I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Where I Gave Away Books

My plan to give away books to a local nonprofit for children was thwarted when I learned that they had too many books and had actually donated a bunch to the public library.  So I needed another plan. I decided to go to the shopping center near me instead and find people in the parking lot. I also went to a Nursing Home to give books to the staff.

Awkwardness of World Book Night

The awkward part about World Book Night was giving away a free book to complete strangers. It’s funny how some people think you’re trying to sell them something and avoid all eye contact with you. There’s also fear involved. And I don’t blame them one bit. I’d probably do the same thing. I took it in stride and ended up having fun.

The Reaction of People who Received the Book

Once people understood that they were receiving a book, and which book it was, they were pleased. Some were excited and told me that they were going to pass the book along to someone else when they were finished reading it. One person knew of the author but never read this particular book and jumped up an down after she had the book in her hand. Not one person turned down this opportunity.

Why I Chose this Book

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings takes on serious issues from the victim’s point of view; incest, neglectful parenting, rape, the racial divide between blacks and whites and the inequality that black people endured, and poor choices. Beautifully written with richly descriptive language, this book also inspires you to endure and to better yourself. It’s a book that will you want to read again. When you do, you’ll gain more insight into the plight of Marguerite Johnson and about yourself.

This blog uses affiliate links.

When you visit Kohl’s, you’ll see plush toys and children’s books for $5 each. These products are specifically for the the Kohl’s Cares program. For the month of June, the “Llama Llama” storybooks and their coordinating plush toys are featured. New this month  are two cookbooks also for $5 each.

Giveaway

The total package includes:

• Llama Llama Red Pajama Hardcover book by Anna Dewdney
• Llama Llama Misses Mama Hardcover book by Anna Dewdney
• A plush Llama
• A plush Zebra
• Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur
• The Top 100 Recipes for a Healthy Lunchbox by Nicola Graimes
• Value is $30

Rules

1. Contest starts now and ends June 2oth midnight EST.
2. Open to adults 18 and over within the USA
3. One submission per household (not entry).
4. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.
5. Winner have 2 days to claim prize via email.

How To Enter

For One Entry For Each Below: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Leave a comment about one way you help your community with kid’s health or education programs. For example, have you been a volunteer at school, or bought something from a fundraising program?
2. Use the Facebook Like Button under this post. Leave a comment that you did so.
3. Follow ConnieFoggles on Twitter. Please leave a comment that you did along with your Twitter ID.
4. Like BrainFoggles on Facebook. Please leave a comment that you did along with your Facebook ID.
5. Follow this blog on Bloglovin’
6. Leave a comment on another post that isn’t a giveaway. Let me know which post please.

This review/giveaway was made possible by Mom Spark Media and Kohls. I was provided with the above product to facilitate this review. All thoughts are my own. This contest will be duplicated over several other blogs in the Mom Spark Community. While you are free to enter as many giveaways as you want, you can only win once. If a duplicate winner is detected in this campaign, I will re-draw a new winner.

Giveaway Ended

Before I can do any deep cleaning, I need to declutter. It’s something I’ve dreaded doing, but something I can’t stand about my house either. I’ve been embarrassed to have people come over because of the mess. And it stresses me out. I couldn’t even take a photo of my “before” to show you.  I had stuff everywhere – on tables, hanging on chairs, on the floor and on the sofa. My first step was making room for things I need. Yes, even my closets are full of junk! I thought if I put them where no one could see, it was fine. Until there was no room any more. That’s when the cycle started.

Saturday morning began with deciding on a room to tackle and setting a goal. I chose my Mom Cave, which is my office and place to get away from it all. But in this room is a full (of junk) closet and a cabinet. There was stuff from when I used to sell on eBay, old clothes from my 23 year old daughter who hasn’t lived at home for years and just things I’d hide away.

I set up boxes and bags and divided them up into Keep, Donate and Trash. The Keep pile was to be put away, no exceptions. If not, it was added to one of the other boxes and bags.

Decluttering Bags and Boxes

It took about 3 hours, but I now have an empty cabinet and an organized closet with a lot of room in it. I’ve called a local charity center to pick up what I’m donating and have thrown away all the trash. My daughter, Sammi, began her room by herself as well. She went through all of her toys and donated a great deal of them.

Order In The Closet

Thanks to the book Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living – Cook it, Clean it, Fix it, Wash it I have made a big accomplishment in decluttering. I’ll be moving on to cleaning soon!

Be sure to check on the giveaway of the Home Ec-101 book so you can be inspired too.

When I got the book and realized it was written by Heather Solos, the blogger behind Home-Ec 101, I breathed a sigh of relief. I hoped there would be tips in clear language and no preaching. And I lucked out.

Home Ec-101, the book, is for a beginner to an experienced homemaker i.e. someone who wants to learn the basics to someone who wants to improve and make the job easier. I fall into the middle section – I have lots of knowledge, but I conveniently forgot it; therefore I avoid anything to do with it.

Heather Solos has her work laid out for her – how to keep her reader’s attention about laundry, clutter, sweeping and vacuuming floors, appliance maintenance, stocking the pantry and meal planning. But, she does it does it well.

One way is with wit and humor. One of my favorite parts of the book are her footnotes, one in particular had me snort milk out of my nose, but I knew how to clean it up! Another way is the chapters are broken down into sections that are easy to follow. Lastly, she provides just enough detail for those that are just starting out, but brand new information for OCD housekeepers like my mom (no, there’s no hard feelings between me and my mother over the condition of my house).

Inside the book, you’ll find:

• Quick, easy cleaning solutions for every room of the house, so you can get the job done and get on with life
• Instructions for removing stubborn stains and offensive odors from fabric
• Simple fixes to wardrobe malfunctions including broken zippers, missing buttons, and fallen hemlines
• Troubleshooting advice for common problems with home appliances
• A minimum home maintenance guide to prevent or catch major repair problems
• A basic plumbing tutorial that includes clearing and preventing clogs, stopping a running toilet and retrieving items dropped down a drain
• Ideas for healthy and fast meal planning so you can start cooking and stop relying on takeout or preservative-packed convenience food
• Definitions of common cooking terms and techniques found in recipes
• Plans for stocking a pantry so you can make dinner (even if you haven’t been grocery shopping in a week) and be prepared when disaster strikes
• A complete rundown of essential kitchen equipment from knives to pans to small appliances

If you’re just moving into your own place, even if it’s a college dorm, living on your own for a while, but need some pointers, or need direction on getting and keeping your living space clean and organized, you need to check out Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living – Cook it, Clean it, Fix it, Wash it Right now it’s $13.59 on Amazon.com. Also available on Kindle.

Giveaway

One copy of Home-Ec 101

Rules

1. Contest starts now and ends April 22nd midnight EST.
2. Open to adults 18 and over WORLDWIDE
3. One submission per household (not entry).
4. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.
5. Winner have 2 days to claim prize via email.
6. Have fun and tell your friends.

How To Enter

For One Entry For Each Below: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Leave a comment about your one specific cleaning, organizing or cooking skill you need to learn more about.
2. Leave a comment on another blog post that isn’t a giveaway. Let me know which post.
3. Use the Facebook Share Button under this post. Leave a comment that you shared this post along with your FB ID.
4. Visit Brain Foggles on Facebook and like the page. Leave a comment on my page. Please leave me your Facebook ID.
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6. Follow Brain Foggles on Bloglovin’. Leave a comment that you did so with your user ID.
7. Tweet this exactly. You may tweet this daily: (leave a link to your tweet)

#Win the book Home-Ec 101 @ConnieFoggles written by @homeec101 http://bit.ly/idqOeS PL RT

I was provided with the book for review by F + W Media, who will also provide the giveaway copy. All opinions are my own. Affiliate link is included.

Giveaway Ended

In Friendship Bread, you’ll get to learn about the residents of a small town named Avalon. It’s a town where everyone knows each other, but not many people are bonded by close friendships. It’s an artificial “say hello” and move on group of people that don’t understand what people are really feeling or going through.

When a mom and daughter find a bag of Amish Friendship bread starter, a sticky note of instructions and a plate of sliced bread on their doorstep, the sharing begins in Avalon. And new friendships, of opening up to others, of healing wounds and of coming together is the result. All this takes time, just as the bread takes time to be made.

The first chapters are a bit confusing as you come to learn about each character. There’s names and stories to remember, but stick with it and it will all come together shortly. If you’re like me and have difficulty remembering names (even in real life) keep a cheat sheet to write down names and a sentence about each person.

The life stories of the characters are touching and had me going through their emotions right along with them. Darien Gee’s writing is descriptive to the point that I was laughing or crying as the stories progressed. Be prepared and have tissues handy!

Interweaving lives and experiences are the highlight of the Friendship Bread. Finding commonality among generations, heritages and backgrounds makes this beautifully written book a lesson in why people need each other.

Included in the book are various recipes for Friendship Bread and tips for making the bread.

You can pre-order from Amazon.com Friendship Bread: A Novel before the release date of April 5th. The author, Darien Gee is the real name of novelist Mia King, the author of  Sweet Life and Table Manners.

This post was written for Family Review Network & Mia King who provided the complimentary book for review in exchange for my honest opinions. An affiliate link is included for the book.

PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING addresses 89 of the most compelling and important issues that marketers face on a regular basis when it comes to social media, providing advice and insight on how to deal with each issue from the perspective of two thought leaders in this arena: Stephanie Agresta from Porter Novelli and B. Bonin Bough from PepsiCo. Together, they discuss what social media is, how it has changed the marketing landscape, how to implement a tactical and strategic social media plan across your organization, how to best measure the ROI of a social media campaign, and more.

In the book, both authors provided their expert insight and feedback from their own unique perspective – a “he said” / “she said” format, one from the perspective of the marketing agency, the other from the perspective of the brand or marketer.  Questions the authors cover in the book include:

• What are the five most important tips for using Twitter on communications strategies?
• What accounts for success in a social media marketing campaign?
• Somebody left a dissenting or disparaging comment on my blog. Should I delete it?
• What five points separate good blogs from bad blogs?
• What tools are “must-haves” for every social media-marketing effort?

Perspectives on Social Media Marketing is an exciting new book that is consistently selling in the Top 10 Web Marketing Books on Amazon and has received endorsements from industry thought-leaders such as Brian Solis (“Engage”)  and Gary Vaynerchuk (“Crush It”).

Set in a question and answer format, you can read what you need right away and save the rest for another time. There’s humor and good advice. A good read for bloggers, companies of every size and anyone who works in social media.

Giveaway

Win one copy of Perspectives on Social Media Marketing

Rules

1. Contest starts now and ends March 6th midnight EST.
2. Open to adults 18 and over from US
3. One submission per household (not entry).
4. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.
5. Winner have 2 days to claim prize via email.
6. Have fun and tell your friends.

How To Enter

For One Entry For Each Below: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Leave a comment about one topic you’d like to learn about from this book.
2. Enter another giveaway and leave a comment on which one.
3. Share this post on Stumble Upon, Digg, Reddit, etc. Leave a comment for each place you shared. One point for each share.
4. Use the Facebook Share Button under this post. Please leave a comment that you shared along with your Facebook ID.
5. Visit Brain Foggles on Facebook and like the page. Please leave me your Facebook ID.
6. Follow ConnieFoggles on Twitter. Please leave a comment that you did along with your Twitter ID.
7. Tweet this exactly. Please leave a link to your tweet as your comment. You may do this once a day.

#Win A Book About Social Media @ConnieFoggles http://clicky.me/4ISA PL RT #bloggers

I was provided with this book for the giveaway.

Giveaway Ended

Published by Scholastic Press

Pages: 40

Ages: 4 +

Price: $11.89

Type: Hardcover

Meet four girls who love shoes: SHOE-LA-LA! “Shoes with zippers, Shoes with straps, Shoes with buckles, Shoes with taps”.

Prance from page to page in search of the perfect pair of party shoes. Girls of all ages will love to go on a shoe shopping expedition with these four friends, from “fuzzy boots for when it snows” to “ballerinas on our toes.” The girls try on every shoe in the store, but “eeny, meeny, my, oh, my [they] just don’t know which shoes to buy.” With some feathers and glitter, a little bit of glue, and a LOT of imagination, the girls come up with the best shoes of all!

Geisel Honor winner Karen Beaumont’s rollicking rhymes – paired with the vibrant illustrations of LeUyen Pham – capture the excitement of finding your own style, and the joy of sharing it with friends.

“Party dresses, party hair, perfect party shoes to wear!”

Enjoy a day of shopping with four adorable girls who need new shoes to make their party dresses pop! Zipping through the fancy shoe store, trying on dozens upon dozens of shoes, the girls exasperate the shopkeeper and make a royal mess. Left with their creativity in tact though, they put their minds together to make the best kind of shoes – their very own!

With vivid illustrations, a chic, glittery cover and fun rhymes, your daughter will ask you to read this book over and over. Don’t be concerned that this book puts girls into “all I want to do is be pretty” category. You’ll see friendship, individuality and ingenuity throughout the story and so will your daughter.

Giveaway

The book Shoe-la-la – 3 Winners!

Rules

1. Contest starts now and end February 15th midnight EST.
2. Open to adults 18 and over from US
3. One submission per household (not entry).
4. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.
5. Winner have 2 days to claim prize via email.
6. Have fun and tell your friends.

How To Enter

For One Entry For Each Below: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Leave a comment about a creative thing that your daughter or a young girl in your life has done on her own.
2. Enter another giveaway and leave a comment on which one.
3. Use the Share Button and share this post (for example on Stumble, Reddit, etc.) Leave a comment for each place you shared. One point for each share.
4. Use the Like Button by this post. Leave a comment that you clicked on it.
5. Visit Brain Foggles on Facebook and like the page. Please leave me your Facebook ID.
6. Follow ConnieFoggles on Twitter. Please leave your Twitter ID.
7. Leave a comment about who you would give this book to and why.
8. Tweet this exactly. You may tweet this daily: (leave a link to your tweet or your Twitter ID)

#Win the book Shoe-la-la @ConnieFoggles 3 Winners! http://clicky.me/42jo #giveaway PL RT

I received a copy of the book for my review. All opinions are my own.

Giveaway Ended

Unique Parenting Style

Sharon Silver has written about a unique parenting style.  Don’t give into your and your child’s emotions. Instead react with a clear head in a rational tone. This allows you, the parent, to enjoy parenting more with less yelling and battles.  There’s no need to be permissive and let your child get away with anything they desire, nor is there the need to be overly strict. Once you use the techniques in Stop Reacting and Start Responding, parenting becomes less of a chore and more of a relationship.

About The Book

Sharon Silver’s tone is friendly in her book. I see her more of an advisor than someone telling me what I’m doing wrong as a parent. She admits that she’s not providing anything completely new in the area of parenting, but that she shares information broken down into small steps with easy ways to keep you on the right track of being the best parent you can be.

The book is broken down into chapters that deal with children’s emotions and family dynamics. Then it’s further broken down into specific areas of parenting, for example, lying, sibling rivalry, chores, etc. and how to deal with that behavior. These are short – two pages long, but full of information. You’ll find “tips” for easy reference at the end of the chapter along with a short review of what you’ve read.

The focus of the book is children age 1 – 10 years of age, but I found helpful advice for my 12 year old daughter.  You can purchase a soft cover version ($12.95), a PDF eBook ($9.95)or an eBook for your iPhone, iPod, iPad or Kindle (available soon).

My Review

The book is quick and easy to read. It is actually a delight! Knowing that I’m not the only parent who tries to handle situations in a way that leaves me and my daughter frustrated helped me to understand that I”m not alone. The parenting advice of “being in the moment” sounds odd, but when you read through the book, you’ll see that it is common sense. It’s also loving and allowing your children to grow up to be more self-assured adults. The tips are helpful in so many situations. I’ve gotten a new perspective on being a parent!

Where to Find Sharon Silver

Sharon has a MomTV show, Stop Reacting Start Responding, on Wednesdays at 1 PM EST/10 PM PT.  Her show on January 5th answered parenting questions and gave you a view into her bubbly personality. Her Facebook page, Sharon Silver – Proactive Parenting and her Twitter profile Sharon_Silver allow you to stay in touch and learn about coaching and workshops.

I am a participant in a Living My MoMent campaign for Proactive Parentingâ„¢ and have received the e-book Stop Reacting and Start Respondingâ„¢ by Sharon Silver as part of my participation.

The Hollisters move to a new home only to discover the moving van carrying their toys and father’s invention is missing. They also believe that their house is haunted. The Happy Hollisters characters include Pete (age 12), Pam (10), Ricky (7), Holly (6) and Sue (4), their parents and Zip, the collie, and White Nose, the cat.

The author’s real name was Andrew Svenson, who went on to write the 33-volume adventure series named the same as this book, The Happy Hollisters.

Over one million children joined The Happy Hollisters Book Club in the 1950s and 1960s.  They joined for the excitement and mystery of the 33-volume adventure series, but many of them remained loyal fans through adulthood and became avid collectors, wistfully remembering the books’ wholesome quality and squeaky-clean fun.  These long-time fans have been clamoring for a return of the series for more than 30 years; now that time has come for them to share the series with their children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces.

My Review: My daughter, Sammi (11) read this book in about 45 minutes in two sittings. She liked the family dynamics, even though they were a “old fashioned”. An avid reader of mysteries, Sammi enjoyed that there was more than one thing going on to keep her guessing throughout the book.

The Happy Hollisters is sold on Amazon for $9.95.

Get your child started on a new book series staring this holiday season!

I was provided with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Affiliate Link included.

Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7) is on sale now on Amazon for $43.47 – that’s 50% off!

Return to the main page of Brain Foggles or to Brain Foggles Holiday Gift Guide.  Happy shopping and saving!