Sunday Post
Katie 
Postcard from Brian from Action Item that was sent from Maryland.
Book Review: Getting Off
Getting Off has got to be one of my favorite Cosmo Red Hot Reads I’ve read in a while. It is about Caitlin Ryan who has never had an orgasm. She has moved from Ireland to New York City in hopes of finding a job and her brother, but in the mean time she is looking for a bar job to get some spending money. She starts off by living in her Aunt’s apartment, who is away for a while and eventually will need to find her own place. She meets a guy at the bar named Liam and is instantly attracted to him, and he to her. They end up hooking up – and he realizes that she is faking it! She hopes that she never has to see him again, but wanders in to a bar to inquire about a job and it turns out that Liam is the owner! She gets the job and the patrons love her because she is a real Irish girl. But now that Liam knows the truth about Caitlin, he is on a mission to help her out. Will it work?
I really liked this book – the chemistry between the two main characters was written so well that you could totally feel it while you were reading the book. At first Liam keeps trying to stay away because he doesn’t want to mix business and pleasure, but it is obvious to pretty much everyone that he has it bad for Caitlin. Definitely a must read if you are a fan of the red hot reads like I am!
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Caitlin Ryan has never had an orgasm—and she wants one! So does she
(1) Date lots of Mr. Nice-but-Wrongs and keep faking and hoping?
(2) Do a little DIY with a battery-operated friend and a lot of imagination?
(3) Go to NYC and have a wild night with a totally hot stranger?
When (1) and (2) don’t work, Caitlin goes for (3). But even with motorbike-riding sex god Liam, old habits die hard, and yet again she has to fake it. Only he notices—and is not happy! Could things get any worse? Well, yes, when Liam becomes her new boss. But when Caitlin reveals that she’s never climaxed, Liam rises to the challenge, offering a weekend of hot sex with the only goal her pleasure. Will letting him take control work? Caitlin can’t resist finding out….
Book Review: How To Roll Like Chris P Bacon
How To Roll Like Chris P Bacon is the second book in a three book series. I haven’t read the first one but I don’t think you really need to considering Chris so kindly recaps his life in the first couple of pages! Chris P Bacon is a pig and his back legs don’t work. His Dad is a vet so he made him a cart to help him get around! This book is all about some life lessons that Chris has learned along the way that he is sharing with kids because it thinks that it will help them too! A couple of the things that he says is to be adventurous! And be silly! The book is written in rhyme and is adorably illustrated with some real photos of Chris in there for good measure. The end of the book also has a recipe for a great snack recommended by Chris – “Pigs in Mud”!
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
This is the second book in a three book series of children’s books featuring Chris P. Bacon—the little pig that’s been inspiring oodles of people. This story will pick up for the first one left off. Here’s a quick bio of dear friend:
Chris P. Bacon is one lucky pig. Born with malformed hind legs, he was taken to a vet with the request that he be euthanized. The veterinarian, Len Lucero, took one look at the little guy who appeared happy and healthy and vowed to keep him. Chris went home with Dr. Len and within a matter of weeks became an internet sensation and media darling. He’s been on numerous television shows includingAnderson Live, ABC Action News, and the Today show. He’s also been featured on the Discovery Channel (Canada). But even more important, he’s won thousands of hearts—he has nearly 80,000 fans on Facebook, a dedicated fan club, many popular videos on YouTube, and even a specially designed T-shirt, which can be ordered on his website (www.chrispbacon.org). Chris P. Bacon’s joyful demeanor and excitement for life have inspired people all over the world to view their lives in a new way.
Book Review: Stuff You Should Know About Stuff
Stuff You Should Know About Stuff is all about how to conduct yourself in public, communicating, in really specific situations, with friends, with (more than) friends, with certain other people and in other situations that they wanted to include in the book but couldn’t fit anywhere else. I especially loves the section on concert etiquette! And I got a kick out of the “$100 says you’re going to regret buying that thirty dollar tour schedule tshirt on the way out.” When I was younger I ALWAYS bought a shirt as a souvenir. Now I am a bit more selective about it. There are some that were well worth the $30 and I wear them all the time though!
It touches on Social Media as well which I think everyone should read! And I was surprised to see that there was a Matt Wertz mention/inclusion on a section about making a mixed CD. Love Wertz, didn’t realize too many people even know who he was! There were also 2 John Mayer mentions… but one was making fun of his guitar faces 🙁 (He is making the notes with his face. Watch him closer. It’s actually really interesting to watch once you figure that out!)
And I also like the tip that women need to stop saying “I need to lose weight” in front of women fatter than you. This is a major pet peeve of mine. Because if you’re thinner than me and you think YOU need to lose weight – then what the heck do you think about ME? That I’m a whale and need to lose even more weight? I don’t know why women do this and I agree with the authors – It. Must. Stop.
Overall a fun read and a lot of good tips even if some were meant to be comical!
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Do you know how to properly conduct yourself in a public restroom? What about while in the midst of a profoundly awkward silence? Have you perfected how to get out of helping your friend move?
If you answered no to those questions, then you need Stuff You Should Know About Stuff, the book that future anthropologists will no doubt call “the Rosetta Stone of handling trivial life situations.”
From the guys who created the viral videos “Sh*t Nobody Says” and “Things You Can’t Do When You’re Not in a Pool,” Tripp and Tyler bring you the written word in Stuff You Should Know About Stuff, a guide instructing you how to navigate the treacherous waters of life’s extremely trivial situations.
There are even photos and illustrations for people who enjoy photos and illustrations and stuff like that. You can read it from cover to cover or you can choose to educate yourself only in conjunction with your bowel movements. Totally your call there.
Stuff You Should Know About Stuff places the priority on the trivial experiences of life, because that’s where we spend most of our time; trying to recover from going for the fist bump when a casual acquaintance wanted a high five.
Book Review: Twitter Girl
Our story starts with Twitter Girl, Cassidy Shea, getting fired for a tweet that she sent out that was considered controversial. This also leads to her boyfriend breaking up with her. But – it also brings to her a new opportunity as Presidental hopeful Will Becker wants to add her to his staff to send out snarky tweets about the President and his competition during the votes. Becker is also single, good looking, and every woman in America wants a chance to be his First Lady.
Cassidy takes the job and then starts getting mixed signals from her boss. Is he interested in her? The thought of being First Lady is always in the back of her mind, but her career comes first. Once she gets involved with the campaign, she starts getting anonymous texts telling her to look more into Becker’s life – specifically in 2005. At first she casts it aside, but when she starts to date Becker and her brother has a funny feeling about him (and his gut is always right) she starts to dig a little deeper.
And what she finds is more than she bargained for. Not only does she find dirt on the would be President that could bring his campaign to the ground – but she also finds the meaning of love.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the witty tweets that were posted throughout the book so you could follow along, so to speak, with what Twitter Girl was tweeting throughout the campaign trail. While the love aspect of the story was a bit too perfects and not all that realistic, I did enjoy reading it and found it endearing.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Meet America’s Tweet-Heart.
She’s network reporter Cassidy Shea, better known as @TwitterGirl, with more than a million followers thanks to her sarcastic tweets. One hundred forty characters that can take anyone down a notch.
But while brevity may be the soul of wit, it can also get you fired.
When a controversial tweet goes viral the snarky redhead finds herself locked out of the career she loves… and watches her boyfriend take a hike.
Alas, no industry values sarcasm more than politics, and Cassidy becomes a marketable commodity for Presidential candidate Will Becker, a squeaky-clean, stone cold lock to be the next occupant of the White House. This candidate is unlike any other; he’s the country’s most eligible bachelor. He’s also looking for a running mate, and we’re not talking about a Vice President.
Twitter Girl has caught his eye.
Cassidy finds herself swept up in a whirlwind romance that turns her into the next Jackie Kennedy and becomes the favorite to be the next First Lady. The country can’t get enough of America’s First Couple… will Cassidy and Will Becker bring back Camelot?
But an anonymous tip triggers her journalistic curiosity. Is Will Becker all that he seems? The search for the answer teaches Cassidy the meaning of love.
Book Review: Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographic Mystery
Out of the Shoebox was a great mystery – and best of all – it is a true story. Yaron Reshef gets a phone call unexpectantly asking about his father who had passed away when Yaron was a child. They ask him if he had purchased a plot of land with a friend and in order to claim it, Yaron would need to prove that it was indeed his father who purchased it by providing his address in 1935 as well as his connection to Mordechai Liebman.
Yaron then takes us on the journey that he took in order to try and uncover this information. Most of his parents families were murdered during the Holocaust. His mother is still alive as he begins the journey but not in the condition to be able to help him too much so he must rely on stories that his mother has told him over the years and his own research.
As the story unfolds it just becomes more and more interesting and of course the best part of it is that this is true and really happened. It’s hard for me to truly recap it, but I really loved reading it and uncovering this mystery with Yaron – which seemed to become more and more unbelievable and wonderful as the pages kept coming.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
About the Book
Did you ever get a phone call that changed your life?
That is what happened to author of this book.
A mysterious unexpected phone call hurls Yaron Reshef into an intensive two-year journey, during which he has to solve a mystery that took shape in the 1930s and gradually unfolded in the present. A mysterious lot, a forgotten bank account, a people long gone ”” along with their memory which were obliterated during the Holocaust. All of these rise to the surface, bearing with them memories and emotions previously hidden away in the shoebox.
Out of the Shoebox is a fascinating journal that reads like a detective story, comes across as an imaginative quest into the past, yet is the true personal story of the writer, Yaron Reshef.
“I had no intention of writing a book. I had no need to write a story in general nor a story about my family and the Holocaust in particular. But life being what it is, sometimes things happen in mysterious, even surprising ways. Stuff that used to take center stage moves to the background, and background stuff moves downstage and center. That’s what happened in my case.”
Yaron Reshef
Throwback Thursday – 98* Meet and Greet
This week’s throwback isn’t a concert, but an autograph signing. Somehow the local radio station had gotten 98 Degrees to agree to do an autograph signing at a car dealership. The signing was the day after the Aaron Carter show, so somehow my friend Lisa and I convinced our Mom’s that I could sleep over and she would drive back to Wallingford (I think that’s where it was?) for the signing. We got there relatively early, but still had to wait in the heat for what seemed like forever to get inside to meet the guys. The best part about getting up to the building was that the AC was on! Ahhhh. It was quick, we got to say hi to all the guys and got a signed photo.
How to “Follow” a post on Facebook
I have joined several groups on Facebook lately and noticed that there are far too many people who post something like “Following!”, “F” or “.” to get notifications on a post. This has been annoying me because it makes the person who posted think that they got an answer to their question or make someone who has the same question think that there is an answer when there isn’t! There is a super easy way to “follow” the post without making a comment.
In the right corner, there is a little down arrow. If you click it, one of the options is “Turn on Notifications” click this and you will get notified on every response to this question. (And unfortunately every “FOLLOWING!” as well.)
Once you get the answer you need you can go back and follow the same steps and hit “Turn off notifications” to no longer get these replies.
This works on the Facebook website and on my mobile Android Facebook app as well. (I imagine that iPhones have the same option)
The same process can also be used in threads where you answer a question and don’t care to get all the other replies. Just “turn off notifications” and you won’t get notifications of everyone else who answers the same question below you.
Disney Trip: Why you gotta be so rude?
As you probably have seen – we had on Hanson/Disney shirts for the 2 days we were at Disney for the Hanson shows. On the second day of shoes we had TWO incidents with morons.
The first guy asked us what our shirts said. “Hanson” we replied (it was the symbol.) So then he said “2 questions. Where is the N and On purpose?” So I showed him where the N was. The other question didn’t deserve an answer. (No, I lost a bet so I made this shirt and am wearing it!) He was with a girl who said that he would be going to the show later. “On purpose?” I asked him.
The second guy was mocking us because we were annoyed when they announced that the first show was going to be canceled due to the weather. When my friend said to him “and who is YOUR favorite band so we can make fun of them?” he just stood there staring at us. (Hey, it may have taken 17 years but did we FINALLY find a comeback to get morons to shut up?) He came back to us later and told us “Good news! The other 2 shows are still on!” Then he was going on and on (not to us) about his SAT scores and how he has a degree in Engineering. Oh wow, should I be impressed? I’ve got one of those too!
Now – I get that if I was wearing a sports shirt I might have gotten shit from fans of rival teams and I feel like that goes with the territory. But I don’t understand why you would go up to strangers, who are minding their own business, and start picking on them because of the music that they listen to. (I can only assume that the alcohol consumption of the Food & Wine festival had something to do with it.)
After 17 years of being mocked because you like a band – it’s gotten old. I just don’t understand it. I’ve seen plenty of people wearing shirts of bands that I don’t like – but I don’t say anything to them. I don’t see the point.
There was also a 3rd moron who started singing MMMBop at the top of his lungs when we were leaving… We’re kind of impressed that the song seems to STILL have an effect on people – when it was released 17 years ago.
and just so that this post is not completely negative – a very wonderful thing that we witnessed –
At the Magic Kingdom 2 strollers wheels got stuck together or something and the Dad pushing one of them ended up falling backwards. A guy came out of nowhere, put his hand under the Dad’s head so it wouldn’t smack onto the pavement. Then he disappeared. He did his good deed and just moved on. It was one of those things that you see happening in slow motion but there is nothing you can do about it – but I am glad that this good Samaritan saw what he could have done and jumped into action because things could have been very, very bad had he not swooped in!
(And really, these morons just gave us a good laugh – we’re not totally offended over it or anything – after 17 years of this crap you develop a skin for it)
Love with Food: October
October’s Love with Food box theme was “Monster Mash”. The harvest moon is bright, the fall air is crisp, and jack-o-lanterns are lit – so we’ve selected monster worthy snacks that will have you doing the Mash… the Monster Mash in no time! That’s not all you should be dancing over, you just donated one meal to feed a hungry child in the USA… AAaaaUUUUuuu!
Organic Jelly Beans by Surf Sweets
Trick-or-Treat! These jelly beans are packed with Vitamin C and real fruit flavor!
Very good and were the first thing I ate!
Honey Almond Nut Butter by Justin’s
Any witch’s brew that includes the protein packed Justin’s Honey Almond Butter is bound to make even Dracula smile!
I had to google “how to eat almond butter”and it said to eat it like you would Peanut Butter – so by the spoonful I did. A bit grittier than I was expecting but very good!
Cinnamon and Sugar Bananinha Banana Bar by Nutryvitta
Trick or Treat… Go bananas with this banana, cinnamon, and sugar bar. We think it tastes better than candy!
This was a little bit too sweet for me! I know that is nuts to say.
Organic Original Falafel Chips by Flamous
We hear that the blend of tumeric, onion, garlic, spinach, carrot, red pepper, tomato and green bell pepper in these falafel chips will ward off any vampires!
These were really good, kind of like tortilla chips with a bit of a kick!
Buttery shortbread squares by Clairesquares
These rich, buttery Irish shortbread squares are great solo – or pipe on an icing design of your favorite monster for a Halloween twist.
If you’ve been reading these reviews for a while you know I LOVE when shortbread is included! At this second. Delicious, as expected.
Chocolate Almond Nut Butter by Justin’s
With 3g of Fiber and 5g of Protein, this Chocolate Almond Butter is a graveyard smash!
I saved this for last when trying to almond butter because I figured I’d like the chocolate more – but I felt the ratio of almond to chocolate was off and actually preferred the honey almond nut butter.
Original Cheese Straws by J&M
If the full moon is made of cheese, we hope it is as tasty as the real cheese with a hint of cayenne found in these cheese straws!
Love all things cheddar. These cheese straws had a kick (the cayenne no doubt) but were still a hit!
Snapea Crisps by Calabee
These snapea crisps are so tasty. Be careful you may want to do the mash… the monster mash!
I love me some snap peas and these crisps were really good!