My summer reading list

Summertime reading is undeniably one of the greatest pleasures in life.
Every summer I get me afew books, one to read on the beach,
one to keep by my bed
...
one to inspire me
...
one to cuddle and keep me company
...
one to help me get better on the outside
...
one to hemp get better on the inside
.....

My beach bag currently hosts:

 Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

and

  Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

I read them both, starting with one or the other according to my mood, more gentle for Big Magic, in need of focus and support when reading Lean In.

My favorite quote:

Waiting to be read:

{By Mr William Norwich who has a most interesting Instagram account here}

An optimist? Tick! Wants to let go=Tick!

Written by Ann Mah, another Instagram found author, The Lost Vintage is heiled as

 “this season’s essential female-centered adventure” 

by @hollywoodreporter. 

Besides, Ms. Mah is such a beautiful soul! 

What is in your reading list?

where do you like to read? 

xoxo 

Rena 

Teaching Kids to Play Fair Over the Holidays

Hello, dear friends,
How was your Christmas?
I hope you all enjoyed good times, family and friends love and have your heart filled with joy.

Did you open your Christmas presents? I bet you did! We have yet to receive Santa in our homes as he comes on New Year's eve in this part of the world.

If you did, and you do have young children, you will know that teaching children to share and enjoy their toys with others can be challenging. Read on...

One of the more challenging skills to teach children and for children to appreciate and master is how to play well with others. This task is about to get easier to tackle with the release of Fuzzwippers Play Fair written by Marilynn Halas and illustrated by Jeremy Provost, a book that illustrates and teaches children how to negotiate playtime.
Third in a collection of ten storybooks that facilitate children’s social-emotional development, Fuzzwippers Play Fair features George and his Fuzzwipper friend Fuzzy as they play together on the playground. When things get tense with a new group of friends over turns on the slide, the duo helps their friends recognize that they are all in the same predicament and facilitates a solution that will make them all happy.

A list of “Playing Fair Tips” is located at the end of the book. Tips include “fight the problem, not each other” and “playing pretend is a fun way to try out how someone else might feel about a solution,” among others. The Fuzzwippers were introduced to children earlier this year in Hello, We're the Fuzzwippers. They are imaginary creatures that reach out to children or anyone who needs a friend, assuring them that they are wanted and needed. Fuzzwippers appear at the change of each season.
Each story book in the Fuzzwippers series focuses on a different life skill—everything from how to be a good listener to making good helpers. Through engaging storytelling, children are guided and supported by a friendly and magical Fuzzwipper creature, which always assures them that “they are loved, no matter what.”

About Marilynn Halas: Marilynn Halas is a children's book author, life coach and founder of 4 Sunflowers Media, a multimedia company whose mission is to empower children and parents through storytelling. Raised both in New Jersey and Northern Ireland, Marilynn uses her experience to infuse a deep understanding of the human condition into fantastic characters and situations that surprise, delight and reassure her readers. She currently lives in rural Connecticut with her husband and four children.

About Jeremy Provost :  Jeremy Provost is the illustrator of Jumpin’ Jackie and The Cow That Jumped Over the Moon. He graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Illustration from Indiana Wesleyan University. He currently resides in Oconomowoc, WI.

 

Pippa Middleton's book

Pippa Middleton, the sister of Kate, Prince William's wife, has penned a book. 

It is a ‘comprehensive guide to home entertaining', in which she offers her own tips and ideas for planning a celebration.

The book includes recipe ideas for every occasion throughout the British Calendar, as well as crafts, games and tips on entertainment.

Pippa Middleton is a true expert on the subject as she has spent many years working for her family's business Party Pieces and London events company Table Talk.

In her own words:

  ‘I hope you will see this as a feel-good book with ideas to look forward to each month, providing threads of lasting, happy memories, be it around a table lit with candles in winter, outside on a rug in summer or in the autumn, perched on a leaf-covered bench, hot drink in hand.’

The beautiful photography is by David Loftus, companion to India Hicks.

Purchase the book (and buy me a cupcake) by clicking on the link

Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends

Guest posting-Ines de la Fressange

Today I am guest posting,
 a first for me!

You know how much I love books.
And you know how many times I have written that Ines de la Fressange is mon égérie.

 Non?
Well take a look here
(with a comment by Mme de la Fressange herself-me blushing!).

It is only natural that I should choose to write about her new book 

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange

There is also a French edition called as one might expect, 

La Parisienne

since Mme de la Fressange is the epitomy of French chic.

So, head over at Reading is Fashionable to read my post!

Book Review: Maria Menounos' EveryGirl's Guide to Life

Journalist, actress and TV presenter, Maria Menounos is beautiful, famous and Greek-American. She is an accomplished professional, the youngest Entertainment Tonight host at age 22, and also the youngest Today Show host, and the youngest female to report for NBC Nightly News. She is also super sweet and super efficient. She was here in Greece to present the 2006 Eurovision song contest with our very own singer/star Sakis Rouvas. And she is a Southern Lady, just like myself, which makes her all the more adorable:)
She is now a published author, too, with her book The EveryGirl's Guide to Life where she shares wisdom, practical advice and helpful tips on everything from managing time to weight loss and from skincare to business. And she does it brilliantly! With style, anecdotes from her life, and heartwarming moments with her Greek-American family.
Did I mention delicious recipes, too?

Here is a list of mantras taken from her book:

1.Learn from others' mistakes. You don't have to learn things the hard way; there are plenty of people out there who have experienced the trials and errors for you.
2.Maximize every resource, as well as every minute of the day, fitting in everything from fashion to family to finances to fitness.
3.Take a minimalist approach to suxh things as decor, fashion, entertainment and travel-it's greener and cheaper, too.
4.Be proactive, not reactive, in life.
5.Carry a sense of urgency in your day.
6.Avoid vampires. Friends, family or other individuals who are jealous, seek to harm you, or are just plain negative should be avoided.
7.Embrace 'the Sunshine Committee". Friends, family or other individuals who are positive and full of "sunshine" should be sought out and embraced.
8.Base decisions on worst-case senarios; hope for the best but plan for the worst.
9. Run your life like a business. Your life is the corporation and you are the CEO.
10.Attempt to create win-win scenarios to get what you need and to get ahead.
11.If you are not growing, you are dying. Remain open to learning and to new experiences.

What particularly resonates with me from her very plausible list right now, is #6, 7 and 11. (Do you remember this post where I mentioned "When I stop laughing, I leave"? I am adding Maria Menounos' phrase #11 which completes the message for me right now).  I am definitively embracing all that I can that lifts me up, from praying to God, to reading positive, heartwarming books like The EveryGirl's Guide to Life.

I hope you'll enjoy it, too!