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Book Review: Daring Greatly

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” —Theodore Roosevelt

When I read this quote from Teddy Roosevelt, I feel like there is nothing I can't do, no obstacle I can't conquer with hard work and perseverance; I feel a longing to run out the door and find my destiny. But then it hits me, that this quote doesn't say that I should "dare to do great things" but instead to "dare greatly": to take a risk, to put it all on the line, to be in the position to fall flat on my face.... in essence, to be vulnerable. Whoa there... be vulnerable? Exactly. And that is what the book Daring Greatly by Brene Brown is all about: it's about embracing our vulnerability to have a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

This concept tends to go against the world's I-Can-Do-It-All, Never-Admit-Defeat, Vulnerability-is-a-Weakness, self-sufficient mentality. We often associate thoughts of vulnerabilty with fear and shame, but until we put ourselves out there, that yearning for love and joy cannot be fulfilled.

As a Christ-follower, this all comes very close to what we strive for in our Christian walk with a realization that only when we surrender our will over to God can we truly experience life, although Daring Greatly doesn't quite go that far. Despite that, I found it an inspirational book definitely worth the time it took to read, with many practical, real-world thoughts and tips to help focus my mind on the haves of my life instead of the have-nots. "Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk."

Check out the book and get involved in the discussion at Blogher.com.

* In the interest of full disclosure, this was part of a compensated campaign as part of the BlogHer Book Club.  That said, all opinions stated here are my own.

My Artist's Way Toolkit: A Review

I would most certainly call myself an artist. I get a lot of fulfillment out of creating, whether it’s music, graphic design, scrapbooking, decorating my house… you name it. But what a gal to do when the inspiration isn’t there?

I was recently given a trial membership to The Artist’s Way Toolkit, a website inspired by the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It's an online journal of sorts where each week you are tasked with activities to keep the creative juices flowing including a date with yourself to a location where you might find inspiration. I liked that each activity and journaling topic was geared to give you a pool of ideas to pull from in the future whenever you are in need of them.

I know that I am terrible at remembering to keep up with any kind of daily routine whatsoever (just look at my track record on keeping up with my blog on a regular basis if you need proof of that!), but I do like the idea of storing up ideas for the future when inspiration juices are flowing. I just don’t know that I personally would pay $4.99 for the privilege of storing my ideas there, mostly because I am so hit-or-miss on my daily commitments. But the overall idea is inspiring in itself.

Check it out for yourself and join the discussion at BlogHer Book Club!

***I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.

What Next? 10+ Books for Your Hunger Games Withdrawal

It's been over three years now since I first read The Hunger Games, and it still remains one of my favorite books. With the movie release this past weekend, I'm sure that many more will be reading this book for the first time. But those of you who have read the entire series -- probably more than once now, like me -- are looking for another good book fix. Well, here are a few of my other favorite YA dystopian novels that I have read over the last year or two that I have found to be, if not equally as good, nearly as good as The Hunger Games. Hope you enjoy!

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
   ***The second book in this series, Insurgent is available May 1, 2012
2. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
3. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
   ***The second book in this series, Rebel Heart is available October 30, 2012
4. Birthmarked & Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien
   ***The third book in this series, Promised is available October 2, 2012
5. Enclave by Anne Aguirre
6. Graceling & Fire by Kristin Cashore
   ***The third book in this series, Bitterblue is available May 1, 2012
7. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
8. The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials & The Death Cure by James Dashner
9. The Plegde by Kimberly Derting
10. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

*Yep, this post contains Amazon affiliate links, but all opinions are indeed my own.

Book Review & Discussion: Diary of A Mad Fat Girl

If you're looking for a book that's a fun -- if not a bit nutty -- easy read, and Diary of a Mad, Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee is just one of those books. Centered around Graciella "Ace" Jones in a Southern small town, it's a story of the crazy hijinx -- there is no better word for it --  we will dive into help our best friends. I blazed through this book in a day and laughed out loud throughout it.

Not only that, but it's great to see a book that was originally self-published making the big time!

Found out more about this book at join the discussion of Diary of a Mad Fat Girl at Blogher.

***This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review & Discussion: Why Women Need Fat

When asked to read the book, Why Women Need Fat by William D. Lassek and Steven J. C. Gaulin, I must admit that I started the book with more than a bit of scepticism. Over the past twenty years, I have seen many diet research and fads make the news and gain popularity. I remember when I was kid, fats were bad, carbohydrates were good. Then carbs were bad, but you could have all the protein and fat you wanted. Next thing you know, it was just saturated and trans fats were good, but unsaturated fats were good. Every time you turn around, some "expert" is touting the latest diet miracle that will make us all thin.

That said, Why Women Need Fat begins with a history of our nation's weight gain and the ways that have been tried to battle against the bulge. Lassek and Gaulin take their time in explaining not only what their findings suggest caused our nation's weight problems -- processed foods and omega-6 fatty acids a couple of the main culprits -- but also how each and every one of us can find our body's true weight without traditional dieting. 

While I still feel a bit of the skeptic after completing the book, I found many of the authors' examples reasonated with me and think that their ideas certainly bear further personal investigation. Interested in finding out more? Join the discussion at BlogHer Book Club.

***This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review & Discussion: The Magic Room

Ever want to be a fly on the wall of a bridal boutique? Listening in to interactions between brides, their mothers, family and friends, the tears of joy, a few bridezillas, all while the salespeople try to make a sale in a tough market as brides search for the perfect dress for their special day. The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow made me feel like exactly that -- albeit a very elegant, softly lit fly. The Magic Room is an inside look into the life of a family-owned bride boutique in a relatively smallish town of Fowler, Michigan. In business for over 70 years and having sold over 100,000 dresses in its lifetime, this book takes a closer look into the struggles and triumphs of a family who has given their lives to make brides look their best on their wedding day. Being a small business owner myself, I could relate to the challenges that faced the Becker family in attempting to find a balance between business and family. Not only do we travel the years with the Becker family, but we also get small glimpse into the lives of many of the brides who have stepped foot into the Magic Room -- a special room where they get to see themselves as the glowing bride they are for the first time. I found myself wanting to know more about these women, but realizing that just like they salespeople at Becker's Bridal, I will only ever get to know just a bit of what brought them into the store that day. Having not had this "magic room" experience myself, I enjoyed being a part of that experience with the other women in this book. Join the discussion and learn more about this wonderful book at Blogher.

***Blogher has provided me with a copy of The Magic Room for purposes of providing a review. I received this book at no charge to me and have been paid to provide a review this book.

MomSense: Book Review & Giveaway

Recently I was asked by MOPS International to read and review the book MomSense: A Common-Sense Guide to Confident Mothering by Jean Blackmer. Those who know me know that I am not really a fan of non-fiction. I have best intentions to finish a good devotional book or the like, and about four chapters in I kind of lose interest. I'm pretty sure I have undiagnosed ADD at times.... squirrel!

That said, MomSense wasn't like my previously attempts to complete a work of uplifting non-fiction. I actually finished it. And not with the push-my-way-through, I-have-to-get-this-read kind of finish it, but with an enjoying-myself, what's-next, absorbing-every-word kind of finish it. Full of stories from other mothers, this book brims with common-sense advice about mothering -- hence the name -- that teaches not a list of rules on how to be a good mother, but instead helps you to feel out what being a good mother to your children looks like for you.

As mothers, we are often full of self-doubt, often comparing our mothering skills to the way we were mothered and to other mothers around us. I know that I personally will look at my parenting skills at the end the day and feel like a complete failure. I found that this book did not expect me to be Super Mom, but instead gave me tips to help me find the best ways to help me to guide my children -- from teaching respect, patience, self-control and more -- not cut-and-dried rules of parenting that seem to fill many parenting books. The author of this book seemed to understand that there are many good ways to reach the same results in our children and that no one way is better than another or will work with every child.

MomSense has given me a greater confidence in my mothering choices and has equipped me to feel out new situations as they come up. What is the worst piece of mothering advice you have ever received?