Something For Everyone

Today we are doing  a round up of books.  I have plenty to choose from and thought that you would like to know a lil more on some great informational books.

First we have Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.  JD is my quiet gal and she was thrilled to have this book as one of her private collection.  Here is what she has to say:

Decision making today is a lot like instant pudding: the faster you can bring something to the table, the better. Or so society claims. Is a fast decision always better? Maybe not. In her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain discusses the history of today's extrovert ideal and the secret strengths all introverts have. Introverts tend to function well without sleep, delay gratification, learn from mistakes, and look at the big picture. Why, then, is extroversion still the ideal? A good presenter going into a board room is more likely to receive what they want than a well-researched presentation put together by someone who has less showmanship. A person who talks fast is viewed as more intelligent than someone with a slower vocal cadence. A student who is gregarious will receive more recognition than one who rarely speaks up. 

The reason for all this, the extrovert ideal, started back in the early 1900s. Today, it's still prevalent. As an introvert myself, I've been forced to act against my quiet nature for the sake of how others perceive me. Working in customer service, you have to talk and smile and act like you're having a good day no matter what. It's not always fun or easy. Thanks to Susan Cain's book Quiet, I know I don't have to conform to the extrovert ideal all the time. 

This summer we have been drinking fresh cucumber ginger lemonade.  But we have found some amazing new sodas that we are now making at home.  Look up The Artisan Soda Workshop and see what you love.  With the grandbabes the biggest hit has been making our very own Root Beer.  But Dear Hubby is partial to making fresh peach soda.  Being a massive diet coke fan I found it harder to get use to these sweeter drinks.  But I found one that won me over.  That is home made fresca or grapefruit soda.  Now add it and Dear Hubby's peach soda and you have peach fresca that is to die for.

Ingredients:
1 ruby red grapefruit, halved
1 tspn agave syrup
1tblspn peach syrup
seltzer water, as needed 

Preparation:

1. Juice each grapefruit half, making sure to get the pulp, too.  
2. Pour 3/4 cup of the juice, including the pulp, into a glass and stir in the agave and peach syrup to combine.  
3. Top with seltzer and serve. 

And then last but for sure the funnest book I have had all summer is The Scribble Diary.  Yeah you read that right.  I get to draw and write in a book all I want!  Lisa Currie created this fun lil gem to help as a small project to capture the works of some of her favorite illustrators. Little did she know that her homemade project would turn into a worldwide phenomenon—as people from around the globe have shared their own thoughtful, wacky, and intricate takes on her doodle prompts.

I loved the freedom of letting my mind wonder and just enjoy doodling once again.  I did it all the time as a teen when I would be on the phone or waiting around in class for the next project.  But somewhere along the line it got drummed into me that we were not suppose to doodle in the sides of margins.  And I lost that creative spark that it gave me.  With The Scribble Diary I am back at it.  

THE SCRIBBLE DIARY can also be used:

·         In the classroom: teachers can use exercises to get shy students out of their shell, to help ease the transition for new students, as well as students who face learning disabilities or difficulty speaking English

·          In hospitals and other mental health facilities: counselors and psychologists can use visually appealing format of THE SCRIBBLE DIARY to engage their patients, and help express their thoughts 

·          In summer camps and after-school programs: let the imaginations of children roam free as they decorate the pages from THE SCRIBBLE DIARY