Pinterest for Dummies by Kelby Carr

Stars: ★★★★★

Wiley (2012)

Pinterest is the hot new social network. I don’t know anyone who has started using Pinterest who has bad things to say about it. For those who are less tech-savvy, learning a new social network can be hard and no one makes new subjects easier to understand than the Dummies series.

Pinterest for Dummies covers everything you need to know to use Pinterest and a bit more. If you are envisioning the size of an average For Dummies book and thinking oh my gosh I’ll never get through that much info on Pinterest, fear not. This is a smaller for Dummies book at just over 200 pages but it still has everything you need.

Here is what is covered:

• Introduction
• Getting Started on Pinterest (joining, setting up profile, finding time for Pinterest)
• Creating Boards (picking topics, creating/naming boards, rearranging, editing, deleting)
• Pinning and Repinning (ways to pin, creating a new board as you pin, repinning, sharing pins)
• Socializing on Pinterest (finding people to follow, sharing profile link, sharing pins)
• Using Community Features (liking/commenting on pins, customizing pins, tagging pins, hashtags, price tags)
• Finding Ways to Use Pinterest (planning a project, weddings/events, shopping/wish lists, self improvement, as a bookmark site, for business and work, to support a cause(
• Going Mobile with Pinterest (App for iPhone, on iPad and other Tablets, Pinterest Mobile Site, Limitations of Mobile Pinterest)
• Understanding Pinterest Etiquette (pin etiquette, quality pins, avoiding too much self promotion, crediting sources, copyright infringement, spam and reporting pins)
• Controlling Privacy and Other Settings (privacy policy, keeping out of Google search, reducing email from Pinterest, social sharing, changing username, deactivating account)
• Self-Promoting on Pinterest (Finding your site’s pins, writing a post/page that is pin worthy, optimizing images for pinning, installing pin it buttons, finding Pinterest linkups and places to share pins and profiles, adding a follow me on Pinterest button to your site, widgets/plugins, traffic referrals, engaging customers/readers)
• Ten Companies Using Pinterest Effectively (Which companies, their profile urls, what they are doing good and what they could improve upon. Includes The Weather Channel, Etsy, Scholastic, Whole Foods Market and more)
• Ten Power Pinners to Follow (Who they are, what they pin about and why you should follow them.)

As a regular user of Pinterest, I knew how to do pretty much everything in the book already but the last two chapters will be fun to go through and follow those I don’t already and see what they are doing. I will however be lending the book out to my friends and family who I’ve been trying to teach how to use Pinterest. I’ve already recruited my brother, mom, niece and friend full time and have been working on my dad and other friends.

The step by step instructions are all bolded so if you need those instructions, you can easily find them or if you just need the basic info and can figure out the steps yourself, you can easily skip it.
There is only one problem with this book… it’s already outdated. It was just published and yet Pinterest is changing so rapidly that it looks different now and so some of what it shows you is a little bit different. Unless you are completely lost when it comes to computers and the internet though, it’s close enough that you can figure it out. I hope they are planning a reprint soon though. I’m sure this is a common problem with books on internet subjects.

Despite that, it’s highly recommended for the regular user, blogger or business owner who wants to learn how to use Pinterest or use it more than just the basics.

About the Author: Kelby Carr is the founder and CEO of Type-A Parent, a social network and online magazine-style blog founded in 2007 for digital moms and dads, and Type-A Parent Conference, an annual blogging and social media conference in its fourth year that attracts major corporations and hundreds of parents who blog. She was an early adopter of Pinterest, and is active there daily with thousands of followers and hundreds of pins. Find her at http://typeaparent.com, http://kelbycarr.com and @typeaparent

I have one copy of Pinterest for Dummies to giveaway (Open US/CAN till Jun 1) 

Enter using the rafflecopter form below. You only have to do the first entry to win but the more you do, the better your chances of winning. Please consider supporting the sponsors at least. It may take a few moments to load. Click on Do It for more instructions and then after you do it, click Enter.

Make sure you read instructions carefully. If you have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca. A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

Giveaway open US/CAN 18+. Giveaway open until June 1, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winners will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on June 2, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

GIVEAWAY: The Secret Me Book by Rachel Kempster/Meg Leder US/CAN 5/22

Thanks to Sourcebooks I have one copy of The Secret Me Book to giveaway to a lucky reader in the US or CANADA.


You can read my full review here. (HINT: commenting on it will give you extra entries into the giveaway)

Enter using the rafflecopter form below.  It may take a few moments to load. Click on Do It for more instructions and then after you do it, click Enter. Make sure you read instructions carefully. If you  have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca.
A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

Giveaway open US/CAN 18+. Giveaway open until May 22, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winners will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on May 23, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

REVIEW: The Secret Me Book by Rachel Kempster and Meg Leder

Stars:

Sourcebooks (2012)
Teen Nonfiction

Summary:  You know those all those secret thoughts you keep hidden away deep inside? Well it’s time to let them out. The Secret Me Book is a fun and insightful journal written by people who have actually been in your shoes, people who get it.

I wrote in a lot of journals when I was younger but could never find the right one for me. Blank ones just stared at me and I couldn’t think what to write, unless I was really upset or depressed. I tried journaling on the computer because I prefer to type than write but I would have to hide what I was writing every time someone walked by since the computer was out in the open and I had to password protect it so no one would stumble on it.

I wish I had the Secret Me book when I was a teen. It has prompts to get you started and blank space for when you want to write lots. There are no lines so you can write however you want.

From page ix:

“This is your book, which means you can do whatever you want with it:

• Share it, or keep it totally secret.
• Go in order, or skip around to your heart’s content.
• Respond to the prompts as they are, edit away, or cross ‘em out and write down your own.
• Use markers or pencils or crayons or paint or invisible ink.
• Write in print or cursive. Write in straight lines or upside down. […]
• Enjoy the cover and face it out on your bookshelf. Or cover the whole thing with a brown grocery bag […] and redesign it so it’s yours.”

I love that the book gives you permission to do what you want. That’s the way a journal should be.

The book is all in teal and white and some pages have illustrations on them. Some areas are separated by teal boxes or boxes with borders. Some of the questions are simple and some are more complex so you can choose which to work on based on how you are feeling or how much time you have to write.

Here are just some of the many prompts and writing ideas:

• What do you see when you shut your eyes? Write it here.
• Use this page to chronicle your closest friends over time, from toddler-hood to present day. Who are the constants? Who have you lost touch with? What do your friends at different times reflect about you?
• [drawing of a box] Fill the rusty little box below with drawings and words that encapsulate your childhood.
• Status updates are like mini-diary entries – short bursts of information about what you’re doing/feeling/thinking in the moment. Write a status update for: [lists times in the future like 1 hour from now or 5 years from now. Then lists a bunch in the past]
• Do you have a secret you’ve never told another living soul? Write it out here. Then tear out the page and bury it or throw it into the sea or set it ablaze in a campfire.
• If you ruled the world, what three things would you demand?

The book also has other features such as quotes from real kids, secret surveys (answers from real kids on a question) and even instructions on making a t-shirt scarf.

Also check out The Happy Book.

The World According to Twitter by David Pogue

Stars: ★★★★☆

Thomas Allen & Sons (2009)

Summary: The wit and wisdom of the Twittersphere captured in a hilarious, occasionally poignant, and often useful collection of hand-picked tweets. […] David Pogue has tapped into the brilliance of his half-million followers on Twitter by posting a different, thought-provoking question every night. […] Out of 25,000 tweets, Pogue has gathered the very best 2,524 into this irresistible, clever, laugh-out-loud funny book. – source.

This book is hilarious! You don’t have to have twitter to enjoy this book. It’s a humour book and you it is guaranteed that each piece is short since they all came from twitter (where tweets are no longer than 140 characters)

There are a lot of pop culture questions such as suggesting movie sequels to movies that don’t have any (such as The Day After The Day After Tomorrow.) There is also one about those things that always happen in movies that drive us nuts (like no one paying or eating their food.)

I loved the one about subject lines of email you wouldn’t want to see and even better is the one that shows spam from the future.

About the Author: David Pogue is a NY Times Tech Columnist and host of PBS Nova. You can follow him on twitter where he has way more than 500,000 followers now!

*I received a copy of this book for review. All opinions are honest.

Write Like You Talk Only Better: Learn the Secrets to Pulling Ideas Out of Your Head and Onto the Page by Barb Sawyers

Stars: ★★★★★

Summary: What happens when you write like you talk – only better? You tap into the basics of conversation you’ve enjoyed since you were a kid. Your writing flows. You connect and make friends. You think about what matters. You go for your goals. – from back of book

I love blogging but I know my writing skills could be better. I’m pretty good with spelling and grammar but formatting posts to draw readers in and keep them here is something I’ve been working on.

Write Like You Talk Only Better shows how to make your writing better, especially when you are writing for the internet which requires certain aspects that are different than writing on paper.

“Readers make snap decisions about whether they will open your email, read your report or check out your blog. So you have to hook them right away.” – pg 28

So why do we want to write like we talk?

“When people talk, they go from mind to mouth. But when they write, many jump from mind to mouse. By skipping the mouth, they shut out their intuitive grasp of the rules and the social nature of conversation. When you write like you talk, you go from mind to mouth to mouse. Suddenly all that writing you do is easier and friendlier.” – pg 7- 8

Chapter 3 is about identifying your ideal reader. This is am important step that bloggers and companies need to take and often don’t. Why do you want reading what you write? If your answer is I don’t know or something vague like women or moms, then you need this chapter. The better idea you have of who you are writing for, the more tailored you can make your writing for those people.

Chapters 4 and 5 are about making your point. What is it you are trying to get across and how can you make it more clear? I will be using these chapters a lot to refine my posts (mostly on my other blogs as reviews are different.) Chapter 6 will help you hook your readers so that they will want to read what you have to say.

Chapter 7 goes more in-depth on writing like you talk, including finding your voice which is important. Think of the blogs or websites you read often and how you can tell they are the author because their “voice” is similar. You shouldn’t be all over the place, for example if you are usually nice, then you shouldn’t all of a sudden be snarky.

Chapter 8 gets you writing. Just write and write uninterrupted, not worrying about format, spelling etc. Then you will go back to fix it. Chapter 9 helps you make what you wrote memorable. Chapter 10 helps you make what you wrote more focused. Chapter 11 is about fixing spelling/grammar and such. Chapter 12 is about going above and beyond the basics.

Did I mention that the book contains worksheets? At the back of the book are worksheets for you to use as you are writing and editing to make sure you covered all the aspects in the book. You can also access the worksheets online but you will need to read the book at least once first to fully understand what it all means and how to use them. 

If you see my posts on my various blogs improving, you’ll know why :)

About the Author: Barb Sawyers has a master’s degree in journalism and an honors B.A. in philosophy. She runs the Sticky Communication website and blog where she writes about writing. She is a fellow Canadian. You can also find her at Ezine, Facebook and Twitter.

*I receive a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are honest.

GIVEAWAY: Spring Fling Hop: $50 Amazon + 3 Books US/CAN 5/7

Welcome to the Spring Fling Giveaway Hop hosted by Eve's Fan Garden and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. All participating blogs have giveaways of interest to readers, authors or bloggers.

This event runs May 1-7 so you have a week to enter all the giveaways you can.

My sponsor for this giveaway is R.M. Publishing USA and is open to US/CAN

One winner will receive:

• Two signed Cut the Crap and Save 30% Of Your Income by Ruth McCormick ($25 each) [share one with a friend!]
• Moms and Other Fabulous Females/Dads and Other Marvelous Males by Ruth McCormick ($20)
• $50 Amazon.com gift certificate

About the Books:

Cut the Crap and Save 30% Of Your Income

This is a 64 lesson hands on book to help the family focus on their spending habits. This book is unique in two ways:

1. It addresses the need for the whole family to increase their financial I.Q., not just the adults.
2. It is a hands on book that has active participation worksheets. It starts with everyone filling out a "wish list". After members focus on what the family really wants from their money, it has them trace areas/habits that make the family use money carelessly, therefor freeing money to go into their real wants.Along with volumes of money saving suggestions in all areas of spending - housing, cars, clothing, food, entertainment, travel, etc. it has the family focus their 30% savings into future goals. Guaranteed to save money and foster family bonding.

Moms and Other Fabulous Females/Dads and Other Marvelous Males

Compiled by Ruth McCormick, Moms/Dads is a collection of amazing stories by multiple authors about the women/men in their lives that have inspired them. These inspirational stories are a great gift for anyone on your list.

Enter using the rafflecopter form below.  It may take a few moments to load. Click on Do It for more instructions and then after you do it, click Enter. Make sure you read instructions carefully. If you  have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca.
A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

Giveaway open US/CAN 18+. Giveaway open until May 7, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winners will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on May 8, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

The Busy Mum’s Cookbook: Easy, quick and delicious recipes for families with hectic lives by Mary Gwynn

Stars: ★★★★☆

Simon and Schuster UK (2011)

Summary: Provide food for breakfast, fill the children's lunchboxes, stock the fridge with after-school snacks, cook everyone's supper day in, day out… every week. Weekends mean more shopping, cooking, baking - and there are always teenagers, hungry partners and friends who might want a snack. Ready-meals, takeaways and fast food are fine on the odd occasion, but especially in these purse-stretched times families need tasty and healthy meals. In this practical cookbook, Mary Gwynn shows the working mum what foods to buy that will last the week and how to have delicious, easy-to-make and nutritious meals ready in a trice with no wastage. – source

I just love cookbooks and this has in it what I look for to determine of a cookbook is for me:

• Colour Photos (although not quite for every recipe, but just about)
• Uses “regular” ingredients (not foods I’ve never heard of or have to go to a specialty store to find)
• Tips for making them easier
• Variety of recipe types (meats, pasta, salads, budget conscious, desserts, good for children etc.)

The chapters are as follows:

• Busy Mum’s Basics (Tips for planning, shopping, cooking and 25 essential ingredients for cupboard, fridge and freezer)
• Family Essentials (12 classics)
• Fast and Fabulous Pasta
• Fall-Back Favourites (when you don’t have energy or inspiration)
• Weekend Wonders (when you have more time)
• Feed the Hordes (budget conscious meals to feed large numbers)
• Magic Meals (Recipes that double as healthy packed lunches)
• Transient Teenagers (Meals to be ready for teenagers to cook themselves –or husbands)
• Small but Perfect (Tried and True for the Under Tens)
• Home Alone (Me-time meals)
• Two’s Company (Special treats for you and your partner)
• Really Good Puds (Puddings and Desserts)
• Great Bakes (Baking with kids and for kids)

Keep in mind this book is from the UK (if you aren’t) and some of the terms may be different than what you are used to and you will find yourself planning all kinds of good meals. I can’t wait to make something from this book!

Seeing Red: The True Story of Blood by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Stars: ★★★★☆

Annick Press (2012)
Teen Nonfiction

Summary: Around the world, blood has always been a symbol of both life and death: blood rites, blood oaths, and blood-soaked legends. Today, we have scientific facts about blood types, transfusions, blood-borne illnesses, and crime-scene blood spatter. Yet the fluid still holds mystery. Open this book to learn about the symbolism and reality of blood, from its role in ancient sacrifices to its uses in modern medicine and forensics. – source

I love reading children’s or teen nonfiction because it gives me the facts without all the extra pages of scientific data or case studies that you often find in adult nonfiction. Then if I want to know more about a subject, then I can read an adult nonficiton book about it.

NOTE: On the publisher’s site, this book is listed as for 10+ but I would recommend an even older audience as the topic of blood naturally leads to discussions of blood sacrifice, war, vampires and crime scenes which may disturb younger readers. My 4 year old was getting upset just at the illustrations while reading over my shoulder. I would suggest 14+.

The book was very interesting and would be a perfect reference if a student was doing a report or speech on blood. If you are just interested in the subject too or like to know a lot about science or our bodies, it’s an interesting read.

Topics Include:

• The Blood Facts (Introduction)
• Blood and Ritual (Ritual Sacrifice of Old and New)
• Rites of Passage (Blood Rituals for when children become adults as well as Menstruation)
• Sips and Suppers (Blood Eating, Food made with Blood)
• Ties That Bind (Blood and Genes, Blood Brothers, Royalty and Blood Ties)
• Reading The Blood (How Blood Helps Crime Scence Investigators)
• A Taste for Blood (Our culture’s craving for violence and blood – video games and movies or looking at real crime scenes)

The book is accompanied by black, red and white comic illustrations by Steve Rolston. I normally don’t care for comics so much but I enjoyed following along with the story through each chapter. A teen boy named Harker is learning about blood along with you and so you see his notes and thoughts and his investigations which can get funny (such as searching the grocery store for fresh blood and being kicked out).

An interesting read – would be extra fun near Halloween time.

Readathon Update

I didn’t get to do much reading today and I’m too tired to stay up. I knew I wouldn’t get much reading done but I was hoping to get more done tonight, but then I remembered computer things I had to get done tonight. Oops.

Oh well, I’ll read some tomorrow too even though it’s not the readathon anymore. I wanted to cheer others on more too. Maybe I’ll give some day late love tomorrow, we’ll see. I hope other participants are doing much better than me!

24 Hour Readathon - Starting Line

I'm a few hours late starting but I am participating in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon as much as possible today and tomorrow.

I do have other things to do and three kids 6 and under running around but I'll try my best.

Here are my answers to Hour 1's Intro post:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I am here in Ontario, Canada!

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I have a huge stack of books I need to read and want to read. I'm not sure which I'm looking forward to most. Some of my possible reads include: What I Wish I'd Known About Raising a Child with Autism by Bobbi Sheahan, Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron, The Good Food Book for Families by Brenda Bradshaw/Cheryl Mutch, M.D., Chicken Soup for the Soul: Food and Love by Jack Canfield, Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom, Seeing Red: The True Story of Blood by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and more!

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
I didn't really plan this as much as I normally do since I won't be doing it excusively. I have trail mix around and chocolate pudding and granola bars, nothing special.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I'm a SAHM to 3, and also blog at Callista's Ramblings and Biannual Blogathon Bash. I read almost exclusively nonfiction as I love knowledge!

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
I have participated in every readathon except one (when I was offline for a few months) and I have loved every one! I was around when Dewey started the readathons. Instead of what I'll do differently, here are a few tips:

• If you want to get LOTS of reading done, watch how much you do updates, challenges and tweets. Those are fun but you will find you only got 5 or 6 hours of real reading done at the end of the 24 hours.
• Switch it up, don't read in the same place all the time, you will get sore. Try sitting on chairs, couches, laying down on stomach and on back, standing, walking, outside, inside, at home, at the park at a cafe, etc.

Happy Reading!