It’s a new year, and hopefully most of you are still going strong with trying to achieve better things this year. I’m still here going strong with new eating habits, exercising daily and forcing myself to have a little “downtime”. That isn’t too say I haven’t been tempted by old habits!
If you need a little nudge, I have two amazing books to share with you (and giveaway below,) from Rodale Press & Raincoast Books.
Operation Happiness: The 3-Step Plan to Creating a Life of Lasting Joy, Abundant Energy, and Radical Bliss by Kristi Ling
In Operation Happiness, happiness strategist and life coach Kristi Ling teaches you how to create immediate, positive shifts in your life by proving that happiness is a skill that can be cultivated, learned, and mastered-much like playing an instrument.
After experiencing multiple devastating events, Ling spent years studying the science of happiness and focused on identifying and testing specific emotional support tools. During this process, she discovered something that goes against everything we’ve been lead to believe about happiness: it isn’t just something you feel; it’s something you do. Based on this discovery, Ling narrowed down the road to happiness to three powerful steps: Change Your View, Change Your Mornings, and Create New Habits
Part memoir and part how-to, Operation Happiness combines compelling personal stories, inspiring perspective shifts, and big ah-ha moments with specific how-to’s and clear actionable steps to help you create a solid foundation for sustainable happiness that will propel you into a new, light-filled way of living.
Operation Happiness if full of relateable stories that draw you in and keep you reading, but also full of practical advice to get you on your way to becoming master of your own happiness. It’s an enjoyable read as it is so much more than a memoir, and so much more than a self-help book – it’s more like a go-to, must-have manual for creating your own happiness.
Available March 1st, Operation Happiness is definitely a book worth picking up as the first step towards a total shift towards a happier way of living.
The Year of Cozy: 125 Recipes, Crafts, and Other Homemade Adventures by Adrianna Adarme
From the author of the popular blog, A Cozy Kitchen, comes a beautifully photographed one-stop-shop book with all the recipes and projects you’ll need for some cozy inspiration this holiday season―and all year long. You’ll love Adrianna Adarme’s easy-to-follow instructions and will enjoy getting lost in her warm and comforting photographs. Organized by the months of the year and by categories as “Live,” “Do,” and “Make, ” this book offers ideas for activities, recipes, and DIY projects that make the little moments in life just as exciting as the big. Adarme gives us special (but totally doable) things we can do for others and ourselves. From quick recipes to easy crafts, she focuses on simple, inexpensive undertakings that have a big reward: happiness. The Year of Cozy will surely inspire you to march into your kitchen and craft closet to make something you can truly be proud of.
I have to admit that I don’t often read other blogs. I spend so much time online writing, editing, promoting, e-mailing etc… and it gets to be a bit much so when I do have the chance to read, I really prefer a book in hand and not my laptop, tablet or phone. This book basically allows me to read through a beautiful “blog” in book form as it is full of great recipes and ideas. I’ve been thumbing through this book and have felt completely inspired by the recipes and crafts but also by the driving force of this book – to live by intention and create a good life for yourself.
The book is written from the approach that the reader may not be the craftiest or may not be the master of their kitchen. Directions are written simply with plenty of helpful hints and tips.
Everything is laid out by season which makes sense when it comes to tackling the different projects, ideas and recipes. It’s actually a very clever approach at organizing such a book.
Win it:
One Canadian Frugal Mom Eh reader will win their own copies of Operation Happiness & The Year of Cozy. Giveaway ends on Jan 31st 2015 at 11:59 pm EST. See Giveaway Tools for entry and T&C.
Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!
Robyn L
Friday 29th of January 2016
I get outside in the fresh air and breath deeply; I help someone in need whenever I can and know about it.
joanne darrell
Friday 29th of January 2016
I go for a coffee every day to keep happy.
Angela Massis
Thursday 28th of January 2016
I always make a point of smiling. A smile can go a long way and sometimes a friendly hello can make a difference in someone else's day. It can make all the difference and I am happy to do it.
Tricia Hope
Wednesday 27th of January 2016
I volunteer in my community.I have since I was a small child.I spent a lot of time giving back to my childrens' pursuits and now I work A a soup kitchen.
ruth moreira-lozon
Wednesday 27th of January 2016
I tell myself it's going to be a good day every morning. It's easy to find little things to make me smile - only had to ask once for kids to brush their teeth, a cute drawing left by daughter, a smiley face text from my son, sunshine.