Bring On Lemons

Thank you to WOW! Women on Writing and Jerry Waxler for making today's post possible. Jerry - I value your friendship most of all and I am immensely grateful our paths have crossed. Thank you for sharing so much with me! Readers - I met Jerry a year or so ago and he is one of the most well known and respected authors when it comes to memoir; it is my pleasure to review his book titled Memoir Revolution.   Book Giveaway Contest: To win a copy of  Memoir Revolution  please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes next Friday, November 28th at 12:00 AM CST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck! Book Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto I’ve been intrigued by memoir and during my time with WOW! Women on Writing have gotten to know many memoirists. Getting to know these authors personally while reading and promoting their memoirs has been a huge gift for me. Jerry Waxler has be...

Book Review & Giveaway: God Doesn’t Love Us All the Same by Nina Guilbeau, Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto Have you ever walked past someone on the street and wondered “what is their story?”? I’m not just talking about homeless people (which is a theme in  God Doesn’t Love Us All the Same  by Nina Guilbeau, but I’m talking about people in general. I often wonder about people’s stories and their history. What does the man with the tattoos and the tattered bible do for a living? What kind of house does he live in? The woman with the partially shaven head and pink Mohawk, does her mother take issue with her “look”, or does her mother have a green Mohawk? Since I live in Wisconsin where it is cold most of the year, I don’t have an opportunity to see many homeless people. However, when I see pictures of homeless people or have come across them in my travels, I find myself wondering about them as well. My thoughts venture to the extreme fear of COULD THAT BE ME? My...

Ever Faithful To His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse   is a memoir, a true life tears-to-triumph story of self-defeating detours and dreams lost and found. A young woman who loses sight of the faith she has been brought up with attempts to find her way in the world, rejecting her stable roots in lieu of finding adventure and romance. Despite periods of spiritual renewal in which she receives a prophecy, she slides back, taking several self-defeating detours that take her through a series of heartbreaking events.  When Kathy's second husband, Dan's verbal abuse escalates, Kathy finally realizes she must move on before she and her children become a statistic.  How does a young woman who came from a stable, loving family make so many wise choices when it came to career, but so many wrong choices when it came to love, so that she ended up sacrificing career and having to flee in broad daylight with her children from an abusive marriage? What is getting in ...

Tara Meissner stops by to chat as part of her WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tour. Tara shares her thoughts on "Bipolar and Living Well" and offers readers an opportunity to win a copy of her memoir through a giveaway. Don't miss your chance to hear from Tara and take home a copy of Stress Fracture: a Memoir of Psychosis . Living Well with Bipolar Disorder by Tara Meissner People have asked me to write about my daily struggles for living with bipolar disorder. Really, honestly, there are not daily struggles. Even before I was on an effective treatment program, there were not daily struggles. I think that is part of what is misunderstood about bipolar disorder. Yes there are high moods, mania, and low moods, depression. However, there is a lot of time spent in a normal mood, not elevated or depressed. I think that is why it is easy to deny the disease exists at all. For me, living well, means doing what I can to avoid break-through symptoms of the disorder. I kn...

Product Review for Argan Oil Hair Mask - Intensive Leave In Hair Conditioner That Will Turn Dry, Damaged Hair Into Luxurious, Silky Strands - With Organic Argan Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, & Vitamin B5 - Deep Treatment Cream Increases Volume, Softness and Shine - Guaranteed to work for your body! My Review: After using the Insta Natural Superior Hydration Argan Oil Hair Mask, my hair felt softer, smoother, and healthier. At first I wasn't sure I would enjoy putting a mask on my hair (I had never done anything like this before), but I enjoyed spending a little time pampering myself and the results were well worth the few minutes time I invested. This is a great product to help increase volume in limp hair and it gives your hair a lovely youthful shine! Amazon Product Link:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MNK9R5Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Product Description: PREMIUM INGREDIENTS: Our Argan Oil Hair Mask contains a superior collection of high...

Product Review: Poppy Austin Rosehip Oil, 2 Fluid Ounce A little dab will do you! This Popply Austin Rosehip Oil will last forever. You don't use much at all and the moisture goes on and on all day long! Works great with or without makeup! I love that this product is pure and organic - and better yet, there's no perfumey smell. Even if you are outside in the elements, your skin feels like you just stepped out of the shower. Even at the end of the day you feel youthful and even hydrated. Awesome product and a fabulous price! Link to my Amazon Review: http://www.amazon.com/review/RJLXSERR6O41M/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm Amazon Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Poppy-Austin-Rosehip-Oil-Fluid/dp/B00MBL1K2S/ref=cm_cr-mr-title Product Description: Muti-purpose; Our luxurious yet 100 per cent organic, toxin-free, and naturally occurring rosehip seed oil is one of nature's most effective skincare treatments; Applied topically, it is perfect for returning your skin's...

I get asked this question ALL THE TIME so I'm here to answer the following: "Why is your son wearing a necklace?" And here's the scoop in our household: Short answer: It's a baltic amber teething necklace that naturally helps reduce inflammation and pain from teething. He has 9 teeth (one of which is a molar) and we haven't had to use Tylenol and there haven't been any sleepless nights. I swear by these! Long answer: (see above and add): Baltic Amber teething necklaces are made from fossilized tree resin which contains "succinic acid". The heat from our bodies helps release this acid into the skin and it's a natural anti-inflammatory. For a baby who is teething, this is going to reduce the drool and help with painful gums. We consider our necklaces to no longer be effective at the 6 month mark. They can still be worn because they look cool, but you'll want to add a new one to get the anti-inflammatory benefits. My son has two ...

This recipe is not fast or easy...and you could make it faster and easier by using canned pumpkin, BUT...our judges agree these muffins are amazing and worth the time! Ingredients: 1 small/medium size pumpkin (you need 2 1.2 cups of pumpkin) 3 farm fresh eggs (beaten) 1 3/4 cups sugar (raw unbleached is best) 1 stick of butter (real butter...salted or unsalted, you choose) 3 Tablespoons of vanilla (we like alcohol free, natural vanilla but there again it's your choice) 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 3 cups raisins optional: walnuts Directions: If you are using fresh pumpkin start here: Cut your pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy insides (throw those away or save for a different project). place both pieces in a greased shallow baking dish outsides down - so they look like bowls sitting in the pan. Cut your stick of butter in half and place each ha...

Raw Organic Unfiltered Shea Butter Review I love many things about the Organic Raw Shea Butter but the nicest part is it's totally unscented, unaltered, and not tampered with. I can use it without worrying about overpowering smells, harsh chemicals, etc...and if I'm in the mood I can add some essential oils and use it on myself or the children as a safe treatment for stuffy noses. This is a great product, whether you're using it as it is or using it as part of a DIY project. It's completely customize-able! Link to Amazon review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2QM8YYLTWY7GA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm Product Description Organic Raw Unrefined Shea Butter From Ghana- Ivory. • 16 oz (1lb) of Pure Organic Unrefined Raw Shea Butter from Beauty By Shea is made with extra care to ensure you receive the purest Raw Shea Butter. Beauty By Shea Organic Shea Butter is double filtered, first in Ghana, and then at our US Lab where it is manufactured into our 1lb bricks, packa...

Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga Workout DVD with Julie Schoen Review My review: This prenatal yoga workout is excellent and is a soothing way to start the day, limber up achy mommy joints, and help with the lower back pain that always seems to accompany pregnancy. You can definitely tell this was put together by moms for moms - it's encouraging and very well thought out! Link to Amazon review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1ECTQX26XLM20/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm Product Description: "A beautiful at-home yoga practice for all expecting mothers..." Julie Schoen, certified pre-natal yoga instructor, author, and founder of Yoginiology.com and Mommy Does Yoga, leads mommas-to-be on a beautiful 60-minute yoga session, keeping women active, comfortable, and relaxed during all stages of pregnancy. An active vinyasa flow weaves modified yoga poses together to create a workout that feels good while still being effective at keeping and creating muscle tone. Bookended by a soothing...

As most of you know I'm Christian, a Wife, and a Mother (yes...in that order). Most days I feel like I've failed at all three of those jobs. Usually I feel that way right about the time the sun comes up. Before I roll out of bed I have an idea of how I want the day to go. Within minutes I am headed off course. I let curse words slip every now and again, I forget playdates and sports practices, I lose someone's favorite socks or burn the eggs (that is on those days when I've remembered to pick up eggs). Today was no exception and I cannot begin to list all the things that went wrong. Fortunately for me, I was raised by a total and complete optimist. Even though I know I've fallen short, I generally look at the positives and figure if no one is hospitalized by the end of the day we have successfully accomplished what we needed to for that day. Some days that is all I can ask for. I would love to send a Christmas letter talking about how my children never talk back, ...

Grab Your Calendars! I have three VERY exciting WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tours I can’t wait to start booking and I hope you’ll be part of the excitement! Dates:    November 10 th through December 10 th 2014 Author:   Linda Appleman Shapiro Title:     She's Not Herself: A psychotherapist's journey into and beyond her mother's mental illness (Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/1wxCXOL) Genre:   Memoir, Mental Illness Audience: SHE'S NOT HERSELF   was written to appeal to a wide range of readers from anyone who has grown up in a family fraught with the destructive power of hidden stressors -- mental or physical -- as well as students of psychology, teachers, patients, and the professional community of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers. I believe that all readers will gain insight regarding family dysfunction, the destructive nature of secrets, and patterns of behavior that are set in motion -- as many...