Reviewsday Tuesday is having a bye week ; )
Baah, I have THREE good reviews for you, and ZERO time to get them done! Stand by...
Reviewsday Tuesday is having a bye week ; )
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Oooh, Friday Fun!
I just got another cool item for review-- but I need your help too, and that means a giveaway! Stay tuned for more details (especially if you're turned on by organization like I am!).
If you know me (or have ever browsed my facebook photos), you know that I’m not ‘fat’ or ‘curvy’, yet FAT GIRL WALKING—and author Brittany’s Curvy Girl Guide—are really relatable to me. Here, those words don’t mean what they usually mean (this is the internet; words have different meaning here). But really, maybe your intelligence is fat, or maybe your attitude is fat, or maybe your self-hatred is fat. Maybe you have a curvy sense of humor, or a curvy work ethic, or a curvy outlook on life. All shapes welcomed.
You might know Brittany from her blog. Or that time she wore a bathing suit to Good Morning America. Or that time she stripped unexpectedly during her TEDx Talk… I’ve been following Brittany for years, and yet still learned a lot while reading that I didn’t know before—not just about her, but about me. Maybe you don’t know Brittany at all yet. But you will if you read this book. You’ll know a lot—perhaps more than her own mom, or husband, or gynecologist…
Written as a ‘memoir in essays’, FAT GIRL WALKING is a non-fiction book for fiction lovers. This is history as in the 90s. The nineteen-90s This is a timeless girl power story—only with more GAP and perms and curse words. (In other words, the best kind of non-fiction!)
Brittany is shamelessly transparent, which serves the purposes of honesty and humor. Her struggle with body image is certainly prominently featured, but more as a backdrop to family and love and work and fashion and LIFE, than as the main focus. Again, these words have different meaning here. FGW chronicles Brittany’s life, but I would be surprised if any of you couldn’t find some similarity to your own life. Your embarrassing parents, perming your hair, your first boyfriend, your first real boyfriend, choosing a college major, getting married, having babies, figuring out what you want to be when you grow up (even when, by society’s standards, you’re already a grown-up). It’s all very familiar to me (it helps that Brittany and I are very close in age, so no pop culture reference was left unrecognized). One of the many passages that made me LOL (and I don't use 'LOL', so this is the real deal): “The next day I went to the arts and sciences department to switch my major to Undecided, but opted at the last minute to go with English, which my school advisor explained as being basically the same thing.” Ouch. It’s funny ’cause it’s true. In grand Crib Notes fashion, there’s a whole section on having kids—'having' as in both the physical act of pushing out babies and the more general raising a family. It’s hilarious, trust me. But you don’t have to take my word for it... (you’re picturing Levar Burton now, aren’t you?). And, there’s a section about not having babies. Like ever, ever, again. “It’s a weird thing, telling the person you love that you no longer want to clone them in any fashion, ever again, because you’ve simply reached your limit of versions of their existence.” Anyone who has ever had the ‘are we done?’ discussion (either in your head or with your partner) knows what she’s talking about it. It’s funny and painful, and definitive and uncertain. Like life-- and this entire book. Overall, FGW is really funny. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (sometimes the clichés just work). But it’ll also evoke some introspection, and may cause you to blush a couple times. Ya’ know, like all the good works of non-fiction. Want a copy? FIVE of you can have one!
Commitment issues? Want to read an excerpt before committing to the whole thing? Click here.
Ready now? Have at it: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062343033/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=harpercollinsus-20 Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fat-girl-walking-brittany-gibbons/1120554060?ean=9780062343031 HarperCollins: http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062343031/fat-girl-walking Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It was written by Brittany Gibbons, published by Dey Street Books, May 2015. I posted my first book review 4 years ago, yesterday! It's more about my story than the book, but... wink emoticon
If you're looking for some Summer reading ideas, there are over 40 books for the moms here, and over 60 books for kids! Check 'em out and let me know if you have a favorite. http://www.cribnoteskelly.com/cnblogwe-have-a-lot-to-say/friendship-bread-book-review You have NO idea how excited we are. (Truly, I think *I* am the most excited!) Can't wait!!
LEGOLAND Florida It's an age-old comic strip: a child is asked to clean up his room, parents return to the child's room surprised to see it looking great, until they open the closet, and...avalanche! And every FRIENDS fan knows about Monica's closet. The shame. Oh, the shame. I know someone like this actually. Her house is always immaculate, but she's the first to admit-- do NOT open the closet. It's not too pretty behind closed doors. So what's that about? Is it all for show? Just keeping up appearances, and shoving the rest in the closet at the first sight of company? Maybe. Or maybe it's out of sight, out of mind. Don't you just feel better sitting in a room that's not full of clutter? I do. And while we're talking about me, I have to take a moment to say-- this particular issue is not my organizational problem. I'm the weirdo with clothes organized by color and season, and shelves of dry goods stacked neatly and all facing the same direction...and cluttered countertops and piles of paper. Given the choice, I'd prefer to be a closet case! But that's the thing-- we have the choice. A couple weeks ago I was invited to a simply B organized Clutter Clinic. Creator Laurie Palau offers a range of services, including these 90-minute seminars. This particular session focused on closets, but the concepts and solutions are pretty universal: Organizing your home and simplifying your life (that's her tagline actually!). And, as you may know, doing one perpetuates the other. It's pretty hard to live simply with an unorganized home. And it's pretty hard to organize your home when you live a crazy life. That's where Laurie comes in. I consider myself (sort of, I'm working on it) an organized person. But I had a few 'lightbulb moments' within that hour and a half. Like did you know that besides physical clutter, we have calendar clutter? Maybe you over-schedule yourself, or your kids, or take on too heavy a workload, or start a new project before finishing the current one, or, well, all of the above? That's clutter. It's chaos. I does not organize your home and it does not simplify your life. And emotional clutter. I'm not too bad at that one, but I'd bet it's a popular one. Get rid of baby clothes? Donate your (1990s) prom dress? Keep 2 instead of all of your extra wedding invitations? Horrifying! The list goes on and on...and so do the shelves of stuff. Save the specials, trim a piece, turn it into something, take a great photo, but let.it.go. But we all knew that, right? Now to actually do it... Again, that's where Laurie comes in. She can meet for a couple hours and give you a plan to run with, or stick by your side for an entire overhaul; work with what you have, or create something new; she even offers room layout and design services-- cool, right?! Whether you've just moved, or you're looking to breathe some new life-- new organized life-- into your home, I suggest calling Laurie. And don't worry. She's friendly :) Well that was easy! I have to start by saying this is overdue. Generous Jamberry consultant Amber sent me samples to try over a month ago, and they've been sitting on my counter ever since. It's nothing against Jamberry...I wanted to be able to dedicate the time I needed to do it correctly. As it turns out, I had both nails (one on each hand) done in under 2 minutes. It's super quick and easy. One accent nail is about my level of nail art comfort. I tried it with regular polish for the first time earlier this summer, then again for the 4th of July, and decided it's fun for every once in a while, but not a regular thing for me. SO. Keep that in mind as you continue to read... THAT BEING SAID--these are not really "my thing" and I STILL think they're really cool. So if you have tons of nail art ideas pinned, or regularly get designed manicures, this is totally for you. One thing I realized (and a small excuse of what took me so long to try)-- I have huge nails haha. Amber sent me pretty small samples, and they barely fit my pinky, let alone my ring finger, which I wanted to use. She sent me a larger size and they still barely fit! So, like anything, think about the size you need, depending on what you're looking to do. ANYWAY, I had the black and white chevron to try. Cute, graphic, not too flashy-- perfect for my taste. I watched the quick video instructions (but basically, you heat the wrap, apply to clean nail, heat on nail, trim, done!), grabbed my hairdryer, and was done before I knew it. Literally, it took me less than 1 min per finger. That would be 10 minutes for 2 full hands. And no drying time? That would never happen with polish. I had already painted my other nails hot pink, so that was it! You do have to take care to smooth the overlay completely. I have a little crease towards the tip of my nail-- so there's a teeny learning curve ;) Not the most intricate or themed-out, but like I said, this fits my nail art comfort level ;) The pink is brighter and shinier than it looks in the picture, and I think it's a good contrast to the black and white. Let's see how they hold up! (See instructions for removal also, so you don't damage your nails.)
So overall? This is definitely a TRY IT! If you'd like to book a party, contact Amber, or let me know and I'll hook you up! Have you tried? Show me! When I asked about lip stuff (technical term ;)), Aimee from Bare Indulgence answered in a big way. She sent me 3 of her handmade, all natural lip balms! See that pattern in the background? That's the shipping package-- cute touch, right? She only has a few products up right now, but check them out if you're into all-natural (who isn't?). Handful. What a clever name. Do you have a handful? (I barely do these days...) Are YOU a handful? (I may have been called that a time or two.) Do you own a handful of bras you hate? (I do, or did until I found a few favorites and weeded out the rest!) These bras take care of all of that, and are among my new faves. To be honest, I got this bra nearly 4 months ago and, while I can't say that it was my original motive, waiting this long to write the review has given me a chance to really test it out! This is no one-wear/one workout review. Super comfortable and super cute, my Handful bras are now go-tos. With a tagline, Flatters, not Flattens, these can be worn any time, any where, not just to the gym. It is lightly padded (with fully-removable pads), and you can purchase additional pads to add size, without looking bulky. They don't squish and constrict, yet they offer great support for me (admittedly, I have little to support; it is recommended that >C cups will want more support for all but low-impact activities.) So they're great under workout gear, a t-shirt, or a nicer blouse. I breastfed my babies, so I know a little something about needing structure and support. While I lack the cup size to testify much about large-breast support, I can speak about the wash-ability, and that it had the quality to hold its shape through many washes. It comes with a delicates bag and washing instructions, but it's not high-maintenance (or really necessary) at all. The pads don't get lumpy or lose shape, and they're easy to get back into place (if you want them, which I always do!). Handful bras come in so many shapes, sizes, and colors, that you can surely find something perfect for you. Seriously, check out the color selection (Freshly Squeezed Orange? Gettin' Lucky Green? Adorable!!).
Specialty shoppers (we all have our reasons), you should know that Handful bras are approved as a post-mastectomy (L8000) bra. One of the 4 main Handful girls is a breast cancer survivor, so they take this very seriously. Right now, check out the Battle Cry Pink bra and 10% of the purchase price of every Battle Cry Pink Handful Bra will be donated to Susan G. Komen Oregon and Southwest Washington. Why not give back while you treat yourself?! For my fellow (former) breastfeeding moms, they recommend the adjustable bra or tank, for easy access and adjustment. The padding 'pocket' is the perfect place for your nursing pads! Or, keep the provided pads in place to offer some support and camouflage for when/if you tuck pads in next to your skin. The best part? I am stuck between the fact that Handful bras are now exclusively MADE IN THE USA, and that Handful is run by 4 moms! I'm calling it a tie. These are just 2 of many reasons to try them out for yourself! (They often offer discounts, so heads up!) ONE of you gets to try it completely free! Leave a comment ON THE ORIGINAL 10/23 FACEBOOK POST* telling me what you look for most in a bra-- support, padding, appearance, price, variety, shape...-- to be included in the drawing. On Nov 1, I'll choose one winner at random. My own little catch-- you must give me a super quick review once you've tested it out! Sorry for the bad photos! Check out the site for much better shots! *I'll 'like' your comment to ensure I received it. Look for that for confirmation that you're in the running to win! |
AuthorWith a love of children and a passion for reading and writing, Kelly decided to share her experiences with others through the pages of the Crib Notes book and site. Join me on Influenster: www.influenster.com/r/1290177J
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