Blooming: Finding Gifts in the Sh*t of Life by Carrington Smith
Thanks to Olivia McCoy of Smith Publicity, Inc., I am giving away one print copy of ‘Blooming: Finding Gifts in the Sh*t of Life’ by Carrington Smith.
Description Blooming by Carrington Smith
Carrington Smith spent a lifetime trying to be someone else—to fit in, to be loved, to keep the peace, and to make others happy. Until finally, Carrington discovered that her own path to happiness wasn’t based on fitting in but on standing out—celebrating her uniqueness and owning her past.
Candid and raw, Blooming takes you on a treasure hunt to discover the gifts in the shit. Shit is quite literally fertilizer. It is in the messes, failures, trauma, and difficulties of life that we discover what we need to bloom into our greatness.
From trauma to triumph, through the depths of sexual assault, religious mind-fuckery, family rejection, body dysmorphia, mid-life metamorphosis, physical scarring, and death into happiness, forgiveness, empathy, purpose, belonging, and joy, Blooming is a poignant, powerful account of finding your way through the shit.
Praise Blooming by Carrington Smith
“Blooming is the perfect book for anyone looking to get better at finding the light, love, and lessons in the most challenging moments of life.” —David Meltzer, Co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing, bestselling author, and top business coach
“Blooming grabs you from the first page and never lets you go. It annihilates the traditional limitations of what a memoir can be. Bold, candid, and raw, Blooming will have you laughing and crying all at once. In her sparkling debut, Carrington will touch your soul, shift your mindset, celebrate your shit, and establish herself as a narrator for our time.”–Deb Gabor, Brand Strategist and two-time bestselling author
About Carrington Smith
Carrington Smith is a single mom, attorney, business owner, and executive search professional. Despite being born with a silver spoon in her mouth, life gave her a hard kick in the tail. She has survived sexual assault, two divorces, piles of debt, abuse, religious mind games, the death of loved ones, and the loss of close friends.
In her debut memoir, Carrington combines wit and wisdom to share her journey through the shit, with a positive attitude and a shift of mindset, into a life bursting with joy, opportunity, and purpose. A graduate of UT Austin and Tulane Law School, Carrington resides in Austin, Texas, with her two teenage boys.
MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues by Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
Publisher: Unsolicited Press (January 26, 2021) Category: Self-help, Non-Fiction, psychology, memoir, health/wellness, inspirational, eating disorder recovery, weight loss, & body positivity Tour dates: March-April, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-950730-69-8 Available in Print and ebook, 282 pages
Description MeaningFULL by Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
“MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues” is a blend of motivational self-help, memoir, psychology, and health and wellness. Alli Spotts-De Lazzer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an expert in eating and body image issues, and a woman on the other side of her own decades-long struggle with food and body.
A $702 billion global diet/nutrition and weight loss industry shows that people worldwide are devoted to achieving maximum health and their desired bodies. Yet mainstream approaches are failing these individuals, and sadly, science proves this. Intent on gaining the “health” and “happiness” that diets promise, consumers keep trying. They become sad and frustrated, believing they’re failing when they’re not. They simply need a legitimate, alternative path, which “MeaningFULL” offers. Through the contributors’ diverse, real-life mini-memoirs followed by Spotts-De Lazzer’s commentaries, readers will learn about themselves and discover their unique, unconventional formulas for conquering their issues. Along the way, “MeaningFULL” will also guide them towards more self-appreciation, wellness, and fulfillment.
Review MeaningFULL by Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
Alli Spotts- De Lazzer is therapist who specializes in family therapy and eating disorders. In this book she has collected 23 stories from people about their struggles with weight and body image issues.
From the day we are born, society inundates us with the message that we must strive for perfection. Supermodels, movie stars, even today’s internet sensations begin programming us from a very young age with the idea that we must fit into a certain mold in order to be acceptable. And that mold is one of a thin, shapely young women. There is a reason Barbie dolls looked the way they did. Girls grow up striving to have that kind of figure. Sadly, many with do anything to try to achieve it.
But a supermodel’s body is, obviously difficult to achieve and as such, many of us will spend a lifetime struggling with our weight and body image, desperate to obtain a standard that is almost unobtainable. Some of us may only toy with dieting occasionally, but the people in this book made dieting into an everyday (and sometimes every moment) war on themselves.
Reading these stories, I felt such sympathy for these people who have struggled so much to achieve what they believe to be their own ideal look. For the woman who gained weight during her pregnancy only to fall back on food as a comfort when her baby was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and her husband left her. For the woman who started a business at a young age and became so obsessed with achieving perfection that she began drinking Ipecac to induce vomiting. For every story that represented another life and another hand over hand climb out of the rock bottom pit of misery.
Every story is concluded with a note from Spotts-De Lazzer analyzing the story and providing a therapist’s viewpoint, which was very welcome.
I personally grew up with a family struggling with weight issues. Most of my family must have tried every diet out there. I was the only one who had trouble actually gaining weight. Besides my family, I have known so many people struggling weight and body image issues, especially in my work as a social worker in mental health.
I am giving 5 stars to this moving look at diet culture and body image. This is the kind of self-help book that we need more of in the world! I am mostly retired from social work now however, I will recommend this book to my collogues, for their clients in the struggle.
About Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
Alli Spotts-De Lazzer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and a “CEDS” Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and a person on the other side of her own decades-long struggle with food battles and body dislike. She has presented educational workshops at international conferences, hospitals, and graduate schools and has published articles in trade magazines, academic journals, and online information hubs.
A believer in service and advocacy, Alli serves on multiple committees and created #ShakeIt for Self-Acceptance!—a movement embodying its message.
This giveaway is for one print copy with 2 winners. It is open to the U.S. only and ends on March 31, 2021,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues by Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
Publisher: Unsolicited Press (January 26, 2021) Category: Self-help, Non-Fiction, psychology, memoir, health/wellness, inspirational, eating disorder recovery, weight loss, & body positivity Tour dates: March-April, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-950730-69-8 Available in Print and ebook, 282 pages
Description MeaningFULL by Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
“MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues” is a blend of motivational self-help, memoir, psychology, and health and wellness. Alli Spotts-De Lazzer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an expert in eating and body image issues, and a woman on the other side of her own decades-long struggle with food and body.
A $702 billion global diet/nutrition and weight loss industry shows that people worldwide are devoted to achieving maximum health and their desired bodies. Yet mainstream approaches are failing these individuals, and sadly, science proves this. Intent on gaining the “health” and “happiness” that diets promise, consumers keep trying. They become sad and frustrated, believing they’re failing when they’re not. They simply need a legitimate, alternative path, which “MeaningFULL” offers. Through the contributors’ diverse, real-life mini-memoirs followed by Spotts-De Lazzer’s commentaries, readers will learn about themselves and discover their unique, unconventional formulas for conquering their issues. Along the way, “MeaningFULL” will also guide them towards more self-appreciation, wellness, and fulfillment.
Praise MeaningFULL by Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
“First, let me tell you….YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! Why? Because it will resonate with you at some level. Whether you’re the person that has had a moment of, “I can’t wear that” or “I don’t like the way my (insert body part here) looks in that shirt” or “That food is bad/good for me”. I promise something in this book will touch you. For me, there were many “A-HA” moments that made me tear up a bit reading them knowing that I was not alone. Alli does a fantastic job of letting these stories unfold, letting the writer tell their truth and where they’re coming from, and where they are going. You will laugh, you might cry, but you will definitely be better for reading this! Highly recommend. 5 SHINING STAR STICKERS!!”-cedarparkmom
“I loved your book so much it was an absolute joy to spend this valuable weekend time reading it. . .I really feel this book should be read by everyone in Western culture. This is so much more than a series of stories from people with eating disorders, it is a reflection on American (and to a large extent the whole of western) society. The pressure we put on ourselves and each other to look a certain way, unattainable aspirations that are robbing us of our health and robbing us of our ability to enjoy life. I am sure everyone can benefit from reading this book, and everyone will either relate to some elements of the stories, or know someone who has suffered from similar issues.”-Caroline Watson, from the U.K.
“I SAW MYSELF IN THIS BOOK. I was fortunate enough to read a copy of this book prior to it’s formal release. I expected to read story after story about other people. But, as I dug deeper, I realized, I was reading about parts of myself and parts of my family and friends within each story. I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a very easy read. Even if you don’t think you need to read this book for your own personal journey, it’s worth reading to better understand what your family or friends might be going through. It has definitely heightened my sense of awareness.”-jrjanuszewski
“A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. MeaningFULL is just that; meaningful. It is FULL of hope and encouragement. Readers will surely recognize themselves in one of the many, beautifully diverse stories of food and body image struggles and triumphs. As an eating disorder therapist, I feel confident in recommending this book to my clients as the author takes great care to engage readers in a safe way that focuses on healing. Her straightforward commentary at the end of each mini memoir is refreshing and illuminating, helping to eliminate any potential misreading of the information presented. Need a fill-up on hope? Grab this book and settle in.”-Josie Munroe, LMFT
“Reading MeaningFULL was like seeing myself in a mirror – sometimes I liked what I saw, sometimes I cringed a little, and sometimes I got a true glimpse of myself. The 23 stories featured in this book made me laugh, cry, and feel a lot of hope – not just for myself, but for everyone who has a contentious relationship with food and with their own body. The storytelling in MeaningFULL is excellent and it was easy to connect with and feel empathy toward the storytellers. The notes from Alli at the end of each story, which have incredibly useful commentary and suggestions are what make Meaning Full such a worthwhile read. I really appreciate how freely resources are shared with the reader. Alli knows that overcoming food, weight, and body issues takes so much more than reading a book. She offers real information and suggestions for how to do the hard work. She also offers hope and glimpses of real lives that are so much better for having done the work. MeaningFULL was not always easy to read, especially when I related too much to a storyteller. It was so worth it, though! I felt seen and I felt compassion from Alli in every word she wrote. I think that there is a lot to be gained from reading this book for everyone – if you don’t have a hard time with food, weight, or body issues, you know someone who does. MeaningFULL is chock full of insights for everyone.”-Darcysmom’s, Goodreads
Interview With Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
TR: Please tell us something about ‘MeaningFULL’ that is not in the summary. (About the book, person you particularly enjoyed writing, etc.)
ASDL: When I started the book, I had little idea of what the heck I was doing. I’d only published academic articles. But this could not be those. Soon after I created a short proof of concept, I discovered I was deeply challenged and felt discouraged as a writer. Throughout the next year and a half/two years, I’d find that I’d feel those feelings often.
Every time I threw MeaningFULL in the trash, I was able to find someone who could teach me what to do to UN-give up. And amazing souls were willing to provide feedback along the way, too. Since I could find no prototype for this kooky fusion of genres, it required a lot of fixing and revising. And, THAT story is nowhere in the book!
TR: Though you are a professional in the field, you most likely still had to do some research for ‘MeaningFull.’ How much time and effort went into your research for the book?
ASDL: Tons! Putting what I think I know in print, to exist permanently, takes a lot of reviewing and double-checking. It was also important to me to offer a variety of accessible resources—meaning, articles that can be Google-searched by readers. Those each needed to be thoughtfully found and chosen.
TR: How long did it take you to write this book from concept to fruition?
ASDL: It took around three years; I began curating it in late 2017.
TR: Tell us about your cover. Did you design it yourself?
ASDL: The JOY in the cover Unsolicited Press created and chose was irresistible to me. I loved that the people seemed to represent who was in the book and who might be reading it.
TR: What are you currently working on?
ASDL: Getting the word out about MeaningFULL! Also, maintaining my private practice.
TR: Besides its fusion of genres, what’s something distinctive about MeaningFULL?
ASDL: The community of it. As it was evolving and being workshopped, many hearts and minds touched the pages. Now that it’s in final form, a reader whose heart or mind it touches will also (hopefully) feel connected. We—you and me—are not alone in our struggles, triumphs, and quests to find our unique formulas to wellness and our contented lives.
About Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
Alli Spotts-De Lazzer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and a “CEDS” Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and a person on the other side of her own decades-long struggle with food battles and body dislike. She has presented educational workshops at international conferences, hospitals, and graduate schools and has published articles in trade magazines, academic journals, and online information hubs.
A believer in service and advocacy, Alli serves on multiple committees and created #ShakeIt for Self-Acceptance!—a movement embodying its message.
This giveaway is for one print copy with 2 winners. It is open to the U.S. only and ends on March 31, 2021,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Blooming: Finding Gifts in the Sh*t of Life by Carrington Smith
