Let it Snow By CP Bialois is FREE on Amazon

George and Gretchen's marriage is on the rocks and a weekend getaway is their final chance at reconciliation. The only problem is their trip may not end like they hope or expect it will.

 

 My Thoughts 

Let it Snow is a quick, fifteen minute read that makes a lot of impact in less than thirty pages. George and Gretchen are struggling with their marriage, fighting all the time, and not sure they can get past the ugly things they've said to each other. George hopes a spur of the moment trip to the mountains will help, but tensions flare when they're snowed in. Just when it looks like they may have turned the corner, the author hits us with a shocking twist that takes the story in a unexpected direction.

The Ultimate Guide to Shamanism: A Modern Guide to Shamanic Healing, Tools, and Ceremony.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE SHAMANISM

A Modern Guide to Shamanic Healing, Tools, and Ceremony

The Ultimate Guide to Shamanism is a guide for you to bring traditional and modern shamanic practices into your everyday life. It will provide the tools and methods to help you access your own inner spirit and wisdom for self-development, growth, and healing so that you can experience life in its fullest expression. Discover:

The Five Great Elements

The Crystal and Mineral Kingdom

Shamanic Space Clearing and Blessing

Shamanic Journey and Trance States

Sacred Plant Medicines

A popular spiritual practice today, shamanic practice spans civilizations, continents, and countries. Indeed, it can be traced as far back as humankind itself. It has existed for as long as we have existed. Today's shamanic practitioner is a mystic, a healer, and a keeper of ancient wisdom. They navigate and balance the seen and unseen energies between the natural world and modern society.

Along with the history of shamanism, learn these shamanic skills for healing and empowerment:

Calling in the four directions and setting ceremony

Building an altar and setting sacred space

How to work with shamanic tools and power objects

Working with spirit allies, ancestors, and your Higher Self.

 

With The Ultimate Guide to Shamanism, you, too, can access the power of these ancient practices.

About the Author:

Shamanic Practitioner Rebecca Keating is the founder and owner of Shaman Sisters, an online store offering high quality crystals and gemstone jewelry. Today, that store exists as an online space and also as a boutique and community hub - The Aura Room - located in the heart of one of Canada’s most beautiful communities, Port Credit Mississauga. 

My Thoughts:

Shamanism has fascinated me for many years. I've always felt called to do more research on it. When I heard about the Ultimate Guide to Shamanism I was so excited to read it! Right away, the cover of the book drew me in with its gorgeous colors and art. As I read through the pages, I admired not only the in-depth information provided, but the photography, the artwork, and the displays. The author really included so much to help the reader feel connected. 

You truly feel like you are a part of this book as you learn how to dive deeper into yourself and your spiritual practices. It's as if the author is taking you on a journey of self-discovery. You're excited to take from the wisdom shared. It also provides a good amount of historical context, which is so important when you're learning about something as profound as shamanism. I really loved how easy to read this book was. From start to finish you are guided to new ideas and perspectives. I especially loved learning about crystals and space cleaning because those are things that I already love to do in my daily life. It was great to learn more about how that connects to shamanism. The information on plants was also fascinating to learn about since so many of us, myself included, are trying to live a more holistic and natural life. I got excited to set up my own sacred spaces and altars to go along with the shamanic teachings. There were many elements to this book that can be incorporated into everyday life just as much as aspects that can be sacred and planned out. 

If you're someone who is interested in learning more about shamanism, spirituality, mindfulness, or connecting with yourself in general, this book is perfect for you! I highly recommend it as a fantastic addition to any collection! 

Connect with Author, Rebecca Keating:

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Connect with the Quarto Group Publishing: 

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Manifest Your Power and Purpose with THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ASTROLOGY!

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE ASTROLOGY

Use the Guidance of the Planets to Manifest Your Power and Purpose

The Ultimate Guide to Astrology (Fair Winds Press/ May 18, 2021/ $24.99 USD) is a modern and appealing approach to the most popular aspects of astrology—the signs and the planets—from leading astrologer Tanaaz Chubb of the wildly popular Instagram astrology handle, Forever Conscious.

Astrology can be a complicated subject filled with technical content such as charting, planetary aspects, and transits. For most beginners, these are confusing and dry details that obscure the most magical aspects of astrology. The Ultimate Guide to Astrology clearly and succinctly explains these complicated facets, thus enabling you to quickly move onto the bigger picture of using the signs and the planets to understand yourself and your life with deeper clarity.

• Learn how to quickly set up your astrological chart.
• Understand the unique energetic expression of each planet and how it expresses itself in your birth chart.
• Discover where each sign sits in your chart and how it impacts specific life areas such as career, finances, health, and relationships.

 

With this unique approach, you'll be able to intuitively understand your cosmic blueprint and how to apply it to your life.

Tanaaz Chubb is the creator of Forever Conscious, one of the most prominent spiritual websites online today. As a gifted intuitive and astrologer, Tanaaz has worked with many different people from all around the world, helping to guide them to understand themselves better through harnessing the power of the stars and spirit.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ASTROLOGY

By Tanaaz Chubb 

On-Sale Date: May 18, 2021

$24.99 US · $32.99 CAN · 192 pages · Paperback

ISBN: 9781589239876

Fair Winds Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group

My Thoughts: 

I've been fascinated by astrology ever since I was a little girl. When I read the description of this book, I knew I had to get it! Although I've studied the basics of astrology, I've always been interested in studying it deeper in regards to natal chart as well as other placements. Most people don't even realize we are made up of a ton of unique signs that represent the entire solar system!

What I loved about this book besides the gorgeous artwork is that it was easy to read and understand. I find myself confused sometimes when I read astrology content online. I am still quite a newbie to studying natal charts and unique astrological alignments. The author did an excellent job at making sure this book was beneficial for all levels of understanding. The descriptions were detailed but not overwhelming. It gave a fantastic overview and allowed the reader to feel they were getting a good look into their cosmic blueprint! My favorite part was probably the overview of the house placements for each planet. That has always been a topic I wanted to learn more about. There were also suggested resources at the end of the book for the reader to continue their learning journey. 

If you're someone interested in astrology this is a wonderful book to add to your library! I highly recommend it!

Connect with The Quarto Group:

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Connect with Tanaaz Chubb:

 

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Her Virtue by Emma Kathryn

 Her innocence lost, Christine Daaé is in despair. She has no family to go to. Her fiancé is about to cast her off. She is just an orphan. A singer from Sweden, with a scandalous past as a dancer.

She is driven into the arms of the one man prepared to rescue her. The one man who will accept her despite her loss of innocence. The one man who will kill to save her… and does. The madman. The genius. The legend. Erik, the phantom of the opera!

My Thoughts

Her Virtue is a Phantom of the Opera retelling with a very unique twist. In this story, Christine has been defiled and suffers a horrible loss. When all seems lost, Erik whisks her away to safety. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it means having to kill. Together they learn to care for each other and heal each other, both physically and emotionally. 

This phantom of the opera tale offers an erotic twist on the original the with lots of steamy scenes between Christine and the Erik. I also love the painstaking detail with which the author describes the phantom's deformity. It really brings the character to life on the page. Phans everywhere are sure to love this addition to phantom lore. 

My First Emotions - A Fun Introduction to Emotions for Toddlers

The My First Emotions series features the most common early emotions and are a perfect learning tool to assist children approaching emotional milestones. With these adorably relatable characters, toddlers will learn feeling words and how toeffectively communicate their feelings.

Rosie the Hippo is HAPPY to share a scrumptious dinner with her best friend Kate.

Tommy the Elephant is SAD that his playdate at the swimming pool was cancelled.

Robbie the Tiger is so ANGRY he could ROAR! His friends won't share their toys with him.

Libby the Dog feelsLOVED when her mom buys her ice-cream at the playground.

My Thoughts

Teach your little one about feelings with this sturdy board books featuring bright, interactive characters  to help children learn  first words and knowledge about the world around them.  Friendly, colorful animal characters greet children on every page. The  series is fun and engaging. Each book is designed especially to help toddlers learn about emotions. Every page books a different little animal including.  Each one talks about a different emotions, like feeling happy or sad. The fun part for toddlers see new scenes with their favorite animals. My son loved the bright illustrations and reading this book is helping him understand his feelings a little better.

Spring Projects Ahead with CELESTIAL WATERCOLOR.

CELESTIAL WATERCOLOR
LEARN TO PAINT THE ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS AND SEASONAL NIGHT SKIES

CELESTIAL WATERCOLOR
By Elise Mahan and D. R. McElroy
On-Sale Date: April 2, 2019
$19.99 US · $25.99 CAN · 128 pages · Hardcover
ISBN: 9781631065880
Rock Point, an imprint of The Quarto Group

Celestial Watercolor takes visionary artists on a dreamlike journey – complete with an overview of the tools and techniques of watercolor painting, this instructional guide will teach you how to paint the beautiful night sky throughout the seasons and introduce the signs of astrology.

The zodiac has been used for a millennia to bridge the gap between the mysteries of the universe and mankind’s understanding of the world. Travel to the heavens with this collection of ethereal artwork and let your passion for creativity soar while learning about legends and myths of the night sky.

Featuring instructions on how to illustrate the constellations through the yearly cycle of four seasons, Celestial Watercolor also includes exquisitely detailed information about sun and moon signs, simple directions on how to paint the 12 moons from the Native American and spiritual traditions, and easy-to-follow steps for using the correct watercolor wash techniques. With this book, every aspiring artist and imaginative dreamer will have the opportunity to use elements of the environment, such as trees, lakes, and mountains, to design each painting with their own personal style and flair.

The topics of astronomy and natural history gave artist Elise Mahan the inspiration to begin creating open-ended mixed media art projects, from which she can educate children of all ages.  She believes every painting provides a chance for artists to draw upon ethereal elements that explore texture and pattern.

Co-author and professional writer D.R. McElroy has a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture as well as a Master of Science in Environmental Resources. She has been pursuing work in the field of English for ten years and now lives in Michigan.

 My Thoughts:

Two of my favorite interests are wrapped up into this book by Elise Mahan and D.R McElroy, constellations and watercolor! As an art teacher, I knew I needed to add this book into my collection. Firstly, the art is so incredible. Gorgeous soft colors that just jump off of the page with every turn. It's relaxing to look at. I loved the information shared about each astrological sign, moon phases, along with the constellation shapes. It is perfect for anyone that is interested in learning more about the zodiac or an avid reader on all things astrology.

My favorite part though was certainly the projects. Each step was easy to understand and produced a beautiful outcome. They share the ideal colors to make to match their project, something I have not seen in other books I've had. It also shared the types of tools you may need to produce it.

Ultimately, this is a wonderful book that I highly recommend for any artist in your life and/or anyone you know interested in the constellations and moon phases. This book is going to be in my collection for a long time for my own projects and for my students.

Connect with The Quarto Group-

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Holiday Gift Guide- A Stocking Stuffer for Art Lovers.

Description-

The instructions are quick visual exercises in Pocket Art: Portrait Drawing, the first book in the new Pocket Art series.

This lively, graphic approach to explaining concepts will have you looking and learning with step-by-step illustrations and expert tips straight from London-based artist Joanna Henly (aka Miss Led). This compact 112-page book is just right for carrying in a backpack or pocket for when you’re learning on the go.

Henly begins by guiding you through your initial set up, then moves on to "Understanding the Face." She takes you through every detail of capturing facial features and expressions, and mastering the rendering of hair and skin. Her exercises demonstrate and reinforce everything you learn as you go along.

The author-

Joanna Henly, well known by her professional name, Miss Led, is an illustrator, artist, and art director based in East London. As an illustrator, she works by commission for corporate brands, products, packaging, and advertising campaigns with specific experience within fashion, beauty, and technology sectors. As an artist, she works on projects from portrait commissions to large scale complex works. These are often in public spaces or live performances. In addition, she creates personal work, which is exhibited globally, and sells beautiful prints and originals online.

Jo is a strong promoter of professional practice within her art and illustration, including as a Global Ambassador for Liquitex paints and European Ambassador for Wacom. She is also a passionate educator, promoted via social media and podcasts to her online audience, which reaches 1.3 million people.

Specs-

Format: Paperback / softback, 112 Pages

ISBN: 9781631594694

Illustrations: 200 color images

Size: 5 in x 8 in / 127 mm x 203.2 mm

Published: April 24, 2018

My Thoughts-

As an art teacher, one of the projects my students struggle with the most are portraits. There's something about looking at a face and drawing it that make artists more critical of their work. Every year I usually assign a self portrait and a classmate portrait for them to work on their skills. When I heard of this book by author, Joanna Henly, I knew this would be the perfect addition to my classroom. 

Henly really did a fantastic job covering every area of portraits. Whether it is drawing facial structures, noses, lips, etc, it is covered in this book. Reading through it, I felt even more aware of better ways to do them myself and how to teach them. The imagery is absolutely beautiful with both black and white and colored images. The directions are easy to follow and provide a step by step guide for artists of all experience levels. It is the perfect size to carry around wherever you go too! 

If you are a budding artist or know someone who is, this is perfect for your holiday gift shopping. I can't recommend this book enough! 

Connect with Quarto Knows-

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Tell me the Answer! Barron’s says “will do” with a fun new book.

Barron's has new additions to the best-selling series! These fun-filled Q&A book is packed with answers to questions that curious children want to know—and parents are only too happy to have them look up and discover on their own. Each book contains more than 200 answers to questions on different topics: the Universe, Space, the Earth, Humans, Everyday Phenomena, and more. The books are organized according to different topics and tabbed for easy reference—and the last tab includes fun stickers. A hidden spiral binding makes it easy to flip back and forth, while entertaining illustrations and activities make learning fun. (Ages 8 and up).

Earth & Sky includes intriguing questions such as:

• What is an exoplanet?
• Who was Copernicus?
• What is a light year?
• How does a star shine?
• What is the equator?
• How do sailors make use of the stars?
• And many more

Parents may find the answers as interesting as their kids do!

Tell Me Earth & Sky
Sophie de Mullenheim
122 pp., 5 ½" x 8"
$14.99, Can$17.99
ISBN 978-1-4380-5060-7

                                           My Thoughts:

I am a huge fan of space! When I heard about this latest release from Barron's I knew it was going to have to go into my collection. Not only is is an easy read, it's interesting and fun! All ages will get a kick out of the creative design and organization of this information packed book! Everything from the history of space so far, to scientific facts is included. Plus, who doesn't love when a book adds stickers as well?

I'm looking forward to bringing this into my classroom to inspire my students to work on space related projects. They are the perfect age to enjoy each page and learn some valuable facts that they can carry with them. Barron's always produces the best content, and this book is a wonderful addition for any space lover, library, or family!

Connect with Barron's:

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Try a new art technique this summer with books from, The Quarto Group.

The lazy days of summer are great times to try out a new art technique, and The Quarto Group has you covered. Whether you want to create a collage with The Creature Garden, or improve your drawing skills with Ten-Step Drawing: Animals, these books provide step-by-step instruction and fun projects for you to tackle.

My Thoughts:

The Quarto Group was kind enough to allow me to review both of their fantastic books. As an art teacher year round, I'm always looking for new projects to add to my lesson plans. I also love doing these activities myself as a way to relax after a long day. The summaries were so good that I couldn't help but be excited to read these! I received both The Creature Garden and Ten-Step Drawing: Animals. Here are the descriptions:

The Creature Garden takes you on a step-by-step expedition through the natural world, teaching you how to draw and paint 50 beasts--both real and imagined--in a whimsical folk-art style.

The Creature Garden

An Illustrator's Guide to Beautiful Beasts & Fictional Fauna

By Harry & Zanna Goldhawk

$25.00 US / $33.00 CAN

Hardcover / 160 Pages

ISBN: 9781631064272

Rock Point Gift & Stationery

The blank page can be daunting, but Ten-Step Drawing: Animals offers a quick and easy starting point for any doodler, illustrator, or aspiring artist.

Ten-Step Drawing: Animals

Learn to Draw 75 Animals in Ten Easy Steps!

By Heather Kilgour

$14.99 US / $19.99 US

Paperback / 128 Pages

ISBN: 9781633224889

Walter Foster Publishing

I adored both of these books. The artwork was so unique. The best part was there's something for everyone. Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate artist, you are able to follow the instructions. The first picture is from Ten-Step Drawing: Animals and the second is from The Creature Garden. Those were two of my favorite designs as I'm a huge fan of Sloths and Narwals. I loved how vivid the designs were and detailed. It really added an element of both realism and fun. I cannot wait to take these books into my classroom for my students to enjoy!

Connect with The Quarto Group:

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Book Review: Finally, A Parade for You by, Molly Burton.

Finally, A Parade for You is a collection of mini-biographies of  United States war veterans who served their country during the Vietnam War. These brave people sacrificed their peaceful lives and joined one of the many life-changing cultural upheavals of the mid-20th century. They were not famous, nor from privileged backgrounds. Today, most of them still battle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and far too many are ill with such diseases as diabetes, cancer, and other related disorders. They now find peace, and though they struggle with it, grace.

At the end of the biographical section are two chapters on PTSD and Toxic Exposure (ie. Agent Orange). A small history, symptoms, individual experiences, and ways to get help either through the Veterans Administration (VA), or through private medical personnel/complimentary health care will be offered. The author’s own tips for the VA personnel to be more helpful to veterans of all battles and foreign /domestic deployments are included.

The stories contained in this book were an act of faith on the part of the veterans who shared their stories. Difficult to face because of the horrors endured and ongoing, the telling and re-telling of their tale during this writing has actually brought some measure of healing, as repetition of an experience makes it just that: a story of long ago. Please honor them before it’s too late, as they are dying every day. Let their stories be inspiring and healing. This ‘Parade’ is for all of us.

My Thoughts:

My younger brother is a true history buff. He has collected a number of historical books about war and our Nation's Finest, the veterans! Whether it is spreading information to others, meeting local veterans in our community, or expanding his knowledge, I knew this book was ideal for him and his love our our soldiers.

Author Molly Burton captured the life and tales of these beautiful people in each page. As a psychology major in college, I adored the discussions of PTSD within the book. It is important we talk about this topic more because still to this day, our veterans are suffering the affects of it. Spreading psychological knowledge is something I hope all historical based books will begin to do more of as well. The legacies told within this beautiful biographical book will capture the readers heart and give us all a heroic view of strength.

Although this book is perfect for history lovers, I would recommend it to everyone. Keeping the wisdom of our past moving forward with each generation is so important. Honoring these veterans who never got to receive the recognition for their bravery and sacrifices is a beautiful thing. I hope you will pick up a copy today!

Connect with Waldorf Publishing:

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March BuddhiBox Unboxing - #Giveaway

The BuddhiBox is one of my favorite subscription box services, and I always look forward to seeing what yoga-themed goodies will arrive in my mail box each month. As always, this exciting subscription box fuels your mind, body, and soul with a diverse selection of products including jewelry, beauty products, food and more.. The products inside are always perfect for anyone who enjoys Yoga or is working to achieve balance in their life.  Here is a little about the awesome products in the March box.

Fresh Feet Wipes - It's easy to neglect our feet, but they deserve a little pampering too! At the end of the day, you can freshen them up before you climb into bed with these peppermint wipes. They leave feet tingling and refreshed.
Copper Cup Turmeric Latte - There were three sample packs of this latte. While I love lattes, I'm not a big fan of turmeric, so I'll be passing these onto a friend.

Matr Boomie Scarf- This scarf is simply stunning. It's a beautiful ocean blue with pretty designs. The material is also super soft. 

Orglamix Turmeric Face Scrub- This scrub is made with only all-natural ingredients. It leaves your skin feeling soft and exfoliated. 

Konjac Facial Sponge Set - These sponges are made from root fibers, so they are all-natural and biodegradable. The white one can be used with your favorite cleanser. The black one is infused with charcoal to help exfoliate your skin. 

Yoga International -Ayurveda Women's Health Conference 30 Day Trial - This is a great website that offers online classes on yoga and meditation. This trial has a value over $140! 
This is just a sampling of the items you would get in your monthly BuddhiBox. Every month is different and they always throw in little extras. It's a great way to try new products sure to appeal to yoga practitioners and spiritualists alike. In addition to their boxes, BuddhiBox also allows you to order individual items in their store, including a huge selection of jewelry, yoga clothing, and accessories.  Here are a few of my favorite items.

To learn more about the BuddhiBox and all they have to offer, be sure to visit their website or follow their social media. 

Connect with BuddhiBox

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The Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive a one month subscription to Buddhi Box. This giveaway will end on 4/10/18 11:59 EST. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to BuddhiBox for offering this fantastic prize.

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