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Saturday, July 29, 2017

Everyone Has an Opinion - F THEM!

Everyone has an opinion about what other people should or shouldn't be doing. This statement is unbelievably obvious when it comes to parenting. If you are married, they want to know when you are having children because "they'll bring so much joy". If you have one child, they encourage you to have two, "so they have a friend". And if you are 40 and having your sixth baby they want to know if you have lost your mind because apparently in 2017 it's got to be insanity causing you to procreate. About a week ago someone at the grocery store asked how many children we have and after I replied, she said "I'm sorry"...

I SHOULD have said "do you know how this happens?" or "I wish I knew who the fathers were" or something equally clever. Instead, I looked at her in disbelief and said "I'm not - we are absolutely blessed". Then I loaded up my groceries, filled the 4 carseats in the minivan, and went on my merry way. I was a bit flabbergasted, but again...everyone has an opinion.

As I drove home I couldn't help but wonder why she felt sorry for me. Usually people say clever things like "you've got your hands full" or "you sure are busy"...but pity is a bit of a new one. I like to think that people make a comment simply to strike up a conversation. Before children, strangers would say they like my hair or my shoes, my handbag or something else. Now my clothes, my purse, my hair and such aren't a bit enviable, so people comment about the children - or that's what I choose to believe. But pity...

Why pity?

Well I'm thinking maybe she had a hard time raising her children. Maybe she knows that the teenage years are going to be difficult. Maybe life was different for her than it is for me. Maybe she can't imagine having 6 children anymore than I can imagine having just one. The good news is, opinions are prevalent and it costs nothing to have one.

My opinion is this:

Live and Love with complete abandon because life is short. Have the cinnamon roll - or if you want two of them, have two of them! Have 18 children if the sounds of their voices fill your home and your heart with love. Wear bright colors if you are drawn to them. Sing loudly if it makes you happy. As long as you aren't hurting anyone else and you are right with God - just rock this life you've got. Whether you're the single girl riding the Harley or the soccer mom driving the mini van - do it with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. This is YOUR life to live and no one else's. If they don't like it, that's on them. Some people don't know how to be happy, so if YOU do - just keep on keepin' on!


And by the way - you rock! You're amazing! You're beautiful! Yes YOU!!!! I'm talking to you! Stop listening to those other voices telling you that you aren't good enough, because they are wrong. You are phenomenal!!!


May your paths be abundantly filled with positive voices reminding you you are amazing - and mix all that goodness with some sunshine, lemons, and sugar and have a big ole glass of lemonade and drink it down with a smile!

xoxox
Crystal 

ps -  if you are curious about the picture on this post...that's my 2 year old singing at the top of her lungs - she's counting 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 !!! yes, she missed 5 and yes, she'll tell you she's 3 years old, just because she can! She's also wearing a shirt as a dress because she wanted to take her pants off, and her sandbox is filled with water so she can jump in it and make a mess. 2 year old's are rock stars and they don't care what you think. They love and live with complete abandon. When I grow up, I want to be just like this little girl!!!!

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

5 Star Book Review of Larry Kilham's "The Digital Rabbit Hole" by Tess Fallier

The Digital Rabbit Hole allows reader an opportunity for self reflection and asks readers to consider the following questions:

Will digital media sweep us into a new era of prosperity?

What new advances in entertainment, culture, education, and knowledge can we expect?

Will we get stuck in Cyberland only to be saved by digital detox?

The Digital Rabbit Hole reveals that we are becoming captive in the digital universe. The portals are smartphones and the world is the Internet. We immerse ourselves in social media; we learn through packaged feel-good information; and we will leave the hard work to robots and AI. The book details digital media and discusses smartphone addiction problems. It proposes solutions to stimulate creativity and education and to recapture our humanity.

Paperback: 144 Pages
Genre: Social Science/Non Fiction
Publisher: FutureBooks.info; 1 edition (January 1, 2016)
ASIN: B01A3MTVBS
ISBN-10: 1533307075
ISBN-13: 78-1533307071

The Digital Rabbit Hole is available in ebook and in print at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.



About the Author:


Larry Kilham has traveled extensively overseas for over twenty years. He worked in several large international companies and started and sold two high-tech ventures. He received a B.S. in engineering from the University of Colorado and an M.S. in management from MIT. Larry has written books about creativity and invention, artificial intelligence and digital media, travel overseas, and three novels with an AI theme. Currently, he is writing a novel about free will.

Larry can be found online at:

Website: www.larrykilham.net

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Larry-Kilham/e/B003UPNVNK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4352387.Larry_Kilham





Review by Tess Fallier:

The Digital Rabbit Hole is not a book I would normally pick up off a shelf to read. It was recommended by my dear friend as something to read and review and I’m so very glad I took her suggestion. It caught my interest and attention quickly with the introduction, which is set to the theme of Alice in Wonderland, where he writes about Alice falling down a different kind of rabbit hole this time. “Once or twice she peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, ‘and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice, ‘when people can see everything in color and sound on their smartphone.” At that point while reading I came to an interesting revelation: I was reading this “book” on my smartphone. I have always had a love of reading and even I have gotten sucked down this “Rabbit Hole” and do so much with my smartphone that even enjoying a book is something that has become digital. This realization made me want to continue reading this book so that I could try to understand what has caused this and whether this is a good or bad thing for our world.

Kilham does a fantastic job of explaining how and why the digital world has become such a huge part of our lives. My one concern before I read the book and as I first started reading it was that it would only point out all of the negative points of the digital world, but I was very pleasantly surprised that he did a great job of explaining all of the many benefits to having information at our fingertips as well. He made me really appreciate all of the ways our lives are easier and how in many ways we are able to become more intelligent because knowledge is at our fingertips, but at the same time we are not using our brains to figure things out like we had to in the past, because all we have to do is type or talk into our smartphone and get an answer. We no longer have to work for information. Social media helps us stay in touch with friends and family in ways we couldn’t before, but a side effect to that is that we are spending less time with people in person and losing our social skills. Its not just social media that is to blame for the change in social skills and human interaction. In Chapter 5, Kilham points out that even at the stores, people are encouraged to use the self checkout option, where you scan your own items and use the computer to pay, so you never have to speak to an employee to purchase your items.

I plan to reread this book and really take the time to think about all the different points that Kilham makes. I also think as a mother of 6 children, it is something I would like the kids to read. The older ones should read it now, and the younger ones as they get older. I don’t want to discourage using technology, but understanding the risks and benefits of becoming so immersed in a digital world is important and this book is a great way to get people thinking about how we need to find a balance in our lives. We need to use and appreciate all the digital world can bring to us, but still find time to use our minds and stay grounded in the real world.

My plan for this coming weekend, because of reading The Digital Rabbit Hole, is to read a real book that is written with ink and paper. I also want to implement one device free day a week for our family where we play board games and do outdoor activities. I think we need to take little breaks from the digital world we are always so immersed in.


Thank you to WOW! Women on Writing for allowing me an opportunity to participate in this book
blog tour!





Be sure to check out some of the future blog stops on this tour:



Wednesday, August 9th @ The Muffin
Angela Mackintosh reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/





About today’s reviewer:

Tess Meyer is an office manager and service advisor at an auto repair business in Sheboygan. She lives in Manitowoc with her boyfriend. Between them they have 6 kids, a dog, and a cat. They all stay very busy enjoying swimming, gaming, Pokemon Go, and all things nerdy.


Saturday, July 22, 2017

Eric Trant Has Done it Again!

Eric Trant has written yet another amazing book! You'll pick this one up and you will be glued to your seat until the very last page...AND THEN...you'll want even more! Whether you've read Steps and/or Wink, you'll still enjoy Eric's delightful writing style in his latest novel Risen.

To help kick off this fabulous read, Eric has scheduled a WOW! Women on Writing book blog tour beginning September 4th and continuing for approximately a month. During this time, followers will have opportunities to hear from reviewers, read guest blog posts written by Eric Trant, as well as having plenty of chances to win their very own copy of Risen. If you'd like to participate in the tour (whether you have your own blog or not), please email: crystal@wow-womenonwriting.com and find out how you can get in on all the action!

Genre: Historical Supernatural Fiction
Page count: 268

Summary:
Haunted by visions of a demonic angel and sold into servitude by his father, young Alberto battles to survive the horrors of a nineteenth century Sicilian sulfur mine.

Suffering merciless brutality, Alberto must save not only himself but his deformed older brother, both pawns in their father’s mad plan to overthrow a group of wealthy landowners.

Bound by a death-debt to his hunchback master, Alberto discovers a door the miners call Porta dell’Inferno, the Door to Hell, deep within the sulfur mines. When he learns the demon-angel of his dreams stalks the caverns beyond the door, Alberto realizes a strange fate has lured him and his brother to the gates leading to the underworld.

Now Alberto must face the creature from his visions and rise to become the man his father demands him to be, or remain forever trapped in a hellish world where none escape.



Link: http://widopublishing.com/risen-by-eric-trant/

WOW! Women on Writing tour dates:

Launch Day Interview and Giveaway 9/4/2017 (tour will last 30 ish days)

Guest Post Options:

a -- ; Is a Career in the Arts (Writing) Realistic?
b-- ; Carusi: Child Labor in 19th Century Sicily Sulfur Mines
c-- ; Breaking In v. Breaking Out: The Writer's Career Arc
d -- ; Luck: Its Role in Success
e -- ; Life Gets Better: An Angel Dad Reports Five Years Later
f-- ; Setting: Its Role in Storytelling
g -- ; Foreign Dialogue: Managing it in Writing
h-- ; Sex Outside of Erotica: Create Steamy (and Tasteful) Scenes in any Genre
i -- ; Say YES: Why Taking Chances is Imperative
j -- ; Why Everyone Should Own a Small Business


About the Author:

Eric resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and children, where he writes and manages his own business. His writing combines literary characterization with supernatural elements, all the while engaging the reader's senses with constant movement and vivid settings. His books are designed to be one-sitters, meaning they can and should be read in one (or a few) sittings, owing to the fast-paced nature of the writing. You can visit Eric at www.EricTrant.com, or see his blog at DiggingWithTheWorms.blogspot.com.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

5 Star Book Review of Christine Nolfi's "The Comfort of Secrets" (A Sweet Lake Novel Book 2)

You won't want to wait another moment to pick up a copy of The Comfort of Secrets (A Sweet Lake Novel Book 2) by Christine Nolfi. I've read many of Nolfi's books and have never been disappointed. This book is no different.

Official Summary:
Cat Mendoza needs a win. After a business failure and years of dating the wrong men, she’s ready to turn things around.

First she must convince the residents of Sweet Lake, Ohio, that she’s taking her responsibilities seriously. As the events director of the newly restored Wayfair Inn, she has the support of her best friends, Linnie and Jada. But everyone else—including her overprotective mother and the well-meaning Sweet Lake Sirens—can’t help but chime in with advice about her plans, her apparently too-tight clothes, and her undeniable attraction to Ryan D’Angelo, the charming ad exec hired to promote the inn.

Cat knows she should keep Ryan at a distance, but she’s drawn closer by the heartbreak he tries to hide. Will uncovering his secrets derail the new life Cat hopes to achieve…or will she gain something to cherish forever?




About Christine Nolfi:
Award-winning author Christine Nolfi provides readers with heartwarming and inspiring fiction. Her novel TREASURE ME, Liberty series book 2, is a Next Generation Indie Awards finalist. The Midwest Book Review lists SECOND CHANCE GRILL, Liberty series book 1, and the other Liberty books as "highly recommended".

Look for SWEET LAKE, book 1 of her new series, on February 28, 2017 and THE COMFORT OF SECRETS, book 2, on July 18, 2017. Visit her at www.christinenolfi.com

"Please continue the mail, tweets and comments on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and other sites. I cherish your support and love chatting with readers." --Christine

www.christinenolfi.com
@christinenolfi on Twitter



5 Star Amazon Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto:
Such a beautiful story. Don't be afraid to pick up The Comfort of Secrets as a read alone - this book is delightful whether you've read book 1 in the Sweet Lake series or not. Each character is carefully written with the right amount of detail. You'll feel as if you met new friends. Nolfi's writing is poetic and well edited. A fabulous summer beach read and a book you won't want to put down until you've finished.


Book Details:
File Size: 3234 KB
Print Length: 318 pages
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (July 18, 2017)
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01N4N00OR




About today's reviewer (that's me)!
Crystal is a secretary and musician at her church, birth mother, babywearing cloth diapering mama (aka crunchy mama), business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, Press Corp teammate for the DairyGirl Network, Unicorn Mom Ambassador, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin with her husband, four young children (Carmen 10, Andre 9, Breccan 3, Delphine 2, and baby Eudora due this fall), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 230 Holsteins.

You can find Crystal riding unicorns, taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff here, and at WOW! Women on Writing - Crystal is dedicated to turning life's lemons into lemonade!


Larry Kilham, the Man Behind "The Digital Rabbit Hole"

Today was supposed to be a book review of The Digital Rabbit Hole, but like all great plans, they can change. My friend Troy Pflum said this wasn't a book for him, and that's okay right? Not every book is a good fit for every body...just like not all of us can fit into a pair of skinny jeans (at least not right now).

I'd like to take this time to introduce you more intimately to Larry Kilham who is the author of The Digital Rabbit Hole. I was introduced to Larry a few months ago by good friend Mari from Artotems. She encouraged me to read The Juno Trilogy and I left my 5 star review on Amazon saying this:


This trilogy by Larry Kilham moves as a fast pace. I didn't feel that the book was overly predictable even though it was well described in the official book summary that I read prior to purchase. I rather enjoyed the concept of right versus wrong in the artificial intelligence world. The authors imagination comes through and after reading his biography, I couldn't help but want to know more about this intelligent man. I was pleased to see he has written many other books with some diverse content. The characters were not very deep and there wasn't much dialogue, but it was not necessary to keep me turning the pages. The dynamic relationship of computer and human was really interesting and I enjoyed each of these three books from cover to cover.


and now you've all read my review from The Digital Rabbit Hole (or if you haven't, here's a link to it: http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/2017/07/5-star-review-of-larry-kilhans-digital.html ) but can you believe there's more stories behind this man? Check out this impressive list of books Larry has written:


Adventure Skiing in the '60s: Chile Argentina Lebanon and Morocco
This book will launch you into ski adventures in exotic far-away places. If you don’t do such adventure travel, you can at least share my adventures. While these took place back in the 1960s when overseas travel generally required greater effort than now, and there were fewer distractions ranging from electronic media to terrorism, the basics were the same. The mountains and glorious skiing are still there. If you are interested in visiting any of the places in this book, you should gain some insights from my experiences which will help you plan your trips.


A Viral Affair: Surviving the Pandemic (The Juno Trilogy Book 2)
When American Intelligence discovers that a mad dictator is planning a viral pandemic attack, they persuade the top U.S. computer scientist, Dr. Tom Renwick, to work with the lady AI supercomputer, Juno, to develop smart, human-like robots to combat the contagion. A mysterious stranger and a romance provide an unexpected twist.

A Viral Affair: Surviving the Pandemic is the second volume in the Juno Trilogy series of near future science fiction stories.
They describe the ascent of AI and robots through a series of episodes involving Dr. Tom Renwick, a brilliant computer scientist, and his creation Juno, a female AI super computer who is programmed with emotion and conscience.

The first volume, Love Byte, describes the emergence of Juno from a laboratory curiosity to a devious computer. She is very involved with a National Security Advisor who seeks to seize power by manipulating social media.


The Juno Trilogy
Larry Kilham's Juno, part woman yet all brilliant machine, is the pulsing supercomputer at the heart of The Juno Trilogy. Kilham's three fast-paced thrillers explore a central question of our future—what will be in charge, natural intelligence or artificial intelligence? The science is up to the minute, and perhaps ahead of its time. That alone can keep you awake at night—whether you are human or a machine.


The Digital Rabbit Hole
Will digital media sweep us into a new era of prosperity?
What new advances in entertainment, culture, education, and knowledge can we expect?
Will we get stuck in Cyberland only to be saved by digital detox?

The Digital Rabbit Hole reveals that we are becoming captive in the digital universe. The portals are smartphones and the world is the Internet. We immerse ourselves in social media; we learn through packaged feel-good information; and we will leave the hard work to robots and AI. The book details digital media and discusses smartphone addiction problems. It proposes solutions to stimulate creativity and education and to recapture our humanity.

Shades of Truth
Larry Kilham’s new book The Shades of Truth throws light on a period of particular historical significance in Nicaragua. Politics, business, and social turmoil are fed into the mix, which is focused on with a keen eye and a sharp analytical mind, resulting in an eminently readable, interesting and informative work.

In the mid-sixties, when Larry was in the country, opposing forces, not all of them visible, were vying for control of political power. The long established Somoza dynasty was entrenched and gave no signs of weakening. The revolutionary Sandinista movement was seen as a remote phenomenon, circumscribed to the countryside, with no possibilities of posing a serious threat to the regime. It fell largely due to the intervention of foreign elements. Larry’s treatment of this subject is measured and subtle.

He was in Nicaragua to evaluate Metasa, a steel fabricating company. Larry’s comments about the relationship of Metasa with the Japanese and U.S. Steel are interesting and enlightening, and he paints a dramatic portrait of its manager, Arnoldo Ramírez-Eva.

Larry’s visit to Santa Maria de Ostuma, the Salazar family’s coffee farm hotel in Matagalpa, gives us an endearing view of life in those days. That, thankfully, is about the only thing that has not changed in Nicaragua.

Saving Juno (The Juno Trilogy Book 3)
Super AI computer Juno has been taken over by an international computer genius. NSA’s major computer center is also being taken over. Dr. Tom Renwick, Juno’s developer, is kidnapped. Civilization as we know it is threatened. What to do?

In this fast-paced thriller, Tom’s super brain computer scientist son, Primo, is thrown into the fray. With mysterious agent, Wildflower, and trustworthy officials in Washington, Primo strikes back. Their trail to Tom is through a hall of mirrors and continuous plot twists. It ends in an orbiting computer satellite.

Written in the genre of the late Michael Crichton and the late Tom Clancy, Saving Juno presents and action-packed adventure and new ways to look at national security. This is the third volume in the Juno Trilogy. The earlier volumes are Love Byte and A Viral Affair: Surviving the Pandemic.

Winter of the Genomes
"Winter of the Genomes is an intellectually stimulating but sure to be controversial book, in which Larry Kilham creatively and innovatively explores the systemic relationships among critical topics such as the growing use of robots, unemployment, climate change, and global population levels."
Jeremy A. Sabloff, President Santa Fe Institute

Winter of the Genomes explores how humans will fit into an evolving ecosystem being impacted by artificial intelligence. We are entering the age of AI and robots when they could take as many as half the jobs in industrialized countries. On the other hand, robots are also making inroads as lovable companions, and they don't eat, drink water, or create waste. If populations drop due to pessimism about the economic future caused in part by robots and automation, as has started to be the case, the corresponding decline in energy demand will contribute to a significant reduction in global warming. Also, robots could be key to improving agricultural production thus helping to fend off a major global food crisis.


MegaMinds: Creativity and Invention
MegaMinds: Creativity and Invention explores how people think creatively and motivates the reader to be creative and inventive. Larry Kilham reviews the major creative thinkers including da Vinci, Edison, Einstein, and Jobs and then moves on to the latest in computer-aided thinking. Noting that we are entering an era where the lone genius may no longer be equal to solving the problems such as climate change and pharmacology, Kilham proposes new problem solving approaches combing the best of the imagination, creative thinking, collective intelligence, and the Internet.
Examples of MegaMinds at work are drawn from a wide variety of applications ranging from inventing birdfeeders to complex jumbo aircraft design. Kilham combines historical research, current cognitive science, and his own experience as an inventor with several successful patents in complex technical areas. He offers pointers along the way for everyone from emerging inventors and technical problem solvers to research teams seeking to utilize the best in cognitive science and computer technology.
Larry Kilham has a powerful vision for a better world through creativity and invention. The time is now.

Great Idea to a Great Company: Making Inventions Pay
This book takes the reader through the essential steps of forming a successful technically-based company. Included are such topics as forming a vision, creating a product, patents and trademarks,formulating a business plan, the basics of marketing, finance, production, patents and all the various elements, formal and informal, that pull the whole process together. All major points are illustrated by examples drawn primarily from family companies based on inventions. The story-telling style captures the attention of beginners as well as seasoned entrepreneurs. The book is very meaty and avoids the mantras, over-simplification and feel-good approaches of many "How to" business books.

Love Byte (The Juno Trilogy Book 1)
"I never met a computer I didn't hate, until I fell in love with Larry Kilham's Juno. Part woman yet all brilliant machine, Juno is the pulsing supercomputer at the heart of Love Byte, Kilham's fast paced thriller that explores a central question of our future -- what will be in charge, natural intelligence or artificial intelligence? The science is up to the minute, and perhaps ahead of its time. That alone can keep you awake at night -- whether you are human or a machine." ~ Robert Mayer, National award winning author of Superfolks, The Dreams of Ada, and The Origin of Sorrow

Juno is a super intelligent AI computer developed by the U.S. government to conduct social media attacks against enemies foreign and domestic. She is the first AI Computer programmed with emotions and conscience. She has an emotional bond with her developer, Tom Renwick, a computer scientist. Juno, Tom and their boss, Dr. Erwin Krakouer, the mad National Security Advisor, struggle with issues of trust and emotion. The involvement of Dido, a lady computer empire builder and sometimes girlfriend of Tom, and the Chinese cyber warfare agency add to the tension.

Love Byte explores emotion and conscience in super AI computers and their ability to partner with humans. In the changing ecology engendered by scarcity of critical resources, can humans’ creativity and ability to work with computers lead to continued survival and prosperity?






and I've probably missed a few! Isn't this unbelievable? What an impressive list and if you care to be more impressed, here's Larry's bio:

Larry Kilham has traveled extensively overseas for over twenty years. He worked in several large international companies and started and sold two high-tech ventures. He received a B.S. in engineering from the University of Colorado and an M.S. in management from MIT. Larry has written books about creativity and invention, artificial intelligence and digital media, travel overseas, and three novels with an AI theme. His book website is www.larrykilham.net and he looks forward to hearing from readers at lkilham@gmail.com. Currently, he is writing a novel about free will.



Pick up a reasonably priced copy of one of Larry's books and enjoy some of his insight!



Saturday, July 15, 2017

Lakeshore Baby Love - Breastfeeding Statement

I never thought toddler breastfeeding was for me...until her <3 td="">
Ok - I'm hoping that coming up with a title for this post is going to be the hardest part. If you're not into breastfeeding, then really you can scroll and find another post, because this post is all about boobs and how they are used to feed babies and toddlers.

I am often asked if there is a Manitowoc/Two Rivers area LaLeche League group. Let me start by saying there is not. The previous group disbanded when the leader moved away and no one stepped up to take on that role. I considered it - I really did! I prayed about it, discussed it with friends, family, my husband, etc... because I love breastfeeding, sharing the love of breastfeeding, and helping women feel empowered when it comes to caring for their babies. So it seems pretty dumb that I didn't step up, right?

Well....the LaLeche League has a lot of rules. I totally "get it" - it's a cover your ass kind of world. I don't think they'd like me very much, and being an official LLL leader I wouldn't be able to follow my heart and my gut in certain situations. I wouldn't be able to tell a new mom that it's okay to throw in the towel. I wouldn't be able to say things like "fed is best" or "why don't you just give her a bottle? it doesn't make you any less of a mom"

I've said all those things and I will say them again I'm certain. I do not think that breastfeeding is the ONLY way to feed a baby. I think it's convenient and it works for me now...but there was a time when I was working too many hours, traveling, my employer only allowed pumping in a restroom, I was ashamed to feed my baby in public, etc... and I fed my baby with formula. Guess what happened? They didn't die. In fact, they are now old enough to drive me crazy and they even drink soda - - - GASP!

Lakeshore Baby Love as a group is about loving babies which means loving the family units who care for them. This means no shaming, and making a mom feel guilty because she stopped breastfeeding or never attempted it, doesn't fit the mold of who we are as a group or who I am as a human. So - if you are interested in being supported and loved through your breastfeeding journey, and you wish their was a LaLeche League on the Lakeshore, you've come to the right place. Lakeshore Baby Love is going to love you right through that journey - no matter what it looks like. We are going to love you through those engorged breasts, sore nipples, sleepless nights, and we will keep on loving you once breastfeeding gets easy...the days when you get to run out of the house without worrying about measuring things, clean bottles, water, etc...

So, in closing I want to give you the same advice I give myself in the third trimester of my pregnancies: "Hold yourself to a standard of Grace and not Perfection" and what that means to me is we will enter into motherhood without expectations. We will love our bodies as much as our babies. We will love our babies however they need to be loved (that may mean bottles or disposable diapers, breasts, or fluffy butts). It's pretty tough to love another human when you always feel like you've failed, so be gentle with yourself and just BE. Be the mother that your baby needs. Live in the moment. Love fully. Ask for help.

See you at our next meet up and be sure to join our Facebook Group to stay up on current "stuff"

xoxoxo
Crystal

Crystal is a secretary and musician at her church, birth mother, babywearing cloth diapering mama (aka crunchy mama), business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, Press Corp teammate for the DairyGirl Network, Unicorn Mom Ambassador, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin with her husband, four young children (Carmen 10, Andre 9, Breccan 3, Delphine 2, and baby Eudora due this fall), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 230 Holsteins.

You can find Crystal riding unicorns, taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff here, and at WOW! Women on Writing - Crystal is dedicated to turning life's lemons into lemonade!



Friday, July 14, 2017

5 Star Review of Larry Kilhan's "The Digital Rabbit Hole"

The Digital Rabbit Hole allows reader an opportunity for self reflection and asks readers to consider the following questions:

Will digital media sweep us into a new era of prosperity?

What new advances in entertainment, culture, education, and knowledge can we expect?

Will we get stuck in Cyberland only to be saved by digital detox?

The Digital Rabbit Hole reveals that we are becoming captive in the digital universe. The portals are smartphones and the world is the Internet. We immerse ourselves in social media; we learn through packaged feel-good information; and we will leave the hard work to robots and AI. The book details digital media and discusses smartphone addiction problems. It proposes solutions to stimulate creativity and education and to recapture our humanity.

Paperback: 144 Pages
Genre: Social Science/Non Fiction
Publisher: FutureBooks.info; 1 edition (January 1, 2016)
ASIN: B01A3MTVBS
ISBN-10: 1533307075
ISBN-13: 78-1533307071

The Digital Rabbit Hole is available in ebook and in print at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.



About the Author:


Larry Kilham has traveled extensively overseas for over twenty years. He worked in several large international companies and started and sold two high-tech ventures. He received a B.S. in engineering from the University of Colorado and an M.S. in management from MIT. Larry has written books about creativity and invention, artificial intelligence and digital media, travel overseas, and three novels with an AI theme. Currently, he is writing a novel about free will.

Larry can be found online at:

Website: www.larrykilham.net

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Larry-Kilham/e/B003UPNVNK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4352387.Larry_Kilham



Follow this link to participate in the giveaway - get your own copy of "The Digital Rabbit Hole"!!  http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2017/07/larry-kilham-launches-book-blog-tour.html


Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto:

Let's start by saying I love this book and have now read it 3 times. The first time I devoured each and every page very quickly and was in awe with not only Kilhan's observations but also his vast knowledge and insight into the digital world. I was reading The Digital Rabbit Hole as someone who uses social media and their smartphone to stay connected and earn a living. The second time through, I read as a mother who is definitely on a conservative side when it comes to the rabbit hole and allowing her children to potentially fall into it. The third time through, I read as a reviewer. Let me just say The Digital Rabbit Hole is a book I will be reading again, referencing often, and one I can recommend to anyone involved with children and the daily struggle of Cyberland and technology.

My bookmark is nestled at the end of chapter 11 going into chapter 12 because I want to share some of Kilhan's brilliant words with you:

To avoid such a dystopia, people will have to do whatever is necessary to remain intellectually stimulated. They will have to exercise their curiosity and imagination just as they now work out in a gym to improve their physical health. If people connect or reconnect with nature they will find that it is their environment and ultimate support system. It is where we see analogs to human organizations and the human condition. 

Doesn't this statement almost seem profound in a day and age when we can intellectually stimulate ourselves from the comfort of our own home with the aid of smart phones, tablets, and televisions? Why would we want to travel to the jungles of Africa and risk poisonous snakes, yellow fever, and dangerous animals when we can watch a video and learn about them whilst in our pajamas? Kilhan points out that in our digital world, "if computer trends continue, what it means to be human will change". My fear is, we will no longer do our own research, we will use google or a similar user-driven interface where it is hard to discern what is truth and what is fiction. Thinking independently from our technology is going to get more difficult as we move forward.

Reading The Digital Rabbit Hole has really helped me do quite a bit of soul-searching if you will. I've always kept my children away from technology. I've been the mother who offers crayons instead of a smart phone while waiting in the Doctor's office or a busy restaurant. We do not play video games, we play board games. We go on hikes and explore nature with all of our senses. However, as our children enter middle school, it is becoming more and more difficult to maintain our technology free lifestyle - especially given how much I rely on social media in my professional life. I stopped in my tracks on page 52 as I thought "will my children ever find jobs if they aren't as proficient as others when it comes to Cyberland?"

I learned so much about myself while reading The Digital Rabbit Hole and the experience has sparked a lot of great conversations with friends, educators, and family members. There are many take-aways, but the most important is the importance of getting out (without my smart phone) and enjoying nature, real life conversations that are spoken and not typed, and that my smart phone is not my escape hatch from reality but may in fact be leading me down the rabbit hole.

If you are looking for a good book to read or possibly a good book for your book club, I certainly recommend The Digital Rabbit Hole and can safely give it a strong 5 star rating. 
Thank you to WOW! Women on Writing for allowing me an opportunity to participate in this book
blog tour!





Be sure to check out some of the future blog stops on this tour:


Monday, July 17th @ Beverley Baird
Writer, Reader, and Book Enthusiast Beverley A Baird reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole and shares her experiences with her readers.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, July 18th @ Bring on Lemons with Troy Pflum
Midwestern father and avid reader Troy Pflum reads and reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole and shares his ideas and afterthoughts with readers at Bring on Lemons.
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, July 19th @ Constant Story
Fellow author David Berner reads and reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://davidwberner.blogspot.com/

Thursday, July 20th @ Book Santa Fe
Reader and book enthusiast Tange Dudt reviews Larry Kilham’s The Digital Rabbit Hole and shares her thoughts with readers at Book Santa Fe.
http://www.booksantafe.info/

Friday, July 21st @ Eric Trant
Fellow author Eric Trant shares his thoughts after reading and reviewing The Digital Rabbit Hole by Larry Kilham.
http://diggingwiththeworms.blogspot.com/

Sunday, July 23rd @ Hott Books
Today's author spotlight at Hott Books is none other than Larry Kilham. Find out more about this accomplished author and The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://www.hottbooks.com/

Monday, July 24th @ Lisa Haselton Reviews and Interviews
Lisa Haselton interviews Larry Kilham about The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, July 25th @ Bring on Lemons with Tess Fallier
Tess Fallier is today's guest blogger with a review and insight into Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole. Don't miss this blog stop!
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 9th @ The Muffin
Angela Mackintosh reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/





About today’s reviewer:

Crystal is a secretary and musician at her church, birth mother, babywearing cloth diapering mama (aka crunchy mama), business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, Press Corp teammate for the DairyGirl Network, Unicorn Mom Ambassador, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin with her husband, four young children (Carmen 10, Andre 9, Breccan 3, Delphine 2, and baby Eudora due this fall), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 230 Holsteins.

You can find Crystal riding unicorns, taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff here, and at her personal blog dedicated to turning life's lemons into lemonade!

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Thanks to WOW! Women on Writing - Cathy Hansen Reviews Larry Kilham's "The Digital Rabbit Hole"

The Digital Rabbit Hole allows reader an opportunity for self reflection and asks readers to consider the following questions:

Will digital media sweep us into a new era of prosperity?

What new advances in entertainment, culture, education, and knowledge can we expect?

Will we get stuck in Cyberland only to be saved by digital detox?

The Digital Rabbit Hole reveals that we are becoming captive in the digital universe. The portals are smartphones and the world is the Internet. We immerse ourselves in social media; we learn through packaged feel-good information; and we will leave the hard work to robots and AI. The book details digital media and discusses smartphone addiction problems. It proposes solutions to stimulate creativity and education and to recapture our humanity.

Paperback: 144 Pages
Genre: Social Science/Non Fiction
Publisher: FutureBooks.info; 1 edition (January 1, 2016)
ASIN: B01A3MTVBS
ISBN-10: 1533307075
ISBN-13: 78-1533307071

The Digital Rabbit Hole is available in ebook and in print at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.



About the Author:


Larry Kilham has traveled extensively overseas for over twenty years. He worked in several large international companies and started and sold two high-tech ventures. He received a B.S. in engineering from the University of Colorado and an M.S. in management from MIT. Larry has written books about creativity and invention, artificial intelligence and digital media, travel overseas, and three novels with an AI theme. Currently, he is writing a novel about free will.

Larry can be found online at:

Website: www.larrykilham.net

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Larry-Kilham/e/B003UPNVNK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4352387.Larry_Kilham



Follow this link to participate in the giveaway - get your own copy of "The Digital Rabbit Hole"!!  http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2017/07/larry-kilham-launches-book-blog-tour.html


Review by Cathy Hansen:

When I was offered the opportunity to read and review The Digital Rabbit Hole, I was intrigued. As a teacher, I wanted to know what Larry Kilham had to say about the issue of kids spending so much time using various electronic devices. In my own profession, I’ve seen the consequences, and have been concerned and wondered if others outside my profession saw things the same way.

As I read the first chapter, I was not disappointed, and found myself nodding my head in agreement with Kilham’s statements about smartphone addictions and motivations behind selfies. I was pleased to find my own perceptions backed up by Kilham’s research. As I moved through the second chapter, I found myself saying, “Yes, I understand the problem, but what do we DO about it?” I flipped back to the table of contents, and was relieved to find that the book is divided into three parts, and the title of Part 3, Escape from the Rabbit Hole, suggested I would find what I was looking for later in the book.

As I read on through Parts 1 and 2, I found myself impressed with the statistics and research gathered by Kilham, carefully woven together with personal anecdotes about his own experiences with digital technology and conversations with others about the issues of the digital age. These personal anecdotes helped this reader make it through all of the research and technical jargon necessary to explain all of the technology and its effects on the brain. His conversation with a waitress about her smartphone, as well as a poll in a clinic waiting room back up the statistics, but also make the book more accessible to those who wouldn’t be interested in reading a book of purely statistics.

Despite what the title might suggest to some, Kilham does not attack technology itself, or even suggest that we shouldn’t be using it. He describes many positive uses of technology, even explains that while people might have been able to ‘opt out’ of reading books, we are essentially surrounded by technology, and opting out really isn’t an option. Kilham also points out many issues, such as the idea that we actually know less than we think we do, because rather than depending on our own thought process and synthesis of information, we have, out of convenience, moved to simply googling the answer to whatever question we might have.

The real gem in The Digital Rabbit Hole for me came in the final chapters, when Kilham discusses how to escape the rabbit hole. The last section of the book should be required reading material for all teachers and parents who want to learn how to help children grow up with the ability to think for themselves rather than merely going with the flow of technology. Thank you, Larry Kilham, for validating what I’ve seen as a teacher and a parent, and for supplying this thoughtful read on a very timely topic.



Thank you to WOW! Women on Writing for allowing me an opportunity to participate in this book
blog tour!





Be sure to check out some of the future blog stops on this tour:


Thursday, July 13th @ Linda Appleman Shapiro
Author and Psychotherapist/Addictions Counselor Linda Appleman Shapiro shares her thoughts and insight after reading and reviewing The Digital Rabbit Hole by Larry Kilham.
http://applemanshapiro.com/category/book-reviews/

Friday, July 14th @ Bring on Lemons with Crystal Otto
Avid reader and reviewer (and social media lover) Crystal J. Casavant-Otto reads and reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole and shares her thoughts about how social media has changed our lives.
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Monday, July 17th @ Beverley Baird
Writer, Reader, and Book Enthusiast Beverley A Baird reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole and shares her experiences with her readers.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, July 18th @ Bring on Lemons with Troy Pflum
Midwestern father and avid reader Troy Pflum reads and reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole and shares his ideas and afterthoughts with readers at Bring on Lemons.
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, July 19th @ Constant Story
Fellow author David Berner reads and reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://davidwberner.blogspot.com/

Thursday, July 20th @ Book Santa Fe
Reader and book enthusiast Tange Dudt reviews Larry Kilham’s The Digital Rabbit Hole and shares her thoughts with readers at Book Santa Fe.
http://www.booksantafe.info/

Friday, July 21st @ Eric Trant
Fellow author Eric Trant shares his thoughts after reading and reviewing The Digital Rabbit Hole by Larry Kilham.
http://diggingwiththeworms.blogspot.com/

Sunday, July 23rd @ Hott Books
Today's author spotlight at Hott Books is none other than Larry Kilham. Find out more about this accomplished author and The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://www.hottbooks.com/

Monday, July 24th @ Lisa Haselton Reviews and Interviews
Lisa Haselton interviews Larry Kilham about The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, July 25th @ Bring on Lemons with Tess Fallier
Tess Fallier is today's guest blogger with a review and insight into Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole. Don't miss this blog stop!
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 9th @ The Muffin
Angela Mackintosh reviews Larry Kilham's The Digital Rabbit Hole.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/





About today’s reviewer:

Cathy Hansen is a wife, mom, teacher, independent
beauty consultant, and small business owner. She and her husband operate SeedsNBeans, a local nature store, in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

How to Help the Children

I had an interesting trip to the grocery store this afternoon. The interesting part really had nothing to do with the grocery store, but let's just start there and try to work our way through things. I'm writing this post for a few reasons. The first reason is because I'm trying to work through the awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. The second reason is because I'm trying to find the lesson for myself and the rest of humanity. That said, here goes...

I took my boys grocery shopping while the girls stayed home with dad. For those who don't know me, that means it was just my 6.5 month pregnant self along with some handsome little men (3 and 9). We were making our way through the store with 2 carts and by the time we left for the parking lot we were broke and using 3 carts for our plethora of groceries. (Shopping for a family of 6 going on 7 is no joke my friends). I loaded up the van, put the carts away, and we were headed to Starbucks for a little treat when we noticed an odd altercation at the back of the parking lot. I won't get into the details since there's a lot of he said/she said in any domestic issue.

This was one of those moments when you see people in trouble and you say a prayer but God pulls at your heartstrings and you know you need to do something. In this case there were 2 small children involved (2 and 5). In hindsight, maybe I should have kept driving...but that's not where the spirit led us today. The beautiful thing is my husband admitted he would have done the same thing. It feels so good to be married to someone who follows the same moral compass I do. Anyway, the people I was trying to help didn't really want help. Well...I think they do, but it's complicated. Thanks to my amazing network of friends, we did manage to set some wheels in motion. However, there's some follow up that needs to be done.

If you find yourself in a situation where there are children being placed in a dangerous situation, the best thing to do is involve the authorities. Today, I discretely contacted a friend who called the non-emergency line and got an officer out to help. Another friend witnessed the scenario and both she and I will be calling Human Services in the morning. The adults can seek help when and if they are ready, but my heart truly goes out to the children. It would be a good idea to save the numbers for your local authorities and if you find yourself in a situation where children need your help, you can quickly get in touch with those who have the tools and resources to help.

I'm still not sure how I'm feeling about the situation in general. Did I do the right thing? Did I put my children in a potentially dangerous situation? How am I going to feel in the future when the children involved follow in their parent's foot steps? Is God urging me to become a foster parent? I really don't have the answers, but I do know I called my friend who works in the judicial system with children and families and I thanked her for all she does. I also hugged my spouse and my children even more than usual because I appreciate the simplicity of my life.

Please pray for those families in turmoil. If you are in a bad place, please know we are praying for you; and there are people who care about you and your children.

Sending hugs from my happy little corner of the cornfield tonight.

xoxox
Crystal


May your paths be abundantly filled with sugar, lemons, sunshine, and love.