Tag: bookcoffeehappy

11 Books I Want to Read in 2019

Thank you all SO MUCH for your kind and encouraging words from this post.

I’m doing ok!  Each day my elbow seems to be feeling a little bit better.  It’s still very sore but nothing compared to last week.

My sling is now officially stained with ice cream, teriyaki sauce, and smells like a mixture of Japanese steakhouse and Clinique Happy (which is the perfume I doused it in hoping to eliminate the Japanese steakhouse smell).  I’m scared to witness what this poor sling will look and smell like by the end of our time together, lol.

Happy 2019!  New month, new year, new goals.  I have personal goals that I’ve set for myself in the new year, blog goals, and of course…reading goals 🙂

There are SO MANY amazing books out there to read and I can’t wait to tackle many of them in this new year!

*This post contains affiliate links. Click each image and link below to read the synopsis and order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo*

I finished this book 2 days ago (LOVED IT) and started reading this book last night!

Here is a very small sample of the books that I’m excited to read in 2019 (in no particular order):










Have you read any of these?  If so, NO SPOILERS PLEASE!

What’s on your 2019 To Read List?

Xo,

Jenny

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I Broke My Elbow.

Do you know what a roof rake is?  It’s basically a gigantic contraption designed to scrape ice off of roofs.  Also apparently designed to break elbows when tripped over.

The fall itself on the concrete floor was dramatic.  Everything hurt at the same time.  Scraped elbows, scraped knees, top teeth clamped against bottom teeth causing jaw pain, sore ribs, and sore back.

It was Christmas Day.  We had just returned from a fantastic getaway to The Great Wolf Lodge and were on our way to fulfill our Jewish responsibilities of eating Chinese food for dinner 🙂 My husband and children were in the car waiting for me.  As soon as I fell in the garage, my husband immediately came running.

It was so bad. Jon asked if I wanted to stay home but I really thought I was ok! It would take more than a fall to keep this Jewish girl away from her Christmas Chinese food.

I truly thought it was just bruised but somewhere between the crab rangoon and the pan fried noodles, the pain started to intensify. We came home.

I iced it.  I elevated it.  I was up all night in pain.

By morning, it was apparent that this was so much more than just a bruised elbow.  Jon called my parents and for about the millionth time since we bought our house almost 9 years ago, I thanked God that we bought a house only 1 mile away from theirs.  Exactly 7 minutes later, my father was hugging me in my kitchen and feeding my children breakfast so Jon could take me to the emergency room.

The emergency room staff were lovely to me as I sobbed.  A nurse hugged me.  The X ray technician was wonderful to me as I tried not to scream out in pain while she twisted and contorted my elbow in unnatural ways to get the pictures.  They offered me pain meds but I declined…I’m always very much against taking any kind of medication. I agreed to Advil but refused anything stronger. My poor elbow was so swollen and filled with fluid that they couldn’t even read the X rays but sent me home in a cast and a sling until I could see an orthopedic surgeon.

I was a mess.

We came home and I spent the entire day in bed.

I watched Fuller House with my daughter, laid next to my napping son, and ate the lox on a bagel which my girl had so beautifully presented to me all from our bed.  I lit my favorite Bath and Body Works candle on the nightstand next to me…and I cried.  A lot.  From the pain. From the frustration of how hard everything had suddenly become. From the fact that I had so been looking forward to having this glorious time with my husband home from work and my kids home from school and I was spending it like this. So many tears.

Thank goodness my very favorite hobby involves just sitting still 🙂 Recovering with a good book is exactly my kind of medicine! And the act of holding up a book only requires 1 working arm so there’s that.

Jon surprised me with my all time favorite treat after dinner. It was so delicious. It helped.

By the next day, my cast had shifted and was digging into my wrist.  Back to the emergency room I went but this time, my daughter insisted that she be the one to come with me for moral support. They put us into a room and I asked if I should remove my shirt.  They told me yes and at this point, my little girl tugged on my (good) arm and whispered, “Mom!  Are you wearing anything under your shirt?!?”  I explained that after you’ve given birth, a nurse seeing you in your bra is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. 🙂

The nurse loosened the cast and my poor wrist got some relief.

Another night of sleeping with my arm straight up. Awful.

As it turns out, my husband’s old fraternity brother is a wonderful orthopedic surgeon and I was given an immediate appointment the following day. He was kind, knowledgeable, and wonderful. More X rays and then he concluded that my poor elbow was indeed broken. The best news of the day (silver lining) was that he removed my cast! Now I just need to wear a sling. This alone makes everything better. I was honestly going crazy with that cast! I couldn’t do anything. Although I’m now still much more limited in what I can do, I already feel so much more like myself. My next appointment for more X rays is in 2 weeks. Until then, I need to wear the sling, ice it twice a day, and continue to remind my son that he needs to be careful around my entire left arm 🙂

Last night I changed his diaper for the first time since all of this happened and it made me cry because it hurt so much. How on earth does one change a diaper completely one handed?!? Just one of the many things I will need to figure out when Jon goes back to work in a few days…

Speaking of, here I need to give a major shout out to Jon. He has literally done EVERYTHING around here and I couldn’t be more thankful. “In sickness and in health” has definitely been the theme in our house this week and I’m incredibly fortunate to have him by my side. I would be so lost without him.

My best friends were (are) so worried about me! They bought me lunch, took me shopping, and made me smile. As usual, laughter really is the best medicine. We missed you, Beth!

Happy New Year 🙂 My plans tonight have definitely changed but still spending them with the same people is truly all that matters. It’s my dear friend Bari’s birthday today! We were supposed to go to a nice restaurant for dinner, ice skating, and then a super fun dessert all in a crowded and awesome area with our families tonight. Now our plans have shifted to something much more low key but still super fun…a Japanese steakhouse. Perfect and safer for one armed me!

2018 was an absolutely fantastic year in so many ways. I had planned on doing a yearly blog recap post today but I had also planned on having 2 working arms today so there you go 🙂

As we are heading into the new year, I am definitely taking time to reflect on all of the positive things and people in my life. Although clearly this is not how I was planning on ending the year, I do truly realize how much worse this could be. I’m thankful for so many things in my life…this will hopefully just be a minor setback and I’ll be able to move on from all of this soon.

Bring it on, 2019! I’m ready for you. Sling and all.

Xo,

Jenny

 

 

 

4 Books I Started but Didn’t Care to Finish {Part 1}

Hi Friends!

How was your weekend?  Remember on Friday when I was excited that we had 3 Hanukkah parties to attend this past weekend???  2 words: sick toddler.  1 party got rescheduled for next week (it was supposed to be at our house), 1 party was attended by my daughter and I, and the last party was attended by my husband and my daughter.  Not at all how I envisioned our fun family weekend to be but sometimes that’s life, right?  My little boy seems to be feeling much better today!  I hated seeing him like that.  Poor thing.

I posted a photo on Instagram from the 1 party I actually went to:

My best friend’s mom has this beautiful tradition where everyone who attends her party brings their own menorah and we all light them together.  There’s something so magical about watching the menorah candles glow and seeing so many at once is absolutely one of my favorite holiday traditions every year.  This year was extra interesting because one of the menorahs next to me fell over with all of it’s lit candles and I grabbed it just in time before anything or anyone got burned!  #hanukkahherojenny

After I wrote this post Let’s Chat: How Long Until You Officially Abandon A Book? I received so many responses and it got me thinking…There are SO many books that I have abandoned before finishing.  I hate doing that but sometimes it’s just necessary.  As I’ve said before, there are way too many amazing books out there to be stuck reading something you don’t love!

Welcome to the first installment of a new series I will be doing from time to time called “4 Books I Started but Didn’t Care to Finish”!

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This post contains affiliate links. I receive a small commission if you purchase through these links. I obviously wouldn’t recommend buying ANY of these books but if you do…I would be thankful if you could do it through my links, lol 😉

Let’s dive right in…

Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel

People RAVE about this book.  All the time.  I was so excited to read it!  I made it about 50 pages in before I called it quits.  Why do people love this one so much?  I absolutely hated the writing style.

One Day (Vintage Contemporaries)

I LOVE the synopsis of this book. I tried…so hard…hated it.  Everything about it.  From page 1.  Broke my heart because I so wanted to love it.  I even went back and tried again!  Still couldn’t get into it. Ugh.

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

I liked it.  It was fine.  I didn’t LOVE it…and about a quarter of the way through, I called it quits.  Would it have gotten better?  I’m sure it would have!  I just was a bit too bored to stick around to find out.  Eh.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Series)

Oh dear lord did I DESPISE this book from the very first sentence on the very first page.  Again, see this post for details: Let’s Chat: How Long Until You Officially Abandon A Book?  I’m going to go ahead and call this my LEAST favorite book I’ve ever read.  Of all time. In my entire life. And I have read A LOT of books.  I was so sure I would love it that I bought all 3 books in the series before I even opened the cover of the first one. I sold all 3 the following summer for $1 each at my garage sale. I will gladly take $3.00 over owning these 3 books any day!

I would love to hear your thoughts.  What books have you started but didn’t care to finish?  Have you read any of the above books?  Did you like them?  Let’s discuss in the comments!

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Book Review: Pretty Baby {Mary Kubica}

Hey Everyone!

Happy Friday 🙂  I hope you all have some fun plans for this weekend.

We have 3 Hanukkah parties to attend!  Our weekend will be filled with latkes, presents, dreidels, menorahs, and lots of family and friends.  Happy 6th night of Hanukkah to all who are celebrating!  So far, my daughter’s favorite gifts have included her hamster and a gigantic Hatchimal (turns out I am just as excited about this toy as she is.  Do any of your kids have one???  It’s awesome!)  My son’s favorite gifts so far have included an Elmo lift the flap potty book (he received it 2 nights ago and we’ve easily read it 10 times already) and dinosaur figurines.  My husband bought me an online blogging course!  I’m so excited, hopefully I will learn all kinds of blogging tips to help Book Coffee Happy GROW!

I Am Brave and Unafraid Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to:

Debbie (I would donate this book to the Roy School library. I have been working in this library for 13 years. The students are always very excited to see new books that I display. This book would be a great addition to our library. Thank you 😃📚)

and

Becca V. (This sounds like a wonderful book to join my classroom library. As a first grade teacher I’d love to have the opportunity to share the important message of this book.
This year I’m really trying to focus on social emotional skills with my students and mentor text are a great way to start the conversation and understanding of these important topics and issues.
It would also be terrific to be able to donate a copy of this book in our school library so that the whole school can have the chance to read the book. Often times the books I read in class are the ones my students like to check out so having a copy in the library would be fantastic and then my students can share it with their families. 🙂! )

Ladies, please email me at bookcoffeehappy@gmail.com and we will arrange all of the details!  Congratulations!

If you didn’t win this one, no worries…I have some AWESOME giveaways coming your way soon!  Stay tuned 🙂

And now…A book review!  I read this book years ago and LOVED it so much.

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can’t get the girl out of her head…

Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family’s objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.

Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow’s past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she’s willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

5 Stars

I absolutely love Mary Kubica and this book is what started it all for me.  It’s AWESOME.  Full of suspenseful twists and a great plot.  I truly couldn’t put this book down and  absolutely loved it from page 1.   Once you start reading this book you will not be able to stop until you get some answers…

The characters, the PLOT TWISTS, the story lines…everything was just awesome.  I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll just say this:  Read this.  It’s fantastic.

For my local readers, Mary Kubica is from Chicago and this is the setting for her books!  I would love these books regardless but actually knowing the places she refers to makes her books that much better for me.  I definitely do not love all of her books but overall I think she’s so amazing.  She has written more since this one but this book is by far her best!  Highly recommend.

Bottom Line:

This was the very first psychological thriller I ever read and I instantly fell in love with the entire genre based upon this one awesome book.

Have you read this book?  What did you think?

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

***Children’s Book GIVEAWAY (4 books)*** I Am Brave and Unafraid {Arielle Turover Cohen}

This is a very unique and special giveaway!

There will be 2 separate winners.  Each winner will receive 2 copies of the book…1 hardcover copy for them AND will also receive an additional hardcover copy of the book to donate to a classroom or library of their choice!  Both books will be dedicated and autographed.

What a perfect time of year to be able to donate and share something so special with others.  Any classroom or library would be lucky to receive a copy of this adorable book…and you can make it happen along with receiving a copy for your own family at the same time!

Synoposis from Amazon:

A big boy falls asleep and enters the magical world of dreamland. Soon his exciting adventure turns into a bad dream. Deep in sleep he uses his POWER OF THOUGHT to create a change. As he repeats the words “I Am Brave and Unafraid” his confidence grows, he faces his nightmare, and discovers what happens!

My Thoughts

I really love this book. It teaches such an important coping strategy in very child friendly terms. Having fears is such a common and real issue for children…this book does a great job of acknowledging those fears and teaching how to handle them in a straightforward and simplistic way. The illustrations are absolutely adorable! Ascetically it’s such a beautiful book. I love everything about this book and can easily see myself using the words “I am brave and unafraid” to help my children work through their fears should they arise in the future.

As a teacher, I would have loved having this book in my classroom! It would have been so helpful on numerous occasions. I can think of specific students from my years of teaching who really would have benefited from reading this.

This is definitely a book any parent, teacher, grandparent, or librarian should have.

My 6.5 Year Old Daughter’s Thoughts:

“I liked when he sang.  This book taught me that even if we’re afraid of something we can still go and do it.  I liked when the animals were sticking out their tongues!  I want to read this book again.”

A Conversation with Arielle Turover Cohen, In Her Own Words:

Briefly give a description of your book:

A young boy falls asleep and enters the magical world of dreamland. Soon his happy dream turns into a scary nightmare. By using his power of thought he gains self-confidence and becomes brave, thereby transforming his nightmare back into a pleasant dream.

How did you create the idea for your book?

In the same night our two children complained of nightmares.  Our daughter, who was 5 at the time, said the only way she knew how to deal with them was to come and snuggle with me in bed.  Although I love snuggling with her, I wanted her to learn other ways to handle her nightmares.  

“My love, do you know you can change your nightmare?” 

“No.” 

“The next time you see that scary lion change him into a birthday cake and blow out the candles.” 

“But how can I do that Mama?”  

“With the power of your thought.  You control your thoughts. You choose what you dream about.  If you don’t like your dream use your power of thought to change your dream. If you like your dream, use your power of thought to keep the dream going.  Try it tonight”. 

“I will Mama, goodnight.” 

I then headed off to my son’s room.  Even though the lights were out, he wanted me to read him another story.  I said I would tell him a story instead.  Together, we laid on his bedroom floor, covers on top, and the story of The Boy and The Bear began.  He wanted it again. And again. The next day he wanted it before nap, and then again before bedtime. After about the 7th time of telling the story I thought to myself, “This is pretty good, I better write it down.”  And so I did.  

What audience would be most interested in your book?

2-8 year olds are most interested in reading the book. The audience most interested in buying the book are parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to give as a long lasting confidence building book to their loved ones. This book is also very popular to give as a gift to pregnant mothers.

Where can your book be purchased?

Books can be purchased on:

My website: www.iambraveandunafraid.com

Amazon (affiliate link here: I Am Brave and Unafraid)

Andersons Bookshop

Use 3 adjectives to describe your book:

Exciting, Engaging, Empowering

Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or your book:

I am a mother of 3 incredible children who inspire me daily. I receive great enjoyment in knowing my book inspires others.

***GIVEAWAY***

Would you like a chance to win a copy of this adorable book AND an additional copy to donate to the classroom or library of your choice?

There will be 2 separate winners.  Each winner will receive 1 hardcover copy of the book AND will also receive an additional hardcover copy of the book to donate to a classroom or library of their choice! Both books will be dedicated and autographed.

The books will be mailed directly to the winners (US only for this giveaway).  To be entered, please complete these 2 simple steps:

1. Follow and/or subscribe to my blog

2. Leave a comment below telling me about the classroom or library you would plan on donating the second book to if you are chosen

**You must complete both of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway**

Giveaway will end Friday morning at 6:00 CDT and the 2 winners will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday morning’s blog post.

Make sure you check back on Friday to see if you’ve won (you will have 48 hours from the time I post the winners to email me your mailing address.  If I don’t hear from you, I will pick a new winner).

If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy),  follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!  

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

Birthday of a Book Blogger

My birthday was yesterday and the entire perfect weekend was filled with fun, love, and joy.

Friday was spent with my favorite shopping partner, my mom!  We had our annual visit to our favorite craft and gift fair and it was glorious as always. It happens over my birthday weekend every year and it’s such a fun way to start off the weekend.

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I came home with such treasurers!  4 unicorn hair bows for my daughter, 3 bags of beef jerky for my husband, a new set of fancy sheets for our bed, and a new scarf for me because I can’t ever go shopping without buying myself at least 1 new scarf.  Scarves are  favorite accessory of all time although by this point I own way too many and I really need to stop buying more. Can’t. Stop. See this post for more details on the background of my obsession: The Ultimate Throwback to my 20’s and Early 30’s Book Series

I bought my son a custom Mickey Mouse CD where the characters sing each song using my son’s name.  The man at the booth told me that the characters will say or sing his name for a total of 70 times throughout the songs on the CD!  I wish I had taken a video of the look on my son’s face when we were driving yesterday afternoon and he heard the CD.  “MOMMY!  Mickey knows my name!” “MOMMY!  Goofy knows it too!”  Best $22.00 I have spent in a very long time.

Another booth had these gorgeous handmade wooden boxes, hand painted mason jars, and different types of flowers.  So many colors, so many sizes, so many sayings.  I spent a LONG time choosing the perfect combination and I could not love it more:

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We came home from the craft fair and soon were off to the biggest event of the day…my daughter’s school talent show!  She was one of the youngest in the show and while she was up there dancing, I watched in awe through the blurred vision from my tears.  Her confidence amazes me.  She did a solo act!  She nailed it, she looked beautiful, and the best part…she had so much fun.  There are those special moments as a parent where you can literally feel your heart bursting with pride and love and Friday night was a perfect example of that for me.  Aaaaand now I’m crying as I type this.  I love being a mom so much.

How sweet are my in-laws?!?

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Saturday proved yet again that nobody has better friends than I do. It was pouring outside, it was freezing outside, and there was traffic. And yet…my girls were determined to take me downtown so the 4 of us could have a city day in honor of ME! I offered numerous times to change our plans but they simply wouldn’t hear of it. So they picked me up and downtown we went (over an hour drive) into the most gorgeous city in the world. I lived in downtown Chicago for 8 years before I got married and a piece of my heart still lives there. My favorite city in the world. It’s gorgeous all year round but during the holidays the whole city absolutely sparkles. It’s just so magical down there. We shopped, we laughed, we ate. A perfect day.

Rain didn’t stop us:

4 Jewish girls with 1 stunning tree:

Grand Lux Cafe for dinner:

I came home after the kids were in bed and noticed this note on my daughter’s door (apparently she hid my presents under her bed):

Sunday morning on my actual birthday my husband and I were woken up quite early by 2 very excited children singing “happy birthday”. They climbed into our bed as I was still half asleep and my birthday began with homemade cards, balloons, gifts, and a unicorn cake. Perfection.

My daughter’s gift blew me away as it does every year. She is the most thoughtful little girl I have ever met. She had Jon take her to a bookstore, went to the new release table, and picked out the book with what she thought had the prettiest cover. As surprised as I was to receive this gift, she was even more surprised when I told her that Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors and I’ve been DYING to read her new release!!! In fact, I commented on that just last night when my friends and I were at a bookstore in the city! How did she know???  Mothers and daughters just have that special connection 🙂 Have any of you read this yet? She also bought a Junie B. Jones box set for her and I to read together. She told me that she wanted me to have some new books to put on my blog 🙂 Sweetest girl! A perfect gift. Truly touched my heart.

Aaaaaand my 2.5 year old son’s gift for me. He picked it out all by himself:

I don’t particularly care for trucks but guess who does…

Amazing.

And the balloon he bought for me. We’re Jewish, lol.

My sweet little boy.  LOVE!

My husband’s gift was exactly what I ask for every year: something fun for us to do together as a family. So in a few weeks, the 4 of us will be spending the night at Great Wolf Lodge in a suite and we all can’t wait! Perfect.

I’m over wanting fancy purses or expensive jewelry for my birthday. Quality time with just the 4 of us is EXACTLY what I always want and that’s exactly what yesterday consisted of.

The 4 of us went out for breakfast (my favorite thing. I always LOVE going out for breakfast and we try to do it at least once per weekend). I ate lox, drank coffee, and watched my daughter get the hiccups from laughing at my son who was shoving banana slices directly into my mouth with his sticky syrup fingers.

Our next adventure was Legoland! We spent hours riding rides, building with Legos, watching 4D movies, and so much more. It’s so amazing there and a perfect way to spend the day.

There was one point where the kids were playing together on the climbing structure and they were laughing so loudly. I turned to my husband with tears in my eyes and told him what a perfect day it was.

Rainforest Cafe for lunch. We sat by the gorillas, bought toys in the gift shop, and my kids loved every second.

Home for a unicorn cake and singing happy birthday with 2 excited kids on my lap the whole time.

How gorgeous is this cake???

It was so delicious.

And then…the day switched. My birthday was over and suddenly HANUKKAH was here!

Our menorahs. Jon and my daughter made hers when she was 1 and him and my son made his last night while I was downtown! Both were Hanukkah presents for me. I cried when my daughter gave me hers and all of these years later I cried when my son gave me his. So, so special.

My daughter’s has melted wax all over it from it’s many years of use and with each new bit of wax, I love it even more because of it’s memories. The year that Jon and I got married, I bought us a gorgeous silver traditional menorah that we used for a few years. Once my daughter made this one, it’s the only one we’ve used since. And now we have 2! One parent holds 1 kid while they light the candles while the other parent holds the other kid while they light the candles. And to the kids, picking out the candle colors is always part of the fun. I love Hanukkah so, so much.  Always have.

When I was a little girl, my parents used to wrap all of my presents and put them out for me on the first day. Each night for the eight nights, I was allowed to choose one gift to open. I remember making charts and obsessively thinking about which gift I would open that night during the school day. Should I open the big silver one tonight or save that one for tomorrow night and open the tiny pink one tonight? Thoughts such as this would consume me for the entire eight days and it was so much fun. I always knew that it when I had my own kids, I would absolutely continue this tradition. Jon and I have done this for kids since my daughter was born. Whichever gift she would put her hand on when she was a baby was the one she “chose” for that night! Now her choices are a little bit more strategic. My son absolutely loves opening gifts but doesn’t quite understand why he is only allowed to open one each night, LOL.

This year, things were a bit different. My daughter has been begging us for years for a hamster and this was the year that my husband and I decided to make her dreams come true! She’s been telling us for months that she has this vision where she would come downstairs to all of her gifts and one of them would have holes poked in it… and she would open that one right away because her hamster would be waiting to meet her! So we did exactly that. See video below (make sure your sound is up). ***the hamster was wrapped up like this for only about 2 minutes before the box was opened***

 

I’m trying hard to keep my kids and their names off of my blog for privacy reasons so I’m not going to share the video of when she came downstairs. Just know that it was amazing and a moment that none of us will ever forget.

Welcome to our family, Fluffy Rose!

Birthdays in my 20s were filled with alcohol, body glitter, dancing, leather pants, bars, and hangovers. Birthdays in my 30s were filled with learning to celebrate while holding new roles in my life…first as a new fiancee, and then as a new wife and finally (twice!) as a new mom. Birthdays in my 40’s are now filled with the 3 most important parts of my life: love, family, and friends. It’s about surrounding myself with the people that I love the most and who love me right back. It’s about taking the time to reflect upon my life and how much I truly am able to celebrate all of the day to day beauty it contains. If you would’ve asked me 10 years ago where I saw myself today…I’m exactly where I have always wanted to be. Married to the love of my life and a stay at home mom to my 2 beautiful children. Admittingly I never envisioned the hamster in this scenario but I’m welcoming the new addition 🙂

The very best part of the entire weekend? As I was about to make a wish and blow out my candles, I was struck with the realization that there was truly nothing I wanted to wish for.

I already have everything I could ever want.

Xo,

Jenny

A very Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy),  follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!  

November Reflections From a Book Blogger

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November was a fantastic month!  Thanksgiving with my family was so special, the ridiculously amazing SNOW we have had here was (is) beautiful, the almost week long time with my family was amazing, and I have entirely too much to be thankful for.

Let’s reflect on Book Coffee Happy’s November…

My favorite post: 

4 Best Friends, 1 Alma Mater

Well that was an easy pick.  I absolutely loved writing (and reading…and rereading) this post.  I love these girls so very much and am so beyond blessed to have them always by my side.  My birthday is on Sunday and tomorrow the 3 of them are taking me downtown for a pre birthday celebration on Michigan Avenue.  Perfection.

I also really loved writing Reading Next to Ones You Love. Reading is such a passion of mine (clearly) and being able to experience that passion surrounded by people I love is really beautiful.

Best Book I Reviewed This Month:

Thanksgiving Thankfulness, Social Media, Giveaway Winners, and a Book Review: The Couple Next Door {Shari Lapena}

I loved that book so much!  And a fun story…I put a link of my review on Instagram and within minutes, Shari Lapena “liked” my post and watched my “story” (which was unrelated to her book)!  I love when that happens (it’s happened a few times including the author of Young Jane Young liking my blog post book review and the movie director of The Hate U Give liking a tweet that I had sent about how much I loved the book).  Social media is such an amazing way of connecting people and allowing us to show our gratitude to people whom we might not normally have that chance.  I’m so happy that Shari Lapena was able to read my glowing review of her book!  Fingers crossed it inspires her enough to write a sequel…

Worst Book I Reviewed This Month: 

Book Review: The Wife Between Us {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen}

So many people love this book.  I am not one of those people.

Giveaways I hosted:

***GIVEAWAY (2 Winners!)*** Chuckerman Makes A Movie {Francie Arenson Dickman}

**GIVEAWAY (1 International and 1 US)** In Search of Mr. Anonymous {JB Glazer}

**Children’s Book GIVEAWAY** (3 Winners)! A Bag for Santa {Kendra Esbrook}

I loved all 3 of the books that I hosted giveaways for this month.  They were all QUITE different from each other and were wonderful in their own ways.  I have some AWESOME giveaways coming in December!  I’m so excited.  Make sure you check back often so you won’t miss out!

Total Combined Number of Book Coffee Happy Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Blog Subscribers/Followers: 1,161

Not bad for less than 3 months of blogging!

I’m so thankful for every single subscribe, follow, like, share, and comment.  I am overwhelmed at the kindness and generosity of the book blogging community and how many people have helped my blog to GROW!  To the many of you that I do not know in real life, I’m so looking forward to getting to know you though my blog.  I love sharing pieces of my life and thoughts with all of you and I have some upcoming blog posts which I am really passionate about.

One thing that would really help me would be to please subscribe/follow on my actual blog. There is a place to do this right on the top of this page where you can enter your email address (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page if you are on an a mobile device). If you have already done this, THANK YOU so much!

I would also love if you would follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (search book coffee happy).

I joined Instagram in November and I think I’m starting to get the hang of it, lol.  I’m loving making Instagram stories!  So fun.  Please follow me!

I post differently and post different things on all of the various platforms.  I would really love and appreciate your support across the board!

I have made some really nice “blogging” friends over the past few weeks.  Xo!  I love that so many new people have discovered my blog.  If you are new here…welcome!  I’m so happy that you’re here 🙂

A Bag for Santa Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to Jamie, Amy, and Melissa!  All 3 of you will receive your autographed copy in the mail just in time for the holidays 🙂

Please email me (bookcoffeehappy@gmail.com) your mailing address and get excited to receive this adorable autographed book asap!  Thank you to everyone who entered.  Stay tuned, everyone…there MIGHT just happen to be a different children’s book giveaway NEXT WEEK….

3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge

Thank you so much Facing the Story for nominating me to take part in the 3 Days, 3 Quotes Challenge! Here are the rules:

RULES:

  • Thank the person who nominated you.
  • Post one quote per day for three days.
  • Nominate three blogs per day to take part in this challenge.

I don’t post every single day but I am taking part in this for 3 consecutive blog posts. You can read my favorite quote of all time that I posted on Day 1 here: SNOW, My Favorite Quote, and a Book Review: Little Fires Everywhere {Celeste Ng}  Day 2 was here: **Children’s Book GIVEAWAY** (3 Winners)! A Bag for Santa {Kendra Esbrook}

And finally Day 3:

“Worry about tomorrow steals the joy from today”

I love this quote and I think it’s so important.  I remind myself of this often although admittingly sometimes it’s easier said than done 🙂

I have had such fun participating in this challenge this week!  I now tag:

Avalinah’s Books

In Between Book Pages

Bookish.Brooklyn

Thank you everyone for all of your support over the past month.  How was your month? I would love to hear some highlights in the comments! Bloggers, feel free to link your most memorable November posts for others to check out in the comments as well 🙂

And now…my favorite month of the entire year is HERE!  Welcome December, I’m so happy to see you!

Xo,

Jenny

Last Month’s Reflections:

October Reflections

**Children’s Book GIVEAWAY** (3 Winners)! A Bag for Santa {Kendra Esbrook}

Happy Hump Day, Friends!

I hope you are having a great week.  We are slowly still getting back into routine after having almost a week off of school for Thanksgiving Break and an unexpected (but so glorious) snow day!

The snow is slowly starting to melt and it’s making me sad.  I’m already ready for another huge snowstorm!  I just love winter so much.  Everything is so breathtakingly beautiful here right now, I could never live in a place that didn’t get snow!

What I DON’T love is the fact that my town apparently has some new kind of fancy LED stoplights and they don’t melt the snow when they are covered (insert face plant emoji here).  I live in a large town!  In a suburb of CHICAGO!  This is not the first time we’ve had snow in this area…It’s insane. There have been tons of car accidents over the past few days while the fire department is apparently trying to manually clear them off.  How crazy is that?!  It’s been scary to drive around here…but not scary enough that I was prevented from picking up Chinese food for dinner last night.  #priorities #favoritefood

I have such a great giveaway for you today!  But first..Day 2 of the Quotes Challenge:

3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge

Thank you so much Facing the Story for nominating me to take part in the 3 Days, 3 Quotes Challenge! Here are the rules:

RULES:

  • Thank the person who nominated you.
  • Post one quote per day for three days.
  • Nominate three blogs per day to take part in this challenge.

I don’t post every single day but I am taking part in this for 3 consecutive blog posts. You can read my favorite quote of all time that I posted on Day 1 here: SNOW, My Favorite Quote, and a Book Review: Little Fires Everywhere {Celeste Ng}

And for Day 2, here’s my favorite quote that perfectly sums up the relationship between my 3 best friends and I:

“Here’s to the nights that turned into mornings with the friends that turned into family”

There isn’t a better quote to describe us!  I’ve actually been saying this quote to them for years.  Love you, girls (you can read more about our special relationship here: 4 Best Friends, 1 Alma Mater)

I tag:

Mud and Stars

Asha-A Cat, A Book, and a Cup of Tea

Cennins Book Reviews

And now…a GIVEAWAY!!!

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I absolutely LOVE this book.  Like…really love.  The message behind it basically is for kids to leave toys they no longer play with in a bag for Santa.  Santa’s elves can fix them up to be like new again and can give them to other kids so they can have presents on Christmas.  Santa takes the toys but leaves the bag behind so kids can fill it up year after year.

Each book comes with this awesome (large) bag for children to fill with toys that they no longer play with and can leave for Santa:

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This would be a perfect book for any parent, grandparent, or teacher.  As a former teacher myself, I can easily imagine the wonderful class discussion about charity and generosity that could occur after reading this aloud.  My students would have loved this book!

As a fun bonus…check out the adorable way this book and bag were shipped to me!  When I opened my mailbox, I was greeted by the cutest and most festive packaging.  If you win this giveaway, yours will also be shipped from the author in this adorable packaging!  If you don’t have children at your house, this can be shipped to another address where a child can be greeted with this adorable package.  I couldn’t wait to rip it open!

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It’s such a cute book with such an important message.  Teaching children about the importance of charity is a year round lesson but especially during the holiday season.  The illustrations are wonderful, the rhyming is wonderful, everything about this book is wonderful.  I absolutely loved reading it.  The icing on the cake is that a portion of each book sold goes to Toys for Tots.

A Conversation with Kendra Esbrook, in her own words:

Briefly give a description of your book:

Christmas is just around the corner! David and Will are busy making their list for Santa. Suddenly a troublesome thought enters their minds; what if the Elves can’t make all the toys?  The boys have a brilliant idea, one that will help Santa get toys to everyone when the elves are behind.

How did you create the idea for your book?

I’m a stay-at-home mom who wanted a better tradition than Elf on the Shelf. I wanted my kids to understand the joy of giving. So when I saw all the personalized bags from Santa to the kids being sold I asked my friend to make us one from the kids to Santa, and we started leaving old toys for him. I couldn’t believe no one else had written about it yet, so I did!

What audience would be most interested in your book?

Anyone who believes in Christmas magic.

Where can your book be purchased?

Amazing page to come… for now just here:

 

Use 3 adjectives to describe your book:

Heartwarming, merry, inspirational

***GIVEAWAY***

Would you like a chance to win a copy of this adorable story?

I have THREE copies of A Bag for Santa to give away!  THREE!

The autographed books will be mailed directly to the winners (US only for this giveaway).  To be entered, please complete these 2 simple steps:

1. Follow and/or subscribe to my blog

2. Leave a comment below telling me your favorite thing about the holiday season

**You must complete both of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway**

Giveaway will end Friday morning at 6:00 CDT and the 3 winners will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday morning’s blog post.

Make sure you check back on Friday to see if you’ve won (you will have 48 hours from the time I post the winners to email me your mailing address.  If I don’t hear from you, I will pick a new winner).

If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy),  follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!  

Thanksgiving Thankfulness, Social Media, Giveaway Winners, and a Book Review: The Couple Next Door {Shari Lapena}

If you celebrated yesterday, I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for.  My family, my health, my friends, my house, and the fact that my husband works so hard which allows me the opportunity to stay home with my children.  This is something that I never, EVER take for granted and am thankful for every single day of the year.  Next week, I get to go into my son’s preschool class to help bake cookies and last week I was able to help with the book fair at my daughter’s school.  Priceless.  I love you, Jon.

I am so thankful for the most fun hobby I have ever had, Book Coffee Happy.  It has allowed me some amazing experiences and opportunities and it’s only been 2.5 months.  I’m SO thankful for all of YOU!  I love “meeting” you and interacting with you.  Thank you for your support.  If you haven’t already followed/subscribed to the blog, I would be so thankful if you would.

My Thanksgiving yesterday was perfect.  The morning began with my favorite Thanksgiving tradition of watching the Macy’s parade on TV with my family and ended last night with a delicious feast at my parents’ house.  My mom made the most delicious dinner and her table was stunning as always.  Tiny pumpkins with twinkle lights, candles, leaves, and glitter branches.  My favorite part of dinner was the stuffing.  She makes the absolute best stuffing!

A special thank you shout out to my cousin, Jessica, who after dinner taught me how to use Instagram stories!  I joined Instagram earlier in the month and I’m slowly learning all of it’s features.  Jessica and I made my very first “story” about my favorite book of all time from when I was in high school!  Go check it out, the video of me talking is still up there.  If you don’t already follow me, I would so love if you did @bookcoffeehappy.  I had posted this picture earlier in the day:

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Love.

Speaking of social media, I posted this on Facebook yesterday:

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If you don’t already “like” my Facebook page (Book Coffee Happy), please do!  There have been some awesome book discussions on there, thank you to those of you who have contributed.

I’m also on Twitter (@bookcoffeehappy) and would love if you followed me on there as well!  I try to post different content on the various 3 platforms and have been loving watching all 3 grow!

Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the **GIVEAWAY (1 International and 1 US)** In Search of Mr. Anonymous {JB Glazer}.  The US winner of the hard copy is Jenchaos76 and the international winner (from Australia) of the ebook is ihavenoshelfcontrol!  Ladies, please email me at bookcoffeehappy@gmail.com and we will arrange all of the details!  Congratulations 🙂

If you didn’t win this one, no worries…I have a few AWESOME giveaways coming your way over the next few weeks!  Stay tuned 🙂

And now…a book review!

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Shari Lapena’s newest book, An Unwanted Guest {Shari Lapena}.  That book was great but this book was OUTSTANDING!  I absolutely love this author and am waiting on pins and needles for her to write more psychological thrillers.  If you haven’t read either of her books, I would recommend starting with this one…and clear your schedule for the next few days because you won’t want to do anything but read.

couple

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It all started at a dinner party. . .

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors–a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . .

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all–a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they’ve kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family–a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

5 Stars

YES.  YES.  YES.  This book is FANTASTIC.  It twists and turns in ways that I never saw coming.  I couldn’t put it down, I loved every second.  So clever, so well written, so amazing.  There is nothing I love more than a book that simply will not allow me to put it down, and this was a perfect example.  I carried this book around with me and read whenever I found a few minutes.  I read it over 3 days but could EASILY have read it in one sitting.

This book is fast paced and easy to read.  The chapters are quick and the story runs deep. And those twists…those TWISTS.  Yessssssssss.

And the thing is, EVERYONE I know who has read this book has also loved it!  In fact, I have yet to have someone tell me that they didn’t love it.  It’s SO good.  So, so good.  You’ll love it.

Bottom Line:

This. Book. Is. AWESOME.

Have you read this book?  What did you think?  How was your Thanksgiving?  What are you thankful for?

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy),  follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!  

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

**GIVEAWAY (1 International and 1 US)** In Search of Mr. Anonymous {JB Glazer}

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Sex.  This book has sex.  Hot, steamy, mind blowing, amazingly delicious sex.  Aaaaand if that doesn’t make you want to keep reading this post, I’m not sure what will, lol…

Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book to read and review for my blog.  All opinions are my own. 

Giveaway details will be given at the bottom of this post!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One bet. One passionate weekend with a mysterious stranger. Endless heart break. Cynical event planner Lucy doesn’t have time for love. She’s focused on her career and planning the hottest wedding in Chicago. A wedding she never thought her firm, Dreams DLC, would win. She was so confident, in fact, that she agreed to a rather unorthodox bet with her friend, Trish. If Dreams won the pitch, Lucy would have a one-night stand with the man of Trish’s choosing. Now it’s time to pay up. Lucy doesn’t do one-night stands. Period. But she’s loyal to the core, so she can’t help but honor her commitment. Trish scouts out the perfect man who’s sure to bring Lucy out of her shell. He agrees to the deal, so Lucy makes a term of her own: no names, no personal details. Her handsome stranger agrees, and what was supposed to be one-night turns into a weekend of passion that tests Lucy’s boundaries. Lucy falls hard only to never hear from him again. She searches for answers, but it’s difficult to find someone who’s anonymous. Lucy struggles with moving on until she meets James. James is her perfect match: kind, funny, patient, and giving. His only flaw is that he isn’t him–Mr. Anonymous. Lucy realizes she must stop chasing the ghosts of her past if she wants a future with James. But that’s the thing about ghosts. You never know when they’ll come back to haunt you.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

Loved it.  Couldn’t put it down.  Immediately drew me in from page 1.

I absolutely adore when a book keeps me guessing the entire time with how everything will turn out in the end.  There were so many story lines and I think she did a great job with how they all turned out.  So many different themes were discussed in this book—love, friendship, loyalty, abandonment, honesty, family, etc.  The characters were interesting and the story lines were well developed.  I found the chapters to be a perfect length which held my interest and made me want to read further.

And the sex.  OHHH the sex.  There were some very detailed and descriptive scenes in this book.  If you don’t mind some heat, you’ll love reading this book.  I know I sure did 😉

Insider scoop:  JB Glazer just finished writing the SEQUEL to this book!  As I told her when she shared this information with me…COUNT.  ME.  IN.  I can’t wait to continue the journey with these characters and see how their stories will continue to unfold.  Fingers crossed for more steamy sex scenes…

Bottom Line:

Ladies, you will love this sexy book.

A conversation with JB Glazer, in her own words:

Briefly give a description of your book:
Cynical event planner Lucy shares a passionate weekend with a handsome stranger as
a result of losing a bet. It’s so out of character that she wants to keep their names
anonymous. She falls hard only to never hear from him again. Lucy struggles with
moving on and finally meets an incredible guy who is perfect for her. But can she let go
of her “Mr. Anonymous?” And is she in love with a ghost because it’s easier than facing
the possibility of having the real thing? Along Lucy’s search for love her loyalty will be
put to the ultimate test. In Search of Mr. Anonymous tackles topics such as love and
loyalty, and how even the best of intentions can lead to devastating consequences.

How did you create the idea for your book?
I’ve always found it interesting how Millennials are more open to sharing information
about themselves online. My last novel, I Should Have Said Yes, touched on this idea
because I think people find it’s easier to express themselves when they can hide behind
the anonymity of a screen. I started to wonder would the same philosophy apply in real
life. Is it easier to give into temptation and do or say things you normally wouldn’t
knowing you may never see someone again? I explored this concept by having Lucy
agree to a one-night stand as long as they kept their names anonymous.

What audience would be most interested in your book?
Women ages 18+ who like a bit of sizzle, a dash of drama, and lots of heart.

Where can your book be purchased?
My book can be purchased at most major retailers including Amazon, iBooks, Kobo,
Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and more. For about the cost of a cup of coffee, you can
indulge in something steamy, spicy, and hot!

Use 3 adjectives to describe your book:
Heart-warming, heart-breaking, thought-provoking

Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or your
book:
In Search of Mr. Anonymous follows Lucy on her journey to finding love and herself in
the process. While I hope the ending will satisfy readers, the story is far from over. This book is part 1 of a 2 part series. The sequel, Finding Forgiveness, will be available in early 2019.

As for me, I believe in writing books with relatable characters, dramatic happy endings, and that a daily dose of chocolate is one of life’s necessities. ☺

***GIVEAWAY***

Would you like a chance to win a copy of this HOT story?

I have TWO copies of In Search of Mr. Anonymous to give away!

The US autographed book will be mailed directly to the winner and the international ebook will be emailed directly to the winner.  To be entered, please complete these 3 simple steps:

1. Follow and/or subscribe to my blog

2. Leave a comment below telling me 1 sexy quality you look for in a partner

3. Please mention if you are in the US or are internationally located in your comment

**You must complete all 3 of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway**

Giveaway will end Friday morning at 6:00 CDT and winner will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday morning’s blog post.  Make sure you check back on Friday to see if you’ve won!  If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!  (PS…I love TALL men even though I’m only 5’1.  My husband is 6’3)!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy),  follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!  

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo