Book Review: It’s Just Better...in a Bowl! By Debra Abeling

It’s Just Better...in a Bowl!

By Debra Abeling

This book is great!  It’s Just Better...in a Bowl! is loaded with healthy, appetizing recipes that are - you guessed it - served in a bowl.

Debra Abeling, the author, suggests that serving food in bowls helps with portion control, temperature control, and mess control. You won’t be chasing that carrot all over the place if you use a bowl instead of a plate. :)

Debra gives lists of the following:

Ideas for meal prepping

Substitutions for various ingredients

Which foods are in season when

Which produce is typically high in chemical pesticide residue and which isn’t

Essential kitchen tools

And a host of other helpful information!

It’s Just better... in a Bowl! is a well-written, easy-to-follow book full of ideas and recipes to help one in his or her quest for a healthier diet. This book earns 5 stars.

Warning: Reading through these recipes will make you hungry! We can’t wait to try Oven-Baked Stuffed French Toast Bowl!

Hop over to Amazon and get your own copy today so that you can drool over this recipe(pg 29) and many more as you start eating your way to a healthier life!

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: How I Got Here: A Memoir By Ceil Lucas

How I Got Here: A Memoir

By Ceil Lucas

 

How I Got Here: A Memoir is a memoir of the life of Ceil Lucas, an Arizona native who spent most of her childhood in countries other than the United States. It gives us a glimpse into her childhood in Guatemala and Italy, but also the depths of her family’s history here in the United States.

Though I have never left the United States, I could connect to Ceil on several occasions. Like my own family, Ceil’s family was living in what would become the US long before it became the US. Her people lived out their dashes in the same areas as our people did.

She talks of things that were going on in the world at the time, and specifically the US, of which the school children were not aware. She shares snippets of moments with her parents, interactions with others, going between countries and languages, and some of the confusing and funny moments that occurred due to her multicultural upbringing. She expresses her lack of motivation in the realm of religion as well.

Though it started off slowly for me, I ended up enjoying the book very much. I especially enjoyed the apricot tree story. In my life, it was a forsythia bush. You’ll have to read it to understand why this made me smile and wince at the same time.

There are minimal uses of profanity and no graphic intimacy scenes. It is a very well-written and interesting story. I give How I Got Here: A Memoir 5 stars.

I think that, if you love history and learning the stories of other families as I do, you will enjoy this book, too.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

 


Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Product Review: 7 PCS Dog Toys Set

7 PCS Dog Toys Set,for Small & Medium & Large Dogs and Puppies, Includes Ball, Cotton Rope Toy, Chew Squeaky Toys and Training Toy

Sold by: Ieva Mall

We got this 7 Piece set of dog toys for our grand-dogger. Petra. She loves it.  The only problem is the hamburger toy is a little bit too large for her small mouth. Everything else is fine.

Petra could tear up an anvil with a rubber hammer.  She is rough on toys. She seems to love the chicken leg.  

We think these toys will give her lots of enjoyment.  We give it all five stars. It is an excellent set of toys.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Product Review: Dr. Plotka’s Mouthwatchers Toothbrush

Dr. Plotka’s Mouthwatchers Toothbrush

We were sent three samples of Dr. Plotka’s Mouthwatchers Toothbrush to try in order to see how we liked them. Before we tried them, our thoughts were, “A toothbrush is a toothbrush.” This isn’t entirely true.

 

We tried them and found them to be an excellent tool for cleaning our teeth. The bristles really get between the teeth well and make for a great cleaning aid.

We give Dr. Plotka’s Mouthwatchers Toothbrush all five stars and think you will, too.

We were sent 3 complimentary samples of this product.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: The Business Sergeant’s Field Manual: Military Grade Business Execution Without the Yelling and Push-ups By Chris Hallberg

The Business Sergeant’s Field Manual: Military Grade Business Execution Without the Yelling and Push-ups

By Chris Hallberg

Finally someone came up with a business process that will actually work in the real world! Chris Hallberg is a former US Army MP and Prison Guard with 9 years military experience.

Hallberg takes the military, no-nonsense approach to managing business and business growth.  This is a refreshing approach.  We have seen so-called business experts come into companies thinking they can turn the company around by putting posters on the wall and giving away pins and tote bags with catchy slogans on them.

The real world doesn’t work that way.  No matter what the company’s problem is, it can’t be solved simply by taking a ropes course or going river rafting.

It takes the no-nonsense approach, where people are actually held accountable and must have the numbers to show the results they are getting. You’ve got to have a proven system that is simple to understand and follow.

The Business Sergeant’s Field Manual is very well-written.  The book is very readable and easy to follow.

We give The Business Sergeant’s Field Manual all five stars. We think it would make a great read for anyone in business, especially if you are the head of your organization.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: Beach Detective Woman Overboard By Fred Fuld III

Beach Detective Woman Overboard

By Fred Fuld III

Beach Detective: Woman Overboard is a fast read. The story moves at a fairly rapid pace and the reader’s interest is held throughout the book.  

The characters are believable and interesting. We think it makes a good read and moves well.

Fuld, the author, did an excellent job making his readers feel like they actually knew the characters.  Who doesn’t remember those awkward times at high school when boys and girls come together in social setting?

Our hero is hired to find a missing girl, a girl he once knew from high school.  

Throw in a mystery body and an additional client who won’t take no for an answer, and you have an interesting recipe for a mystery.

We think you will enjoy Beach Detective Woman Overboard by Fred Fuld III.  We give it all five stars.  We think Fuld makes an excellent mystery writer.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: Edward Built A Rocketship by Michael Rack and Illustrated By Graham Ross

Edward Built A Rocketship by Michael Rack and Illustrated

By Graham Ross

If you like children’s books that rhyme, and we do, you will love Edward Built A Rocketship by Michael Rack and illustrated by Graham Ross.

This is a delightful story about an imaginary trip a young boy takes to outer space. The illustrations are great and funny.

Edward Built A Rocketship will hold your child’s attention when it comes time for that bedtime story.  We give it all five stars. This would make a great Christmas present for the children on your list.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: Lily Wool by Paula Vásquez

Lily Wool 

By Paula Vásquez

If your young‘un is always asking for a story, you will want to put Lily Wool in the lineup.  This is such an adorable story that adults will be glad to read it over and over again.

Not only is it a great story on its own, it provides a wonderful message to the imaginative child. The story is well-written and the illustrations are just downright cute, as we say in the South.

Lily Wool will make a great gift for any young child on your Christmas list.  You will find yourself hoping that this is the book your child chooses from the stack of children’s books when it is story time. We give it all five stars and know you will love it.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: 10 Financial Mistakes You Should Avoid by Stephen S. K. Ng

10 Financial Mistakes You Should Avoid by Stephen S. K. Ng

We really wish this book had been written back when we were first embarking on our adult life. In his book, 10 Financial Mistakes You Should Avoid, Stephen S. K. Ng shares financial mistakes that are all too common.

The problem is reaching people while they are still  young enough to take maximum advantage of all the advice this author has to give.

Years ago, our income took a major blow when we found out that David was rapidly becoming legally blind.  His employer no longer wanted him because he would be too costly to accommodate. They had been seeking ways to get rid of him since it was a small company and he was too expensive to cover with the group insurance.

Had we had this book back then, and any disposable income at all, we could have lessened the impact.

Even better is that the author is a Christian and he is unashamed of that fact.  As we know, God wants His people to be frugal and plan ahead.  

We give 10 Financial Mistakes You Should Avoid by Stephen S. K. Ng all five stars.  We appreciate the sound financial advice given by a born-again Christian.

Perhaps reading this book will help you, or someone you love, avoid those common financial mistakes and help with an easier retirement.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career by Tim Cole

The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career by Tim Cole

Have you ever wished you could go back and talk to your younger self and tell yourself the right thing to do in situations that were new to your younger self?

Well, since Tim Cole can’t do that, he wrote The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career as the next best thing.

Cole mentors those younger than himself on how to survive the corporate world. He explains leadership and management and the difference between the two.

He gives a host of great books to read to help younger people navigate the corporate world they are woefully unprepared for after college.

This is the type of book we wish had been available when we were first starting out in the world.  This would have come in handy back when we were wet behind the ears.

Cole managed to survive employment with the the same company for over thirty years.  Part of this was dumb luck.  Part of it, though, was very astute planning and learning from past mistakes.

Cole provides very sage advice and a dose of common sense which is not so common these days.  This would make a great gift for a soon-to-be college graduate. 

The Compass Solution is a great read.  We give it all five stars.  The advice in this book could be very helpful for anyone who is first entering a career.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Product Review: Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Pest Control for Insects, Mice, Roaches, Bugs, Fleas, Mosquitoes by ShiMing

Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Pest Control for Insects, Mice, Roaches, Bugs, Fleas, Mosquitoes by ShiMing

ShiMing, the seller of the Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Pest Control for Insects, Mice, Roaches, Bugs, Fleas, Mosquitoes could not have picked a better time or place to test out their product than Gulf Coast Texas immediately after Hurricane Harvey.

Right now, every undesired critter you can imagine is displaced from its usual home.  All of these critters are making it into homes along the Gulf Coast.  And, we have never seen the mosquitos as bad as they are right now.  

ShiMing offered us a discount on this product so we could test it under the most extreme conditions that could be found on this planet.  

We have tried this out in several rooms and it has worked flawlessly in each one.  In the past, we have tried other ultrasonic critter repellents but they created problems for those of us with very sensitive hearing.  This one does not cause that problem.

This thing works great! It has substantially reduced the mosquito population in the room where we put it.  This is amazing considering how many were stirred up by the rains in our area.

We will be buying about a dozen more of these things.  Here on the coast they will make a great Christmas gift.  And, yes, we still have mosquitos around here in what some would call winter when our temperatures drop down to around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, those frigid temperatures only last about three days here on the Texas Gulf Coast.

We purchased the Ultrasonic Pest Repeller at a discount.   We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: Out Of The Woods: A Journey Through Depression and Anxiety by Brent Williams. Illustrated by Korkut Ozekin

Out Of The Woods: A Journey Through Depression and Anxiety by Brent Williams.  Illustrated by Korkut Ozekin

Out Of The Woods: A Journey Through Depression and Anxiety by Brent Williams is the story written about one man’s journey from depression back to a normal life.

This book speaks of a young man who realizes he is depressed and seeks to deal with it without drugs. The book offers some ways of helping like diet, exercise, and not withdrawing from other people.

The book cautions that anyone struggling with depression should not try to handle it on their own.  It does not encourage the use of drugs.

In Out Of The Woods, readers are told that people experience depression different ways.  Therefore, different people will find different degrees of help from this book.

We were sent a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: How to Build a Piano Bench: Lessons for Success from a Red-Dirt Road in Alabama By Ruthi Postow Birch

How to Build a Piano Bench: Lessons for Success from a Red-Dirt Road in Alabama

By Ruthi Postow Birch

Manian Debil Productions is located in Wharton, Texas.  We tell you this because the author of How to Build a Piano Bench: Lessons for Success from a Red-Dirt Road in Alabama, Ruthi Postow Birch, spent a small part of her early life living in Wharton, Texas. This tells us personally that she came a very long way, from the bottom of the heap, in a very short time.

How to Build a Piano Bench is not about building a piano bench, but then again it is.  The author explains this and uses this as a way to teach a very important lesson.

This book is part autobiography, part life lesson, part lesson in how to sell, and all entertaining.  The author tells some very entertaining and often funny stories. Each story makes a point. If you aren’t careful, you just might learn something.

We give How to Build a Piano Bench all five stars and two artichokes (you will have to read the book to understand that).  It is very well-written and probably one of the most entertaining books we have read in a very long time. Many passages out of this book were read to our family because we found them so interesting and funny.

How to Build a Piano Bench actually fits in both our niche blogs because it is about business AND  personal growth. This would make a great gift for any person you know in leadership or management. It would also make a great gift for any parent who is feeling less than perfect.  It would make a great gift for any teacher, past or present.  In fact, this book would make a great gift for just about anyone.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: Make Art Make Money: Lessons from Jim Henson on Fueling Your Creative Career By Elizabeth Hyde Stevens

Make Art Make Money: Lessons from Jim Henson on Fueling Your Creative Career

By Elizabeth Hyde Stevens

We purchased Make Art Make Money: Lessons from Jim Henson on Fueling Your Creative Career by Elizabeth Hyde Stevens in the Kindle format.

This is a very interesting read and very informative as far as learning more about the Muppets and Jim Henson.  

Readers learn a little about what decisions Henson made along the way.  Although this book is an interesting read and entertaining, we are not sure that it will be incredibly helpful to aspiring artists. That really remains to be seen.  Most likely this will depend upon the takeaway that each reader gets from this book.

One of the biggest concerns we have is the mention several times of a certain board that is used to delve into the occult.  The illustration is not needed and it takes it out of the realm of being “Christian Friendly”.

We give Make Art Make Money four stars.  We could not give it all five stars because we just don’t feel that the lessons the author is trying to teach are readily apparent.

As a biographical book, this is a good read.  As an  artistic “how to” book, it comes close but doesn’t quite make it.  As a business book, it is helpful but misses the mark slightly.

We suggest this book would make a fair companion book with Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Book Review: When You Lose Someone You Love Written and Illustrated by Joanne Fink

When You Lose Someone You Love 
Written and Illustrated by Joanne Fink

Get out the giant size box of tissues and grab your copy of When You Lose Someone You Love, written and illustrated by Joanne Fink. Prepare for a roller coaster of emotions.

This little book is designed to help one deal with the loss of a loved one.  

On our How to Manage Your Monkey website, we talk about preparing for retirement and making pre-need funeral arrangements.

But, it is impossible to plan emotionally for the loss of someone you love.  Even if their death is not a surprise, it is still hard to deal with their loss.

Perhaps When You Lose Someone You Love will help you, or someone you know, deal with a loss.  There is no way to tell.  Each person is different and each loss is different.

That being said, we need to say that this little book is very well-written and helps reach those parts that are hurting and maybe helps someone who is grieving realize that their feelings, no matter what they are, are normal.

We give When You Lose Someone You Love all five stars.  We think for some people this will act like a salve to help soothe the hurts.  For others, it might not do anything.  

We suggest you buy a copy and read it before a loss takes place.  Keep a copy on hand and offer it to those you know who are going through a recent loss.

Like chicken soup when you are ill, it just might help and it probably won’t hurt. 

Note from Suz: I could relate to some of the issues and feelings Mrs. Fink shared in this book, though her loss was her husband. We are approaching the fifth anniversary of my daddy’s death. She shares some of her daughter’s words on the loss of her daddy. The wounds are still so raw from my own experience. I cried buckets reading parts of the song this girl wrote to her daddy.

This book doesn’t erase the pain. Nothing can ever fully do that, really. But, it offers understanding and a chance to not feel so alone in one’s grief.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.