Tag Archives: health

November 6, 2023 · 7:00 am

A Little Something About Me by Karlene Y Murray (Book Review)

Dreamers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ability levels. Children have different abilities and face different challenges. Some may have obstacles that limit them a little or a lot, but ALL can be empowered.

The children featured in A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT ME offer empowering stories of hope and inclusion that emphasize the importance of having choices, taking risks, being supported and listened to, thinking and speaking positively, and treasuring happy moments.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Karlene Murray brings together a diverse cast in her children’s book, A Little Something About Me. First, we’re introduced to Julia, a young girl with Down Syndrome. Julia may learn slower than others, but that’s okay. What really matters is how she treats others, and it’s with kindness.

Jae-won explains that he’s adopted; his biological parents gave him up for a better life. The decision to give up your child is never an easy choice, but it’s a reality many parents face. Jae-won felt what others would face in similar scenarios: nervousness and fear of the unknown. However, they reassured young readers walking a similar path that, with time, those negative emotions will be replaced with joy and love. Plus, a family isn’t defined by shared DNA. It’s about the people you can count on and who make you happy. 

Children will read about Lisa, who longs for the day they are cancer-free. They want to stress that while they have Leukemia, it does not define them. Their positive attitude is inspiring! While many children might’ve heard of cancer, dwarfism or achondroplasia might be a foreign terminology. The illustration did a decent job showing the genetic condition; however, a child might walk away assuming people with dwarfism only have enlarged heads.

As the book continues, we meet Kimmy, who’s more comfortable with fictional people. Then there’s Marcos, who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I was happy to see Taylor representing the hearing-impaired community and Jiyaan, a paraplegic boy who doesn’t let his physical limitations keep him from doing what he loves. His ball-playing and chair-maneuvering skills were impressive! I’m sure he’ll reach his goal: medaling in the Paralympic Games. 

Children reading this book might see themselves (physically or mentally) among the thirteen characters. Maybe for the first time! 

I recommend sharing this informative and diverse book with your family and school. Also, utilize the links featured on the “Additional Information” page and expand your knowledge regarding every topic shared in the mini-stories. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

Meet the Author

Karlene Murray is the author of Best of Both Parents. She is an avid lover of reading, travel and cooking. It has been a dream for a very long time to write and publish a children’s book and that dream has finally come true.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

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February 16, 2023 · 7:00 am

Beating the Bladder Blues by Doug Setter (Book Review)

Over 33% of people in the U.S.A. have reported problems with frequent and urgent urination. If you have ever had the embarrassing moments of a urgent race to a washroom or habitually position yourself close to the washrooms, this book can help. Beating the Bladder Blues is an easy-to-follow, humorous book on making less washroom trips and enjoying life more.
The book shows the little known methods of:
1. Internal muscle control.
2. Herbs and foods for bladder health.
3. How-to protect your prostrate and urinary tract from inflammation.
4. Reprogramming your mind-body connection to reduce or end involuntary urination.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Frequent urination (incontinence) or late-night urination (nocturia) is an all-too-common dilemma that plagues adults and children. Those who suffer from either of these two issues might experience uncontrollable leakage. Accidents can cause embarrassment and make one shy away from social engagements, or when nighttime visits are the culprit, the afflicted don’t get adequate sleep.

Doug Setter speaks the truth when they openly discuss what lengths they went to when the urge to go was upon them and no restroom in sight. I haven’t peed in a bottle before, but that’s only because I am a woman and didn’t think my aim would hit the mark 100% of the time. As a person with weak bladder muscles, I am familiar with the need to go multiple times during events. It’s annoying, a nuisance, and can be embarrassing. 

Since I don’t have a prostate, I could not empathize with the author’s talk about the exam. However, the physical therapy intake exam to strengthen my bladder muscles was intrusive and made me uncomfortable. I had to complete exercises while the therapist monitored me internally, manually. So I can, in a way, relate to Doug Setter’s displeasure over the unpleasant physical exam. 

In chapter two, Doug discusses various reasons why a person might be having plumbing issues: UTI, excess consumption of liquids, diabetes, bladder stones, and kidney conditions to name a few. After these possible reasons, Doug included a detailed image of your “plumbing parts” and explained their function in simple terms. 

I would advise taking Doug’s “five-pronged approach to urinating less” before going straight to the scalpel to fix your urinary system and problem. Sometimes eliminating a trigger or doing Kegel (pelvic floor) exercises improves the matter. The good news about these exercises is anyone can do them, regardless of age, and anywhere too! If you’re unfamiliar with Kegel exercises, Doug gives you a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process.

I found photos of the exercises taught in yoga and other exercise systems helpful. You don’t have to wonder if you’re performing it correctly or not. I encourage you to read the steps, look at the pictures, and then try your hand at the four additional stretches. 

As I stated earlier, removing a trigger can improve or stop your symptoms. Chapter five mentions several food and beverage-related items that might be your culprit. My doctor has told me to avoid citrusy and acidic things, so their presence on the list didn’t shock me. However, my doctor never mentioned spices. I’ll have to examine that one in more detail. Now, all triggers do not have to be food-based. Stress can also play a factor. I never knew that either. I have realized that when I’m busy, I urinate less than when I’m bored. Maybe my mind is preoccupied and not focused on the need to go. Bored seems to be a trigger for me. 

No matter the organ, there will be things that make it perform poorly and superbly. Doug discusses both. On the good list is cranberries which I consume daily. There was also horsetail, something I’d never heard or seen before. 

Some sections are directed to male readers: boosting testosterone and prostate issues; however, both genders can benefit from bladder training, knowing what’s good and bad for their urinary health. 

If you have bladder control issues or know someone who does, read this book or share it with them. It might change their life or yours! 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

Reedsy Link

 

Meet the Author

Doug is a former paratrooper and U.N. Peacekeeper. He holds a BSc and has trained hundreds of people in fitness, martial arts and outdoor skills. He is the author of: Flat Gut After 50, Fit Femme After 50, Flat Gut After COVID, Reduce Your Alcohol Craving and Beating the Bladder Blues.

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April 25, 2022 · 7:00 am

Sanity for Humanity in a Calamity: A Cartoon Journey of Our First Year through COVID-19 by Jon Bowerman (Book Review)

A comedic, illustrated, and unapologetic memoir to look back and remember our first unprecedented year of COVID-19, in a different light.

Yes, there were challenges, and there were also triumphs to be celebrated. This book surely doesn’t forget those. Along with each cartoon, comes a time-stamped reflection of whatever was flipping the world on its head that day. Some snapshots are happy. Some are sad. Some are hilarious. Summed up, it’s truly a diary of the coronavirus that everyone can relate to.

Everyone’s coping mechanism was different. Mine happened to be cartoons. As abruptly as our world came to a screeching halt, my foray back into drawing began. Art has always been my passion, but life got in the way for a decade.

To bring some humor and for my own therapy, I began cartooning in lockstep with the world changing daily. With nearly every week of the pandemic changing our cultural norms, I continued chronicling our evolution as a society. After sharing a few cartoons on social media and getting such a great response and momentum, the collection started to build.

Here we are, our first year of COVID-19 over, and I’m ready to share them with the world.

Keep this book on your coffee table, in the bathroom, or as a guidebook for the next (year of this) pandemic. A keepsake with perspective that all adults won’t soon forget.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Everyone has been affected by the covid pandemic. We felt it in our wallets. Store shelves dwindled down to almost nothing. We lost jobs and businesses because of it. Schools went to remote learning. Family members could no longer hug their child(ren). Worse, we lost families and friends to the virus. 

Jon Bowerman’s cartoons for Sanity for Humanity in a Calamity: A Cartoon Journey of Our First Year through COVID-19 made me smile. Barney the dinosaur’s mugshot was funny. Loved the nods to DC Comics (Batman and Bane). I loved ALL the pop culture references! 

There was one cartoon that was hard to read. Senior Defender-19‘s image was sideways with tiny lettering, which made it virtually impossible to read. I could zoom in on the pdf (author-issued copy), but I could not rotate the image. 

Covid Safety Tip #3 – Day 123 – One Sheet conservation Method: OMG, I spit out my drink, reading the instructions and looking at the figures A-F. Seriously, that one was funny as heck! 

Jon Bowerman was correct in people’s worry about how others would view someone wearing a mask. Were they being cautious, or are they contagious? He also spoke of how to wear one properly. FYI: It’s not helpful if you don’t cover your mouth AND nose. Just sayin’.

Jon Bowerman gave props to his wife during the remote-learning days. He also gave a shout-out to all teachers, showed his appreciation for all their work, and encouraged increasing school funding. I agree!

It’s hard to imagine speaking of covid, reflecting on what it’s done worldwide, and laughing or cracking a smile, but that’s precisely what Jon Bowerman has made me do through his witty text and funny cartoons. He brought lightness to a rather dark time. Thank you, Jon Bowerman. Well done! Oh, and I love the cover too! 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

A tech entrepreneur in marketing, Jon founded a non-profit focusing on increasing the mental health of children through art. Jon enjoys spending most of his personal time denying his kids more screen time, scrambling for par on the golf course, smoking ribs low and slow, and cracking open a beer.

Reedsy Link

 

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November 17, 2021 · 7:00 am

Letters to Jacob: Grieving the Loss of a Child by Maria Hopfgarten (Book Review)

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​Maria Hopfgarten’s son Jacob was born on January 31, 2006. He was the most perfect baby boy she had ever seen. But Jacob had devastating health issues, culminating in a diagnosis of mitochondrial disease, a fatal condition. In the ten short years of Jacob’s life, Maria found strength in blogging about Jacob’s life. Her raw, honest posts from the year after Jacob’s passing have been gathered into this book along with Maria’s tips for parents coping with their their own grief after losing a child. “If you have lost a child, you know you’re weathering the largest storm life can bring you. I hope that my words of loss, tears, punches, smiles, friendships, and renewed happiness can give you a sense of not being along on this journey.”​
 
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
No story has ever hit me as hard as Letters to Jacob: Grieving the Loss of a Child by Maria Hopfgarten did. The “Introduction” did not just bring tears to my eyes; it had me sobbing. I had to lay the book down several times because I could not see the words through my tears. 


Each “letter” to Jacob touched my heart deeply, and I felt the family’s pain and their love during and after his departure from this world. At the end of each letter, Maria Hopfgarten (the author and mother to Jacob) gave helpful and thoughtful tips/pieces of advice in “Coping with Grief.” Since there are over 100 in all, I don’t think Maria Hopfgarten will mind if I share a few with you. 


 

  • Transform pieces of your loved one’s clothing into blankets or pillows.
  • Plant a tree or bush in memory of them.
  • “Cherish your family who is still standing by your side.”

 
Through the sadness, many touching moments will make you smile and possibly cry some more. I don’t want to divulge too much, but certain events recapped will emphasize how one little boy touched so many hearts, and his story will continue to do so for many years to come. 


After the “Epilogue,” I thought my crying time was over. I was wrong. “Mom” didn’t just make me cry a little — it caused me to sob. Throughout the story, I thought of my children, especially at this point, and the tears would not stop flowing. Even now, as I write this review, I’m wiping tears off my cheeks and stopping to blow my nose repeatedly. 


Maria Hopfgarten, thank you for sharing Jacob’s story with us. It was sad, beautifully written, and I’m forever changed for reading it. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
(deserves a million more)

 

Buy the Book
Amazon

 
 
Meet the Author
Picture

 
​Maria Hopfgarten began her blog Moments with Jacob in 2009, writing about Jacob’s life with mitochondrial disease. She had followers around the globe. Maria continued to write blog posts to Jacob after he passed in 2016 to make sense of the loss of her son. Jacob was 10 years old. She has now turned part of the blog into the book “Letters to Jacob,” sharing her raw, honest first-hand experience on grieving the loss of a child.

Maria is the President of the non-profit Miracles for Mito and has been supporting families living with mitochondrial disease for over a decade. She has also been an active Parent Partner at Children’s Hospital Colorado and has been a Parent voice for many chronically ill children. Maria also sits on the Patient Safety Committee of the Board at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Originally from Sweden and with a degree in Journalism from Stockholm University, Maria lives with her husband Joakim, daughter Sarah, and rescue dog Max in Colorado. Her favorite thing to do is to share a good cup of coffee or glass of wine with a friend. Maria loves the outdoor and is always up for a bike ride or hike.

​Connect with the Author:  ​Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

 
 

 

 

 

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November 14, 2018 · 5:00 am

The ‘Piper the Elf’ Series by Colleen Driscoll (Author Showcase)

The following books are great stories for children 3-8 years of age.

Hardcover: 32 pages

Mom’s Choice Award–Children’s Picture Book Health and Safety

Uh-oh! Santa’s suit is too tight and Mrs. Claus is worried about Santa. What can she do to help Santa shed a few extra pounds? She calls on Piper the elf to be Santa’s personal trainer. Problem is…Santa doesn’t want to exercise and Piper doesn’t know what a personal trainer is supposed to do! Piper wisely engages Santa’s help to build snowmen, make snow angels, and have a snowball fight. Find out if Piper’s plan works and if Santa can make his Christmas Eve rounds. The beautiful illustrations by noted illustrator Brian Dumm will delight every reader.

This is an excellent book for the classroom, home, or library. Bring fun, exercise, and healthy snacks to your family to help celebrate the holiday.

 

Print Purchase Link (US)

Print Purchase Link (UK)

 

 

Hardcover: 32 pages

The Christmas celebration at the North Pole needs music! Piper puts together a Rockin’ Band of Christmas elves at the request of Santa. Piper has many volunteers and the band works hard practicing for the big event, but not everyone is happy about the band. Does the band get to play for Santa? Find out in this new Piper the Elf adventure!

Award winning author Colleen Driscoll puts her musical talent to work in Santa’s Rockin’ Band. Parents, teachers, and kids will love the beautiful story that teaches about music, instruments, and most importantly about getting along with others. Driscoll hits every note in her newest Piper tale.

 

Print Purchase Link (US)

Audible Audiobook – Unabridged Link (US)

Print Purchase Link (UK)

Audiobook – Unabridged Link (UK)

 

Hardcover: 32 pages

Mom’s Choice Award Recipient

Christmas is coming and Santa’s sleigh is in dire need of repairs. When Santa asks for assistance, only Piper volunteers to help patch the run-down sleigh. As Piper learns how to repair a sleigh, she also learns a valuable lesson on helping others. Will the sleigh be ready for the midnight ride on Christmas Eve? This newest Piper the Elf adventure is full of surprises!

 

Print Purchase Link (US)

Print Purchase Link (UK)

 

 

Hardcover: 32 pages

Mom’s Choice Award
Preferred Choice Award Creative Child Magazine

When a new visitor comes to the North Pole, Piper learns about patience as she struggles to teach the stubborn reindeer, Stomper, how to fly. Despite Piper’s efforts, Stomper refuses to cooperate, and Santa leaves on Christmas Eve without the little reindeer. Will Santa take Stomper back to his herd on Christmas, or is there another way to get the reindeer in the air? Also includes animals of the Arctic!

 

Print Purchase Link (US)

Print Purchase Link (UK)

 

 

Piper the Elf Coloring & Activity Book is a wonderful companion to the Piper the Elf series by multi award winning author Colleen Driscoll. The elves are preparing for Christmas Eve and they find a stowaway in the sleigh! Fun games, mazes, puzzles, for the entire family!

Print Purchase Link (US)

Print Purchase Link (UK)

 

 Colleen Driscoll grew up in western Pennsylvania where she earned her B.S. degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She taught in Virginia before relocating to the scenic mountains in West Virginia.

 
 

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