Book Review = Self-Guided Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy for OCD by Natalia Aíza

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

OCD can be very debilitating. I have mild tendencies towards OCD, but have seen in my own family how impactful OCD can be in preventing family members from leading happy and independent lives. 

 This book provides one avenue to prevent OCD from becoming an all-consuming aspect of life by introducing the reader to ERP therapy, which stands for Exposure and response prevention therapy. This is not a new approach, but has been studied for decades. This therapy centers on the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps the OCD sufferer to face the fears through mindful challenges. The approach is intended to turn moments of anxiety into opportunities to exhibit calm and confident behavior. What was cause for failure before, can now be seen as a success to be celebrated.  

Long-term the hope to enable OCD sufferers to lead healthy and happy lives by introducing ERP therapy into an approach that reduces moments of anxiety and turns them into episodes that show the person how far they have come and that this challenge can be handled. 

The author introduces as an introduction the reader to the ability to map their OCD cycle, design exposure plans, and guide the rader through every stage of recovery.  One important aspect of the healing process is self-compassion to boost recovery. The reader will learn to replace self-criticism with patience and empathy; increasing the ability to overcome setbacks with kindness.

I really liked this book and support any therapy that is enabling the sufferer by introducing positive feelings instead of punishing the patient or stigmatizing the patient further. The positive reinforcement makes it easier to continue to the therapy and empowers the reader to not give up, but count the little wins as important steps to focus on and be encouraged to continue on the healing journey. 

 

available on amazon

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

 

 

Book Review = Strength Training for Longevity: Simple Workouts for a Lifetime of Health and Mobility by Matt Schifferle

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

As our bodies age, we still need to ensure a certain level of strength. This type of strength training is known to help prevent issues such as muscle loss in seniors and also improve our general well being. This book contains exercises that help with issues specific to ageing such as bone health, balance and overall well being. As with most exercise regimens, we start off at different levels, so this book can easily be customized to your level of ability, fitness and what your priorities are. The variety of exercises and the limited set of equipment needed, allow you to do the exercises at home or in most any basic gym, such as when traveling and staying in a hotel. This ensure a consistent exercise regime that is so important for results. 

The exercises included in this book are not geared to give you a bikini body, but to allow you to function and live independently into old age. There are clear functional benefits with these exercises and as you go about your daily routine, you will notice that certain chores are now becoming easier. I really appreciated the focus on balance because so many seniors suffer from the long term effects of falls around the house. So improving balance and hopefully preventing falls is one key aspect this book focuses on and this to me is so important in ensuring independent living by seniors. 

I liked this book because I felt it empowered me to work on my priorities and slowly build up strength that showed me I was improving. This really helped to keep my going and made me excited to exercise consistently. 

available on amazon

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

Book Review = Follow the Money: A Fun Financial Literacy Game for Kids by Alaina Trivax

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

This game is intended for kids aged 8 to 12, which in my opinion is a good age to introduce the concept of money and savings to kids. This was the age I received an allowance for the first time and my mom was really good at showing me how much fin it was to save some of the allowance in my piggy bank and then deposit it in my own savings account at a local bank. She managed to making savings fun and doing banking "business" just being part of regular life. 

This game is intending to make kids interested in money and savings nad teaching healthy financial habits in the process. it is so important that kids develop financial skills before leaving the home to ensure that they make informed choices even without a parent around. This game will help parents who don’t feel comfortable teaching finances to their child with guidance and to make talk about money fun for kids.

Lessons are in an easy to understand format with real examples that show life for everyday people. From budgeting to setting priorities when making purchases and teaching concepts like debt and savings, this book covers the basics of financial literacy. 

In this game, kids can be in charge and since it is play money, they learn consequences of their actions without actually putting money at risk, Important lessons are learned by the kids early on and the parents can also determine, which areas the kids need the most help with. Even though the most relevant financial terms are covered, the parents do not need to worry about confusing kids because the authors have included a glossary that explains the terms and concepts in age-appropriate terms. 

I very much support teaching kids about finances and money early on and this game does so in an entertaining manner that allows the parents to see their kids grow up and ready to leave the home without worrying about kids getting into debt. 

available on amazon

 

 This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

 

 

Book Review = Wall Pilates Exercise Cards: Step-by-Step Workouts for Strength and Stability by Alli Cavanagh and Kate Francis

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

I started doing Pilates when I was sick with a serious respiratory infections years ago and despite recovering, I was left weak and unable to walk eve3n short distances. Pilates allowed me to quickly build up strength, even though the first few weeks were leaving me sitting down multiple times during each trainer-led session.  

These cards have the benefit that you can do them on your own, at your schedule and without any equipment needed other than a wall to work with. The deck contains 75 exercises that range from simple to more difficult and focus on strength, stability or flexibility. Therefore the use of the deck can lead to a very customized workout to fit your specific needs, priorities and abilities. 

Pilates is low impact, but highly effective. So I recommend to start off slow and focus on your priorities. It is okay, like I did when I started my recovery journey, to sit down more often and scale back the difficulty level. The important thing is to stick with the exercises and soon you will feel better and see the impact of the consistent exercises.  

If you can, I would try to do short daily sessions, focused on the different body parts like core or shoulders and then as you feel comfortable extend time or difficulty to take your exercise to a more challenging level. 

I really enjoy pilates and these cards are awesome because I can now fit in exercises into my schedule and focus on areas that are important to me. Currently, since I am sitting a lot at work, I focus on core to make sure I prevent future issues with lower back pain.  

 This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

 

 

Book Review = Everyday Nervous System Regulation: Simple Exercises to Reset & Recenter by Melissa Romano

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

 I got into mindful exercises through my workplace because my employer offers free mindful exercises online. So this book peaked my interest because it promises exercises to calm you down and in the long run improve your wellbeing. Especially if you have a busy schedule and seem to be torn in multiple directions, these exercises can help you achieve a calmer state and improve your overall state of mind. 

The book describes a number of exercises and the best part is, the exercises can be completed at any fitness level and no special equipment is needed. Although since some of the exercises have a voice component it helps to be find a room to yourself to complete them. You do not want to start growling in the presence of your colleagues. But this is really the only limitation I can think of. 

The exercises are brief, can be completed during a quick break in the schedule and the author has done an outstanding job of pointing out which exercises fit which current state of mind.  There is even an Emergency Toolkit that includes 10 quick resets, in case stress seems overwhelming and relief is needed quickly. 

To bring relief over time and achieve a consistent improvement in your state of mind, the author has conceived 7 and 30 day plans. 

I found this book to be a nice addition to the mindful exercises at work and we all have weeks where stress is just overwhelming us. This book is for those weeks and if that state seems constant, I encourage the reader to stick to one of the plans outlined in the book. I participate in the regular mindful exercises and that helps me to keep stress at bay. So I only use these exercises when stress seems high, which is rare these days due to the mindful exercise schedule. But I found the exercises listed here to be perfect to regain a calm state of mind and de-stress quickly. 

 

available on amazon

 This review reflects my honest opinion. I was provided a free book in exchange for a review. 

Review = Fun with 50 States Card Game: Learn Capitals, Nicknames, and More about the United States! by Zeitgeist

#partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

 Geography knowledge of the US should be common knowledge, but often is not taught sufficiently or effectively in school. So I enjoy playing with my grandkids and instill in them knowledge about the US, both history and geography. This card game in a playful fashion teaches kids about the 50 states and basic facts about US geography. 

 This card game has basic facts about the states such capitals, abbreviation and nicknames. Facts that will be helepful later in life, if for nothing else than playing along with Jeopardy. The card game is a go-fish style game and depending on the number of decks involved, the game will become more challenging and so you can adjust as your kids gets older the level of difficulty. 

Most importantly, this is the perfect game for a rainy day and to keep the kids off the screen and make learning fun. I like to have a geography book on the side so that if there are questions I cannot answer or we want more information about, we can look things up in a book - we are trying to minimize screen time and suggest to the kids that books are still useful and also enjoyable. 

I really enjoyed playing this game with the grandkids and also feel that this approach is great to supplement what is taught in school.  I was surprised to learn that one of my grandkids thought geography was boring and so I have been focusing on making geography learning fun for them because I always enjoyed learning about other countries or other US states and reading maps. 

available on amazon

This review is reflecting my honest opinion. I was provided a free book / game in exchange for this review. 

Book Review = Practical Guide to Toddler Parenting: Trusted Strategies for Busy Parents to Raise Kind and Confident Kids by Zoe Chiel

#partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

This book provides expert-tested guidance on how to raise and care for toddlers without needing to resort to screaming or shouting that is exhausting to both kids and parents.  

Toddlers can be difficult to handle. As someone that has done daycare for years, I can attest that toddler years can be frustrating to both kids and adults. Toddlers are testing boundaries and parents are surprised by the willpower exhibited by these little humans

Parenting expert Zoe Chiel, a licensed psychologist and mother of three, addresses in this book the changes happening that often lead to meltdowns and power struggles. The author draws on both clinical expertise and real-life experience and in this book offers compassionate, practical tools to help busy parents experiencing joy with their toddler rather than despair.

The resulting book teaches parents how to balance pair warmth and connection with clear, consistent boundaries.The main lessons of this book are:

• advice on how to set realistic, developmentally appropriate expectations
• provide useful strategies and scripts that allow clear communication leading to positive behavior change
• guide to parenting approaches for common issues such as toddlers testing boundaries or throw tantrums
• list sample solutions for everyday challenges like picky eating and bedtime battles

Overall, a very useful and very practical book by an experienced expert in toddler education. The book is an easy to apply guide and allows the parent to go back and easily reread specific sections and find quick solutions to try for the most common toddler issues.  

available on amazon.com

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

 

 

Book review = Investing for Tweens - Learn Essential Financial Skills to Achieve Your Money Goals by Jamie Bosse

#partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

This book makes these big financial topics simple, exciting, and achievable. Your kid will learn to approach money not just as numbers but also as a set of skills they can master. 
This book explains the following concepts in a way that kids will understand:

• What is money and wealth and how to invest
• teach basic financial skills such as investing, saving and budgeting 
• moves on to more complex topics such as compound interest and still make then understandable to kids
• has throughout the book fun activities that can be done in parallel to reading and learning from the book
• covers relevant financial news of the day and such topics as cryptocurrency 

 Not every kids may grow up to be a big business leader or millionaire, but financial education has never hurt anyone and early teenage years are bot too early to teach about finance and investing. 

 

available on amazon.com

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

Book review = Would you rather? Summer Fun Box Set

 

#partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

 

This is the perfect summer set - containing three editions of the though-provoking would you rather game for kids. The titles included are

•  Summer Edition
• Animals Edition
• Made You Think

These books are perfect during long drives or on rainy days when you want to keep kids engaged away from screens. They are fun, educational and time will go by without the kids being bored. Parents feel good about having fun with kids and not running out of ideas. 

available on amazon.com

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

Review = Chair Yoga Deck: 75 Simple Poses for Improved Strength, Mobility, and Flexibility Chair Yoga Deck by Devi Daly and Kate Francis

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

I love doing yoga. I have been doing yoga regularly for about 3 years and tend to do it with guidance through a program at work. But these cards allow me to develop my own routine without having to rely on guidance from others , well the guidance is by the author of this card set. 

This card set can now enable me to have the benefits of yoga everyday and I can do it from the comfort of my home and my office chair. 

The Chair Yoga Deck makes movement accessible to everyone, not matter how fit or experienced you are. The 75 step-by-step poses, one for each card, are organized by difficulty. Each  card has an illustrated pose and sequence that can be practiced at the reader's desk. This deck is ideal for seniors, those recovering from injury, or anyone looking to add more movement into a busy desk job. 

With routines that gently challenge the reader, the set over time allows for strength, flexibility, and balance to improve.

I highly recommend this card set to anyone who wants to try out yoga, but has difficulty fitting a regular class into their schedule. If you are traveling a lot or you have a busy and irregular schedule at home, this set is perfect to still enable you to pursue yoga and improve your health. 

available on amazon.com

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.    

Book Review = Life After Pet Loss: Daily Reflections for Working Through Grief by Judith Eve Rosen LCSW

 

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

 I have been there; I have been there several times and it is never easy and time does make it hurt less, but you never forget and you are never the same again. 

This book is for the pet lover that suffered a pet loss and is a compassionate guide to navigating the recovery from losing a pet, written as a daily workbook to guide you through the painful journey. 

The author is a licensed psychotherapist with a specialty in veterinary social work and the book is a year-long guide with daily reflections to deal with the loss of any animal. It is one book, but in reality grief is unique for each person and changes as we progress through the journey. This book aims to guide the reader through the journey at their own pace and does not prescribe how to grief, but acknowledges that we all need comfort and not judgment.

 The book contains:

• Short, daily reflections.
• Practical suggestions to honor the pet’s memory.
• Affirmations and quotes that recognize the connection between pet and human.
• An agnostic approach that aims to help every pet owner, no matter what their background may be.

I find that this book is a helpful companion to guide pet owners through the grief journey.  

available at amazon.com

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.    

Book Review: Self-Guided Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy for OCD: A Compassionate Workbook for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Paperback by Natalia Aíza

  #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

First off a few terms that may need explanation - 

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 

Exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) and ERP as a treatment is based on CBP

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) 

Self-Guided ERP Therapy for OCD was created by an OCD specialist who has lived with the condition herself. If you have OCD, but are new to ERP, this workbook is for adults and aims at making people afflicted by OCD help understand their symptoms, face fears safely, and build the resilience to manage OCD long-term. 

It is important to know that ERP has been around for decades and has a proven trackrecord of helping cope with OCD. And most importantly, ERP is proven to work, even when practiced in private.

available on amazon.com

 The book is roughly partitioned into these subjects:

• This book is a self-guided version of ERP for beginners. Using author tested evidence-based strategies to trigger fears and resist compulsions effectively without needing third party help.
  

• CBT-based tools and step-by-step exercises provided by the author allow the reader to map. the OCD cycle and guide the reader through recovery.
  

• The author uses her therapy skills to build distress tolerance, emotional awareness, and cognitive flexibility to allow progress. 
  

• Rather than teach and admonish, the author focuses on empathy and stresses self-compassion to boost recovery success. 
  

• The author is an expert in the field and provides super helpful guidance throughout the book.  
  

Focused on empathy and backed by science, the author shows that ERP doesn’t have to be harsh or intimidating.

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.   

Review = The Ultimate Maze Challenge!: 175 Mind-Bending Mazes for Kids (Hours of Fun, Screen-Free Activities)

 

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

If you have a child or grandkid that is find of maze puzzles or it is something you enjoy, this book is a great gift. Not only does oit have a large variety of puzzles in maze form to offer, but they even includes puzzles that involve math. Overall, I found this book to be definitely appropriate for the age group.

Maze are a fun puzzle type because they can be done quickly during a break and teach kids to be busy on their own without requiring an adult to entertain them. I personally was surprised by the variety of Maze puzzles that were included and I love to do them. But even I found some new varieties in here like the one requiring math to solve the Maze. 

available on amazon.com

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

Review = Training for a Healthy Life: A Daily Food and Fitness Journal by Zeitgeist Wellness

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

This book is all about consistency and persistent behavior. It provides a simple planner for daily entries to monitor food intake, weight and exercise routine. It also has spots for wellness  aspects such as water intake and sleep. 

It is an easy back to basic approach to training and wellness. The one concern I have is that people should obsess about weight too much in their fitness journey. Especially if you start using weights, the muscle gain may actually lead to increases in weight. So clothing size is a better measure or best off all, go with how you feel. For that reason I wish the wellness aspects would be a little bit more comprehensive than just how much water you drink or how much sleep you are getting.  

 

available on amazon.com

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.