Great STEM book about the solar system for young kids

 I got a chance to review the book Sadie soars into Space.

@zeitgeistpublishing #sponsored #partner penguinrandomhouse

This is a great STEM book for young kids to educate them on the solar system. Combing age-appropriate language with interesting facts about the planets and other components that make up the universe. The images are well drawn and each page include a nice little text that brings the solar system playfully as knowledge to the young reader. While the parent can also expand on the fact that is included related to the planet and explain in more detail that wisdom. The little bubble with the additional fact is advanced knowledge and I would recommend that a parent join the child and explain that fact in more detail and in a way that is appropriate for the child. As an additional fact for the sun or the planets, these facts are fun and add more depths to the book. But I would guess that in many cases, the fact will need additional language and an adult to answer any questions the child may have.

One last benefit of the book, as a female scientist I really appreciate that the protagonist is a girl because women can too! This is great for parents who want to introduce their child to the planets in a fun, but also very educational way.

 

The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not been influenced by any third party. I was given a free book for review purposes.
 

No Dig gardening – perfect way to maximize your garden yield when strtched for time

 

The book “No Dig Gardening” by Richard Bray is a brief and to the point guidebook on how to use no dig gardening to maximize your yield in small spaces and get even not so good soil to yield vegetables and flowers with less work than traditional gardening.

The author does an excellent job of introducing the reader to the newer method of gardening and the book is split up into a logical order of chapters, starting a basic introduction and then covering benefits of no-dig gardening, such as soil improvement, and then providing tips on how to establish and then maintain the garden.

In a little bit over 100 pages, the reader will get a comprehensive overview that should enable the reader to start a no dig garden and reap the benefits of letting the garden improve without tilling and disturbing the soil on a regular basis. The author stresses that soil left alone will improve overtime and even weeds are not an issue if covered by mulch and compost. The soil will improve with earthworms contributing to the better soil and enabling all kinds of plants to grow, even in soil that started off being a relatively poor soil.

Benefits of no dig gardening besides less work involved, include less water needed, less or no need to purchase expensive plant food, fertilizer and overall, thereby reducing the environmental impact of establishing and maintaining your garden.

 

 

Composting and mulch are important in improving the soil and if you dare, you can also increase the presence of earthworm, which also contribute to a better soil. To get the reader started with composting, which is not that difficult to do and helps with reducing waste in landfills, the author has included a nice write up on the various way to compost. Once you are ready to plant, the author has also a nice graphic to show which plants do well if planted together and which combinations should be avoided. In addition to many graphics, one table stood out to me; the author included a table to show in which growth zone which plants are suitable to block weeds or best for erosion controls. The information in one such table is incredibly helpful for any gardener and shows the research the author has done to make this book suitable to a variety of readers. 

Overall, this book is a nice introduction to no dig gardening with many helpful tips but does not overload the novice no dig gardener with too much information. A very helpful book that I can recommend. This book is available on amazon

 

I received a book from the author at no cost. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

An easy to read, concise guide to get you ready for retirement and enjoy it

 

As someone who is now in the mid50s, retirement is definitely something I am planning for and that is on my mind. While I feel blessed to have a job and employer-based health insurance as well as 401K matching, I never take these things for granted and started planning for retirement a long time ago. And that is the number one lesson by experts as well as by the author of this book – prepare early and keep at it.

 

The book “The Retirement Planning Roadmap) is a quick read and meets the goal of the author to be a hands-on guide for people of all ages that want to retire and retire without having to worry about money. The chapters are split up in order of how to approach retirement  and provides lists and bulleted information for an easy read of the most pertinent information. The language is straight forward and to the point, allowing the reader to reread chapters as needed. For example, if you want to reevaluate how much you may need for retirement, you can easily do so and your number may change as you age.

The author also includes a lot of practical information, such as what to do about housing. Is it best to rent or to own? The author provides a useful list of pros and cons for each option. I really like the author’s style in providing that information. The author repeatedly makes it clear that what may be best for her, may not be suitable for others and in presenting options the author sticks to a very non-biased style. Making it clear that there are options and that each reader has to decide what is best for them.

 

The book is organized in 7 chapters, which are summarized briefly below.

Chapter 1 guides you through the general preparation for retirement such as planning.

Chapter 2 is focused on how much you will need, including tips to identify expenses and start a lifestyle of saving now to keep expenses down and ensure a better retirement.

Chapter 3 is focused on saving for retirement. Now that you have expenses identified and start cutting unnecessary spending, the author has additional guidance on how to trim expenses, calculating how much social security may contribute to your retirement and how to be tax-smart in preparation for your golden years.

Chapter 4 preaches the front loading saving habit as an important step towards retirement. How to invest, where to get help and also that retirement does not have to mean the end of earning. The book really shines in educating readers in general on financial literacy and making you smart about money.

 

Chapter 5 switches gears and talks about housing, the options you have and the benefits of each option versus what may not work for some of the readers.

Chapter 6 is focused on retirement, such as what to expect from the big change of having no longer to show up for work each day. There will be some let downs, some concerns, but the author walks the reader through these steps and how to find distractions from when retirement has you down.

The final chapter, chapter 7, ends on a positive note and the author here is focusing on social connections and why they are important. This is something you can also prepare for now, before you retire. For example, identify things that interest you and start being active in these areas, such as meet regularly with friends family to start a habit that can easily be maintained when retirement starts. Personally, I have started attending book clubs focus on areas that interest me. The members in these virtual clubs are people of all ages, several of which are retired; a sign that this activity can easily be maintained after you no longer show up in the office.

Overall, I found this book to be a sound read to prepare me for retirement. As someone who is already preparing for retirement and considers themselves financially literate, this book contained reassuring information and confirmed that I am on the right path. But if you are worried about where to start and what to do, this book will provide a concise guide on next steps. I recommend this book for both novice and experienced retirement thinkers; keep it on hand and check the options from time to time as you struggle with a specific decision or what step to take next. 

The book is available on Amazon. 

 

Disclaimer: I got this book for free from the author in exchange for a review. The opinion expressed in the review are my own and have not been influenced by the author or any other party.

Need cheap, but fun date on a Sunday? Try a Williams-Sonoma class and improve your culinary skills in the process

Inflation may be stabilized, but prices are still much higher than I am comfortable with. So what is available for fun that does not break the bank? Williams Sonoma is a fancy kitchen store that I usually only go to if I have a gift certificate or need a once a year reward. But besides window shopping and salivating at their fancy baking mixes, fully automated espresso machines and high end pots & pans, there is another free offering that helps you have fun, is perfectly suitable for couples and may even help you utilize your fancy cooking equipment more efficiently. But best of all, you can improve your culinary siills in the process and maybe even get some ideas for tasty home-cooked meals.

Williams Sonoma has regular cooking technique classes that are offered on a weekly basis for most of the year. Covering a variety of topics, you learn something useful and also may get to sample some treats. Currently the February skills series is dedicated to KitchenAid mixers. Past classes have covered Vitamix, knife skills and recipes optimized by Smitten Kitchen, a selection of recipes that can be easily done in a compact kitchen. 

For the Durham Williams Sonoma store, the sign up for the skills classes is at Registration

Outside of Durham NC, just follow this link to the skills classes and select your closest store. 

This is a great book to make your life extraordinary by daring to achieve your goals

I found an immediate connection with this book and realized halfway through the book what I deemed my crazy time, was just following a life that I wanted to live and having the courage to pursue it. I left home at 18 and moved to another continent without knowing anyone there. I realize looking back that I was taking on an adventure because I knew that my life prior to that stage was not fulfilling and likely would not allow me to do what I wanted to do with my life. I have several times after that point made changes in my life that some people have considered risky, but never regretted these changes or the decision to risk something to have the chance at a life that I wanted to live. So when the author talks about that everyone can learn how to have courage and make changes to have  a more fulfilling life, she is speaking to me. My life was not crazy, it did not involve taking risks that were unnecessary. Yes it took courage to make these changes, but the life I was seeking was something that I knew was a better fit for me and make me happier by allowing to have an impact and use my abilities to the fullest extent. If you are looking for a book that will help you to live your dream, use your abilities in a more impactful way and be happy, this book is definitely for you. That does not mean that your new life or your path to it will be a balancing act at the edge of a crater, but it does mean that your comfort zone may be expanded or even left behind, at least for a short time. On the other side, you will discover what you are truly capable of doing and be happier for it. 

Click here to order the book from amazon.com

To find out more about the author, visit her website and to see other books from the publisher click here.

Product Review - Mucinex Nighshift for cold and flu symptoms

available online and locally in most pharmacies - #freesample #ad

I received the new Mucinex Nighshift product for cold and flu symptoms just in time for my first seasonal cold. With NC finally experiencing fall and now also plenty of rain to make up for months of drought, of course my cold came and said hello, missed me yet? I was already dreading the exhaustion that comes with a cold since I have to work extra hard to stay  focused during the day and also now suffer from sleep deprivation. But Mucinex helped with the cold issues as most Mucinex products have routinely done, but with the Nighshift line, I also got a better sleep. This allowed me to be rested despite the cold and actually be productive during the day and not dread going to work in the morning. So this weekend came and I was ready to actually do things rather than catch up on sleep as was usually the case when I had a cold that interfered with my sleep.
So if you have frequent cold and also are concerned about lack of sleep, I recommend that you give Mucinex Nighshift a try to see if it, just like it did for me, helps you with getting a good sleep at night and lets you wake up in the morning ready to start the day!


Disclaimer: I received a free product to sample and for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are solely my own and have not been influenced by any third party.

Book Review: Behind the Laughter by A. Griffith and B. Travis-Griffin

We are surprised when comedians like Robin Williams commit suicide because they always laugh and make jokes. This book tells the story of a comedian who is telling jokes to his audience while living a personal nightmare - his child is dying from cancer.
While the book has plenty of humor in it, the book and author cannot and do not try to hide that the nightly laughter is in many cases just a facade that hides a person with problems like everyone else. And while the rest of us can sit in our cubicle and have a sour face, a comedian is supposed to be funny and entertaining all the time. This book shows the reader how the author and his wife overcame the tragedy and continue to live and find laughter again.
This book is recommended to people who also face tragedies in their lives and feel that there no positive end. This book will provide insight into how this couple managed to overcome tragedy and find happiness again as well as how they leaned on each other, their religion and in the end found happiness and laughter again.

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed in this post is my own and has not been influenced by any third parties.