Rejuvenate & Renew Wrap Up--Review of Two Books

I know, this ended a month ago, but here is the evidence why you should never procrastinate. Just when you think you're ready to complete something, another something outside of your control makes it nearly impossible to finish. Yes, the story of many people's lives! Needless to say though, that regardless of the procrastination and computer problems this last week, I thought I'd post the two books I read for the Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge, that I held this summer, in a double review.

The first, Mommywood, was Tori Spelling's follow-up autobiography to StoriTelling. I still tend to be a bit voyeuristic here, and will admit to enjoy reading about the lives of famous people. This might coincide with my unnatural love of reality TV (such as Intervention, Real Housewives of whatever location, Top Chef, etc.), but I find other's lives to be pretty fascinating. Most of the time, it seems shocking that people live the way they do. However, you get a sense from Spelling's books, that she has many fears and weaknesses that make her more similar to us "regular folk" than one would at first think. I can say that I didn't like Mommywood quite as much as the first book, mainly because you could see more of the difficulties that were building up between Tori and her young family. Because of how they started their marriage (an affair that broke up two marriages), I fear for their future. Tori, who seems sweet and relatable, is terribly paranoid, which could be a driving factor towards putting a wedge between she and her husband/family. Once again, not my favorite, but an interesting read nonetheless.

The second I actually tore through pretty quickly back in August. After another year of showing low vitamin levels, the doctor sent me for several tests to see what was wrong, fearing I might have Celiac's disease. Now, for someone who already has pancreatic and thyroid issues and lives on bread (proteins often aggravate my condition), this really devastated me. THANKFULLY, the tests came back negative. That doesn't mean that I don't have it, conclusively, but I don't have the initial markers that would indicate that I do.

Thanks to this health scare, I started checking out books that would help me understand the condition better. I knew that Elizabeth Hasselbeck, of the View, suffered from this disease and had just put out her book,The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide. I checked it out, and have to say that the simple, no-nonsense story and guidelines really helped put this disease all in perspective. Hasselbeck begins the book with her own arduous journey, which was terrifying to see how much it had affected her. Getting a diagnosis took her almost ten years, and she suffered horribly in the meantime. With a proper diagnosis, however, she really turned her life around and has many practical pieces of advice. Her own experience with the disease has led her to know and understand what things work for her, and what foods she can advise others to try to keep up their energy and vitality. Covering not only her story, but also ways of explaining the disease, ways of gaining a diagnosis, and ways of living with this radical diet were well written and very clear. Although I do not have this disease (or at least they don't believe that I do), I can still see a very practical use in eating this way from time to time, for basic health. And, should I get this disease in the future (as it often lies dormant in people), I think this book would be a very helpful resource to have on hand. I highly recommend it for its information and understanding.

Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Finale

Thank you so much to those of you who joined with me in reading some great books to literally...rejuvenate and renew yourself! Thankfully, with the one month extension after moving during the month of August, I did manage to finish off the challenge with a great read that I'll be posting about in a couple of days. Before that though, I wanted to wrap up with a thank you and the giveaway I promised! I have a signed copy of Bethenny Frankel's book Naturally Thin.

Those who joined me were: Heidenkind of Heidenkind's Hideaway, Tokemise of By Hook or by Book, and Gaby317 of Starting Fresh. (If I've missed someone, let me know. These were the one's that I had listed on the original post.) As for the giveaway, I drew a number from these lovely ladies, and the winner was:

Tokemise

Thanks again for joining me in this challenge...my FIRST challenge I've ever hosted. I loved seeing your interests and the varietyof books that you read!

Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Update: 7/27 to 8/10

Here it is. The end of the summer is staring me down. I don't mean that to be a negative, as I really am a big fan of the second half of the year--summer to the holiday season. There is something so quaint about the changing colors of fall that drives me to a book, or the cold of a December snowfall, twinkling and twirling off of the Christmas lights in my neighborhood to put me in a snuggly book sort of mood. However, I have to say that I'd be hypocritical if I didn't express a certain amount of sadness to see another beautiful summer come and go.

As part of my summer here in Hawaii, I knew that this might be my last summer here, since my mother might be moving back to the mainland before next year. That's still not for sure, but my heart is definitely a bit heavy as I face heading home. I know I'll be back for Christmas, but what after that? Well, in knowing that, I wanted to read books this summer that would give me new knowledge, new skills, or new information I'd wanted to learn but hadn't had time to read up on. In general, I wanted to spend some time rejuvenating through learning, resting, and exercising. I've succeeded for the most part, in that I've been sleeping fairly well, and have fallen in love with walking again. Reading took a hit for me this summer, but I feel good about what I've read this summer, so I think I'm ready to head back!

For the Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge, I have read the following:

1. Suze Orman's Action Plan for 2009
2. 52 Brilliant Ideas: Sleep Deep
   

I know that those of you participating in the challenge have been leaving fun links back to books you're reading. So, if you're still working on the challenge, how are you doing?

Even if you're not participating in the challenge, what are you looking forward to as summer winds down?

Review: 52 Brilliant Ideas--Sleep Deep

Okay, it's as if I can hear people clicking past this, yawning and saying, "Sigh. Why would I want to hear about a sleep book?" To that I say, "Because it is a book all about SLEEP and how you can get the best sleep ever! Who wouldn't want that?!?"

The basics of the book are that first, people should understand what happens when we sleep, and second, what might be keeping you and I from sleeping the way we would like. Now, although I'm sleeping wonderfully here, I still have my nights, and goodness knows that when the school year begins, I would almost pay money to have a good night's sleep! Here are some of the great things I learned:

• About 10% of people are early birds (those who need a little less sleep and enjoy, and are more productive during the early hours of the morning) and 20% are true night owls (those that have higher brain function in the evenings, usually enjoy a bedtime somewhere around 2am, and find that they CAN'T get their brains to function when they first wake up). Although I think some people like to claim they are night owls, they simply are not. I am 100% a night owl. In fact, with an early morning job, I've had morning meetings where I literally have not uttered a sound, and left the meeting completely unaware of what was spoken. Nice, eh?
• Our brains are set to get a short nap some time in the middle of the day. It's just the way the brain functions, so taking a quick 20 to 30 minute nap is ideal.
• Women sleep more than men, and according to experts, "...it's because women use their brains in a more flexible way than men" (19).
• Rather than sleeping in, which can actually lead your body to be thrown off and feel groggy, go to bed and get up just 10 to 15 minutes later than usual. This will allow you to get a little more sleep without throwing your body clock off.
• In chapter six it listed the types of insomnia, what causes them, and how best to tackle them.
• If you struggle to get to sleep, make your bed and bedroom just about sleep. You should avoid things that excite your brain, such as watching TV, working on the computer, or doing paperwork and bills.
• It has great ideas for people who snore, women who are pregnant, families with small babies that keep them up crying, illnesses that affect one's sleep, grinding teeth, nightmares, wetting the bed, etc. You name it, they have a chapter about it.
• 90% of people with depression have insomnia. This chapter outlines ways to battle these types of insomnia, whether through medication, therapy, or stress/anxiety relief.
• Ideas on how to encourage dreams, or at least manipulate them.
• Pills that help & can damage sleep.
• Music, herbs, aromas, and therapies to enhance sleep.

There are so many helpful hints in this book, that you really must check it out if you are interested in gaining a better night's rest. I really appreciated that they first explained the issue or problem that caused insomnia, and then walked through the various treatments or options for solving each one. The chapters are short, and are always followed with a brief Q&A that really answered many of my individual questions.

Overall, this is a fantastic resource, and I would highly recommend it as a healthy resource in your medical library. I'm more than happy with this purchase, and will be keeping it for future use. This also qualifies as my second in the Rejuvenate and Renew Challenge.

For more information: Sleep Deep (52 Brilliant Ideas): Simple Techniques for Beating Insomnia

Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Update: 7/13 to 7/26

Yes, this has been a bit of a tricky summer! Besides teaching two very active literature courses, my mother up and moved into a new house this week. That has pretty much kept me frantically looking for an internet connection, or using whatever time I had online in grading. I have had the chance to finish a book for this challenge! I finished 52 Brilliant Ideas: Sleep Deep. While I'm not struggling as much with insomnia as I do during the school year, I still find that good sleep is the one thing I ACHE for. This book was a perfect, handy guide that has given me some great ideas that I'll pass along in my review.

Here is my update of books read:

1. Suze Orman's Action Plan for 2009 -- A fantastic, economic guide to surviving the recession.
2. 52 Brilliant Ideas: Sleep Deep -- Great resource for how to beat insomnia and get much needed sleep. Review to come.

If you're participating, how are you doing? Have you reviewed a book for the challenge? Let me know and I'll post something to let everyone know!

If you're NOT participating, why not? There will be a giveaway at the end of the challenge, so check out the Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge, and join in with us!

Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Update: 7/6 to 7/12 and a Giveaway!

No new, real progress for me this week. I have been happily trying to find my way back into reading after HOURS a day working on the online classes I teach. Thankfully, I have finished a few books this week, and am feeling a bit more chipper about life again. :) Hopefully, I can finish my second book in the challenge, soon!

On another note, I would like to announce a giveaway associated with the challenge. Some of you might recall that I'm an avid fan of Bravo's hit show, "The Real Housewives of _______" (fill in blank w/ location). Yes, I've watched them all, and yes, I can tell you about any and all of these ladies (and a few husbands/boyfriends). I'm in good company being hooked on this show, as Anderson Cooper has admitted to his own love of the show, so I feel much better! Having said that, one of my favorite "housewives," Bethenny Frankel (of "The Real Housewives of New York City"), is a chef and writer who put out a new book about dieting, Naturally Thin. As part of the challenge, I have one signed copy of her book to give away at the conclusion of the challenge on September 1st.

To enter the giveaway:

1. Join the challenge! There is a small handful of us working on this, but I'd like to limit the giveaway to those who participated with me. So, if you would like to join in, check out the Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge for more information.
2. Read at least one book for the challenge, and then review it with a link here to share it with the rest of us! We're reading three, but if you can even get through one, that would be great!

That's it! I've got her signed copy with me here in Hawaii, and unless something horrible happens in the transport back to the mainland (please no!), then I will do the drawing on September 1st!

For more information about Frankel's book see: Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting

***One last reminder. Don't forget to stop by and make a guess as to the origin of the Jane Austen film clip I've included in my Everything Austen Challenge introductory post. I'll be drawing one winner on 7/10 to win the cutest wooden Hawaiian bookmark. I buy them at the gift shop in Waimea Valley, which is this awesome natural and archeaological site. They are awesome, and I thought I'd share one for fun. Aloha!

Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Update: 6/29 to 7/5

I can't say that I've made marked progress in the Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge that I can record, but can say that I'm part way through reading Elie Krieger's Small Changes, Big Results (as I've mentioned before), and have been using her cookbook like crazy. It's a great cookbook, and have loved every recipe we've tried thus far.

If you're participating in this challenge, how are you doing? Post a reply and let me know, or leave us a link to your post!

On another note, I was awarded a couple of awards this month and wanted to say THANK YOU so much! It means a lot to me to be recognized by fellow bloggers, as we have such a great community.

The first was The Lemonade Award, which Andrea, a great librarian over at The Little Bookworm gave to me.

I also received the Humane Award, by Cathy over at One Eyed Stuffed Bunny and..., who has the cutest blog. I actually hadn't seen this award before, so here are the details:

The Humane Award is in order to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world.

Thank you so much to both of you for this great award! I've been so inundated by my new teaching schedule (I teach for a great online school, along with my full-time teaching), that I've had little time to join my favorite community. To top it off, I have joined many other bloggers and fallen victim to the heinous migraines over the past two days. Honestly, we need to post a poll to find out just how many of us have this issue! Maybe it's a reading thing??? I sure hope not!

Anyway, thank you to the two of you for nominating me. I hardly know who to pass these along to, so I'd like to offer them to all my great blogging friends. Thank you for all you do!

Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Update: 6/22 to 6/28

Yikes! I almost forgot to post this for the week. I've been really horrible about reading...REALLY horrible, so I have nothing to report.

So here's my update so far:

1. Suze Orman's Action Plan for 2009
2. TBA
3. TBA

Okay, so I guess it's not true that I have nothing to report. While I haven't finished another book for the challenge (or any other challenge), I have been reading Elie Krieger's Small Changes, Big Results, and using her cookbook The Food You Crave. It's excellent! I really love the simplicity of the recipes, and the big health factor behind every single recipe in the book. The pictures in the book are a real selling point too--way better than my own meager photo.


Here's the Chinese Chicken Salad we made for dinner the other night. I really just took the picture of it because I thought it was so pretty, but since I have it, I thought I'd share. Although, I have to say that this picture is all washed out compared to the vibrant red cabbage, green scallions, browned chicken, and bright orange mandarins. It really was great. If you're looking for an easy, healthy cookbook that centers around real, whole foods, then this is it. In fact, I'm looking forward to making the Pumpkin Pie Muffins and the Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa. Now, if I could just convince myself that "healthy" mac and cheese (which is my favorite food) can be good. Can I really give up real mac and cheese? I don't know about that one...

What one food could you not give up, even for a low fat version?

Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Update: 6/15 to 6/21

As a reminder, the Rejuvenate and Renew Challenge is about reading non-fiction that builds, teaches, focuses, or simply pushes you to improve yourself. I often get so caught up in reading my huge mountain of fiction novels, and books I need to read for teaching, that I don't often get a chance to read those "help yourself" (yes, like self help) sort of books that help me change or grow in some way.

So, how am I doing? Finished--

1. Suze Orman's Action Plan for 2009
2. TBA
3. TBA

I'm still on track, but will continue reading Elie Krieger's novel. I actually also purchased her cookbook The Food You Crave, as I'd checked it out from the library a month ago and found it to be a pretty great cookbook. I'll try to make something and post a picture, and even review it with Krieger's book, Small Changes, Big Results. (For more information about Krieger's cookbook, see The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life)

How are you doing? If you're part of the challenge, leave a comment. If you're not, join today and tell us what you'd like to read!

Well, back to the islands for me. I fly out tomorrow afternoon, and am actually looking forward to some great reading time on the plane!

Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Update: 6/1 to 6/14

Okay. Sorry for not getting the update up sooner! Between moving out of my home so quickly and arriving here in Hawaii, I simply let it slip my mind. I know our numbers are few, but we would LOVE to have more people join in on this challenge. I like to think of it as a "learn something new" or "self-help" challenge. It's my way of pushing myself to read those nonfiction books that I've been wanting to read about things like finance, diet, etc. Please join! You can click on the button above to link back to the challenge & leave a comment. I even think there will be a giveaway in this genre at the end, so pass the word along and join with us.

For those who are involved in the challenge, you can leave a comment here to let us know if you've read anything yet. I'll even try to give people a link on my next "update" post (which will be once a week from now on). If you haven't yet finished a book, you can even just tell us what you're looking forward to reading or are in the middle of!

As for me, I did manage to finish one book for the challenge. I read Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, which was my way of trying to get my finances in order as I prepare to buy a new townhome this fall. It was some great information, but also caused me a lot of strange stress. You can see some of Suze Orman's suggestions and my review at: "Review: Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan."

48 Hour Marathon, Travels, and Moving

I'm loving the Portland Airport, with its free WiFi! I haven't been connected in a couple of days (other than my beloved Blackberry), and it has really driven me crazy. Yes, I sense an addiction here. Anyway, I am on my way to Hawaii for the summer, and CAN'T WAIT to get there, to see my mom, and also to finally have that much-anticipated time to read on the beach. Ah! I feel skin cancer lurking around the corner...must pick up that extra SPF!

Besides traveling to Hawaii, I have to say that I've been frantically moving out of my rental house, all in the last two days! Did I know I had to move that soon? NO! It has been so incredibly stressful, but I am now officially homeless, my furniture and possessions are (for the most part) all housed in a nice little storage shed, waiting for my builders to get their financing so that they can get going on my new townhouse. I so can't wait for a new house (I even got to go pick out materials for it...just in case they start while I'm away). I'm excited for the new place, but not excited about the frantic move pushed on me by my landlord. At least he let me know THREE DAYS before I left for Hawaii. Getting back here before my lease was up would have been really difficult, so thanks to Kyle, my aunt & uncle, a great teacher friend that I work with, and several neighbors for helping me make it all work somehow.

Now on to the exciting 48-hour Challenge! I'm actually really excited to participate, and after the week I've had, really eager to spend this weekend blogging, reading, and reviewing other blogs. It should be great. I hope you're joining in as well? If not, check out the information about the Fourth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge over at Mother Reader's Blog.


Also, don't forget to join me in my "Rejuvenate & Renew" Challenge going on all summer! I'm excited to read some of those "self-help"/how to books that I have kept pushing aside for all those other great books in my pile. :) Please, check it out and join with us! Our numbers are small, but we are eager and excited to learn some new, helpful things this summer.

Well, until I hit the sunny shores of Oahu, Mahalo!

Sunday Salon: The Curse & The Challenge

What a glorious last day of May! I've been down with "The Curse," as I've come to call it. EVERY YEAR I get sick on or around the last day of school, and I fell to it once again. It's made it much easier to wander around in a cold medicine haze, reading books, eating Popsicles, watching TV (very bad TV this weekend BTW...nothing good on), and throwing everything on the floor to get to once I feel better. Oh, you mean like tomorrow or Tuesday because you fly out to HAWAII on Wednesday?!? Yes, I'm panicking that I'm sick and trying to just get rid of illness before I hop in a plane and scare someone with my hacking cough! Although, it would be a bit funny too. (Sorry, that's my devious side.)

May for me was an interesting month. I read more than I thought I would, with my minuscule eight books. I keep thinking that's great, until I read how some out in the reading community are hitting 20 to 30 books a month! How?!?

Right now, I'm in the middle of finishing up Abigail Reynolds Impulse & Initiative: What if Mr. Darcy had set out to win Elizabeth's heart? (Pride & Prejudice Variation) In fact, I took it with me for a very slow, rambling walk out in the beautiful sunshine today. (Yes, I wandered out, looking semi-homeless due to being sick, with book in hand.) Since this is another take on Pride and Prejudice, and I'm a real sucker for anything Regency-esque/P&P, I've been giving it a spin. Well, I had an epiphany today and now realize why we love Austen. Maybe I'm the only person who didn't figure this out a long time ago, but every male hero in her novels does something self-sacrificing for the woman he loved. He didn't do things to posture, pose, or position, in fact, he did something so unselfish for the woman (without any indication that she would ever know it was him) that it is almost breathtaking. I don't think we want to believe that a man could be so unselfishly romantic, making a gesture we might never know about, for the basic reasons of compassion and love. So sweet! (Does Darcy do that in the one I'm reading now? You'll have to stay tuned...)

I'm also trying to cram in a few other library books before I cart them all back before leaving for Hawaii. I then get to go over and torture their library staff! :) Honestly, I do think it's torture for them to see me coming. The lady who works at the library knows my mom and I think wonders if she's really reading all those books I check out on her card! Anyway, I'm also mailing about two boxes of books over, since I'll be there from the 3rd of June until the 10th of August. WooHoo!!!

Before I wrap up, if you get a chance, join me in my first reading challenge, "Rejuvenate and Renew." (By the way, the button for the challenge comes from a picture I took on the North Shore of Hawaii, in Haliewa.) The challenge is all about reading those educational, self-help, how to books you've been wanting to read. I'd love to have some others to share this challenge with.

Rejuvinate & Renew Reading Challenge '09

This is my first reading challenge, and I've been wanting to do this for awhile! As a teacher, my summer breaks become the time to "Rejuvenate and Renew." I've been wanting to read some nonfiction books that will lend me some good advice and get me back on track. For some reason, self help has garnered a bad name for itself, so I don't want to call my challenge the "Self Help Challenge," as that makes me sad and feel so desperate somehow!

Now that I can kind of "refocus" on myself for a bit, I've been wanting to read things like Suze Orman's Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, Elie Krieger's Small Changes, Big Results: A 12-Week Action Plan to a Better Life, Bethenny Frankel's Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, books of literary theory I've meant to get around to, etc. Why don't you join me?

Here's the challenge:

• Choose any three non-fiction books that deal with a topic you've wanted to learn more about. This could be money & finance, home decorating, budget tips, weight loss, nutrition, beauty & fashion, writing, religion, philosophy, literary theory, or even a biography. (You get the picture.) Basically, take three how to or self help books that you've been wanting to read, and join in!
• Read these books between June 1st and September 1st.
  
• Sign up by posting a simple comment below. (I didn't want to make things too complicated for this first challenge...for myself, or for anyone else!)
  
• Take the button created above and post in your own blog, with a link back here so that we can all see what everyone is reading.
• Review your books, and once a week I'll put up a post that you can link your own post/review.
  
• Enjoy finding out more about what everyone else is learning this summer!