LESS can be MORE: Living Large in Our Little House by Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're stepping away from the Fiction arena and into reality with a book that speaks to the more stream-lined, organized, and non-hoarder in us all.  It's a work that reminds us that memories don't reside in "things" but in the heart and mind, letting go can be a big step towards finding what truly makes us happy, and that LESS can sometimes really be MORE.  Ready to discover just how small you can really go?  Today's book of choice is...

Living Large in Our Little House:

Thriving in 480 Square Feet with Six Dogs, a Husband, and One Remote - Plus More Stories of How You Can Too

by

Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell

9781621452522

Reader's Digest

About the book...
Based on the successful blog, Living Large in Our Little House, the book is a practical and inspirational memoir about the joy and freedom of tiny house living.

Traditionally, the American Dream has included owning a house, and until recently that meant the bigger the better. McMansions have flourished in suburbs across the country, and as houses got bigger we filled them with more stuff. Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell had been subconsciously trying to live up to this American Dream when circumstances forced her and her husband into a 480-square foot house in the woods. What was supposed to be a writing cabin and guest house became their full-time abode and they quickly discovered that they had serendipitously discovered a better way of life...






Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Books A Million - IndieBound

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~








The book does just what it aims to...helps readers see how you can LIVE LARGE in the SMALLEST of surroundings.  It's not about having the most; it's about DOING the most with what you have. 





I can totally get behind the concept of living off the grid (to a degree) and not getting oneself into debt to achieve the "American Dream"...I'm pretty sure most of you out there could as well.  The common denominator for most of the tiny houses represented within this work is acreage.  That's right.  Land, land, and more land; the trick is only occupying a small part of it with a semi-permanent dwelling and utilizing the rest of it to not feel claustrophobic.  I'm sorry but when they were talking about living in a 97 square foot abode, I was certainly curious to SEE it, but live in it?  Umm, can I take a rain check? 

The thing about the author though is that she doesn't preach to having to own a particular size home.  I mean technically to belong to the tiny home movement, it has to be less than 500 square feet, but she talks about finding something that's comfortable for you.  Decide what you think you need and then downsize the design by 100 square feet or so.   I did LOVE the different built in options utilized throughout the tiny homes.  The bookcases, the stair storage, the "Lazy Susan" for ultimate awkward space usage; all definite bonuses for any home...in fact, I might just incorporate a few into my own. 

Cool built-in options including storage under the stairs, refrigerator,
bookcases, and loft bedding maximize space in these little dwellings.

What it all adds up to is a book that caters to the curious but also to those on a mission to change their living environment in a big way.  It will be less stress on your pocketbook, give you more energy to do the things you love, a surplus of time to spend with those you adore, and as a byproduct of it all, help you take a few baby steps towards leaving a less substantial impact on the environment. Win-win for all!  While I'm not quite ready to downsize my current living space (as I would need a separate tiny home or two for just my books... ^-^), it's certainly something I'll keep in mind for future possibilities...though the vacation option to try it out DID sound pretty nifty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the author...





Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell is a journalist and author who has written a column on small space living for Parade.com. She’s also written on small space living for Mother Earth News and Realtor.com and has been interviewed extensively on her tiny house expertise. Her work has also appeared in Audubon Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo! News, MSN.com and NBC Digital’s pet channel. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Society of Environmental Journalists, a past national board member of the Society of Professional Journalists, and a past president of the Kansas City Press Club, Kerri’s other writing specialties includes animals and pets, business, travel, and the environment. She loves boating and fishing, hiking, and spending time with her husband of 30 years and their dogs. Kerri lives an intentional life with an eye toward sustainability in a 480-square-foot cabin in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and five “recycled” (rescue) mutts, which she documents on her blog, Living Large in Our Little House.




SITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special thanks to Leyane at FSB Associates for the chance to bring this title to you as well as the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, or those promotions on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

Spilling the Beans on the Cat's Pajamas by Judy Parkinson

Hi there, insatiable readers!

How are YOU today?

Hopefully all your holiday arrangements are in order and you are just sitting back, enjoying the season....unlike me who is still bustling about trying to get lose ends tied up.  That's part of the fun of the season though, right? 

Anywho...today's post is a break from the stories and escapes of the fictional world (which of course I adore) but loads of nerdishly fun all the same (which I also enjoy to break things up a bit).  It's a book for the curious at heart and all of those who can't simply help but wonder at even the smallest curiosities.  So, um...are you curious?  (hehe)  No need to keep you in suspense any longer.  Today's book of choice is....

Spilling the Beans on the Cat's Pajamas

by

Judy Parkinson

A nifty little book chock full of those phrases that you hear everyday and yet still don't quite know the full meaning behind them.  Have you ever had that happen?  You hear a phrase over and over, you may even perhaps use it yourself and yet you only sort of know what it means.  Yep, been there, done that....thankfully usually I was right, but this collection of wordish pearl goodness can help solve quite a few of those mind boggling little devils.  Let's look a prime example, shall we?

The book title itself is made up of two rather popular expressions...but do you really know what they mean or where they came from?  According to the text....

Spilling the beans (or rather "spill" the beans) means "to let on"...and is thought to perhaps have been derived from the ancient Greek practice of voting where black and white beans were used to show for whom or what you were voting in favor of. (pg 143-144)

The cat's pajamas first came into use in the 1920's (explaining the reason why it may be more familiar to YA readers right now with this era being rather popular at the moment) and is said to describe something of supreme quality or highest caliber.  (pg 41-42)

So basically the book's title in in explanation would be "to let on" about some high caliber information....and however fitting that might be, the expressions say it much more eloquently, don't you think?  Though there are so many I could highlight from this book, there is one more that I will lend you a new insight into....what the Dickens.  You've more than likely heard it exclaimed in surprise or even said it yourself (*raises hand*), but guess what?  It's origins have nothing to do with the infamous author of the same name!  That's right...it's actually a bit more devious than that, back to the 16th century or so as a reference for the Devil... O_O ... who'd have thought?

Easily used as a reference book should you have an encounter with an unknown phrase, yet also perfect for random fact lovers the world over.  The meaning behind some of these commonly used expressions is certainly obscure but where they originated from is all the more curious....

Review copy received courtesy of Julie at FSB Associates.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their current projects, visit them online or follow along on Twitter (multiple options here...1...2...3...4).  So you've been 'saved by the bell' 'at the eleventh hour' but just so you don't end up as 'mad as a hatter' over my over 'no holds barred' use of phrases, might I suggest this unique little book for a phrase slinging friend in your life, or perhaps....even YOU. 

Until next time...happy holidays...and happy reading!