All Around The Circle

Book Review: Avidly Reads Screen Time by Phillip Maciak

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 03:28:00 +0000

Avidly Reads Screen Time

Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this

advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the description of what this book was about I was intrigued by the subject matter and the timetable the book covers.

In the early 1980's my father worked for AT&T and I remember him telling my sisters and I that in the near future you'd be able to to see the person you are talking to on the phone on a screen! It was such an exciting concept to me and as a middle-schooler I was hoping this technology would hurry up already! (It wasn't fast enough for me!)

Phillip Maciak does a great job of covering all the bases of what screen time was way back when and the meaning of screen time in present day. The memories of what it was like to have to sit in front of a screen at the exact time a program was being broadcast to VCR's, DVR's present day streaming services and everything thereafter; the internet, personal computers, tablets, smartphones and apps

I sometimes felt really nostalgic reading this book, remembering simpler days. Maciak adds his personal touch to the book with stories of his family and screen time experiences. When you think about it technology really has come a long way in quite a short time. This book presented a coherent timeline of various forms of screen time and gave information and research I hadn't thought about.

If you're interested in the advances in technology over the past 30+ years and how it has changed how we communicate and entertain ourselves you will find this book interesting.

Purchase on Amazon @

Avidly Reads Screen Time

Book Review - Pink Raise Your Glass by Annie Zaleski

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 02:26:00 +0000

P!NK Raise Your Glass

Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this

advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've always loved Pink's music and knew a bit about her

personally because she grew up about an hour away from my hometown. I remember seeing a lot on the news as she was starting out in the music industry and thought this would be an interesting read to get the full story on her life thus far.

This book is a wonderful compilation of Pink's beginnings, struggles, triumphs, accomplishments and everything in-between.

There are beautiful photos throughout the book that correlate

with the timeline being presented in each chapter. The author has added quotes from Pink taken from various interviews throughout her career. The book is extremely reader-friendly with a comfortable storyteller approach.

I enjoyed reading about how some of the songs came about and now want to go back and listen to each of her albums and pay closer attention to the lyrics as I listen!

If you're a fan of Pink's music this is a must read!!

Purchase on Amazon @

P!NK Raise Your Glass

Book Review: Late, Late At Night (A Memoir) by Rick Springfield

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 00:41:00 +0000

Late At Night by Rick Springfield

Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Let me start out by saying I was in elementary school (4th grade to be exact) at the height of the General Hospital frenzy and Working Class Dog album. I was not watching the soap, but some older neighbor girls were. And of course the music was all over the radio. The movie, Hard To Hold was released in theaters in 1984 and I'm pretty sure I saw that a year or so after its release. Throughout the 80's Rick Springfield had many other hits that if I heard them now I would recognize many of the songs. This was pretty much the extent of my knowledge about Rick Springfield.

The very first thing that shocked (and I mean SHOCKED) me is that Mr. Springfield is only two years younger than my mother!!! As I write this my my Mom is 75, Spring field 73!!!!

This factoid totally threw me for a loop! I was very interested in his writings about his early years in Australia, his relationship with his parents, love of writing music, guitars and dogs. The parts I could've done without were all the intimate partners he had throughout his life. ( Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive about the rock star lifestyle, but I think Rick's 'adventures' were much more than the norm.) He's described it as a 'habit' rather than sex addiction.

I was unaware that he had some popularity in the early 70's in the United States and how editor-in-chief of 16 magazine, Gloria Stavers, was set on making Rick a teen idol just like David Cassidy. I also had no idea he dated Linda Blair from the movie Exorcist fame when she was only 15 years old!!

(Springfield was 25.)

Rick will be married to his wife Barbara Porter, for 39 years on October 27, 2023. This woman is a saint in my eyes. She endured Rick's infidelity for many, many, many years and it is beyond a miracle that the two of them are still together.

Happy for them that they are, but a lot of turmoil in this marriage to say the least. And he wrote the song "Don't Talk To Strangers" while he and Barbara were dating because HE was worried SHE was going to get involved with other people while they were apart! He has said, "Back then, I was scared that she was f**king around because I was doing the same thing." HA!!

The last thing I will leave you with in this book review is that Rick tried to commit suicide when he was 17 years old and has struggled with depression since puberty. He references his depression as "Mr. D" throughout the book; I never in a million years would've thought that he struggled with depression.

The insight to all he has dealt with throughout his life with depression is very sad, but extremely real.

I commend Rick Springfield for laying out the nooks and crannies of his life in this book. Although the writing style at the beginning of the book was a little choppy, he finds his voice throughout the book (with some flash forwards & flashbacks at spots) and he truly is an excellent writer. Don't underestimate this guy, he is talented and I believe he has a great heart.

Purchase on Amazon @

Late At Night by Rick Springfield

Book Review: Out Of The Corner by Jennifer Grey

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Thu, 18 May 2023 22:34:00 +0000

Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

When I heard about this book being published I was intrigued.

Dirty Dancing was one of the soundtracks to my senior year of high school.

Prom's theme was "The Time Of Our Life."

It was a very iconic movie and pretty much came out of nowhere.

I also had watched Jennifer Grey on Dancing With The Stars.

So of course I wanted to read this book.

I will try not to give too much away in this review.

I wasn't aware Jennifer Grey's parents were famous.
(Think 'old Hollywood' here.) That pretty much set up for

me that she didn't 'just happen' to get into show business.

She went to private schools, spoke fluent French and her parents

were friends with a lot of famous people and she met many other

actors that would become famous in the future.

(Lots of name-dropping in this book!)

What I didn't know was the difficulty she had in getting acting jobs.

It was not easy street for her. And then of course the whole

'nose job' thing happened.

I had also heard that she and Patrick Swayze did not get along,

so I wanted to read her take on that as well. The chapter on Dirty Dancing

was very interesting. The small amount of time they filmed it in and it

wasn't even summer!!!

Another shocker for me (which it I guess it shouldn't have been because

I was alive during this time of course...probably just not paying attention)

was that Jennifer was in a serious relationship with her co-star,

Matthew Broderick from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' in which she played his

sister in the movie. I also did not know about their horrific car accident

while they were on vacation in Ireland.

It was very interesting to read about Jennifer from a young age until present time.

I was a little shocked at the end of the book. She has a very nice epilogue and

(poem?) at the very end called 'The Ride Home' which I want to print out because it really sums up how fast time moves. It is spot on.

I gave the book a 3 out of 5 just because I thought I would like her more than I did.

Maybe it was because of the time period she grew up in, (she's 12 years older than myself) the drugs, drinking, jumping into relationships and neediness?

I give her a lot of credit for putting her life story out there and being very in-depth!

(There are some things that I'm how on earth did you know this happened on such & such a day and the vivid memory of it?!?!)

Purchase on Amazon @

Out Of The Corner

Book Review: 28 Summers

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 23:01:00 +0000

My Rating: 5 Stars

This book starts with the reader already knowing the ending. Some reviews I've seen state that it would've been better to save what Mallory's fate is until the end of the book, but I feel that the reason Elin disclosed her illness was so you could appreciate what a full life she led, although bittersweet.

This book is based on the play and movie, Same Time Next Year.
Mallory Blessing and Jake McCloud come into one another's life via her brother Cooper Blessing and connect romantically almost instantly in 1993. Although they have chemistry from the beginning, Jake is in a relationship with his childhood sweetheart and Mallory is starting her life over on Nantucket. They agree to spend Labor Day weekend together every year, no matter what is happening in their lives. are not to contact one another throughout the year unless there's a marriage, pregnancy or death, which they abide by.

I loved how each chapter began with real life highlights of events that were happening in the specific year. Another highlight was the mouth-watering details in the meals they prepared and ate!!! I need some recipes for these dishes Elin!!! She also peppers characters and businesses from her other books throughout the story, which is very comforting; makes you feel like you've been here before (and if you've read any of her books before, you kind of have been!)

Dislikes:

- I did not enjoy the politics within the book. (Beach Read...trying to escape reality here!!)
- At times I felt sad for both Mallory and Jake because their situation could've been different if they were just honest with themselves and others in their lives.

They could've had more time together during their lifetime (life is short!)
- Infidelity. It is bothersome that both characters so easily could drift back to one another for one weekend a year and then just return to the rest of their lives for the remainder of the year. ( they did find it difficult to separate and thought of one another when not together...torturing themselves.)

If this is your very first Elin Hilderbrand read, please don't totally judge her on this book alone. It was a bit more 'serious' and depressing than some of her other books.
Checkout 'The Blue Bistro' to experience just one of my favorites of hers!

Click here to purchase your copy!

Book Review: The Menopause Diet Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 05:07:00 +0000

I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of The Menopause Diet Plan by Hillary Wright, M.Ed., RDN and Elizabeth M. Ward M.S., R.D. from NetGalley.

I was looking for new information on this topic, but really did not learn anything new from this book. However, if you're looking for more information on healthier eating habits and learning more about health concerns as you age, this book is for you! Topics covered are heart health, lowering your risks for diabetes and cancer, healthy bones, being cognizant of what you're drinking, physical activity and dietary supplements. All of these topics are covered in relation to menopause. The last two chapters are dedicated to the Menopause Diet Plan and provide eating tips and recipes.

Both authors are registered dieticians and present the topics with ease and in a way you can understand the subjects at hand. There are many studies and facts that are cited throughout the book, as well as a helpful resource list at the back of the book.

This is definitely a good book to have on your shelf for reference to look back on. I found myself highlighting things that I want to remember about specific vitamins and dietary supplements. I would definitely want my daughters to read this book when they are a bit older to understand the importance of all the topics discussed in this book!

Get Your Copy Here!

Book Review - Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sun, 03 May 2020 23:36:00 +0000

This book was a gift from my niece.

It isn't the usual genre that I read,

but I figured I'd give it a try.

This is the first book I've read by

Gillian Flynn and I've never seen the

movie Gone Girl.

Let me preface this review by saying this

was a graphic and disturbing book on

so many levels. At first it reminded me

of the type of writing you'd find in a V.C. Andrews

book, but as the story progressed it took on a

whole other level of wickedness and creepiness!!!

Camille Preaker is a reporter from Chicago

who is sent back to her hometown of

Wind Gap, MO to cover the story of a missing girl.

She is not looking forward to going back to the

town where she grew up and as the book progresses

you understand more and more why!

There's an abundance of hatefulness throughout this book.
Definitely mental illness, self-harm, alcoholism, drug abuse and
promiscuous behavior (and that's putting it lightly!!)

You learn about Camille and what her life was like in

this small town growing up. You can connect the dots

as to why she has such pain in her life due to
the awful experiences she has gone through.

So many characters in this book could use a

good therapist and hospitalization.

It's just one messed up person after another!

I don't want to give away spoilers, which is why I

haven't gone into much detail about the plot, but

just know you will feel more and more uncomfortable

with what you're reading chapter after chapter.

Surprisingly, this is a short book which packs a lot

of story line into the pages. If you enjoy dark

mysteries and psychological thrillers, you will

most likely enjoy Sharp Objects. If you're more

faint-hearted (like me) you will be disturbed by this book.

For some reason after I finished this book I thought

about 'how would this be turned into a movie?'

since I already knew Gone Girl was a movie.

Then I learned Sharp Objects was made into

an HBO mini-series! If you've seen the mini-series
leave me a comment to let me know how they
incorporated this book onto the screen!
I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars only because the
author did weave a strange story that kept you guessing.
I guess the psychological thriller genre just isn't my
cup of tea, so to speak.

Book Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 03:50:00 +0000

REVIEWERS NOTE:

I have read books by Kristin Hannah before. My favorite being Firefly Lane. I was not prepared for the domestic violence in this book. I had to try my best to skip over those scenes in the book due to personal reasons. I just kept envisioning my mother who lived through abuse in 1970 and luckily had the courage to find a way to leave and save me before I was born. PTSD and war were not a part of my mother's situation, but mental illness and alcoholism was. And as stated in the book, there wasn't any help or assistance for battered women in those days.

The Great Alone follows the Allbright family from 1974 until 1986. Ernt Allbright is a former POW and is a changed man from the Vietnam war. His wife Cora 'stands by her man' no matter what. Their daughter Lenora, whom they call Leni moves with her family like nomads because her father cannot hold down a job. Ernt is notified that one of his friends that was killed in the war has left him his piece of land in Alaska. The journey begins with him moving his family north. They will live off the grid and start over. They are unprepared for Alaska-living; the hard work it entails and the isolation.

Without giving too much of the story away, I must say that the writing in this book is extraordinary. You feel like you are in Alaska...which is why I read this book in the winter. I'm usually a beach-book reader, so this was an adjustment for me. Kristin Hannah's writing is vivid, descriptive, picturesque and true to life. The story flows genuinely and you definitely want to know the outcome of this family. It surely is not a 'fluff' book.

Book Review: #influencer by Brittany Hennessy

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 19:14:00 +0000

I borrowed this book from my public library because I was interested in learning about everything involved with being an 'influencer' on social media. Contrary to popular belief, an #influencer is someone on social media that has a relatively large following. 10,000 to 24,999 followers is considered a micro-influencer. 25,000 to 49,999 followers is the collaboration stage when a person collaborates with other influencers. 50,000 to 100,000 followers is when an influencer starts to approach other brands that they can represent on their social media channels.

The author, Brittany Hennessey is the Senior Director of Influencer Strategy + Talent Partnerships at Hearst Magazines Digital Media. As she puts it in the books, "it's her job to know the universe of influencers." And yes, she does fully understand the influencer universe.

Before reading this book I had a basic understanding of what influencers do and my knowledge was mainly based off of what I have heard my 12 and 16 year old daughters talk about from their favorite YouTube & Instagram personalities. There is definitely a broad range of influencers out there, but this book goes into the nitty-gritty of the steps and business knowledge needed to be successful as an influencer.

Most of the people who have followers in the thousands are eating, breathing & sleeping this business. And the more popular they get, they are not doing it all on their own. They have a team of people behind them. From assistants, managers, publicists, attorneys, social media managers, photographers and agents....this is a team effort and serious business for serious income.

Throughout the book there are stories of highly successful influencers as well as many tags to check out on Instagram (the @name you find on the site.) They highlight how they began, which platforms that focus on and what they wish they would've known when starting out.

Currently most influencers are women and because the author of this book has dealt with mostly women, this book is geared towards a female audience.

This book was a very quick read for me and I think it would be extremely eye-opening for the younger generation to read (middle to high schoolers) because I think that age group believes the life of these influencers is so glamorous, when in reality it's a lot more work than people let on. Anyone aspiring to put in all the hours required to do this kind of work would greatly benefit from this book as well.

Boss Up! : This Ain't Your Mama's Business Book

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 23:48:00 +0000

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Lindsey Teague Moreno's book

Boss Up! : This Ain’t Your Mama’s Business Book from NetGalley.

This book is meant for 'momtrepreneurs'' but can also be of assistance for anyone starting a small business. Lindsey shares from her experiences in her current home-based business, as well as previous businesses. She invites the reader to dig deep into what 'your thing' is and to start from there. Most importantly she advises you to be your authentic self, which I am in total agreement with. Who wants to see cookie-cutter when you're in business? She shares her success philosophy, tips for social media marketing and other pertinent topics for anyone who's their own boss.

Lindsey's voice in this book is like she's talking to a girlfriend at a local coffee shop. She is real, to the point and gives the information to you straightforward. This book was a quick, enjoyable read and I highlighted many nuggets of wisdom throughout the book. I wish I could share more about the book here, but since it hasn't been released yet I don't want to include any 'spoilers.'

You won't be disappointed!!!

Pre-Order Your

Copy Here!!!

ENJOY!!!

#BossUpBook

Advanced Copy Book Review: The Oysterville Sewing Circle

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sun, 23 Jun 2019 00:25:00 +0000

I received an ARC from a Goodreads GiveAway for this book.

The book will be released 8/13/19, so this will not be a complete review, rather just a general feel for the book.

Caroline Shelby has loved sewing since she was a little girl and becomes part of an elite New York design team as an adult. Because of certain circumstances, Caroline returns home to her West Coast hometown of Oysterville, Washington. Throughout the book you'll learn about her childhood friends, family and the dreams she has and had for her life. You'll see how what you thought you wanted from your life can change and adapt to include your dream. You'll love Caroline for her integrity, character and courage.

I was not expecting the underlying subject matter of domestic violence in this book, but it was weaved into the story line perfectly and realistically. You'll notice on the cover of the book it says: We believe you. We believe in you. These few words are extremely important because so many are not speaking up for fear of others not believing the abuse that goes on behind closed doors.

Once you start reading this book you won't want to put it down!
Thank You Susan Wiggs & Goodreads!!

Pre-Order Your Copy Here!

Book Review: The Four Year Career by Richard Bliss Brooke

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 01:23:00 +0000

3 out of 5 stars

This book was a 2017 Christmas gift from my Avon upline team leader. This little book is a fast Read (65 pages with 24 pages of successfull direct marketers stories) and packed with a lot of information which would be greatly helpful to someone new to direct marketing, as well as a good review to someone who is not.

A lot of the points made and information given I have heard before. Some of it was presented in a different way, which is always refreshing. I found it quite funny that there were quite a few disclaimers reiterated every few pages throughout the book:

"Geometric progression of your sales team's growth is easy to show on paper as a hypothetical but takes leadership, motivation, and dedicated effort for years to accomplish. Most people (an understatement) do not maintain their motivation to continue."

"These success stories are exceptional exceptions and are shared here to inspire you and show you people from different walks of life walks of life who have succeeded. They are not what you should expect to accomplish. They are 1 out of 10,000 or less. And yet it is interesting to note where they came from and what they accomplished. And maybe, just maybe, you could do the same."

I believe these quotes were repeated to make the reader aware that the likelihood of earning the kind of income represented in this book is not common and should not be expected.

The takeaway from this book is that most people who enter into a direct marketing company quit before their 'possible' big financial breakthrough happens. It takes a high level of discipline, motivation and personally developing for the direct marketing entrepreneur to keep going. There are no guarantees, just unknown possibilities.

Join my Avon Team here.

Book Review: The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 17:46:00 +0000

4 out of 5 stars

"Whatever the reason, I find that with each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas Box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss as seems them good. As for me, I believe.

And it is, after all, my story."

I usually read at least one Christmas book before the holidays. This year was the first year in a very long time that I had no desire to read, let alone it be a holiday book.

I found 'The Christmas Box' by Richard Paul Evans at my local library's book sale three weeks before Christmas. It is a small and short read with just 125 pages with a simple cover. So why didn't I pick it up and read it?

No Christmas spirit.

This was the third most difficult Christmas of my life; the first being 2001 when I had miscarried a baby exactly one week before Christmas. ( I still have a difficult time singing 'Away In A Manger' without crying.) The second being the year my husband and I had just gone through some major issues in our marriage. And this year, well, I really just don't want to talk about any of it.

So last night, December 28, 2017, I decided at 11:30pm that I was going to read this book. The writing flowed, the story was interesting and kept you focused on what would happen next. I read the back cover at the book sale, but really had no idea what the story was about when I picked the book up last night to read it.

It is a Christian book with a CHRISTmas message, but it definitely is not one of those religious-in-your-face type books.

Anyone would enjoy this book's message.

Since it is such a short read and I don't want to give away too much of the story and its plot, I will just say a few words about some take-aways and reminders I had from this simply beautifully written short story.

Make time for people. Especially children.

Keep your word. Don't disappoint them.....they don't forget

and have difficutly forgiving sometimes.

The love of a parent is important.

The time you put in is NEVER time wasted.

And last, but certainly not least,

broken hearts are very difficult to heal.

There is a pre-quel called 'The Timepiece'
which I will probably read next Christmas
(or maybe sooner!)

~Elle~

Book Review: How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 01:55:00 +0000

3 out of 5 Stars

"One of the core ideas in his books is that it is possible to change other people's behavior by changing one's reaction to them."

As I read this book the main word that kept jumping out at me is 'manipulation.'

By doing (or not doing) certain things, you are kind of manipulating the person into doing what you want. I am not a proponent of manipulation by any means. I do feel that helping the other person come to their own conclusions through some of these principles is helpful.

I read a review on this book by a reader on GoodReads and she said that this book had a negative effect on her life. With any self-help books that you read, you must take things with a grain of salt. With "How To Win Friends And Influence People," I believe many of the insights are mainly geared to a person who is in business (salesperson.) That is not to say parts may not be applied to personal friendships/relationships. I think you have to remain true to your personality and not force something that is not natural.

The negative reviewer said "The book basically tells you to be agreeable to everybody, find something to honestly like about them and compliment them on it, talk about their interests only and, practically, act like a people pleaser all the time. After being a smiley happy person with loads of friends for about a year, the unpleasant realization began to creep in, that by being so agreeable to everybody else, I rarely ever got my way. I also sustained friendships with people who were self-centered, so talking about their interests was all we got to do together, which drained me of my energy. The worst thing still, is that by trying to find something to like about every person, I completely disregarded their glaring faults. It didn't matter that those people did have redeeming

qualities - they weren't redeeming enough! I ended up with a bunch of friends I didn't really want and, because I was so preoccupied with "winning" those friendships I missed out on the chance to form relationships with good people."

I think what the reviewer did was to conform to the different principles and took them to heart a bit too much. There is definitely a time and place for everything and if you're using these principles all of the time, well that can seriously get tiring in my opinion. If you're thinking of reading this book because you are lonely & want friends, don't read it.

I read this book on my Kindle and plan on going back to all of the notes I highlighted. A lot of what is presented in this book is common knowledge, it's just that it is presented in a way that really makes you think about how to use the principles. Having examples of each is also extremely helpful.

I think this book should be a requirement for college or anyone working in a business setting. I also believe it was completely written at the time aimed towards salesmen. Not all people have the natural ability to do the things presented in this book; some do. This book is obviously a best seller for a reason and I think the reason is the way the principles are presented.

Sorry For The Image Glitch!

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 21:31:00 +0000

I've posted this on my business blog & Elle has given me permission to share on her blog too because the image crash is affecting hers and countless others.

So, as you may have noticed, you're seeing the message 'Please Update Your Account To Enable 3rd Party Hosting' on most of my images. This is because the site I've been using for various projects since 2003 suddenly decided to become a 'paid' site. Photobucket.com has hosted images for free for many years with ad revenue being generated on their site. Suddenly the beginning of July they cut off all of their 'non-paid members' (which is pretty much everyone) from hosting their images, leaving users who post images of their goods on Amazon, Ebay, blogs etcetera, to have no image-hosting. As you can imagine, users are livid. For weeks I could barely get into the site to even see what images I have there, but today I finally got access and began downloading and deleting my stored photos. What's the big deal you might think? Anyone who is using a hosting site has content seen by users and you want to appear professional online. This situation obviously does not give that appearance.

I've given this topic too much of my time already, but I wanted to make my readers aware the reason my images are messed up. If you'd like to read more, there are plenty of current articles on the web, including some recommendations of other sites to switch to. (See Below)

Musings Of An Average Mom: Photobucket Crash

PetaPixel: Photobucket Just Broke Billions Of Photos Across The Web

BBC News: Amazon & eBay images broken by Photobucket's 'ransom demand'

The Verge: Photobucket Accused Of Blackmail After Quietly Requiring Users To Pay $400 A Year To Hotlink

So as soon as I find the time and a different image host site I will get to work on replacing the lost images.

Thanks for your understanding,

Summertime ~ Depression?

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 02:57:00 +0000

It's summertime and normally you can find me reading in the evenings on my hammock. Weeks ago the hammock stand we had for years, broke.
I started to search for new hammocks & stands but my husband told me to wait....they're too expensive. One of the things I look forward to the most in the summer, I'm missing out on. Before I know it the school schedule will be in full swing and the days will be shorter & cooler. I guess my husband wants to wait to see if we can get a hammock on clearance near the end of summer....which is too late for me!

I haven't been reading as many books in comparison to other summers.
Currently I have about four reviews that I need to post, but just haven't had the time to sit down and write. Also I just learned that the site I have been using for hosting my images on this blog is having issues, so I may need to deal with that issue soon. Fun stuff.

This has been the most stressful July in my entire life. I don't think I can ever remember thinking of the month of July and stress in the same sentence! There are many reasons for this, but the main ones are being a lending ear to someone with cancer and another friend who is leaving an abusive marriage, watching a 4 month old puppy for a week, some personal medical issues I won't go into here, bickering/friend issues with both my daughters and a few issues dealing with respect and time. Summer has always been more of a relaxed time, never depressing or rushed, but yet here I am experiencing it.

Most of my life I have been the friend to go to who will just listen.
I try not to give advice if it doesn't seem wanted or I don't know about the topic at hand. I think I'm there for people because when I was growing up what I thought and felt didn't seem to matter. I think this is why I was shy and just kept to myself after awhile. It also gets difficult when the people you trust or love the most look at you differently and lose respect for you. I've lost friends over the years who I trusted and confided in and then they majorly betrayed me. It's difficult to bounce back from things like that and want to be able to let new people into your life again. Guarded......that is probably the best word to describe me. I definitely have downfalls with being too serious or hard on myself. I was brought up as the oldest of three daughters, so I was made the example of. It wasn't right or fair how strict my parents were with me, but I know that everything I deal with now is because of the high expectations place on me. There's nothing I can do about it now, other than try to be the best person I can be.

Anyhow, summer is NOT supposed to be this serious, in-depth or depressing.
I've ALWAYS loved summer. Not so much the miserably humid days or mosquitoes, but swimming, picnics, fireworks, friends, lots of sunshine, sitting on the patio, laying on the hammock, gardening, reading and a myriad of other summer memories from my childhood are what make me cherish summer days.

I'm just curious if anyone reading this has ever experienced a disappointing summer? Can you remember the best summer you had and what made it the best? I live in the Northeastern part of the United States and summer days are truly numbered. Maybe that is why I cherish it so much because so much of the rest of the year is dreary.

What are you reading this summer?
Any recommendations?
Even though I don't have my hammock, I hope to get in a few books within the next month. And I will definitely start working on writing the book reviews of the books I have read.

Thanks for reading & sorry if I depressed you!
I just wanetd to clear up with my readers why the book reviews
have been less and there haven't been many posts here.

Thank you for following my blog & stay tuned......

Book Review: A Taste Of Sake by Heather Heyford

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 03:27:00 +0000

3 out of 5 Stars

This is the 4th and final installment of the Napa wine heiress series.

I would've been fine with this series ending at the 3rd book, as this was not my favorite in the series.

Xavier St. Pierre is forced to introduce his three daughters to their half-Japanese sister, a product of one of his many affairs.

The sisters had no clue Sake even existed!

Sake has been living a less than glamorous life in San Francisco.

She has a potty-mouth, hangs out with less than desirable people and longs for the day she will see her mother again. I did not really 'buy' her relationship with Bill Diamond, the real estate broker. They just did not seem like the right 'fit'. Sake's character was definitely more 'street' than than her half-sisters and she really had a difficult time fitting into this family.

(Talk about opposite sides of the track!)

I enjoy Heather Heyford's writing, but I guess I just didn't like the character Sake.

Book Review: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 01:12:00 +0000

3 out of 5 stars

This book is centered around the death of Greg and Tess MacAvoy

and their circle of friends, three couples, who recount their past travels and memories with the deceased couple. Each couple thinks about how they may have contributed to their friends deaths.

The book revisits the days when the friends met and grew up on the island and the chapters alternate between each friend's memories and viewpoint.

There's a lot of storylines and characters to keep up with in this book.

Affairs, gossip, drama, mistrust....

Book Review: The Inner Critic Advantage: Making Peace with the Noise in Your Head by Andrea Patten

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 23:26:00 +0000

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

This book was recommended by one of AVON's top representatives,

Lisa M. Wilber, Platinum Executive Leader.

Lisa also wrote a recommendation at the very beginning of this book.

Andrea Patten addresses the fact that everyone has always been told to hush the inner critic within you. Her approach is to try to work with that voice so that it can work for you, instead of against you.

"Finding benefits hidden by annoyances is not an easy process. It takes effort, energy and focus. And creating a new, more peaceful relationship with your Inner Critic is complicated by the fact that, for years, experts have been offering advice on how to silence the Inner Critic."

She believes that by trying to 'kill off' the inner critic brings it back to be "even stronger and naggier than before."

What is an inner critic? Patten describes it in this way:
"An Inner Critic is our brain's misinterpretation of stimulus or data that:
amplifies harsh self-judgement, creates negative self-talk and, interferes with the confidence needed to take action toward personal goals and desires."

The author also gives many ideas and skills to help "transpose the negative into positive."

"Your Inner Critic can brilliantly detect threats but is none too bright about priority-setting."

Patten also recommends giving your inner critic a new name....something that "brings both comfort and confidence."

"Personal growth strategies are not Swiss Army knives: I can't think of a single one that works in every situation, that's why it's such a good idea to try them on for size."

"Part of nurturing an inner ally involves deciding which messages to focus on and which ones to let go."

Some negative key words mentioned within the writer's vocabulary in this book are: demoralization, enemy, flaws, faults, tension, bad mental habits, threaten, warning, shatter, permanent, worrying, harmful, dangerous, panic and undesirable,

Positive vocabulary used in this book to counter-act the negative words above are: brave, honest, relax, soothe, energize, safe, forgive, strengths, peaceful, strong, partnership, healthy, powerful, brilliant, nurturing, honesty, acceptance, courage, flourish, opportunities, benefits, focus and energy.

I wish I could say more and believe more about the topic presented in this book.
I've tried many times in my life to turn things around by mental ability.
I honestly think this is way to continue to motivate yourself to just keep moving on in life. I don't think that just by 'thinking' about something that it will happen.
I could post examples here, but will refrain because I do not want to drudge up old memories just to upset myself on a book review.
Change takes action, that I believe. But even sometimes with action and doing the best you possibly can do, that still isn't enough.
It's discouraging, and unfortunately we learn to live with it.

I do not totally disagree with the thoughts and exercises presented in this book. Like the author said, it's not a one-size-fits-all type of thing. Definitely read this book to get ideas to help yourself deal with your inner critic.
Try to apply the mental exercises presented and
choose the ones that are best for you!

Book Review: Build It Big & More Build It Big

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 02:54:00 +0000

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Hello Everyone!

I'm back with a 2-in-1 book review because these two books are directly related.

I was very fortunate to be nominated and accepted into the Fall 2016 online course for the AVON Leadership Academy in partnership with

the Direct Selling Women's Alliance (DSWA.)

This was a 12-week online course and it was Ahhh-mazing!!!

I started as an AVON Representative in July 2015. I'm quite new.

I've never been a salesperson, never been in marketing or wanted to be a home-based business. (I have always wanted to work from home, however.) Becoming a representative for AVON was the right thing at the right time for me due to wanting to pay off the braces my daughter was about to have put on and the next goal ~~was~~ (is) to pay off my car loan (still working on this and getting closer!)

Direct sales was not something I knew much about.

Yes, I had known people who invited me to home parties (not really my thing) and a few people who had been representatives, but I never really asked about how they worked. Now here I was a part of the mother of all home-based businesses, AVON!!!! (131 years old in 2017!!!!)

Now before I go any further, I know what you're thinking.....home-based business? You just show some brochures and put some orders together!!!!

Yes, that's what a lot of people think it is, and what some people do, but it can be made into so much more. There are personal shoppers, hobbyists, part-timers, full-timers and sales leaders. There are many avenues you can follow in this business and you can do it all from home!

I was kind of in awe at the opportunity of being able to build a business all from home for such a reasonable price.

(If you'd like to find out more, please visit this link.)

When I was presented with the chance to take the AL Academy courses,

I was excited and a bit hesitant. I hadn't attended a class in quite a long time and now I had to fit this in with my kids schedules, home-duties and my AVON business. It really wasn't that difficult to squeeze in, and there were replays I could listen to if I could not attend the webinars live.

The training was broken down into six parts:

1-Visionary Planning

2-Creating Community

3-Team Building

4-Training

5-Coaching

6-Business Management

One week would cover a topic, the following week would be a review and a coaching session with two chosen participants and plenty of time to ask questions and learn from the session. Then the following week the next topic would be covered, followed by a coaching session for that topic and so on.

Some topics I felt like I had already mastered, but many others I knew I could use a lot more training in.

I was given a digital printable workbook and the two Build It Big Books for my Kindle as part of the course. A few weeks into the course I decided it was worth buying both of the hard copies of these books because I could easily flip to a section and find information I may need to help a team member or myself. In my opinion, these books are close to being Bibles for the direct sales industry.

I will go over the general sections covered in each of these books and I hope you will consider purchasing them through the links provided if you are a part of a direct selling company. Many, many, many thanks to the DSWA for creating this program and tailoring it to AVON Representative Leaders! And to all of the contributors in these books (including my own sister, Pam Heller, which I didn't even know until I got to her chapter!) thank you for sharing your expertise and honest opinions, solutions and outlooks on what can happen in a home-based direct sales business if you have the right tools to aide you in your success!

Published in 2005

Starting Your Direct Selling Business
Booking And Coaching Your Hostess
The Art Of Selling
Sponsoring And Building Your Team
Coaching Your Team
Developing Leadership Skills
Managing Business Finances
Integrating Home And Business
Building Through Technology
Strategies For Success

Published in 2006

Direct-Selling Excellence
Sensational Shows
Networking And Prospecting
The Art Of Sponsoring
Principle-Centered Coaching
Managing Your Money
Home Business Excellence
Enlightened Leadership
Success Strategies

Purchase the Build It Big books through the below links to help Elle raise money for her vision of making this blog bigger and better in the future. Thank You!

I received a leadership pin, certificate and I can proudly display the below seal for completing the AVON Advanced Leadership Academy training.

The training has been invaluable to me and I know I will continue to come back to these two books as resources whether to help myself or my team members.

Contact me @ colorsofavon@gmail.com if you'd like to learn more about joining my AVON team and adding some extra income to your life!

Book Review: Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 00:19:00 +0000

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

This was not a 'planned' read for me because this past year I really haven't had much time to read like I have in the past. When I learned at Thanksgiving that Elin Hilderbrand would be doing a talk at my local library for her third installment of her Winter Street series, I just had to go, even though I have met this author once before.

The talk was on Saturday December 10th at 2pm and I purchased Winter Street at the talk because I did not want to start with the third book in the series. Elin began the talk with a bit of background from the 1st and 2nd books (yes, I heard some spoilers, but not enough for it to ruin anything in the series for me) and then she read an excerpt from Winter Storms, the third book in the series.

She told us she is working on the fourth book in this series called Winter Solstice and that it will tie together characters from other books she has done. I have a feeling this one will probably be my favorite of this series!!!!

Elin then took some questions from the audience.

Someone wanted to know if her characters are based on people in her real life. She said some are a compilation of people she knows, but not enough for people to know who she is referring to.
So no, only she truly knows who a character is based on.

The characters of this series are as follows:

Kelley Quinn - patriarch of the family and operator of the Winter Street Inn

Mitzi Quinn- Kelley's second wife

George- the Inn's Santa Claus who Mitzi has been having an affair with

Margaret Quinn- Kelley's first wife and famous news anchor

Kelley and Margaret's adult children:

Patrick Quinn- eldest son who is dealing with being an inside trader within his company

Kevin Quinn- bartender and in a secret relationship with the inn's housekeeper

Ava Quinn- school teacher hoping her long-time boyfriend proposes this Christmas

Kelley & Mitzi's son:

Bart Quinn-the youngest Quinn who is stationed in Afghanistan

The book's chapters are by character, so you get the point of view on the specific character's feelings and viewpoint. Regardless of the dysfunction going on within the Quinn family, the story finally gets its 'Christmas-feel' towards the end of the book. I will be reading the rest of this series as time permits, so look for those reviews in the future.

Book Review: Here's To Us by Elin Hilderbrand

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 19:49:00 +0000

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

This was a fast summer read for me.
Beware, there are a lot of characters to keep track of at first, but you will get the hang of how the story line jumps from present day, to the past and back by chapters explaining various parts of the main characters lives.

This light, summer read is focused around Deacon Thorpe, a famous celebrity chef, his three wives (Laurel, Belinda and Scarlett) and three children (Hayes, Angie and Ellery.) I must admit that I liked Deacon's first wife Laurel the best and would've rather seen the story be about their life together minus the two following ex-wives. But, this was Elin's story to tell, not mine.

The Thorpe family is quite dysfunctional and full of drama to say the least!
The book begins with a flashback of a very important day in Deacon's life. The last day he spent with his father on Nantucket.
The second chapter starts with his best friend and agent John 'Buck' Buckley revealing that it is his duty to gather "Deacon Thorpe's entire family at the house on Nantucket so that they can spread Deacon's ashes and discuss the troubling state of his affairs."

You learn about each of the key family members in Deacon's life and some secrets along the way.

I could have done without the drug use and alcohol issues some of the characters struggled with. I wasn't expecting these topics at all.
There were some scenes I was not a fan of because of this.

As always, there are some recipes throughout the book, which is always an enjoyable addition to Elin's books!

Book Review: Bread Winner, Bread Baker by Sandy Elsberg

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 15:29:00 +0000

Bread Winner, Bread Baker

by Sandy Elsberg

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

This book is another gift from my sister (and upline.)
Although I understood how multi-level marketing companies worked before I read this book, it helped me see MLM's a little differently.

Most people look at MLM companies as a hobby (mostly for women); a way to make a supplemental income. This book focuses on looking at MLM's as an opportunity to create a customer base, a team to mentor and a way to earn a full-time paycheck.

I believe the author's approach of looking at an MLM as a way to help others is great, but what you must keep in mind is that not all people will want to work their business in the same way as you may work yours. You can teach others to the best of your ability, but it is up to the individuals to decide how much work, time and effort they put forth.

What I did not appreciate about this book was how 'easy' the author makes it sound to acquire customers and team members. No matter what MLM company you are with, I believe it takes a lot of time, dedication, persistence and sacrifice to truly make wages that you can live off of. This is why I believe most who are in MLM's do it as a part-time gig because they already have a full-time job and do not have the aforementioned time to make full-time wages.

On the positive side, the author shows how when a mentor takes the time to train a new MLM representative how this helps the company, the leader and the new representative. It also shows the new team member how to teach anyone that they welcome into the company. Focusing on learning about the company's products, finding customers, learning business practices and teaching how to be an all-around good business person is essential to making things come together as well.

I recommend this book for anyone who does not understand how MLM companies work or anyone thinking about joining one. Most importantly, this book shows an inside view of how what comes of your business is solely up to you and the effort the individual puts forth into being successful. Most of the outcome in this type of business is on the shoulders of the representative. Being responsible for outcomes, whether good or bad.

Book Review: Og Mandino- Three Volumes In One

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 02:33:00 +0000

Og Mandino ~ Three Volumes In One
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

This is my first book review at All Around The Circle.
I hope you enjoy my book reviews and insights in addition to Elle's.

This is a book I would not have chosen for myself.
It was given to me as a gift from my sister,
who just happens to be my up-line with Avon.
Why wouldn't I have chosen it for myself you may wonder?
Well, I'm not a 'self-help' reader and definitely am intimidated when I see a big 'ol book like this one is!!!! Granted, there are three books in one in this particular book, but none the less, it sat on my bookshelf for about eleven months before I decided to make myself read it!

At first I thought it was going to be all about business.
But really, this is one of those books that you can apply to life in general, so I would recommend it to anyone. Also, there are religious references in this book (no doubt) but even if you are not the religious type, do not let that hold you back from reading this book to gain knowledge.

The first book is called "The Greatest Salesman In The World."
This story is the basis of everything. I honestly found myself excited to sit down and read to find out what would happen next.
The main take away from this book are 'The Ten Scrolls.'
These are ten lessons for beginning anew; to believe in yourself, have faith, build confidence, control emotions and focus on what you want in your life. If you follow the book the way the author wants you to read the book, you will be reading one scroll every month to ingrain these scrolls into your brain. Well, I do not have that kind of time and as I said above, I was intimidated enough at the size of the book and just wanted to get through it! (Just being honest here.)
So with that said, I know I will refer back to this book in the future when I need some inspiration. I enjoyed the story of the salesman and in the life lessons each scroll touches upon. This is one of those books that every senior in high school or freshman in college should be required to read.

The second book was called 'The Greatest Secret In The World' and I felt it was just reiterating each scroll in more detail and dragging out the process of dissecting each scroll.

The third book was called 'The Greatest Miracle In The World' and I really enjoyed this one. I couldn't wait to finish it to find out what happened!
Og Mandino is a tremendous storyteller and I often wondered throughout this book how much of this story was fiction and how much was non-fiction because it truly read like a non-fiction book to me.

I know I did not give away what the story lines of these books are about.
It is very complicated to explain, but just know that these books are like no other I have ever read. I can truly say that.

If you do read any of these books, please don't hesitate to come back and visit me here to comment and talk about the books.

The next book I would like to read by Og Mandino is 'The God Memorandum' which was a part of the last book ('The Greatest Miracle In The World.') I was thinking of reading 'The Return Of The Ragpicker' because I thought it would pick up where the story left off in 'The Greatest Miracle In The World', but then I read some reviews from others who have read it. They said the author wrote it ten to fifteen years after 'miracle' and that it was basically a 'brag' book of the author's accomplishments and 'politically correct platforms' replaced his God-based inspirations. Because of this I will probably not bother with the 'return' book, however I would like to read more of his early works because it seems to me that is when he was most 'humble.'

Book Review: A View From The Top (Various Authors)

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 12:30:00 +0000

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

A View From The Top is a compilation of top selling Avon Representative stories revealing how they achieved their success. The various representatives offer their views on how they became successful in the Avon direct marketing business and offer their strategies on how you can become successful as well.

The reason I decided to read this book is because an online friend is an Avon Representative. She asked me to help her promote her Avon business through my blog and in return she will help me monetarily so I can afford to do more things with my blog in the future. This is in the early stages and we are slowly making progress working together.

The stories in this book are truly inspiring.
There are many women who came from dire situations, with no prior selling or marketing experience, who have built an incredibly large customer base as well as trained and mentored hundreds upon hundreds of Avon Representatives.

One thing that I have taken away from this book is that there's not just one way to be successful. What works for one person may not work for another. This makes sense since every individual has their strong and weak points. That does not mean an individual cannot focus on one of their weaker qualities and become better at it. Life is one continuous learning process.

Another recurring theme throughout this book is that none of these women gave up. Even when they may have lost their leadership title, their team or customer numbers diminished or something in their life threw them for a loop, they stuck with their business. They did not throw in the towel. Determination.

They also all took action in their lives. They believed in themselves. Even sometimes when it was difficult to believe, they kept pushing through. It's amazing what these women have done with something I always thought to be 'just a hobby' and not a real job. But if you read this book, you will see that you can make a real career out of being an Avon Representative. I was quite surprised! That's not to say that doing it as a hobby,part-time, as supplemental income isn't a great idea either.....because it is! You can make your own schedule and fir it into your life. Flexibility is a wonderful thing!

If you or someone you know is looking for a home-based earnings opportunity, this could be the start of something substantial. And unlike many other direct selling companies it does not cost much to start! Currently it is just $15!!!!!
Follow this link to find out more about joining Avon.

****United States applicants only for the above link.****