By Rebecca Regnier

I experience the community of Twitter almost daily. After trying any fad diet to come along, I never thought of using Twitter to help me lose weight. It is so true when you have people keeping you accountable to your goals, many great things can happen.

Rebecca writes a how-to tweet your way to weight loss in an amusing way. She does point out that the book does not create an eating or exercise plan, or replace your doctor.
The core of the Twitter diet is ‘Don’t eat what you wouldn’t tweet.’
With one tweet at a time, Twitter can be with you when you are at the vending machine looking for the 3 o’clock cravings. She covers sources and who to follow if weight loss is your goal. By harnessing the power of Twitter you get the great support you may need. She also includes a ‘twitter for newbies’ section on how you can join Twitter.
Her wisdom, ‘If you wouldn’t say it to your parents, the police or your pastor, don’t Tweet it.’
I didn’t use the book for weight loss specifically. It did help me during my wanderings into the kitchen when I should have been writing. Water in hand I walked out of the kitchen with not one snack. Well done Rebecca.
You can find her on Twitter @LaughItOff and her blog doesthisblogmakemelookfat.com

Bubbles

Balls

To-Be

Independent

Security Blanket Arms

Forgotten shadows

Dark niches

Bubble Thoughts

Slick love

Closed security

Crowded Alone

Maternal Calm

Lost dreams

Forgotten paths

Found amnesia

Maternal Happiness

Maternal Guilt

Restrained thoughts

Writer lost.

Maternal traitor

Daughter restraint

Marital Trite

Mama Dope

I wonder if it’s the right thing

I wonder if… it is today

I wonder if it was yesterday

I wonder if I am ever right

I wonder why?

I wonder why me

I wonder if?

I wonder if wasn’t right.

It’s done and over.

Do you have a journal? What would your nightstand say?

I glance around the crowded store. My eyes are seeping in all the magazines that promise the new diet to lose weight. I spy the candy bars right underneath the glossy mags. I am amazed how the merchandising can make us hopeful and then want a sugary treat. Of course it makes me want one. My tired soul needs a pick-me-up so badly.

I take a big breath. I look at my feet. I can’t find my feet. My muffin top is in the way. The most ways to not feel sexy is being tired, wearing old clothes and craving chocolate. I give in too many times to temptation. I rarely wear make-up. I don’t feel the need when all I do is school pick-up and drop-off. I see moms in pjs at school.  I would like to feel good again. I have lost and gained many baby pounds. Some of it is due to my thyroid medications. I do not use that as an excuse. It’s just my reality now.

I snake our way down the line. When we are three carts away from our turn, my phone rings. Much to the dismay of my now-screaming three-year-old, I take it from her and see it is my husband. I click on the Talk button and say hello.

He says he just called to say hi and that he loves me. We have a brief chat and hang up. All of a sudden my face feels warm. I find myself smiling.  A lust memory of our early dating days makes me feel great. I may be slop on the outside, but inside I see myself through my husband’s eyes. If he sees something in me that I don’t, then I must be all right.

I bypass the chocolate bars and the magazines. Placing my items on the conveyer belt and greeting the cashier, I feel my self-esteem rising. All it took was a compliment from my loved one to see whom they see. Me.

I’ve Got Your Number

By Sophie Kinsella

Author of the popular Shopaholic series brings us her latest story. Poppy is at a lovely function with friends when the fire alarm goes off. She realizes that she cannot find her engagement ring.  Considering the ring has been in her fiancée’s family for three generations, she panics.  Magnus’s parents are academic and intimidating. She knows they do not want him to marry her. And now the ring is gone. When she is outside during the fire alarm, she calls her friends who were trying on the ring before the alarm, to see if they saw it. Then her phone is stolen right from her hand.

Sitting five feet away from her in a trash bin is a cell phone. She grabs it and ends up getting involved in a whole new turn of events.  The owner of the phone, a business man named Sam, gets upset when Poppy will not give the phone back.  With the wedding angst, trying to help Sam and hide her hand from Magnus’s family, she is in for a big change.

The footnotes throughout the book are like Poppy’s inner monologue. Once again Sophie has penned a strong female driven entertaining tale. I found myself reading it in a day and a half.

An Exclusive Love

A Memoir

By Johanna Adorjan

This is not a sugary romance novel.  It’s a memoir by the granddaughter of a couple who committed suicide together when the husband fell fatally ill. The couple married just before WWII and were Jewish. She, writer/granddaughter, tells their story through interviews with people who knew them and her memories of them. She pens trying to imagine what their last day was like. She tries to understand why they killed themselves, particularly Vera who was very healthy.
Love has so many meanings in this book. It is the title but, is so much less characteristic than the title sounds. Vera never believed anyone, but her husband loved her and she couldn’t face life without him. Pista always honored and adored Vera. There’s a clear love of classical music throughout their lives, love of friends, love for their dog, all faced against this unspeakable act that seems so selfish and unloving to their granddaughter. Johanna tries to figure out what being Jewish meant to them, and what it means to her.

It is a very sad yet thoughtfully deep book.

I spy my husband’s truck pulling around to our home. I see the red balloons bopping up in the passenger’s seat. I do not tell our daughters that daddy will be home any minute. A smile reaches my lips when I recall the Valentine’s Days of our past, or rather before we had kids.

On our first Valentine’s Day we never saw each other. I had high school classes and he had to work. After Social Studies I went to my locker. I felt bummed that for the first time having a boyfriend on V Day  I will not see him. The previous year, my boyfriend had broken up with me the day before Valentine’s Day.  I turned my lock and unclicked it. As I swing open the door I got confused for a second. There was a white long box in my locker. Then I realised they were roses from him. I opened the box and smelled the fragrant flowers. I could not stop smiling all through the rest of the day. For years after we never went all out for Valentine’s Day. How could he top the one that meant so much, so I never expect it?

Since being parents, we stay in for February 14^th. As our girls get older we have made the day more about family love. My husband brings home a small gift for each. Having girls, we desire to set the precedent that they are worth being acknowledged and loved. For dinner we either order out for a Boston Pizza heart shaped pizza or we cook favorite foods.  One year we ate all red foods like tomato sauce with pasta, cupcakes and, for us, red wine.

After the paper plates (no cleaning required) are cleared, we break out a game. Our favorite right now is playing Wii bowling. We cheer each other on as we take our turns. For bedtime story we read a special story like: Clifford We Love You.  We laugh and enjoy our special night. When they get even older, we probably will not see them for dinner on that day. Right now, I love that we make it about us being together.

Pouring a hot cup of coffee and sitting down on the couch to watch a PBS show is a treat. TV is on rarely in the mornings, but when you are on vacation the rules are broken. We take our time. In the past we would stay in our pajamas for as long as we could. Before we knew it was mid-morning.

I used to think that it will be tough to fill the ten days of Spring Break. Then, we fly through it. The reason being is I do not plan a thing. We make up the day as we live it. We do not have the funds to spend a lot, but our girls do not care. I have many ideas in the morning on what to do each day. Such as:

1. If the weather is horrible, we may have a movie marathon in our pjs. We will picnic for lunch while watching a family flick.
2. If the weather is beautiful, we get outside as fast as we can. Often we go to two local parks in one day. When the kids are hungry, we picnic for snack time so they can go back to playing right away. Lunch at home and then quiet time filled with books or art time. Then, back outside to play in the backyard or the park again.
3. Quite often the local library will have programs on for preschoolers through grade school aged kids. They are a great mix of story time and dancing for free.
4. Play dates are a beautiful thing. We utilize the week by calling friends we haven’t seen in a while. I get precious adult time while the kids play.
5. When their daddy is off from work we spend quality family time together by taking day trips. Another favorite is to have ‘dates’ with our girls separately. Spending one on one time with each girl is very precious and allows us to really hear one another. I treasure those dates.

I relish the time I can slow down with my daughters to enjoy their moments. Sometimes include the eating of chocolate and build the toys in Kinder eggs.

I have the distinct honor to be partnered again with Kinder Canada. We have enjoyed our eggs and the time stands still while we play with the toy inside.

Take a sneak peek at the latest 2012 toys by liking Kinder Canada on Facebook. Through February upload a picture using Kinder Moments application and you will be entered to win $500 to your next staycation.

Disclosure: I am part of the Kinder Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Over the Christmas holidays I retired my keyboard. The pressure to blog became a burden and not a fun thing to spend my time on. I enjoyed the time with my family and read over nine books. Over the month I learned many things:

1. The best writers are readers. Stephen King said that. While I do not consider myself a great writer, I do respect that writers need to be readers. I love reading. It has been a passion of mine since I began a love of reading at the age of two. It is a great way to learn how to write.
2. My daughters’ rock.  My oldest has begun to read a lot more. By taking my love of reading she has excelled at enjoying books. My youngest has begun her therapy to help her autistic behaviours. It has only been a week and she is rocking the play therapy.
3. My husband got the household Apple TV. We have discovered a love via Netflix to catch up on series that we never caught the first time around. We are spending more time together hanging out. He is still handsome after all these years.
4. I never left home without a journal. I wrote quick notes about ideas and what has been happening in my day.
5. I no longer feel like writing is an obligation. I have been writing for over three years. A break can be very healthy for the soul. I took the time I didn’t blog to experience the above mentioned. Also, I stopped talking about writing a book and have actually started it. I am on the editing part of the first three chapters and am in love with the journey.

Have you taken a break for something? What was your experience?

My year long search for a new best friend

By Rachel Bertsche

When Rachel finally lives in the same city as her boyfriend, she realizes she misses having best friends locally. She makes a plan to go on 52 friend dates within a year. After all, having a spouse and kids doesn’t increase your chance of survival- friends do. She puts the same energy into finding a new best friend as one would going through the dating rituals. Rachel writes scientific facts that she researched along the way.

“.. Facebook is a blessing and a curse.”

“Sure, it helps us keep track of people with whom we otherwise would have fallen out of touch. But sometimes relationships fade for a reason. They’re better left a memory.”

The quotes are very true. This book is a very engaging and funny story of her search for a new best friend.

I had an opportunity to ask Rachel some questions about this book and beyond. Here they are:

1. Does it still feel like dating with your friends you made during your search?
   Luckily, no. It’s been about two years since starting my friend search. Now when I’m with the friends I made during that year, it feels like regular friendship. It doesn’t necessarily feel like it does when I’m with my lifelong BFFs, but I definitely feel like we’re legit friends now, not testing each other out.

   2. Did they know you were writing about them? Have they read the book?
   Most of the women knew I was writing a book about friendship, and I’ve heard from a lot of them since the book came out. So far, everyone has been really pleased with it! I hope that will continue.

   3. Is it true about the size of the brain determines how many relationships you can maintain?
   Well, the Dunbar Number is certainly a real thing. The Dunbar number says that the limit to how many people with whom one can maintain social relationships is “a direct function of relative neocortex size.” The neocortex is one part of the brain… so that is where that claim comes from.

   4. Why do you think young people are dropping out of church? Not a great meeting place?
   I’m sure you’re referring to the research that says a 2007 survey of Protestants aged 18-30 found that 25 percent of them had dropped out of the church entirely. I’m not really qualified to guess why people are dropping out of church–mostly because I’ve never been to church myself (I’m Jewish). So I don’t feel totally comfortable hypothesizing why people are leaving. I’ve certainly heard from many people that church and temple groups have helped them make friends, so I know it’s still connecting people to a large extent. I joined a group for young Jews in Chicago and met one great friend, so I truly believe religious institutions can help people connect if they want it to.

   5. Any advice for writers beginning their book journey?
   Yes –WRITE! Just write. I’ve talked to a lot of aspiring writers who are dying to know the ins and outs of publishing. They are planning which editors or magazines they are going to send their work to long before they’ve written one word. Before you plan your publishing deal or book party, you need to get words on the page. So my advice is to sit down in front of the computer and just write until you’ve got a story, or at least a good chunk of it, on the page. Books start with words and paragraphs and chapters. All the other stuff–the book deals, promotion, etc–come later.

   6. What is next for you?
   I’m still figuring that out myself! I’m at work on my next book proposal, but nothing is set in stone. At the moment, I’m concentrating on getting MWF Seeking BFF out to people, and I’m also at work on various freelance projects.

I refill my coffee cup and amble to sit down again. We have just returned from a doctor’s appointment after dropping my oldest daughter off at kindergarten.  My youngest is beginning the steps to have therapy to help her autistic behaviours. She was also up very early this morning. The weight of the sleep and stress exhaustion makes me grumpy. I kick a toy to the side and sit down again.

For the past year I have witnessed my girl grow slowly through the development milestones. Her speech is also delayed. We began the search for the right programs and therapies after the assessments that diagnosed her with ASD (autism spectrum disorder.)  For some reason she is deciding sleep is not an option lately. The constricting guilt of if I am at fault as to why she received the label keeps me up at night. I wonder if it had to be  me being put under for her birth. The planned caesarean was hampered by my back not able to receive the spinal tap or epidural. Her big size didn’t help.  I wonder if I didn’t eat something I should have while pregnant. I had seven months of morning sickness while pregnant with her.  And once again, like a million times before, when I start going down this road I cry.

I hear her giggle bounce off the walls as she rounds the corner to run through the rooms. Her senses love certain textures and movement. So she is wearing her Santa hat and a ballet tutu for the sixth day in a row.  Since she is three, we allow her the happiness the ensemble gives her. When she is sixteen it might not look so ‘normal’ at school. She runs around again only this time to barrel towards me. I open my arms to receive the biggest bear hug.  Her hat comes loose. She hands it to me so I can put it back on. She bounces up again and is off. My guilty reverie fades as her hug reminds me of one thing, she is my daughter. I am lucky to be her mom.

By Anne Rice

The second book of the Songs of the Seraphim series continues the metaphysical journey of angels and assains. The main character, toby O’Dare, is summoned by the angel Malchiah again. This time to investigate the poisoning of an important nobleman and prevent a dybbulk to continue. When he is very deep into his orders a dark terro closes in around him.

Her most famous character, Lestat made vmpaires look devilish long before Twilight came to light. This book is very stand alon, meaning you don’t need to read the first book, Angel Time, to catch up. This book made me want to though.

Starmaker

Life as a Hollywood Publicist

By Jay Bernstein as told to Larry Cortez Hamm

This Hollywood memoir is the story of Jay Bernstein, an entertainment industry fixture who helped launch and sustain the careers of many including Farrah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers. From his first job in a Hollywood mail room to the ownership of his own public relations firm and his work as a personal manager and television producer, Bernstein’s life is scribed in his own voice. In addition to his rise, Bernstein also describes the relationships he had with stars and relates the stories behind some of the crazy stunts he pulled to garner attention, such as paying women to throw hotel keys at Tom Jones, having Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart’s legs insured for one million dollars, and getting married underwater for an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Written with style and a sense of humor, this autobiography shares the intimate details of Jay Bernstein’s starmaker life.

He died with Farrah Fawcett at his side. Written by his closest confidant, it is a honest Hollywood memoir.

Hope is Better than Fear

Paying Jack Layton Forward

By Many Contributors

On August 22, 2011, Jack Layton lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. There was an immediate outpouring of grief which crossed the country and party lines. No other politician in Canada’s history has inspired this kind of spontaneous display of sorrow at his loss – clearly, Jack was loved!
It consists of several essays by various contributors who knew and worked with Jack throughout his long political career. They write passionately about his tireless fight for the marginalized in Canada. They discuss his fights for the rights of women, more and better environmental protections, and for the Arts in Canada. He was the first politician to visit remote northern Ontario reserves when there was no political gain to be won; he marched in gay pride parades before it became politically cool to do so. He was shunned when he first argued for Canada’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, an idea which is now Canada’s policy.

This letter is reprinted in the book and the title refers to a line at the end of the letter:

“…love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair.
So let us be loving, hopeful, and optimistic and we’ll change the world.”

The net proceeds will be donated to two charities designated by Jack’s widow, the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation and Shannen’s Dream, named in honour of Shannen Koostachin and dedicated to continuing her fight for equal school rights for First Nations children.

9 down 41 more to go for #50bookPledge