Review: Find and Follow Your Inner Compass: Instant Guidance in an Age of Information Overload

Find and Follow Your Inner Compass: Instant Guidance in an Age of Information Overload by Barbara Berger
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Melissa's Musings:

*I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways*

This was interesting in that it deals with following one's inner compass, something we don't often do, and are early on in life discouraged from doing. It gives some helpful information on learning to listen to your compass, set boundaries, and learn to deter yourself from feeling guilty or selfish for doing so.

I resonated with this a little, as worrying about what others think, or "doing the right thing" is something I often struggle with. I don't follow my own inner compass often enough, but I would like to start doing that. I also have trouble saying no, and setting boundaries, and this reminded me that I should do that more often.

One of the things that disappointed me about this book are the constant overuse of exclamation marks. Nothing in this book was exciting enough to deserve them. The writing style is a bit choppy, and the content gets to be a bit repetitive.  I also didn't like the fact that the author mentioned another one of her books 6 or 7 times in the span of 20 pages. Please let me just focus on reading the current book, without constantly mentioning your other one.

I did appreciate the message of the book, but wasn't overly empowered after reading it. I did find the list of resources/other books at the back useful though, and so might others on their spiritual journey.

Do you have trouble setting boundaries, or saying no to people? When did you stop worrying about what other people think of you?

Review: E-Learning 101: It's Not As Tough As It Looks

Title: E-Learning 101: It's Not As Tough As It Looks

Author: Dr. Liz Hardy

Publisher: Self Published

Published: April 2nd 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 50

Date Read: March 29, 2015

Source: Received from author 

in exchange for an honest review

Add To Your TBR List on Goodreads

My Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis:

E-learning 101 is an e-book that will cheer you on, while it shows you the ropes.

It’s just like having your own personal e-learning coach.

This e-learning resource can do three things for you.

1. Save you time – by quickly explaining how everything works (it’s much faster than guessing on your own).

2. Stop you worrying – by replacing your fears with action and progress.

3. Make you more confident – by giving you step-by-step strategies for dealing with the tricky parts.

E-learning 101 can help you if you’re:

• Somewhere between slightly nervous, and frankly terrified

• Frustrated with having to guess about what to do next

• Too busy to wade through enormous books about online learning

• Keen to make progress on your course right now.

In 6 short lessons, you’ll find the solutions to your biggest e-learning questions.

And you’ll discover that e-learning’s really not as tough as it looks.

Melissa's Musings: 

This book is very straighforward and to the point. Broken down into 6 lessons, the information is easily read and absorbed.

I wouldn't say that I learned anything prolific or even anything new really. Given that I do have some experience with e-learning having taken some online courses during my college career, none of the information was new to me. But, I can see how it might be helpful for someone who doesn't have much experience with technology or online learning.

The chapters have nice summaries at the end with the points the author wants you to take away from reading them, as well as simple tasks to help you stay on track. The most important lesson that the book stresses is time management, and fitting studying into a busy schedule.

The one thing that didn't really work for me is the pictures of the dogs on the cover and throughout the book. I'm not sure what the author was aiming for in using these, but I found them distracting.

I would say that this is a good book for a quick read and some easy to follow tips.

Have any of my blog readers taken any online courses? Do you have any tips about e-learning to share?

Review: The Seeds of Beauty (+Giveaway)

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Seeds of Beauty by Lakeysha-Marie Green, presented by Pump Up Your Book. Read on to discover my thoughts on the book as well as enter a giveaway.

Title: Seeds of Beauty: Defining Your Beauty and Style From The Inside Out:

Author: Lakeysha-Marie Green

Drawings By: Alyse DeCavallas

Publisher: Createspace

Published: May 30, 2013

Pages: 216

Format: Paperback

Source: Received From Author In Exchange For An Honest Review

My Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:

What's the real secret of radiant beauty? It may come as no surprise that how we look on the outside is directly connected to the beauty deep inside us. What's more, when we are imbalanced with the weight of low self-esteem, it's all-too-visible in our physical appearance. That's why every truly successful makeover begins by reconnecting with who we are at our very core-long before the swipe of the credit card or snip of the shears. Now, fashion stylist Lakeysha-Marie Green has written a groundbreaking new guide to developing show-stopping beauty from the inside out. Inspirational and easy to use, The Seeds of Beauty seamlessly joins the key elements of inner beauty with savvy, expert advice on making the most of your own physical attributes. In Part One, "Beauty Within," you'll learn how to build a foundation of self-love, exploring subjects such as acknowledging your value, developing resilience and finding the courage to move forward. Part Two, "Beauty Reflected," offers you practical advice on wardrobe fundamentals to bring out your beauty and create a winning style. By combining these equally important aspects of true beauty, this gorgeous resource comes together in one illuminating journey that looks as fabulous as it feels. The Seeds of Beauty challenges you to discover just why you are uniquely beautiful on the inside. Once you have embraced your own brand of beauty, you'll be truly motivated to master the building blocks to accentuate your appearance-and glow with your own exquisite beauty from the inside out.

Want To Read It For Yourself?

AMAZON

Melissa's Musings:

This book is a pleasant mix of self help and fashion. The book just jumps right in, there isn't really a solid preface as to what the goal of the book is. In a sense, it's a bit free-spirited. I don't mind this, but it would have been nice if there were a little more setup/introduction rather than just jumping right in to things.

Each chapter has an inspirational quote as a sub-heading and this was a really nice feature. The quotes were well suited to each of the different chapters. I also thought it was great that the book focused on the self help portion first, and saved the fashion element for second, because this really ties in with the nature of the book, defining beauty from the inside out.

There are a lot of important reminders, for women on various aspects of life that we tend to sometimes have trouble with. Important messages like "Don't beat yourself up too much for your mistakes," and "Don't compare yourself to others, love yourself for who you are," are just a few of the points reiterated in this first section. The end of each chapter has a beauty brainstorm, so that the reader can take some time to reflect on these lessons and make the connections to them in their own life.

The second section is full of great fashion tips and advice on everything from body types and what styles work best on each, to accessories and picking out clothing for each season, plus more. This section is really helpful for someone like me who doesn't know much about fashion. I learned a lot about how to pick clothing that really will suit my body type well, and that will make me feel good about myself. I also learned that maybe one of the reasons I like purple so much is because it is a color that goes well with my skin tone. I'll definitely be referring back to this section of the book often for help choosing clothing.

Overall this book is really lovely. I learned a lot, with great reminders on how to improve my life through positivity and small mental changes. And I also picked up a few great fashion tips that will help me dress more confidently and shine both inside and out.

And now you can shine a little on the outisde and enter for your chance to win a Macy's and Sephora giftcard. Enter using the rafflecopter below. Here are the details:

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form placed on blogs throughout the tour. If your blog isn’t set up to accept the form, we offer another way for you to participate by having people comment on your blog then directing them to where they can fill out the form to gain more entries. This promotion will run from June 17 – September 13. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on September 14, 2013. Each blogger who participates in The Seeds of Beauty virtual book tour is eligible to enter and win. Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour. If you would like to participate, email Tracee at tgleichner(at)gmail.com. What a great way to not only win these fabulous prizes, but to gain followers and comments too! Good luck everyone!

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Review: Abundance Triggers

Hello fellow readers!

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Abundance Triggers by Kanta Bosniak, hosted by Pump Up Your Book

Title: Abundance Triggers: How to Shift Yourself Into Prosperity Concsciousness Instantly!

Author: Kanta Bosniak

Publisher: Createspace

Published: August 2nd, 2011

Pages: 174

Source: Received in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:  

Learn how to put yourself in abundance consciousness instantly and consistently, making happiness your "new normal" and co-creating the life of your dreams! Kanta Bosniak is a soulful voice for finding within ourselves what has really never been lost: ourSelves. In her groundbreaking new book Abundance Triggers, she offers unique and self-affirming tools that we can use to "trigger" the knowledge of our essential nature and living our lives more abundantly. -Rev. Nancy J. Oristaglio, Regional Representative for the Southwest Region, Unity Worldwide Ministries, Sr. Minister, Unity of Antelope Valley This book is chock full of easy-to-follow ideas for a life of success and happiness! I was amazed at how author Kanta Bosniak included so much great information and still made it so conversational, exciting and fun. I think it's going to change people's lives in amazing ways. From now on, this is my go-to book for recognizing the abundance in my life and creating even more. -Lisa Plummer, Montessori Teacher and Soul Collage Facilitator Abundance Triggers is a wonderful tool box of ideas and inspiration to help regain the quality and vitality of the life we desire...Author Kanta Bosniak skillfully weaves information and story, and provides opportunities for creative self-expression as you move through your own renewal. -Heather Rodale, Founder, Healing Through the Arts Abundance Triggers resonated with me on every level and every cell of my body knows this is truth. It is my hope that millions of people will read this book and experience their shift, moving into a place of everyday miracles. -Stacy Hairfield, Publisher, Natural Awakenings Magazine, Southwest VA Edition

Melissa's Musings:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I must admit that as I first started reading it, I got nervous that it would be "preachy" once references to God and higher powers were made. I was very pleased that these references were very generalized and even keeled, so I didn't feel preached to or anything like that. And that is true of the entire tone of the book, not just those particularly spiritually oriented parts. Each of the activities are presented in a way that's not forceful, just as suggestions, that you can take or leave.

This book is full of a lot of useful tips and exercises that the reader can use to infuse more positivity and positive thinking into their life. Some of them are on the more creative side, like making a collage mandala with pictures of your loved ones. Others are more reflective, like meditation options or journaling questions. The wide range of options will appeal to many different readers.

One of the aspects that I enjoyed most about the book is that the author incorporates some of her own abundance stories into the book, as well as those of individuals in her life. It helped me to relate to the material better, and connect with the author, which I appreciated. 

One of my favorite sections was one toward the end of the book that touches on the meanings behind certain colors. My favorite color is purple, and according to the author's suggestions of the meanings of colors purple represents transformation, forgiveness, prosperity, depth, and integrity. These are things that I am working on in certain areas of my life, so it's very relevant.

There are some nice illustrations to go along with the material, and those help to reinforce the ideas.

If you are a person who is looking to increase positivity in your life, this book will definitely help. I wish I had stopped to do more of the excerises on my first read through, but since I didn't, this book will definitely be getting another reading (or two) from me.

Book Spotlight: How I Met the Man of My Dreams: The Guide to MANifesting Yours + Giveaway

Hello Fellow readers!

A few months ago I had the chance to review Debbianne DeRose's first book, What I Did on My Midlife Crisis Vacation. You can read that review HERE

Today I'm happy to tell you that Debbianne DeRose has a new book out:

Publisher: PiscAquarian Press

Published: January 1, 2013

Pages: 168 pages

Format: Paperback, Ebook

Genre: Self Help, Memoir, Humor

Synopsis:

Years of single-womanhood can leave a gal wondering if she’ll ever find a bonafide SuperLove. To be honest, I doubted that mine even existed.  But that’s where the MANifesting gets really interesting: believing is not a requirement.  When my Dreamboat sailed into the harbor, I was so inspired that I decided to “reverse-engineer” the Law of Attraction for the single sisterhood, with humor and tough love.  Whether you’re new to the Woo, or a veteran looking for a breakthrough, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more practical, fresh (or fresh-mouthed) look at the MANifestation process.  So much more than the metaphysical mechanics of rustlin’ up a mate, it’s about who you become in the undertaking.  Oh and, of course, there’s a juicy love story to prime your imagination.  Prepare to laugh, to take an honest look within, and best of all, to be taken off the market!

Buy the Book:

Amazon US|Amazon UK|Smashwords

Win Your Own Copy!

Giveaway Rules:

Debbianne Derose has been kind enough to offer a Smashwords Coupon to one lucky reader!

This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL, as long as you are able to download from Smashwords

This giveaway will run until Midnight PST on  February 28, 2013

Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond to their notification email before another winner is chosen.

You DO NOT have to be a follower of Melissa's Midnight Musings to enter. Anyone who does choose to follow is appreciated. :)

There are no mandatory entries , do as many or as few as you like.

All entries will be verified, any false entries will be removed.

The author NOT Melissa's Midnight Musings is responsible for sending the prize  to the winner.

ENTER BELOW:

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This giveaway is NOT associated, sponsored nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads,Superpoints, or any other social media site.