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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The Bookworm: Just for Tots - How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan & Lee Wildish


  • Title: How to Babysit a Grandpa
  • Author: Jean Reagan
  • Illustration: Lee Wildish
  • Format: Hardback 32 pages
  • Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
  • Published: 04 May 2012
  • Genre: Storybooks, Family, Humour
  • ISBN 13: 9780375867132
  • ISBN 10: 0375867139
  • Source: Gifted by I Love to Read and Review Books
  • Buy:  The Book Depository|Amazon




In an apple core (The Bookworm’s version of a nutshell)

A short and simple read for the young ones. Full of cheeky ideas to keep you little ones busy at Grandpa's.
  
 
Summary

A "New York Times" bestselling picture book about a child spending time with his grandpa. Written in a how-to style, the narrator gives important tips for "babysitting" a grandpa, including what to eat for snack (anything dipped in ketchup, ice cream topped with cookies, cookies topped with ice cream) what to do on a walk (find lizards and dandelion puffs, be on the lookout for puddles and sprinklers), and how to play with a grandpa (build a pirate cave, put on a scary play). Filled with humor, energy, and warmth, this is a great gift for or from a grandparent, and perfect for lap reading when Grandpa comes to visit!


My Thoughts

At only 32 pages long, this is a very short book so there's not a lot to say. The story is cute with really sweet and colourful illustrations. The activities are fun and quite kooky but are cool enough that little kids, and especially for little boys. Ideas presented in point-form teaches kids to differentiate the important bits of the story.

All in all, great book to tucking kids into bed for the night, and filling their minds with creative ideas for the next day. And a lovely Christmas present to be tried out the next year!






Disclosure: I was not compensated financially or otherwise for this review. Everything mentioned are my own thoughts based on my experience. 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Bookworm: Book Blast & Giveaway - Rebels by Scott & Judith Powell

rebelsRebels

The world is on fire. From the ashes like a phoenix rises a new America, one that will save it all. Under one condition; absolute and complete surrender. The world complies without question. Those who don’t are destroyed. It is in this world, John is born. His very name is treason. If the New America, now known to everyone as the State, knew what John was, they’d kill him, but instead they give him a gift.


amazon blog












Praise for Rebels John has a lot of potential (especially for someone so young) in that he sees the flaws in this society. He wants to be like George Washington and knows a lot about the manner in which a government should be run... Highly recommended. ~Amazon Review  


Scott and Judith Powell
About the Authors Scott Powell was born in Burlington, Vermont, to a father who was a police officer and a mother who emigrated from South Korea. He received a degree in marketing from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, and a master's degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Scott served a two-year Spanish-speaking mission for his church. He is a mixed martial artist who continues to train with his father, a second-degree black belt in Tae kwon do and a kick boxer.





Besides being married to Scott for over seventeen years, Judith Powell is a stay-at-home mom whose whole life has been full of stories. Being raised by an Irish storytelling father and a Native American mother, stories have filled her life and her head until they finally had no choice but to flow out through her fingertips.




 
Rebels copy


 

Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/20/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Top Ten Tuesdays: Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To A Non-Young Adult Reader


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish to highlight a top ten list related to book blogging, and all things cool.

This week's topic is really interesting as we had free reign over the course we wanted the topic to take. I've been in quite a bit of a YA book-reading frenzy the past few years so I think it's time I recommend some of my favourites to friends who have not delved into this wonderful genre. YA can be combined with so many different genres like dystopian (one of my favourites), romance, mythology, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. It truly is endless.



The Selection by Kiera Cass - This series is like crack, but one that's plain good for you! I can't get enough of it and I've read it a couple of times. It's like The Bachelor except the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a Prince! Lots of catty fights entail but also stories of secret romances, ballgowns, and royal dates with some mild dystopian themes thrown in for suspense.



The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - One of my current go-to series when I need a pick-me-up. It combines the best of fantasy, romance, adventure, and folklore. . Think Alice in Wonderland meets A Midsummer Night's Dream meets modern-day technology. There's a knight in shining armour, a court jester, and a cat! Need I say more?




Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - More than just the average high school romance, but also one surrounded by the City of Lights and all its splendour. A lovely story I can't wait to continue in Book #3.



Wither by Lauren DeStefano - The summary is too cool not to read this book. What if you knew you had 4 years left to live? It wasn't what Rhine thought that's for sure. Life takes a very different turn, down a darker, dystopian path.




Across the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - Okay, I have yet to read book two, as I just bought it. But I know I'll love it so I'm putting book three on this list! It's only coming out in GAH February so I have a couple of months to read book two! But I love this series and the pairings in it so I am expecting good things!







For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund - This book is unlike anything I've ever read before, from the writing style to the story itself. Post-apocalyptic life in the country-side may seem slow and boring, until some futuristic visitors arrive and someone familiar is more than he seems!




Across the Universe by Beth Revis - A wonderful futuristic sci-fi story filled with mystery and just enough romance. Partially similar to Wall-E in its realistic future if mankind doesn't save Mother Earth in time. So who's killing all the people on board the spaceship? Read it to find out!



Divergent by Veronica Roth - One of the must-read YA dystopians around. Such great world-building with cool characters. It makes you really think about yourself, what would you have done? 



 The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter - I'm all for Greek mythology, especially when it is unconventional and has some romantic themes going on. The Gods and Goddesses are unlike what you've seen or read in other books or movies. The good guys aren't who you think they are. Perfect for someone who doesn't take mythology too seriously.

 


Every Day by David Levithan - This is a book I'd actually recommend to people no matter their age, race, religion, or gender. It covers all of the sensitive topics humans have faced since time began. 

Have you read and enjoyed any of these? Most of the above are the first books of the series, others companion books, and one stand-alone. I hope you've discovered something here to your liking if you haven't discovered YA books before. Thanks for dropping by!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Must Go's: Brazilian Waxing, the Bubble Gum Wax Way!

"We are FEMALE, hear us ROAR"

Last month The Butterfly Project organized a very daring event, where all the Butterflies in attendance were dared to go bare. I was one of them. And by bare, you guessed it, I mean the scary, tear-jerking, sure-to-scream Brazilian Wax! Bubble Gum Wax were the hosts for the day, and we had the place to ourselves.


Left Picture ~ our Butterfly Project hosts Mamasan (hehe...) Tammy and Illy.
Top Right Picture ~ that's me!
 

Bubble Gum Wax's company motto.

It's always difficult finding a place where you'd feel comfortable with people in your business, let alone finding one that cares about your wellbeing and that uses good quality products to ensure your experience is as painless as possible. 


These were the goodies we found on the cashier counter just after the entrance.

Top Left Picture ~ part of our goodie bag (yay!) of a mug filled with pre and post-treatment products.
Top Right Picture ~ this product was also included in the goodie bag but couldn't fit in the mug. :)
Bottom Picture ~ all the goodies and vouchers in a shoe box. (more on this later)


Left Picture ~ I arrived early so there weren't a lot of us there at the time. We filled up forms and were let loose around the outlet, snapping pictures.
Right Picture ~ Angeline snapping away!



Left Picture ~ all the goodies for our picking being explained.
Right Picture ~ lovely Illy made a welcoming speech and introduced us to the brand and manager.


Jesslyn

Jesslyn explained the Brazilian Waxing process to us as well as the types of waxes used at Bubble Gum Wax. She also talked about the products in our goodie bags and how they were supposed to be used as some of them were for pre-care and the others post-care treatments.


Onto the FOTD. No, not Face of the Day, but FOOOD of the Day!
This is part of the spread that we feasted our eyes on upon entering the outlet.

 
 Homemade Panty Cookies looking pretty (delicious) on top while the Little Wonton noodle cups linger at the bottom, tempting us to pick them up.

2 kinds of Ice-Cream to soothe our after-treatment pains. 
Macarons to savour while we waited for our turn, and sprinkles, cereals, marshmallows, cherries, and chocolate sticks to create our very own sundaes. I didn't get to sample the icy goodness unfortunately, but more on that later.


Top Left Picture ~ my charcoal noodles from Little Wonton! It was my first time trying this brand so I was really excited, I had the Teriyaki flavoured one and quite liked it. They also had a Spicy one I believe but I'm not keen on spicy foods so I stuck to the former. Not sure if it's normally like this, but I found the sauce a tad on the salty side? Maybe I just added too much in my haste to end my hunger (no breakfast)? 

Top Right Picture ~ the cute water bottles decorated to fit the theme of the event. Cute, no? I didn't think you had to see the whole bottle though so just the label for ya.

Bottom Left Picture ~ my macaron. I would have taken more (greedy me) but was afraid there wouldn't be enough for the others if my naughty side took over. That was nice, just as a macaron should be.

Bottom Right Picture ~ well, as you can see, is my Panty Cookie(?) and cute heart-shaped marshmallow. I wonder if the B on the Cookie stands for The Butterfly Project or Bubble Gum Wax? Kill two birds with one stone! Why not right!




Never underestimate the use of simple decor and a thoughfully painted wall. 
This evokes a Zen-like quality to the surroundings before the pain. Think "the calm before the storm".

Of course there is always space for some cheeky pieces to add some spice to the area.

 The decor in one of the rooms, still going with the fun and calming themes necessary for a pain-free experience. Note the cloth on the bed, they change it for hygienic reasons as well as adding a new piece of paper on top of the cloth before every session.


There are two main types of wax used by waxing centres. They are Soft and Hard Wax. Get to know your waxes now:-

Soft Wax
~ more painful than hard wax (believe me it's true!)  
~ used mostly on the face, arms, and legs
~ used on small or fine hairs
~ used to remove the fine hairs of your panty line during Brazilians
~ uses cloth strips to remove the hair (see next section for pictures)
~ light yellow in colour

Hard Wax
~ not as painful as Soft Wax
~ used to remove hard or coarse and thick hair
~ recommended for Brazilian virgins
~ wax is poured directly onto the target area, left to harden (tighten and dry) and ripped off by hand
~ darker yellow to orangy in colour


WARNING: Before you scroll down any further, be warned about several pictures of a disturbing and explicit nature. Jump to the next part if you start to feel queasy.  

Note: I was hit with the crimson tide just before this event so I wasn't able to partake in the screaming goodness that was the Brazilian Wax. That said, Jesslyn kindly offered to change my session to a half leg wax instead, which I gladly accepted.

YOU HAVE BEEN DULY WARNED!

 Can you see the fuzz on them? YIKES!

The surgical tools and equipment *nyahahaha....
The blue cap-topped sticks are Milk Wax (Soft Wax), the big white machine with the two pots holds the Hard and Soft Waxes.

Stellar (my therapist) applied baby powder to the whole leg and knee before applying the warm Milk Wax onto my calf, it starts feeling tighter as it cools.

Apply the cotton strips onto the skin before the wax completely dries.

Get ready to rumble! Err...rip I mean. *insert high-pitched scream here* Oil was applied after the waxing process both to moisturize the skin as well as to remove some of the sticky bits remaining.

So how was it really? I've waxed other parts of my body before so it wasn't painful to me. Some areas of the leg stung a little, think big ant bites, but otherwise it was fine. You'll feel a sense of accomplishment after waxing even! Definitely don't mind doing this again when necessary.


Pre-Waxing Tips for Virgins
* Do ensure your fuzz is at least 5-6mm long (no length, no waxing)
* Do try to scrub before waxing just to get those ingrown hairs out
* You might want to bring along your favourite plushie to squeeze (hehe...)

Post-Waxing Tips for Virgins
* Do wear undies made of natural materials
* Do use the Gelato cream to moisturize the V-area 
* Do scrub the area after a few days
* No swimming for a day
* No hot showers or baths (you WILL scream!)
* No steam rooms and saunas 
* No scratching (use the aloe vera gel mask followed by Gelato cream)



Bubble Gum Wax also held a special contest (remember the shoe box full of goodies at the top of this post?) and we were let loose on our own shoe boxes and stickers and marker pens and sugar paper, all to design the best shoe box we could. Bubble Gum Wax very generously donated (1) RM500 voucher, (1) RM300 voucher, and (1) RM150 voucher per session, there were two sessions! 
Do you know how many Brazilian Waxes you could get with that moolah!!

Yes yes, the closed box with the supposed-to-be-devil's-head is my sorry excuse for a custom-designed box. I am unfortunately very artistically challenged.

The rest of the contest entries! There are some winning entries in here. 
Can you spot the "Dared to Bare" entry? And next to it, "Be Brave", how poignant.


So who won those vouchers eh? Here we go! *drum roll*
Grand prize winner, Lulu

2nd place winner, Angeline

3rd place winner, Sarah (sorry, I caught someone's flash)

The picture on the left shows the price list for the waxing treatments, pink for the gals, grey for the guys.

Bubble Gum Wax also offers IPL (pictured on the right) as well as waxing packages for both males and females so you can come get your treatments done with your significant other!

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) services are more expensive but offer better results and savings in the long-run so it's a good option for those who want to rid themselves of their hairy dilemmas (pun intended). IPL, which requires several sessions, uses heat as well as light (duh) to permanently remove hairs on the targeted areas so you don't need to get waxed every so often. Think hairless skin for a very long time. Tempting indeed!


Lots of love and thanks to Bubble Gum Wax for sponsoring that unforgettable day of fun and fuzz and of course to The Butterfly Project for organizing such great events for us to experience a myriad of different things and brands.


Helpful info!
Location
AF-1-7, Block F, Plaza Damas, 
No.60, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, 
Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. 
(go straight to the top of Plaza Damas towards TGI Fridays, exit and cross the short road to the other side, and turn right, the stairs up to Bubble Gum Wax is next to the mamak shop)
 Working Hours 
Mon - Fri: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sat - Sun: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
 Contact Number 
03-6211 5038

Don't forget to "like" The Butterfly Project Facebook Page to get up-to-date on their events and going-ons!


Psst. Bubble Gum Wax  is having a promo for virgins! You only pay RM28 to bare it all!


Now you don't have a reason not to go bare!

 Disclosure: I was invited to attend this event as a member of The Butterfly Project but was not compensated financially for this review. Everything mentioned are my own thoughts based on my experience. 

Sunday, November 17, 2013

The Bookworm: Book Blast & Giveaway - Gateway by Christina Garner

gateway by christina garnerGateway by Christina Garner  

Everybody has their demons. Some are just a little more real than others...

Ember has always known she doesn't belong in this world, but when she tries to correct the mistake, she wakes to find herself in a mental institution.

There she draws the attention of Taren, a mysterious boy who isn't what he seems.

When chaos erupts, they are forced to flee the institution together, and the secret Taren has been keeping, brings Ember closer to understanding her own.

And leads her to... the Gateway.  


Barnes and Noble amazon blog

Praise

"I loved, loved, loved, Gateway. It kept me up all night, it kept me guessing throughout and stayed on my mind afterward. And that my friends, is pretty much my definition of a great book."
~ thatbookishgirl.blogspot.com

"I enjoyed everything about this novel--the strong writing, the believable characters, the captivating plot and the subtle but sweet romance." ~ irresistiblereads.blogspot.com

"I give this book 5 stars out of 5, for the sole reason that I can't give it more."
~ TheWolfsLibrary.blogspot.com


author christina garnerAuthor Christina Garner

Christina Garner began writing stories at the age of six, with some help from her older sister. At eighteen, her aspirations as an actor had her loading up her Buick and setting off for Hollywood. Since then, she has written and directed 10 short films, including Rewind and Reminder, both of which received acclaim on the festival circuit. In 2006, she began writing screenplays. A year later, she even got paid for one. In May of 2011, her debut novel, Gateway, became an Amazon Bestseller. A year later, Chasm, Book 2 in The Gateway Trilogy, did the same. Christina lives in Los Angeles, and when she's not writing, spends her time traveling the world, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and playing with her dog, Griffin.  


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Book Blast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/5/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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