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New Modern Romance Stories for March
You Were Made for Me by Jenna Guillaume and Rosie Loves Jack by Mel Darbon.
Young adult author Jenna Guillaume (What I Like About Me) is back with her second contemporary novel, You Were Made for Me (Peachtree Publishing; April 2021; ISBN: 978-1-68263-295-6; HC $17.99; Ages 12+), a fun, feminist twist on the 1985 movie and pop-culture classic Weird Science.16-year-old Katie Camilleri wants the perfect first kiss from the perfect guy. So when she and her best friend Libby accidentally create “Guy”—a boy six-feet tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer’s day, whose lips taste like cookie dough and skin smells like springtime, and who is completely devoted to Katie—things start looking up. But it turns out that the consequences of bringing a human being into existence are rather complicated. Will this spontaneous creation solve all of Katie’s romantic problems or lead to more unintended effects? Does Guy, the golden Adonis she created, like her because he wants to or because he has to? And will Katie actually get her first kiss?
Guillaume’s second YA novel is equally lighthearted and thought-provoking, written with a humorous narrative style recounting Katie’s and Libby’s hijinks, and filled with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. An entertaining and binge-worthy read perfect for fans of Jenny Han, it also features a cast of diverse, relatable characters and explores more serious topics like sexuality, body image, bullying, perfectionism, friendship, and dating. Guillaume’s refreshing twist on a classic narrative also provides plenty of pop culture callbacks to satisfy any 80s and 90s rom-com devotee.
JENNA GUILLAUME was the editor-at-large for BuzzFeed Australia, where she wrote about pop culture, identity, feminism, social media, and, most importantly, Chris Hemsworth’s biceps. Previously, she worked in the features department of Girlfriend magazine in Australia, writing about everything from bullying and body image to bad kisses and boy bands. She also contributed to Girlfriend Life Hacks, an essential guide to navigating a girl’s completely-awkward-but-
totally-awesome teen years. Guillaume lives in Australia. Visit her website at jennaguillaume.com. “The author stays out of Rosie’s way, successfully depicting her protagonist as a person, not a puppet or a platform. The other characters populating the book are realistic, with a striking range of personality traits. The plot is so engrossing that the book is almost impossible to put down. Yes, Rosie loves Jack, and readers are going to love Rosie.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Rosie is a 16-year-old girl with Down syndrome, fighting for little freedoms, tolerance, and love amid the vast landscape of London in Mel Darbon’s powerful debut YA novel Rosie Loves Jack (Peachtree Publishing; March 2021; ISBN : 978-1-68263-289-5; HC $17.99; Ages 12+).Rosie loves Jack. Jack loves Rosie. So when they are separated, Rosie will do anything to find the boy who makes the sun shine in her head. Even run away from home. Even struggle across London and brave the Tube stations to travel to Brighton alone during a snowstorm. Even though people might think a girl like Rosie could never survive on her own. Rosie must deal with new situations and experiences and some frightening unfamiliar places and people, but she’s determined to prove to everyone, especially her parents, that she’s just as capable as anyone at following her heart.
Written from Rosie’s perspective, this riveting novel gives readers an underrepresented but much-needed and thoughtful point of view. Author Mel Darbon’s voice-driven plot will immediately pull readers into Rosie’s world and have them excited, worried, proud, and cheering alongside her for every step of the journey, which is filled with lighthearted as well as darker moments. Featuring a diverse cast of characters and highlighting the range of abilities within the special needs community, this compassionate story drives home the message that we are all humans with feelings and the need to be valued and loved. Rosie Loves Jack was reviewed by a sensitivity reader from the Down syndrome community for accurate representation.
MEL DARBON began telling stories to her autistic younger brother when they were children and has worked as a theater designer, freelance artist, teacher for adults with learning disabilities, and workshop teacher for teenage moms and young offenders. Mel is now focused on writing her second novel and developing creative writing workshops that encourage students with mixed abilities to work together for acceptance and inclusion. A graduate of Bath Spa’s MA in Writing for Young People, she lives in England. Follow her on Twitter @DarbonMel.
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It’s finally beach weather again in South California! Do you have your sunglasses prepared?
I feel January and February are the coldest month in San Diego. Well, when I say cold, it is not the type of Winter cold, it’s more like Spring or Fall. You know, we don’t really have a Winter Winter. But as a San Diegan, I need my beach life comes back soon than later. The coming of March means I can enjoy beach trips more often from now on. Sunglasses are the most important thing you should always have when you go to beach. The sunshine of California is lovely, but the same time it is dangerous. It can hurt your eyes easily. Please enjoying the beach with a pair of nice sunglasses.
If you still feel uncomfortable to go to store to get sunglasses during the pandemic, why not to try Eyeglasses.com? Eyeglasses.com is a leading online eyewear store, specializing in high-quality prescription lenses, glasses frames and sunglasses since 1999. The Westport, Connecticut retailer features over 350 popular name brands with the world’s largest catalog of over 200,000 shapes and styles right at consumers’ fingertips.
“Eyeglasses.com: A Better Place To Buy”
- World’s Largest Collection of Prescripion Sunglasses
- Highest Quality Prescription Sunglass Lenses
- Lens Prices 50% Lower Than Average Retail
- Perfect Lenses Guarantee
- Free Shipping
- Buy Four, Return Three For Full Refund
If you have very sensitive eyes to the sunlight. Luckily, Eyeglasses.com has Prescription Sunglasses Frames. Sun-sensitive lenses are also known by the brand name Transitions, and the technical name “photochromic“. Sun-sensitive lenses automatically darken to a moderate shade when they are exposed to the ultra-violet rays of direct sunlight. When the direct sunlight is removed, the lenses lighten again. Sun-sensitive lenses are typically only available in brown and grey. Sun-sensitive lenses are available in the normal range of vision correction for prescription sunglasses.
A photochromic lens has some limitations. First, the lens needs ultra-violet light to darken, and it will darken more slowly or incompletely if the lens is not in direct sunlight. For example, if you are wearing a hat, or if it is cloudy, or if you are inside an automobile, the lenses may darken slowly or not completely. Second, it could take up to eight minutes for lenses to transition from dark back to clear. So if you are in-and-out of the sun, the lenses may not be dark or clear when you want them to be. Third, photochromic lenses do not become completely clear indoors, but retain a light tint that may not appeal to people who want completely clear lenses indoors.
How To Buy Prescription Sunglasses
- STEP 1: Get your prescription and pupil distance measurement.
- STEP 2: Pick out a pair of prescription sunglasses.
- STEP 3: Choose “Add lenses to frame”. Some sunglasses cannot take prescription lenses. In that case, the “add lenses” option will not be present.
- STEP 4: Use the prescription lenses wizard to choose a lens type, material, and model.
- STEP 5: Choose lens tinting options.
- STEP 8: Add the lens to the shopping cart, and check out.
The service Eyeglasses.com provides is different from the service you will experience in an eyewear store. Since the company founding in 1999 many years ago, hundreds of thousands of people have chosen Eyeglasses.com and been thrilled with the result. At The Vision Solution Store, “Our Vision Is Service” and their method is honesty and integrity. Eyeglasses.com works every day to improve the service, and they take all customer comments very seriously.With highly-competitive pricing and special deals, Eyeglasses.com offers uncompromised excellence, as well as free shipping, impeccable customer service and a Perfect Lenses Guarantee. To learn more, visit www.eyeglasses.com. -
Primal Kitchen’s Keto Friendly Spicy Chicken Sandwich Just Joined The Spicy Chicken Sandwich Battle
The battle of crunchy friend chicken sandwiches hasn’t finished yet. Which one is your favorite, Chick-fil-A or Popeyes, or KFC? I guess there is no one that you can try if you are on a keto diet. But what you can do is to make a keto friendly chicken sandwich at home with Primal Kitchen’s Mayo with Avocado Oil and Buffalo Sauce.
This recipe’s spicy chicken sandwich is keto friendly, thanks to a keto bun, pork rind-coated chicken tenders, and a mix of our Keto Certified Buffalo Sauce and Mayo with Avocado Oil. It’s a keto version of a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, but one that can be made easily anytime at home. If you don’t have or don’t want to use keto-friendly bread, this savory, crunchy, sour, spicy sandwich can be made into a wrap—collards or romaine provide a sturdy enough leaf to contain the heft.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 ounces pork rinds (We used Epic brand)
- 1/3 cup melted butter or ghee
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into tenders
- 1 tsp. water
- 4 Tbsp. Primal Kitchen Mayo with Avocado Oil
- 1 cup Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce
- 4 Unbun Grain-Free Buns
- 4 large pieces of iceberg lettuce
- 16 small pickle slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- In a food processor, pulse pork rinds until they are the consistency of bread crumbs. You can also place pork rinds and parmesan into a plastic baggie, seal it, and pound it into small bits using a rolling pin.
- Pour crumbs into a tray or a large plate. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter or ghee. When melted, pour butter into a tray or large plate.
- Coat chicken tenders in butter, and then coat in crumb mixture. Press as much coating onto each breast as possible. Bake chicken for 20 minutes, or until fully cooked (to be safe, insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. The internal temperature should be 160º when fully cooked.).
- Dilute mayo with water; stir and set aside.
- Assemble the keto spicy chicken sandwiches. Split the buns apart. Tear each large piece of iceberg lettuce into 2 smaller pieces, and place 1 piece on top of each bun bottom. Layer 2 chicken tenders on top of each piece of lettuce, drizzle on some buffalo sauce, add 2 more chicken tenders on top, and drizzle with more buffalo sauce. Add 2 pickles then 1 more piece of lettuce. Spoon on mayo, another 2 pickles, then the tops of the buns to close the sandwich.
Keto Friendly Zucchini Fries
(make your sandwich meal to a combo!)Ingredients
- 2 zucchini
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon Italian dried herbs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup Primal Kitchen Rosemary Garlic Vegan Mayo or Primal Kitchen Ketchup, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Cut the ends off of each zucchini. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise, and cut each half into quarters. Cut each zucchini quarter into matchsticks (the size and shape of fries).
- Add 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, dried herbs, garlic powder, almond flour, and salt to a bowl or glass container.
- In a separate bowl or glass container, whisk together eggs with a fork until they are well combined.
- Dip each zucchini matchstick in the eggs a few times, then dip into the cheese and flour mixture a few times until well coated. Place the zucchini fries on a parchment-lined baking sheet spaced apart in one layer. Repeat coating process until all matchsticks are coated.
- Bake zucchini fries for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with Primal Kitchen Rosemary Garlic Vegan Mayo or Primal Kitchen Organic Unsweetened Ketchup.
Now, time to enjoy the best spicy chicken sandwich in the keto world!
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Nature’s calming call. Discover how healthy, restorative sleep can support your mind and body without big pharma’s formulas
What if you could be and feel your best everyday without conventional pharmaceuticals? What if, instead, Good Pharma could harness nature’s powerful ingredients, centuries of global wisdom and modern science to create an alternative pharma?
Small, simple changes to your routine can have a meaningful impact on your life. Like adding a Good Pharma ritual to the end of your day for moments of calm and self-care.
Rest Assured™* – Herb & Jujube Seed Infusion
SLEEP SUPPLEMENT
Don’t give up on your dreams! This caffeine-free, tasty tea infusion supports the restorative sleep you thrive on.* Each Good Pharma™ Pour-Over Infuser contains supportive botanicals blended with this proprietary Rxtract™ (see Supplement Panel). These alchemized particles infuse blissful rest and vitality through a precisely potent serving of Traditional Chinese Medicinals and other key ingredients.
What’s it taste like? Think refreshing lemon citrus with hints of vanilla!
INDULGE IN HIGHER BEING. That’s the mantra as Good Pharma deliciously revives old-world wellness practices from “Nature’s Pharma” with the power of modern science. A vibrant life thrives with proactive practices of self-care, liberating what’s possible from the inside out. Good Pharma’s Pour-Over Fresh Brews engage the senses in a satiating ritual elevating you to the top of your game. Revel in a powerfully effective, yet craveable path to a balanced, optimized life!*
Good Pharma encourages you to Indulge in Higher Being. From the founders of Mighty Leaf Tea, Good Pharma believes your highest potential comes from the ongoing practice of nourishing the mind, body, senses and soul. Their fresh pour-over coffee & tea infusers hold precisely dosed granules containing herb extracts, functional mushrooms and amino acids, all concentrated for maximum activation and effect. Crafted to aid with functions like energy or focus, digestion or sleep to optimize you for a balanced life. Each Infuser contains either organic roasted Arabica coffee or organic whole leaf tea blended with their proprietary Rxtracts™. These alchemized particles infuse vitality through a precisely potent dose of functional mushrooms, adaptogenic plant extracts, and amino acids. With enticing aromas and fresh flavors, each pour over fresh brew engages the senses in a satisfying, mindful ritual throughout the day.
Well-being starts with immune support and flourishes with ongoing health-maintaining practices to liberate what’s possible from the inside out. That kind of radiance can’t be contained. Like a stone thrown in water, the ripples radiate out into the world. Imagine a small revolution, where the good of everyone starts with you.
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Barebells Chocolate Dough – Say Yes I Dough to Taste and Nutrition
For all of the Chocolate Lovers! A Chocolate Dough Protein Bar like no others, with 20 grams of protein and no added sugar!
The whole February is the season of loving and time to celebrate your loved ones, and what better way than with Chocolate? Let’s share the love with the NEWEST Barebells Chocolate Dough! Barebells – the revolutionary, high-in-protein, no added sugar* protein bar brand – just launched their chocolate dough bar February 9th. For all Chocolate Lovers – this one’s for you! Are you ready to fall in love?
Barebells delicious new Chocolate Dough bars are filled with mouthwatering chocolate dough, covered in creamy milk chocolate, and coated in chocolate crisps. With 20 grams of protein and no added sugar, this indulgent treat will have you back for more! Its flavor is so sensational it will make you say YES, I DOUGH!
“Our richest bar yet will be available on our online shop, just in time to satisfy all the chocolate cravings that come with Valentine’s Day,” said Ben Jones, CEO of Barebells Functional Foods™. “A real tribute to chocolate without the guilt, Chocolate Dough is rich in protein and nutrition to support health-focused goals, while presenting a flavor that will drive the taste buds mad.”
Chocolate Dough features 20 grams of protein, no added sugar and is free from palm oil. Since launching in the U.S., Barebells’ has quickly become known as the best tasting protein bar on the market, ideal to fuel a workout or satisfy the taste buds as a dessert alternative.
Chocolate Dough has been available for purchase on www.barebells.com, as well as at select retailers and gyms nationwide. Barebells is available at Trader Joe´s, GNC, Muscle & Strength, Bodybuilding.com, Maverick, Hyvee, Jackson´s, Harmon´s, Gelson´s & more coming. For more information, visit www.barebells.com or follow them on Instagram.
About Barebells Functional Foods™
Barebells Functional Foods™ was launched in Sweden in 2016 to offer products high-in-protein that never compromise on flavor. Since the launch, the functional food brand has revolutionized the industry with its bestselling protein bars delivering 20g protein and no added sugar* – a real treat for everyone who wants to feed their cravings.
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Little Things You Can Do to Beautify Your Bedroom
Our bedrooms are places where we say goodbye to the day that’s behind us and get ready to welcome the next one. As such, these areas should be designed in a way that will have a soothing effect and promote relaxation and good vibes.
That being said, however, that doesn’t mean that the décor should be minimal – unless that’s something you enjoy. So, if you’re looking for easy ways you can beautify your bedroom and make it feel more your own, you’ve come to the right place. Here are just some ideas.
Choose interesting wall décor
One of the easiest ways you can transform your bedroom is by adding just a few pieces of wall décor. Keep in mind that the décor pieces you choose to add to your bedroom should reflect your personal style. On top of that, you shouldn’t fill all of your bedroom walls with décor. Instead, opt for a statement piece or two. There are some interesting wall décor pieces on Skull Bliss, so make sure you check them out.
Add color
If you feel like your bedroom décor is lacking some color, you can easily introduce some without necessarily having to paint the walls. For instance, you can get your hands on some interesting wallpaper samples, frame them and hang them up on your wall. You can also use these to create a gallery wall above your bed that will create an illusion of a unique headboard. On the other hand, if this doesn’t sound appealing to you, you can always opt for colorful bedding instead.
Play around with your night stand
If you are overall happy with your bedroom design but you still wish to make just some small changes, you can always play around with your nightstand. Instead of the regular nightstand, you can opt for a wall-mounted alternative. Similarly, you can even choose to get rid of your nightstands altogether and mount a simple floating wall shelf instead. You can then use the floorspace below the shelf to store decorative boxes or wicker throw blanket baskets.
Add an area rug
A very quick and easy way to bring new life into any area is by adding an area rug. The type and size of the rug you choose to go with will entirely depend on your personal preferences. And even if you already have a rug in your bedroom, don’t throw that one out. Instead, simply layer the two rugs to create an entirely fresh look.
Create a “me” nook
Next, no matter how big or small your bedroom is, chances are that you will have enough space to create a “me” nook. This can either be a reading corner, where you can simply add a small armchair and couple it with an interesting lamp; or it can be a cute little vanity setup where you’ll take your time to get ready in the morning. No matter which of these you choose, you’ll instantly add more interest to your bedroom and make it feel much more your own.
Dim the lights
Finally, even though you want to ensure that you have enough light in your bedroom for when you actually need it, you also want to be able to dim them when the room starts to feel too bright. That’s why installing a light dimmer switch is never a bad idea, especially in areas such as the bedroom.
All of these tips and ideas have one thing in common – all of them are super easy to install and add to your current bedroom design, but all of them are guaranteed to entirely transform your space in no time.
