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Being a selfless mother #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

The clear-cut definition of a mother is selfless service to another. In return for her abundance, she receives no lack of admiration.

Mom or mother as she is known lovingly is always really good at putting the needs of others before her own. She is so very good that there is never a single syllable ‘no’ from her; I often wonder has she forgotten the word. The ‘me time’ factor that is doing all rounds now for the modern moms like us was never taken up by her or her ancestors I hear of.

She has always tended to the needs of me and my sister before herself. The way she takes care of her in laws or her parents you can never draw a line of difference. The innumerable sacrifices she has made such as looking after us when we were small, catering to a job 8-3 and then getting back to us when we come back from school has made her very busy. She continues to help even now. Taking care of my daughter as a child of her own is something I really I am elated about.

We do live in a culture that women in particular the mothers must be selfless, caring and emotionally available. The society waits for a chance to pounce if in a way the women is distant, intolerant and selfish.

The exhaustion, the bitterness in silence, emotional labor that they go through constantly is the end results of the selfless moms who give themselves tirelessly. Not all women or mothers find themselves in this burdensome cycle, but those who do seem to live in a reality dictated by everyone else’s needs.

We have known a proverb that could not have said better “God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers.” We also know that “The mother is a school; if she is well reared, you are sure to build a nation.”

So let us make sure we do ask them if they are in need of something, devote some time to look after them, take them out and make them enjoy life much as we do nowadays.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com and powered by Instacuppa and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

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Review of Something I never told you #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

BLURB:

When in love, you tend to take each other for granted, and sometimes, that can cost you a lifetime of togetherness . . . Ronnie knew that his first crush was way out of his league, and yet he pursued and wooed Adira. Shyly and from a distance in the beginning, and more persuasively later. He couldn’t believe it when the beautiful Adira actually began to reciprocate, falling in love with him for his simplicity and honesty.

Slowly, as they get close and comfortable with each other, life takes on another hue. From truly magical it becomes routine. There are fights and then making-up sessions-a clash of egos and doubts.

Things begin to change for the worst.

It is too late. Ronnie and Adira will probably never find their forever after . . .

MY REVIEW:

This book is yet another love story with the usual struggles. Raunak or Ronnie as he prefers to be called falls in love with Adira. Both are from middle class background. The story goes back and forth between the past and present.

Raunak is late for his first day at office and looks to have lost his metro card somewhere in the commotion with the auto wala regarding the fare. On searching around he notices that it is under the dupatta of a beautiful girl who is seated on the staircase talking on her mobile. I know that sounds cliched. On looking at her he realizes that she is not an unknown face but someone he knows very well.

This girl is Adira. Raunka’s maternal grandma has a PG at home, one of whom was Adira. Raunak immediately fell in love, the first day when she came into the place. Raunak hangs out with his cousins or more aptly the only friends he has during weekends, who help Granny with managing things for the house. A few formal hellos were the conversation exchanged between Raunak and Adira. Basically he is very shy to express his liking for her. This is evident in few instances where he buys a silver charm bracelet for her birthday and places a note on it without writing his name, consequence of which some random guy unknown to him in the party claims he was the one who presented it.

Bamm!! Our hero loses his chance. Yet again when Adira falls sick, he gets medicine and makes someone else hand them over to her and she thinks it was Rohit, Raunak’s cousin who took the pain of getting her medicines. Here we go again. At the same timeline, his cousin Piyush falls in love with Tamannah, Adira’s friend, proposes and they are all set for marriage.

Upon the metro train journey Raunak loses track of Adira and ends up late in office; halfway through an important meeting with the clients and his team. But a sign of relief is that through the window he catches a glimpse of Adira is happy that she works for the same company too.

Like a God given chance, Raunak and ADira are on the same team who travel to Melbourne for a client project. That is when they start talking casually. Raunak’s lead helps him understand that he is delaying a decision to go up to and confess his love to Adira.

Raunak decides and proposes, Adira replies saying she needs time to think but he is definitely more than a friend. IN between we have the usual opposition from Adira’s mom refraining her from any male company, she absconds, they meet again at Piyush’s marriage.

What happens to them? Do they reunite is the rest of the story.

The story started off in a good pace and somewhere in the middle that seemed lost. It again regained the pace during the climax. Part of the narration seems to be dragged and things are explained way more in details in the middle which kind of is not engaging.

The vocabulary was good; the narration is clear. Over all is a one-time read and a usual love story. The cover design is too good that makes you want to pick this up. Kudos for that.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:256 pages
  • Publisher:Penguin (14 February 2019)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:0143445901
  • ISBN-13:978-0143445906

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shravya loves to find hidden stories around her and write novels about them. Formerly a corporate employee, she managed to flee the madness after a few years of boredom to become a full-time writer. She is a sucker for romance and strives to pen down exciting stories. When she is not reading and writing, she is out enjoying nature, playing with her dogs or cooking for her family.

She lives in Melbourne with her family, in a house with a barren backyard and a lifetime’s collection of books.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com and powered by Instacuppa and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

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Mother tongue – a must teach to your toddlers #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

The sudden burst of mother tongue related posts and videos doing round is not because of a campaign or a contest. February 21 is observed as International mother language day worldwide. If this is observed worldwide that shows the importance of mother tongue. This is observed to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity. This also familiarizes or brings awareness of a concept called multilingualism.

Going to the history of when and how this came to existence, it was Bangladesh who came up with the initiative and was approved at the UNESCO in 1999.This has been observed since the year 2000. The utmost powerful tools of conserving and evolving our physical and insubstantial heritage are the languages we speak.

Necessity of teaching your child mother tongue

Mother tongue has a major role to play in the child’s overall development. If the foundation of learning the mother tongue is strong, it is easier for the child to learn other languages. When your child is given exposure to learn to develop skills in more than one language, the easier it is for them to learn how to use them effectively. This will not be the case with a child who knows only one language. Children when exposed to learn more languages are capable of processing information in different language thereby making them more flexible.

Learning the mother tongue also helps in developing better literacy in turn increasing the vocabulary of the child; thereby making it easier when the kid goes to kindergarten.

Learning the mother tongue helps the child to feel more connected with the roots and culture. That will not be the case with children who are brought up in a place where they do not have much exposure to their mother tongue. As a result, they feel left out when they are back to where they belong.

How do you teach mother tongue?

  • Start teaching mother tongue at home
  • Communicate to them in mother tongue
  • Grandparents are a great learning source to teach mother tongue
  • Gatherings of like-minded people, in this case people who have same mother tongue
  • Read books in mother tongue.

How did I incorporate mother tongue in my toddler’s vocabulary?

  • I always teach my daughter the name of an object in tamil(my mother tongue) and English. In that way she is able to identify the object in both languages.
  • I always insist she calls me Amma(mother in tamil) and not mummy or mom. Same goes with Appa(father). She is taught the various terms for relatives only in mother tongue tamil.
  • Though she enjoys watching rhymes in English, there are equally good rhymes available in tamil as well. So she is exposed to both cultures.
  • The people in the house converse with her in Tamil to which she responds back well and I can also see that since us the elders talk in mother tongue at home she has picked up words from conversations and is able to use them in situations as she needs.

So let us be strong in teaching our kids the mother tongue so that they do not forget their roots and also help in preserving the vast heritage.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com https://allaboutthewoman.com/woman-health/ and powered by Instacuppa https://instacuppastore.com and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

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Mother tongue – a must teach to your toddlers #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

The sudden burst of mother tongue related posts and videos doing round is not because of a campaign or a contest. February 21 is observed as International mother language day worldwide. If this is observed worldwide that shows the importance of mother tongue. This is observed to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity. This also familiarizes or brings awareness of a concept called multilingualism.

Going to the history of when and how this came to existence, it was Bangladesh who came up with the initiative and was approved at the UNESCO in 1999.This has been observed since the year 2000. The utmost powerful tools of conserving and evolving our physical and insubstantial heritage are the languages we speak.

Necessity of teaching your child mother tongue

Mother tongue has a major role to play in the child’s overall development. If the foundation of learning the mother tongue is strong, it is easier for the child to learn other languages. When your child is given exposure to learn to develop skills in more than one language, the easier it is for them to learn how to use them effectively. This will not be the case with a child who knows only one language. Children when exposed to learn more languages are capable of processing information in different language thereby making them more flexible.

Learning the mother tongue also helps in developing better literacy in turn increasing the vocabulary of the child; thereby making it easier when the kid goes to kindergarten.

Learning the mother tongue helps the child to feel more connected with the roots and culture. That will not be the case with children who are brought up in a place where they do not have much exposure to their mother tongue. As a result, they feel left out when they are back to where they belong.

How do you teach mother tongue?

  • Start teaching mother tongue at home
  • Communicate to them in mother tongue
  • Grandparents are a great learning source to teach mother tongue
  • Gatherings of like-minded people, in this case people who have same mother tongue
  • Read books in mother tongue.

How did I incorporate mother tongue in my toddler’s vocabulary?

  • I always teach my daughter the name of an object in tamil(my mother tongue) and English. In that way she is able to identify the object in both languages.
  • I always insist she calls me Amma(mother in tamil) and not mummy or mom. Same goes with Appa(father). She is taught the various terms for relatives only in mother tongue tamil.
  • Though she enjoys watching rhymes in English, there are equally good rhymes available in tamil as well. So she is exposed to both cultures.
  • The people in the house converse with her in Tamil to which she responds back well and I can also see that since us the elders talk in mother tongue at home she has picked up words from conversations and is able to use them in situations as she needs.

So let us be strong in teaching our kids the mother tongue so that they do not forget their roots and also help in preserving the vast heritage.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com and powered by Instacuppa and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

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Review of Aranghya and Jahar – Bandahar series part I

BLURB:

Evil Sorcerer or Tyrant? Mercenary or Warrior Prince? Songstress or Mythical Nymph? Three Protagonists conjoined by the wrath of a wasteland create an unprecedented history Only one thing stands between an evil sorcerer and his will to destroy a flourishing empire – Shikhanderi’s love for Ishanya Will Shikhanderi’s quest for his identity rock the very foundations of Bandahar? Will Shikhanderi and Ishanya’s love ever see light in the darkness that is Jahar? From a first time writer, comes a thrilling tale of adventure, myth, and fantasy.

MY REVIEW:

The plot involves many characters of whom Mithilesh is the King of Aranghya, part of Bandahar which comprises of seven kingdoms. He has been warned that he would be killed by a golden serpent. And also been warned by the dreamers that he would have to get rid of Kindgom else his entire dynasty would have to be wiped out of history.

Even after having all these thoughts in mind, the King wants to marry of his daughter Princess Binodhini to Prince Vikrant (Prince of Kingdom Dwadesh of Bandahar). But as a twist the prince is in love with Ishanya, the daughter of a sage and is someone who sings well. Her voice is known to be magical with mystical abilities. A love triangle exists between Binodhini, Vikrant and Ishanya.

The book begins with a scene which introduces the main Protagonist Shikanderi. The initial chapters give you an idea about the Kingdoms. There are too many plots involved like the Kind and his destiny, the relationship between the kingdoms, the prince and the princess. There is one more character, Karmachakra involved who wants to invade Bandahar and has ill intentions that he kidnaps women to satisfy his intentions. He is a great sorcerer.

What is the fate of the King Mithilesh, what happens to the kingdoms? Does the serpent kill the King? Does Karmachakra invade the kingdom? Whom does the Princess marry? Do Shikanderi and Ishanya unite is the rest of the story.

The narration seems a bit complicated to understand, but no worries you are provided with a glossary at the end. The too and fro between past and present, too many little plots make it a bit tough to continuously read.

The names of the characters and few serious sequences were worth mentioning.

The books cover shows open sky with some explosions which could have been better for a serious plot like this. But the cover does not reveal what the book actually holds.

Overall the book deserves its place in good one time read list.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Format:Kindle Edition
  • File Size:2347 KB
  • Print Length:147 pages
  • Sold by:Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
  • Language:English
  • ASIN:B07M6GG7GX

MY RATING: Cover: 3.5/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 3.5/5

Overall: 3.5/5

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Keeping yourself energised throughout the day #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

Living a routine life, that too in a metro we are always in hurry burry. We are always running behind and want to get things done the way we want, that we fail to take care of health. Especially people working in the corporate world, it’s always like we are in the whirlpool.

Waking up after multiple snoozes, cook something, get ready to work, travel, work, meetings, late lunches, lots of caffeine breaks, get back home, spending very little time with family members since you are already worn out, eat, sleep and again the cycle goes on.

But a few changes here and there can make you feel energised throughout the day.

  • Get up in the first alarm

Stop snoozing the alarm first thing in the morning. Make sure you get a goodnight sleep of about 7 hours. So when the first alarm rings, get up from bed to turn it off.

  • Get yourself some natural light and fresh air

You can do this by standing in the sunlight either in balcony or terrace. Make sure you open up curtains or blinds in your room as well.

  • Get yourself some fluids

Once you wake up, either drink

  • two glasses of warm water
  • lemon water
  • water boiled with fenugreek
  • jeera/cumin water

These are sure to flush out the toxins and ease the colon to clear out the waste.

  • Be light on the caffeine

Take a small quantity of coffee or tea.

  • Eat small, healthy meals

Make sure you plan the days meal a night before so that you can save time of chopping and cutting them. Make sure you get right amounts of fibers, proteins, vitamins. Be light on the carbs.

  • Healthy breakfast

Make sure you take healthy breakfast and don’t dump whatever you find for the first meal of the day. Eat like a King is just a comparison and doesn’t mean you have to eat more quantities.

  • Take a walk

If the workplace is near take a walk alternately or don rely on the cab always. Get the metro or the bus occasionally.

  • Drink plenty of water to keep up the fluid levels

Again 8 glasses of water is just a measure, you can drink up to 2 liters. Keep in mind not to overdo. IF you would want to incorporate some flavor, you can try adding green tea or even have fruit infusion waters to keep you drinking throughout the day.

My go to solution for this is always INSTACUPPA

You can try their Infusion bottle

https://instacuppastore.com/products/instacuppa-fruit-infuser-water-bottle-1-litre-with-full-length-tritan-infusion-unit

or their green tea detox bottle if you want to add green tea infusion to your fluids.

https://instacuppastore.com/products/instacuppa-green-tea-detox-bottle-glass-with-steel-infuser

Amazon link to buy

  • Do mild stretches in between work

There are certain stretches that you can do even while sitting on the chair that can keep you energised and renew energy.

  • Take a power nap

There is nothing wrong if you take a power nap of about 10-15 mins. It has proven to bring in a lot of productivity. Since your mind is fresh, it sure is to bring in a lot of new and innovative ideas to solve problems.

  • Limit your caffeine intake post 12 PM

Caffeine sure is to have effect up to 8-10 hours so it is better if you do not indulge in caffeine drinks in afternoon.

  • Green tea any day to boost up

Green tea is known to provide instant stimulation and energise the body immediately. Hence you can make yourself a cup of green tea with honey anytime of the day and anywhere.

Now that is easy with the INSTACUPPA TRAVEL MUG

https://instacuppastore.com/products/instacuppa-vacuum-insulated-coffee-tea-travel-mug-470-ml-sipper-lid-with-filter-silicon-grip-black

Amazon link for buying

And if you want to get to know the benefits of having green tea, you know where to check.

  • Keep yourself light on the dinner plate

Again do not overeat. Keep it light. If possible, drink some water or even a glass of milk before going to bed.

  • Get some reading

Reading books is a best way to relax. Instead of sitting down with gadgets, you can sit down with a book. You can look out for options in my blog or read though the latest review in my blog. Or an even better idea would be to sit down with your kid and read along with them.if you want to what to read you can check here.

  • Getting a good night’s sleep

Set yourself an alarm after about 7 hours. Yes, keep that in mind, you need 7 hours of good sleep to make yourself feel fresh the next day. Relax your eyes before you go to sleep and no gadgets at least an hour before sleep.

  • Essential oils in the bedroom

If you are used to essential oils, then you can either use some oils in bedroom for a calming effect. Simple way would be to squeeze 2-3 drops on to a handkerchief and tie it around the best post.

These are my go to ways to keep myself energised and I hope this would be of some help to you too.

This article as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge2019 conducted byHealthwealthbridge.com, Allaboutthewoman.com and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2019 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused


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Green tea all good truths and myths #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

Now that people are conscious about health and wellness, we do see green tea making it way to the top in markets. After all we know that tea is the most sought after drink after water. But green tea adds up to only about 20% and rest prefer black.

Now since times have changed and people are coming across health awareness, benefits of green tea and not to mention INSTACUPPA coming up with the green tea detox bottle – green tea drinking and preparation in this bottle go hand in hand. So let’s get to know some of the benefits of green tea.

Health benefits

Lowers risk of cancer

Cancer rate is less in countries which show high green tea consumption. Though we do not have verified facts that this green tea consumption is directly keeping the cancer rate low. We should be agreeing that it at least it has some positive impacts on various cancers by killing those cells and stopping the spread.

Good cardiovascular health

The American medical association studies reveal that the mortality rate is less when green tea consumption is more, especially because of its protective effects on cardiovascular system of humans.

Managed cholesterol levels

Green tea drinking also helps in leveling the total cholesterol in body. It is also responsible for lowering LDL or commonly known as ad cholesterol.

Reducing the risk factor of strokes

Green tea consumption also lowers the risk of stroke. Studies have shown that it lowers the risk of getting a stroke if green tea consumption is regular.

Lower risk of diabetes

Green tea consumption also is linked to lowering risk of diabetes. Especially type 2. Since the green tea flavonoids decrease the glucose production from liver.

Acts as stimulant

Ac up of green tea gives you the natural stimulation when you are feeling tired. It immediately boosts up your system making you active.

Good for your teeth and mouth

Green tea drinking is good for your teeth since they have fluorides. IT si also good for your mouth since it has anti-bacterial properties.

Lowers risk of osteoporosis

The vital ingredients present in green tea help increasing bone mass and protecting bone tissue form damage, this is especially for postmenopausal women who are at the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Good for your skin

Not only green tea yields physical benefits but it a definite ingredient in beauty products that offer anti inflammatory effects. It improves elasticity of skin and thus helps in anti-ageing.

And after knowing the benefits came to know about INSTACUPPA’s green tea detox bottle.

Why should you get one yourself?

The infuser in this bottle is made of premium grade stainless steel that gives you infusion option of either the whole tea bag or can be the tea leaves.

Since the bottle is made of double walled silicate glass, it is heat resistant so you can enjoy the detox water hot or cold and most of all can be carried anywhere.

So what are you waiting for? Order yourself one and enjoy the detox.

You can order from the below links

AmazonAmazon

Instacuppa

Don’t forget the complimentary add ons.

Want to know what do i want to win from instacuppa i superbloggerchallenge and how my journey has been so far ?

This article as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge2019 conducted byHealthwealthbridge.com, Allaboutthewoman.com and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2019 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused.

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Book blitz – The open road



The Open Road
Bo and Quinn Loftis
Publication date: February 13th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Like all young couples, Jason O’Neal and his wife, Bethany, imagined a long and happy life with their children. But when Jason loses his family to a tragic accident, his storybook life dies with them on a two-lane highway. Unable to cope with the loss, Jason makes a last-ditch effort to find peace with their deaths. He plans to fulfill Bethany’s dream of visiting all fifty states, leaving mementos of his family along the way.

Samantha Showalter knows heartache after being left crying in an empty parking lot at the end of a three-year, abusive relationship. Seven months later, she’s rebuilding her life through sheer force of will, until her ex-fiancé shows up at her doorstep unannounced. But Samantha’s best friend has a plan to help Sam let go of her past once and for all … and finally find herself again.

Fate, with a little help from a meddling best friend, will bring two broken souls together. Both have their own valleys to cross before either can hope for a future of happiness.

Will Jason and Samantha find peace in each other, or will their past pain be too much to overcome?

The answer will be found on the open road.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Just then, Sam heard a loud knock on her front door. She sat still, thinking maybe the knock had actually been on the apartment door next to hers. An emaciated old hippie named Skip lived there, and he received all manner of strange visitors. It was not uncommon for one of them to knock on Samantha’s door by mistake. When Skip wasn’t hiding behind his dark curtains, he spent most of his time sitting in a lawn chair on the stoop smoking nonfiltered cigarettes and petting his elderly cat Mrs. Kush Kush.

The knock came again. No, that was definitely on her own door. Who in the world could that be? She sucked in a breath as she remembered Henry and his bizarre statement about knowing their future. Could he have found out where she lived? Not that it would be hard. Samantha was pretty sure you could find anyone you wanted on the internet. The knock came yet again, a little more insistent this time. Still, she didn’t move. It was Sunday, almost noon. She wasn’t expecting anyone. This had to be some stupid door-to-door salesperson or maybe a religious nut just out of church and all fired up. Or it’s a crazy, psychic nut who’s obsessed with you, she added in her mind, choosing not to voice that out loud and somehow make it come true. Not that she was superstitious but why not play it safe, just this once? She wasn’t going to answer it. They’d go away in a minute.

The knock sounded for a fourth time, even louder this time. “Dammit,” she swore and threw the blanket off her body. She was annoyed enough now that she was able to tamp down any fear she might have been feeling a moment ago. Samantha lumbered up and stomped into the living room so loudly she probably made the pictures rattle in the apartment below her. She paused at the door and looked down at herself, noticing her breasts were about to come tumbling out of the top of the red shirt she’d been wearing the night before, which was stained and wrinkled. Her throat was on fire. Her mouth tasted like she’d eaten a raw dragon liver, and she could only imagine what her hair must look like.

Samantha yanked the shirt up as high as it would go. She briefly thought about quickly freshening up, or at least brushing her teeth, but then she might miss the chance to read the riot act to this jackass pounding on her door. And if it was Henry Hyena, she was going to make it perfectly clear that he was creeping her the hell out and he needed to stop. Sam was going to make this fool pay for dragging her out of bed—well, off the bedroom floor, anyway—on what should be a very relaxing Sunday. The knock came again.

Damn it! It’s my first day off in three weeks. I’m SO not listening to a sales pitch about satellite TV! This asshat is getting a piece of my mind!

Samantha unlocked the door and yanked it open. Everything she’d been planning to say froze in her throat as she stared up into the eyes of the man at the door.

“Nice shirt,” said Derek, grinning like a Cheshire cat. And Samantha vomited all over his shoes.


Author Bio:

Quinn Loftis is a multi-award winning author of more than 20 novels, including the USA Today Bestseller, Fate and Fury. In a previous life, Quinn was a nurse, but God had other plans for her. In 2011, she published her first novel, Prince of Wolves, and the rest, as they say, is history. Quinn is thankful to God and gives Him all the glory for her amazing life and family. She is blessed to be married to her best friend for over 19 years and they have three boys, two dogs, and a cat that wants to take over the world.


Author links:


Bo Loftis is an attorney turned novelist who recently penned his second novel, The Open Road, with his USA Today Bestselling author wife, Quinn Loftis. Bo lives in the Arkansas River Valley, where he deftly toes the line between gamer and jock, splitting his time between gaming (both board and video) and playing basketball, mountain biking, and acting as a color commentator for local high school football games. He has three sons, each of which love to use him as their own person jungle gym, and he wouldn’t trade them for the world.


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Books to read to your child #superbloggingchallenge #instacuppa

Reading out to your baby can begin as early as when the baby is in the womb. The baby has the ability to listen and this would make it even more easier once the baby is born. You can read out or even sing to them so that they get used to it. Listening to your voice has so many positive effects once the baby is out.

As early as two months’ baby can identify black and white so books with images in those colours can make them respond. When they are three months and older who can hold them close and start reading out aloud. Trust me this is a wonderful shared activity and something that can continue for many more years; someday or the other they are thankful to you for cultivating this habit.

Reading out to them is an important form of stimulation and helps them explore. Your child is exposed to words, which makes communication easier. Children who have knowledge of more words at a young age, imitate words from surrounding person have a rich vocabulary, identifying words from pictures makes them a good conversationalist. So let me jot down some of what I’ve read to mine and I hope it helps you too. Raising a little reader can begin any time after you conceive.

TO READ TO YOUR BABY IN WOMB:

The complete tales of Winnie the Pooh by A A Milne, illustrated by E H Shepard

This book is first on my list, mainly cause of the language used by the author. Milne is known for writing great stories for young audience, supportive of illustrations by Shepard. The book is even now handed over to next generations.

The Cazuela that the farm maiden stirred by Samantha R Vamos illustrated by Rafael Lopez

Let me tell you, I love learning and I would really want my child also to explore the world of learning. Especially many languages. This book introduces English and Spanish. The pronunciation guide at the back is a plus. The story is about farm workers and animals bringing in ingredients to make a pudding. The recipe at the back can be tried out to feed your baby when they are old enough. This is such a wonderful gifting option if you know someone who loves reading and is a pregnant or has a baby.

Dr.Seuss’s books

How can you forget Dr. Seuss’s book when you are reading out? The rhyme and tongue twisters give you a whole new experience. Green Eggs and ham is a favourite.

Llama llama red pajama By Anna Dewdney

This is a wonderful bed time story that any kid would love to listen to. How I love those illustrations.

BOOKS TO READ TO YOUR TODDLER:

I will just list them out and you can read them out to your child.

  1. Brown bear brown bear what do you see by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle
  2. The Pout pout fish by Debora Diesen
  3. Guess how much I love by Sam McBratney
  4. Giraffes can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
  5. Bellybutton book by Sandra Boynton
  6. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  7. If you give a mouse a cookie by Laura Numeroff
  8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  9. A bear called Paddington
  10. The giving tree
  11. The rainbow fish
  12. The day the crayons quit by Drew Daywalt
  13. The smartest giant in town
  14. One mole digging a hole

These are my favourites and my daughter’s too. I hope you enjoy them too.

This article as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge2019 conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com, Allaboutthewoman.com and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2019 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused.

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Book blitz – The ruins



The Ruins
T.H. Hernandez
(The Union #2)
Publication date: June 16th 2015
Genres: Adventure, Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult

Heartbroken, grief-stricken, and wracked with guilt, seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor returned to the Union, leaving behind the boy she loved.

Now, she and her friends must find a way to do the impossible – warn the citizens of the Union about an impending rebel attack without alerting the government and risking retaliation against her friends in the Ruins.

When every move Evan makes is thwarted, it soon becomes clear she’s being watched. Faced with a daily fight to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, she returns to the Ruins. But life in the Ruins has its own dangers, and soon she’s fighting a different battle – to stay alive long enough to discover the truth.

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EXCERPT:

Grief, guilt, heartbreak, fear, loss, and abandonment all swirl in my head, creating a vortex of pain and confusion keeping me awake.

Three days ago I was planning a future with the boy I love. Cyrus was going to come back to the Union with me. We were going to figure out a way to warn the citizens here or stop the attack. Together. Now his brother is dead and Cyrus stayed behind, unwilling to abandon the rest of his family.

The scents of honeysuckle and fresh-cut grass float on a late summer night breeze. I stare up at the clouds from the chaise lounge on the balcony. A thick marine layer inched its way in from the coast hours ago, blanketing the sky and obscuring the stars I was hoping to see. With the moon hidden and the Union lights off for the night, darkness envelopes me.

Over the soft murmuring of desalinated ocean water burbling through the aqueduct, I hear the door slide open behind me and sit up. My bio-dad, Eddie, walks out and takes the spot beside me.

“Can’t sleep?”

I shift to my right, giving him more room. “No. You?”

He shakes his head, his cinnamon-colored wavy hair sweeping across his shoulders. “My grandmother used to say if you can’t sleep, it means you’re awake in someone else’s dreams.”

That’s a comforting sentiment. Is Cyrus dreaming about me right now? Or is he like me, too afraid of the nightmares to close his eyes?

Eddie presses his lips together and studies me for several long seconds. “Are you ready to tell me where you’ve really been all summer?”

His question catches me off guard. I thought he bought my story, the one I told him when I came back. The one Lisa fed him while I was in the Ruins. Posing as me, she texted my mom and Eddie from my tablet with regular updates on our fake adventures sailing off the southeastern coast. When I first showed up here yesterday afternoon, he didn’t seem to care where I’d been or what I’d been up to, only that I was here at all. I’m definitely not ready to have this conversation with him.

“I don’t know, are you ready to tell me where you were for the first twelve years of my life?”

He shifts his weight on the chaise next to me and sighs. “I don’t know how many times I can apologize.”

“You think another ‘I’m sorry’ is going to fix everything?”

He rubs his palms on his thighs and stands. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like, but you might want to ratchet the anger down a few notches.” He moves toward the door before turning back. “You’re going to have to forgive me some day.”

I raise my head and turn toward his dark silhouette. “Why? You think sending me a ticket and letting me hang out with your new kids makes up for everything?”

“No,” he says quietly, “because hanging on to all that anger and resentment isn’t healthy.” He walks back into the house, sliding the door closed behind him.

With a heavy sigh, I fall on my back and stare back up into the blackness. Seriously? After being nothing to me for three-quarters of my life, where does he get off being all parental right now?


Author Bio:

T.H. Hernandez is the author of young adult books. The Union, a futuristic dystopian adventure, was a finalist in the 2015 San Diego book awards in the Young Adult Fiction category.

She loves pumpkin spice lattes, Game of Thrones, Comic-Con, Star Wars, Doctor Who marathons, Bad Lip Reading videos, and all things young adult, especially the three young adults who share her home.

When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside her head, T.H. Hernandez lives in usually sunny San Diego, California with her husband and three children, a couple of cats, and a dog who thinks he’s a cat, affectionately referred to as “the puppycat.”

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