Really Random Tuesday #59: 7 Years Younger Winner, and Disney Candlelight

'Tis the season to be busy!  Today's Really Random Tuesday post is very short, as we're all in the middle of the hectic holiday season. (I do miss my reading....)

 ******************* 

 

Disneyland is Christmasland at this time of the year.  The Christmas decorations are quite abundant, and rides are also altered and adorned.  My daughter and her high school show choir performed in two Candlelight shows at Disneyland this past weekend.  It was truly spectacular!

This excursion led me to search for books about Disneyland.  If you know someone who loves Disneyland and wants to learn about its history, Disneyland the Nickel Tour: A Postcard Journey Through a Half Century of the Happiest Place on Earth  by Bruce Gordon and David Mumford would make a very nice gift (after this weekend, I'm tempted to buy this book for myself, if I can find a copy for a good price).

*******************

The randomly chosen winner of 7 Years Younger is Holly from 2 Kids and Tired Books.  Congratulations, Holly!  Motherhood is rewarding but is also often demanding and exhausting; I hope you'll get a chance to relax with this book while your children are in bed or occupied in some other way.  I found 7 Years Younger to be inspirational and uplifting, a health and beauty book that makes you feel good as you read it.  

If you didn't win this time, keep your chin up; I have other great giveaways listed on the right side of my blog,  and an entry form for a $25,000 Spa Trip Sweepstakes which is part of the 7 Years Younger post.   

*******************

 

Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.  I often announce my book giveaway winners in these posts.  If you find you have miscellaneous book news to gather up and are inspired by this idea, "grab" the button for use on your own blog, and add your link to the Mister Linky (a new feature for RRT).  Since I post this meme sporadically, I'll "reuse" this linky when I post--I think that will work.

As always,  your comments are welcomed.

7 Years Younger: Review and Giveaway, plus a $25,000 Spa Trip Sweepstakes!

Let's face it, ladies!  As women we want to look and feel young for as long as possible.  7 Years Younger: The Revolutionary 7-Week Anti-Aging Plan by the editors* of Good Housekeeping magazine addresses all of the topics vital to our health and appearance: skin, makeup, hair, diet, fitness, brain health, stress reduction, and maintaining a healthy weight.  Many of the ideas presented in the book reinforce what I already know and have been doing.  Yay!  However, I'm learning and picking up more tips, tidbits, and "tricks" as I read, so hopefully I'll look and feel younger soon. 

7 Years Younger is positive, upbeat, and inspiring.  It features a practical, "commonsense" approach to health that appeals to me.  Personally, I can't stand the all or nothing mentality when it comes to health and fitness, that requires you to be extreme and overly-regimented  in your diet and exercise program.

Move it or lose it!  I'm talking about exercise, of course--and I'll try not to get too preachy!  The book advises us to find an activity that we love; it could be playing tennis or Zumba or dancing or yoga or walking your dog, but the point is get up and do something that you enjoy doing on a regular basis (because frankly, if you don't enjoy it, you won't do it for very long).  For me, it's Spin classes right now, because the music gets me pumped up; after a while, it feels as if I'm dancing at a party or a club, and it stimulates my creativity in various directions.  I am also big on walking, although it's often hard to "schedule" walks.  So, I try to walk whenever I can, if only for short distances.  As the book points out, you can take shorter (but more frequent) walks if need be--it adds up!  Take the stairs, walk a bit farther from your car to the shop, take "little" walks.  You don't have to go to the gym five times a week, which is inconvenient for most of us.  (And why go to the gym and then come home and sit in front of the TV or computer screen, immobile for hours?  Do some chores around the house: take out the trash, put stuff away, move around, pitch in; not only will your spouse or significant other appreciate your efforts, but you'll get those pesky chores done and reap other benefits as well--a neater home and a more fit and streamlined physique).  In a nutshell, find a joyful "workout", and try to naturally incorporate more activity into your life.

There is ample nutritional advice in this book, too.  I do see "food as medicine", and the book motivates me to continue to eat foods that are nourishing (although I'm not perfect, I usually do make good food choices).  One quick example from the book: prepare a big spinach salad as part of your lunch with two cups of greens, with sliced tomatoes, red peppers, and mushrooms.  Coincidentally, I've  been making similar salads many times a week for the past several months if not longer (to accompany dinner, using mostly organic ingredients), with baby spinach leaves and all kinds of good incredible stuff, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, olives, sesame seeds, and whatever else we have.  I love the salads I make (sorry if that sounds boastful but they are fresh and fabulous!).  I started to use spinach as my main green after having a terrific salad at Applebee's for lunch one day (prior to that I usually used romaine lettuce, which I also love).

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

I was happy to read about other foods that I consume that are good for me, such as coffee, tea, and dark chocolate.  I always feel good when I read about the health benefits of foods I already love!  According to the book, coffee has "anti-aging virtues" and may lower the risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, melanoma, and Parkinson's, whereas drinking tea may lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, strengthen the immune system, fight cancer, protect tooth enamel, and help fight memory loss. (Wow! Time for some more coffee!  Later, I'll drink my "health tea"!)  Dark chocolate helps arteries function better, lowers bad LDL cholestrol and blood pressure, and improves blood flow to the skin and brain--all the more reason to indulge in this delicious, "decadent" treat! The book calls beans and lentils "protein powerhouses" and "nutritional fountains of youth".  (Okay, I promise I'll eat more beans and lentils!)  Fruits and vegetables, which I love and eat in abundance, are among the foods richest in antioxidants.  The book includes "age-delaying" recipes near the back which sound delicious, healthy, and easy-to-make,  such as Chicken Bruschetta, Shrimp and Spicy Tomatoes, and Turkey and White Bean Chili.  Yum! There's a wealth of nutritional information in this book, and it entices you to make the best possible food choices.  The outside reflects the inside, and what you eat is crucial to your health and appearance.  Simply put, you are what you eat, health and beauty wise.

I love books like this!  7 Years Younger is a pleasure to read, full of ideas, hope, and inspiration.  It's written in a friendly, down-to-earth manner, which is not overly scientific (although nutritional analyses for every single recipe and snack is provided in the appendix).  The book features the stories and photographs of ten real women who have taken the pledge, and you can sign your own "7 Years Younger Pledge" at the beginning of the book, and commit to the goal to look and feel your best by following the program in this book, which takes about two months, and which is thankfully about setting realistic and reachable personal goals.  I believe that health and beauty go hand in hand, from the inside out.  If you eat well, exercise, and get enough rest,  you will be healthier and look better and younger.  7 Years Younger is a valuable resource book for women of all ages.

7 Years Younger will be available to the general public early next year.  But, thanks to Bostick Communications and the editors of Good Housekeeping, I have an extra copy to give away to one reader.  If this sounds like a book you'd enjoy reading, enter my giveaway today (U.S. only)!

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one more chance, share a health or beauty tip in your comment.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Monday, December 17.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, December 18.

BUT THERE'S MORE--A FANTASTIC  SWEEPSTAKES FOR A SPA TRIP WORTH $25,000!  

To enter the sweepstakes, click here.  Good luck! 

* Executive editor Jennifer Cook, and other editors and directors 

Mailbox Monday

It's a wonderful life!  For the month of December, I'm pleased and honored to be the host of Mailbox Monday, a meme created by Marcia from the Mailbox Monday blog.  Mailbox Monday has been on tour for the past few years.  It's a grown-up version of "show and tell", an enjoyable way to share our excitement over the new books that have landed in our mailboxes, or that we've acquired in other ways.  For many of us, every day feels like Christmas, because a lot of books arrive in the mail, from authors, agents, publishers, and other book bloggers.

Last week, I received three books in the mail.  Perhaps that's not a lot by "book blogger standards", but it's plenty for me. :)  I received two copies of 7 Years Younger by the editors of Good Housekeeping from Bostick Communications.  I'll be hosting a giveaway for my extra copy (I may be seven years younger by then) and possibly mentioning a spa giveaway as well, so please stay tuned.  I won The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift on Darlene's blog, Peeking Between the Pages. 

Mailbox Monday is the only meme I know of that comes with a warning: "Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists."   This warning rings true for me in regards to my toppling TBR piles--my books runneth over!  My bedroom started to look very cluttered with stacks of books on top of other, more organized books.  I ordered this bookcase online, after a fruitless search around town for a small, low bookcase that would fit under a window.  After it arrived in the mail, I donned my carpenter hat, assembled it, and moved it downstairs.  Although this bookcase doesn't hold a great number of books, it does help a bit (and now I won't feel as guilty getting more books in the mail). 

What books (or book-related items) arrived in your home recently, by mail or by other means?  Please leave a comment after linking. Thank you!