Raising Great Kids by Chicken Soup for the Soul

**Disclosure: I did receive a copy of this Chicken Soup for the Soul volume to bring you this review. All opinions are 100% my own. No compensation was received for this post.

For some reason this year, it seems like my daughter is taking longer and longer to leave school. As she gets older, she lingers more and more with friends. So, I end up having a bit of time to relax in the car while waiting for her. I bring along a book so I can sneak some reading in. Often, I grab a volume of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Recently, I have brought along Raising Great Kids.

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Dreams and Premonitions: Chicken Soup for the Soul {Book Review}

Winter is the perfect time for catching up on reading. Every year, Chicken Soup for the Soul publishes a new selection of inspiring and motivating stories. My favorite volume each year is the one that focuses on messages from beyond. little whispers that inexplicably guide our actions in ways that change and quite possibly save our lives. So, I was eager to read this year's Dreams and Premonitions. And, yes, it did not disappoint!

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Volunteering & Giving Back by Chicken Soup for the Soul

**Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary book in order to bring this review you to. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

One of the more recent volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Volunteering & Giving Back is equally motivational and inspirational. Additionally, it stands as a testament to the good works being done each and every day that often go unseen. If you are looking for a new passion or a new way to help, this volume is certainly full of plenty of ideas! With the holidays swiftly approaching, many of us began looking for ways to help the world and make life better for others. However, volunteers are needed all year and this volume will show you not only how inspiring volunteering can be but how much it really means those you are helping.

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Liv on Life: Green is Good Book Giveaway {Ends 11/18/15}

Our November is going to be full of giveaways! I am happy to bring you giveaways of some of our favorite things and some things that are new as well! This year, I was glad to be introduced to the new Liv on Life Series by Elizabeth Gorcey. The books are beautiful and carry special messages that speak to kids and adults alike--all from the voice of little Liv! One lucky reader will win their own copy of Liv on Life's most recent volume: Green is Good! If you are curious about Green is Good, take a peek at my earlier review. The gorgeous illustrations, Liv's childhood exuberance and melodic voice really grab you from the start and make for an enjoyable read. The message about eating healthy fruits and vegetables and a foundation about where they come from is something that speaks to kids and parents alike. If you would like to buy some for some gifts, check out the Liv on Life website. A wonderful gift!

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Liv on Life: Going to the Park by Elizabeth Gorcey

 *Disclosure: We received a complimentary book in order to conduct an accurate review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% our own.

How many of us has had a 3-year-old bust out with a statement that is entirely profound and truly something we should listen to? Since she was 3-years-old, Olivia has been providing her mother, Elizabeth Gorcey, with spontaneous words of wisdom lovingly called "Livisms." These "Livisms" have inspired a new children's book series called Liv on Life. Well, the books are called children's books but I am sure that we adults can learn a thing or two from them.

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Touched by an Angel by Chicken Soup for the Soul {Review}

**Disclosure: We received a complimentary copy of Touched by an Angel in order to conduct an accurate review. No compensation was received and all opinions are 100% my own.

Don't you love stories that send a little shiver up your spine--but in a good way? You know, those little moments in life that can't be explained except through an act from the world beyond. Chicken Soup for the Soul's recent Touched by an Angel edition is a volume full of these stories. Each anecdote provides an uplifting message that will leave you comforted with a smile on your face.

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In the Forbidden City {Book Review}

**Disclosure: I receive a complimentary book in order to conduct an accurate review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

My daughter has been taking Mandarin in school for a little over a year. When she started taking French at a younger age, it was easy for me to help her make connections because I speak French as well and have generally a decent knowledge of the country, its history and culture. However, I have not been able to provide the same connection for her with Mandarin. When I first learned about In the Forbidden City put together by the China Institute, I thought that the book would be an excellent way for her to connect with Chinese history and culture.

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Mama Yoga and the Story of Namaste {Book Review}

**Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to conduct an accurate review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

"Wise and loving answers can be found within us if we just get quiet long enough to hear." ~Mama Yoga

Recently, I had the opportunity to read Mama Yoga and the Meaning of Namaste by Susanna Stratford. Over the past summer, my daughter enjoyed a local yoga class for kids. After seeing her inspired by what she learned, I was pretty interested in checking out Mama Yoga and the Meaning of Namaste.

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Add Whimsy to your Labor Day Drinks with Candy Cocktails {Review}

Photo Credit Katherine Good

**Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Candy Cocktails: Fun and Flirty Drinks with a Sugar-Kissed Twist in order to conduct an accurate review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Summer always brings back memories of enjoying cotton candy on the boardwalk, chasing the ice cream truck and licking vibrant pinwheel lollipops at the fair. Labor Day is around the corner and many of us are busy planning some end of summer festivities. Wouldn't it be fun to add a whimsical and sweet candy-inspired cocktail to your line up? Summer is all about indulging in childhood favorites--so adult beverages made from your favorite candy that even taste just like your childhood favorite with a little something extra would be a perfect addition to a summer party!

Pictured: Bubble Gum Mojito; Credit: Steve Legato

Authors Katherine and Flannery Good wanted to put the FUN into cocktails, hence they embarked on a journey to create cocktails that let imaginations run wild. They began with the blog Fashionably Bombed  featuring many of their zany concoctions. The blog is really worth a stop--especially with summer's last hurrah rapidly approaching! I am sure that you will find some candy-cocktail delight to tickle your fancy! Now, Katherine and Flannery have created a bound volume of their creations.

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Now Matter How Far You Travel, You Are Not Far From Home: Home Sweet Home by Chicken Soup for the Soul

**Disclosure: We did receive a complimentary copy of Home Sweet Home for the purpose of conducting a review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% our own.

I am always amazed by how many volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul there are. Then, I read one and realize there are always stories--our stories. We all have so much to share and with that sharing comes the understanding that yes, I have been there. We share comfort in knowing others have thought what we thought or experienced what we have experienced.

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DK Eyewitness Travel Gives You a Walk in Paris {& a Book Giveaway 7/24/14}

Photographs and text reproduced by permission of DK, a division of Penguin Random House from Paris guide book. ©2014 by DK. All rights reserved.

*Disclosure: We received a copy of the Paris Guidebook in order to make an accurate review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Today is Bastille Day, so the perfect day to celebrate all things Parisian! Last year, my family traveled to Paris for the first time and were entirely enchanted by the city--so much so that we hope to return in the next couple of years. Lucky for me, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides reached out to me to introduce their new, revved-up travel guides to you and one of them is for Paris! Ooh la la!

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Review -- How to Quinoa: Life Lessons from My Imaginary Well-Dressed Daughter {&Giveaway 7/10/14}

Image courtesy of Ashley Haag

 **Disclosure: We received a copy of this book for the purpose of conducting an accurate review.  No compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own.

If you have a sense of humor, and appreciate clever skewering of fashion, hipsters, parenting and our image-obsessed culture, then I’ve got a great summer read for you!  How to Quinoa: Life Lessons from My Imaginary Well-Dressed Daughter, written by Tiffany Beveridge, is a clever tome that takes aim at today’s cultural and social trends as observed through the eyes of a fictional preschool diva.

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Moms, Can You Survive Multitasking? Chicken Soup for the Soul has the Guide for You!

**Disclosure: We received a copy of this book for the purpose of conducting an accurate review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

I am always amazed by the shear number of selections that Chicken Soup for the Soul has. Just when I think they quite possibly have a volume for every situation, they come up with a topic I didn't think about. Plus, all of the anecdotes included within really fosters a sense of camaraderie between all of us. One of the latest volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Multitasking Mom's Survival Guide, certainly does not disappoint and packs in enough humor to have you openly chuckling while reading the stories of mothers that have been there.

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