of course a big part of that is making sure that our diet includes good for us foods that actually taste good. Easier said than done, right?

Well, I was very excited to get a copy of The Looneyspoons Collection: Good Food, Good Health, Good Fun!, because the title promises healthy, good, and fun, recipes! But it’s not just the recipes that make this book great, there is a lot more to it than meets the eye!

Not only are there full color photos for most of the recipes (I do wish there had been a photo of each recipe), but there are tips and tricks, and information about why certain ingredients are good for you. Each recipe also have calorie and other information included, which I love to see.

The titles of the recipes are all pretty funny, usually a pun or play on words. I liked that the recipes were divided up in clear ways, such as chicken, or vegetarian, and even a section for things that didn’t really have a section. They have made it easy to find too by color coding the pages in each section so you can easily find what you are looking for while you flip through the book.

And yes, even though this is a healthy cook book, there are desserts! This is sure to become a favorite, go to recipe book, in our household.

*Thanks to Hay House for providing a copy of the book for my review. No other compensation was given, and as always my opinions are my own.*

book club, reviews

The Dalai Lama’s Cat

This book can best be described as charming, fun to read, and even a bit enlightening! Told through the perceptive of one very lucky cat, we get a glimpse on what it might be like to live inside the home of the Dali Lama.

‘Oh! How adorable! I didn’t know you had a cat!’ she exclaimed. I am always surprised how many people make this observation. Why should His Holiness not have a cat? ‘If only she could speak,’ continued the actress. ‘I’m sure she’d have such wisdom to share.’ And so the seed was planted . . .

I began to think that perhaps the time had come for me to write a book of my own—a book that would convey some of the wisdom I’ve learned sitting not at the feet of the Dalai Lama but even closer, on his lap. A book that would tell my own tale … how I was rescued from a fate too grisly to contemplate to become the constant companion of a man who is not only one of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate but also a dab hand with a can opener.”

A fun and easy read, it will draw you in with it’s warmth and humor. I loved the lessons that each chapter taught, subtly yes, but there none the less.

From her rescue story to her meetings with dignitaries, this little kitty know how to tell a tale! I found myself wishing it were all true, as I was falling more in love with this sweet cat. Within her story are many founding principles of Buddhism, told in such a way that anyone could easily relate to them. It’s the type of story where you can glean wisdom and be entertained at the same time. It is also a story I am sure to enjoy reading again.

Find The Dalai Lama’s Cat on Amazon or anywhere fine books are sold.

Thank you to Hay House for providing me with a copy free in exchange for my reviewing it.