The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff Pack Review

The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff Package is a new addition to the game that will give your towns a makeover. The new community lots, clothing, and other objects will have you seriously wanting to edit your town as soon as you install this stuff package.


Game Description
With exciting content never seen before in a Stuff Pack, The Sims 3 Town Life Stuff introduces new venues to give your Sims’ entire town a makeover – complete with objects just as perfect for their homes. Build a chic new library, create an exclusive, high-tech gym, design a fun playground, or make chores a pleasure with a fresh new laundry room. The Sims 3 Town Life Stuff not only gives you loads of new inspired design to use at home, but includes new community places, like Scrumptious Nibbles Café, for your Sims to visit too!

FEATURES
• Pre-Built Venues and Lots—Give your Sims’ town a new look with spectacular ready-to-go venues and community lots—or construct your own cool setting.
• Fit and Fresh—Work out with the latest high-tech gym equipment, then clean your sweaty gym clothes in the new state-of-the-art washer and dryer set.
• Time to Unwind—Kids will love the new Sunny Bungalow jungle gym, slide, and sandbox, while grown-ups can play chess by the new fountain.
• Study Time or Story Time—Update the library with an elegant array of accessories, build your own study, or create cubicles with specialized sectional seating.
• New Casual Outfits and Hairstyles—Clothes for running errands, hanging out, or working out—there are lots of styles for all your Sims’ fashion needs.
– The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff Pack


My Thoughts
The Sims 3 is my favorite PC video game. There is so much that you can do with it, and with all of the additions to it that the developers come out with, it really lets you change up your gameplay often. The “Town Life” stuff pack centers on things to do around town, and really allows you to change how things look around the whole neighborhood.

I love fashion, so all of the new clothing that was added for the Sims in this stuff pack really makes me happy.



There wasn’t a huge amount of new clothing and hairstyles added, but what was added is really quite nice, and I’ll be using them often in the game for my Sims. The clothes all have the resort feel to them, even the new athletic clothes. After all, who wants to look bad when going to the gym? Not my Sims!

I also really like adding new items to decorate my Sim’s backyard, especially if they have kids to play on the playground equipment.



If you don’t want the new playground items to take up space in your backyard, there are some amazingly beautiful new playgrounds you can take them to. The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff also added in other new community lots that you can easily place into your town. They did a great job with this!



Overall, I really enjoyed everything that was added with this stuff package. The price for the package is also quite reasonable considered the large amount of new content that was added with it. I highly recommend it to all of my fellow Simmers out there.





* Thank you to the publisher of The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff Pack, Electronic Arts, and Gamers Gate for providing me a digital copy of this game and allowing me to review it. All experiences and opinions expressed are my own.

The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal by Judith Joyce

The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal by Judith Joyce is a go-to guide for those interested in a broad range of paranormal subjects. If this is an area that interests you, this is an excellent book to enjoy on a dark and stormy night.

Book Description

“Stranded motorists on a lonesome road are rescued by angels. The phone rings with a call from beyond the grave. A blood-sucking predator is sighted again in the south of Texas. The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal is your gateway into the world beyond the known. Covering topics from cryptids to psychics, telekinesis to telepathy, this concise handbook will guide you through the eerie, the undeniable, and the strange world of the paranormal.

Once upon a time, events like ghost sightings were commonplace. Parlors were redecorated to accommodate séance rituals, and ghost stories poured from the culture. Psychic occurrences and abilities might have been feared and disliked, but they were accepted as a normal part of life. Today, we are experiencing a resurgence of all things paranormal--in our books, our movies, on the internet, in the way we look at life. Join paranormal investigator and psychic Judith Joyce as she delves into this world with haunting detail and illuminating clarity. Joyce touches on all of the major aspects of paranormal phenomena, and more. Do you have telepathic powers? Can the Ouija board really speak from the Other Side? Use this paranormal primer to find out.” – The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal

My Thoughts

The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal is a well written guide to just about everything you would want to read about on the paranormal. Judith Joyce does an excellent job covering large range of topics to give a broad spectrum of the paranormal field. Nothing is covered too extensively, which works fine for this type of a book. If there is something that really interests you, there are other books available on just that topic that you can read more about the specific subject.

I’ve been reading and researching the paranormal for over ten years, and even I found new topics in this book to read and do further research on. This is a superb book that will hopefully entice you to also want to read more about the subjects that you find interesting. Be careful with that though, because you might want to learn more about everything! I highly recommend this book to everyone curious about the paranormal field too.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal, Weiser Books, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Amulets, Talismans & Magical Jewelry by Barbara Black Koltuv

Amulets, Talismans & Magical Jewelry by Barbara Black Koltuv is a look into the magical use of magical items that people have been using since ancient times. Some of the jewelry you wear right now may even have links to these magical items.

Book Description

“The second commandment of the Old Testament forbids the making of idols to represent God. However, since human beings have always needed a direct and personal connection to the divine, a way is provided in Exodus when God says, "Make a sanctuary for me and I will come to dwell among you." God goes on to give instructions for building the Ark of the Covenant--the first tribal amulet, not yet personal but still representing the presence of God. From there, amulets, talismans, and magical jewelry evolved to provide a personal connection to God.

Koltuv has collected bits of scripture describing amulets and talismans and features pictures of her extensive collection of these protective and magical treasures. It's all here: glass beads for protection against the evil eye; the mezuzah found on door frames; the hamsa, or upraised hand; engraved pendants and tiny boxes containing special prayers; Aron's breastplate; the prayer shawl and teffilin; henna hand and foot painting; and amulets from the Sepher Rezial. As visually fascinating as these objects are, how they came into use is even more so.

Koltuv revives an awareness of how many of the objects we wear and carry with us without a second thought are actually magical bridges between heaven and earth.” – Amulets, Talismans & Magical Jewelry

My Thoughts

Amulets, Talismans & Magical Jewelry is a fully colored book that blends history and mystery together. Not all of the magical jewelry worn by ancient peoples is fully known as of why they wore what they wore. However, they did believe that special amulets, talismans and jewelry could be used to help protect them or attract certain things to them.

This book does a beautiful job of both showcasing these items, and also explaining the known history behind their uses. My favorite part was about the usage of gemstones in ancient times. I knew quite a bit about it before reading this book, but I also learned new things from this one as well.

Overall, if you love history and mystery, this would be a really interesting read for you to immerse yourself in for an afternoon. I recommend it to all those who want to take that journey.

* Thank you to the publisher of Amulets, Talismans & Magical Jewelry, Weiser Books, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Magical Approach by Jane Roberts

The Magical Approach by Jane Roberts is a one of the “Seth” books that she wrote through information gathered by channeling sessions with “Seth.” This book seeks to explain the true nature of reality that most of us don’t realize is there.


Book Description
“The Seth books are world-renowned for comprising one of the most profound bodies of work ever written on the true nature of reality. In this brand new volume of original material, Seth invites us to look at the world through another lens –– a magical one. Seth reveals the true, magical nature of our deepest levels of being, and explains how we have allowed it to become inhibited by our own beliefs and conventional thinking.

The Magical Approach teaches us how to live our lives spontaneously, creatively, and according to our own natural rhythms. It helps us to discover and tune into our natural, instinctive behavior. By applying the principles in this book, readers will learn to trust their impulses and discover the highest expression of their creativity.” – The Magical Approach


My Thoughts
The Magical Approach and the “Seth” books in general, I didn’t know anything about before I read this book. I guess you could say that it was before my “time.” As someone who really enjoys reading “New Age” and “Spiritual” books, I was really excited to see one that also encouraged (and perhaps gave advice) for creative living.

As I said, I hadn’t read anything about how Jane Roberts channeled “Seth” for these books. So, when I started reading it, the background information given about how she channeled “Seth” and her husband took notes during the sessions were really interesting to me.

The actual sessions where “Seth” was speaking for this book were written somewhat oddly, at least in my opinion. The summary or notes after the session were easier for me to read, not to say I didn’t enjoy reading the sessions, it was just written awkwardly, which is I guess how “Seth” speaks.

The overall messages from the sessions are helpful for those on their spiritual journey and I quite enjoyed reading and learning from them. It is highly similar to the “Law of Attraction” and such material that has been popular recently.



* Thank you to the publisher of The Magical Approach, Amber Allen Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Quiznos Coupons

Even though Quiznos has no gluten-free options for their yummy sandwiches, I do remember them and quite liked them back when I didn’t know that I couldn’t eat them. For those of you that can and do eat there, I have four awesome Quiznos coupons you can print out and use.

Coupons included:

- Free Sub of equal or less value with the purchase of any sub and a regular fountain drink
- Free chip or cookie and regular fountain drink with purcahse of regular salad or sub
- 2 Meals for $9.99 - Two small subs, chips/cookies, and regular drinks for $9.99
- $1 Off Regular Sub or $2 Off Large Sub

Coupons only available until Friday! Enjoy!

The Angel Experience by Terry Lynn Taylor

The Angel Experience by Terry Lynn Taylor is a classic book about angels. If you have a genuine interest in angels, and want to learn more about them as well as having them in your life, this is really one of the best books to start your angelic path with.

Book Description

“The Angel Experience invites us into a mystical reality where the angels exist, as they always have, in a timeless realm that intersects with our own everyday world. Terry Lynn Taylor beckons you to walk the angelic path, and to integrate angel consciousness into your daily life.

Writing about her own experiences, Terry shares her tried and true techniques for entering into a more honest relationship with yourself and the angels. Each short chapter offers encouragement for deepening your alliance with the angels, and includes a practice idea that will help you to:

• Cultivate the qualities that elicit angelic response
• See life through the eyes of wonder and awe
• Honor the significance of being human
• Embrace life with a sense of humor
• Live in gratitude and reverence for all living things” – The Angel Experience

My Thoughts

The Angel Experience is a book about angels that also gives many examples and practices that you can use in your own life to have a closer relationship with the angels. Taylor does a beautiful job with writing the book to be easily readable and understandable for the person just starting out on their angelic path. She is also able to keep the interest throughout the book for those that have been on the path for a longer time. Brilliantly done!

The chapters are short but highly focused so you can read one a night or one a week. At the end of the chapter there is a “Practice Idea” where you can work on things in your life to embrace angelic qualities and have a closer relationship with the angels. These practice ideas are my favorite part in the book because through these you are really called into action to explore yourself further and make changes in your life.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and also doing the practice ideas included. I highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in angels and also wants to walk along this path.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Angel Experience, Amber Allen, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Vampires: Encounters with the Undead by David J. Skal

Vampires: Encounters with the Undead by David J. Skal is a large collection of vampire stories that have been collected over two centuries. The commentary by the editor includes additional information about the stories and vampires in general. It really makes you think about the myth and legends behind all of these tales.

Book Description

“The most wide-ranging collection of vampire tales ever features two centuries of spine-tingling writing, from John Polidori to Robert Block, Alexis Tolstoy to Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to Henry Kuttner. Every page of Vampires features a column of commentary by the editor, expanding upon the stories and exploring the evolution of the vampire mystique in folklore, literature, and popular culture. More than 200 beautifully rendered black-and-white images of vintage engravings, film posters, and popular artifacts make this big book the “living end” of vampire fact, fiction, and lore.” – Vampires: Encounters with the Undead

My Thoughts

Vampires: Encounters with the Undead is a well written and compiled anthology of vampire stories. The stories included in this book are the best of the best when it comes to vampire tales. Having them all in one book is handy for late night reading. You could read it all in a weekend, or prolong it into reading one section each night, or at whatever pace you want to enjoy it at.

Aside from the actual vampire tales, I really enjoyed reading the editor’s commentary and information about vampires that he researched. Even if you think you know everything about vampires, there is sure to be information included in the sidebars that you probably didn’t know or haven’t seen before.

If you have a fascination with vampires or just want to take a walk into the nightlife of the vampire lifestyle, this is seriously a must have book for you. I highly recommend it and am quite certain that you would also enjoy it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Vampires: Encounters with the Undead, Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair by Cozy Friedman

Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair by Cozy Friedman is all about hair. If you need some guidance on cutting hair or styling girls’ hair, this is one to definitely check out. It is beautifully illustrated, and fully explains the different techniques so just about everyone can do it.

Book Description

“Styling girls’ hair is easy with advice from the owner of Cozy’s Cuts for Kids.

Little girls love to have pretty hair, and parents and grandparents can spend hours trying to achieve the best styles for their daughters. This book gives an insider’s look at how to make the task trouble-free and fun for both girls and their caretakers.

An expert on hair care—with a chain of children’s hair salons and a nationwide line of hair products for kids—Cozy Friedman shares her years of training to give each girl the best look to fit her style and personality. Starting with a hair identification guide, the book recommends the products, methods, and tools for each hair type from curly to straight. Expert advice includes step-by-step instructions for how to cut hair at home and how to fix bad-hair days. Best of all, there are wonderful styles (with clear directions on how to achieve them) for girls’ everyday hair, dress-up dos, and fantasy looks, and even suggested styles for babies, too.

Chock-full of color photographs, the look-book aspect of Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair will appeal to both girls and their parents. Grown-ups can browse through photographs of more than thirty different hairstyles and choose one that works best for their little girl!” – Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair

My Thoughts

Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair is the perfect book for everyone who needs help with their girls’ hair. Going to the beauty salon for young girls isn’t a fun place to go and can be pricey. Sometimes you don’t really need to go for that expensive haircut or quick fix (for instance if gum is caught in the hair). Not everyone knows how to trim bangs, get that gum out, or any of the other variety of things that can happen to hair. This book gives the answers needed and also helps to explain and show how to do many different hairstyles that girls will love to show off to their friends.

This guide is in full color and is beautifully illustrated to show the different types of hair, hairstyles, and all of the other tips about hair. It is written in an easy to read and understand manner, which makes it very nice to actually try the styles shown in the book. Some are really easy and don’t require more than five minutes. There are also some that will take quite a bit of skill (especially the special braiding techniques), but they can be mastered if you (and the person whose hair you’re working on) has the patience to sit still long enough.

Overall, I found the book to be helpful for those that have children and also for those that don’t. The tips and even some of the hairstyles can be used for all many ages on girls of all ages. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair, Artisan, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Be the People by Carol M. Swain, PhD

Be the People by Carol M. Swain is an analysis of America’s morals and attempts to “reclaim America’s faith and promise.” If you are concerned with the direction that America is headed, this book assures you that you are not alone.

Book Description

“An insightful analysis of the forces of deception rapidly reshaping America's morals, social policies, and culture, with a call to specific action, written by a thoughtful and courageous Christian social scientist on the front lines of today's issues.

Cultural elites in the media, academia, and politics are daily deceiving millions of Americans into passively supporting policies that are detrimental to the nation and their own best interest. Although some Americans can see through the smokescreen, they feel powerless to redirect the forces inside and outside government that radically threaten cherished values and principles.

Drawing on her training in political science and law, Dr. Swain thoughtfully examines the religious significance of the founding of our nation and the deceptions that have infiltrated our daily lives and now threaten traditional families, unborn children, and members of various racial and ethnic groups—as well as national sovereignty itself--and provides action points for the people of this country to make the political system more responsive.

The book is divided into two sections:

Forsaking what we once knew Re-embracing truth and justice in policy choices It also covers key topics such as:

America's shift to moral relativism America's religious roots Abortion's fragile facade Historical and biblical views on families and children Erosion of rule of law, national security, and immigration Racial and ethnic challenges Reclaiming the future.” – Be the People

My Thoughts

Be the People wasn’t written to be politically correct. Actually, it isn’t… at all. That is what I like about it. It may be an offensive book to some, but we do still have the freedom of speech and can say and write what we think.

The issues covered in this book range from racism, immigration, family matters and more. She is also quite critical of the Obama administration. I enjoyed reading that because I am quite anxious to see him voted out of office in the next election.

I didn’t personally agree with everything that Swain included in her book. I did however, think that on those issues that I disagreed with, she was able to articulate it well enough and include relevant information for me to want to continue to read why she believed what she does. Not many authors are able to accomplish that, but she did.

I don’t trust our current government, and I also believe that we are not being told highly important information that we should be told. I highly recommend this book for everyone to read and make their own decisions on important issues in our country.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

MyBlogSpark $25 Sam’s Club Giftcard Giveaway – Winner!

The giveaway I hosted for MyBlogSpark for the $25 Sam’s Club Giftcard with the Box Tops for Education promotion is over. Thank you to everyone who entered into the contest.

I used a randomizer tool to come up with a winner at random, and the winner is… RoseBud3821.

I will contact the winner right now and get information on where to send the prize. If the winner does not contact me back within one week, they will forfeit their prize and I will choose a new winner.

Disclosure: The Sam’s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Serial Slasher of Butts…

Northern Virginia has a serial butt slasher on the loose. It may sound funny, but it is quite true. Apparently this man is going around slashing women on the butt with a razor blade or a knife, while they are shopping.

There have been many incidences of this happening but many women have been too ashamed to come forward or thought that it wasn’t a crime. Some even saw the man who did it and didn’t think that he was the one who did it.

When shopping or out in public I always have my guard up and don’t let people get so close to me that they could slash my ass. If this man were to try to do that to me and actually succeeded, I’d turn around and use that knife or razor blade on his ass… literally!

If I couldn’t grab it, I’d chase after him and call the rent-a-cops in the mall after him. He looks pretty chunky and I doubt he could run that fast. Or, I’d beat him in the head with my purse which on some days weighs the amount of a small baby.

What I really don’t get though is how after these women’s butts were cut they didn’t notice or someone else didn’t notice until they got home. They would be bleeding and their pants or shorts would be cut. Also, how could you see the sicko and not assume that he didn’t just assault your bottom?

Beauty: The New Basics by Rona Berg

Beauty: The New Basics by Rona Berg is the ultimate resource for pretty much everything related to beauty. If you have questions or concerns about something related to beauty, this book has the answers!

Book Description

“Big, ebullient, brimming over with know-how and passion, Beauty by Rona Berg is the only beauty book you'll ever need-a one-size-fits-all, 500-page guide of information, anecdotes and attitude. Illustrated throughout in two-color and featuring a 96-page full-color section, Beauty is filled with step-by-step how-tos, professional techniques, brand and product comparisons, and inside tips gleaned from a pro's pro who's covered the world of beauty for The New York Times Magazine, Elle magazine and other national publications.

The book tackles all three major categories-The Face, Hair, The Body. The emphasis is on simplicity and a healthy, natural approach, and the range cuts across all ethnicities and ages. There are five minute skin regimes, facials, makeup tricks and health tips. How to reduce stress in the bath and pamper yourself with an easy home spa. The long and short of hair care-including what to do on bad hair days. Remedies for beauty emergencies (eyes puffy from fatigue? do what the models do and use a dab of Preparation H). Plus make-overs, recipes, historical lore, stories, time-lines, and an extensive glossary and list of resources. It's a knock-out.” – Beauty: The New Basics

My Thoughts

Beauty: The New Basics is a big book that packs an even larger punch of information. It is both practical and informative for use by everybody that wants to learn about it. It is in color but not full color for the entire book. That is okay though because for most sections it isn’t really necessary.

I learned quite a lot reading through this book and will keep it handy for all of my beauty needs. I really enjoyed the sections on the “10 Steps to Real Beauty” and “When to Splurge” on beauty. Helpful tips are included throughout the book that even pros may not know, so there is really something for everyone with this book!

If you love the beauty section in magazines, this is seriously a book that you have to get! It is highly researched and easy to understand which makes it perfect for flipping through and finding what you need easily. I highly recommend it to everyone who wants help or to know more about anything concerning beauty.

* Thank you to the publisher of Beauty: The New Basics, Workman, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt by Megan Nicolay

Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt by Megan Nicolay is a fantastic go-to book that gives you 108 different ways to reconstruct a t-shirt. Repurposing old shirts gives them a new life and fresh new style. Find some old T-shirts and get inspired with this book!

Book Description

“Make it yours. This inspirational guide with DIY attitude has everything you need to know about the world’s great T-shirt: how to cut it, sew it, deconstruct it, reconstruct it, and best of all, transform it. • Features more than 100 projects (plus 200 variations) for customized tees, tank tops, tube tops, T-skirts—even handbags, a patchwork blanket, iPod cozies, leg warmers, and more. • Not a DIY expert? Not to worry. More than one third of the projects are no sew, meaning anyone who can wield a pair of scissors can put a personal stamp on her wardrobe. But the sewing basics are here too: backstitch and whipstitch, gather and ruche, appliqué and drawstrings. • And the mission statement for Generation T: Ask not what your T-shirt can do for you; ask what you can do for your T-shirt. And then Do-It-Yourself!” – Generation T

My Thoughts

Generation T has 108 projects for different levels of craftiness. If you can’t sew, don’t worry because there are quite a few awesome projects included that doesn’t include a sewing machine at all. The better projects do require more expertise and the ability to sew (with or without a machine).

It gives the basics on reconstructing a t-shirt and also gives you the motivation to want to repurpose old boring t-shirts that don’t fit well or are ripped. Instead of tossing these shirts, give them new life and wear them in a totally different way.

I found quite a few projects in this book that I really want to try out. I don’t have a punk kind of style, so don’t think that you need to wear only punk or Goth clothes for this book to work for you. It gives tons of inspiration and motivation to want to do this for yourself. Overall, I found it to be quite a resourceful book and I highly recommend it to others wanting to update their wardrobe for practically free.

* Thank you to the publisher of Generation T, Workman, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough by Sean Foy, M.A.

The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough by Sean Foy, M.A. is an exercise breakthrough. In it, you learn how to workout for just 10 minutes a day and see results. Sound too good to be true? Read my review and then try it for yourself and find out!

Book Description

“Introducing a breathtaking promise: transform your body and get fit in just 10 minutes a day. Incorporating the latest research in exercise physiology, The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough is an ingenious program of interval, circuit, aerobic, and resistance training that accrues the benefits of hours at the gym in daily 10-minute workouts. And these are workouts that can be done anywhere, any time—home, office, hotel room, the park, and, of course, the local health club.

Created by Sean Foy, an exercise physiologist and behavioral coach, The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough counters the #1 reason people don’t exercise—not enough time—with a scientifically proven, clinically tested 4-3-2-1 program: 4 minutes of high-energy cardio, 3 minutes of resistance, 2 minutes of core, and 1 minute of stretching and deep breathing. The step-by-step illustrated exercises are simplicity itself—air boxing, wall push-ups, chair jogging, stationary high-knee marching—and are presented in three levels geared to the reader’s fitness, with four weeks of routines per level. Their potency lies in the benefits of nonstop movement, thermal effect, intensity, and more: in other words, why it truly takes just 10 carefully crafted minutes to boost metabolic rate, exercise all the major muscle groups, increase cardiovascular endurance, have a positive effect on cholesterol and blood pressure, and deliver a sense of well-being.” – The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough

My Thoughts

The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough is a well-written and illustrated book about being healthy and working out. You do need to do both of these things to be and stay healthy. Sean Foy does a really great job with explaining this and also how working out for several hours may not be the best way to go. He suggests working out in 10 minutes with targeted levels of activity for the workout.

Just 10 minutes! I was a little bit skeptical on this because who works out for only 10 minutes each day and sees results? Well, according to Foy, you can! I gave it a few weeks to try for myself and although I haven’t seen a huge dramatic loss on the scale, I have seen it go down by a few pounds.  Seeing it go down (not up) is always a great sign!

The workouts are easy enough to do for all levels of fitness. You can pick out which ones you want to do for the 10 minutes, and then have that sitting out right in front of you so you can do it without flipping through pages during the workout. The workbook style for this book really works for the format and is quite helpful for planning the workout.

I can’t say that this will help everyone to lose weight, but for me, I think that it is a great tool for success in doing so. I recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough, Workman, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Chemistry Results

The summer semester is finally over for me. I could jump and sing and dance I’m so glad it is over!

I really didn’t want to take Chemistry at all. I took a pre-course to it when I went to UCF and I hated it. I only made a C. It was taught in an auditorium classroom which meant there were around 300 students in my class. Yes, three-hundred. Not a typo!

So, when I realized I had to take a “real” Chemistry course for the B.S. Nursing degree I’m going to enroll in, I wasn’t happy. I dreaded it. I tried keeping a positive attitude about it though and even tried comparing it to “Harry Potter” and the Potions class the students at Hogwarts had to take. Though fun to think about it, it didn’t work.

I had an A average the whole time, but it was a low A. It wasn’t an easy course for me and the tests were insane (150+ questions on each one). So, I was rather concerned about taking the final exam yesterday.

Sure, I studied quite a bit for it and I did prepare for it. I just wasn’t quite sure how I’d do.

So, when I was listening to “Coast 2 Coast AM” I heard one of the guests that was on the show mention praying to Saint Joseph of Cupertino to help with exams. I figured I could give it a try. So I found the prayer, printed it out and said it before the exam.

Did it work?

Yes! Somehow I made an A and that means I also have an A for the final grade! I’m really proud of myself and still in a bit of shock.

Part of the prayer to Saint Joseph of Cupertino requires me to spread the word about it working, so that is what I’m doing now. If you have a big exam you need some saintly help with, give it a try and see if it works for you too!

Let’s Be Twitter Friends

For a long time now I’ve been really holding back on using Twitter for much of anything.

Sure, I used it to promote some of my articles on Bright Hub and occasionally I’d put in a tweet here and there about something interesting. I can see why people probably didn’t want to follow me lol

I am trying to really do better with my tweets and am tweeting much more often. Not just about my articles either. Sure, I would love for everyone to go read them but I know some people don’t play video games and have no desire to read about them. Now I’m tweeting about random stuff, interesting things and what is on my mind at that moment.

I’m getting the hang of it and I would really like to have some more followers and follow some cool people like all of you too. Thanks in advance and I look forward to seeing you on Twitter! Leave a comment here with your @name so I know who to follow back.

Follow @sherinewton

You are Clairvoyant by Belinda Grace

You are Clairvoyant by Belinda Grace is a guide into re-awakening your own clairvoyant senses and powers. Yes, everyone can do this and this book will guide you on a new spiritual path to help you do just that.

Book Description

“Connect with both divine guidance and your inner wisdom by following the simple techniques in this book. You already are clairvoyant—you simply need to learn how to activate this powerful skill and then use it to create greater happiness and fulfillment.

Discover how you can meet and talk to angels and spirit guides for assistance; gain insights into past lives to overcome negative patterns and find healing; conduct psychic conversations to get your point across; and get answers to important questions through automatic writing. Written by clairvoyant healer BelindaGrace, this inspiring guide features true-life stories, easy exercises, and countless ways to use the gift of clairvoyance to transform your life—and yourself.” – You are Clairvoyant

My Thoughts

You are Clairvoyant is a really helpful and encouraging guide book to discovering clairvoyant abilities that you probably never knew you could achieve on your own (with the help of the book of course).

It covers a variety of topics to help give an understanding of working with these senses and also gives detailed guides to help achieve this on your own. I’ve tried a few of the exercises and I’ve had rather good success in doing so. If you want to become more centered, converse with angels or spirit guides, heal past life issues, or more, there are exercises and examples of doing so.

I’m greatly impressed by this book and I highly encourage those interested in this type of spiritual work to use this book to help get you the results you want. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of You are Clairvoyant, Llewellyn, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Solitary Séance by Raymond Buckland

Solitary Séance by Raymond Buckland is a guide to help others communicate with spirits on their own. The various types of communication tools mentioned are just a guide and gives basic information for the main methods used in spirit communication.

Book Description

“Connecting with your departed loved ones doesn't have to mean visiting a medium or taking a specialized course. With the proven techniques in this book, you can contact spirits anytime you wish—easily and safely in your own home.

Bestselling author Raymond Buckland guides you through nearly twenty effective methods for communing with spirit, as taught in his popular workshops. No special knowledge is required. Simply follow the steps for each method to see which one works best for you.

Dreamwork, Table-tipping, Pendulums, Crystal skrying, Automatic writing, Tarot, Runes, Spirit photography, Dominoes, Flame messages” – Solitary Séance

My Thoughts

Solitary Séance is a book about communicating with spirits. Buckland doesn’t believe that you have to go through a medium to do it, and also shares a little secret – everyone can do this!

Each of the types of communication methods discussed is given a basic bare bones type of an intro but that is all that really needed to be included in this book. If someone tries something and they don’t like it or don’t find that type of method useful, they can just move on to the next and try it. If they happen to find a few ways to communicate with spirits that they really like, there are plenty of other books available that they could research that specific topic further.

I’ve read quite a few books that have mentioned all of the methods described in this book with the exception of one. Dominoes. I never knew that it was possible to use Dominoes similar to how Tarot cards are used. Very interesting!

Overall, I found the book to contain quite a good amount of information without going into too much detail in any of the areas. I think that this would be a fantastic book for those who are just starting out in this area to read to help them further their journey into communicating with spirits. If you are like me and have read up on the topic, you may be surprised to find things you didn’t know before too. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Solitary Séance, Llewllyn, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

$25 Sam’s Club Gift Card Giveaway and Box Tops for Education

I love sharing giveaways with my readers and this one is something that we can all really use. A $25 Sam’s Club gift card that can help buy school supplies or whatever else you want to buy in bulk at the store.

The Box Tops for Education is also something that many save to earn cash for their local school. This August Sam’s Club has a promotion where there are 6 Box Tops on a Pack for certain items such as on General Mills brands such as: Honey Nut Cheerios, Nature Valley Oats ‘N Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, Totino’s Pizza Rolls and more. To find out more about the program check out www.boxtops4education.com.

$25 Sam’s Club Gift Card Giveaway:

To win this you must be a public follower of my Blog, so if you aren’t already, follow this blog now. Other than that, just make sure your profile has your e-mail address in it or leave it in the comment for your entry (this is so I can contact the winner).

1 entry – Do you collect Box Tops? What would you use the card for?

1 entry – Follow me on Twitter and post about my giveaway with a link back to this page.

1 entry – Post about the giveaway on Facebook and provide a link back to this page.

Giveaway ends on August 15, 2011.

Disclosure: The Sam’s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

The Soldier’s Wife by Margaret Leroy

The Soldier’s Wife by Margaret Leroy is a captivating novel that is set in a beautiful island that becomes occupied by the Germans during World War II. This is the type of novel that blurs the lines between right and wrong and will have you reading well into the night to see what happens next.

Book Description

“A novel full of grand passion and intensity, The Soldier’s Wife asks “What would you do for your family?” “What should you do for a stranger?” and “What would you do for love?”

As World War II draws closer and closer to Guernsey, Vivienne de la Mare knows that there will be sacrifices to be made. Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law, for whom she cares while her husband is away fighting. What she does not expect is that she will fall in love with one of the enigmatic German soldiers who take up residence in the house next door to her home. As their relationship intensifies, so do the pressures on Vivienne. Food and resources grow scant, and the restrictions placed upon the residents of the island grow with each passing week. Though Vivienne knows the perils of her love affair with Gunther, she believes that she can keep their relationship—and her family—safe. But when she becomes aware of the full brutality of the Occupation, she must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.” – The Soldier’s Wife

My Thoughts

The Soldier’s Wife is a beautifully written novel that is also very intense due to the subject matter. It is a love story based on a very real part of our recent history and showcases some of the horrors of World War II. It isn’t meant to necessarily have a happy ending, and I won’t give away spoilers to it in this review either. This is one that you will have to read on your own (which I do urge everyone to do) to find out what happens.

The main character Vivienne has two daughters that she must care for and an elderly mother-in-law with dementia/Alzheimer’s. Her husband is away fighting in the war and the army that was on the island to protect them has left to fight on the mainland.

The idyllic island town is left with some “islanders” but the majority of people have left to England. What is a mother to do? Stay or leave and take her chances on a small boat and go to England where they could be bombed there as well? Vivienne decides to stay. However, it isn’t long before they are bombed and the Germans occupy their island and impose rules and take over everything from cars to homes.

The life that Vivienne had isn’t the same and as she thinks back to how things were, it wasn’t really as it appeared either. The Germans that moved into the house next to them seem nice enough but when one starts to get friendly, is it right or wrong to be kind back? It is a hard thing to rationalize in wartime and eventually Vivienne does become the lover to Gunther, one of the Germans that lives next to her. Can she really trust him though? Can anybody really trust anyone in times like this?

What happens over the time that the Germans occupy their island changes Vivienne’s world forever. Does she make the right choices? Is there such a thing as “right” and “wrong”?

I absolutely loved this story and it was a tear jerker. It was brilliantly told and I look forward to reading more by Margaret Leroy. I highly recommend this book to everyone to read!

* Thank you to the publisher of The Soldier’s Wife, Voice, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.