Food Fun Family

The Happiness Project – Join Me?

Lolli — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:49:07 +0000

I love the holidays…I really do. But sometimes the end of the year brings a few stresses that I’d rather not have to deal with. And then there’s the pressure of New Year’s Resolutions starting in January (which really just cause added pressure – don’t you think?).

The fact is, there’s no better time to start living the life that you want to live than TODAY, and so I thought that I’d give it a shot, and take happiness into my own hands.

I’ll be talking about my experiences here each week through the month of December.

Here’s a little about the Happiness Project:

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

Want a free copy of The Happiness Project?

I’m giving away 10 digital copies in my Copia book club this week. You can enter in the Happiness Project giveaway discussion, but first you’ll need to create a free account at thecopia.com. If you haven’t heard about Copia, you can read about it on my Copia introduction post. Here is the quick description: Copia is an all-in-one social book reading solution. You can read along in one of the free Copia apps, highlight and make notes in your ebook, see what fellow readers are noting and highlighting, share on social networks, etc. It makes book reading social.

Here’s what you can do to join in:

Visit Copia and create a completely free account.
Find me and my fellow blogging friends in the Parent Talk section and click over to join my book club.
Download one (or more) of Copia’s free apps for your iPad, iPhone, Android phone, or computer.
Start reading and discussing!

Once you’ve joined, hop over to my Better in Bulk book club and leave a comment in the Happiness Project giveaway discussion or join in the first thread discussing the book.

After you’ve entered over there, you can earn extra entries by sharing this post on twitter or subscribing to Better in Bulk. You can copy this tweet:

Love to read? Win a copy of The Happiness Project from @1momof5 and @thecopia #happinessproject https://foodfunfamily.com/happinessproject #book #giveaway

I’ll be picking 10 winners this coming weekend. Good luck!

Disclosure: I am partnering with Copia to promote and spread the word about their services, but all thoughts included on my blog and within my Copia Book Club are my own.

Steve Jobs Quotes from his Biography

Lolli — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:00:44 +0000

I am loving reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and have been highlighting sections like crazy. I thought it would be fun to post a few Steve Jobs quotes.

Do you have any favorite quotes from Steve Jobs? Come join me in my Copia book club as we discuss Steve Jobs this month. Note: I am compensated for my participation in the Copia book club.

Steve Jobs Biography: My Latest Book Club Discussion Topic

Lolli — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:20:57 +0000

I don’t often read biographies. Honestly, there aren’t that many people that fascinate me enough to read their life stories, unless they’re memoirs (I know they are so similar, but for some reason I LOVE memoirs). So initially, despite the fact that I am a huge Apple fan, I had no interest in reading Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson. I have to admit, though, that my interest was peaked when I heard of friends raving about the book. I figured it would be one of those “stretch out of my comfort zone” books perfect to add to my Copia bookshelf.

I began reading Steve Jobs on October 1 and was instantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Ask my husband; I’ve been reading it in bed before I go to sleep and have probably been annoying the heck out of him as I’ve shared every amusing or shocking thing I’ve read.

You’ve got to admit – whether you love or hate Apple – Steve Jobs was both a genius and a fantastic business man. But he was also (as my husband put it last night) a “kook.”

Side note: apparently, my 11 year old son overheard our conversation, and later asked me for the definition of “kook.” I had no idea where his question was coming from and I made him put the word in a sentence so I could figure out the content. lol

Throughout the month, I will be adding discussion questions to my Copia book club. I’d LOVE for you to join my book club (it’s totally free, and you can log in through Facebook) and then either weigh in on the discussion questions orpose a few questions yourself. I welcome all participation (ok, maybe I’m kind of begging for some participation…). Since Steve Jobs is rather well known, even those who haven’t read the book will be able to participate.

So who’s with me?

Favorite Quotes – The House at Riverton

Lolli — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 19:02:21 +0000

I’ve been reading Kate Morton’s The House at Riverton for my Copia book club this month, and I came across this quote that I love (I’m sure my love of photography could have something to do with why this quote stood out to me).

This week, I’m sharing a few more of my favorite quotes from The House at Riverton over in my book club. If you’ve read the book (even part of it!) come share some of your favorite quotes, and weigh in on a few of mine. Quotes make great discussion!

Labor Day – The Last Hurrah of Summer

Lolli — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 02:58:22 +0000

I started out my Labor Day sleeping in (one last end of summer indulgence). That was the good part of the day.

Then I got some weird idea that it would be fun to head down to the thrift store with Reese and 5 bags of donation toys and clothes. Labor Day is 50% off everything in the store.

And then I dropped Reese off and picked up AJ to make returns at Kohl’s and Target. And do a little shopping. On Labor Day. With a 7 year old boy.

My best decision of the day was picking up a couple of pizzas and taking the kids to the pool for one last swim before it closes for the season. It was exactly what I needed.

And now….back to editing photos!

What did you do for Labor Day?

By the way – I just started a new discussion in my book club. Head over and introduce yourself!

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton – Book Club Kick-Off

Lolli — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:48:17 +0000

If you missed the announcement on my Facebook page, I announced officially that my Copia book club will be starting our first book this week – The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

About The House at Riverton:

From the book’s description: The House at Riverton is a gorgeous debut novel set in England between the wars. It is the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death and a way of life that vanished forever, told in flashback by a woman who witnessed it all and kept a secret for decades.

Grace Bradley went to work at Riverton House as a servant when she was just a girl, before the First World War. For years her life was inextricably tied up with the Hartford family, most particularly the two daughters, Hannah and Emmeline.

In the summer of 1924, at a glittering society party held at the house, a young poet shot himself. The only witnesses were Hannah and Emmeline and only they — and Grace — know the truth.

In 1999, when Grace is ninety-eight years old and living out her last days in a nursing home, she is visited by a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. She takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories. Told in flashback, this is the story of Grace’s youth during the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege shattered by war, of the vibrant twenties and the changes she witnessed as an entire way of life vanished forever.

The novel is full of secrets — some revealed, others hidden forever, reminiscent of the romantic suspense of Daphne du Maurier. It is also a meditation on memory, the devastation of war and a beautifully rendered window into a fascinating time in history.

How to join in the discussion:

First, if you haven’t joined Copia yet, go sign up for free. Then click over to my House at Riverton – Part One discussion. This week, I’m starting with PART ONE of the book (about 130 pages) and have started a few discussion questions (don’t worry – anything with a spoiler will be marked as such). So, grab the book if you haven’t gotten it already and jump in!

If you aren’t up to reading or can’t get through that much this week, there are still many questions that are more thoughtful and story-related than content-specific. In other words, you have no excuse…

Why join a book club?

You love to read
You love talking about the books you’re reading
You enjoy getting into discussions with other people (book-related or not)
You want to read but need a little motivation
You’re looking for good books to read
You don’t know what to do with all your free time

Ok, that last one is a joke. Obviously, none of us have an abundance of free time, but why NOT carve out some time for yourself? I have been active in a book club for the last few years, and I have found it to be my getaway, my night out with friends. I have come to realize that a lot of the joy that I have in reading a book comes through sharing that book with others. Just this past month, I read two books and didn’t know anyone else who had read them and could discuss them with me. It literally drove me crazy, and I convinced two of my daughters and my mom to read the books so we could all talk about it together (and, yes, I am planning on reading the Divergent series with you guys as soon as I can!).

Disclosure: I am partnering with Copia to promote and spread the word about their services, but all thoughts included on my blog and within my Copia Book Club are my own.

Introducing the New Better in Bulk Book Club on COPIA

Lolli — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 20:14:45 +0000

I’ve always been a reader. I LOVE getting lost in a good book…and Summer is one of the best times to devour as many books as I can. I am currently in the middle of a book called Remembering Isaac: The Wise and Joyful Potter of Niederbipp – a novel that my mom recommended – and I’d rather stay up late reading it in bed than get more vacation sleep.

Just a few weeks ago, I finished two books in a series and was not only hungry for more when I was done (oh, the torture of having to wait for the next book to be written!) but I was dying to be able to discuss the book with someone. I encouraged ~~begged~~ my 13 year old to read it after me so that we could talk about the details. If you’re curious, that series is called Divergent by Veronica Roth. I LOVED it and I couldn’t wait to talk to someone about it.

What is it about a good story that begs to be shared with another human? When I read a good book, the characters become my friends, and their experiences become a part of me. And there’s something about discussing a book with someone else that makes the characters and the story come even more alive to me.

Why not start a book club?

So the logical solution is to start a book club, and since I spend a good deal of my time online, with so many of my friends living all over the country, it’s also logical that this book club should live online as well.

Thank goodness for Copia! I was given the opportunity a few months ago to create my own book club, alongside some of my favorite parent bloggers, on Copia. We’ll each be reading and discussing different books, and you are welcome to jump in at any time, with any book, and join the discussions.

This is what the Copia Parent Book Club page looks like. See me?

Here’s what you can do to join in:

Visit Copia and create a completely free account.
Find me and my fellow blogging friends in the Parent Talk section and click over to join my book club.
Download one (or more) of Copia’s free apps for your iPad, iPhone, Android phone, or computer.
Start reading and discussing!

Just FYI – you don’t have to have a digital copy of the books we’re reading. You can still follow along just fine with a paperback. However, if you read along in one of the Copia apps, you can highlight and make notes (and here’s the totally awesome part) see what fellow readers are noting and highlighting, share on social networks, etc. It makes book reading social.

Check out this hilarious (and slightly weird) video all about Copia:

I’ll be updating Book Club news on my Facebook page regularly, so be sure to join me there, and feel free to request and suggest books that we read and discuss together!

Read on! Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: I am partnering with Copia to promote and spread the word about their services, but all thoughts included on my blog and within my Copia Book Club are my own.