Collection: Self-Development

Mad Libs is the world's greatest word game and the perfect gift or activity for anyone who likes to laugh! Write in the missing words on each page to create your own hilariously funny stories all about gross things!

Some days, my burps smell just like TYPE OF FOOD! With 21 "fill-in-the-blank" stories about passing gas, belching, and eating expired food, Gross Me Out Mad Libs is the perfect activity for any young fan of gross things! Play alone, in a group, or in a porta-potty! Mad Libs are a fun family activity recommended for ages 8 to NUMBER.

Gross Me Out Mad Libs includes:

- Silly stories 21 "fill-in-the-blank" stories about grossness!
- Language arts practice Mad Libs are a great way to build reading comprehension and grammar skills.
- Fun with friends each story is a chance for friends to work together to create unique stories!

An inspiring book from Meik Wiking, the New York Times bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge, about how to use space, light, and Danish design to transform your home to fit your needs.

Now more than ever before, our homes need to be a place of comfort, a place to feel safe when we shut the door. Our homes are where we can truly be ourselves, unwind, and create special memories with our family and friends. Inspired by Danish design and traditions, Meik Wiking's beautiful book My Hygge Home shows us how to turn our home into a cozy sanctuary and live a bit like the happiest people in the world--the Danes.

Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is the art of surrounding yourself in comfort and is at the core of Danish culture in creating a happy space. With simple tips based on new research from the Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, this book reveals what makes a happy home: including the difference between space and size, the importance of lighting, and how to foster better connections with our loved ones. No matter how much space you have or what your budget is, Meik explains how you can use color, light, and space to create your happy place and celebrate coziness the Danish way.

If you change your brain, you can change your life.

Great teachers like the Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, and Gandhi were all born with brains built essentially like anyone else's--and then they changed their brains in ways that changed the world. Science is now revealing how the flow of thoughts actually sculpts the brain, and more and more, we are learning that it's possible to strengthen positive brain states.

By combining breakthroughs in neuroscience with insights from thousands of years of mindfulness practice, you too can use your mind to shape your brain for greater happiness, love, and wisdom. Buddha's Brain draws on the latest research to show how to stimulate your brain for more fulfilling relationships, a deeper spiritual life, and a greater sense of inner confidence and worth. Using guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, you'll learn how to activate the brain states of calm, joy, and compassion instead of worry, sorrow, and anger. Most importantly, you will foster positive psychological growth that will literally change the way you live in your day-to-day life.

This book presents an unprecedented intersection of psychology, neurology, and contemplative practice, and is filled with practical tools and skills that you can use every day to tap the unused potential of your brain and rewire it over time for greater well-being and peace of mind.

An instant New York Times bestseller

Beloved wellness author and teacher Alexandra Elle shares this practical and empowering guide to self-healing.

In How We Heal, bestselling author Alexandra Elle offers a life-changing invitation to heal yourself and reclaim your peace. In these pages, readers will discover essential techniques for self-healing, including journaling rituals to cultivate innate strength, accessible tools for processing difficult emotions, and restorative meditations to ease the mind.

Alex Elle elegantly weaves together themes like self-healing, mindfulness, inner child work, and boundary setting and presents the reader with easy-to-follow practices that have changed her life and the lives of the thousands of people she has taught. Her 4-part framework for healing will appeal to anyone who wants a clear process, while the compelling personal stories leave the reader feeling connected and ready to begin again.

Complementing the practices are powerful insights from Alex Elle's own journey of self-discovery using writing to heal, plus remarkable stories of healing from a range of luminary voices, including Nedra Tawwab, Morgan Harper Nichols, Dr. Thema Bryant, Barb Schmidt, and many more.

Brimming with encouragement and delivered with Alex Elle's signature warmth and candor, How We Heal is a must-have companion for anyone that wants to unlock their inner wisdom and confidence to heal on their own.

Packed with tested strategies and practical tips, this 30-day plan is the essential, life-changing guide to setting boundaries with your smartphone.

"The Marie Kondo of brains . . . for the first time in a long time, I'm starting to feel like a human again."--Kevin Roose, The New York Times

Is your phone the first thing you reach for in the morning and the last thing you touch before bed? Do you frequently pick it up "just to check," only to look up forty-five minutes later wondering where the time has gone? Do you say you want to spend less time on your phone--but have no idea how to do so without giving it up completely? If so, this book is your solution.

Award-winning journalist Catherine Price presents a practical, hands-on plan to break up--and then make up--with your phone. The goal? A long-term relationship that actually feels good.

You'll discover how phones and apps are designed to be addictive, and learn how the time we spend on them damages our abilities to focus, think deeply, and form new memories. You'll then make customized changes to your settings, apps, environment, and mindset that will ultimately enable you to take back control of your life.

Introducing the first book in The Game Master's new "Handbook" series!

Is your roleplaying in a rut? Flip the table and try something new! Proactive roleplaying will re-energize your players - and your game.

Most adventures in traditional TTRPGs start out the same way: Something bad happens and your players have to muster their courage to stand against it. Whether it's rescuing the little dog that was kidnapped by the local troll, stopping an assassination attempt at the archduke's wedding or recruiting an army to disrupt the construction of a world-ending ritual site, the party will always find a way to save the day. After all, what kind of heroes would they be if they let the dog, duke or entire population die? Saving the day is fun, but it starts to get repetitive after a while. If you're using a "bad guys try to do stuff, good guys try to stop them" engine to drive all your sessions, you're taking all the agency out of your players' hands. Bad stuff happens, good people have to try to stop it, roll, rinse, repeat.

There's a better way to play (and prep) your sessions. The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying shows you how to convert your TTRPG gameplay from predictable action/reaction cliches to player-driven narratives that put all the choices (and most of the prep work) in the hands of your players. The goals are theirs. The decisions are theirs. Everything that happens in the world you're building together occurs not because you planned it, but because the PCs are following their own paths, rather than Game Master breadcrumbs, to the scene of the next adventure.

The proactive approach ensures every battle has tension, every faction has a function and every session is high-stakes (and an absolute blast), putting the players and their characters in the driver's seat so you can sit back and simply put giant goal- (and soul-) crushing roadblocks in their way.

You'll also find:

- Foreword by Ginny Di with an afterword by Jeff Ashworth
- Writer's block-breaking charts
- Case studies from decades of sessions
- Templates for goal-driven NPCs and factions
- A modular adventure setting and much more!

The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying is compatible with your favorite 5th edition Fantasy Tabletop RPGs!

Weave magic into your knits with the first-ever Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas knitting guide, featuring more than 25 patterns inspired by the strange and creepy characters of Tim Burton's beloved classic.

Become your own mad scientist and knit to life the quirky characters and creepy costumes inspired by Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Inspired by the characters of Jack Skellington, Sally, Dr. Finkelstein, Zero, Oogie Boogie, the Mayor, Sandy Claws, and more, these patterns feature a mix of dark and vibrant knits and glow-in-the-dark yarn in celebration of the melding of Halloween and Christmas in this classic film. Oogie Boogie and Zero stuffies come to life with the help of your knitting needles, and clothing, home décor, holiday decorations, and more will transport you to the moonlit hills, dark cemeteries, and eerie cobblestone streets of Tim Burton's stop-motion world.

Featuring more than 25 wickedly creative knits pictured in stunning full-color photography, this book includes patterns suited for beginner and advanced knitters alike. Patterns for Sally's slouchy socks and Sandy Claw's Christmas stocking are ideal for new knitters, while more advanced projects like Sally's patchwork dress will satisfy longtime crafters. Plus, this book includes original sketches, film stills, and other behind-the-scenes goodies that are sure to satisfy the most die-hard of Tim Burton fans.

Be your own hero by becoming a Self-Care Savage!

Self-proclaimed Self-Care Savage, hiker, explorer, and founder of Ucan Outdoors, Scott Tatum is here to help you find your way back to yourself. In Friendly Reminders, Scott reminds us that life is tough, but meeting challenges with discipline, determination, a positive attitude, and mindfulness can lead you to a meaningful life that will inspire others. With 140 friendly reminders and practical advice, you'll learn how to prioritize yourself and your well-being by entering the Self-Care Savage journey of self-healing.

In this useful guide, you'll enter a trail of self-confidence so that you can live a more peaceful and happier life. You'll be reminded to put yourself first and build a strong self-worth while getting a dose of daily inspiration on the themes of:

• Self-Care
• Forgiveness
• Self-Worth
• The Present Moment
• Healing
• Leadership
• Failure

Friendly Reminders is inclusive to both men and women of all ages. No matter how old we get, we could all use a little bit more guidance, and with his words of wisdom, Tatum is here to help. Take a peek at some of the powerful sayings you can find inside:

• If you're not willing to get it wrong, you'll never get it right!
• Anything that costs you your mental health is too expensive.
• What others think of you is none of your business!

Take accountability of your own self-growth and hike your way into a better you.

Color along with the master, Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light. From luminous lighthouses and frothy seascapes to candlelit villages and welcoming front porches, relax as you color in this soothing atmosphere of beauty and inspiration.

In this unique coloring book, sixty-three of Thomas Kinkade's most popular paintings are presented in color alongside the black line art of the same image to be colored. Enter the world of the painter of light as you create your own renditions of these classic artworks, including such gems as Aspen Chapel, Garden of Prayer, and Stairway to Paradise.

"A must-read for seasoned and new managers alike." --Johnny C. Taylor Jr., SHRM-SCP, CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

A groundbreaking guide to mastering the job interview, offering proven advice and techniques to discover your unique interview style that is key to interviewing better--for those on either side of the table.

Conventional interviewing advice doesn't work. That's what Anna Papalia learned through years of experience as an HR professional, consultant for Fortune 500 companies, and teacher at the Fox School of Business. None of the existing tools work for one simple reason: they don't get to the heart of what actually makes a great interview--self-awareness. At its core, an interview is a set of questions about you. If you don't know yourself, you won't do well.

Determined to make the process better, more inclusive, and less obscure, Anna spent years researching how people interview and uncovered a new science to interviewing, rooted in the finding that there are four main styles people exhibit in an interview: you can be a Charmer, a Challenger, an Examiner, or a Harmonizer. Your style influences how you view and approach interviews, and ultimately how you perform in them. In Interviewology, Anna teaches you how to identify your individual style (and that of who you are interviewing with) and offers pragmatic tips for using this knowledge to nail your next interview.

Packed with wisdom, Interviewology offers clarity and a dynamic, scientifically validated approach that challenges everything you thought you knew about interviewing, providing unique insight into the process, debunking some of the most common myths, and explaining how you can perform better, whether you're applying for the job or looking for the right candidate.

Going beyond generic advice that isn't useful in the real world--such as memorizing rote answers or strict guidelines--Interviewology is a revolutionary approach that focuses on self-awareness--and how to develop it--to help everyone master their own unique interview style. It's about the power of knowing yourself and how that insight can lead to a more successful career and life.

"Patric is going to be the Ina Garten of laundry." --Good Day L.A.

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by GMA.com, The Washington Post, Working Mother, Good Day L.A., and more!

Patric Richardson, aka the "Laundry Evangelist," reveals his revolutionary methods for cleaning clothes--and making laundry loads more fun.

Doing laundry is rarely anyone's favorite task. But to Patric Richardson, laundry isn't just fun--it's a way of life. After years of running Laundry Camp at the Mall of America for thousands of eager learners, he's ready to share his tips, tricks, and hacks--bringing surprise and delight to this commonly dreaded chore.

Sorting your laundry? It's not all about whites and darks. Pondering the wash cycles? Every load, even your delicates, should be washed using express or quick-wash on warm. Facing expensive dry cleaning bills? You'll learn how to wash everything--yes everything--at home. And those basically clean but smelly clothes? Richardson has a secret for freshening those too (hint: it involves vodka, not soap).

Changing your relationship with laundry can also change your life. Richardson's handy advice shows us how to save time and money (and the planet!) with our laundry--and he intersperses it all with a healthy dose of humor, real-life laundry stories, and lessons from his Appalachian upbringing and career in fashion.

Laundry Love will make you wonder why you ever stressed about ironing, dry cleaning, or (god forbid) red wine spills on your new couch. No matter the issue, Richardson is here to help you make laundry miracles happen--wrinkles and stains be damned.

What is the difference between having empathy and being an empath? "Having empathy means our heart goes out to another person in joy or pain," says Judith Orloff, MD. "But for empaths it goes much further. We actually feel others' emotions, energy, and physical symptoms in our own bodies, without the usual defenses that most people have." With The Empath's Survival Guide, Dr. Orloff offers a practical tool set to help sensitive people develop healthy coping mechanisms in our high-stimulus world--while fully embracing the empath's gifts of intuition, compassion, creativity, and spiritual connection.

This practical, empowering, and loving book was created to support empaths and anyone who wants to develop their sensitivities to become more caring people in an often-insensitive world. It helps empaths through their unique challenges and gives loved ones a better understanding of the needs and gifts of the sensitive people in their lives. In this book Dr. Orloff offers crucial practices, including:

- Self-assessment exercises to help you identify your empath type
- Tools for protecting yourself from sensory overload, exhaustion, addictions, and compassion fatigue while replenishing your vital energy
- Simple and effective strategies to stop absorbing stress and physical symptoms from others and protect yourself from narcissists and other energy vampires
- How to find the right work and create relationships that nourish you
- How to navigate intimate relationships without feeling overwhelmed
- Guidance for parenting and raising empathic children
- Awakening the empath's gift of intuition and deepening your spiritual connection to all living beings

For any sensitive person who's been told to "grow a thick skin," this paperback edition of The Empath's Survival Guide is an invaluable resource for staying fully open while building resilience, exploring your gifts of depth and compassion, and feeling welcome and valued by a world that desperately needs what you have to offer.

We Should Get Together is the handbook for anyone who's ready for better friendships, now.

• Have you recently moved to a new city and are struggling to make friends?
• Do you find yourself constantly making plans with friends that fall through?
• Are you more likely to see your friends' social media posts than their faces?

You aren't alone. Millions of adults struggle with an uncomfortable and persistent ache: platonic longing, which is the unfulfilled wish for authentic, resilient, close friendships. But it doesn't have to be this way. Making and maintaining friendships during adulthood can be hard--or, with a bit of intention and creativity, joyful.

Author Kat Vellos, experience designer and founder of Better Than Small Talk, tackles the four most common challenges of adult friendship: constant relocation, full schedules, the demands of partnership and family, and our culture's declining capacity for compassion and intimacy in the age of social media. Combining expert research and personal stories pulled from conversations with hundreds of adults, We Should Get Together is the modern handbook for making and maintaining stronger friendships.

With this book you will learn to:

• Make and maintain friendships when you (or your friends) keep moving
• Have deeper and more meaningful conversations
• Triumph over awkwardness in social situations
• Become less dependent on your phone
• Identify and prioritize quality connections
• Find time for friendship despite your busy calendar
• Create closer, more durable friendships

Full of relatable stories, practical tips, 60 charming illustrations, 55 suggested activities, a book club discussion guide, and 300+ conversation starters, We Should Get Together is the perfect book for anyone who wants to have dedicated, life-enriching friends, and who wants to be that kind of friend, too.

From over 25 years of clinical experience, Manuela Mischke- Reeds, MA, LMFT, has created the go-to resource for mental health therapists who want to incorporate somatic techniques into their daily practice. Highly-effective for clients dealing with trauma and stress disorders, somatic psychotherapy is the future of healing the entire person-body and mind.

Section-by-section, this toolbox guides the clinician through:
Targeted somatic interventions for trauma, stress and PTSD
Steps to incorporate the body into your current therapeutic approach
Mindfulness techniques and breath work
Starting guidelines, safety concerns and keys to success
Getting to know their own body to better use body work with clients"

Moving beyond a prescribed path for success, Erasing the Finish Line highlights the essential skills to help each young person thrive in school and life

For years, we've been led to believe that great grades, high test scores, and college acceptance are key to a successful life. Yet our laser focus on these achievements leaves students feeling anxious, demoralized, and unprepared.

What if we've overlooked the critical skills young adults need to navigate an ever-changing world? What fundamental skills help young people adapt, persevere, and thrive?

Academic advisor and early career development expert Ana Homayoun answers these questions and more in her accessible and solutions-oriented guide to transforming future generations. In her ground-breaking new book, Erasing the Finish Line, Homayoun flips the way we think about education.

In this refreshing approach, Homayoun reveals new strategies to help each student develop their own blueprint for success, including how to:

• Develop a system based on executive functioning skills
• Build valuable social capital while fostering genuine connections
• Identify energy profile and how to recharge
• Expand perspective through immersive exposure
• Remain adaptable in the face of disappointments and setbacks

Through a powerful blend of theory, strategies and storytelling from former and current students, Homayoun's layered approach to revisioning education will bring sharp realization to parents, educators, and policy-makers alike.

A Mad Libs Junior with stories about pet cats, dogs, parakeets, lizards...you name it!

Mad Libs Junior is back and better than ever! The fun and interactive format is a take on traditional Mad Libs, and is perfect for beginning readers who might not know the parts of speech as well as their older brothers and sisters. Kids are sure to gobble up the 21 stories inside this book, all about one of the most perenially popular topics: the family pet!