I’ve always loved to read books, especially during the summer when the days are lazy and too hot to do anything else.  This past summer? I lost count of how many I read, but since school has started back I haven’t had much time to read just for the pleasure (Big Honkin’ British Lit book is about the extent of my reading lately. No, thank you!).  So I was thrilled to do a review on up and coming Mia King’s latest book, “Sweet Life.”

The women’s fiction novel is based on a woman who’s life who is uprooted from the New York life and placed in what should be paradise…Hawaii!  When her husbands job is transferred, she expects the change will also be a chance to reconnect with her husband and her daughter after years of focusing on a career.  Instead, what should be a relaxing and simple life becomes burdened with a husband who wants time to himself, a daughter who wants to be home schooled, and redefining who she is again.

In short: I couldn’t put this book down. I had it done within 24 hours after ripping open the amazon box while drinking my morning coffee. I found it so interesting to be emerged into the New York mind set, and then shifting to the culture of Hawaii. I have not been to either place, so it was neat to experience pieces of places through the characters.  I loved how she developed the characters and the twists the plot I never would have guessed.  It was very entertaining!

Also, one aspect that I think Mia is genius at: her recipes.  I mean, sure people create and publish recipes all the time, but Mia does it in such a unique way. Throughout the novel she weaves them in with the characters.  For example, one character is pregnant and feeling the stormy seas of morning sickness and so she is offered Ginger Tea by a room mate.  The food and drinks are so much a part of the story that you don’t think about it until you flip to the end of the novel (or online) and find the recipe for it and think, “Oh yea! I remember that, it sounds good!”  It’s a brilliant concept. I also love how the food gives us yet another “taste” of Hawaiian culture and how we can recreate a bit of it ourselves, no matter where we live.

The only thing I didn’t like was the little bit of cussing involved.  I just don’t like cussing, but thankfully Mia used it sparingly and not as harshly as it could be.

If you browse Mia’s web site and read through her blog posts and answers to questions, you get the sense that she is very much a laid back person who just loves what she does all around. I think it’s her personality and sense that she is just like us, her readers, that ultimately shines through her work that makes this book such a pleasure to read.

I know I will certainly be reading more of her books!

Review opportunity provided by the Family Review Network.

I love half.com. It’s my new best friend, seriously.

Mark and I had 11 text books to sell from last semester and I decided to go with this little brother of ebay to go about business. I don’t know if you guys have any experience with the original ebay.com, but trying to get something online for people to buy can appear tricky. What shipping to offer customers? How much should I charge? How can I catch the customer’s eye and accurately describe the product? (okay, that doesn’t sound bad, but trust me, it can be a confusing task with many options to chose from for a newbie). And, they get you with the little fees. And, you can only have an item up for about a week and either it sells in that time, or it doesn’t.

Well, what I like about half.com is that it takes all that guess work out. It’s made for just media type things (books, CD’s, movies, video games, etc.) to sell/buy at reduced prices. It’s really great for buying textbooks (that’s all we’ve bought/sold so far, haven’t tried the other categories of products) at lower prices, because university stores are ridiculous. With 11 books, it took me hardly any time to get our items listed. I was able to tell them the exact product (what edition/cover/author/everything!) with just entering the ISBN number (therefore, saving time), entered the quality of the book, described the book (like, if it had markings), and listed the price. Click. Done.

What I really liked? Instead of the guessing of what I should list it for, it gave me a recommended price based on what other people had/are listing it for so that I could list it competitively, but fairly. It was usually spot on, too. And, what I really like? No bidding. I like that I can buy a book at ebay prices without sitting at the computer for an hour fighting over an item. And what I really, really like? It doesn’t have a time limit. It stays up until it sells, or until I take it down. And, no listing fees. It just takes a very small percentage out after a sale is made (like, two dollars).

Within just a few hours? I’ve already sold 2 books. Score.

Of course, the extra cash will go right back into buying new text books. School starts for Mark on Wednesday, and myself on Thursday. Ugh. I’m not ready for vacation to be over.

After a date night out with a rare good night sleep, I’m ready to take on our sleep issue with a fight. A no-cry fight, even. Not saying tears are bad, because even crying can be refreshing, but crying isn’t so lovely when you hear it all. night. long. I came home and did some research online trying to find a book focusing on sleep issues. Hopefully, I’ve found the one the will work for us, The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Thank you Amazon.com for the used book section, allowing me to pay $6 total including shipping, half the price of if I had drove to the book store. Granted, I have to wait a few more days to find some answers to our problems (hopefully), but still, can’t pass up a good deal.

In the mean time, we’re back to establishing a bed time routine (bath time, lots of books, snuggles and a feeding–which I want to learn how to cut out of her sleep necessity). Duh, Leah. Why did you get flax about it in the first place? Remember that back tracking I was talking about? I bet that is why. We’ll see what else Ms. Pantely has to offer soon. I chose this book because it seems to be more than just reading and then trying to apply. She has ’sleep logs’ and questions to ask yourself and keep record of about daily/nightly routines to help show where the problem is and then gives you a majority of solutions, not just one (so I’ve heard) to apply. She’s got a chapter for tiny infant sleeping AND older infant sleeping (Hello! That’s us!). She has one for co-sleepers and the one I’m most looking forward to–a chapter about babies who are depending on breast/bottle/pacifier to sleep.

And, quite frankly, I’m a person that some times needs some one to just tell me what to do next. Especially, when I am head deep in frustration, anger and tears. When a person is at the end of her rope, she needs some one to tell her what to do next to save herself. I’ve heard this book offers gentle step-by-step solutions. Just what I need.

We’ll see if it lives up to the reviews and to my expectations soon enough. In the mean time, off to dream land where there are no dreams because I’m always awake. Meaning, bed time for the O’s.

P.S. (It did help us!  Routine in crucial as she stresses in this book.)