Book Review: Get Energy! Empower Your Body, Love Your Life by Denise Austin

You may think that a book by fitness guru Denise Austin would be mostly about exercising and dieting but this book is NOT a dieting book. No calorie counting, no lengthy workout routines - it's really about making small, manageable changes in the way you live. These changes gradually lead to a more energetic and positive lifestyle and other great benefits that are too numerous to list.  Honestly, I never really liked the perennially perky Ms. Austin until I read Get Energy! Empower Your Body, Love Your Life. She always got on my nerves when I'd see her on tv with that perfect figure and limitless energy. I did love this book though. About Get Energy: With a jam-packed schedule and little time to get it all done, do you find yourself exhausted before the day’s even ended? America’s favorite fitness expert Denise Austin shows readers how to super-charge their lives in her newest book, Get Energy! Empower Your Body, Love Your Life. Her innovative lifestyle plan is based on simple changes — from the foods you consume to the way you sit in your chair — that add up to major energy!My goals for 2011 include getting in shape by exercising several hours each week, improving my overall lifestyle and playing outside with my daughter more. So Get Energy seemed like a book that was written just for me! I know that we could all use more energy but I have been feeling drained from morning to night these days so I was excited to learn about Denise's Lifestyle Changes that are designed to give you energy and make you feel great. .Why I Really Liked This Book: This is an incredibly inspiring book. It is encourages the reader to make positive changes and stick to their goals. I also love that she included worksheets in the book to help the reader put their "Personal Energy Plan" into action, determine any habits that are sapping energy and to remind you of the steps that will increase your energy. Anyone can do this program. Whether you are an overweight couch potato, an underweight junk food junkie or a fabulous and fit person who just wants more energy, you can put the simple changes outlined in this book into practice and within a week  you will notice a difference. I admit that I slacked off on my plan but I fully intend to pick up where I left off. I noticed that when I followed the easy changes that add up to big energy boosts, I felt better and I looked better. I felt less stressed and just healthier in general!I highly recommend "Get Energy" to anyone who wants a healthier lifestyle. The changes you make seem small but each little step leads to a happier, healthier lifestyle where you have more energy and feel better about yourself. You can get Sneak Peek of Get Energy!Buy it: Purchase Get Energy! Empower Your Body, Love Your Life at AmazonDisclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from the Hatchette Book Group to facilitate my review. This did not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own and are from my own unique experience. 

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Flightless Goose Book Review - This Is a Must Have For Your Child's Home Library

A perfect addition to every child’s home library, “Flightless Goose” is a tale of tolerance, friendship and embracing the qualities that make one unique instead of being ashamed of them. This delightful and beautifully illustrated story book, along with it’s fantastic companion website-www.flightlessgoose.com- and the book’s cd are valuable tools when it comes to teaching children so many valuable lessons. Some of which are treating others with respect, being safe around automobiles, staying away from the street while playing and many more important subjects. Priced at just $15.95, right now if you order from the Flightless Goose website, you not only get this wonderful book, you also receive the audio read along cd and a Crayola Coloring Set Gift. 

 Inspired by a real goose who was unable to fly after an accident, was written by Eric D. Goodman and illustrated by Natalya A. Goodman. Gilbert was a happy “normal” goose who loved  flying, playing, swimming and he did all of these things with his many goose friends. Sadly, an accident deprived Gilbert of his ability to fly. His friends were supportive at first but soon they began to torment Gilbert with mean tricks and hurtful taunts. Gilbert has a human friend named Johnny who is wheelchair bound. Johnny helps Gilbert to understand that his friends will realize one day that even though Gilbert is different, he is just as good as they are.  When winter arrives, the geese all fly south and Gilbert is left alone. Although he is lonely and cold, he doesn’t let this stop him from playing and keeping busy. He strengthens his legs by running and gliding on the ice pond. When the geese come home, they still taunt Gilbert but his happy to be around them anyway. Soon after, too villains come to the pond. Each goose finds their life in danger - except Gilbert. He was able to use his leg strength to run from the two criminals.  Gilbert was able to reach Johnny and alert him to the dangerous men in time to save the other geese. By using the abilities he gained from being different, Gilbert was able to save his friends. He became a hero and from that day on, the other geese treated Gilbert with the respect he had always deserved. I shared this book two children between the ages of 4 and 6 - both girls - and they loved it. My daughter has asked for it as her bed time story several times and we've read it during our story time during the afternoon and it has helped me bring up many topics like bullying and friendship. I actually rewrote the review after she had an accident the other day that left her feeling self conscious and "ugly". She lost a front tooth and wouldn't speak or smile then when I started discussing the Flightless Goose with her again and reminding her that everyone is different but it doesn't make them less beautiful or special, it really helped to change her mood. Today she is back to her normal self and she keeps smiling in the mirror to see her "special" grin.This book is a truly unique find. I don’t recall ever having read another children’s book that not only teaches tolerance, respect and emphasizes the joys of being unique - it also features a main character who is in a wheelchair. Even though Johnny couldn’t walk, he still helped to save the day and was a hero like Gilbert. I think it is very important for kids  to see characters who are unique and to understand that even though someone may be in a wheelchair, deaf, blind - no matter what circumstances make them unique, really they are no different from any other child. This book can also generate an important dialogue with your kids about crucial topics like being safe around the street and automobile safety. It also can spark conversations about tolerance, the ability to do what you want if you work hard enough, treating everyone with respect and many other valuable lessons.  I am so thankful to Shana at Writer's Lair Books for giving me the opportunity to review this fanastic book! 

Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary copy of this book and read along cd for review purposes from Writer's Lair Books. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are in no way influenced by others.  For more information see my Disclosure Policy.

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