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.