Chicken Soup for the Soul: Shaping the New You (Review & 2 giveaways)

Starting a new year, many people want to make changes in their life, and starting to eat better or start exercising is usually at the top of the list of changes.
Chicken Soup for the Soul came out with a new book called, "Shaping the New You."

101 Encouraging Stories about Dieting and Fitness... and Finding What Works for You

No one likes to diet, but the personal stories in this book will encourage and inspire readers with its positive, practical, and purposeful tales of dieting and fitness. Readers will find hope, help, and hints on getting fit and staying healthy in these 101 stories from those who have been there, done that, and maintained it. Stories about wake-up calls and realizations, moving more and eating better, self-esteem and support, and lifestyle changes, big and small, will motivate any reader looking to start fresh or needing a boost. This is a great book for anyone embarking on a healthier lifestyle.
Join Richard Simmons in the great adventure of Shaping the New You. Richard states, "These stories really resonate with me. There is no better inspiration than hearing someone else's story." You can read his personal story in this Chicken Soup for the Soul book.

There is nothing better than hearing the success stories from other people. A personal story makes the reality seem possible, because someone has already gone through it. It is fun to read the stories in this book, some you can relate to, or tried yourself, and you may get inspired to try something that worked for someone else. There are so many stories in this book about many topics like: regaining control, conquering the gym, learning to like yourself and your body, getting started, having an accountability partner, and more. Chicken Soup for the Soul books are great for inspiration and this one may be great for motivation.

***ENTER TO WIN!!!***
This contest is open to bloggers, and non-bloggers of the United States, and will end on February 28th. There will be two winners!

To enter: comment about something you would like to change for this new year, and if you made any new year resolutions.
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, follow Sassyfrazz on twitter (if you tweet this contest use the hash tag #sassyfrazz), and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and comment on another one of my blog posts (leave a comment letting me know what you commented on). Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I will contact the winner by e-mail and they will have 3 days to claim their prize, and at that time...if no response, I will have the option to pick a new winner.

This review was provided from Chicken Soup for the Soul. I am sponsored to offer a giveaway for my readers through this review and two books were provided for the giveaway. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Fun contest to enter!!

TWO people will each win a full set of five No-Cry Solution books – autographed! You can keep them for yourself, give them to a friend, or hold your own give-away contests on your blog or website!

The No-Cry Nap Solution *NEW*
The No-Cry Sleep Solution (for babies)
The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers
The No-Cry Discipline Solution
The No-Cry Potty Training Solution

HOW TO ENTER:

Choose a line or two, or a complete except from any of Elizabeth Pentley's books. (Lots of excerpts on her website - take what you want!)
Quote it on your blog, website, newsletter, or Facebook page.
~ Include the title and author, PLEASE. ~
Send the link to: elizabeth@pantley.com
That’s all ~ you’re entered!

Winners to be chosen at random on July 15, 2009.

Books to bring in spring!

Easter and Spring are soon upon us, and kids are very much ready to be outdoors playing! Candlewick Press has two great books to celebrate Spring life! These two books would make a great gift in the basket this weekend, or to just give to your child.The Little Chick is a great little story about a little chick and her Auntie. My kids
were so into this book as the story of Little Chick unfolded. Little Chick really wants a few things to happen: her carrot to grow big, her kite to fly high, and to reach a star. I love how this book illustrates to keep trying for what you want and to be patient in the waiting times. I also think that this story is precious how the Little Chick gets help and advice from her wise Old Auntie. author: Amy Hest
illustrator: Anita Jeram
Available for purchase now, online or in book stores with a suggested retail price of $17.99.
Did you ever lose one of your children, or at least, thought you did? Valeri Gorbachev wrote a fun little tale of The Missing Chick who really wasn't missing, just couldn't be found right away. This engaging story is a great expression of community help, Everyone is on a mission to find the hen's missing chick. My kids had a great time guessing where that little chick was, and was surprised to find out where the little peep ended up!
The Missing Chick was just released this April and has a suggested retail price of $15.99. This book can also be found in bookstores or online.

Bedtime for Frances

For the first time ever, author Russell Hoban’s precocious, loveable badger, Frances, is available on DVD in the animated Frances: Bedtime for Frances. This special DVD & Book collection arrives in stores March 31, 2009 from The Jim Henson Company, Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. Frances is brought to life through the innovative, state of the art Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, a proprietary technology that allows the Company's world-class performers to puppeteer and voice digitally animated characters in real time creating a unique, more spontaneous and fresh result.
Bedtime for Frances features three fun animated stories filled with gentle life lessons that address emotional needs of young children. The DVD is packaged inside a custom-made hard-bound book featuring the classic story, Bedtime for Frances, which received the “Notable Children’s Book” award from The American Library Association when it originally debuted in 1960. It quickly became a beloved classic for children of all ages along with the many other Frances storybooks like Bread and Jam for Frances and A Birthday for Frances.
Frances is a celebration of the preschool spirit – with all its dramatic highs and lows. Like many young children, Frances is fun-loving, determined and highly imaginative, expressing herself through original poems and songs. Joining Frances in her daily adventures are her little sister, Gloria, her mom and dad, and her best friend Albert.

DVD SYNOPSIS
For the first time on DVD, the timeless classic, Frances, comes to life in CGI animation in a co-production by The Jim Henson Company and HIT Entertainment. This special collection also features the full-length classic storybook, Bedtime for Frances, in addition to a collection of Frances episodes that the whole family will enjoy. Join Frances, the beloved, fun-loving preschooler as she invents new songs, enjoys imaginative adventures and plays with her sister, Gloria and best friend Albert. Her playful spirit will leave you smiling and wanting more!

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
· Interactive Read-Along of “Bedtime for Frances”
· Frances’ Friends and Family Character Gallery
· Bonus Episode: Fifi and the Flowertots™ “Hole Lot of Fun”

**Available in stores and online March 30th, 2009 for $14.98!

Real Moms....Real Jesus!

Today I’d like to welcome author and speaker, Jill Savage. Jill’s recent book Real Moms…Real Jesus, just released, and I wanted to ask her about her real mom moments..
Jill, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Mark and I have been married 25 years and we have five children. Anne is 24 and married to our wonderful son-in-love, Matt. Evan is 21 and married to our beautiful daughter-in-love, Julie. Erica is 18 and a college student at Heartland Community College. Kolya is 15 and in the 8th grade. We adopted Kolya at the age of 9 from Russia---the God story about his adoption is included in the Real Moms…Real Jesus book. And Austin is 12 and in the 7th grade.
Tell us about your newest book Real Moms...Real Jesus?
Real Moms…Real Jesus is a book designed to help moms understand that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God, yet fully man. We don’t often think about the fact that he was a human being and he lived the full human experience: pain, hunger, fatigue, frustration, betrayal, disappointment. He experienced it all!
There’s one verse in the Bible about Jesus that simply says “large crowds followed him everywhere he went.” Well, isn’t that the life of a mom? Large crowds follow her to the bathroom. They follow her to the kitchen. To the grocery store. She’s in high demand! And when Jesus lived on this earth, He was in high demand, too.
Why did you want to write this book?
Most of us long for a friend who understands. Yes, we need girlfriends who understand what our life is like. But we also need to understand that we have a friend who understands in Jesus. Too many of us think of God as being distant and unable to relate to our daily struggles. But nothing could be further from the truth! He understands and he wants us to build our friendship with Him. He wants to not only be our Savior, but also our Friend.
What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?
I hope that readers will gain a new perspective about their relationship with Jesus. I also hope to weave God’s truth into the daily life of a mom.
What unique elements will the reader find in Real Moms…Real Jesus?
Each chapter looks at some character trait in Jesus’ life that can help us in our life as a mom. In between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into our real, messy, busy lives.
There are also questions at the end of the chapter for further consideration and suggested Bible reading in the book of Matthew. If the reader chooses to pursue the suggested reading, she will have read the book of Matthew completely by the end of the book!
There is also a leader’s guide in the back of the book so it can be used in a group setting.
This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?
Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!
Any closing thoughts?
I am very excited about this book! I believe that if a mom can strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ, she will feel more equipped to be the mom she wants to be. I’m also offering an online book discussion on my blog beginning Tuesday, April 7. If you’d like to join us, you can subscribe to my blog at www.jillsavage.org.

I’d love to hear a reader’s thoughts after they read the book, too! You can connect to me through my blog at www.jillsavage.org.
Thanks, Jill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your real mom, real Jesus moments with us.
You can purchase your own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus by clicking here.
And be sure to check out Hearts at Home, their conferences for moms, and all their online resources here.

Excitebooks.com Giveaway!

Books are great for kids, and reading is so beneficial to their learning! Our family enjoys books, and really enjoy finding new books to explore. I was really excited about the new program offered from Excitebooks.com! It is very similar to netflix, but instead of movies, you can order books for your kids. Your children can get a wide variety of books that fits their age category (infant, toddler, 1-5 grade, teen books, cook books, and puzzles) and the books are all “teacher approved” books based on age/grade level. There are three different membership plans customized to fit what works for your family's desires. You can order one book ($4.99), two books ($9.99)or three books~which includes an educational activity ($14.99) a month and you can enjoy a gift your child will enjoy completely. What a fun surprise for them to see what the next book will be each month, plus, they are learning and growing!

A great faucet that Excitebooks.com has implemented into their great children's reading program is, after 12 books sent to your home, they send a pre-addressed/pre-paid envelope that you can use to send some of the books to a local library or your school library. This is a great way for you to share the gift of reading with others, and your children can participate in the giving. A receipt is also included for a tax deductible donation to your libraries.

“Excite Books is not your average book company,” explains Austin George, a commercial airline pilot, motivational speaker and founder of the online site. “We are members of the community who strive to add excitement and energy into your child’s reading activities. Through Excite Books, kids are an active participant in all phases of learning and development through responsibility, motivation and giving back to the community.”
Excite Books knows that kids who read also love to watch TV and has tapped Blake

Michael, the 11- year-old host of Cartoon Network’s Fried Dynamite as its celebrity spokes kid. Blake appears on Excitebooks.com wearing a large red exclamation point as an advocate for the excitement of reading books. He’s a passionate reader off camera who exudes the enthusiasm and excitement of reading and giving by kids to kids.
With its 100% “excitement guarantee,” this month-to-month service requires no commitments or contracts. The company is so confident your Excite Kid will love the action-packed books that it offers a money-back guarantee.

If you would like to start a monthly subscription, you can get a bonus fourth book by entering in the Personalized Message field when you submit your order the words “4th Book Free” and then you can type your personalized note that will be included with your order for your child.

Would you like to try Excitebooks "Netflix" books for kids program? You have a chance to win here! What you will win if you are the lucky winner: three books in the age category you choose, accompanied by the eight free gifts. You will be happy to win this for your children, because books are a great gift for children! This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To get your first entry, comment about a book your child especially enjoys right now. If you do not do the first required entry, you will be disqualified. You may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win, and click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on January 19, 2009 at 11:59PM CST. GOOD LUCK!

Candlewick Press Books~ PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

My children love books, and a great place to find great books for your kids is Candlewick Press! We got some books from Candlewick Press for Christmas time, and I was so excited to get some books for Nathaniel's age! Nathaniel is an avid reader and loves to keep his nose in the books. It can be a challenge to find books that really spark his interest, and I was excited to see his joy when he picked up the 'Where's Waldo? The Complete Collection', and the 'Moon Landing' books!
'Where's Waldo? The Complete Collection,' is a collection of 5 books...the complete series of Where's Waldo? These books are filled with pictures overloading the pages with eye stimulus, and the reader needs to find and pick out Waldo. The Where is Waldo? books are like I spy, but you need to find Waldo. My kids and I like to tryand find other things/people in the pictures after we conquered finding Waldo! The Complete Collection of Where is Waldo? can be purchased for $45.00 found at many book stores, and is geared toward ages 5-12 years. Moon Landing is a book my son really dazzled over, not only is this book fun to look at with the pop-outs and special effects, but it is filled with great information and facts. Wanting to be an astronaut himself, Nathaniel was wide-eyed over 'Moon Landing'! Richard Platt is a great author, and his book features traveling to the moon, the race to conquer space, the technology needed to reach the moon and sustain the astronauts in space, and the moon landing itself. The pop-ups display a rocket, the lunar module, a spaceship, and a spectacular spherical moon. There are even booklets and flaps which are filled with facts. *Published in anticipation of the fortieth anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969*Features official NASA photographs, two mini-books, and fun informational flaps. At $29.99, I think this book is a great value of educational information! This book is geared toward ages 8 and up.
Some other great books Candlewick Press has are Let's Play in the Snow (from the Guess how much I love you series). Little Nutbrown Hare plays I Spy with Big Nutbrown Hare, and finds out what is Big Nutbrown Hare's favorite thing is that he spys. Maisy's Christmas Day is a story about Maisy and her friends seeing what gifts they get. The pictures are colorful and bright, easy for smaller children to look at. A story of sacrifice and meaning is portrayed in The Gift of the Magi. Della and her husband, Jim, have made great sacrifices for each other just to get the gift long sought for. Coming to realize that Christmas isn't about the price of a gift, but that the gift is in each other and what they share. I love the watercolor pictures in this book, and the meaning behind the story.Another fun pop up book for your kids (and you) to enjoy is A Present for Santa Claus! My kids had a great time watching the pop-ups come to life in this colorful and entertaining book. It is a story about a little boy who would like to give Santa a gift. What would Santa want? At the end of the book, there is a sneak peak of Santa's cottage that kids can get a 3-D look to see inside.
Candlewick Press has books for all ages, and their books are of high quality! Since Candlewick Press first opened their doors in 1991, they’ve received more than 1500 accolades and honors, and have been named "the fastest growing children’s publisher in the U.S." by Publishers Weekly. One thing I find rather fascinating is: Candlewick Press is 100 percent owned and operated by their employees, making them one of the largest independent publishing companies, not just in the country, but in the world!!
Candlewick Press is graciously offering to sponsor a giveaway to you lucky readers! There will be three winners! Here is what you can do to enter: This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To get your first entry, check out the books at Candlewick Press, find one that interests you (besides the ones I mentioned) and comment about it. Please let me know what book you would like to win of those that I mentioned, too! If you do not do the first required entry, you will be disqualified. You may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win, and click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on January 6, 2009 at 11:59PM CST. GOOD LUCK!