OMG Pancakes!: 75 Cool Creations Your Kids Will Love to Eat by Jim Belosic

Excerpt

Over 75 recipes for crazy pancake concoctions... Good-bye cupcake...Helloooo, PANCAKES!

When Jim Belosic started making pancakes in unusual designs, he was just trying to earn some cool cred with his daughter, Allie. Little did he know how happy he'd make her-and the millions of fans who eagerly await his latest creations on the Internet.

Review:

I was super impressed with Jim's daily escapades in order to entertain his daughter and I have to admit I requested this book to learn a trick or two from him. Boy, did I ever... 

I learnt: 

-You really need to think a little bit outside the box to make the most mundane thing fun 

-Simplicity really is everything. All those designs I thought were complicated? Weren't. Great tutorials and schemes 

-Epic fun is epic fun! The book illustrates some of his popular designs but they also provide inspiration for you to experiment. 

A great activity to with kids ( or even adults) which gives me an idea...

Getting Over Garrett Delaney - Abby McDonald

Excerpt: 

Can a twelve-step program help Sadie kick her unrequited crush for good? Abby McDonald serves up 
her trademark wit and wisdom in a hilarious new novel.

Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly onesided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's
feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock
- all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A
heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized selfhelp
guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.

Review:
Oh, boy...does Sadie have a problem or what? Getting over her best friend? Yup - that's gonna be toughie. 

Okay. Here's what I think: Anyone who' ever crushed on, fallen in love with, or gotten dumped by someone will love this book. It's the kind of book that's meant for young adults but will mostly be circulating among the older crowd. It's experience talking. Mine, yours and your friend's whom you talked out of contacting that no-good love interest of hers. I mean, really. That's pretty much why I clicked on reading the ARC of this book to see if maybe I could get some self help in fiction form. Did I? Well, not really but it did affirm a couple of things for me: 

1-Recognize the problem: You know, Falling in love is just like being on drugs. There are severe consequences from the withdrawal symptoms. 
2-Bitching helps. A lot. The bitching that girls do with other girls is the first step towards getting over someone 
3-Stay busy. DO NOT allow yourself time to think about the other person. 
4-Let someone else monitor your contact activity so you're not tempted. 

And I was happy to see these general rules being followed. Was everything resolved? Not quite, but then again not everything has a happy ending and no matter how much women fantasize about their exes coming and begging for their forgiveness, they do realize it's a fantasy for a reason. 

I liked the story, overall. It was engaging and mostly true. The things we overlook in the guy when we're in love are so glaring visible to other people and it's okay to stand back and re-evaluate a friendship once in a while to see what you're really getting out of it. That's what I learnt and I'm happy with that.