Fun Beach Read - Summer with a Star by Merry Farmer

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I adored Summer With A Star by Merry Farmer. It's the perfect summer, beachy read! Warm, romantic, and full of that irresistible beach-town charm that I love in my summer reads.

Tasha has spent twenty years dreaming of one perfect summer at Sand Dollar Point, a beautiful Victorian house on the Maine coast that has lived in her imagination since she was a child and passed it with her family as they stayed in other places close by. When she finally arrives she to finds out that a Hollywood actor Spencer Ellis (Spenc) is settled in and her dream seems ruined until he invites her to share the house with him.

Merry Farmer does such a wonderful job with the setting. You can practically feel the ocean breeze, hear the waves, and smell the salty air. The house itself becomes almost another character with it's coziness, like the open windows, the billowy curtains It's the ideal backdrop for two people who are both trying to figure out what they really want from life. The chemistry between Tasha and Spencer is electric, and their banter, slow burn connection, and eventual heat had me hooked. I loved how the story balances sweetness with real emotion and just the right amount of steam.

What made this book special for me was how genuine it felt. It’s not just a celebrity-meets-ordinary-girl story but two people who see each other clearly when the rest of the world only sees the surface. I found myself rooting for them although Tasha at times annoyed me. Why don't people just communicate?

If you’re looking for a warm, romantic, feel good read with a gorgeous coastal setting, charming characters, and a satisfying dreamy happily-ever-after, Summer with a Star was perfect. I finished it in 2 days and immediately wanted more of this series.

Perfectly Perfect for Children by Dr. Tiffanie Tate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Parents Can’t Fix What They Don’t See: Physician Says Early Awareness Is Key to Preventing Childhood Perfectionism

Dr. Tiffanie Tate says acknowledging early signs of perfectionism is the first step toward raising healthier children.

LOS ANGELES, July 31, 2026 — Parents often believe body image struggles and perfectionism begin during the teenage years. Physician and author Dr. Tiffanie Tate says that assumption may be one of the greatest barriers to protecting children’s mental health.

“It’s not a problem unless we deny it,” Tate said. “As long as we address the issue, we can identify it and start working on it. The problem is when we stick our head in the sand.”

Tate’s new children’s book, Perfectly Perfect, offers a way for parents and caregivers to introduce young children to concepts surrounding self-worth at the very moment those beliefs begin to form.

Written for children under 12, Perfectly Perfect uses rhythmic language and a relatable story of friendship to introduce big ideas in small, accessible ways. When a young girl begins to feel unhappy with her body and stops eating, her friends step in with compassion, helping her see what she cannot: that her value has never been in question.

“The ‘perfect trap’ is a public health issue,” Tate said. “Too many children seem to be suffering from image issues from social media. It’s time for us to rewrite self-worth in this age of pressure, comparison and mental health crises.”

Designed as both a story and a conversation starter, the book gives parents, caregivers and educators a framework for discussing self-image, disordered eating and self-worth in age-appropriate language.

Wyoming Star agrees, writing, “Perfectly Perfect is aimed as much at adults as it is at children. It quietly redirects attention back to the environment children are growing up in. It encourages parents to approach sensitive topics like eating habits with ‘calm curiosity’ rather than pressure, and to focus on function (how the body grows, plays, thinks) instead of appearance. The emphasis is less on correcting behavior and more on reshaping the framework through which children interpret themselves.”

With themes of kindness, empathy and confidence, Perfectly Perfect encourages children to support one another and to recognize their own worth from the very beginning.

“Perfectly Perfect is about raising healthier humans,” Tate added. “The story helps children understand they do not have to earn their value; they already have it.”

Perfectly Perfect is Tate’s latest children’s title, following Bad Touching, which teaches age-appropriate lessons about personal safety; Little Engine Mia Sings, which addresses bullying; and Money Matters, which introduces financial literacy concepts to young readers.

Perfectly Perfect

Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing

ISBN-13: ‎979-8896378952

Available from https://www.amazon.com/Perfectly-Perfect-Dr-Tiffanie-Tate/dp/B0GR1XLKPQ

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Originally from Compton, California, Dr. Tiffanie Tate is a Christian, mother, servant, listener and retired OB/GYN. She served as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy during the Global War on Terror. A volunteer within her local community, she provides lectures to students, family practice residents, and other organizations and groups.

In addition to her children’s books, she is also the author of FloweTry: A Collection of 108 Poetic Flows on Life, Love, and Liturgical Issues. She is currently a co-host on the once-weekly NBC morning podcast/radio show, “Doctors In The House,” on Wednesday mornings on AM 1050/FM 106.5, with replays available on YouTube.

She is the Democratic- and VoteVets-endorsed candidate for California State Senate District 32.

For more information, please visit https://drtiffanietate.com/, or find the author on Instagram (@drtiffanietatemoore) and LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/dr-tiffanie-tate-76a35666). 

Environmentally Friendly Bravo® Paper Towels Made from 75% Recycled Materials

 

Milwaukee, Wis. – Every day, millions of Americans reach for a paper towel to soak up a spill, wipe down a countertop or clean up a mess. Now, there’s an eco-friendly option that’s so strong and durable it can handle almost any job it’s given.  

Bravo paper towels, available at Target stores nationwide and at Target.com, are made from 75% curb-side recycled paper and cardboard, but that’s not the end of the story. Bravo towels do their work and then some.  

Thanks to a proprietary manufacturing process, the towels have superior absorbency and scrub strength. In fact, they’re so durable they can be rinsed and reused again and again – another plus in the “green” column.  

Bravo has other brag points, too. The towels are soft and work like cloth, meaning they can take on grease, grime, stuck on foods and other tough scrubbing tasks. For jobs that require a wet towel, Bravo sheets are three times stronger than the leading recycled fiber kitchen towel brands.  

For consumers, Bravo comes in conserve-a-size half sheets so it can handle messes of all sizes – from big to small – with just the right amount of paper towel, which helps eliminate waste.  

On the store shelf, Bravo stands out. The product doesn’t contain dyes, fragrances or elemental chlorines so it’s “natural tan” in color. And, unlike the leading brands that are bulky and full of air, Bravo comes in a compressed, space-saving format – meaning the rolls are easier to store at home. 

Bravo paper towels are available in a six-pack (which is the equivalent of 18 “standard” rolls) at Target. 

Bravo is made in the United States by Sellars, a Milwaukee, Wis.-based company that manufactures a variety of towels and wipers that are made from recycled and reclaimed content. 

To find a retailer, visit bravotowel.com or Target.com to purchase Bravo online. 

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Farm Sanctuary: The Story of a Movement That Changed How America Thinks About Animals

 

Amazon

 A definitive new book tracing the investigations, rescues, and cultural shifts that helped move farm‑animal protection from the margins to the mainstream

 NEW YORK CITY — In Farm Sanctuary: The Story of a Movement, coming from Lantern Publishing & Media in September 2026, farm animal protection pioneer Gene Baur traces the rise of the world’s first farm animal sanctuary and the global movement it sparked. Blending archival photography, first‑person accounts, and four decades of on‑the‑ground work, the book offers an intimate look at how Farm Sanctuary helped reshape public conversations about animals and food.

Through detailed reporting and personal storytelling, Baur—called “the conscience of the food movement” by TIME and one of Oprah’s “SuperSoul Givers”—recounts the movement’s early investigations, landmark rescues, and hard‑won legislative victories with lived immediacy. Readers meet the animals who shaped the organization’s identity—cows, pigs, chickens, sheep—whose individual stories reveal the emotional realities often lost in policy debates and food‑system conversations. Photographs and firsthand accounts draw readers into the tranquil rhythms of the New York and California sanctuaries, while also opening the door to the movement’s more lively history—from the early days of selling vegan hot dogs at Grateful Dead shows to the celebrity voices that helped carry Farm Sanctuary’s message into mainstream culture.

Oscar‑winning actor Joaquin Phoenix writes, “For forty years, Farm Sanctuary has been a refuge for animals who long for, and deserve, a peaceful existence,” describing the organization’s work as “a testament to the power of extending our circles of compassion and empathy.” Comedian Nikki Glaser adds, “Few have done more for animals than Farm Sanctuary. This book doesn’t just tell their story—it reveals what they’ve been up against all along.”

 Farm Sanctuary: The Story of a Movement will appeal to readers of narrative nonfiction, environmental writing, and cultural history, as well as those interested in mindful living and the emotional connections between humans and animals. Its blend of reportage, memoir, and visual storytelling makes it a strong candidate for review coverage and author interviews. 

 Baur is also the author of two previous books—Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food (Simon and Schuster) and Living the Farm Sanctuary Life (Rodale)—both of which were national bestsellers and helped bring the sanctuary movement into mainstream conversation.

 Publication Date: September 2026

Publisher: Lantern Publishing & Media

Format: Hardcover & eBook

Hardcover ISBN: 978‑1‑59056‑755‑5

eBook ISBN: 978‑1‑59056‑756‑2

 Founded in 1986, Farm Sanctuary fights the disastrous effects of animal agriculture on animals, people, and the planet through rescue, education, and advocacy. The organization provides lifelong care for animals rescued from abuse at sanctuary locations in New York and California, fosters just and compassionate vegan living, and advocates for legal and policy reforms. To learn more about Farm Sanctuary, visit FarmSanctuary.org. 

Did You Also Trade Your Summer For A Paycheck?

So far I have spent this summer working.

Long hours, early mornings, the whole thing.

Part of me is proud I showed up and stayed consistent. Another part keeps whispering that I missed the “real” summer the slow mornings, the spontaneous plans, the feeling of having time to just exist. This can not happen in my current life. Weekends are spent doing the chores I don't get to during the week and then I start another week all over again.

As someone who works with kids I understand that the work matters as much as paying my bills but I also know rest and joy matter too. I get jealous when I see others enjoying their day in their backyard pools or on the boat on the lake just spending time with their families and friends. It never happens in my world!

I often have to remind myself that summers don’t have to look the same as others but damn, I still wish I’d stolen a few more empty days for myself.

Anyone else feel like they traded their summer for a paycheck this year?

Sullivan's Crossing! Not As Good As Virgin River BUT

I am only at the end of Season 2 but I really love it. Every morning I have 30 minutes to sit and watch something before I go to work at 6:10 AM. It has to be a slow show. Not an adrenalin rush, it needs a slow pace that I can stop at anytime even if I am in the middle of a really good scene. This is how I found Younger, Virgin River, and Thank You Next.  It reminded me of Virgin River and it wasn't until I was talking to my 88 year old new bestie that I heard they are both by the same author Robyn Carr. While I have never read either of these series my 88 year old friends has. She loved them!

While Sullivan's Crossing isn't as good as Virgin River for me it is perfect for what I need and I find myself excited to see what will happen next plus it starts Scott Patterson from my beloved Gilmore Girls. show has the perfect mix of small-town charm, slow-burn romance, and characters who actually feel real.

Sullivan's Crossing is filmed in Nova Scotia and the scenery is stunning, the soundtrack has provided many new songs on my playlist balancing heartache with hope which have always been my favorite songs.

I love how it doesn’t rush anything! It takes it's time with the relationships, the healing, the quiet moments that somehow say more than big dramatic scenes. The secondary characters are just as important to the storyline especially Edna and Frank who run the shop and cook at Sullivan's Crossing.

If you haven’t started it yet what are you waiting for?

Wishing For A Simpler Time

Cartooned my daughter and nieces 

Is anyone else feeling as if they want a reset to simpler times? A longing for connection with the people you love. I think I speak more to strangers than I do to the people I love. We sit side by side but by husband is on his computer or phone and I know this for years so I now sit with mine as well,  reading a book on my Kindle or playing game. Thank God for my daughter because we speak often but she needs to have her own life and I want that for her.

Even friends or family text hellos and act like that is a connection. I am old and want a phone call instead so I reach out but everyone is running so the calls are always short. When did life get so busy that we forgot what was really important and that is connection and making memories that will last a lifetime because not everyone gets a long life. My mom died at 34. Her life was over but here I am at 60 and wonder if she had a more full life than I have had in the past 10 years. 

The kids are both in their 20s and while they are still home and we spend plenty of time together I find myself longing for a good power outage that lasts a few days. When we have a storm and the power goes out thankfully it returns before the day ends. My daughter and I do perfectly fine. We always find something to do. On the last storm my husband and son went to bed. It would have been nice to play a game of cards, laugh around the table and make a memory that we can look back at fondly one day. 

NOTE: The irony is NOT lost on me that I used AI to generate a picture for this post. but the girls are all older and I didn't' want to have to ask permission to use my photo of them.