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.

Book Review: From Monk to Money Manager

 Jesus may have been poor, but that does not mean that we all have to adhere to living in poverty. Actually, if we have money enough so we do not struggle with financial difficulties every waking hour, it puts us in a position to focus on helping others and doing good.
Using a good sense of humor, we learn about the author's own life and experiences, including mistakes, with money. Growing up in a rich family, then going through a wild phase, before finding peace in his life and with having regular income and some wealth, the authors guides the reader to a healthy relationship with money and wealth.
In the process, the author assures the reader that it is okay as a Christian to want financial independence and achieve it. Having some money and enough of it to stop worrying about living from paycheck to paycheck will enable a Christian to adhere to religious ideals rather than consider them lost due to having sought and attained wealth.

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 solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

book review: Brave Surrender: Let God’s Love Rewrite Your Story by Kim Walker-Smith

Kim Walker Smith is a well known recording artist and worship leader, probably best known for her rendition of How he loves. But her life was not always going in perfect ways. This book describes her struggles in childhood all the way to early adulthood and how she found her ways through God and to God. We learn about her difficult childhood, with divorced parents and due to frequent moves being considered the new kid and never really fitting in. Being a shy kid made it difficult for Kim to fit in, feel like she was one of the crowd and contributed to her withdrawing more. 
Finding a home in religion and God while in college, she gained confidence and now a recording artist that performs in front of large crowds. Trusting in God and believing that Jesus will be on her side, gave Kim the strength to overcome her fears and find a way to showcase her true character. This book is excellent for anyone doubting themselves, struggling in their life and career. If you feel that you need support and do not really find it among your peers, this book will show that trust in God will provide you with a support that allows you to overcome obstacles and fears and allow you to be your true self.

A very inspiring book about an honest person that is now flawless, but provides guidance on how the rest of us can overcome obstacles and how faith can give us the strength to reach our dreams. 

available on amazon.com

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

A Love Letter Life: Pursue Creatively. Date Intentionally. Love Faithfully. by Jeremy & Audrey Roloff

Falling in love is never easy and doing so on TV, watched by millions is even more daunting. But that is what happened to the authors of this book. Jeremy was part of a nationally known TV series and we saw him grow up in front of us. Audrey not only started dating Jeremy, but she also in the process signed up to be on TV on a regular basis. This book details the relationship from the initial dating stage to marriage and how their love and life changed in the process. They are now parents and still have a social media process. But the lessons they tell in the book can be applied to anyone in love and struggling with the decision of sharing their life with someone, the trust that is required and how to effectively communicate with that other person.
The book covers the difficulties of a long distance relationship, how to mature as a couple to the point where marriage is the right decision and the understanding that any relationship to make it work is hard work.
I recommend this book to anyone that is in a relationship, whether they are just dating or have been married for many years. It is always good to read the story of other couples, especially their struggles and how they tackled hiccups in the relationship.

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 solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.