Are you willing to think outside the box?

Companies WANT you to try their stuff for FREE WHAT? That’s what I initially thought when I picked up this book. Free Stuff Everyday by Mike Essex is a handy little book/tool that opens up a whole plethora of opportunities for free swag — if you are willing to think outside the box and step outside your comfort zone.

Mike’s idea operates on the basis of give a little, get a little. Filled with tips and knowledge, this book will leave you well equipped to ask for what you want. He actually gives you ideas and examples, not just vague allusions like I was expecting. Sometimes I thought, “I can’t believe he is actually sharing this stuff!”

He covers topics like how to initiate contact, gives you a template, and he even tells you what to do if you get rejected. Do’s and don’ts, safety tips, a micro course in PR and self improvement, he covers pretty much the gamut of the who, what, where, when, why and how to get freebies. There’s also a 30 Day Challenge where you can test drive your new found skills. He is confident that if you follow the steps in the book you will end up with a whole lot of free swag. He also lists his contact info for you in case you have questions. As I read, I felt like this book was a field guide to the world of swag.

As a blogger, I found some interesting insights and ideas that were definitely food for thought. Turn every idea into a “Unique Offer”. It makes the opportunities for free stuff seem endless. And his reasoning is actually quite sound.

Well written, clear, concise and engaging, Free Stuff Everyday is worth a read.

Free Stuff Everyday is self published by Mike Essex ISBN 978-0-9558518-2-7 and is available for download at Amazon US or at Smashwords. To learn more about Mike visit http://www.mikeessex.co.uk.

Play Fling by Amber Scott

Let’s help make Amber Scott’s Play Fling a Bestseller For A day!

“Playing cupid isn’t a reward; it’s Millie’s punishment. If she doesn’t find repressed, divorcee, Brooke, true love in the next thirty days, Millie’ll lose the one thing in this life sentence worth fighting for, her partner. Just two problems: First, Millie sucks at matchmaking. Second, too young, too hot, Elliott keeps getting in Millie’s way.”

~ via Smashwords

I was lucky enough to get a chance to review her novel Play Fling, and let me tell you what a romp of a read! I had a great time enjoying the pages of this book. I laughed (boy did I ever!), I was shocked (lots of gasping and saying, “Oh my!” and, “No way!”), and when I was done, I knew I definitely wanted to read more books about Millie Match and her matchmaking! As soon as I picked up this book and read the first paragraph, I was excited to read this book. Not only did I feel a certain camaraderie with the cupid Millie’s target Brooke Munkle, I was amused by both Brooke and Millie, and I was genuinely rooting for them both. Brooke was likable in such a way that not only did I really like her, but I could see her as a friend I would want to make a match for too! And Millie, Brooke’s cupid, was such a breath of fresh air. She’s funny, irksome and entertaining as a fledgling cupid. Her bumbling attempts at match making were comical and well intended, even if they were a little motivated by self interest. Brooke’s love interest, the gorgeous Elliott, was a guy any girl could, pardon the expression, go ga-ga for. Elliott and Brooke were definitely two people I wanted to see get together! Their love story, as unlikely as it is, will leave you with a genuine smile on your face. This book is hot and fun and a real guilty pleasure! It’s bittersweet, romantic, and hopeful. It’s a book that will have you turning the pages rapidly, eager to find out what’s going to happen next. Play Fling deserves to go on your bookshelf, be it 3D or virtual, and is a Millicent Match Novel worth reading!

Play Fling is available for your Kindle on Amazon now!

You are the love of my life.

You know how they say the Universe conspires to bring you the things you desire? (The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho) I believe this to be true. (My Youngling is the most precious and beloved gift I have ever wished for and received.)

I believe that family may agree to disagree, love you flaws and all, and be your biggest fans and supporters. Family believes in you even when you don’t believe in yourself, and are there to pick you up off the cobblestones when you can’t walk anymore. (Did I ever tell my sisters just how fabulous they really are? What would I ever do without you? You, dear sisters, have been my rock and know my heart best.)

I also believe that true and dear friends (who I also consider my family) come into your life to help you grow and broaden your horizons. They perform unexpected acts of service that come from the heart with no desire or expectation for recompense. They may even help you to sprout wings you didn’t know you had and fly. (Thank you friends for being the extended family I always hoped for but never dared to dream I could have.) They also share great books with you. (Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and Connected Parenting by Jennifer Kolari)

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I also believe that there are people who touch your life only briefly but have profound meaning and messages to share. Today someone I will always remember, though I may never see them again said something to me that changed my life. (In regards to how my Youngling feels about me: “You are the love of her life.” Thank you for that, because I never thought of it that way. You are an amazing teacher.)

I believe I have been truly, truly blessed and fortunate in my life. So today I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes with you, dear reader. A quote from one of the people on the list of things I believe in. May it be as profound for you as it was for me, and make as much of a difference for you in your journey as it has made for me today.

“Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I believe that today was truly a wonderful day. What do you believe in?

Nothing happens unless first we dream ~ Carl Sandburg

I am a writer. I like to write about the things that interest me. This is one of the simple things that makes me happy. I wanted to share with you the kinds of things you will find here on this blog. It’s probably a little different than what you might be expecting; but my wish for you is that you have as much fun reading the things I write here as I have in the thinking, and the writing of these words and ideas.

You see, like myself, this blog is a myriad of facets and elements. This blog is a labyrinthine collection, and a meandering mosaic of writing. It’s filled with the things I find not just interesting, but also amazing, intriguing, entertaining, engaging, appealing, silly, and ponder-worthy. Sometimes the posts will be short. Sometimes they will be long. Sometimes they will fall somewhere in between, or have just one line. 99% of the time, you’ll see images. I like to use images a lot. I am a very visual person, and I think images spice up the posts quite nicely. And the categories, well, as you will see, my list is unusually long; and that’s OK, because I like to write about a lot of different things. That’s where the whole eclectic writer thing comes in. Besides, there’s no real hard and fast rules for blogging, is there? Aren’t personal blogs meant to be as original and unique as each individual writer is?

So on any given day, at any given time, I could be writing about what cucumber sandwiches remind me of, my much beloved Youngling and my much beloved others, my adventures in reading, or my random musings and attempts at philosophy. You may also notice the odd run on sentence, as I tend to be quite loquaciously articulate at times.

One thing you will discover without fail, is that I love movies. This blog is filled with my unique contemplations of cinema, and with the exploration of my understanding and interpretation of movies of all kinds. I have an obsessive kind of love affair with movies. More than anything else other than writing, reading, and spending time with my Youngling and beloveds, I love spending time with movies. I am not ashamed to say that I am a BIG TIME movie geek, and you will find A LOT of inner musings and odes to the movies I adore on this site.

So, if you are looking for a more tailored, streamlined or rigid read, this may not be your 4 o’clock cup of ginseng tea. But if you just want to visit a friendly place created by a dreamer, have some fun, and free your mind from the daily grind, then this is the pumpernickel for you!

So be well, and happy reading! I hope you have as much fun as I do. And that, my dear readers, is my wish for you.

Your Brighter Scribe…

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.“
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Teletoon Retro

DISCLAIMER! The following material is intended for a mature audience and may be offensive to younger and/or readers sensitive to frank speaking/writing. Reading discretion is advised!

Every once and while, I like to sit with my Youngling and watch Teletoon Retro. I greatly enjoy sharing with her the animations of my youth which brought great joy to me. They still do, and to see her laughing just as hard as I did waaaay back when I was Youngling myself, just shows me that these cartoons were really funny. Anyways, I digress.

Trojan Man!

On one such recent occasion (tonight, actually), a Trojan Man commercial appeared, to my great dismay. Completely chagrined and totally terrified that my curious and bright 5 year old might ask me, “Mama, what’s a condom?”, I reached over and grabbed her. I crushed her little head to my bosom, effectively cutting sound off to one ear, while one of my hands covered her other ear, and my other hand covered her eyes.

Raccoons TV Show

Now, this frantic move on my part to shield her usually elicits more curiosity than there was in the first place. Now she knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that there was something going on that I didn’t want her to see or hear. So now it would be her mission to figure it out by ferreting the info out of me with an endless round of questions, and the declaration that I promised to always tell her the truth! To which I would theoretically answer, “I don’t want to tell you right now. I will tell you when you are 14 or so.” This kind of I don’t want to tell you right now, I’ll tell you when you’re older answer, usually satisfies her. But if I do the dive and shield from all evils move, this answer won’t suffice, and she will be ever vigilant and more determined than ever to discover the truth. Why oh why is there a Trojan Man commercial on during Raccoons? And on a Sunday, no less!

Now, I’m fairly liberal, but even I draw the line at Trojan Man advertisements on a network devoted to cartoons! My 5 year old is already impressionable enough as it is. She’s constantly trying to convince me that I need the Ab Circle Pro to get the ‘sexy hips and thighs I’ve always wanted’. I don’t need her trying to convince me that I need Trojan Man condoms because ‘it feels like there’s nothing there!’. Oh, the horror!

I mean, I do plan to be open with her about topics like sex, drugs, and rock and roll when the time is right. However, in my estimation, there is nothing right about hearing the word condom uttered by a 5 year old; I don’t care how liberal of a parent you are. That being said, I have no problem answering certain questions she has. We have a pact between us where I have promised to always tell her the truth. And if I don’t want to or simply can’t tell her the truth, I’ve promised I will tell her exactly that. For the more, shall we say, embarrassing or delicate questions she presents me with, admittedly, I do break out into uncontrollable laughter. I’m not laughing at her, I am always quick to explain so as not to discourage her from coming to me with whatever she needs. I explain that it’s simply due to my own nervousness, shock, consternation, and embarrassment as the reason for my inappropriate giggling. That is usually followed by a heartfelt apology just to put her at ease and get a hold of myself. The things 5 year olds can ask you when you least expect it, but no one ever warned you about, are endless. And trust me, that is a whole other post altogether! Giggling is how I handle the shock. It could be worse.

Oh well, I guess it was after 8 o’clock, and shouldn’t Younglings be in bed by then? Most definitely, however, this is a long weekend here in Canada, so I’m letting her stay up a little later than usual. My bad, I guess. So, I suppose I will have to exercise my right to:

a) change the channel

How Kelvyn Got His Name

b) turn off the TV and read How Kelvyn Got His Name to her, or

c) leap like a mad woman to shield my innocent child’s eyes and ears.

Oh no! Gotta run! Here’s that Trojan Man commercial again!

~P.S.~ Am I the only person on Earth not watching #Lost tonight? Thank goodness for DVD sets. No commercials!