#of when she buys multiple books by a new author (or is tempted to)

[fractallogic]

There’s a BookTuber I’m subscribed to now and she’s so sweet. Like we have fundamentally different priorities (she didn’t immediately get a library card upon moving to a new city??? She hasn’t visited all of the indie bookstores near her, just B&N???), but she’s so cute and so happy and has such an interesting way of doing the parasocial relationships on her videos. CHARMING.

[findtheloveofmylife]

Something Stupid (V)

Pairing: Roger Taylor x OC (Lily Hathaway)

Summary: He was not the type to pine or whatever you wanted to call it. It usually was the opposite, they pined for him, they wanted to be with him, which is probably why he was way out of his element with her.

Author’s Note: I am so sorry how long this took. I had a really bad case of writer's block but it seems that it's gone now! This is the longest chapter I’ve written so far! Which is fantastic but I’m back in school, so updates are going to be slow but I will try my best to have a set schedule. If you see errors, sorry, but I am brain is fried and I just wanted to post it before I decided to delete it and start all over.

Also, would anyone would be interested in me creating a playlist for this story? I already have some songs in mind. Let me know what you think!

Part I // Part II // Part III // Part IV

—=—

Surprisingly, Roger and John did end up going to a bar the day John was supposedly had to have dinner with Lily and her American. Roger felt a little odd being there with John, and it wasn’t because it was just them two, but because of the giant elephant in the room: John’s refusal to talk about Lily.

Every time Roger tried to approach the topic of her or the American, John would dodge his question and push the conversation to another topic. Roger wasn’t typically nosy (unlike a certain redhead), but seeing John lie to his beloved Lily, definitely caught his attention. There was something missing in the equation and maybe it was because he was still irritated by Lily, but Roger really wanted to know what was going on between John and the happy couple.

“Next week, it’s going to be Lily’s birthday,” John interrupted him when Roger mentioned Mary and Lily had been criticizing his hair a few days prior.

“What?” Roger coughed and put down his beer.

“We’re going to throw her a surprise party the day of her birthday, this Friday,” John continued. “It's going to be at her mother's house.”

“Alright,” Roger said slowly. “We don’t have practice that day if that’s what you’re worried about.”

John looked at him in exasperation. “Roger, I’m telling you so you can arrive before Lily. The guys are going to the party, just like you.”

“Why would I go?” he asked stupidly.

“Oh, god,” John said under his breath, looking incredibly annoyed. He looked at Roger and said slowly, “Because I'm inviting you. Because Lily happens to like you.”

“Lily likes me?” he asked in disbelief. Yes, she was nice to him when she saw him and got him a nice gift for Christmas, but he was sure she only tolerated him for John sake, but like him? He doubted.

“Yes, for some reason she really likes you.”

“How are you sure about that?

“Because she's told me herself,” he said impatiently. “So, because of that fact, you have to go to her birthday party. You would hurt her feelings if you didn’t go.”

Roger was still stuck in the fact that somehow, through all the pettiness and childishness, Lily liked him, even if it was just as a person.

“Why would Lily like me?”

“I'd like to think because, in a way, you and Lily are similar.”

“In what? That we're both mammals?”

“Don’t be dense,” John said, looking exasperated. Roger raised one of his hands in surrender. “You're still going to the party.”

“Alright,” Roger sighed heavily. Looks like he had plans for next Friday. “What time do you want me to be there?”

“Early, I don’t have the exact time yet, but I will let you know soon,” John said, getting up from his seat. “Be right back.”

Roger nodded his attention now on his empty bottle. He needed a refill and tried to call the attention of the bartender. John paused and turned back to Roger, and said, “It's a small party, so don’t bring a date.”

“Alright.”

“You need to come early, it's a surprise party.”

“Alright.”

“Oh, and you'll have to buy her a gift.”

“I said, alright,” Roger said in annoyance.

“Do not get her a scarf,” John warned him as he started walking away from him.

“Oh come on, we both know she loves that scarf,” Roger called after him, remembering seeing her multiple time wear the yellow scarf he gave her in Christmas. John threw him a look, before disappearing in the crowd. “Fuck,” he hissed and when he finally got his beer, took a long gulp. What the fuck was he supposed to get Lily?

Despite almost knowing her almost over a year, he did not know Lily that well. What he did know was that she was four years younger than him, had known John her entire life, had horrible taste in men (seeing that she was dating an American out of every nationality), was always cold, was deathly allergic to cats (which didn’t stop her from hugging Freddie’s cats) and was super nosy.

What kind of gift could he get her from that information?

“A new boyfriend,” he muttered sarcastically but laughed in disbelief, crossing that idea off. That would not go well with either Lily or John or Mary or the American. Christ, how many people loved that girl? He sighed heavily, realizing that he was going to put a lot of effort on a girl that he wasn't even going to sleep with.

—=��

After mulling about it at night (meaning he got drunk and found a pretty girl to take home) Roger decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask Brian for advice. He had gotten Lily as secret Santa, and Lily had seemed pretty happy with the gift she received.

“What are you going to give Lily?” Roger asked Brian when he saw him a day later.

“For her birthday?”

“Yes, what else would I be talking about?” Roger asked impatiently.

“I got her a sweater,” Brian said simply.

“A sweater?” Roger frowned, instantly regretting asking Brian. That was a stupid gift, more than books.

“Mary was the one that told me of a sweater that Lily had been eying,” he defended himself, seeing the expression on Rogers' face.

Roger attitude shifted at that new information. “Mary helped you?”

“Yeah, I had no idea what to get her, just like you, it seems and she was nice enough to help me.”

“Really?” Roger hummed, leaving Brian alone and quickly changed his tactics, but unfortunately, asking Mary proved no help at all when he went to visit her afterward while she was working.

“You men are unbelievable,” she said as Roger trailed after her around the store. “I had to help Freddie, Brian and now you? No, I am done. You need to figure it out on your own.”

“What? Come on,” Roger groaned. “Just give me something. I don’t want to give her a shit gift and have Deacy on my back.”

“You literally cannot think of one thing that Lily might like?”

“No,” he said. “Come on, Mary. Don't you love Lily? I don't think you do because it seems that you want me to give her a shit gift and ruin her birthday.”

“Don't be dramatic, Roger.”

“I'm not being dramatic. I am being realistic, I'm going to be the reason Lily birthday is ruin and it's going to be your fault I ruined it.”

“Nice try, Roger, but no,” Mary said firmly. “You’re not a child. You can think of something to get Lily. It doesn’t have to be something grand. It can be something small but meaningful.”

Then she proceeded to kick him out of the store when he made it clear that he wasn’t going to purchase anything from there. He glared at Mary as she pushed him out the door. Great, not only had he wasted his time, he still didn't have a clue what to give Lily.

Roger needed to get something for her, it was the least he could for the nice present she gave him in Christmas. He had to come up with something in those few days before the party.

—=—

No matter how much he dreaded the day to come, it was finally the day of Lily’s party and Roger still had nothing for her. He was tempted to skip the party but wasn’t that stupid to go through it. He could already imagine the shit he would get from John and Mary, and even the disappointed look from Lily.

As he did the walk of shame to the location of the party, across the street, a flower vendor was yelling, waving flower bouquets in the air. Roger stopped walking and furrowed his brows, the wheels inside his brain steering. Lily seemed the type of girl to like flowers, for God sake her name was after a flower. Glancing both ways, he crossed the street and bought yellow roses that had a mixture of small flowers.

It wasn't much but it was something and at that moment it was all that mattered for Roger as he rushed off. When he arrived at Lily’s mother's house, he was dismayed to realize that he had shown up late. Lily was already there as she was the first person he saw when he opened the door.

“Roger, you made it,” she greeted him, giving him a wide smile and going over to him. He smiled sheepishly as he hugged her awkwardly, still holding onto the bouquet.

“Happy birthday, Hathaway. I am so sorry for coming late.”

“Thank you and it’s alright. You’re here, that is all that matters,” she said and her eyes went to his hand. Her eyes widened, an expression he couldn't identify crossing her face. “Are those for me?”

“Oh, yes, this is yours,” he said and handed it to her hastily. She stared at the flowers for second before slowly taking them from him. He felt a little unnerved of her calm demeanor. She hated them, he could already tell. “I’m sorry about the flowers. I didn’t really know what to get you and…” he trailed off, not sure what to say.

“What? No,” she said, looking at him in shock. “I love them.”

“Are you sure? I can get...”

“Roger, shut up,” she said with a firmness that made him do as he was told. “I. Love. Them. You just made my day.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” she said and gave him a genuine smile.

It was times like these that made Roger glad at what a happy camper Lily could be. She just helped him dodge a bullet from John. He found himself smiling back at Lily.

“I'm glad you don't hate them,” he said. Mary appeared out of nowhere, getting the attention of Lily.

“Come on, Rosemary found the camera,” she told her and when she saw Roger standing there, her eyes narrowed dangerously. “I will get to you later.”

“Oh, leave him alone, Mary,” Lily chastised her. “He's here and that's all that matters. Look, what he got me.” She waved the flowers in Mary's face. “They're so beautiful, aren't they?”

“Yes, they are,” Mary agreed reluctantly, grabbing Lily’s free arm. “Come on, let's go.”

“Thank you for the flowers. I love them,” Lily called out as she was being dragged and pointed to a doorway. “The boys are in the living room.”

Nodding his appreciation, Roger made his way to the living room, which wasn't hard. The house was incredibly small and from the looks of it, there were about twenty guests at the party. He heard the guys before he saw them.

“Over here, darling,” Freddie called his name, and by his side were Brian and John.

“I know, I know,” Roger said, already expecting John’s wrath, as he reached them. “I’m sorry about being late, but Lily didn’t care. She said I was happy I made it.”

“I am honestly not surprised you came late,” John admitted. “Besides, it's Lily’s birthday. I’ll have Brian punch you tomorrow.”

Brain laughed and Roger even found himself smiling at that.

“Alright, noted,” he said and glanced around the living room. “Is there anything to drink?”

“Oh, right there,” Freddie pointed out to a small table that was connected to kitchen.

“Great,” Roger said, needing something strong to get him in the mood for a party. For the majority of the party, Roger stayed with the guys. He was introduced to Lily’s mother and younger sister at one point, and he was surprised that neither of them was redheads like the birthday girl. Roger couldn’t find Lily’s father and that was when John quietly told him that Lily’s father had passed away two years ago.

Roger was also introduced to many of Lily’s friends, many which happened to be girls. He usually was all over the pretty girls, but not that day. It wasn't because he was crammed with strangers in a small place, he was more than used to that, but something about them being friends with Lily and him flirting with them didn’t sit right with him. So, Roger just drank and talked to Brian or Freddie. John and Mary would come and go, both more comfortable being there than the rest.

“Why are you here?” Roger asked Freddie at one point, confused why Freddie was with them, instead of being the life of the party that he usually was.

“Mary warned me not to make this about me. This is Lily’s day and I will respect that,” Freddie said, shrugging. Roger looked at him doubtfully, knowing that was not enough to keep Freddie in check.

“But Lily did ask me to sing for her and I will respect the birthday girls wishes. It is going to be spectacular.”

There it is, Roger thought, shaking his head in amusement. And just as Freddie promised, Lily approached them an hour later and grabbed Freddie's hand.

“Come on,” she told him loudly, her face flushed. Roger was pretty sure she was a little tipsy. “It's time for you to turn this into a real party.”

“I thought you would never ask, darling,” Freddie grinned at her and allowed her to drag him away from the guys. Lily stopped in front of Mary and talked to them, her hands moving around wildly and almost tripped on the spot.

Yep, she was definitely more than tipsy.

“Is Freddie going to sing?” Brian asked in confusion when nothing was happening after a few minutes.

“After the cake,” John said, appearing on Roger’s left side. He was carrying a bottle for some reason and offered them a refill which they accepted it.

“Not that we're judging, God, knows we've done that many times, but any particular reason for that?” Brian asked, pointing at the bottle.

“It's a party, people drink,” John said simply.

“But do you think it's a good idea to drink an entire bottle of whiskey in your best friends birthday?”

“Yes,” John said shortly and took a long swing from the bottle. Brain looked like he was about to say something, but Roger stepped in.

“When is cake time?” Roger asked and his question was answered at that moment.

“Cake time,” Lily’s mother announced excitedly, which made Roger smile. Well, that explained where Lily got her perky personality. John noticed Rogers expression and nodded knowingly.

“Lily is a lot like her mother. Romantic, happy go lucky, super enthusiastic, whatever you want to call it. It's infectious.”

“Annoying more like it,” Roger muttered, taking a drink, but grinned when Lily practically ripped off the arm of her boyfriend as she dragged him to the table where the cake was. Lily’s mother brought the cake and placed it in front of Lily. Freddie then proceeded to belt out the happy birthday song, and a few brave people joined him.

“Oh, thank God,” John said out of nowhere making Roger and Brian look at him strangely. For some reason, John looked relieved.

“What are you talking about?” Roger asked, looking away from Lily.

“I thought Matt hadn’t gotten Lily flowers,” he explained, nodding to the flowers Roger had given to Lily, which had been placed on the table where the cake was.

“Actually...” Roger started saying but was cut off by Brian, like always.

“Why does it matter? They're just flowers.”

“You try telling that to Lily. She's always demanded to get flowers on her birthday. I would have bought her flowers, I usually am the one, but she has Matt and I felt like it wasn't appropriate for me to give them to her.” John shrugged, looking slightly awkward. “But... I am super glad that Matt held up his deal of the bargain. Flowers make Lily a happy girl.”

“Are you serious?” Roger asked, glancing at the flowers and then at Lily. He had to bite a smug grin at how he did a better job giving Lily a gift than her boyfriend because he sure as hell didn't get her those flowers.

“She's a little insane about it, I think its a name thing. One time she didn't get one and threw such a fit. Sure, she was twelve but I am glad that she got the one thing that always makes her happy.”

“Looks like Matt is going to have a good night tonight,” Brian said, giving John a suggestive.

“Ah, stop it,” John grimaced. “Lily does not have sex. She plays chess with Matt at night.”

“Wow, it looks like Lily and I have so much in common,” Roger teased, laughing along Brian. “We should get together one night and play chess.”

John bumped into Roger hard, making him spill some of his drink into his shirt. “Fuck, John,” he groaned, clumsily wiping himself.

They had been distracted talking that they hadn't realized everyone around them had stopped singing. Roger looked over in time to see Matt leaning in to whisper something to Lily. She looked at him curiously as he disappeared into the kitchen. Seconds later, he came back, holding a huge bouquet of flowers that made Rogers look like a sad weed.

“What?” Roger said in disbelief and wasn't the only one.

“Wait, what?” John said, frowning in confusion, looking at the other bouquet.

“Oh, my goodness,” Lily said, grinning at Matt. “You got me flowers?”

He laughed at her reaction and said, “Did you really think I wouldn’t get you flowers, Lils? What kind of boyfriend I would be?”

She laughed and pulled him into a hard kiss, the flowers almost being crushed by their bodies. Mary was quick to go in between them and pull the flowers from harm's way. When they stopped kissing, Lily hugged him and mouthed something to Mary who nodded knowingly.

“If those are Matt's flowers, then who gave Lily those flowers?” John asked them as if they had the answer.

“Maybe a friend of hers,” suggested Brian, not seeing the big deal.

“Does she even like petunias?” Roger asked snidely.

“I don’t think so,” John said, glancing at Roger, who was staring at Matt’s flowers with a look of contempt. For some reason, Roger felt slightly irritated that Lily had a more positive reaction at Matt's flower than his. Which was really stupid if he thought about it, he gave her flowers as a last resort. He wasn’t trying to impress her, he just didn’t want to look like a jerk for showing up empty-handed.

They were just stupid flowers. He shouldn’t be annoyed whether Lily had liked them more than her Americans. But it did bother him, and he didn’t know why.

“I’m going to get a drink,” he muttered and went back to the kitchen, not waiting for either of the guys to respond. He was surprised that there was a girl in the kitchen, and he cleared his throat making his presence known. The girl jumped in surprise, almost dropping the glass that she had in her hand.

“Oh, shit,” she gasped. “You scared me.”

“Sorry about that,” he apologized and went to the counter, picking up the first bottle he could find, refilling his glass. He could see in the corner of his eye the girl checking him out.

“I’m Olivia, Lily’s friend,” she introduced herself when he turned to face her.

“Roger,” he said, and didn’t bother to state his relationship with Lily, because honestly, he was not quite sure what they were. Friends didn’t sound quite right, but neither did acquaintances. He was glad that Lily’s friend didn’t seem to care how he knew Lily because she made it clear that she knew him.

“You’re Roger Taylor, the drummer from Smile, right?”

“We’re Queen now actually, but yes, I’m Roger Taylor, the one and only,” he said, smiling pleasantly. He glanced over his shoulder as if someone might appear from behind him and yell at him for talking to Lily’s friend. When no one appeared, he looked back at her and asked, “Have you seen us play?”

“Lily dragged me to one of your shows,” she said, getting closer to him. “You guys are really good. Lily said so, but it's not the same hearing it from someone than actually being there and listening in person.”

“Really? Is that all Lily said about us? We’re good?”

“Maybe,” Olivia said, giving him a flirtatious smile. “But one thing for sure she didn’t tell me was how attractive the drummer was.”

Rogers smile then became wider. Suddenly Lily and the stupid flowers meant nothing to him. And if someone called him out at his sudden change of attitude towards Lily’s friends, he would ignore them. It was a goddamn party and if he chooses to flirt with one of Lily’s friend just because he could so be it.

—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—

Tag List:

@the-freak-cassie-131, @goingslightlymaaad, @verkyun, @16wiishes

[newstfionline]

I Took ‘Adulting Classes’ for Millennials

Andrew Zaleski, CityLab, Oct 29, 2018

On the eve of my wife’s 30th birthday--a milestone I, too, will soon hit--she posed a troubling question: Are we adults yet?

We certainly feel that way: We hold our own jobs, pay our own rent, cover our own bills, drive our own cars. Our credit is in order. But we don’t yet own a house and have no children--two markers commonly associated with fully-fledged adulthood (and two markers that both our sets of parents had reached well before they turned 30). And there are other gaps in our maturity: I don’t buy napkins or know how to golf; up until last year, I didn’t know how to change the oil in my car’s engine. Thankfully, last year we managed to throw a dinner party, our first, without burning the pork roast.

A vague anxiety over these known-unknowns is something of a generational hallmark. A Monday-morning scroll through the social media feed of the average 20-something might turn up a handful of friends sharing memes of dogs--looking bewildered, exasperated, or both--unironically captioned with something like: “Don’t make me adult today.”

Yes, Millennials have killed yet another thing. In this case, it’s something so fundamental that it may have seemed unkillable, but apparently isn’t: knowing how to be an adult.

Younger people need not look far on the internet to find popular condemnation from card-carrying grown-ups about our many shortcomings. We are, we are often told, simpering, self-indulgent, immune-to-difficulty know-nothings, overgrown toddlers who commute on children’s toys and demand cucumber water in our workplaces. But in our own social circles, such constructive criticism can be harder to find. Young urbanites tend to pack themselves into specific neighborhoods, cities, and living situations that have relatively fewer older residents. In such communities, knowledge on how to Seamless a meal to the doorstep is a dime a dozen, but first-hand experience in snaking a drain, cooking a meal for four, or operating a manual transmission comes at more of a premium. (To say nothing of the fact that a third of Americans between 18 and 34 are living with their parents.)

Luckily, the rough road to adulthood can be paved with adulting classes. The Adulting Collective, a startup venture out of Portland, Maine, made a big splash about two years ago after national news outlets reported on its in-person events. In its short lifespan, the Collective has offered up lessons, either guided or via online video, in such varied life skills as bike safety, holiday gift-giving for the cash-strapped, putting together a monthly budget, opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew, and assembling a weekly nutritional plan. Their target audience: “emerging adults,” the massive 93-million-strong demographic group composed of people in their 20s and early 30s.

There are similarly structured programs across the country. At the Brooklyn Brainery, for example, you can take classes on how to run a good meeting or what Seinfeld teaches us about love. Take an online course with the Society of Grownups, sponsored by the insurance company Mass Mutual, and topics will include budgeting and how to deal with student-loan debt.

The sheer banality of many of these courses is their salient quality. They’re teaching stuff that people neither look forward to nor seem to enjoy, but implicitly recognize as part of being a grown-up: paying bills, setting a budget, calling the car insurance company, looking after your health. The joyless, quotidian chores of post-adolescence.

“Adulting is something nobody prepares you for, but you know it when it happens. It’s the unglorified part of being on your own,” says Rebekah Fitzsimmons, assistant director of the writing and communication program at Georgia Tech who taught a class on adulting in the 21st century in 2016.

In a bygone era, the ordinariness traditionally associated with growing the hell up was something few noticed--in the first half of the 20th century, 20-somethings were too busy trying not to die of the Spanish Flu or fighting Hitler to worry too much about what life skills they were failing to develop. That has now been replaced by public displays of what it means to be a self-sufficient human being, Fitzsimmons says. At the intersection of these two competing truths is the cottage industry of adulting, one nurtured by Instagram hashtags and built around how-to classes for hapless Millennials.

Born in 1989, I am a card-carrying member of the oft-derided demographic. How hapless am I? To find out, I signed up for the two action challenges the Adulting Collective offered last fall: one on nutrition and another focused on monthly budgeting. Via email, I received instructions for each of these week-long courses, which had me tackling a new skill or task each day.

When I hit 30, I intend to complete emerging adulthood fully equipped for whatever comes next.

First lesson: Hydrate! Never would I have thought the amount of water I consumed would be a point of instruction. But it turns out that young adults are notoriously poor judges of this particular basic biological need. The crash course in nutrition from the Adulting Collective that arrived in my inbox last fall was titled “Detox Before You Retox,” and it heavily emphasized hangover avoidance. Billed as a way to prepare yourself “before the next happy hour,” the instructions contained multiple steps broken down over five days. Step one: Get your basics in order, like eating your veggies, exercising, and drinking more water.

So one evening I stood in the harsh glow of my kitchen’s overhead fluorescent lighting--pitcher at the ready, glass on the countertop--applying myself to my first adulting lesson. On my smartphone I made a quick calculation: my weight, divided by 2.2, multiplied by my age, divided by 28.3, divided once more by eight. The answer: eight. More precisely, I needed to drink 7.56 cups of water to hit my proper daily intake.

This was only one of the big takeaways I received. I also learned that a morning drink of lemon water and cayenne pepper mixed with said water can help boost my metabolism, apparently. Like the unnecessarily complex hydration formula above, some of this material had the effect of making a heretofore uncomplicated thing more daunting. It was months later it finally dawned on me that a simple Google search could yield a far simpler answer for the number of glasses of water I ought to drink every day.

How did it come to this? Did previous generations have so much trouble mastering the basics?

“In an ideal world, we would all be followed around by this combination of our grandmother and Merlin who would lovingly teach us how to do each and every thing in the world,” says Kelly Williams Brown, author of the 2013 book Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 535 Easy(ish) Steps. “In the absence of that, it can be nice to have resources.”

Brown’s book seems to be largely responsible for the meteoric rise of the gerund form of the word (which was short-listed by Oxford Dictionaries as the word of the year in 2016). A revised edition of Adulting was published in March. The adulting industry itself is newer. Rachel Weinstein co-founded the Adulting School (now Collective) with Katie Brunelle in fall 2016. (Brunelle has since left the business.)

A professional therapist, Weinstein would sometimes encounter younger clients who spoke about the idiosyncrasies of grown-up life with a feeling of self-conscious shame. Being overwhelmed about how to manage money or clean out their kitchen pantry were things they felt they had to hide. “I just saw a lot of my clients struggle with life, trying to be competent in skills that we’re not necessarily taught. People had this sense of internal embarrassment,” she says.

To Weinstein, this seemed like a golden business opportunity. As a group, 26-year-olds are the single biggest age cohort in the U.S., followed by people who are 25, 27, and 24. Yet unlike previous generations, the young people of today are slower to reach the milestones usually associated with adulthood: living independently, forming their own households, having children, and getting married. “Today’s young people,” as the U.S. Census Bureau reported last year, “look different from prior generations in almost every regard.”

Tempting as it might be to identify the price of avocados as the culprit in this stunted generational progress, there may be other reasons to explain the shift. A research report released in the spring by Freddie Mac cited weak wage growth and the rapid rise of both housing costs and average expenditures as some of the principal reasons. “A popular meme, ‘adulting is hard,’ provides a humorous take on the challenges faced by young adults,” the authors wrote. “Like a lot of good comedy, the phrase has a tinge of cruelty.”

The typical adulting student is someone whose childhood was tech-dependent and activity-rich, the sort of high-achiever kid told to get good grades.

Geography plays a role, too: Millennials tend to choose to live in the centers of high-cost cities, and their earning power hasn’t kept pace with housing costs. Since 2000, the median home price in the U.S. has risen by a quarter, from $210,000 to $270,000, while the per capita real income for young adults has risen by only 1 percent during that same period. Throw those myriad factors together, and you have some of the explanation for why 20-somethings are renting for longer periods of time than they once did, as well as why marriage and fertility rates have dropped. Appropriately, Freddie Mac’s report was titled, “Why Is Adulting Getting Harder?”

But if you go further back, delaying the markers of adulthood does have historical precedent, says Holly Swyers, an anthropology professor at Lake Forest College. She recently completed a project examining adulthood in America from the Civil War to the present day. For much of the period Swyers studied, many Americans over 18 followed roughly the same trajectory as modern Millennials do: They spent their 20s figuring out life and establishing themselves financially. The script didn’t flip until the 1950s and 1960s, when the markers that defined crossing over into the world of adulthood came to mean marrying and having children.

“Marrying when you’re 20, having kids by 21, and being established is a little bit freakish in American history,” she says.

So if those Americans of yore managed to (eventually) attain maturity without the aid of online courses, why can’t Millennials?

Maybe we really are uniquely ignorant. That’s the thesis that GOP senator and Gen Xer Ben Sasse presents in his book The Vanishing American Adult. He writes that younger Americans have willfully embraced “perpetual adolescence.” Some of this is our fault, evidently: staring at our smartphones for hours on end has obliterated our attention spans. Yet Sasse also places blame at the feet of his own generation for its “reluctance to expose young people to the demands of real work.”

Weinstein, however, offers another explanation. She attributes the acute modern need for additional grow-up instruction to class and demographics. Her typical adulting student is probably someone whose childhood was tech-dependent and activity-rich, the sort of high-achiever kid who was repeatedly told to bring home good grades in order to get into a good college. “Whatever folks are really being pressured for college prep, they’re just not getting as much time and exposure at home hanging out with their family, learning how to unclog the kitchen sink, or hang a picture on the wall,” she says.

Lots of those over-scheduled and test-prepped teens of the aughts also missed out on erstwhile educational staples like home economics and shop classes, where high-school kids once learned how to darn a sock or hold a hammer; many schools began mothballing these mandatory courses in the 1990s. As a result, legions of American high-school graduates are being unleashed on the world without any basic skills. Some higher-education institutions, such as New Jersey’s Drew University, have stepped in to offer “Adulting 101” classes in things like beginner car care for their undergraduates.

The Adulting Collective doesn’t rely solely on Weinstein’s expertise for its courses, although it appears that designing an adulting curriculum is just as much of a challenge as growing up. Right now, the website contains some short posts and links to videos explaining a few skills, which is a deviation from the original idea to enlist instructors to offer online lessons. According to Weinstein, the new plan heading into 2019 is to build out a membership program that involves action challenges similar to the nutrition course I took part in. “One of the things I’ve learned as a therapist is a lot of times a little bit of accountability to somebody helps us achieve goals and get tasks done,” she says.

To Swyers, what’s extraordinary in Adulting Ed isn’t the curriculum itself, which is a pretty standard mix of self-improvement and personal finance tips. It’s the notion of branding such lessons under the “adulting” rubric. After all, classes geared toward grown-ups and their skills are all over the place. Visit any big-box hardware store and chances are there’s some sort of hands-on workshop taking place, for example. “If somebody is willing to be taught, for instance, basic kitchen skills--which people pay for all the time--they don’t call it an ‘adulting collective.’ They call it a cooking class,” Swyers says.

The difference, says Weinstein, is that the way younger adults are expected to grow older and assume our place in the world has dramatically changed: “I don’t think it’s a ‘hapless Millennial’ kind of thing at all. I just think there are things that are harder about the world today.”

Case in point: The spiraling costs of higher education. Those emerging adults are entering the workforce with massive student loans to pay off; no wonder some days all they can manage to do is Instagram bewildered-dog memes. “I have clients graduating from school with over $100,000 dollars worth of debt,” she says. “When you’re paying a mortgage’s worth of school debt every month, you’re probably going to need a little help stashing some money away in an emergency fund.”

Indeed, the most useful takeaways from my own brush with the adulting industry involved money management. Last fall’s challenge on budgeting included a chart for itemizing monthly breakdowns of expenses: so many dollars toward utilities, housing, food, clothing, and so on. After six months of following the chart I completed during the challenge, I managed to save up a sizable emergency fund of eight months’ worth of expenses--not bad for a freelance writer who graduated college with $250 to his name, and well worth the $5 I paid for the course itself.

The class was theirs. But the experience was all mine. And with my savings in order, I was freed up to stash excess cash in an additional account my wife and I hold to save for a future home down payment. With a house on the horizon, we’ve recently turned our attention to the prospect of having children sooner rather than later.

[breebeelee]

The Great Divide: And Other Reasons No One Is Playing Any More

As of late, I had espresso with an individual from the governing body of a significant garments retailer. He had some extremely fascinating perceptions about the manner in which our customer society is evolving. He said an exceptionally clear line isolating society into two separate age bunches is rising; and each age bunch shops uniquely in contrast to the next. How about we consider it The Great Divide. Those more than 50 years of age despite everything shop a similar way they generally have - they go to a blocks and mortar store. These "overs" look, contact and give things a shot before they purchase; and they typically return home with an astonishment or two, things they had not proposed to buy. Shopping in the conventional sense is extremely mind boggling, tedious and a purchaser be careful experience, however the blocks and mortar world is the universe of the more than 50 group  188xoso On the opposite side of the Great Divide are the under 50 individuals who once in a while go to a store. Rather the "unders" shop on the web and just for precisely what they need right now. As a matter of fact, my espresso accomplice said they shop utilizing a cell phone. Continuously moving and performing various tasks, they shop, tune in to music, watch sports, talk and bet any place they are and paying little mind to what else they are doing. The main explanation "unders" go to a store is to get a buy and still, after all that they regularly have the buy conveyed and maintain a strategic distance from the store visit. Theirs is a fulfillment ensured understanding. Whatever they purchase, on the off chance that they don't care for it they send it back and anticipate full credit. Despite the fact that, the chain offers motivations to tempt them to visit the blocks and mortar areas, they once in a while do. The internet is their space. He said there is just a single special case; it appears that when a lady purchases a dress she goes to the store to see, contact and give it a shot before she purchases.

The Great Divide is going to influence business betting similarly as it does retail. Changes in conduct and tastes are not new. Both in betting and shopping, the development from the one conduct to different has been occurring for a considerable length of time. Be that as it may, we despite everything have a foot in each camp in a manner of speaking - not exactly on the web and not exactly in blocks and mortar. That will change as the more than 50 foot, the one in the blocks and mortar world gets too old to even think about standing anyplace.

Betting has been continually developing in the United States for the only remaining century and a half. The sorts of games we play and where we play them has consistently been a moving objective. In the 21st century the absolute most well known rounds of the twentieth century are vanishing into annihilation. Keno, horse hustling, bingo, roulette and craps are on the rundown of jeopardized betting species. Those games are passing on in light of the fact that they are moderate, exhausting and do not pull in anymore, engage or hold players. In the gambling club condition, exhausting isn't worthy and it isn't gainful; yet those games were not continually exhausting.

Take keno for instance. In 1969, I came back to Nevada from 10 years in length excursion. I returned home with nine dollars in my pocket, no attractive aptitudes and no arrangement for what's to come. My cousin was a teacher and had a subsequent activity composing keno in a neighborhood club. He charitably took me to meet his chief and I was recruited on the spot; I worked 30 days without a day away from work. I had seen nothing to contrast and the air, energy and sheer mass of humankind that filled the gambling club each night - particularly on a Saturday night.

On Saturdays there were 25 or so keno journalists on my work day. Every author would compose almost a thousand tickets in an eight-hour move. The normal ticket cost in those days was around a dollar, so every author created roughly $1000 in net income on a bustling night. The thousand dollars would give the gambling club net income of $250; short the departmental costs, the club would have gotten $200 out of each thousand dollars. That $5000 in net benefit for one move on a Saturday in 1969 was extremely huge to the club proprietors.

At the point when Warren Nelson and his kindred keno essayists came to Nevada in the late 1930's to carry out their specialty they remained at the head of the stack. Tired of battling neighborhood law requirement in Montana, Warren just moved to Nevada where betting was lawful and taking care of the sheriff was a bit much. He and others like him and their keno games included a lot of energy just as a great deal of money to gambling clubs around the state. In 1962, the normal keno game income spoke to 25-30% of a normal gambling club's absolute gaming income. Indeed, even as late as 1980, keno statewide despite everything contributed 10-15% of absolute gaming incomes. Today, keno speaks to under 5% of complete incomes and is proceeding to decay.

Keno was brought into club gaming during the Great Depression as an adjustment of the Chinese lottery. The Chinese lottery was played all around the west coast - wherever where Chinese workers had settled in the nineteenth century. The American rendition was quicker; during those years keno was played 4 to multiple times an hour while the Chinese game was played week after week, every day or at most two times per day. The American form offered prizes that were extremely huge for the time - by the 1970s, the top prize was $50,000. Indeed, even in the downturn the top prize was over a thousand dollars. The chance of hitting a "first-class" was essential to the accomplishment of keno; the success could give the fortunate card shark enough cash to take care of the entirety of his money related issues and completely change him.

No other gambling club game offered a similar chance; the main other club games were gaming machines and table games. Gaming machines had a limit of 8000 scientific prospects and along these lines would never offer genuinely enormous prizes - for the most part not more than $50 dollars. Gaming machines were mechanical, slow and were intended to hold 15-25%. Table games were quicker than keno, yet in addition came up short on the "large big stake" that keno could offer.

Keno was essentially more energizing than those gaming machines or table games. Keno was sensational venue with its own exceptional language, masterfully composed tickets, testing scientific issues, and high dramatization over the "calling" of the game and paying of winning tickets. Early keno players were only men who were all the time jobless, or, best case scenario, under-utilized. Keno gave a spot to meet, talk with other men and expectation; it offered a guarantee of winning something, and any success was critical.

Each type of amusement was distinctive in those occasions. All of society moved at an increasingly slow loosened up pace; book clubs offered another book once every month once per week one could see another film or cheer on the host group playing baseball or football. Sports and sports betting have consistently been a significant piece of the American culture, yet in the pre-digital TV, pre-Internet period games and betting open doors were inconsistent. In that universe of a wager or two per week, keno was energizing and relentless.

At the point when keno was famous, there was no desire for speed or of an interminable number of decisions as a fundamental component of energy. Men invested a lot of their amusement energy with other men in a bar or bar or gambling club; the little club turned into a characteristic expansion of that culture. In its time, keno was a get-together that gave energizing diversion. Presently, be that as it may, keno is a backwater occasion, best case scenario.

The finish of keno started with the coming of stepper spaces with a lot bigger big stakes and lower opening holds. Gaming machines have assumed control over the gambling club floor driving all the less productive games into corners or out the entryway. Keno is basically no opposition; a cutting edge gaming machine can offer prizes in the a large number of dollars, taking care of to the player as much as 97 or 98 percent of all out bet keno despite everything takes care of just 75 percent of the bet. A gambling machine presently can offer upwards of 20 choices every moment, while keno battles to convey 6 choices 60 minutes. For a considerable length of time, keno the board has looked without progress for an enchantment equation to bring the game back. They are not the only one; pit administrators have for some time been doing likewise with craps and roulette. It is a numb-skull's mission - an excessive amount of has changed in the public eye for those games to until the end of time discover a group of people.

In the 21st century we have the web, advanced mobile phones, 500-station TV and a whole world all connected together and changing by the occasion. Trusting that something will download onto a PC is viewed as unsuitable. Today, in the event that you put down your wagers on the web, you can bet on a game, a battle or a race some spot on the planet at any hour of the day and you can watch the game as it is played - live. What a world!

The destiny of keno is only one model, I may have utilized pony hustling, craps, roulette, bingo or faro - you recollect faro isn't that right? Pony dashing has discovered a touch of relief by utilizing gaming machines to sponsor the hustling. In any case, a pony track without gaming machines is as jeopardized as a keno or bingo game. Shouldn't something be said about bingo, the staple of houses of worship and social clubs? Bingo resembles keno it has definitely no future. Bingo just works where there is no elective old people homes and church storm cellars. In some other spot bingo is confronted with better decisions for the player. The are lotteries in 44 states, gambling clubs in 37 states, in addition to poker rooms, race tracks and social clubs, bars and truck stops with gaming machines and obviously, a web association in almost every house or on each cell phone - everybody has an option in contrast to bingo. Also, in that lies the issue for the individuals who might ensure or revive the dinosaurs and dodos that keno and bingo have become; everybody has a decision and it is quicker and offers greater prizes.

There is no motivation to assume that all betting, regardless of whether in a club, at a race track, a bingo parlor or the state lottery, isn't confronting that equivalent generational separation and along these lines an emotional move in betting conduct. More youthful Americans are surging all around with a cell phone in their grasp. They expect and trust the gadget to furnish them with all that they need. Those more youthful individuals don't have the persistence to play customary games or to go to conventional p

[themoneybuff-blog]

Case study: Deep in debt but scared to take action

Last night, as I do from time to time, I met with a GRS reader. Actually, Debbie doesn't read this site but her sister does. And Debbie means to. Although I met Debbie's sister last year at a Camp FI event, I'd never met Debbie before. So, what's your situation? I asked after our waiter had brought us each a glass of wine. What do you want to know about money? Everything, Debbie said, laughing. I feel like I don't know much at all right now. I guess deep down, I know what I need to do. I just don't do it. I nodded. I'm like that with fitness, I said. I know what I need to do, but I just don't do it. I know I need to exercise. I know I need to stretch. I know I need to eat better food. But for a lot of people people like you and me there's a barrier between knowledge and action. It doesn't matter if we know how to do the right thing. It's the action that matters. I buy books about money but I never read them, Debbie said. I have Dave Ramsey and The Millionaire Next Door. Those are both good books, I said. Then, I shifted gears. Looking for Purpose This might seem odd, but let's talk about your goals. What do you want out of life? What are your big plans? Our waiter brought Debbie a bowl of mussels and me a plate of pasta. I want to make the world a better place, Debbie said. I'm young. I work for a huge multi-national company. But I don't believe in the company and I don't believe in my work. I get paid $20 an hour to bring people coffee and water all day. I have a bartending gig on weekends. I want to do something that matters. Maybe improve our food system, for instance. I hate how people eat. I want more people to have better access to high-quality food. That sounds like a noble goal, I said. How do you get there from where you are now? I don't know, Debbie said. It seems impossible. I have $80,000 in student loans but they're in deferral. I don't have to pay anything on them, but they still accumulate $600 in interest every month. How can I ever hope to catch up? Yeah, that's rough, I said. I used to be in a similar position. Twenty years ago, I had over $35,000 in credit card and consumer debt. That's not the same as your $80,000, but it'd probably be equivalent to about $50,000 today. I carried that debt for a long time, just treading water, never getting ahead. I felt like I'd never get it paid off. But you did it? I did, I said. I did it by creating a gap between my earning and spending. Fundamentally, there are only two things you can do to improve your situation. You can make more money or you can spend less. Ideally, you'd do both. You want as wide a gap as possible between what you earn and what you spend. Right now, it sounds as if you don't have a gap. You have a deficit. Debbie nodded. I slurped down some noodles. Two Familiar Foes How much is your rent? I asked. She looked sheepish. I pay $1200 for an apartment in northeast Portland, she said. She gave an address near where I lived after my divorce. I know I should have roommates but I don't. I don't want the complications. And what's your take-home pay? Just over $2000 per month, Debbie said. Yeah, your rent is pretty high, I said. I mean, it's not high compared to other places in Portland it seems about average but it's high compared to your income. Nearly 60% of what you earn is going to housing. That's a lot! The average American spends about one-third of their take-home pay on housing. So, that's a great place to try to cut costs. Maybe not right now, but over the long term. I like where I live, Debbie said, prying open a mussel. You might want to consider roommates, I said. Aside from your housing costs, it doesn't sound like the rest of your spending is outrageous. Honestly, if I were you, I'd try to find ways to boost your income. Especially since you hate your job. I know, Debbie said. I've thought about that. I have a marketing degree that I'm not using. My current company offered to give me a raise and a promotion, but I turned it down. I would have been doing work that I hate even more. It would be difficult for me to be in a position where I had to represent a company I don't like. Why don't you quit? I asked. I did once, she said. But then I went back right away. I was scared to apply for new work. I don't have much self-confidence. I mean, I'm 31 and have a marketing degree, but I don't have any experience. Who would hire me? I get the lack of self-confidence, I said. I totally get it. I struggle with that every day. You do? Debbie said. She seemed surprised. Yes, I said. Every day. Even today, I've been dragging around with my head full of negative self-talk. But here's the thing: I've learned to just do the stuff that scares me anyhow. The Importance of Action For some reason, our conversation turned to running. Debbie wants to run a marathon in two months, but she doesn't feel ready. Have you run a marathon before? she asked. I haven't run a marathon, I said, but I've walked one. Ten years ago, when I was fifty pounds heavier, I trained to run the Portland Marathon, but I got hurt. Instead, when the time came, I walked the entire thing. I paused and pointed at my feet. And I walked it in these hiking boots! For real? she said.

Yes, I said. Looking back, it was goofy. But I really wanted to complete the marathon, so for some reason I decided the best way to do it was just to have fun. Since I was too hurt to run, I walked in street clothes, as if I were out for a hike. Anyhow, this kind of ties back to you looking for work. I could have easily decided to not do the marathon since I was injured. I could have given up. Instead, I found a way to do it. I know that applying for jobs sucks. I know you're worried about rejection. But I think you should do it anyhow. Accept the fact that you're going to get rejected. Screw it. Apply anyhow, and look at the whole thing as practice. Tell yourself that even if you don't find a better job, you'll be getting experience with interviews and the hiring process. I took one last bite of my pasta. Really, I said, it's all about taking action. Even if you're scared. I told Debbie about my friend Mike. Mike is a software engineer who is happy in his high-paying job. All the same, once or twice each year he takes time off work to interview with other companies. He's not actively seeking to leave his job, but he wants to stay sharp. He wants to see what other opportunities are out there. He wants to get practice interviewing. Obviously, Debbie is in a different situation, but I think she can apply the same principles: Actively apply for other work. View the experience as an exercise, not a necessity. When she doesn't get a job, she should follow up to find out why not. Ultimately, I didn't have any magic answers that could make Debbie's money problems disappear overnight. As is often the case, she's going to have to do a lot of hard work (and make some sacrifices) in order to improve her financial situation. She's going to have to avoid falling into the forever fallacy, the mistaken belief that she'll always be struggling at a job she hates while carrying a mountain of debt. Things will be tough for a while but if she can make some course corrections, they'll improve. Thanks for meeting me, Debbie said as we left the restaurant. I hope it helped, I said. I'm never convinced that these conversations are actually useful for the people I meet. Like I said, I too lack self-confidence. It did, she said. I'm going to get a new job. It Gets Better My dinner with Debbie reminded me of a conversation I had last year with my friends Wally and Jodie. As I shared last August, this couple has decided to take control of their finances, but they started with less than zero. In fact, their situation is very similar to Debbie's. When I wrote about Wally and Jodie in August, their income and spending were qual. They couldn't save anything. They had $35,000 in debt and were behind on a car payment. I don't know their exact situation today, but I know they've been working together to increase their saving rate. They don't go out to eat. They don't drink alcohol. They work constantly at multiple jobs. It sucks, Wally told me last weekend. We're tired all of the time. We can't wait for this to end. But you know what? You were right when you said that it won't last forever. Already, we can see that. Last summer, we had no margin. Now we have an $800 gap every month. Wow, I said. Nice work! Yeah, said Wally. It's very tempting to spend that money, but so far we haven't. We're using it to catch up on our debt. It's only a matter of time before everything is paid off and we can go back to saner hours. It feels good. I love hearing success stories like this. I love seeing people taking action to turn their lives around. I believe strongly that Debbie can turn her life around too. She's young. She's smart. She's engaging. She lacks self-confidence, but that can be faked. If Debbie is willing to make a couple of big moves reduce her rent and find a new job I suspect that in six months or a year that she too will find that she has a gap between what she earns and what she spends. And when she creates this gap, her worries will diminish. (They'll never go away, but they'll decline.) In time, she will pay off her student loans, find work that she loves, and change the world.

Author: J.D. Roth In 2006, J.D. founded Get Rich Slowly to document his quest to get out of debt. Over time, he learned how to save and how to invest. Today, he's managed to reach early retirement! He wants to help you master your money and your life. No scams. No gimmicks. Just smart money advice to help you reach your goals. https://www.getrichslowly.org/deep-in-debt/

[authorofwitchesandfairies-blog]

My Author Values Nailed to the Door.

This month, there has been some serious turbulence in the old indie author community surrounding the thorny issue of boxsets. Now, I know this is pretty much a weekly occurrence in one way or another, but this time, the storm is pretty big and it's feeding off a lot of hurt.

In almost all cases, calling folks out on the way they choose to travel their individual author path isn't a good thing - it can be a path paved with assumptions, false information and misunderstandings.

There are always two sides to a story (often more) and there are multiple truths of a situation. I am sad to see my community so divided and potentially destructive over the box-set matter. The world is tough enough for everybody in the authoring world at the minute.

Like with all the other dramas in the community, I'm keeping my mouth (almost) shut on this one and approaching it with a more positive reframe; This post is me nailing my personal (as in me and me alone) author values to the door.  BTW - I have disabled comments on this post because this is not about igniting some kind of crazy bonfire of opinions.

Over the last year, I have become increasingly aware of all kinds of ways that authors are choosing to lead their creative life and run their marketing.  Some of them have left me feeling sad and hollow over the state of our creative industry, others have been inspired and clever. It's tough times and it would be highly naive to believe that the book world was somehow spiritually protected from some of the 'evils of capitalism' (assume Orwellian scary voice for that phrase but at the same time, know that capitalism can be a  beautiful source of ethical invention and resourcefulness)

Like Midas, I have been offered all kinds of ways to increase my visibility, my reach, my sales rankings, garner titles, pay for reviews, create (buy) a 'success' story.

Seriously, dear reader, for an investment of under $15k by this time next year, I could have a USAT bestseller title (maybe even a NYT bestseller title) have a newsletters of 10s of thousands of 'engaged' readers, 50, 100, 150 x 5 star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads; I could be bumped up in forums, reading groups, book clubs, access to exclusive signings, I could have my book reviewed by some of the biggest book tubers and reviewers - you name it, anything that makes me 'look' like a success, I can buy - ANY author can buy; tempting isn't it?

And the problem is, when you know all this is on offer to be purchased, how do we, the community know what is real or ethical anymore?

There are a lot of grey, shady areas, a lot of different truths being lived, and that's okay, we all have the right to make our own choices, create our own reality, but I wanted to share with you my personal author manifesto so you know where this author stands.

I believe in working hard; crafting, nurturing, building. I do not believe in quick fixes; I've been cursed with an over-achiever mentality.

I believe being an author is a professional career, and like any career, it takes years of dedication and conscientious application to truly attain knowledge, experience and aptitude.

I believe books and stories are sacred things, not to be played with just for the sake of market, and I also believe that authors should write whatever intrigues, interests and excites them, meaning if they want to butterfly genres, good for them.  

I believe quality will always trump clever marketing in the long run. I believe quality demonstrates respect for your reader and the word; it ensures you can always be proud of the legacy you will leave behind.

I believe that uniting with other authors who share your values, who share your passion, integrity and love of the book community, will produce great opportunities and exciting works of creativity. Sharing is caring. Sharing is power.

I have never purchased a review, and I never will. When I 'gift' paperbacks & ebooks etc, it is always with the understanding that it will be an honest review.

I have never purchased perceived favour, or scale, in the form of purchased Twitter followers, Facebook Likes or newsletter subscribers. They have all been built up organically through an approach of engagement, follow back, and involvement in the book community.

I believe a small, engaged community of fans is gold dust. I genuinely appreciate every single person who picks up my books because there is something that has appealed to them.

I will never use money in a way that will dishonestly manipulate rankings on Amazon or USAT lists - I am aware there is a shady 'almost accepted' approach by all facets of the publishing world to buy back, or gift, copies of their book to influence rankings.

I will never buy click farm services to help the launch of one of my books. (I can barely get around to organising the pre-order function on Amazon)

I love working with other authors, and I think it is smart to buddy up and cross promote, share each other's successes. I believe with a whole heart that somebody else's success never detracts or damages the potential for my own. I genuinely air-punch the air when I see one of my buddies reach a goal.

Box sets and anthologies are a really great way to introduce readers to other authors in the community who share the same approach and love of story telling - they are a great way to broaden readership and gain visibility. They are also great fun to work on. (I'm going to be in two this year with authors I have known a long time, and whom I respect; okay, they're actually my buddies and we love working together so it's a total excuse to play.)

Personally, after looking into  and flirting with the idea of buying in to a $$$ box-set to pool marketing budgets, it's not for me - although I am sure there are many advantages and it can and is being done, with great integrity and ethics.

I believe it is the moral duty of the elders in the author book community to lift as they climb, to mentor, nurture and encourage newbies.

I am uneasy with the understanding that I could invest $2-3k of money next month and by the end of the year have a USAT or NYT bestselling author title pretty much guaranteed. I know where to go and how to do it (and there are several organisers, companies, services that provide this 'help')  Hell, I've even checked it out out of curiosity and had some pretty tearful conversations with the hubby about it - but I JUST can't do it. When I get my USAT bestselling author status it will be because I have done it all by myself with the help of my dedicated readers, for a novel I really believe in.

I believe everybody has the right to conduct their life and their business in whatever manner they decide, but if someone else calls out the ethics of it, it is despicable to turn around and accuse the community of bullying and jealousy - that's passive aggression on a big scale and I'm seeing too much of it of late.

I will always have time to help, support and encourage new authors - seriously, reach out; I've got 9 books under my belt and run a small press house, as well as being a professional editor, so feel free to ask.

And there we have it folks. This is how this author has spent the last ten years doing her thing, and how she sees the next ten years, and hopefully lots of ten year blocks to come.

[msukourtneyk-blog]

Quitting or Cutting Back on Drinking Pop

We all know the meaning and importance of the word, “moderation”. That doesn’t mean we always use it in every aspect of our daily lives, we are human after all. We all have our guilty pleasures and things that we enjoy in excess, whether it is binge watching shows on Netflix, eating 6 pieces of pizza...or drinking multiple cans of pop on a daily basis. These are all things that are not exactly healthy, especially if they are regular habits. Pop is not good for us as we all know, but it is so delicious and refreshing. It is one of those things that need to be had in moderation. Having a pop once and awhile is perfectly fine and normal, but drinking pop on a daily basis is an addictive and unhealthy habit. Habits are hard to break and when your body is used to the carbonation, sugar (or fake sugar), and caffeine it constantly craves more. It is difficult to quit or cut back on things that we love weather it’s TV time, specific foods, or drinks that we enjoy. Here is a guide that could possibly help! 

The first step to breaking a bad habit is to decide you want to stop and commit to quitting or cutting back.

Another great step would be to switch to alternative drinks like Propel, tea, or the best option...WATER. Here are a few alternative ideas: 

“1. Give Soy Milk a Chance. If you'd like to work in a serving of soy a day, give soy milk a try. Lots of brands and flavors are available. If calories are an issue, try one of the lower-calorie options.

2. Don't Skimp on Skim Milk. Skim milk is a great way to boost your intake of protein, calcium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients. One cup of skim milk has only around 85 calories. The Beverage Guidance Panel recommends up to two servings a day of nonfat or 1% milk and fortified soy beverages.

3. Pimp Your Water. To an avid soda drinker, water can seem a little unexciting. One of the best ways around that is to add noncaloric flavors to your water. A sprig of mint or a slice of lemon or lemon will do wonders. If you like subtler flavors, try a slice or two of cucumber or a frozen strawberry.

4. Make Green or Black Tea Your New Drink Habit. Popkin says tea is a healthy alternative to water for people who prefer flavored beverages. Tea is calorie free and contains powerful phytochemicals like the antioxidant in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Great-tasting green and black teas abound in supermarkets and specialty stores. If you're cutting back on caffeine, look for caffeine-free teas.

5. Think Outside the Juice Box. Although 100% fruit or vegetable juice contains important nutrients, the Beverage Guidance Panel recommends having no more than one serving a day because they can also contain plenty of calories (about 100 in 1 cup of fresh orange or carrot juice). One way to cut those calories is by making a homemade juice spritzer: Combine one or two parts seltzer, mineral water, or club soda with one part 100% fruit juice (try fresh orange juice). Or try the new vegetable juice flavors in your supermarket, as well as fruit and vegetable juice blends. While they're not super low in calories, each serving contains a serving of fruit and a serving of vegetable.

6. Discover the Coffee Cure. For java lovers, coffee can be a calorie-free, flavorful alternative to soda. And you can easily find lower-caffeine coffees in coffee shops and supermarkets. But to keep coffee low-calorie, be sure to keep it simple -- skip the syrups, whipped cream, and whole milk.7. Make Good Old H2O Convenient. The Beverage Guidance Panel recommends at least 4 servings a day of water for women and at least 6 servings for men. When you need to quench thirst or hydrate your body, nothing does it better than water. If cold, refreshing water was more convenient, and if we were reminded to drink it during our day, a lot more people would reach this daily goal. So keep water bottles ready to go in your refrigerator, and every time you leave the house, take a bottle with you. If chilled water is sitting in your car or on your desk at work, you'll be more likely to get into the water-drinking habit.”

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/how-can-i-stop-drinking-so-much-soda#3

Slowly stop drinking pop. You don’t have to go from drinking a few a day to zero. Gradual change is the best way to make quitting or cutting back a habit and something that lasts. 

“Wean yourself off slowly That news may be enough to convince you that you should stop drinking soda, but it could still be easier said than done. "People really can become addicted to soda, so you have to be a realist and not an idealist," says nutritionist Stefanie Sacks, author of the forthcoming book What the Fork Are You Eating?. "I don't recommend going cold turkey; you need to wean yourself off, just like you would anything you've become dependent on."

If you typically drink multiple servings of soda a day, Sacks suggests first cutting back to one a day. Give that two weeks, then switch to three sodas a week. "It gives you a chance to adjust gradually, which should lead to real, sustainable change.”

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20902395,00.html#wean-yourself-off-slowly--0

If you notice yourself wanting or craving a pop at particular times or places, try to be prepared. Have a water bottle with you at all times, flavor your water, make fresh iced or hot tea, have some coffee if you need that caffeine, etc. 

“Steer clear of soda triggers You may notice that you only drink soda in certain places or situations: In the afternoon at the office, for example, or when you eat at a certain restaurant. You may not be able to completely avoid these scenarios—you've still got to go to work and should still enjoy eating out—but you may be able to change those bad habits.

If it's the office vending machine that tempts you to buy a soda every day, try to stay away from it in the afternoon—and pack your own healthy beverage or a refillable water bottle so you have an alternative. Or if you tend to crave soda with a certain type of food, try restaurants that offer other options instead.”

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20902395,00.html#steer-clear-of-soda-triggers--0

Sometimes the thought of not having something you enjoy, even if it is unhealthy, makes you stray from quitting or cutting back. It is a mindset and it is important to let yourself have things you enjoy. It truly is all about moderation. Moderation is the key to so many different aspects of life. 

“Save it for special occasions Once you're able to break your regular soda habit and the drink loses its grip on you, it can be treated just like any other junk food: If you really love the taste, there's nothing wrong with an occasional indulgence, says Sacks. "If it's your gotta-have-it food, then by all means splurge on a soda now and then," she says. In fact, knowing that you can have a soda on your cheat day or during a special night out may help you resist them on a more regular basis. "Just do it from a place of education: If you understand that soda is essentially just sugar and artificial flavorings, then you can be more smart about when or if you're going to drink it."

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20902395,00.html#save-it-for-special-occasions--0

The key to health and enjoying life is moderation. Cut back on the things that are unhealthy, but enjoy a pop when you really want one, eat an extra piece of pizza every now and then, watch a couple extra episodes on Netflix. We can be healthy and enjoy life too! Take care of yourself and treat yourself. 

[businessfrontrunners]

Brand Strategist Michelle Garside Reveals the Secret for Building Successful, Standout Brands That People Love to Follow, Buy, and Recommend

https://authoritypresswire.com/?p=28910 In a world fed up with “fake news” and Photoshopped selfies, an astounding 91% of consumers say they want to buy from an authentic brand, according to an article in Adweek. On a similar note, data from Zimmer Communications reveals that 94% of consumers say they are more likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency. Zimmer also reports than an astonishing 65% of people feel an emotional connection to a brand because they feel it cares about “people like them.” The difficulty, according to experts, is that people have more choices than ever before. Overwhelmed by choice, research shows that people use feelings, rather than logic, to cut through the advertising clutter. People choose brands, not because of slick marketing, but simply because the brand satisfied their needs while making them feel good. “It is the Paradox of Choice,” says Michelle Garside, co-founder of Soul Camp Creative, who has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Travel and Leisure, Fitness, Women’s Health, Good Morning America, ABC News, Parents, Fortune, Inc., and Forbes. “Having lots of choices is supposed to empower consumers, but when you go into a supermarket and there are a million cans of tuna, how do you know which one to choose? It turns out that having lots of choices makes people feel overwhelmed.” Prior to launching Soul Camp Creative, Garside helped build brands for some of the largest companies in the world, including Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Novo-Nordisk & GlaxoSmithKline. She believes building a brand that stands out, feels authentic, and touches the heart of the consumer is essential to slicing through all the marketing and advertising noise. “Branding is how you make someone feel about you at every touchpoint,” Garside says. “It’s being meaningful to people in a way that doesn't feel icky, but authentic and aligned with who you are and what your brand mission is. This lets you really touch the heart of the consumer you're looking to connect with.” While business owners may be tempted to think of branding only in terms of designing a new logo, Garside cautions that authentic branding is much more.  “Of course, your website, logo, and colors are all part of your brand, but so are the messages you put forth, the photos you use, your social media voice, your unique style – all of it matters,” Garside says.  “Beyond that, it is the feeling, the essence, that people experience when they touch who you really are as a business, as a brand, as a human being.” Before working with clients on their marketing collateral or website design, Garside and her Soul Camp team take them through a self-discovery process to help them build authenticity into their brand from the ground up. First: Get to the root. Garside recommends reaching in before reaching out. “Who are you? Who do people think you are, based on what you’ve shared about yourself? We're all longing to feel part of something,” Garside explains. “Sharing your story, the hurdles you’ve jumped over, all of that matters because people want to feel connected to the people they follow or buy from.” Next: Get vulnerable. Instead of projecting a false image that is impossible to maintain, Garside invites her clients to get curious, experiment with vulnerability, and see how that feels instead. For personal brands, she suggests sharing both positive and negative life experiences framed in the context of important lessons learned. “Do it with the mindset of how to present this in a way that helps people without leaving them burdened with negative emotions,” Garside says. “Get vulnerable with your audience. Let them into your life. Let them into your world.” Then: Get real. According to Garside, a lot of people make the mistake of trying to portray themselves in the way they think they should be, rather than being completely true to who they really are. “Be real, honest, and authentic,” Garside recommends, “because that's where true connection happens.” Clients who implement these shifts at Garside’s direction say the results speak for themselves. “I was longing to create a brand and place where people could really feel the essence of who I am,” says author and transformational leadership coach Julie Santiago, a Soul Camp client. “Because of the brand that they created for me, I now run a multiple 6-figure business, I have a large online community of over 40,000 amazing people, I recently published my first book, and I am truly doing the work I came here to do.” Garside believes the success of her approach reflects a growing consumer movement she calls “a return to realness.” “I think all of us are so craving realness, we're so craving connection, we're so craving authenticity,” Garside says. “The world is chaotic enough. When it comes to the people that you're following on social or the brands that you're purchasing, you want to feel good, you want to feel safe with them, you want to trust them. And so much of that depends on the person standing courageously in the face of authenticity and showing themselves to their consumer.” Michelle Garside is the co-founder of Soul Camp Creative, a full-service marketing agency devoted to working with conscious companies and brands that are positively impacting the planet. Soul Camp's clients include coaches, teachers, healers, wellness practitioners, retreat centers, wellness facilities and any purpose-driven organization looking to empower people to live happier, healthier lives. To learn more, visit SoulCampCreative.com.

[24hourchampagnediet-blog1]

Best New Cookbooks Fall 2019

New Post has been published on https://bestrawfoodrecipes.com/best-new-cookbooks-fall-2019/

Best New Cookbooks Fall 2019

All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission.

Looking for the best new cookbooks coming out this fall? We picked the ones we’re most excited about, from updates to long-time classics (woo-hoo, 2019 “Joy of Cooking”) to brand new titles from Alison Roman, Christopher Kimball, great British baker Kim-Joy, and many more.

Whether you’re seeking a soon-to-be old faithful cooking companion destined for stains, wrinkles, and a permanent place on your kitchen shelf or you tend to do more eating with your eyes and are likelier to keep your favorites on your bedside table, there are lots of delicious new cookbooks coming out to tempt you this fall.

The Best New Cookbooks In Every Category

To make it easier to find the ones you’ll be most excited about, we’ve divided our big list of best new cookbooks into the below categories, with a couple highlights from each one on this page—but you can click the link in each section to see all the titles in that group (the in-depth lists will be rolling out all this week, so keep checking back for more details).

Hop to your favorite category below, or jump straight to a list of every title in order of release, for an at-a-glance look at what’s coming out each month:

For Serious Chefs & Restaurant Recipes

If you want to cook like a chef, these are some of your best bets.

“Sous Vide: Better Home Cooking” by Hugh Acheson, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

Sous vide was once strictly in the realm of professional kitchens but has become more and more common among home cooks. If you’ve been meaning to try it, this book is the perfect place to finally start.Buy Now

“Felidia: Recipes from My Flagship Restaurant” by Lidia Bastianich, $35 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

Italian cuisine queen Lidia Bastianich is bringing the recipes from her long-lived NYC trattoria to the masses with this cookbook. We’ll definitely be making the Short Ribs Braised in Barolo and the Warm Nutella Flan this fall.Buy Now

Other books we’re buying: a DIY bible that teaches you to pickle, proof, and preserve, among many other things; a from-scratch pasta making manual; and a book for lovers of butchers and beasts.

See the full list of best cheffy cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Healthy Eating Helpers

Vegan, vegetarian, keto, Whole30, gluten-free—what were once niche cookbooks are now mainstream, and we couldn’t be happier. Even if you don’t follow any specific diet, with the right cookbook (hint: any of the below fit the bill), you can add plenty of new healthy and delicious recipes to your repertoire.

“Umami Bomb: 75 Vegetarian Recipes That Explode with Flavor” by Raquel Pelzel, $19.95 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 3, 2019

This collection of super satisfying vegetarian recipes are built around the most umami-rich ingredients (mushrooms, cheese, caramelized onions…) so every meatless bite is bursting with savory flavor—sometimes in surprising ways.Buy Now

“Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat” by Amy Chaplin, $28 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 17, 2019

Whole foods (not to be confused with Whole Foods) are essentially just ingredients in their natural form, or as close to it as possible. This cookbook highlights them in master recipes that can then be transformed into multiple satisfying meals throughout the week so it’s actually easy to stick to your best intentions (without sacrificing any flavor).Buy Now

“Cannelle et Vanille: Nourishing, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood” by Aran Goyoaga, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 24, 2019

This book features fantastic gluten-free baked goods like sourdough bread and apple tarte tatin, as well as naturally gluten-free dishes for every meal of the day (we predict braised chicken with apples and cider will be in rotation all fall, maybe with a side of Goyoaga’s gluten-free biscuits with caramelized onion and fennel).Buy Now

Some of the other healthy titles we’re hungry for include a gorgeously illustrated vegetarian cookbook inspired by the author’s Mediterranean travels; a Whole30 cookbook for crowds; a collection of keto recipes from a favorite blogger; and a new vegan cookbook from one of the OG vegan cookbook authors.

See the full list of best healthy cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Weeknight Winners

This is the biggest category of contenders for our precious shelf space, but we don’t know if we can pare it down. Maybe we’ll just buy a new bookcase.

“Canal House: Cook Something (Recipes to Rely On)” by Christopher Hirsheimer & Melissa Hamilton, $34.38 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 10, 2019

This cookbook appeals to everyone, from beginning cooks to jaded vets in need of a little inspiration. It includes 300 basic (but brilliant) recipes that become building blocks for satisfying, simple meals you’ll make again and again, with the added help of step-by-step photographs. Whether you’re looking for something to do with a can of tuna or want to make a souffle from scratch, you’re covered.Buy Now

“Milk Street: The New Rules: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook” by Christopher Kimball, $35 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

There are 200 recipes in this book and each of them illustrates one of 75 smart cooking rules and hacks that you’ll be able to use to inform your own dishes when you want to improvise. But we bet it’ll be hard to pass up the actual example recipes like charred broccoli with toasted sesame sauce (which shows you can combat bitterness by charring) and curry-coconut pot roast (which illustrates how less liquid equals more flavor) even the tenth time around.Buy Now

“Lateral Cooking: One Dish Leads to Another” by Niki Segnit, $26.43 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

This book shares the same spirit of learning rules and formulas in order to branch out and make your own meals—but there are indeed recipes here too; in fact, with simple tweaks, one morphs into another (flatbread becomes crackers or scones with only minor changes, for instance). It’s a natural companion to Segnit’s previous book, “The Flavor Thesaurus,” and a solid foundation for anyone to stand on in the kitchen.Buy Now

Other books we’re eyeing include one all about lasagna; a revised and updated Mark Bittman classic; a Food52 chicken cookbook that makes the original white meat exciting again; an oven-to-table tome from Diana Henry; dude-driven dinner ideas that are indulgent but still (mostly) healthy; a new Molly Stevens offering; and a new “Joy of Cooking” (…so maybe we’ll get two new bookcases).

See the full list of best weeknight cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

International Eating

We love globetrotting, even if it’s only in our own kitchens.

“Sababa” by Adeena Sussman, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 3, 2019

Adeena Sussman has co-authored almost a dozen cookbooks (including both of Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings” books), but this one is all her—and all about the way she cooks and eats in her home base of Tel Aviv. The title translates to “everything is awesome,” and it’s accurate, at least when it comes to these recipes (like Freekeh and Roasted Grape Salad and a Tahini Caramel Tart).Buy Now

“Cook Like a Local: Flavors That Can Change How You Cook and See the World” by Chris Shepherd and Kaitlyn Goalan, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 3, 2019

This is a Houston-centric cookbook, so what’s it doing in the international category? Well, the city is home to a diverse group of immigrant chefs and cooks, and fellow local chef Chris Shepherd draws on their international knowledge for recipes that celebrate the flavors of their countries of origin, including Vietnam, Korea, and India, while not being entirely bound to tradition (see: braised goat with Korean rice dumplings, and fried vegetables with caramelized fish sauce). The idea is to broaden your horizons and enfold the flavors of other countries into your own cooking every day.Buy Now

“Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico” by Bricia Lopez with Javier Cabral, $36 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 22, 2019

This book comes from the family behind the beloved (and James Beard Award winning) Guelaguetza, turning out incredible Oaxacan food for more than 25 years in L.A. Their cookbook will transport you—to the restaurant, to the heart of Mexico—through the authentic and delicious recipes, including several moles.Buy Now

Other international options on our kitchen itinerary: a couple Japanese cookbooks from two very different perspectives; an update to a classic Sichuan treasury; a Korean cooking bible; two more Israeli picks, including an Ottolenghi box set; and an alpine cookbook perfect for the coming cooler months.

See the full list of best international cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Regional & Cultural Traditions

There’s definitely overlap between this and the above category, but these picks include narrower focuses on American regional traditions and a couple cookbooks centered on particularly culturally resonant cuisines.

“The Jewish Cookbook” by Leah Koenig, $36.13 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 11, 2019

Jewish food encompasses a vast range of global ingredients and traditions that have spread far beyond their places of origin. This cookbook collects an astonishing amount of them, from historic Sephardic and Ashkenazi holiday recipes to modern interpretations of Jewish classics by chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi and Michael Solomonov.Buy Now

“South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations” by Sean Brock, $28 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

Sean Brock has become pretty much synonymous with southern food, and this book covers all the key elements of the cuisine, including regional ingredients, recipes (that—fair warning—are not always quite as simple as they sound), and traditional techniques like hearth cooking and caring for your precious cast iron cookware.Buy Now

“Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African-American Cooking” by Toni Tipton-Martin, $31.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

Soul food is only one facet of traditional African-American cooking. This book, a follow-up to “The Jemima Code,” draws on three centuries’ worth of black-authored cookbooks to prove that point, and explores how so much of contemporary American cuisine owes a legacy to African-American chefs and cooks through generations—with plenty of delectable recipes to try in your own kitchen, of course. Like all the best cookbooks, though, this one will feed a lot more than just your stomach.Buy Now

We’re also looking at a few more southern specials including a coastal south cookbook and an update of a 1980s Appalachian cookbook, plus a Brooklyn-centric Italian-American treatise.

See the full list of best regional and cultural cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Baking Books

From guides on homemade bread and homey weeknight treats to holiday cake and cookie manuals, these are the baking books we can’t wait to get our (floury, buttery) hands on this season.

“Tartine: A Classic Revisited” by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson, $31.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 10, 2019

This revised edition of the beloved baking bible is basically a brand new book, with 55 updated recipes you may already know and love (but better), plus 68 totally new ones, including gluten-free options and the sought-after recipe for the bakery’s lauded morning bun. As you can tell, the photographs are stunning too.Buy Now

“Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery” by Apollonia Poilâne, $30.60 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

Famed French bakery Poilâne unveils their secrets for their artisan bread in this new book (as well as what to do with it besides just eating with butter). If you’re new to baking, you might be intimidated, but the book patiently walks you through everything, while also encouraging you to trust your senses and take your own notes.Buy Now

“Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes” by Joanne Chang, $28 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

Professional baker Joanne Chang shares great lessons on foundational techniques and recipes, plus 125 drool-worthy desserts in this book, including bakery case ready Passion Fruit Crepe Cake with lots of delicate layers, and more casual sweets like Strawberry Slab Pie and Mocha Chip Cookies. You’re gonna want to eat them all.Buy Now

We’re also making room for a new America’s Test Kitchen offering that promises perfect pies and tarts (and yes, it’ll be out in time for Thanksgiving); some down-home baking books, one with an emphasis on easy weeknight treats (because desserts aren’t just for special occasions); plus two new books for fans of “The Great British Baking Show” (i.e., us)!

See the full list of best baking cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

From Our Favorite Food Bloggers

Some of our favorite food bloggers are coming out with cookbooks this fall too, and we want every single one of them.

“The Art of Escapism Cooking: A Survival Story, with Intensely Good Flavors” by Mandy Lee, $31.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

If you’re familiar with the blog Lady & Pups, you’ll know to expect both eye-popping photography and fantastically engaging words and stories from this book—and, yes, lots of recipes you’ll want to make immediately (Poached Eggs with Miso Burnt Butter Hollandaise, for instance, and Buffalo Chicken Ramen too).Buy Now

“Lush: A Season-by-Season Celebration of Craft Beer and Produce” by Jacquelyn Dodd, $30 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

The Beeroness is seriously passionate about good beer, and using it in both sweet and savory recipes. She’s already written a couple cookbooks (the party-ready “Craft Beer Bites” and her “Craft Beer Cookbook” debut), but this one emphasizes seasonality, both in the food and in the beer itself (which also ends up in the food, of course).Buy Now

“Half Baked Harvest: Super Simple” by Tieghan Gerard, $20.99 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

There is nothing on the Half Baked Harvest blog that isn’t flat-out jaw-dropping—first the photos grab you, then you read the recipe (like Slow Roasted Moroccan Salmon, Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese, or Cardamom Apple Fritters) and inevitably add it to your list. This second book to spring from the blog has an emphasis on easy meals that you can either make ahead or just make quickly—as if we needed any more enticement to pick it up.Buy Now

Also on our radar: new books from Two Peas & Their Pod; Wholesome Yum; Gemma’s Bigger, Bolder Baking (get her tips for perfect fudgy brownies while you wait); and Hummingbird High.

See the full list of best food blogger cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

As Seen on TV

There’s a whole new crop of cookbooks from celebrity chefs and TV personalities coming too.

“Rachael Ray 50: Memories and Meals from a Sweet and Savory Life” by Rachael Ray, $28.80 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

Rachael Ray is celebrating her first 50 years with this (her 26th cookbook!), which she describes as “kind of a scrapbook of my whole life.” It includes essays that serve as “snapshots” of her life so far, plus 125 recipes of the kind that she likes to cook at home—and you will too.Buy Now

Also sure to find an audience: new books from Martha Stewart, The Pioneer Woman, Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsey, and Antoni Porowski (of “Queer Eye” fame).

See the full list of best celebrity chef cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Party Time

When you’re having people over, these books are bound to help.

“Cooking for Good Times: Super Delicious, Super Simple” by Paul Kahan with Rachel Holtzman, $35 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

Paul Kahan is a lauded Chicago chef, but he also loves hosting parties at home, and this is his playbook for pulling off relaxed yet generous get-togethers without stressing yourself out. Roasts, braises, root vegetables, grain salads, and simple desserts all show up, and they all look great.Buy Now

“Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over” by Alison Roman, $29.25 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 22, 2019

This has to be one of the most anticipated cookbooks of the year—Alison Roman’s “Dining In” (from 2017) is a modern day classic, and her new work is sure to join it on scores of “best” lists soon enough. It focuses on having people over for dinners that are the opposite of fussy, but are still festive (just witness the DIY martini bar guide within its pages for proof).Buy Now

We’re also looking forward to a book dedicated to super stylish Disney themed parties that are definitely not just for kids; a freewheeling-fun holiday entertaining guide that includes party ideas for every month of the year; and a celeb-curated potluck cookbook from Questlove.

See the full list of best entertaining cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Just for Fun

Okay, not just for fun—these all have some seriously great-looking recipes—but they may not be the books you grab on a weekly basis when it’s time to whip up dinner. They’re definitely worth putting on your holiday gift list, though…

“The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook” by Annie Gray, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 17, 2019

A must-have for fans of “Downton Abbey,” this lavishly photographed book is faithful to both the show and the period cuisine it depicted, and includes recipes for all occasions (including a Downton Abbey dinner party for those who want to get fancy). Preview a couple recipes from the book to whet your appetite: Kedgeree and Raspberry Fool Meringues.Buy Now

“Binging with Babish: 100 Recipes Recreated from Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows” by Andrew Rea, $21 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 22, 2019

You may already know the cooking series of the same name, but if not, “Binging with Babish” is dedicated to creating food inspired by what people are eating in movies and TV shows (think “Seinfeld” babka and orange mocha frappuccinos from “Zoolander”). It’s fun for sure, but it’s actually also full of solid recipes to make for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.Buy Now

“Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook” by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Marc Sumerak, $31.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

The food at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is designed to seem, well, out of this world. This cookbook includes recipes for park staples like Ronto Wraps as well as items not available at Disney, including Rey’s Bread. There better be a recipe for the infamous blue milk to wash it all down.Buy Now

And these are just the tip of the iceberg—prepare for several other movie and TV-inspired cookbooks (even one written around a video game), and a cookbook that presents its recipes almost entirely in photo format (as in, no written instructions at all save basic measurements, times, and temp).

See the full list of the most random, weird, and oddly delightful cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

The Full 2019 Fall Cookbook List

Here’s a master list of everything we’ve earmarked, in order of release date, so you can keep track of your must-read (and must-cook-from) books over the next few months.

Good look choosing which ones you want to buy fist—and finding shelf space for all of them!

September:

October:

November:

Which fall cookbook are you most excited to get your hands on? Let us know in the comments!

Source link Keto Diet Dinner Ideas

[fuckyeahtattoogirls-blog1]

Best New Cookbooks Fall 2019

New Post has been published on https://bestrawfoodrecipes.com/best-new-cookbooks-fall-2019/

Best New Cookbooks Fall 2019

All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission.

Looking for the best new cookbooks coming out this fall? We picked the ones we’re most excited about, from updates to long-time classics (woo-hoo, 2019 “Joy of Cooking”) to brand new titles from Alison Roman, Christopher Kimball, great British baker Kim-Joy, and many more.

Whether you’re seeking a soon-to-be old faithful cooking companion destined for stains, wrinkles, and a permanent place on your kitchen shelf or you tend to do more eating with your eyes and are likelier to keep your favorites on your bedside table, there are lots of delicious new cookbooks coming out to tempt you this fall.

The Best New Cookbooks In Every Category

To make it easier to find the ones you’ll be most excited about, we’ve divided our big list of best new cookbooks into the below categories, with a couple highlights from each one on this page—but you can click the link in each section to see all the titles in that group (the in-depth lists will be rolling out all this week, so keep checking back for more details).

Hop to your favorite category below, or jump straight to a list of every title in order of release, for an at-a-glance look at what’s coming out each month:

For Serious Chefs & Restaurant Recipes

If you want to cook like a chef, these are some of your best bets.

“Sous Vide: Better Home Cooking” by Hugh Acheson, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

Sous vide was once strictly in the realm of professional kitchens but has become more and more common among home cooks. If you’ve been meaning to try it, this book is the perfect place to finally start.Buy Now

“Felidia: Recipes from My Flagship Restaurant” by Lidia Bastianich, $35 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

Italian cuisine queen Lidia Bastianich is bringing the recipes from her long-lived NYC trattoria to the masses with this cookbook. We’ll definitely be making the Short Ribs Braised in Barolo and the Warm Nutella Flan this fall.Buy Now

Other books we’re buying: a DIY bible that teaches you to pickle, proof, and preserve, among many other things; a from-scratch pasta making manual; and a book for lovers of butchers and beasts.

See the full list of best cheffy cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Healthy Eating Helpers

Vegan, vegetarian, keto, Whole30, gluten-free—what were once niche cookbooks are now mainstream, and we couldn’t be happier. Even if you don’t follow any specific diet, with the right cookbook (hint: any of the below fit the bill), you can add plenty of new healthy and delicious recipes to your repertoire.

“Umami Bomb: 75 Vegetarian Recipes That Explode with Flavor” by Raquel Pelzel, $19.95 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 3, 2019

This collection of super satisfying vegetarian recipes are built around the most umami-rich ingredients (mushrooms, cheese, caramelized onions…) so every meatless bite is bursting with savory flavor—sometimes in surprising ways.Buy Now

“Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat” by Amy Chaplin, $28 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 17, 2019

Whole foods (not to be confused with Whole Foods) are essentially just ingredients in their natural form, or as close to it as possible. This cookbook highlights them in master recipes that can then be transformed into multiple satisfying meals throughout the week so it’s actually easy to stick to your best intentions (without sacrificing any flavor).Buy Now

“Cannelle et Vanille: Nourishing, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood” by Aran Goyoaga, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 24, 2019

This book features fantastic gluten-free baked goods like sourdough bread and apple tarte tatin, as well as naturally gluten-free dishes for every meal of the day (we predict braised chicken with apples and cider will be in rotation all fall, maybe with a side of Goyoaga’s gluten-free biscuits with caramelized onion and fennel).Buy Now

Some of the other healthy titles we’re hungry for include a gorgeously illustrated vegetarian cookbook inspired by the author’s Mediterranean travels; a Whole30 cookbook for crowds; a collection of keto recipes from a favorite blogger; and a new vegan cookbook from one of the OG vegan cookbook authors.

See the full list of best healthy cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Weeknight Winners

This is the biggest category of contenders for our precious shelf space, but we don’t know if we can pare it down. Maybe we’ll just buy a new bookcase.

“Canal House: Cook Something (Recipes to Rely On)” by Christopher Hirsheimer & Melissa Hamilton, $34.38 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 10, 2019

This cookbook appeals to everyone, from beginning cooks to jaded vets in need of a little inspiration. It includes 300 basic (but brilliant) recipes that become building blocks for satisfying, simple meals you’ll make again and again, with the added help of step-by-step photographs. Whether you’re looking for something to do with a can of tuna or want to make a souffle from scratch, you’re covered.Buy Now

“Milk Street: The New Rules: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook” by Christopher Kimball, $35 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

There are 200 recipes in this book and each of them illustrates one of 75 smart cooking rules and hacks that you’ll be able to use to inform your own dishes when you want to improvise. But we bet it’ll be hard to pass up the actual example recipes like charred broccoli with toasted sesame sauce (which shows you can combat bitterness by charring) and curry-coconut pot roast (which illustrates how less liquid equals more flavor) even the tenth time around.Buy Now

“Lateral Cooking: One Dish Leads to Another” by Niki Segnit, $26.43 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

This book shares the same spirit of learning rules and formulas in order to branch out and make your own meals—but there are indeed recipes here too; in fact, with simple tweaks, one morphs into another (flatbread becomes crackers or scones with only minor changes, for instance). It’s a natural companion to Segnit’s previous book, “The Flavor Thesaurus,” and a solid foundation for anyone to stand on in the kitchen.Buy Now

Other books we’re eyeing include one all about lasagna; a revised and updated Mark Bittman classic; a Food52 chicken cookbook that makes the original white meat exciting again; an oven-to-table tome from Diana Henry; dude-driven dinner ideas that are indulgent but still (mostly) healthy; a new Molly Stevens offering; and a new “Joy of Cooking” (…so maybe we’ll get two new bookcases).

See the full list of best weeknight cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

International Eating

We love globetrotting, even if it’s only in our own kitchens.

“Sababa” by Adeena Sussman, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 3, 2019

Adeena Sussman has co-authored almost a dozen cookbooks (including both of Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings” books), but this one is all her—and all about the way she cooks and eats in her home base of Tel Aviv. The title translates to “everything is awesome,” and it’s accurate, at least when it comes to these recipes (like Freekeh and Roasted Grape Salad and a Tahini Caramel Tart).Buy Now

“Cook Like a Local: Flavors That Can Change How You Cook and See the World” by Chris Shepherd and Kaitlyn Goalan, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 3, 2019

This is a Houston-centric cookbook, so what’s it doing in the international category? Well, the city is home to a diverse group of immigrant chefs and cooks, and fellow local chef Chris Shepherd draws on their international knowledge for recipes that celebrate the flavors of their countries of origin, including Vietnam, Korea, and India, while not being entirely bound to tradition (see: braised goat with Korean rice dumplings, and fried vegetables with caramelized fish sauce). The idea is to broaden your horizons and enfold the flavors of other countries into your own cooking every day.Buy Now

“Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico” by Bricia Lopez with Javier Cabral, $36 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 22, 2019

This book comes from the family behind the beloved (and James Beard Award winning) Guelaguetza, turning out incredible Oaxacan food for more than 25 years in L.A. Their cookbook will transport you—to the restaurant, to the heart of Mexico—through the authentic and delicious recipes, including several moles.Buy Now

Other international options on our kitchen itinerary: a couple Japanese cookbooks from two very different perspectives; an update to a classic Sichuan treasury; a Korean cooking bible; two more Israeli picks, including an Ottolenghi box set; and an alpine cookbook perfect for the coming cooler months.

See the full list of best international cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Regional & Cultural Traditions

There’s definitely overlap between this and the above category, but these picks include narrower focuses on American regional traditions and a couple cookbooks centered on particularly culturally resonant cuisines.

“The Jewish Cookbook” by Leah Koenig, $36.13 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 11, 2019

Jewish food encompasses a vast range of global ingredients and traditions that have spread far beyond their places of origin. This cookbook collects an astonishing amount of them, from historic Sephardic and Ashkenazi holiday recipes to modern interpretations of Jewish classics by chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi and Michael Solomonov.Buy Now

“South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations” by Sean Brock, $28 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

Sean Brock has become pretty much synonymous with southern food, and this book covers all the key elements of the cuisine, including regional ingredients, recipes (that—fair warning—are not always quite as simple as they sound), and traditional techniques like hearth cooking and caring for your precious cast iron cookware.Buy Now

“Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African-American Cooking” by Toni Tipton-Martin, $31.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

Soul food is only one facet of traditional African-American cooking. This book, a follow-up to “The Jemima Code,” draws on three centuries’ worth of black-authored cookbooks to prove that point, and explores how so much of contemporary American cuisine owes a legacy to African-American chefs and cooks through generations—with plenty of delectable recipes to try in your own kitchen, of course. Like all the best cookbooks, though, this one will feed a lot more than just your stomach.Buy Now

We’re also looking at a few more southern specials including a coastal south cookbook and an update of a 1980s Appalachian cookbook, plus a Brooklyn-centric Italian-American treatise.

See the full list of best regional and cultural cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Baking Books

From guides on homemade bread and homey weeknight treats to holiday cake and cookie manuals, these are the baking books we can’t wait to get our (floury, buttery) hands on this season.

“Tartine: A Classic Revisited” by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson, $31.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 10, 2019

This revised edition of the beloved baking bible is basically a brand new book, with 55 updated recipes you may already know and love (but better), plus 68 totally new ones, including gluten-free options and the sought-after recipe for the bakery’s lauded morning bun. As you can tell, the photographs are stunning too.Buy Now

“Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery” by Apollonia Poilâne, $30.60 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

Famed French bakery Poilâne unveils their secrets for their artisan bread in this new book (as well as what to do with it besides just eating with butter). If you’re new to baking, you might be intimidated, but the book patiently walks you through everything, while also encouraging you to trust your senses and take your own notes.Buy Now

“Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes” by Joanne Chang, $28 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

Professional baker Joanne Chang shares great lessons on foundational techniques and recipes, plus 125 drool-worthy desserts in this book, including bakery case ready Passion Fruit Crepe Cake with lots of delicate layers, and more casual sweets like Strawberry Slab Pie and Mocha Chip Cookies. You’re gonna want to eat them all.Buy Now

We’re also making room for a new America’s Test Kitchen offering that promises perfect pies and tarts (and yes, it’ll be out in time for Thanksgiving); some down-home baking books, one with an emphasis on easy weeknight treats (because desserts aren’t just for special occasions); plus two new books for fans of “The Great British Baking Show” (i.e., us)!

See the full list of best baking cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

From Our Favorite Food Bloggers

Some of our favorite food bloggers are coming out with cookbooks this fall too, and we want every single one of them.

“The Art of Escapism Cooking: A Survival Story, with Intensely Good Flavors” by Mandy Lee, $31.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

If you’re familiar with the blog Lady & Pups, you’ll know to expect both eye-popping photography and fantastically engaging words and stories from this book—and, yes, lots of recipes you’ll want to make immediately (Poached Eggs with Miso Burnt Butter Hollandaise, for instance, and Buffalo Chicken Ramen too).Buy Now

“Lush: A Season-by-Season Celebration of Craft Beer and Produce” by Jacquelyn Dodd, $30 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

The Beeroness is seriously passionate about good beer, and using it in both sweet and savory recipes. She’s already written a couple cookbooks (the party-ready “Craft Beer Bites” and her “Craft Beer Cookbook” debut), but this one emphasizes seasonality, both in the food and in the beer itself (which also ends up in the food, of course).Buy Now

“Half Baked Harvest: Super Simple” by Tieghan Gerard, $20.99 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

There is nothing on the Half Baked Harvest blog that isn’t flat-out jaw-dropping—first the photos grab you, then you read the recipe (like Slow Roasted Moroccan Salmon, Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese, or Cardamom Apple Fritters) and inevitably add it to your list. This second book to spring from the blog has an emphasis on easy meals that you can either make ahead or just make quickly—as if we needed any more enticement to pick it up.Buy Now

Also on our radar: new books from Two Peas & Their Pod; Wholesome Yum; Gemma’s Bigger, Bolder Baking (get her tips for perfect fudgy brownies while you wait); and Hummingbird High.

See the full list of best food blogger cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

As Seen on TV

There’s a whole new crop of cookbooks from celebrity chefs and TV personalities coming too.

“Rachael Ray 50: Memories and Meals from a Sweet and Savory Life” by Rachael Ray, $28.80 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

Rachael Ray is celebrating her first 50 years with this (her 26th cookbook!), which she describes as “kind of a scrapbook of my whole life.” It includes essays that serve as “snapshots” of her life so far, plus 125 recipes of the kind that she likes to cook at home—and you will too.Buy Now

Also sure to find an audience: new books from Martha Stewart, The Pioneer Woman, Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsey, and Antoni Porowski (of “Queer Eye” fame).

See the full list of best celebrity chef cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Party Time

When you’re having people over, these books are bound to help.

“Cooking for Good Times: Super Delicious, Super Simple” by Paul Kahan with Rachel Holtzman, $35 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

Paul Kahan is a lauded Chicago chef, but he also loves hosting parties at home, and this is his playbook for pulling off relaxed yet generous get-togethers without stressing yourself out. Roasts, braises, root vegetables, grain salads, and simple desserts all show up, and they all look great.Buy Now

“Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over” by Alison Roman, $29.25 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 22, 2019

This has to be one of the most anticipated cookbooks of the year—Alison Roman’s “Dining In” (from 2017) is a modern day classic, and her new work is sure to join it on scores of “best” lists soon enough. It focuses on having people over for dinners that are the opposite of fussy, but are still festive (just witness the DIY martini bar guide within its pages for proof).Buy Now

We’re also looking forward to a book dedicated to super stylish Disney themed parties that are definitely not just for kids; a freewheeling-fun holiday entertaining guide that includes party ideas for every month of the year; and a celeb-curated potluck cookbook from Questlove.

See the full list of best entertaining cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

Just for Fun

Okay, not just for fun—these all have some seriously great-looking recipes—but they may not be the books you grab on a weekly basis when it’s time to whip up dinner. They’re definitely worth putting on your holiday gift list, though…

“The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook” by Annie Gray, $24.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: September 17, 2019

A must-have for fans of “Downton Abbey,” this lavishly photographed book is faithful to both the show and the period cuisine it depicted, and includes recipes for all occasions (including a Downton Abbey dinner party for those who want to get fancy). Preview a couple recipes from the book to whet your appetite: Kedgeree and Raspberry Fool Meringues.Buy Now

“Binging with Babish: 100 Recipes Recreated from Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows” by Andrew Rea, $21 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: October 22, 2019

You may already know the cooking series of the same name, but if not, “Binging with Babish” is dedicated to creating food inspired by what people are eating in movies and TV shows (think “Seinfeld” babka and orange mocha frappuccinos from “Zoolander”). It’s fun for sure, but it’s actually also full of solid recipes to make for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.Buy Now

“Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook” by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Marc Sumerak, $31.50 on Amazon

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

The food at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is designed to seem, well, out of this world. This cookbook includes recipes for park staples like Ronto Wraps as well as items not available at Disney, including Rey’s Bread. There better be a recipe for the infamous blue milk to wash it all down.Buy Now

And these are just the tip of the iceberg—prepare for several other movie and TV-inspired cookbooks (even one written around a video game), and a cookbook that presents its recipes almost entirely in photo format (as in, no written instructions at all save basic measurements, times, and temp).

See the full list of the most random, weird, and oddly delightful cookbooks for fall—coming soon!

The Full 2019 Fall Cookbook List

Here’s a master list of everything we’ve earmarked, in order of release date, so you can keep track of your must-read (and must-cook-from) books over the next few months.

Good look choosing which ones you want to buy fist—and finding shelf space for all of them!

September:

October:

November:

Which fall cookbook are you most excited to get your hands on? Let us know in the comments!

Source link Keto Diet Dinner Ideas

[milofrxh565-blog]

15 Tips About 5 treasures From Industry Experts

Publications have constantly been a supply of inspiration for all sorts of artists. While there are actually endless collections of guides that could be acknowledged for present day contemporary art paintings, this short article intends to enlist the highest five art publications that have inspired the multiple generations of art and portrait artists until day.

™

Renaissance Art Pop-Up E-book: Because the name of the ebook indicates, this e book renders insightful info on the art and architecture with the Renaissance period. The guide also discusses the way in which by which the portrait artist was encouraged within the Gothic artwork in the early Renaissance period and commenced making ingenious will work of artwork. The reserve also functions the minutest particulars of The good will work of artwork of Those people times much like the frescoes of Giotto, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and also the works of Caravaggio.

The Sound of 1 Hand: Paintings and Calligraphy: published by Hakuin Ekaku, One of the more renowned Zen artists which e book characteristics a number of his substantial teachings and paintings and calligraphy patterns. This reserve can make use of Buddhist pictures and sayings and historical folklores to help the reader realize the concepts in A better fashion. This reserve is a necessity-get for just about any artist who would like to grasp the painting and calligraphy skills of your Zen era which might be nearly five hundred many years aged.

A Life of Picasso: The name of Picasso has constantly been used symbolically with art. This reserve is predicated about the life of the eminent artist who shared a detailed bond While using the author from the book. The reserve discusses the hard situations which the artist 5 treasures had to encounter on his strategy to success and regarding the really like daily life he shared Along with the mistresses.

The Hermitage Collections: Quantity I: Treasures of Entire world Art: This e book displays the many collections with the Hermitage Museum that has been in existence for practically 250 decades. The eminent will work of art which have been showcased in the medium of this guide be successful at inspiring any newcomer to the sector of artwork. A few of the outstanding is effective of artwork that are available With this guide are Michelangelo's Crouching Boy, The Gonzaga Cameo along with the Raphael Loggias.

Caravaggio: This book is based on the lifetime of Caravaggio who was a well-known Italian portrait artist inside the seventeenth century. The paintings of Caravaggio are so inspirational that even right after four a long time soon after his death, there are lots of modern day painters who receive inspiration from his artwork from photos released In this particular ebook.

The sheer attractiveness of art from photographs printed in these guides can inspire everyone to take a brush of their hand & get started portray his initial strokes. The aim of listing the highest 5 artwork books from thousands of artwork guides that exist on the earth is of rendering the standard and benefit to The brand new artists who search for to this list as an impartial critique from the guides that they happen to be seeking.

You've nurtured your tomatoes from seed, they survived that outrageous soaked spring and even various hornworms... but ultimately they are All set for current market in addition to other treasures out of your fields. It could be genuinely hard to find a while or energy to think about your farmers sector display. It can be vital to have good item and good support - but It is also vital that you give some consideration to your marketing and advertising existence.

If you experienced to maneuver, even two Areas, from your present area would customers realize this? Cookie Roscoe, Sector Supervisor to the Cease's Green Barn in Toronto notes, "if I go a vendor fifteen toes around, I get customer comments like - It really is far too negative People guys usually are not in this article today or in which is always that Pretty male?"

Farmers markets are Obviously brimming with colour and activity and It is really not likely you are the sole a person selling tomatoes. To establish faithful shoppers you should be memorable. Maintain these tips in your mind when building advertising and marketing resources to promote your farm and its items.

Set a price range.

Estimate just how much you will market in excess of the season and use 3-5% of this as a possible spending budget. As an example, for those who hope to provide $five hundred, on ordinary every week for 12 weeks, your full product sales could well be $six,000. In cases like this, by using a spending plan from the 3% to five% range, this would equal $one hundred eighty to $three hundred. For anyone who is buying objects that could past multiple period, like a banner, then spending slightly extra is reasonable. Don't forget that there might be taxes on objects, Which some merchandise might have replacing before the close from the period.

Consider your environment.

Farmers markets are In a natural way filled with colour and action. Trying to keep key items like your banner very simple and impactful will help ensure it gets found. Do not be tempted to incorporate a lot of styles or pics. Be sure any signage can even now be noticed after the industry will become active with customers. Products put at flooring level could turn into concealed, and likewise prohibit visitors movement.

Be mindful with terminology.

This is an extremely delicate place. Make sure you aren't in excess of promising and be prepared to clarify any claims chances are you'll make. The crucial element is to keep up your believability and have faith in using your consumers and market place administration along with your fellow distributors.

Ensure it is obvious.

Whether you employed a graphic designer to develop a fantastic brochure, or It really is your neatly typed selling price list - be sure to can location it inside a locale exactly where buyers can see it. Considered one of Cookie's examples of what to not do is to make use of a photocopied cost record in black and white taped to the top of a freezer. As she merely states, "It receives misplaced in The ocean and doesn't stand out."

Look at with your market place supervisor.

Your market place will likely have specific tips for signage along with other marketing and advertising products. They may even have specific guidelines all around the usage of unique terms which include organic and natural, pure, sustainable and so on. In case you are associated with more than one industry, be sure you Look at with every one and produce elements that may be applied at all of your industry areas as much as you possibly can.

Climate - hold it in mind.

More substantial internet marketing expenditures should not be invested on materials that turn out to be simply ruined by wind, rain or sun. Symptoms printed from a home Personal computer or written out promptly by hand ought to be considerably weather resistant to allow them to ensure it is by way of a undesirable temperature day but can get replaced quickly and promptly ahead of the next market day. Produce extras and preserve them useful if required.

Believe as a result of transportation and storage.

Give some thought to how materials will likely be transported to and from the market And the way they will be stored. Marketing supplies Price money, and just take time to produce so it is crucial to keep them in very good condition for so long as possible. Invest in a container exactly where supplies might be stored. This might be an affordable plastic folder for value indications or possibly a cardboard roll to safeguard your banner.

[themoneybuff-blog]

Case study: Deep in debt but scared to take action

Last night, as I do from time to time, I met with a GRS reader. Actually, Debbie doesn't read this site but her sister does. And Debbie means to. Although I met Debbie's sister last year at a Camp FI event, I'd never met Debbie before. So, what's your situation? I asked after our waiter had brought us each a glass of wine. What do you want to know about money? Everything, Debbie said, laughing. I feel like I don't know much at all right now. I guess deep down, I know what I need to do. I just don't do it. I nodded. I'm like that with fitness, I said. I know what I need to do, but I just don't do it. I know I need to exercise. I know I need to stretch. I know I need to eat better food. But for a lot of people people like you and me there's a barrier between knowledge and action. It doesn't matter if we know how to do the right thing. It's the action that matters. I buy books about money but I never read them, Debbie said. I have Dave Ramsey and The Millionaire Next Door. Those are both good books, I said. Then, I shifted gears. Looking for Purpose This might seem odd, but let's talk about your goals. What do you want out of life? What are your big plans? Our waiter brought Debbie a bowl of mussels and me a plate of pasta. I want to make the world a better place, Debbie said. I'm young. I work for a huge multi-national company. But I don't believe in the company and I don't believe in my work. I get paid $20 an hour to bring people coffee and water all day. I have a bartending gig on weekends. I want to do something that matters. Maybe improve our food system, for instance. I hate how people eat. I want more people to have better access to high-quality food. That sounds like a noble goal, I said. How do you get there from where you are now? I don't know, Debbie said. It seems impossible. I have $80,000 in student loans but they're in deferral. I don't have to pay anything on them, but they still accumulate $600 in interest every month. How can I ever hope to catch up? Yeah, that's rough, I said. I used to be in a similar position. Twenty years ago, I had over $35,000 in credit card and consumer debt. That's not the same as your $80,000, but it'd probably be equivalent to about $50,000 today. I carried that debt for a long time, just treading water, never getting ahead. I felt like I'd never get it paid off. But you did it? I did, I said. I did it by creating a gap between my earning and spending. Fundamentally, there are only two things you can do to improve your situation. You can make more money or you can spend less. Ideally, you'd do both. You want as wide a gap as possible between what you earn and what you spend. Right now, it sounds as if you don't have a gap. You have a deficit. Debbie nodded. I slurped down some noodles. Two Familiar Foes How much is your rent? I asked. She looked sheepish. I pay $1200 for an apartment in northeast Portland, she said. She gave an address near where I lived after my divorce. I know I should have roommates but I don't. I don't want the complications. And what's your take-home pay? Just over $2000 per month, Debbie said. Yeah, your rent is pretty high, I said. I mean, it's not high compared to other places in Portland it seems about average but it's high compared to your income. Nearly 60% of what you earn is going to housing. That's a lot! The average American spends about one-third of their take-home pay on housing. So, that's a great place to try to cut costs. Maybe not right now, but over the long term. I like where I live, Debbie said, prying open a mussel. You might want to consider roommates, I said. Aside from your housing costs, it doesn't sound like the rest of your spending is outrageous. Honestly, if I were you, I'd try to find ways to boost your income. Especially since you hate your job. I know, Debbie said. I've thought about that. I have a marketing degree that I'm not using. My current company offered to give me a raise and a promotion, but I turned it down. I would have been doing work that I hate even more. It would be difficult for me to be in a position where I had to represent a company I don't like. Why don't you quit? I asked. I did once, she said. But then I went back right away. I was scared to apply for new work. I don't have much self-confidence. I mean, I'm 31 and have a marketing degree, but I don't have any experience. Who would hire me? I get the lack of self-confidence, I said. I totally get it. I struggle with that every day. You do? Debbie said. She seemed surprised. Yes, I said. Every day. Even today, I've been dragging around with my head full of negative self-talk. But here's the thing: I've learned to just do the stuff that scares me anyhow. The Importance of Action For some reason, our conversation turned to running. Debbie wants to run a marathon in two months, but she doesn't feel ready. Have you run a marathon before? she asked. I haven't run a marathon, I said, but I've walked one. Ten years ago, when I was fifty pounds heavier, I trained to run the Portland Marathon, but I got hurt. Instead, when the time came, I walked the entire thing. I paused and pointed at my feet. And I walked it in these hiking boots! For real? she said.

Yes, I said. Looking back, it was goofy. But I really wanted to complete the marathon, so for some reason I decided the best way to do it was just to have fun. Since I was too hurt to run, I walked in street clothes, as if I were out for a hike. Anyhow, this kind of ties back to you looking for work. I could have easily decided to not do the marathon since I was injured. I could have given up. Instead, I found a way to do it. I know that applying for jobs sucks. I know you're worried about rejection. But I think you should do it anyhow. Accept the fact that you're going to get rejected. Screw it. Apply anyhow, and look at the whole thing as practice. Tell yourself that even if you don't find a better job, you'll be getting experience with interviews and the hiring process. I took one last bite of my pasta. Really, I said, it's all about taking action. Even if you're scared. I told Debbie about my friend Mike. Mike is a software engineer who is happy in his high-paying job. All the same, once or twice each year he takes time off work to interview with other companies. He's not actively seeking to leave his job, but he wants to stay sharp. He wants to see what other opportunities are out there. He wants to get practice interviewing. Obviously, Debbie is in a different situation, but I think she can apply the same principles: Actively apply for other work. View the experience as an exercise, not a necessity. When she doesn't get a job, she should follow up to find out why not. Ultimately, I didn't have any magic answers that could make Debbie's money problems disappear overnight. As is often the case, she's going to have to do a lot of hard work (and make some sacrifices) in order to improve her financial situation. She's going to have to avoid falling into the forever fallacy, the mistaken belief that she'll always be struggling at a job she hates while carrying a mountain of debt. Things will be tough for a while but if she can make some course corrections, they'll improve. Thanks for meeting me, Debbie said as we left the restaurant. I hope it helped, I said. I'm never convinced that these conversations are actually useful for the people I meet. Like I said, I too lack self-confidence. It did, she said. I'm going to get a new job. It Gets Better My dinner with Debbie reminded me of a conversation I had last year with my friends Wally and Jodie. As I shared last August, this couple has decided to take control of their finances, but they started with less than zero. In fact, their situation is very similar to Debbie's. When I wrote about Wally and Jodie in August, their income and spending were qual. They couldn't save anything. They had $35,000 in debt and were behind on a car payment. I don't know their exact situation today, but I know they've been working together to increase their saving rate. They don't go out to eat. They don't drink alcohol. They work constantly at multiple jobs. It sucks, Wally told me last weekend. We're tired all of the time. We can't wait for this to end. But you know what? You were right when you said that it won't last forever. Already, we can see that. Last summer, we had no margin. Now we have an $800 gap every month. Wow, I said. Nice work! Yeah, said Wally. It's very tempting to spend that money, but so far we haven't. We're using it to catch up on our debt. It's only a matter of time before everything is paid off and we can go back to saner hours. It feels good. I love hearing success stories like this. I love seeing people taking action to turn their lives around. I believe strongly that Debbie can turn her life around too. She's young. She's smart. She's engaging. She lacks self-confidence, but that can be faked. If Debbie is willing to make a couple of big moves reduce her rent and find a new job I suspect that in six months or a year that she too will find that she has a gap between what she earns and what she spends. And when she creates this gap, her worries will diminish. (They'll never go away, but they'll decline.) In time, she will pay off her student loans, find work that she loves, and change the world.

Author: J.D. Roth In 2006, J.D. founded Get Rich Slowly to document his quest to get out of debt. Over time, he learned how to save and how to invest. Today, he's managed to reach early retirement! He wants to help you master your money and your life. No scams. No gimmicks. Just smart money advice to help you reach your goals. https://www.getrichslowly.org/deep-in-debt/

[contryreads]

Author: Parker Sinclair

Genre: Fantasy

Hosted by: Country Reads Promotions

Alex Conner's first book for urban adult fantasy supernatural suspense, paranormal, & magical realism lovers!

Alex Conner’s nights of event planning and partying in San Diego, California have taken a turn for the worse as nightmares invade her mind on a daily basis. The memories of the vile man she exiled using the powers inherited from her mother and grandmother are all but breaking into her living hours, and nothing is working to keep her nightmares at bay. Will she ultimately be the one responsible for bringing this horror back into her life? Who can she trust and how is she to deal with the draw she has towards a new man in her life – a man who is definitely more than meets the eye?

Follow a young woman's journey through a life overcome with hardships. From a neglectful childhood with a mother who couldn't care for Alex let alone herself, to a loss that forces her to live with a father figure who crosses an unforgivable line. A line that turns Alex into something so fierce that her past now comes back to haunt her.

Alex Conner's second book for urban adult fantasy supernatural suspense, paranormal, & magical realism lovers! Truth is best enjoyed after reading book one, Trust.

Now that Alex can no longer deny her heritage as an Earthen Protector, everything comes crashing down around her. Alex’s estranged mom has enlisted her help in finding Alex’s father; a man who was presumed dead since before she was born. While she waits and trains with Dana, the Mistress of Weaponry and Potions, innocent people, some who she dearly loves, face unspeakable horrors. Alex and her small, yet powerful, group of companions confront danger head on while they hunt down those responsible. Is her father really alive and will Alex’s training prove to be enough for her take on some powerful enemies? As if the threats in her life weren’t enough for Alex to handle, her feelings for two men have her torn and tempted. Join Alex on her next adventure and enjoy the mystery, humor, and passion in her second Chronicle—Truth.

Sandra's first book, and the Alex Conner Chronicles Book 2.5, for urban adult fantasy supernatural suspense, paranormal romance, & magical realism lovers! Reader's will enjoy the book best after reading Trust & Truth. 

Sandra is a bombshell. She also happens to be a Seer, and Earthen Protector Alex Conner’s best friend. When Alex goes missing, Sandra seeks help from the one person she is forbidden to contact. Can Sandra, and those she used to be closest to, finally move past all the fear and mistrust? Discover Sandra’s dark and hidden past, one that even Alex doesn’t know about, in this intense novella, and get a peek at what is in the cards for their future. 

Enjoy this Alex Conner Chronicles Novella and get ready for the official book 3, Only.

Only is the official book three in the adult urban fantasy/magical realism series, The Alex Conner Chronicles. Readers will enjoy this book best after reading Trust, Truth, & Forbidden. 

One would think the sassy, sexy hybrid Earthen Protector and Healer Alex Conner deserves some downtime after all she’s been through. But no. Instead, she finds herself trapped by the king of the Fae, and he’s not letting her go until he gets what he wants.

As alternate realities tangle her in confusion and bring her close to forgetting who she is and everyone she loves, will she unwittingly give the king what he craves? If she does escape, will she ever pick up where she left off with her sexy Adonis Ryan? And can she control the new power she never knew she could wield—one over life and death itself—or will she be entangled in a realm whose ruler is hell-bent on entrapping her and someone she holds dear, forever?

A thrilling YA Epic fantasy/HEA Romance that's enjoyable for all ages! 

Join the incredible journey full of magical beings, terrifying and majestic creatures, and the two young hearts destined to save a kingdom. 

When fate brings the young Prince Ryzyn and the rover girl Gem together, not only do their lives become forever entwined, their meeting also ignites the power within an ancient object—the Heart of Cyan. 

With the mystical Heart discovered, the wielder must prepare for an epic battle against a vicious, pervasive darkness that threatens all of Parlethis. Magical forces unite for the good of the land, but will that be enough to stop the Shadowland creatures from destroying them all?

If you love urban fantasy, supernatural suspense, magical realism, and paranormal romance, you’ll love my novels.

 Ms. Sinclair gives credit to the development of her imagination and passion for writing to multiple childhood destinations lacking indoor plumbing. It may sound odd, yet when your journey to adulthood consists of numerous backpacking, camping, and hiking trips to the most out-of-the-way and breathtakingly beautiful places in North America, the creation of games, worlds, and characters are the results. She would never trade the childhood her parents gave her, and she thanks them for raising her to have her own thoughts, dreams, and bountiful imagination. Oh, and she wishes to thank them for teaching her that one should never leave their jeans on the floor of an Everglades campground shower—lest they do the dance of the scorpions in the pants again!

 While attending college, Ms. Sinclair studied biological sciences and psychology, specifically animal behavior, but her love has forever been to write. There are boxes in her house filled with notebooks, journals, and logs with poems, stories, lyrics, and personal rants scratched into them with pencil, marker, pen, whatever she could get her hands on. Words demanded to be thrown out of her mind and onto paper by any means necessary. Ms. Sinclair’s studies have contributed greatly to the worlds, characters, and stories she creates, proving that no matter what path you take, it will all be part of where you end up—sometimes in spectacular ways!

 Since 2007, Ms. Sinclair calls Coastal Virginia home where she is a licensed school counselor currently following her dreams as a professional author & content writer. Ms. Sinclair's writes magical realism, paranormal romance, adult urban fantasy, YA epic fantasy, and romantic fantasy novels.

 Alex Conner Chronicles Reading Order: Trust, Truth, Forbidden, and then Only!

Parker’s Protectors Please join Parker’s Group: Where fans and friends join together as Parker's Protectors Street Team! Parker’s Protectors Please join Parker’s Group:

Webpage:

 http://www.parkersinclair.net Purchase my books:

 http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book Newsletter:

 http://www.parkersinclair.net/contact

Amazon Author Page:

  http://amzn.to/1XIDwzO Facebook Fan Page:

 https://www.facebook.com/ParkerSinclairbooks/ Instagram:

 @ParkerSinclairauthor Twitter:

 @Parker_Sinclair Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9860680.Parker_Sinclair

Blog:

 https://parkersinclairbooks.wordpress.com Youtube:

  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWQE3qvMyB5DEZ9wwdz8rOQ

 http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book

[nosidam]

Last day...

Sunday, Feb. 26

One thing about the Spanish and Portuguese, they stay up late but don’t get up early - harder to find a place for coffee at 9:30 in the morning.  The only place in the area was busy, I somehow  must have offended the clerk as she did not hide her disdain for me.  From there I made my way to the bookstore, it opened at 10 and already had a lineup.  I have to say it was worth the wait…pretty spectacular place.  Livraria Lello Bookstore - one of oldest bookstores in Portugal. JK Rowling wrote in the cafe on the second floor. I felt like I was on a Harry Potter movie set, despite the mass of people that flooded the place, it was really enjoyable to experience the elegance and charm of this truly unique and handsome book store.  

Actually, the scene where Harry goes for the first time to Ollivanders is shot in Lelo's library - I will need to review the Harry Potter films.

Just a little information from the brochure;

The Bookseller - is the soul of a bookshop.  Mr. Domingos worked in Lello for 52 years, starting at an entry-level job and working his way up the ranks to the top as senior bookseller.  

THE ART OF THE BOOKSELLER ACCORDING TO MR. DOMINGOS:

A bookseller must;

Know the shop’s entire catalogue by heart. (authors, titles, dates)

Be able to recognize rare editions.

Be adequate and polite with all customers.

Gather relevant information from his top customers.

Know how to sell well.

The bookseller activity in Porto, at the beginning of the twentieth century, was very much tied with other cultural, intellectual and artistic circles.  There was a clear and close relationship between booksellers, publishers, authors, thinkers and artists.

This being my last day in Porto I wanted to make sure I covered all areas, no stone left unturned so to speak.  I also wanted to pick up some Port to bring to Germany.  I wandered up towards the top of the hill with a tremendous view of the Dom Luis I Bridge and the river below.  

I wandered into a pastry shop and decided a treat would be in order.  There were so many tempting treats to choose from - the dessert item I choose was so big it required it’s own box. I found myself in the area near the bus depot when I first arrived.  Funny how the context has shifted after being here for a few days and having a sense of familiarity with the surroundings.  I’ve come to realize I like that feeling, sense of comfort and safety for me.  Sitting down with a view of the Church of Saint Ildefonso, I carefully pulled out my dessert being very wary of the multiple seagulls sharing the square with me.  It was delicious by the way!

I walked up the Rua Santa Catarina, I was looking for the market having overheard that is was somewhere down this street.  Stopping in a local store, I inquired as to the whereabouts of this Market and was sadly informed that it was closed on Sundays - of course it was :(

I meandered the streets for some time, wanting to walk off the half eaten pastry I’d indulged in.  Back to one of my favourite streets, the Rua de Cedofeita - still on the hunt for a bottle of Port, I was hoping to find an open grocery store.  Sunday is not the ideal day to be shopping, you would think that by now I would figure that out - the majority of shops and cafes even seemed to be closed.  Seeing some locals with shopping bags in hand I knew I was close to finding a store…and there it was.  

Perusing the aisles, I came across massive bottles of Port at incredibly cheap prices - realizing the size and of course weight of such a bottle would create a problem at the airport, I opted to forgo the purchase and alternatively, buy at the airport.

Down the street I went to the corner of Praça de Carlos Alberto and Rua do Carmo to check out the church across from the University - first, Igreja do Carmo and then realizing there was another church attached to the left of it called Igreja dos Carmelitas, they were twin churches. The church was built between 1756 and 1768.  The two churches are separated by a very narrow (1m wide) house that was inhabited until the 1980's. The house was built so that the two churches would not share a common wall and to prevent any relations between the nuns of Igreja dos Carmelitas and the monks of Igreja do Carmo.  (Ya, right!)

Went to grab some lunch as I knew there likely wouldn’t be much at the airport.  I found a busy area and popped in to grab a seat.  Making my meal selection from a photo posted on the menu, I sat and waited.  My lunch arrived, raw salmon burger - oh dear…not something I wanted to eat.  Obviously my error, I thought it was a fish burger, as in “cooked”.  After some effort (servers never check back on you in Europe it seems) I was able to get my servers attention and apologize that I wasn’t able to eat the burger, as I had assumed it was cooked.  She kindly checked with the kitchen to get me said item, in the meantime I at least had some fries to fill me up.  When the burger finally arrived, it was indeed cooked however, it was actually terrible.  I tried my best to choke some of it down, I felt bad after all the hassle I’d caused.   I hurriedly paid my bill and exited quickly, leaving a partially eaten meal behind.  It seemed to take hours for the taste to leave my mouth!

I eventually made my way back to the flat…the rain was threatening and as I’ve mentioned, I refused to buy an umbrella and admit rain.  Eventually I made my way to the train station to find my way to the airport.  There were no good byes or anything from my hosts…I did find them a tad strange, definitely not my most favorite of places I’ve stayed.  

Luckily the rain held off as I made my way to the train station.  Getting a ticket proved to be a bit problematic, the machine was out of tickets and I needed the assistance of one of the staffers.  I made my way over to the platform, the station seemed super busy and buzzing with energy.  Thinking I was ridiculously early for my flight, I stood by waiting for my train.  At last our train approached, loud singing was coming from the train, as it was slowing to a stop it became apparent that it was totally packed with wall to wall people - mostly guys to be exact.  They were singing and banging on the walls of the train - I tried several doors in attempt to board and kept being shooed away.  The train then pulled away…we were all left standing there feeling a little stunned with what just happened.  The staff person said something about another train arriving in 20 minutes - 45 minutes later a train finally showed up.  At this point I was feeling pretty grateful that I had left as early as I did…the train was still full and I found myself struggling to remain standing the half hour trip with nothing to hang on to, being surrounded by bodies.  

Checked in at the gate, then at security I was looking for my passport…frantically searching every pocket, I rushed back to the desk where I had checked in.  The attendant gave me a scolding look (rightly so) as she handed me back my passport - crisis averted!

I love exploring new airports, browsing the shops for items of interest.  I almost got on the wrong flight…it was still going to Lisbon, just earlier than the flight I was scheduled for.  Feeling slightly foolish, I went back to my seat to wait for the next flight.

The trip from Porto to Lisbon is only an hour long, but from start to finish, it was more like 5.5 hours until I arrived in Lisbon.  The bus would have been a shorter and alternative at 3.5 hours.  Once in Lisbon I purchased some Port to bring to Germany before the shops closed for the night.  I found some benches to lay down on…once again super grateful for having packed along my AirTransat blanket.  I logged onto the airports internet and watched some Netflix until I fell asleep.  At midnight I wished myself a happy Birthday.  

Side note….airports are horribly bright and terribly loud when you’re trying to grab some shut eye!