Viva Editions are books that inform, enlighten, and entertain. The very name, "Viva!", is celebratory. And while Viva Editions is a line of books that are as fun as they are informational, the intention behind Viva is very serious—these are books that are truly helpful and intended to enhance people's lives.


Friday, July 29, 2011

being grateful even in the tough time

As the debt ceiling looms, it seems inevitable that we're going to be asked to tighten our belts again. Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons have created three transformative tools to help us remember that we have much to be grateful for, no matter what, and exercising gratitude each day will strengthen your spirit, quiet your mind and open your heart.


The Gratitude Power Workbook
Transform Fear into Courage, Anger into Forgiveness, Isolation into Belonging


Discover the positive power of gratitude

No matter where you are on your life's journey, you can open The Gratitude Power Workbook to find inspiration for change. By taking just five minutes a day with the stories, practices, meditations, exercises, and questions offered here, you'll find yourself moving towards a happier and more fulfilling life. Like building a spiritual muscle, exercising gratitude each day will strengthen your spirit, quiet your mind, and open your heart. The Gratitude Power Workbook can be your soul's daily companion—and one of the most important books you'll ever own.


The gratitude power circle of authors Lesowitz and Sammons, along with Viva Editions Associate Publisher and the editor of THE GRATITUDE POWER WORKBOOK Brenda Knight, are back out on the road and airwaves evangelizing their message that an attitude of gratitude can turn your life around. You can listen to most of these interviews on-line in the future:

Positively Incorrect with Scott Cluthe, listen on-line
The Mary Jones Show, WDRC-AM, Hartford, Connecticut, July 13
The Broad Perspective Radio, listen on-line
I'm Thankful Network Radio with Sue Lundquist, July 23
Empower Radio, August 1 at 9:00 a.m. EST
Relationship 101 with Dr. Beth Erickson, August 2 at 2:00 p.m. PST
Vivid Life Radio, August 17 at 11:00 a.m. EST
Coach Betty Live, August 17 at 3:30 p.m. PST
Life with Direction with Sharon Quirt, Vivid Life Radio, August 17 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Queen of Dreams Radio, August 18 at 8:00 p.m. CST
Questing Radio, August 23 at 11:00 a.m. PST
Waves of the New Age Radio, September 6 at 3:30 p.m. EST
Lunch with Loveologist Wendy Stgar, LA Talk Radio, September 7 at noon
Inside Personal Growth Radio, air date to come

And you can read Mary Beth Sammon's words of wisdom in the October issue of Essence.



Living Life as a Thank You
The Transformative Power of Daily Gratitude
Living as if each day is a thank you can help transform fear into courage, anger into forgiveness, and isolation into belonging. The authors present a simple yet comprehensive approach for incorporating gratitude into one's life and reaping its many benefits. Whatever is given—even a challenging moment—is a gift. With this book, you will be able to feel more connected to the flow of life and less alone in your struggles and fears.



More · Buy

The Courage Companion
How to Live Life with True Power
If ever there was a time for courage, it's now. In The Courage Companion, the co-authors of the bestselling Living Life as a Thank You present stories of extraordinary fortitude. These true tales not only invite the reader to "tap into—and hold onto—our inner strength when times get tough and when we're feeling all alone," but also act as guides to inspire anyone to just do it, whatever that "it" may be.



More · Buy

Monday, July 18, 2011

a great daily reminder for Vivacious living!

An Inspiring Message - Don't Waste a Minute of Life
susynreeve | July 18, 2011 at 6:56 pm | Tags: inspire me today, inspiring message, live your dreams, richard branson | Categories: Inspired Life | URL: http://wp.me/p1HjhW-15
A critical thing is not to waste a minute of life. Throw yourself whole-heartedly into it. Don't wast a minute and try to make a positive difference in as many other people's lives as possible. - Sir Richard Branson



Gail Lynne Goodwin the creator of Inspire Me Today recently met with Sir Richard Branson founder of the Virgin Group. Gail writes, "I had the honor of spending a few hours with Sir Richard Branson at his home on Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands. As I walked into his home, I found him lying in a hammock in an alcove of the great room, open to the warm tropical breezes, overlooking the multi-colored turquoise Caribbean Sea. Bliss.

"Barefoot and dressed in swim shorts and a tee shirt, he looked more like a Jimmy Buffett fan rather than the founder of the Virgin Group, best known as the only person in the world to have created eight separate billion-dollar companies from scratch, each in a different sector.

Since my return, the number one question I've been asked is, "What did you learn from Richard Branson?"

As I listen to their conversation I realized that Sir Richard Branson is not only living an inspired life - he also articulated the elements that have nourished and continue to nourish his inspired life. He is a person who not only dreams big - he brings big dreams to life. Listen to Gail's interview with Sir Richard Branson

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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A good blogger finds "a good MOle!"

review & giveaway - the lazy gourmet cookbook
Wednesday, July 6, 2011



As most of you might know...I love to cook! I have tried everything from easy recipes that you can make in minutes to very advanced recipes that take all day to create. The fact is that I love food...I love to prepare it, cook it, serve it and eat it. The Lazy Gourmet is a wonderful recipe book that offers gourmet style cooking in a fraction of the time.





I was so excited that The Lazy Gourmet had a recipe for Chicken Mole. I happen to love Mole and have only eaten twice in my life, but, my husband hates it. This recipe literally took me about 15 minutes of prep time and about 55 minutes of cooking time. It was extremely easy to prepare and was super delicious. My husband even said..."now this is good Mole!" The chicken was moist and easy to cut through. The sauce was rich and mildly spicy ...very comforting.




But, the cookbook just keeps getting better! They have recipes for Spicy Crab Cakes (as pictured below) and Sweet Peach Crostini and Top Sirloin with Charmoula on a bed of Arugula. The cook book offers recipes from appetizers, main courses to desserts. This will definitely be a recipe book that I will use over and over again throughout the years.









ABOUT THE LAZY GOURMET (from their website):
The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy is a hip, fun, and useful guide for anyone who dreams of dazzling guests with fabulous home-cooked fare, but fears that such a feat would require Thomas Keller’s talent, Martha Stewart’s ingenuity, Gandhi’s patience, and Charles Manson’s free time. With more than 125 delightfully simple, yet surprisingly sophisticated recipes, The Lazy Gourmet conquers the misguided belief that preparing an elegant meal requires spending hours—or days—in the kitchen.

Best friends who met in college and bonded over the dinner table, Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin are creative cooks whose motto is “Cooking a great meal can be just as easy as cooking a crappy meal!” They developed this collection of recipes that anyone— even those short on time, patience, skill, or experience —can prepare with ease. And these aren’t your typical “quick fix” dishes, but sophisticated meals designed to impress, such as:

Soy-Ginger Cured Salmon
Fig, Mint and Pistachio Salad
Asian-Style Yellow Gazpacho with Spicy Cilantro Pesto
Oven-Roasted Salmon with Garlic Confit
Seared Sea Scallops with Mint and Pea Purée
Black Cod en Papillote with Fennel, Baby Spinach, and Olives
Top Sirloin with Charmoula on a Bed of Arugula
Pistachio-Crusted Roast Leg of Lamb with Spiced Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce
Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Horseradish Cream
Baked Polenta with Mascarpone and Corn
Miniature Flourless Chocolate Cakes
Pignoli Amaretti (Almond and Pine Nut Cookies)
Sweet Peach Crostini
Orange Crème Fraîche Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

*** WANNA WIN THE LAZY GOURMET COOKBOOK?***