Mailbox Monday: Birthday Books for the Babe

It has been such a busy couple of weeks! The little girl had a great birthday week filled with tons of activities and attention from friends and family. It was lots of fun but I am very tired.

Miss Emma left her birthday party with a basket full of new books to enjoy...

Larry Gets Lost in San Francisco by Michael Mullin and John Skewes

My Very Own Name by Maia Haag
A couple Usborne touchy-feely books,That's not my dinosaur...andThat's not my puppy...
Some board books,Jamberry by Bruce DegenGood Night, Gorilla and Peggy Rathman
and some paperbacks from Scholastic,
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo LionniFiesta Fiasco by Ann Whitford Paul¡Un Viejo Monstruo se Tragó un Gusarapo! by Rebecca, Adrian y Ed EmberleyCinco de Mouse-o by Judy CoxBoom Chicka Rock by John ArchambaultThe Paperboy by Dav Pilkey
What a great haul!
Mailbox Monday is hosted by Amused by Books this month. Go and share what books you got this week!
_________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

September Book Group: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Our second book group meeting was tonight and it was all about happiness. We had food, friends and wine and a little girl to play and laugh with. The hubby is out of town so Emma came to her first book group. :)This months book: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Thoughts about the book: Most of the gals found something to relate to in the book, be it with the thoughts and making your romantic relationships stronger and therefor happier or ideas on how to reduce stress while at work. These most resonated with the group. There was one other gal who agreed with me that the project didn't feel authentic, that it was done for the purpose of writing a book and not to actually increase her happiness in her life. It generated a lot of good discussions
Popular Question:What activity would make you happy now that you loved as a ten year old?This was something that a friend told Gretchen Rubin- what you loved as a 10 year old will make you happy to do now. It was funny, but me and one of my friends had the same activity in mind...coloring books. I love coloring books. One of my most favorite things in the world is a brand new box of 64 Crayola crayons. I need to go and find myself a coloring book!
How would you answer that question?
Next months book:The Shining by Stephen King

_________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Happy Birthday to my little girl

It is hard to believe a year has passed already and today my little girl turns one year old. It has gone by so quickly. She is a joy and I can't wait to see what the second year will bring. At 1, she is mobile-crawling and cruising the furniture. I fear walking is coming soon. She is talking much more- saying "dada", "mama", "ca" and what sounds like "mine". Her personality is silly at times and temperamental at others. We love her dearly.

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Girl!_________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Thoughts on The Happiness Project after 90 pages

So, I am reading The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin this month for my Book Group. It was one of three choices given to us by September's host and was voted by the rest of us as the one to read. It isn't the type of book I would normally read. Most of you probably realize that I almost always only read fiction with a few occasions when I pick up a nonfiction book.   Anyway, the reason I bring this up now, before actually finishing the book, is that there are a few things I wanted to discuss right now. It reminds me a lot of the type of writing and self examination made by Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat Pray Love and Julie Powell in Julie & Julia. All three writers, successful women looking for happiness and/or meaning in their lives but in different ways. One through travel and search for spiritual awakening, the other by cooking her way through a Julia Childs' cookbook and Rubin- trying out different ideas on how to be happy. All three achieved/attempted in a year.
This Project seems a little more planned for a book than an actual search for happiness, but despite that and the millions (yes, I am exaggerating) of quotes on happiness peppered throughout the pages, there are some things I am getting out of it...some good ideas on marriage and parenthood. Things I might actually attempt to keep the bickering down, but really, couldn't I have figured out on my own that nagging is counterproductive to happiness?_________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Book Review: Ada Legend of a Healer by R.A. McDonald

Ada Legend of a Healer by R.A. McDonald
I was completely enthralled with this book. I can't believe I waited so long to read it. 
Ada is a great protagonist - strong, fiesty and smart, plus she has the power of healing. She has grown up in foster homes not knowing who her parents are and just trying to survive the system. Her ability to see illness in people causes others to shy away from her, call her a freak. When she finally is put with her "aunt", she learns their's and her mother's fate- a life on the run from people wanting to take advantage of their gift.
There is a lot to like about this book, the characters, and well thought out story line, the beautiful artwork thats peppered throughout the book. I look forward to reading more especially since this ended with a bit of a cliffhanger.
4.5/5Source: from author for review
For more info on the book and author visit adaslegend.com.
RIP VI Challenge_________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.