The views of this blog are my own. And the reviews are when I look at the posts again (and check for comments). I like to get reviews, or comments, on my blog because I like to feel connected to people. Some people leave comments and others leave likes. Some people follow my blog. Others signed up for the emails and they read them that way. You are one of my readers and I thank you. Even if you just leave, I thank you for stopping by.
But what I want to do is write a review of the company we ordered personalized napkins from. I ordered them on Friday and then reviewed my order on Sunday (mostly because I just wanted to see them again. It’s a lovely design and the colors work nicely.) But upon reviewing the order, I noticed a typo which made my heart sink. I sent an email to the “contact us” even though I’d checked a box on the order form saying I had proofed and previewed the order to my satisfaction.
Yesterday, I called the company when they opened and talked to a woman who listened to my story and said she would see what she could do if the napkins hadn’t gone to production yet. When she checked, she could see that someone had already remedied the problem in response to my email. That typo for this type O (see my last blog post) is now the way it should be.
I’m a fan of this napkin company. Check out The Stationery Studio even if you only want to play with their design-your-own napkins feature. I don’t know if their prices are competitive or not. But I do know I’m glad we went with them because they’re the right type for me.
Another review that’s on my mind is my dentist. I had a dentist appointment after the napkin order on Friday. Mind you, I didn’t know about the typo yet, but I was relaxed enough to be a little startled when the hygienist put the chair up and asked me to rinse. I was almost asleep! That’s a pretty good review right there, but the review I really liked was the conversation I had with the hygienist before she started cleaning my teeth. She has read my book and really liked it. She thinks her daughter would like it. She also liked the puns that are liberally sprinkled throughout my writing. As I was talking to her, I realized it’s a pretty good personal review that I’m still on my I’m Possible Journey: Learning to Live with Sugar Addiction. It is coming up on 6 years since I found my ticket. (And if you’re looking for a great dental practice in central Connecticut, check out Waterview Dental. If you make an appointment with Jeanette, tell her I sent you!)
On Friday afternoon, my husband and I had an appointment with a retirement planner–not to discuss new tires for our cars, but to discuss what happens when paychecks become pension checks. The man we met with has read my book (I gave him a copy) and liked it. He said he had just noticed my book on the shelf and was thinking he should have his dad read it. (His dad had just announced he was going to get healthy.) What I liked about his review was that he said he wasn’t thinking about his upcoming appointment with us. It just seemed like a good book for someone who was wanting to make some healthy changes.
But speaking of retirement, I wanted to leave a review of a book series written by my friend Jena C. Henry. She explores relationships as they navigate life in retirement. It’s a humorous and real look at the path to new normals in the golden years. If you’re interested, you might want at least read the reviews on Amazon or look at her website. I met her in person and she’s as real as her writing.
Saturday afternoon I was talking with another person and the subject of weight loss came up. She hasn’t read my book from cover to cover, but she said she likes to read little bits at a time for motivation and inspiration. (That’s how I like to read it, too.) We were talking about selective memory for food. I just shared that when I remember how a food makes me feel along with the taste of it, I can usually stick with the memory of the taste and avoid how it would make me feel if I were to eat it. That’s the kind of stuff that’s in my book. Her review helped me know that what helps me can possible help someone else. A validation of sorts.
Speaking of sorts, I was a bit out of sorts when I got the marketing report from my recent campaign with Frank.ai Even though the ads in my campaign got a lot of clicks and impressions and my website had thousands of new viewers, I had no book sales. Unfortunately, I felt like it was a review of my book that was: don’t bother to take look. Fortunately, my husband saw it differently. He just said the target audience wasn’t right.
My goal in publishing a book was to have something to refer to (or review) when I wanted to remember how I got from where I was to healthy. I wanted to be able to remember the bad stuff without having to relive it. That objective has been, and continues to be, met. My other goal was to help people who were dealing with sugar addiction or other food related struggles. Based on my Amazon reviews, I’ve helped a few people with that. And I think that’s good.
But the marketing results were a little off putting in my head. I’m not knocking Frank. But, to be frank, I think I wasn’t quite ready for marketing. Not quite yet. I’ll continue to write because that’s part of what helps me manage my sugar addiction. I’ll consider revamping my maureenaliprandi.com website to include recipes and newsletters and direct sales, but only as it fits into my life. Not to fit my life into it. (That’s a profound statement that I will try to consider in my amateur ways.)
Right now, I need to review the lawn and cut it. When I come in from that, it will be time to review the washer and transfer the clean clothes to the dryer.
What are you reviewing today?
PS. The view pictured at the top is from Schweitzer Mountain in Idaho. The view below is from the Badlands in South Dakota. I wouldn’t mind re-viewing both places!
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